Historical land systems of Russia: trends, biases, and gaps in the literature

V. M. Matasov; A. A. Aleinikov; A. G. Purekhovsky; A. N. Gunya

doi:10.24057/2071-9388-2026-4297

Historical land systems of Russia: trends, biases, and gaps in the literature

V. M. Matasov, A. A. Aleinikov, A. G. Purekhovsky, A. N. Gunya

https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2026-4297

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Abstract

This paper presents a systematic literature review of 210 peer-reviewed studies to analyze the state and trends of Land System Science (LSS) research on historical land use and land cover change in Russia from 2000 to 2024. The review reveals a significant and persistent geographical bias, with the vast majority of case studies concentrated in the European part of Russia (e.g., Belgorod, Tula, Moscow regions), while vast areas of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic remain critically understudied. Thematically, research is dominated by studies on agricultural land abandonment and forest landscape dynamics, with urban landscapes receiving scant attention. Long-term studies covering periods of more than a century are prevalent. However, their analytical depth is often limited by reliance on historical surveys or aggregated statistics. Satellite remote sensing, especially Landsat images, is the most common source of data. These images are often combined with other types of data. The use of historical cartographic sources (e.g., General Land Survey plans) is hindered by issues of accessibility, digitization, and often insufficient thematic detail for comprehensive landscape analysis. Consequently, studies often use just two time points and a single spatial scale, typically based on administrative rather than biogeographical units. The review identifies a clear linguistic and international visibility gap: 82% of publications are in Russian only, and a substantial portion appear in journals not indexed in international databases, limiting their global integration. Furthermore, a concerning number of studies (74%) do not systematically analyze the driving forces behind the observed landscape changes. This synthesis underscores the urgent need to address regional research disparities, enhance the methodological depth by integrating multi-source historical data and robust causal analysis, and improve the international accessibility of Russian LSS research. By doing so, the Russian LSS community can not only fill critical knowledge gaps within the country but also make a more substantial contribution to global land change science, offering unique insights from its vast and diverse socio-ecological systems.

Keywords

land use land cover change, historical land change, landscape dynamics, old maps, land system science, long-term socio-ecological research

About the Authors

V. M. Matasov

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science; National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation

Staromonetniy lane, 29/4, Moscow, 119017;

11 Pokrovsky Bulvar, Moscow, 109028

A. A. Aleinikov

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science
Russian Federation

Staromonetniy lane, 29/4, Moscow, 119017

A. G. Purekhovsky

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science
Russian Federation

Staromonetniy lane, 29/4, Moscow, 119017

A. N. Gunya

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science
Russian Federation

Staromonetniy lane, 29/4, Moscow, 119017

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Review

For citations:

Matasov V.M., Aleinikov A.A., Purekhovsky A.G., Gunya A.N. Historical land systems of Russia: trends, biases, and gaps in the literature. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY. 2026;19(2):186-201. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2026-4297

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