Changes in the territorial organization of the “Volga-Akhtuba floodplain” natural park with an increase in anthropogenic load in the period from the beginning of the 2000s to 2020

The territory of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain within Volgograd region, included in the natural park Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, has been subjected to anthropogenic impact for many years. Initially, in order to regulate economic activities, the natural park space was divided into three functional zones: environmental, recreational, and agricultural. In subsequent years, within the natural park Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, due to the increased anthropogenic load on the landscapes, it became necessary to adjust the spatial organization of areas with different purposes. In the actual version of functional zoning, five functional zones (agrarian landscapes, environmental, recreational, extensive nature management and buffer) are presented. In order to determine the transformation of the natural park Volga-Akhtuba floodplain spatial organization, changes in the functional zoning of this specially protected natural area during the period from the beginning of the 2000s to 2020 were revealed with the use of geoinformation systems. Most of the lands have not changed their legal status. The agricultural zone underwent the main transformation, most of which were transferred to the recreational zone. The territory of environmental zone that includes the most valuable natural complexes and objects has been squeezed out to territories that are less profitable for nature users. The lands of the Sredneakhtubinsky district are most exposed to anthropogenic impact, since this municipality includes significant areas occupied by zones of extensive nature management and agrarian landscapes, within which the most destructive nature management for ecosystems is carried out, while the ratio of nature protection spaces to the area of the municipality is the smallest. In the Svetloyarsk district, the ecological situation is the most favorable, since almost the entire territory is occupied by an environmental functional zone.