Cartographic Methods Research Articles

Phytocenotic diversity of different types of mires in northern part of the Middle-Russian Upland

On Middle-Russian Upland, despite its low paludification, mires are formed on different elements of the relief, differ in their water-mineral regime and vegetation structure. Horizontal structure of the vegetation cover of mire ecosystems, as well as their cenotic diversity, remain poorly studied. However, these features are important for the typology of mires and can also be used in the organization of monitoring of mire ecosystems. The main purpose of this study is to identify the features of the horizontal structure of vegetation and to visualize the phytocenotic diversity of different types of mires using the cartographic method. The objects were 14 model mires located on different relief elements in the northern part of the Middle-Russian Upland. The conducted studies have revealed the cenotic diversity of the most common and specific types of mires in the northern part of the Middle-Russian Upland. Geobotanical maps were compiled for each mire. The maps of the model mires show 31 mapped units at the rank of association (29), formation (1) and unranked community (1). The identified syntaxons belong to woody, woody-moss, shrubby, hydrophilic-grass and hydrophilic-moss types of mire vegetation, which accounts for 63% of the cenotic diversity of the mires of the Middle-Russian Upland. The vegetation structure is often heterogeneous and heterotrophic, combining both eutrophic and meso- and oligotrophic communities, less often it is homogeneous. The watershed mires in karst-suffusion depressions are characterized by the largest number of distinguished taxa of vegetation and a complex horizontal structure of vegetation. The vegetation of mires formed in suffusion depressions on terraces and slopes of watersheds overlain by sandstone and moraine deposits is less diverse. Among these mires, pine-sphagnum ones are unique to the region because they are located at the southern limit of their distribution. Such mires are characterized by a homogeneous oligotrophic or heterogeneous homotrophic oligotrophic vegetation structure. The floodplain and ravine mires are represented only by an eutrophic group of types. Often the vegetation structure of such mires is homogeneous eutrophic, heterogeneity is ensured by changing the moisture regime or is a result of anthropogenic impact.

A Database-based Automatic Cartography Method

Abstract. At present, GIS data, which contains a large amount of semantic information, has become the main data source for map cartography. In this paper, based on the existing multi-scale database, we study a database-based automatic cartography method to meet the needs of multi-scale map cartography, and replace the traditional process by the intelligent processing of software to shorten the cycle of cartography, improve the productivity of map cartography, and at the same time, reduce the error rate caused by manual work, and improve the overall quality of map production.

Генетические портреты хантов и манси по гаплогруппам Y-хромосомы в контексте генофондов России

Khanty and Mansi are small indigenous peoples of Western Siberia with the unique cultural, anthropological, and linguistic characteristics. The study of their gene pool will make it possible to reconstruct the genetic structure of the Ugric-speaking population, of which in modern times only Khanty and Mansi remain, along with Hungarians, in whose gene pool there are traces of medieval migration of the Ugric-speaking Magyars. The detailed characterization of the gene pool of Khanty and Mansi is important for reconstruction of Ugric populations and genetic history of the region. The study was aimed to assess representative samples of Khants (n = 83) and Mansi (n = 74) based on the standard panel of 60 SNP markers and the extended panel of 74 Y-chromosomal SNP markers by statistical and cartographic methods in the context of indigenous population of Urals and Western Siberia. The differences between the gene pools of Khanty and Mansi have been revealed based on both standard panel of Y chromosome haplogroups and branches of haplogroups N2 and N3a4. Most of the Khanty gene pool is evenly distributed between N2-Y3195 (26%), N2-VL67 (23%), and N3a4-Z1936 (23%). The “Western” branch N2-Y3195 predominates in the Mansi gene pool (69%). Mansi gravitate towards populations of the Urals-Volga region in the multidimensional genetic space. Based on the standard panel of Y haplogroups, Khanty are close to the populations of Western and South Siberia. However, the analysis of branches N3a4 has shown that Khanty are intermediate between the “Uralic” and “Siberian” clusters: when the ancestors of Khanty moved from the Ural region to the northeast, these acquired both genetic components. The gene geographic maps of 10 haplogroup N3a4 branches in the populations of Urals and Western Siberia reflect the dynamic changes of the gene pool that took place 4–2 kya.

ASSESSMENT AND MAPPING OF THE MUDFLOW PHENOMENA INTENSITY IN CHARYN STATE NATIONAL NATURAL PARK

The aim of the article is to present the results of assessing the occurrence intensity of mudflow phenomena in the territory of the Charyn State National Natural Park (SNNP). The assessment and mapping of mudflow phenomena was carried out using field methods, comparative analysis of field materials, and a cartographic method. Based on indicators such as lithological composition of rocks, vertical dissection, surface slope and vegetation the assessment using number score was carried out and map of the territory of the Charyn SNNP was created. Thus, areas of tourist and recreational activity are susceptible to a high degree of mudflow phenomena.

ОЦЕНКА И КАРТОГРАФИРОВАНИЕ СТЕПЕНИ ОПАСНОСТИ ГЕОЛОГО-ГЕОМОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ПРОЦЕССОВ ЧАРЫНСКОГО ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО НАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ПАРКА

The purpose of this article is to assess and compile an integrated map of the hazard degree of geological and geomorphological processes in the Charyn State National Nature Park (SNNP) to ensure visitor safety and protect tourist infrastructure. The study used field methods to determine hazardous geological and geomorphological processes. Based on the collected data, a comparative analysis was performed in office conditions, and a cartographic method was applied using GIS technologies to create thematic maps. The hazard assessment was carried out based on vertical and horizontal dissection, slope steepness and exposure, lithological composition of rocks and functional zones. As a result of the study, a map of the hazard degree of geological and geomorphological processes for the territory of the Charyn SNNP was compiled. Hazardous landslide-talus and erosion processes (lateral and gully erosion) were identified, posing a threat to tourists and hindering the safe development of the SNNP activities.

Spatial patterns of electoral support in the 2023 general election in Poland

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article focuses on identifying the spatial patterns of electoral support for the main political actors, and searching for adequate determinants that explain this distribution of support, based on the results of the 2023 general election in Poland. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: Is there a relationship between the basic morphological features of the voting space in Poland and the hierarchy of the settlement structure, along with the arrangement of regions associated with the country’s historical and political heritage? The methods used in the study include analysis of descriptive statistics, estimation of spatial autocorrelation, discriminant analysis, and cartographic methods. PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The research process involves a two-stage procedure: 1) identifying a general picture of spatial variation in electoral support for selected groupings, and basic clustering patterns of electoral support; and 2) estimating links between the observed patterns of support and their presumed determinants; that is, the country’s settlement hierarchy and historical-political divisions. RESEARCH RESULTS: The spatial variability of the support indicators is characterised by a distinctive territorial distribution, based on the units of the settlement system and the boundaries of former historical divisions. The nature of this linkage indicates the changing layout of the voting space, associated with the increasing polarisation of citizens’ political preferences. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The current pattern of urban-rural differentiation is related to the different preferences of metropolitan (over 20,000 inhabitants) and rural or small-town (up to 20,000 inhabitants) communities. The east-west heterogeneity of Poland’s voting space is increasing due to similarities of preferences among the inhabitants of former Austrian and Russian Poland, on the one hand, and Prussian Poland and the Recovered Territories, on the other.

Spatial Differentiation in the Use of Rural Development Programme Funds for the Environment in Poland for the Periods 2007–2013 and 2014–2020

The purpose of this paper is to assess the changes in agricultural producers’ use of funds allocated for environmental measures under the 2007–2013 RDP (Rural Development Program) and 2014–2020 RDP in Poland. The extent to which environmental CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) funds are used was examined on a geographic basis, so as to take account of socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of districts. Correlation analysis and a cartographic method were used. The study found growing differences in how the funds are used between territorial units. The analysis of correlation provided grounds for concluding that a relationship exists between the share of environmental funds used in total RDP payments and environmental conditions, mostly including the share of permanent pasture in the structure of agricultural land (0.515 in 2014–2020). Conversely, no relationship was discovered between the level of wealth and the local agrarian structure (0.249 and 0.327 in 2014–2020). The analysis of differences between territorial units revealed that in some geographic areas that had the potential for being granted environmental funds, the farmers decided not to apply for them. Based on the above, it was concluded that the potential beneficiaries’ activity in that respect is largely impacted not only by their environmental awareness and attitude but also by historical events.

Support Vector Machine Algorithm for Mapping Land Cover Dynamics in Senegal, West Africa, Using Earth Observation Data

This paper addresses the problem of mapping land cover types in Senegal and recognition of vegetation systems in the Saloum River Delta on the satellite images. Multi-seasonal landscape dynamics were analyzed using Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS images from 2015 to 2023. Two image classification methods were compared, and their performance was evaluated in the GRASS GIS software (version 8.4.0, creator: GRASS Development Team, original location: Champaign, Illinois, USA, currently multinational project) by means of unsupervised classification using the k-means clustering algorithm and supervised classification using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The land cover types were identified using machine learning (ML)-based analysis of the spectral reflectance of the multispectral images. The results based on the processed multispectral images indicated a decrease in savannas, an increase in croplands and agricultural lands, a decline in forests, and changes to coastal wetlands, including mangroves with high biodiversity. The practical aim is to describe a novel method of creating land cover maps using RS data for each class and to improve accuracy. We accomplish this by calculating the areas occupied by 10 land cover classes within the target area for six consecutive years. Our results indicate that, in comparing the performance of the algorithms, the SVM classification approach increased the accuracy, with 98% of pixels being stable, which shows qualitative improvements in image classification. This paper contributes to the natural resource management and environmental monitoring of Senegal, West Africa, through advanced cartographic methods applied to remote sensing of Earth observation data.

ПРИНЦИПОВ ТЕРРИТОРИАЛЬНОГО РАСПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ ТНК ПОСРЕДСТВОМ АНАЛИЗА ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ ГЛОБАЛЬНОМ УРОВНЕ

This article aims to identify the main regional distribution trends and changes in the global TNCs 'activity structures. A systematic approach and comparative analysis are used to conduct the research. The addition of additional tools are mathematical statistical, graphical, and cartographic methods. Based on the Fortune Global 500 list for the years 2019 to 2023, this study is based. In the course of writing the article, it was discovered that the main factors that TNCs have today are related to, among others, their turnover and popularity as well as their geographic location, particularly in the "second" and "third" world countries. It is worth noting that Chinese corporations also showed active activity and took leading positions in the TNC ratings. This fact confirms that the total number of Chinese TNCs is larger than US TNCs. It is worth taking into account that TNCs in China and the USA make up more than half of all TNCs according to this list. Digital technologies are the main stimulus for the development of the sectoral economy. The impact of the coronavirus on the activities of TNCs was examined. It has been established that there has been a significant redistribution of positions in the ranking of the world's largest TNCs. A reduction in sales volumes of TNCs has been recorded throughout the world, this was especially reflected in the heavy industry.

Unconjugating Community with Fernand Deligny and Jean-Luc Nancy

This article takes as its point of departure unexpected similarities in the ways that the experimental educator, writer and filmmaker Fernand Deligny and Jean-Luc Nancy conceptualize community. Deligny is remembered for his alternative community for non-speaking children with autism, established in the Cévennes in 1967 and founded on the absence of language and relationality as it is commonly understood. This article probes the paradox that in this community we find a rapprochement with Nancy's relational ontology. Drawing on Deligny's theoretical responses to the dynamics he witnessed and the cartographical methods employed to trasce the movements of the children as they roamed, and placing these in dialogue with Nancy's texts on community through the decades, I suggest a kinship between the two thinkers which opens onto broader questions about the relationship between theories and practices of community.

Groundwater quality evaluation for drinking and agricultural purposes. A case study in semi-arid region (Zab El-gharbi SE-Algeria)

The current research delved into the geochemical attributes of groundwater and assessed compliance with drinking water standards. 35 samples of Zab El Gharbi region groundwater in the province of Biskra were analyzed to evaluate the physico-chemical quality. The obtained results were compared to World Health Organization drinking water standards as well as Algerian Standards. It appears that nitrate concentrations in all samples were acceptable since they were less than 50 mg/L. The results of the WQI classification showed that WQI values ranged from 95 to 269; only 3 % of samples had good quality, 80 % had poor quality, and 17.14 % had very poor water, indicating the need for treatment before use for human consumption. Two main hydrochemical facies were dominated and predominated, Ca-SO4 type and Mixed Ca–Mg–Cl-SO4 type, respectively. Q mode hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was employed for partitioning the water samples into hydrochemical facies, revealed the presence of two distinct water types based on principal ion concentrations. Hydrochemically, group 1 was characterized by two primary facies, with 90.32 % categorized as Ca-SO4 type and 9.67 % as Mixed Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 type. While group 2 was characterized by a Ca-SO4 type. The estimated values of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (Na%), permeability index (PI), Kelly's ratio (KR) and Magnesium hazard (MH), averages for the study area is reported to be in the range of 0.90 to 5.60, 4.46 % to 41.26 %, 12.50 % to 44.47 %, 0.10 to 0.73 % and 9.69 % to 75.06 % respectively. Parameters such as Permeability Index (PI), Kelly's Ratio (KR), and Magnesium Hazard (MH) indicated that 37.14 % of groundwater samples were in the excellent category, while the remaining 62.85 % were in the good category, making them suitable for irrigation across various soil types. They indicated that the considered water exhibits favorable characteristics for agricultural irrigation applications, ranging from excellent to good. These findings are encouraging for agriculture and land-use planning. This study lies in addressing the water quality in this promontory area, where no prior research has been published. We assessed water quality using statistical, geostatistical, and cartographic methods to estimate quality in unsampled areas. Additionally, we examined how climatic conditions, particularly high evapotranspiration during the festive season, affect water and soil quality. This study will help farmers and scientists in the region make informed decisions to protect natural resources. This work is meant to highlight the issues and also provide practical solutions to optimize the management of natural resources.

O combate à fome na pandemia de covid-19: arranjos de cuidado em saúde mental em uma periferia paulistana

ABSTRACT The return and worsening of hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic were important setbacks experienced by the Brazilian population in recent years, as a result of a necropolitics form of government, which refused to look at and offer public policies aimed at vulnerable populations. The act of eating, in itself, is a promoter of (physical and mental) health, which has been denied to a large part of the population during the pandemic. This research, based on cartography method, aimed to investigate arrangements of mental health produced in the communities, in Heliópolis, a favela in São Paulo. Among the main findings, we highlight arrangements to expand the food supply, rescue the political importance of individuals residing in the territory, marches denouncing the situation of hunger in the favelas, as well as affective sharing of stories mediated by the sharing of food. These actions show the importance of the act of eating as a promoter of (physical and mental) health and highlight the importance of the relationships produced and mediated by food. The fight for food and its sharing, in a scenario of political dismantling and return of hunger in the country, presented itself as a form of resistance and collective confrontation to necropolitics.

Logistics potential to ensure the resilience of the Ukrainian economic system facing global challenges

The aim of this paper is to assess the logistics potential to ensure the resilience of the economic system of Ukraine in the face of global challenges. The methods used in the study include: structural-dynamic, determinological, correlation analysis, index method, graphical and cartographic methods. The calculations were based on open data from analytical studies on the development of transport and logistics, as well as data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesis that high logistics potential, which is determined by the effectiveness of customs and border control, the quality of trade and transport infrastructure, the ease of organization of delivery, and the quality of logistics services, is the driver of the resilience of socio-economic systems of countries. The reduction of the logistical potential of the economic system of Ukraine in the conditions of a full-scale war is shown. This decrease resulted from blocked operation of a number of logistics routes and branches of the transport and logistics sphere and destroyed transport infrastructure objects as a result of hostilities and missile attacks.A change in the vector of export-import flows and their reorientation by means of transport was noted. Drivers of strengthening the logistics potential of the Ukrainian economic system are the transformation of the transport and logistics system, deepening cooperation with neighboring countries, systematic state support for the development of freight transportation by rail, compliance with European standards, and creation of Ukrzaliznytsia’s own freight carrier company that will work outside Ukraine. AcknowledgmentThis study was carried out within the framework of the international project “Increasing the capacity of freight transportation infrastructure on EU-Ukraine borders” (№ 22220189) implemented under the Visegrad Grant+ Programme.

Variety of active ingredients in leaves and flowers of <i>Chamaenerion angustifolium</i> (L.) Scop., depending on type of natural population

Relevance. Nowadays the popularity of Chamaenerion angustifolium as a medicinal plant and as a tea is growing noticeably. Fireweed is an eclogically plastic species, that does not require high soil fertility and is widespread in Russia. Medical and food industries use leafs as a row material of fireweed. Series of phytochemical studies of Chamaenerion raw material have shown that it contains a wide variety of pharmacologically significant compounds, that accumulate as a result of both primary and secondary metabolism. The most important groups, formed as a result of secondary metabolism, are polyphenols, including flavonoids, phenolic acids and ellagitannins (including enothein B). Concentration of these chemical compounds equals 15% and even hither of the raw material (leaf).The aim. Identification of variability and relationships between the content of various groups of phenolic compounds in raw material of Chamaenerion angustifolium, depending on ecological conditions.Methods. At the first stage of our work was used the cartographic method. Were studied specimens from 27 points, growing in ecologically different areas of the Moscow, Kaluga and Yaroslavl regions. Phenolic compounds were determined using a spectrophotometer: flavonoids in terms of rutin, tannins and the amount of phenolic compounds, using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent in terms of gallic acid.Results. The content of polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids in raw material of fireweed, collected in different ecological and soil aspects, was measured. Measurement results were compared, using correlation analysis. As the result of content analysis, it was found that the content of polyphenols in the leaves ranged from 9 to 11%, the content of flavonoids fell within the chain range of 2.5-3.5%, tannin content – 5.0-6.5%. A close correlation was found between the content of phenolic compounds and tannins (R=0.972). It indicates, that the shikimate pathway is the main process of biosynthesis secondary metabolites in the Chamaenerion angustifolium plant. Also it means the leading role of local ecological conditions of the studied areas.

EVALUATION OF THE TIME-SPACE DISTRIBUTION OF ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION IN THE KUR-ARAS PLAIN IN THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC

Characteristics of the space and time changes in the amount of precipitation in the Kura-Aras lowland were studied in the research paper. The precipitation data of the hydrometeorological station covering a decade from 1992 to 2022 was utilized in the analyses. To conduct research, the mathematical-statistical and cartographic methods were used. According to the conducted research, the amount of precipitation in the Kura-Aras lowland is 310 mm. 40% of the total amount of precipitation rains during the warm semi-period, while 60% falls in the cold semi-period in the lowland. The amount of precipitation decreases from the coastal areas to the plains during the cold, while in the warm period, this process occurs oppositely. It was determined that atmospheric precipitation decreased in January, March, April, May, June, August, October, November and December, and this indicator increased in February, July and September. The annual indicator of the amount of precipitation in the plain decreased by 10% during the years 1991-2022 compared to the base quantity (1961-1990). 18% of the total precipitation was in the range of 10-19 mm, and 16% was in the range of 20-29 mm. Compared to the norm, in the period 1991-2022, in the Kura-Aras lowland, a 19% decrease was recorded in monthly recurrences of precipitation above 50 and 60 mm, and a 15% decrease in precipitation above 70 mm. The research results can be used in the establishment of novel economic areas in the lowland, in the development of maps, economic assessment and mitigation measures against climate change.

Geno-Species Composition of Borrelia Circulating on the Black Sea Coast of the Krasnodar Territory

The aim of the study was to assess the current epidemiological situation on Ixodidae tick-borne borreliosis (ITBB) (2017–2022) on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, to study the species composition of Borrelia.Materials and methods. Ixodidae ticks, Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis concinna, H. inermis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, were examined for infection with tick-borne borreliosis pathogens, followed by DNA sequencing of isolates. Species identification of Borrelia was carried out based on analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene fragment using BLAST algorithm. Additionally, the OspC genotype was determined for isolates of pathogenic genovariants through comparing the obtained sequences with reference ones in the MEGA 5 program. The data were processed applying the cartographic method using the QGIS 2.18 software.Results and discussion. Between 2017 and 2022, 101 cases were registered on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, which accounted for 1.6 % of all ITBB cases in the Krasnodar Territory. The number of complaints with tick bites in Sochi was up to 191.4 per 100 thousand population. During the study, the predominant Borrelia geno-species on the territory of the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory was determined using sequencing – Borrelia lusitaniae (78.1 %). The circulation of geno-species B. garinii (6.8 %), B. valasiana (5.7 %), B. afzelii (3.6 %), B. miyamotoi (2.6 %), B. tanukii, B. bissettii (1.6 % each) was also observed. For Borrelia pathogenic species, appurtenance to OspC geno-groups was ascertained: four isolates were assigned to invasive OspC geno-groups, of which three B. afzelii isolates were genogroup A8, one B. garinii isolate was G7. High rate of infection of ticks with Borrelia was recorded in the surveyed area (up to 94.5 %). Borrelia of pathogenic species account for only 10.4 % of the total number of isolates studied. Mostly, genovariants that rarely cause diseases in humans (B. lusitaniae, B. valasiana, B. bissettii) and non-pathogenic Borrelia (B. tanukii) were found, which indicates a low risk of infection with ITBB pathogens.

Экологическая типизация сельскохозяйственных земель и моделирование устойчивых агроландшафтов на локальном уровне

The purpose of the study: carry out an ecological typification of the territory of agricultural land use and model the sustainability of agricultural landscapes by assessing agro-ecological factors. Research methods: general scientific methods were used: observation, description, comparative, historical, modeling. When studying the structure, system analysis was used, analysis and synthesis methods were used to identify agro-ecologically homogeneous areas and territories of the same type, cartographic methods were used to zoning and compile cartographic material, and information analysis was used to model agricultural landscapes. Research results. A study of the agricultural lands of an economic entity with an area of more than 87 km2 showed that it consists of five landscape areas that are universally susceptible to degradation processes. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of agricultural landscapes, factors limiting the productivity of agricultural crops were identified. The agro-ecological assessment of landscapes made it possible to typify agricultural land and zone the territory. For each agro-ecotype of land, a complex of agro-, phyto-, reclamation measures has been developed aimed at increasing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes, as well as land use models that allow predicting the use of land resources for a multi-term perspective. Conclusions. 1. The scientific article presents the results of a study of the agro-ecological state of agricultural land use through agro-ecological typification of land, carried out on the basis of an analysis of limiting factors and conditions affecting the adaptive potential of agricultural plants. 2. It has been established that the agricultural landscapes of the study area are actively used in agricultural production (mainly crop production) and are everywhere subject to degradation processes. It was determined that land use includes five landscape areas that differ significantly in area and morphological characteristics. The ecological classification of lands at the local level (level of an economic entity) is shown, highlighting groups, subgroups, classes, subclasses, genera and subgenera. Limiting agro-ecological factors and conditions inherent in the study area were identified and its zoning was carried out. It was found that the agro-ecological state of the territory (assessed using more than ten indicators) differs significantly among agricultural groups. The assessment of the agro-ecological state made it possible to draw up a unique map-scheme of land agro-ecotypes and develop a set of agro-, phyto-, and reclamation measures aimed at optimizing agricultural land use. Three models of agricultural land use aimed at increasing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes are presented, with calculated forecast characteristics. 3. The results of scientific research can be used in the organization, monitoring, protection of agricultural lands and management of the sustainability of agricultural landscapes at the local level.

Exposure to Wind as a Threat to the Sustainable Development of Small Towns in the Zhambyl Region (Kazakhstan)

Currently, global urbanization trends offer various development models, but their main goal is to create a comfortable and safe environment for city residents. Most cities in Kazakhstan are small in scale and face several pressing problems, such as limited infrastructure, inadequate public services, economic challenges resulting in unemployment, environmental problems, and housing shortages. In this article, using the examples of the towns of Zhanatas and Karatau, an attempt was made to indicate the threat posed by wind to the sustainable development of monocities in the Zhambyl region. The working hypothesis of our study is that state policy supporting the sustainable development of small towns is insufficient and should be changed. Theoretical, empirical, and cartographic methods were used during the research, depending on the specificity of the analyzed territories. The unique climatic features of the cities of Karatau and Zhanatas, which are located in the study area, were taken into account and unfavorable meteorological phenomena were analyzed. The collected data were used to assess the impact of climatic conditions on the sustainable development of small towns in the study area. The research’s results allow one not only to determine the impact of wind exposure on the sustainable development of small towns in the Zhambyl region, but also constitute a basis for assessing, more generally, the opportunities and threats relevant to small towns.

CARTOGRAPHIC WRITING: Institutional analysis in the context of a psychosocial care center (CAPS) II

This experience report is an institutional analysis based on the experiences of two interns at a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) II. Our intention is to raise some questions and reflections about Institutional Psychology and the institutionalities that permeate the service, the tension between the instituted and the instituting, focusing on the language that operates as an institution. The objectives are: to investigate the possible logic of subversion in such a scenario, still permeated by the asylum model; to examine how Institutional Psychology can assist in this subversion; to determine if language, as an institution, can free bodies from such a model. We used the cartography method, where the procedures involved observation, field diary recording, sharing in supervisions, and literature review. Five examples of language observed in the service are used: invalidation of suffering, infantilization, LGBTI+phobia, stereotypes against psychoactive substance users, and re-signification of the language of madness. A discussion is conducted on these five examples based on the results obtained, which point to the importance of Institutional Psychology and the need for training professionals and emancipating users as political subjects. We understand that, with the raised reflections and discussions, room can be opened for transformations. In the final considerations, it is concluded that language has the potential to contribute to reinforcing or liberating the abjection of certain bodies produced by the asylum model. This liberation occurs when there is analysis, redesign, and collaboration with CAPS users.

Random Forest Classifier Algorithm of Geographic Resources Analysis Support System Geographic Information System for Satellite Image Processing: Case Study of Bight of Sofala, Mozambique

Mapping coastal regions is important for environmental assessment and for monitoring spatio-temporal changes. Although traditional cartographic methods using a geographic information system (GIS) are applicable in image classification, machine learning (ML) methods present more advantageous solutions for pattern-finding tasks such as the automated detection of landscape patches in heterogeneous landscapes. This study aimed to discriminate landscape patterns along the eastern coasts of Mozambique using the ML modules of a Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) GIS. The random forest (RF) algorithm of the module ‘r.learn.train’ was used to map the coastal landscapes of the eastern shoreline of the Bight of Sofala, using remote sensing (RS) data at multiple temporal scales. The dataset included Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS imagery collected in the dry period during 2015, 2018, and 2023, which enabled the evaluation of temporal dynamics. The supervised classification of RS rasters was supported by the Scikit-Learn ML package of Python embedded in the GRASS GIS. The Bight of Sofala is characterized by diverse marine ecosystems dominated by swamp wetlands and mangrove forests located in the mixed saline–fresh waters along the eastern coast of Mozambique. This paper demonstrates the advantages of using ML for RS data classification in the environmental monitoring of coastal areas. The integration of Earth Observation data, processed using a decision tree classifier by ML methods and land cover characteristics enabled the detection of recent changes in the coastal ecosystem of Mozambique, East Africa.