The paper’s main objective is to analyse the distribution of large farm plots and opportunities for their optimization. In the context of intensive changes in the management and use of agricultural land, it is particularly important to optimise the land holdings of large farms. Most large farms are characterised by a fragmented, uncompacted spatial distribution. 15 large farms were selected for analysis in Jonava municipality. There are 22 separate fields on average per holding, 2/3 of the farm centres (farmsteads) are located in large settlements, and 1/3 of the farm centres are located in one-farm settlements and in small villages. It was found that the average area of individually cultivated fields is 14.9 ha, and the average distance from the farmstead to the fields is 4.35 km. Land holdings are very fragmented – fragmentation coefficient K2 value range from 2.64 to 8.81 (average 3.62) for selected farms. It is proposed to draw up municipality land use planning schemes, which would project the prospective boundaries of land holdings, and to legalize by law the right of pre-emption for the farm owner to acquire the ownership of the plots of land to be sold within these boundaries in order to increase the compactness of farm land holdings. A state can facilitate sporadic land consolidation by farmers through the preparation of the proposed municipality land use planning schemes.

The purpose of the article is to consider the features of the anthropogenic impact on agricultural land in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK). The article deals with the current problem of agricultural land degradation, and desertification in Kazakhstan, where one of the causes is the anthropogenic activities of the population and the aridity of the country's climate. Most of the territory of Kazakhstan is located in conditions highly vulnerable to anthropogenic desertification when in combination with natural factors of desertification the ecological situation is sharply deteriorating. Another cause of land degradation is urbanization and intensive degradation of desert habitats — unsystematic road network, regulation of river flows, illegal cutting of saxaul for firewood for sale. As a result of urbanization and intensive agricultural development of the foothill strip in the south and east of the country, the natural vegetation cover is highly disturbed. Roads, pipelines, and power lines, which are being laid at an increasing rate, have a great impact on the fauna. The area of land occupied by mining enterprises is steadily growing. In the last 10 years, the areas of oil and gas extraction, development of uranium ores, etc. in Western Kazakhstan, the Eastern Caspian Sea region, the Betpakdala desert, etc. have been sharply increasing. As a result of insufficiently thought-out land management from water erosion 5.6 million hectares of arable land was affected and grain yield was reduced by 20–30%. Degradation of agricultural lands, including pastures, is 30–50% and higher % in 9 of 14 regions of Kazakhstan. The use of the existing model of agricultural development of raw materials leads to inefficient economic development and constantly increasing pressure on ecosystems. The soil in Kazakhstan is very vulnerable, as it is comprehensively affected by various anthropogenic factors that lead to the constant deterioration of its quality. Soils near the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea are subjected to the most intensive degradation, as wind erosion is widespread there.

Taking into consideration all the data of collectibility of land payments (land tax and rent), the dependence of collectibility of land payments on economic and geographical factors is analysed in municipalities of the Samara region. The factors are defined with the help of mathematical methods, which are closely associated with payments growth from the land area of a municipality and the number of residents. The dependence simulation of the level of land payments on geographical and demographic characteristics has been implemented in a municipality. This model allowed allocating ”normative level” for each municipal district which corresponds to the result of the ”average area” with given objective characteristics. This assessment allowed the authors to identify the areas with high and low levels of land payments collectibility. The efficiency assessment of municipality local governments in the Samara region on land management is made taking into consideration objective factors that limit their opportunities.

The aim of the research is to find out the causes of emergence of uninhabited dwelling houses, to state the criteria of their defining and identification, to work out possible solutions for improvement of the situation. The information from the Central Statistical Bureau, the data from the census of 2011 and the information about buildings or slums gathered by the local municipalities have been used in the research. As a result, the classification of uninhabited buildings and recommendations have been worked out.

The article presents the analysis of the current situation of the damaged land in Kaunas County. The methods of comparative, analytical as well as statistical and logical analysis were used for the investigation. The aim of the investigation is to carry out the analysis of the damaged land area in Kaunas County during the period between 2005 and 2017. The object of the investigation is Kaunas County damaged land. The study found that the number of affected areas in the county is 409. Because the damaged areas consist of mineral quarries and territories occupied by dumps, the article contains the description and condition of these areas. By 2009, there were 98 landfills in Kaunas County. Kaunas municipal waste management region comprises 6 municipalities; 58 old landfills and dumps were shut down, at present two regional non-hazardous waste landfills have been arranged. In 2017, the damaged land occupied 3,447.36 hectares and amounted to 14.15 percent of all Lithuanian damaged land and accounted for 0.43 percent of the county's area. During the period between 2005 and 2017 the damaged land area in Kaunas County increased by 236.48 hectares or 6.86 percent. The analysis of the damaged land area of the municipalities situated in the Kaunas County showed that the largest of these areas during the period between 2005 and 2017 was in Kaunas district municipality.

The article presents the comparative analysis of the Kaunas city anthropogenic landscape change during the period between 2006 and 2014. For this analysis the land fund statistics of the Republic of Lithuania were used. The components of anthropogenic landscape change are graphically shown in the figures. During the analysis the Kaunas city statistics were compared with the data of Kaunas County and the Republic of Lithuania. Comparative, analytical as well as statistical and logical analysis methods were used for the investigation. The object of the investigation is anthropogenic components of Kaunas city. The aim of the investigation is to carry out the analysis of the change of Kaunas city anthropogenic components in the period of 2006-2014. The work analyses the change of urban landscape components, the reasons of the established change. The built up territories comprise the majority of anthropogenic landscape of Kaunas city i.e. 90.05 per cent, while the damaged territories make up 0.06 per cent and Kaunas city roads constitute 9.89 per cent of the analysed landscape. It was established that during the analysed period the built-up territories of Kaunas city increased by 312.78 ha i.e. 3.53 per cent. Within 9 years the road area increased by 14.04 ha or 1.44 per cent, while the damaged areas increased by 1.89 ha. Having analysed the statistical data of Kaunas city anthropogenic landscape areas it was estimated that within the period of 2006 -2014 the area of these territories increased by 328.71 ha or 3.34 per cent. e area of these territories increased by 328.71 ha or 3.34 per cent.

In the Western region of Ukraine, melioration is both of economic and social importance. The area of reclaimed lands constitutes 2.2 million ha or 24 % of the total agricultural lands in the region. Thus, melioration is of great importance for social-economic development of agro-industrial complex of the territory. Under conditions of the land reform in Ukraine, reclaimed lands were subjected to sharing and privatization causing a negative impact on efficiency of its utilization and technical conditions of the reclaimed land infrastructure. The aim of the research is to analyze conditions and suggest practical recommendations as to rise of productivity of reclaimed lands, peculiarities of land organization on privatized reclaimed areas, consolidation of shared lands within the boundaries of acting drainage systems. Timeliness of the research is connected with the issues of improvement of agricultural utilization and protection of drained lands of the region. The authors used economic-statistical, monographic and logistic methods in the research. The example of Lviv region was used to analyse conditions and problems of reclaimed lands of western regions of Ukraine under conditions of land relations’ transformation. It is mentioned that only 70 % of drained areas feature satisfactory water-air regime of soil for cultivation of agricultural crops. Prospects of an increase of their utilization efficiency are connected with reconstruction of the systems consolidating common technological melioration complexes, support of both-side regulation of soil humidity.

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 article presents the analysis of the change of land users in the Republic of Lithuania during the period between 1919 and 1940. The main factor affecting the relationship of land and its use was the political changes in the country, whereas economic and social aspects had less influence. During the period between 1919 and 1939 the land reform of independent Lithuania not only strengthened the country's agriculture, but also laid the foundations for the entire nation-state, it was one of the most significant achievements of independence, a real agrarian revolution, which intensified the land use. The main goal of the land reform was to alienate and distribute the state land and the land of large estates to peasants and to complete distribution of village land into individual farmsteads. Landlords were left inalienable 80 hectares (later 150 ha) of land area. The land from the State Land Fund was distributed to volunteers and new settlers (the landless) peasants up to 8-10 ha, to estate workers and rural craftsmen – up to 1.5-2 ha, as well as to poor peasants, state enterprises, farms and forestries, etc.

The analysis of the current situation of Aukštadvaris Regional Park and ecological farming (RP), which is in southeastern Lithuania, is presented in the article. The Paluknys subdistrict was chosen for the comparison of the use of ecological farming in the regional park. Ecological farming is relevant to protected areas. The aim of the study was to perform the analysis of farms applying organic farming measures as well as the analysis of the change of their areas in Aukštadvaris regional park (RP). Comparative, analytical as well as statistical and logical analysis methods were used for the investigation. The object of the investigation - the farms of Aukštadvaris Regional Park. The study was carried out to determine how many farms, forming the territory of the regional parks, are managed according to the principles of organic farming. The change of the abovementioned farming area for 2011-2013 is analysed as well. Paluknys subdistrict, not incorporated into the territory of regional parks, was chosen for the comparative analysis. The analysis of the 2011-2013 period showed that the number of organic farms increased by 1.5 times in Aukštadvaris RP over the period of 2011-2013, and the area has increased by 187.36 ha. The percentage calculations revealed that in 2013 the area of farms applying organic farming measures in Aukštadvaris RP made up 18.89 per cent of the total area declared, the number of farms - 6.61 per cent.