The solution of preserving and restoring the soil fertility problem of agricultural lands in the process of economic activity is one of the main tasks in achieving global food security. Implementation of a complex of soil protection measures, as a rule, ensures the preservation and even growth of soil fertility. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to determine the economic efficiency of introducing soil protection measures in the use of agricultural land. For this purpose, the following tasks were set and solved: the analysis of the current state and trends of the land resources use in agriculture; to investigate the tendencies of carrying out measures on preservation of soil fertility and prevention of its degradation; to substantiate scientific and methodical estimation principles of economic efficiency of introduction of soil protection measures in the conditions of Ukraine. The following basic methods were used to solve the research objectives: monographic analysis – when developing scientific publications on environmentally friendly use of agricultural land; comparative and statistical analysis – in studying the dynamics of the structure of the land fund of Ukraine by main types of land and economic activity; system-structural analysis and grouping – in the study of the nature and content of ecological and economic consequences of soil degradation, as well as approaches to assessing the economic effectiveness of soil protection measures; economic analysis and calculation of relative indicators – to evaluate the economic efficiency of soil protection measures in the process of agricultural land use; abstract-logical method − for theoretical generalizations and conclusions formation, etc. Established that soil degradation is now one of the most important industrial and environmental issues, which is the main reason for the inability to achieve high rates of environmental and economic efficiency of land use in the future. It was also substantiated scientific and methodical approach to determining the economic efficiency of soil conservation measures in the current market conditions, which is based on the additional income that is received as a result of increase crop yields on protected lands. It is established that effective protection of soils from degradation is possible with the systematic implementation of soil protection measures complex, developed taking into account the specific natural and economic conditions of each region or agricultural enterprise. The priority directions of realization measures on land protection are given.

This article analyses the issue of the inadequacy between the results of preliminary measurements performed during the land reform and results of cadastral measurements. The aim of the research is to analyse the change of areas of land parcels of Sakiai district, the mistakes which were made during the measurements and their causes, as well as to make the comparison between preliminary and cadastral measurements. The research methods are as follows: the review and analysis of scientific literature, the analysis of statistical data, the comparative analysis and the method of graphical modelling. The total area of analysed land parcels is 282718 m2. During the research, while comparing the preliminary data and the data of the measurements of land parcels obtained while performing cadastral measurements, it was established that an average increase of areas of land parcels is 0.0223 ha, decrease is 0.0034 ha, the total perimeter of all land parcels decreased by 24.9 m, the total area of arable land in land parcels increased by 0.1390 ha due to the increase of areas of land parcels, new mapped lands: tree and shrub plantations, grasslands, gardens. The average shift of turning points of land parcel boundaries in the locality after the performed cadastral measurements is 2.64 m. What is more, by applying some formulae, the accuracy of calculation of areas of land parcels was determined. It turned out that land parcels, which cover 96% of the area of the analysed land parcels, changed to the maximum permissible error of areas, and 4% exceeded the maximum permissible error. According to the data presented by the National Land Service it was established that 15% of the submitted cadastral files are not accepted. The most common causes are an inadequacy of land parcel boundaries to the documents of the planning of territories or the land holding projects (44%), mistakes in the preparation of files of cadastral data of land parcel, in the completing (23%), in the preparation of the land parcel plan (21%), and while filling in the form of land parcel cadastral data (13%).

Cadastral measurement provides cadastral data of a parcel determining its boundaries. In theory, based on the legislative regulations, the boundaries of adjacent parcels should not cross the boundaries of parcels, therefore an overlap of parcels is not possible. Yet the question arises if this requirement is met. The study has been conducted to examine the assumption regarding the possible overlap of adjacent parcels when the parcels abut a road. The study object consists of 24 parcels randomly selected from Kėdainiai district municipality, Lithuania which abut the following roads of national significance: road No. 144 (Jonava – Kėdainiai – Šeduva) and road No. 195 (Kėdainiai – Krekenava – Panevėžys) as well as regional road No. 2007 (Akademija – Šlapberžė – Berželė). The cadastral measurements of the selected roads were carried out in the period of 2013–2014. During the study, the analysis of the conditions of overlapping of boundaries and the areas of the overlap have been carried out. The results of the study indicate that the boundary accuracy of parcels is inaccurate in relation to road boundaries.

Land management and improvement of computer technologies in land use are one of the most important tasks of the state; their effective implementation is closely linked to the widespread implementation of modern achievements of information technology. The achievement of the maximum transparency of the processes is vital in the field of geo-information and spatial data resources during increasing the reliability and manageability of the infrastructure.

Land cover objects are reflected in a set of georeferential data and are constantly changing. These changes can be accurately examined by computer and interactive information systems. One of the main advantages of computer information systems is the fact that their maps can be constantly improved and updated. The update of georeferential data was conducted in a selected area using the ArcGIS software. After the analysis of the Lithuanian land cover data, the area meeting the following criteria was selected: a diverse landscape, the abundance of different objects (built-up areas, forests, bodies of water), an adjacent city and good access to major metropolitan areas. The article presents the updated georeferential data and tracks changes in the updated data of built-up areas, areas overgrown with trees and shrubs, dams, swimming pools, lakes, ponds and roads in the selected area within the period from 2008 to 2015. The results revealed that changes occurred in all analysed layers. It proves that land cover objects are constantly changing. The greatest change was observed in the data of built-up areas. In comparison with 2008, in 2015 even 41% of built-up areas was changed (i.e. the old boundaries were revised, new and defunct built-up areas were discovered), 125 new areas have overgrown with trees and bushes and 46 changes were observed in ponds and pools.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) services in Latvia nowadays provide not only for a variety of navigation and surveying needs, but also they are used in agricultural production. The time period when satellite navigation systems equipment and services in agricultural businesses appeared in Latvia and were treated as objects of interest and research has passed. GNSS equipment and enabling modules are purchased, installed and used in agricultural equipment extending their capabilities. A growing number of entrepreneurs provide for this service segment. In the publication of 2014, the authors pointed out that a preparatory and investigation phase in using precision farming systems (including GNSS technology related to them) in Latvia has come to an end transforming into massive practical implementation in the process of agricultural business. The analysis of the obtained information confirmed that during the last year further satellite navigation technology usage in agricultural machinery has grown from simple and approximate level usage to high accuracy and stability navigation services. Growth dynamics and its further development forecasted earlier by the authors coincided with the last year’s actual development indicators of a stable and growing demand for global navigation system services for farming machinery and technical solutions for their user segment. The aim of the article is to justify the forecast expressed in the last year’s publication regarding the increase of the use of precision farming systems thus confirming the fact that their application has moved from a research phase to massive practical implementation and operation in agricultural production.

Geoportal.lt is a Lithuanian state information system whose scope is to allow all data users to freely access geographic data, maps and e-services. The portal also allows drawing relief altitude profile and set the altitude of point on location. It is performed by applying the tool “Set altitude of point on location”. It is one of the newest tools of geoportal.lt website, whose accuracy has not been analysed, and which, according to the information provided by GIS Centre, complies with the requirements set for 1:50000 scale maps. This tool is selected as an object of research, while the aim of the research is to analyse the accuracy of data provided by Lithuanian spatial information portal tool “Set altitude of point on location” in case of different land covers. The following methods of investigation have been employed: literary analysis; the analysis of cartographic material; field measurements and data processing; comparative analysis of data. The data is processed using Geomap and Microsoft Excel programmes. After the analysis has been carried out, it was established that the most common errors in all types of land covers are from 0.5 m to 1.5 m. Such errors comprise 70 per cent in forest areas, 35 per cent in built-up territory, and 53 per cent in thin land cover. Taking into consideration that the website geoportal.lt operates on the basis of orthographic map whose accuracy is 1 meter and the discussed tool shows the altitude of the nearest known point, it can be stated that the obtained presumptions are permissible. To summarise the obtained data, the tool is reliable. The reliability of the data is 91 per cent in thin land cover, 86 per cent in forest area, 75 per cent in built-up area. To compare it with topographic maps of analogous format, where the errors of altitudes may reach up to 10 meters, the tool is reliable even in case of major errors.

Revitalization is a set of urban and planning activities, coordinated by local self-government administration, aim of which is a social, architectural, planning and economical advantageous transformation of the specific area of the municipality, being in a state of crisis resulting from economic and social factors. Whereas, the renewal of the countryside is understood as shaping the living conditions of people in rural areas, with the local community as an animator and subject. The combination of revitalization and renewal of rural areas is a particularly important and urgent task, connected with rural and architectural chaos, decline of cultural context and local tradition. The aim of the article is to examine information needs for the renewal and revitalization of rural areas, and the possibilities of satisfying these needs using available spatial information systems. The first part of the paper contains an analysis of information needs in the field of renewal and revitalization of rural areas, created on the basis of literature and valid legal provisions. The created information resource illustrates the scope of data necessary for proper planning of renewal and revitalization of rural areas. In the second part, specific information needs were compared with the capabilities of existing spatial information systems. The possibility of obtaining free of expense information necessary for renewal and revitalization of rural areas was analysed. Systems which may be useful in the implementation of related activities are also indicated.

The problem of abandoned agricultural land is relevant in Lithuania, particularly in the territories where poor soils are dominant. The aim of this research is to analyze the statistics of abandoned land in poor soil regions by different estimation methods. The abandoned land was registered for the purposes of the research. Areas might be determined by using statistical data and by applying the results of a distant research method. The initially obtained data showed large differences among the areas of abandoned land determined by different calculation methods, and this might cause a lot of problems, in particular when clarifying the validity of the land taxation. Therefore the initial data of the research concerning abandoned land should be essentially revised. The results of abandoned land accounting and evaluation (inventory) in each territory should be checked and confirmed by the committee of qualified specialists. The reasons of abandonment should be determined for each land plot, and further use of the plot should be determined. Plots of abandoned agricultural land should be estimated for each parcel of the private land and registered in the cadastre data as additional information for estimation of the land tax.

The article defines that the land inventory allows to form land plots of state and communal property, to fill the State Land Cadastre with information about objects and subjects of land relations and to eliminate existing errors. The aim of the article is to improve the procedure of conducting the land inventory in Ukraine, taking into account modern technologies within the current regulatory framework. The methodology of land inventory using modern technologies has been developed, which includes the following components: surveying of the inventory object, topographic and geodetic works, vectorization of its territory using remote sensing data, project works, creation of a consolidated inventory plan, development of technical documentation, its state expertise, adjustment and approval, entering data into the State Land Cadastre. It is established that an effective method of implementation of topographic and geodetic works during updating of the cartographic materials is a combined method, which includes the use of aerial images with simultaneous geodetic surveying of complex areas. The use of geoinformation technologies and remote sensing data is allowed to optimize the duration and frequency of land inventory. In particular, the classification of land should be performed in the attribute tables. Ways to solve problems of protection and rational use of the lands of the inventory object have been developed. They include registration of land plots without cadastral numbers; control of compliance of land and environmental legislation, taking into account the results of land inventory for updating statistical cadastral information and making changes of the State Land Cadastre data.