The purpose of this scientific research is to reveal the theoretical foundations of modern land management and determine its tasks. The patterns of land management, its tasks and principles are formulated in the conditions of modern agrarian reform. The system of interconnected forecasting and design of land management development is proposed. The methodological and theoretical basis of research is a dialectical method and a systematic approach to the cognition of economic phenomena and processes. According to this method, all objects are viewed not in isolation, but in a reciprocal relationship and in the process of constant development. In the course of the research, monographic, abstract-logical methods, a system approach, comparative analysis, and expert assessments were used. The scientific research is based on the development of domestic scientists, the experience of land management in the Republic of Belarus, land-cadastral data, normative and reference literature. As a result of the research, it was established that in the conditions of the agrarian reform carried out in the Republic of Belarus land management is an effective mechanism for implementing state policy in the field of land management, regulation of land relations, organization of use and protection of land. Modern land management, based on the state strategy of land reforms, should have a concept of its development based on the laws, which were set in the work, as well as successful solve these problems. For the successful solving of the problems, it is important to revive the previously existing system of forecast and project of land management development in an improved form.

The research studies the issue of ecological stability of rural territories that is the most important component of the national environmental policy of Ukraine. A special attention is paid to degradation of arable lands as the main ecological problem of land management. On the example of Lviv region, the authors calculated the index of ecological nonconformity of current use of arable lands, proving a considerable excess of permissible ploughing of lands in the region. The carried analysis confirms that no measures were performed concerning land protection, including conservation that in the recent years. In this context it is necessary to improve land resources management on the basis of sustainable development. Integration is considered to be the main principle of land resources management. The research proves that solution of ecological problems of land management requires achievement of a set of coordinated targets concerning development of rural territories, land resources management and national environmental policy based on the principles of suitable development. The targets include: planning of land use outside settled areas on the landscape and ecological basis; land inventory; formation of the land bank of agricultural lands; development and support of alternative kinds of activity on rural area; development of an efficient mechanism to encourage performance of land protection measures; improvement of environmental responsibility of population and development of ecological education. The methodological basis of the research is the concept of sustainable development, which expects support for a continuous character of development in order to meet the current needs along with ensuring the needs of future generations. The fulfilment of the task requires examination of scientific works on the issue of sustainable management of land resources and an ecological component of rural territory development.

The international Cittaslow movement brings together towns that promote the slow life philosophy. The concept has been developed in response to the increasing pace of life and the adverse effects of globalization. According to the members of Cittaslow, the organization contributes to the sustainable development of their regions and to improvement of the quality of life. In view of the benefits of Cittaslow membership confirmed by research studies, the question arises whether the concept of Cittaslow could also be introduced in rural areas. This paper seeks to answer the above question. The study involved an analysis of the Cittaslow membership criteria (Cittaslow goals) and a survey conducted among the inhabitants of the Warmian village of Żabi Róg. The results of the study were used to test the research hypothesis and to assess the quality of life in the analyzed area.

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 article discusses the current state of forest land, the history of formation of large tracts of forest in the Samara region and analyses some of the results of implementation of target programs to improve the forest cover in the region under the Kyoto Protocol. This program was designed for the period from 2006 to 2015, but in 2009 was discontinued. However, large segment of assets was allocated and a number of works was carried out. Currently the objectives of the programme to increase the forest cover in the territory of Samara region through the creation of tracts of forest are not achieved. Tree and shrub plantations play an important role in reducing the activity of processes of erosion, prevent degradation and desertification. Therefore, the problem of increasing forest cover, especially in the steppe zone of the region, to the level of the preindustrial era remains relevant and requires science-based measures for their solution.

The issue of the study of the problem of determining the geoid and quasi-geoid models is considered. Development of methods for constructing an exact geoid model using different dimensions. Analysis of the calculation of normal heights using satellite measurements, construction of geoid and quasi-geoid models by different methods is performed. Based on the results of the analytical review of existing methods for determining the geoid, it was proposed to use various data (geodetic heights, mixed gravity anomalies, anomalous potential) to construct this model, which allows building a model of a geoid with millimetre accuracy. The possibility of using the collocation method is considered. The task is to develop a methodology for constructing a geoid model using a network of low density gravity points and using pure and mixed gravity anomalies, which allows us to solve the problem of finding potential by solving the Laplace equation or using wavelets.

Local geodetic network is very important in harmonic development of city territory. On the base of the local geodetic network, cadastral and topographic surveying works, engineering geodetic works and executive measurements of newly built buildings and engineering networks are carried out. In the territory of Riga, the local geodetic network was started to create in 1880, and in the course of time, as the city expanded, necessity to have wider reference network emerged. In 2005, in the territory of Latvia, network of continuously working base stations LatPos was launched, which ensured completely new trends in execution of measurements and accuracy reached. One year later, base station network EUPOS-RIGA was launched in the territory of Riga. It can be regarded as consistent part of Riga local geodetic network. The purpose of the research was to state, what are differences between historically used coordinates of points of the local geodetic network, and coordinates that are determined by use of real time corrections of LatPos and EUPOS-RIGA base station network. Measurements were made in the territory of Riga in period from December 2016 until April 2017. In the framework of the research, 61 point of the local geodetic network was inspected and in 38 cases GNSS observations in RTK mode were completed. In the research, catalogues of coordinates of polygonometry points of sixties and eighties were used in order to compare what differences of coordinates existed historically. The main conclusion drawn during the research – historical points of the local geodetic network shall not be used for surveying works of any kind before improvement of them and before they comply with requirements of normative acts.

The average land productivity score is about 41.8 in the Republic of Lithuania. However, in separate regions it ranges from 30.5 to 55.1. The research object is agricultural utilities in rural municipalities of the Republic of Lithuania. The analysis of land use plan fragments in the selected areas shows that land is abandoned mostly in land areas where non-productive land or hilly relief prevails. Having improved conditions of land use, about 44 % of abandoned agricultural utilities can be transferred into intensive farming.

The article presents the analysis of the current situation of the forest area in Alytus and Vilnius Counties. Comparative, analytical as well as statistical and logical analysis methods were used for the investigation. The aim of the investigation is to carry out the analysis of the Alytus and Vilnius Counties forest area during the period between the years 2006 and 2018. The object of the investigation – Alytus and Vilnius Counties forest area. Tasks of the investigation: 1. To describe the status quo of forest in Alytus and Vilnius Counties. 2. To analyze and compare the forest area change in Alytus and Vilnius counties during the period between the years 2006 and 2018. The study found that forests prevailing in Alytus and Vilnius Counties are 50–59 years old. It was determined that pine trees prevail in Alytus County (71.05 percent) and in Vilnius County (16.38 percent) as well. The type of ownership prevailing in both Alytus and Vilnius counties is the forests of state significance managed by forest enterprises, national parks and state reserves. In Alytus County, during the period between the years 2006 and 2018, the forest area decreased by 4123.16 ha or 1.55 percent, in Vilnius County increased by 9593.16 ha or 2,35 percent.

Land degradation is one of the most pressing problems ensuring sustainable use of land. In order to provide a clear understanding of land degradation and its risks, as well as to implement unified measures for prevention of land degradation in Latvia, the Land Management Law came into force in 2015. It individually defines the concepts of land and soil degradation, thus separating them from each other, as well as clarifying the term “degraded territory”. However, despite these solutions in the regulatory framework of the land degradation, till now criteria for identifying land degradation have not been developed and approved, therefore their determination is very subjective and not comparable between municipalities and at the state level. The aim of the article is to develop and approbate degradation criteria for assessing land degradation in particular territory. In the article, based on the author's previous studies on the classification of land degradation, characterised one type of land degradation – the abandoned agricultural and forestry activity territory, as well as proposed subdivision of criteria classification into three levels – low, medium and high. As result of the study, it was concluded that the classification of degraded territories into three degradation levels is justified for the purpose of more objective identification and evaluation of land degradation.