The modern landscape is a natural-anthropogenic complex, within which natural, anthropogenic, demographic, ethnic and socio-cultural factors are located in close interaction and form a homogeneous in their development conditions, as well as a single, unbreakable, inherent in the territory of the system - geoecosociosystem.
If we take into account that the majority of the studied landscape objects are large areas, their monitoring is quite problematic. This problem can be solved by ecologically-oriented landscape planning or landscape program. This program is a document of strategic planning for the use of the territory, which forms an information and reference field for various organizations, scientific institutions, various institutions, as well as governmental and non-governmental environmental and ecological funds and international organizations.
One of the important tasks of such a program is the development of a special web-mapping, ecologically-oriented material. The solution of this problem without the use of geoinformation technologies is very complicated, and in some cases it is simply impossible.
Such a system is understood as a GIS aimed at combining the accumulated information in text and tabular representation into a single spatial database, which allows to automatically determine the patterns between natural components or individual elements of these components and to present these results in a clear graphical form.
Landscape maps, which were created earlier, included all the advantages of analytical and traditional maps, which later became the basis for landscape GIS. This geoinformation resource contributes to the generalization of multi-level information, development of non-standard scientific concepts and justification of decisions on natural resources management. Thus, landscape geoinformation systems significantly exceed traditional landscape maps not only in terms of information content, but also in terms of the ability to contain the best properties of analytical and synthetic landscape mapping.
Relevance of the study of modern landscapes is connected with the fact that at present the first place in the field of landscape design are methods of renewal, recultivation and transformation of land surfaces, which are subject to the impact of human activities of a variety of nature.
Landscape research includes studying the properties of landscapes, their morphological structure, spatial differentiation of processes in the landscape, as well as modern dynamics and development of the territory. They determine the ratio of natural and anthropogenic links, social needs and the degree to which a certain landscape fulfills its socio-economic functions. Landscape forecast predicts and evaluates all possible changes in the landscape. This scheme is improved, including additional stages: selection of the research object, modeling, territory management. This scheme combines natural-historical, technological and social-economic tasks.
The theoretical basis for studying the landscape consists of the following directions: structural-genetic, functional-dynamic and evolutionary (cognition of landscape development, first of all, for geographical forecasts).
As a result of collecting information on the study of a certain landscape, the following problems appear:
- Selection and existence of borders of landscapes and land ¬scaffolds;
- The problem of the multistructurality of geographical systems due to the introduction of a systematic approach, when within complex systems the links between structural elements or components are singled out and, accordingly, countless systems of different orders are constructed;
- Study of functioning and further development of modern geo-systems, one way or another changed by man;
- The problem of "man - landscape", which is of great importance for landscape science, the interest in which is only increasing;
- Problem of mutual relations of landscape science, geoecology and nature use (that among the listed disciplines is a science that is a scientific direction that realizes practical tasks).
To solve this problem, all the components of landscape studies are directed, namely, the systematic approach to natural and anthropogenic landscapes, the formation of theoretical foundations of the concept of cultural landscape, the development of methods of landscape analysis, modeling, observation and study of anthropogenic landscapes, their improvement, the introduction of design of cultural landscapes of different ranks of organization, etc.
The following can be referred to the problems of landscape science methodology:
- Formation of generalized methods of landscape material recently;
- Development or restoration of standard landscape researches in different territories of the country;
- Creation of GIS database, which takes into account all the diversity of landscapes and their economic application, and conflicts between natural users;
- Restoration of landscape mapping, improved through the use of GIS-technologies, focused on the development of constructive concepts to update the public perception of landscape science.
Taking into account the positive dynamics of growth of social and cultural values of the population, nowadays the problem of studying the territory of green spaces of different settlements becomes the most urgent. Today a man faces a difficult task of simultaneous preservation of the values of natural complexes and creation of favorable living conditions that would meet the modern requirements of society.
Thus, at the moment the study of landscape complexes is invaluable for mankind. First of all, it will allow to estimate not only the current state of the landscape, but also on the basis of the received data to estimate the development of these complexes in the future. Secondly, due to the conducted analyses, it is possible to estimate the human impact on natural complexes and prevent the negative impact during the time. Third, it is necessary to study and evaluate abandoned areas, which can be used in the future from a rational point of view.