Study of small and medium-size towns vegetation in Russia: current state

In the review article, the authors give the analysis of scientific publications related to the study of vegetation in small and medium-sized Russian towns over the past 10 years. The main topical areas in which research is currently being carried out include the study of urban flora, analysis of plantings state, assessment of the vegetation state as an indicator of the urban environment quality (bio-indication), selection of trees assortment for urban andscape design and introduction of species, the features of landscaping in different natural conditions, and the formation of urban ecological framework. It is noted the fragmentary nature of vegetation studies in small and medium-sized towns of Russia, not being conducted in most regions at all. There predominate empirical studies focused on describing the state of the vegetation cover in separate towns. Comprehensive research is not carried out widely. It is mainly used the inventory research methods. In the publications, there are no vegetation maps for small and medium-sized towns. Furthermore, there is no retrospective analysis of the urban flora and vegetation transformation. The authors of the most publications note the prevalence of inherited problems in the state of urban green spaces in the country, caused by the planning spontaneity in the Soviet period, the failure to incorporate environmental factors into the urban development planning, including the location of industrial enterprises, as well as the lack of programs for the development of green urban infrastructure, the perception of green plantings as an element of land improvement, rather than an environmentally significant factor.