Methodological Problems of Soviet Geography as Interpreted by Some Foreign Geographers

The author reviews writings by David Hooson, Ian Matley, and O. H. K. Spate and welcomes publicity given abroad to methodological discussion in Soviet geography. In Saushkin's view, the three Western authors concede there is no unity of geography in the West and no theoretical foundation on which such unity could be based. That is why, Saushkin feels, Western geographers are hopefully watching Soviet methodological discussions for a possible solution to their own problems.     

The Role of Geographers in the Study,Mapping, Economic Appraisal,Utilization, Conservation and Renewal of the Natural Resources of the USSR

The paper discusses, mainly from a programmatic point of view, the need for research into the relationships between climate and vegetation. Four lines of research are proposed: (1) the correlation between the distribution of vegetation and climate indices; (2) relationships between the distribution of vegetation and seasonal types of climate; (3) seasonal and annual changes in plant communities related to corresponding changes in the surface layer of the atmosphere and the soil and subsoil; (4) the exchange of matter and energy within an ecological system.     

The Study of a System of Cities of the Soviet Union

Odessa's advantageous economic-geographic situation has played a positive role in all phases of the city's development. It has promoted Odessa's pre-eminent place as a foreign trade center and its function as a key element in the geographical division of labor. The situational advantages of the city should be taken into account in any historical-geographic study and in insuring more rational economic relations between the city and the rest of the Soviet Union.     

Man And Nature

In an introductory lecture to freshmen of Moscow University's Geography Faculty, the man-nature relationship is analyzed in terms of the interplay of entropic and negentropic processes. Entropy is used in the sense of a leveling trend or degradation, and involves the dissemination of materials and goods. Negentropy refers to accumulation, concentration, enhancing of diversity and contrasts. In the original world of inert nature, entropy was dominant. With the appearance of life on earth, the negentropic process assumed significance as living matter accumulated the sun's energy and concentrated it in the form of fossil fuels, forests, etc. In the present man-altered environment, termed the noosphere (sphere of the mind), both entropic and negentropic trends are apparent. First, man concentrates chemical elements for processing; then, he disseminates them to users or, in the case of waste products, into the air and water. The dissemination of radioactive materials through fallout and waste disposal is the most hazardous form of the entropic process. The pollution danger may be reduced by adding to the present sequence of “concentration—dissemination” an additional element, namely “reconcentration,” meaning the recovery of useful products from wastes.     

Quantitative Methods in Physical-Geography Research

The use of quantitative techniques in physical geography is discussed with reference to three particular disciplines—climatology, glaciology and geomorphology. Although significant advances have been made in these and other particular disciplines, there is increasing need for applying quantitative methods to the composite of geographical processes, related to various forms of the exchange of matter and energy. A quantitative approach to integrated physical-geography research is needed for a resolution of the general problem of a quantitative explanation of the physical-geographic process and the formulation of a quantitative theory of physical geography. Aside from inherent difficulties in applying quantitative techniques to physical geography, particularly the biogeographic disciplines, there are additional problems of an organizational nature in the Soviet Union, where specialists in various disciplines tend to be associated with different institutes.     

Problems of Development of Old Industrial Regions of Capitalist Countries

A review of three Western studies of the problems of old industrial regions—the Pittsburgh region, New England, and Western Europe—finds that the stagnancy and decline of such areas have been partly alleviated by the introduction of new industries such as electronics and aircraft manufacture. However, these industries are viewed as being excessively dependent on fluctuating government defense contracts and thus are not considered to be a basic solution to the problem of reviving depressed areas.     

Evaluation of the Natural Environment for Recreational Purposes

A method is proposed for evaluating environmental conditions from the point of view of recreational planning. Sets of factors are chosen separately for summer recreation and winter recreation, both from the point of view of their effect on human physiology and their significance in the actual management of recreational areas. Individual factors are graded in terms of a five-point system, with the basic factors, such as a long warm season or the presence of a warm seacoast in summer, weighted with a coefficient of 2. Each of the natural provinces of the USSR is then evaluated in terms of the combined score. Five categories of provinces are distinguished: those that are most favorable, favorable, relatively favorable, little favorable, and unfavorable for recreational planning purposes.     

Some Aspects of Lower-Level Economic and Administrative Divisions of the Northern Part of Transbaykalia

The basic notion in Soviet economic regionalization that administrative divisions should correspond closely to economic regions is often ignored at the local level. The Muya area, an intermontane basin in northern Transbaykalia, is discussed as an example of an area in which an artificial administrative division hampers the resolution of economic problems of the area as a whole.     

The Internal Circulation of Matter in the Principal Types of Natural Ecosystems of the USSR

The internal biological circulation of matter in zonal ecosystems may be characterized in terms of the degree of self-containment, meaning the capacity of the ecosystem to make full use of organic matter without losing any to the outside or letting it accumulate uselessly within the system. The circulation may also be characterized in terms of the rate of circulation and the structure of circulation. These criteria are used to describe the main zonal ecosystems of the USSR (tundra, tayga, broadleaf forest, steppe, desert). Tundra and tayga are found to suffer from incomplete circulation with heavy loss of biogens; broadleaf forest and steppe are the most productive. The impact of human activity on each natural ecosystem is analyzed.     

THE POLLUTION-CONTROL EXPERIENCE OF SOME SOVIET WATER-BASIN INSPECTORATES

The authors discuss the origin and background of the Soviet water-basin directorates. The legal rights and responsibilities of the inspectorates in water-pollution control are considered. Their methods of operation and the work record of some basin inspectorates are analyzed and recommended for general application. In particular, the experience in thr RSFSR, Ukraine and the Baltic republics is considered worthy of emulation. Problems of water protection and restoration are considered to be the most important in the field of environmental protection and are linked to further progress of the Soviet economy. (The article was contributed by Craig ZumBrunnen, University of Washington, Seattle.)