BASIC AREAS OF RESEARCH

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

PROBLEM RESEARCH LABORATORY

BASIC AREAS OF RESEARCH

    The basis of the complex ameliorative regulation is the general principle stated by the Academician A. N. Kostyakov. The essence of this principle consists in the comparison of the current plant requirements with the prognosis of the regulated factors and further - the application of the necessary actions to create optimal water, food and heat regimes.

    The aforementioned principle defined the basic directions of research in the Problem Research Laboratory and collaborating institutions:

- Study of the requirements of plants to the environmental conditions determining the changes occurring during the developmental process, and establishment of quantitative regularities connecting the temporal deviation of the conditions from optimal with the resulting yield;
- Establishment of the basic regularities of the formation of water, heat and food regimes in the system atmosphere-plant-soil-ground waters;
- Development of quantitative methods for substantiation of complex melioration;
- Development of basic methods of complex ameliorative regulation;
- Creation of automated experimental ameliorative systems regulating water, heat and food regimes.

    From 1966 onwards after the requirement of the Ministry of Water Management of Byelorussia in the Experimental Field "Lesnoe" under the supervision of the Academician S. F. Averyanov a series of field experiments were performed.
    In 1976-1980 the Problem Research Laboratory was working on the Assignment 0.52.01 "Develop methods and technological bases of control and management of water, heat and food regimes of soil guaranteeing successful transition to complex regulation of the life factors of plants …"
    The theoretical research was performed in the Laboratory, while field experiments took place on the Experimental Fields of PRL.

    From 1981 to 1985 the Problem Research Laboratory performed research on the Assignment 07.01 "Develop principles effective methods and technology of regulation of water, heat, food and other regimes on the meliorated lands with the purpose of the optimization for different agricultural products" within the framework of the program "Improvement of the effectiveness of meliorated lands and use of water resources in melioration".
    In 1986-1990 the Laboratory continued working on the Assignment 0.52.01 (see above)

    During 1991-1995 the topics of the research were significantly widened including:

- Development of principles of projecting fertility of soil in an ecologically balanced agriculture;
- Development of scientific bases and methods of project substantiation and evaluation of ecologically safe technologies of melioration with optimal combination of various ameliorative and agro-technical techniques;
- Development of theory and methods of design and preservation of the soil structure, regulation of processes of microbiological and physico-chemical transformation of the organic substance of soil;
- Development of automated experimental ameliorative system of complex regulation of water, heat and food regimes;
- Development of methods for substantiation of the choice of reclamation objects of ecologo-ameliorative state of agro-landscapes;
- Development of the environmental requirements of an agro-landscape;
- Planning of a system of measures for reclamation of agro-landscapes damaged by the agricultural activities;
- Development of methods and technologies of restoration to the natural state of water systems;
- Development of methods of cleaning polluted waters in natural and artificial geo-chemical barriers.

    In 1998 the Laboratory conducted complex landscape research on the subject "Ecological research of the territory of the State Museum-sanctuary of A. S. Pushkin 'Mikhailovskoe'" with participation of the Moscow State University of Lomonosov (MSU) and R&D Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage. As a result of the research recommendations on stabilization of the environment were developed and passed to the Museum.

    The methodology of the research includes:
- Evaluation of the landscape structure of the land use, the structure of agricultural fields and ecological diversity of the sanctuary's territory;
- Evaluation of the state of the forest;
- Evaluation of the quality of the surface waters;
- Analysis of the state of the aerial environment;
- Bio-indicative research of plants and animals.

    Currently, taking into account the multilevel nature of melioration and its role in the improvement of the quality of life, the Problem Research Laboratory conducts research in the following areas:
- Development of ecological bases of the uses of natural resources and environmental engineering in the damaged landscapes under stable conditions;
- Ecologo-economical evaluation of the effect of climate change on the natural potential of the landscape;
- Role of melioration in the strategy of stable development;
- Evaluation of natural conditions and resources of territorial complexes;
- Development of a system for monitoring the ecological state of territories so as to reduce the number of observational points;
- Determination of the effectiveness of environmental and ameliorative measures based on the power capacity under conditions of stable development;
- Classification of the objects of agricultural meliorations etc.