Cartographic methods of the research of the rural settlement system in Volgograd region

The article presents the methodology of cartographic support of economic and geographical research of rural territories in Volgograd region. The methodological basis of the article is the theoretical foundations of classical economic geography and applied directions of geoinformation mapping. The authors consider the stages of the study, including: identification of mapped indicators; formation of an in formation base; compilation of thematic maps for each indicator; compilation of an integrated assessment card for a set of indicators. The following are proposed as the main mapped indicators: the number of rural population in 2010, % by 1969; density of the rural population in 2010, people / km2; grouping of rural settlements by population, people; grouping of rural settlements by extrapolation tendency; conditions of the temporary transport accessibility of Volgograd; conditions of the temporary transport accessibility of the district center; natural fertility of agricultural lands in bonitet points. When constructing thematic maps, methods for classifying numerical fields are used, based on the calculation of the standard deviation: for maps of population dynamics, population density, and soil quality of agricultural land. Isoline mapping is used in the construction of maps of temporary transport accessibility, where the main methods of mapping are isochrones. To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the favorable resource potential of rural areas, the method of applying thematic maps is used, i.e. overlay operations. The methodology proposed by the authors as a whole allows the formation of an information database that includes information on the dynamics of the rural population in Volgograd region for individual villages, individual rural settlements, the density of the rural population in rural settlements, the conditions of transport accessibility of rural settlements, and the natural fertility of agricultural land in rural settlements, on the differences in resource potential in rural settlements.