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.

The result of the long existence of legal restrictions on the agricultural land market in Ukraine was the formation of a specific leasehold system of land use. Agricultural enterprises and farms do not have land owned. Instead, the peasants who became owners of land during the distribution of collective farms, mostly do not process these parcels of land on their own, but also deprived of the right to alienate them (to sell, give, change). The study shows the development of leased land use of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine, which currently covers 16.8 million hectares of private land and about 1 million hectares of state-owned land. Since 2003, the civil law of Ukraine permitted to apply not only the lease of agricultural land, but also the emphyteusis right (the alienated right to use someone’s land for agricultural purposes), the process of transformation of lease into emphyteusis was started, especially in large agricultural holdings. The main advantages of emphyteusis as a substantive law and its attractiveness for agribusiness are considered. The suggestions on improving the legal regulation of land use under conditions of emphyteusis are given.

The conservation and renovation of biological diversity of territories are of vital importance in Ukraine. The concept of ecological networks has laid the foundation of these issues. In Ukraine, the law “On the ecological network” was adopted, and ecological networks were developed at the regional level. However, most developments do not fully take into account the location of reserved territories and places of concentration of valuable flora and fauna, and also often do not correspond to the principle of formation of a holistic system, which significantly reduces their environmental significance and the expediency of practical implementation. The authors of the article consider that one should estimate the natural potential of the territories in detail and objectively, as well as provide recommendations for practical actions for the renovation of biological and landscape diversity. One can do it in the process of the development of local ecological networks (at the level of separate administrative regions and territorial communities). One has developed the structure of the ecological network on the example of Stryi district of Lviv region and determined the estimation of the spatial connectivity of its crucial elements. The problem is that most of the connecting territories are formed from semi-natural and unnatural lands (hayfields, pastures, arable lands), which complicates the practical side of the project implementation. One needs to develop an effective mechanism to encourage landowners and land users to carry out environmental activities; to increase investments in re-naturalization of lands; to conduct environmental education and environmental public awareness campaign; to provide local government and other stakeholders with consulting services for the development of ecological network development programs at the local level in Ukraine.

The key features of the blockchain databases, such as decentralization, distribution, security, and record of the history of all transactions, create significant prospects for their application in the field of cadastre and real estate registration activities, including creation of the global real estate cadastre infrastructure, which will be able to go beyond national legal systems and jurisdictions. The conceptual approach to registration of land plots as spatial objects using blockchain technology is proposed. The land plot should be considered as a combination of smart contracts between landowners, surveyors, appraisers, notaries and other persons. The subject of such contracts will be the description and establishment of spatial (plot boundaries, territorial zones, etc.) and other (property rights and encumbrances, monetary valuation, soil bonitet, etc.) characteristics of land plots. The classification of such smart contracts reliability is also presented.

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 main factors that influence the rational land use, conservation and protection of land resources are global ecological and food security, world's population growth, climate change, land acquisition by large world agricultural corporations etc. In this process a priority of attention is protection of the important agricultural lands (in Ukraine, these lands are called especially valuable lands - EVL). Besides, lands with highly productive soils, areas with undisturbed ecosystems, territories with objects of cultural heritage, natural therapeutic resources are a part of EVL. This paper focuses on new approaches to the legal protection of EVL in Ukraine. The special value of these lands in Ukraine is legalized and is means of their legal protection (Art. 150 of the Land Code of Ukraine). The main idea of this paper – studying of problems of legal protection of EVL and development of new approaches to their protection. These approaches will be based on introduction of economic regulators at withdrawal of EVL or change their intended use for needs that don't correspond to nature protection value. The reseach is based on case study method and statistical method. Approaches for cartographic modeling for assessment and mapping of EVL are offered. Results of this reseach are an obtaining of practical experience in the field of protection of EVL in Ukraine, development of suggestions for improving of an organizational and legal mechanism the use of EVL through their registration, monitoring, evaluation, development of their State Register. These measures can increase competitiveness of EVL, prevent Land-Grabbing and provide sustainable development of the rural territory.

The analysis results of common terms in land management and their interpretations in normative-legal acts of Ukraine are presented. It have been established collisions and significant differences in the wording of even such common terms as a land parcel, a boundary of land parcel, a size of land parcel, etc. The purpose of the study is to identify collisions and contradictions of some key terms used in land surveying and geodetic works, as well as development of concrete proposals for improving and perfection the relevant terms. For this purpose, the following tasks were set and solved: analysis of regulatory legal acts of Ukraine concerning the conceptual apparatus of land management, systematization and generalization of substantiation results of the relevant terms correction need, development of proposals taking into account works content on land management and geodetic works for information provision of the State Land Cadastre. In the course of the study, the comparative method of analysis and the systematization of inconsistencies in the current normative legal acts of Ukraine regarding the terms and their interpretation are used. During the proposals development, known approaches "from general to partial" and vice versa were used. The established disadvantages do not allow unambiguously interpreting and performing such important work as geodetic setting or restoration of the land parcels boundaries, resolution of land disputes between adjacent users of land parcels. Completed summaries of content and wording of the relevant terms justify a need for correction of the terms and additions to their definitions. It was set the features of each term. As a result of integrated approach to solution of the existing problem and systematization of established differences, the general wording and detailed specification of the analyzed terms interpretations are proposed. Knowledge of technological stages for geodetic and land management works provided an opportunity to improve the geodetic information support of the State Land Cadastre. The proposals for correction of the studied terms eliminate existing contradictions, provide an unambiguous interpretation of land management terminology, which leads to the exact execution of geodetic and land management works, and, accordingly, obtaining reliable information for the State Land Cadastre.

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.

Without cadastral information, it is difficult to make any decisions about land. But in order for the system of state land cadastre to work effectively, it is necessary that the information in it is up-to-date, complete and reliable. The article analyses in detail the existing legislative and regulatory acts and draws conclusions from the methodological principles of keeping the state land cadastre in the part concerning the consideration of factors of influence on the quality of land accounting. The status of agricultural land use was monitored and land conservation measures recommended. The authors have analysed in detail the public information on the soil cover of Ukraine, which is displayed on the Public Cadastral Map of Ukraine. The necessity of enrichment of the cadastre with new information and indicators is investigated, which allows to solve a wider range of problems regarding the use of land as a spatial basis and the purpose of development of the multifunctional cadastre.

Some tasks require identification of landmarks in districts beyond the reach of existing optical observation facilities. The accuracy of their determination significantly affects the effectiveness of the use necessary equipment during the task. In the paper an algorithm to determine the object parameters using a flying platform is offered. An observation point is installed which is equipped with a navigation system to solve this task. This ensures its orientation and positioning. From the observation point an aerial observation point is displayed. It is suggested to use a flying platform. The coordinates of the flying platform are determined relative to the observation point; the coordinates of the landmarks are determined relative to the flying platform. The mathematical model of the estimation error determination of object coordinates with the help of a flying platform is proposed. The analysis of errors in determining the parameters of the object using a flying platform is conducted. Analysis of the results of mathematical modelling is conducted using the package of applications Mathcad. The dependence of these parameters on the relative position of the observation point, platforms and object is examined. It is shown that the main contribution to the error of determining the coordinates of the landmark is given by the errors of determining the observation point location and measuring the range. An analytical correlation is obtained, which allows to estimate the errors of determining the coordinates of the landmark using the flying platform with known errors in determining the observation point coordinates and the range determination of the range finder.