Environmental monitoring of Lake Baikal

Lands

Structure of BNT land resources according to categories as of 01/01/2016

Overall in 2015 some insignificant redistribution of land between categories took place within the Baikal Natural Territory. These changes have affected all land categories:

- settlement lands increased by 1.04%;

- reserve lands decreased by 0.17%;

- agricultural lands decreased by 0.06 %;

- industrial lands increased by 0.05 %;

- water reserve lands increased by 0.01 %;

- forest reserve lands decreased by 0.00005%;

- lands of specially protected areas increased by 0.0085 percent.

In Irkutsk region in 2015 the following lands were subjected to changes: settlement lands (an increase by 1.57%), agricultural lands (a decrease by 0.18 %) and state reserve lands (a decrease by 0.17 %). Less significant changes occurred to industrial lands, specially protected areas and forest reserve lands. The area of water reserve lands remained unchanged.

In the Republic of Buryatia the biggest change in 2015 occurred to settlement lands (an increase by 0.51%) and state reserve lands (a decrease of 0.22%). Less significant changes occurred to the industrial lands, water reserve lands, specially protected areas and agricultural lands. The area of forest reserve lands remained unchanged.

In Zabaykalsky Krai the biggest changes in 2015 affected settlement lands (an increase by 0.46 %) and industrial lands (a decrease by 0.2 %). Less significant changes occurred to agricultural lands and state reserves. The area of specially protected lands as well as forest reserve lands and water reserve lands remained unchanged.

Commercial lands, being the main element of the national land registry are divided into agricultural (arable land, idle land (set-aside land), hayfield, pastures and perennial plantations) and non-agricultural lands (forests, shrubs, swamps, roads, built-up areas, ravines, sands, etc.). 

Distribution of the Baikal Natural Territory land resources according to the land estate as of 01.01.2016

Overall an increase of the area of agricultural lands by 0.835 thousand hectares was registered in BNT in 2015.

In Irkutsk region the area of agricultural lands increased by 1.258 thousand hectares. The area of hayfields and pastures also increased (0.348 thousand hectares and 1.224 thousand hectares respectively). The area of arable lands decreased by 0.096 thousand hectares, while the area of perennial plantations decreased by 0.218 thousand hectares and the area of set-aside lands didn’t change.

In the Republic of Buryatia the area of agricultural lands decreased by 0.423 thousand hectares. The arable land area decreased (by 0.134 thousand hectares), as well as hayfields (by 0.032 thousand hectares) and pastures (by 0.257 thousand hectares). The area of set-aside lands and perennial plantations remained unchanged.

In Zabaykalsky Krai the total area of agricultural lands compared to 2015 remained unchanged and amounted to 743.395 thousand hectares. The area of arable lands (86.654 thousand hectares), set-aside lands (184.815 thousand hectares), perennial plantations (25.573 thousand hectares), hayfields (679.661 thousand hectares) and pastures (290.222 thousand hectares) also remained unchanged.