On the environmental landscape and ecological framework of Moscow

One of the main objectives of urban development of Moscow in its new boundaries is to preserve both its unified landscape system and a single historical and cultural space. The level of anthropogenic transformation of the original landscapes is such that further construction on the area is not possible without the simultaneous formation of the environmental framework, preserving the rich cultural and historical heritage, formation of the conditioned network of specifically protected natural areas and rehabilitation of particularly valuable landscape complexes.
An environmental landscape and ecological framework should be a single system of interrelated and complementary components (landscape complexes), constituting a single environmental space: habitat-forming cores (nodes), ecological corridors and elements of ecological infrastructure.
Habitat-forming cores should include as mandatory parts all the specifically protected natural areas (SPNAs), particularly valuable landscape complexes, as well as preserved adjacent forest areas. Their most important function should be to maintain resources and area reproducing abilities of landscapes, landscape diversity and biodiversity. Ecological corridors which perform environmental and operating transit functions should include unified landscape systems of river valleys, their hollow-beam upstreams and drained lows [1].
In the plan river valleys and small erosional forms are as if enclosed in the gullies and constitute single paradynamic systems unified by lateral flows. Therefore not only the edges of river valleys, but also the rear seams of the valley outwash plains should become important natural boundaries, limiting urban development of the area.
The most important supplement may be such elements of environmental infrastructure as cultural and historical landscape complexes, landscape complexes with a high concentration of cultural heritage sites, especially valuable preserved forests, springs, natural and recreational parks, natural monuments, etc. They can serve as centers of landscape and biological diversity and perform partial transit (migration) and buffer functions [2].
The results of the analysis of the landscape structure and various elements of the natural and ecological framework were documented in a series of original maps in the scale of 1:50,000. The resulting synthetic map was the "environmental framework map". All maps are created in electronic vector format for visualization in Mapinfo system in Moscow coordinate system. All information in the maps is presented in the form of specific map layers with numbered units and legends to them. All thematic maps are integrated into a single geographic information system. This allows to quickly isolate the required information layer or, vice versa, to integrate them for further analysis or synthesis.