Bidolakh D. Theoretical, Methodological and Technological Background to the Issue of Plantation Management in the Populated Localities of Ukraine

The thesis work considers the investigation of theoretical and applied aspects of plantation management in the populated localities of Ukraine applying modern methods. Applicability of a systemic approach to the complex process of urban landscape management has been chosen as the framework of the study. The analysis of the theoretical background of human settlement landscaping in Ukraine has indicated the necessity to introduce measures with respect to the improvement of its condition and to develop the methodology aimed at the improvement of the system of plantation inventory, accounting and monitoring. The experimental basis of the investigation is the material obtained from managing 28 landscaping objects being more than 174 ha in area, where there are 27182 tree and shrubbery plants registered. Such objects have been developed according to the methodology of plantation surveying improved by the author, the ways of interpreting the obtained field materials by means of geographic information systems (GIS), modern computer-aided design systems and programs suggested by the author. The process of field studies has been improved by means of applying the utility patents worked out by the author of the dissertation, namely «A Method of Measuring the Height of Trees and Shrubs», «A Method of Measuring Crown Cover of Trees and Shrubs», «A Method of Measuring Horizontal Closure of Forest Stand», «A Method of Assessing Lawn Condition» and 2A Method of Remote-Sensing Monitoring of Park and Garden Objects». In order to accelerate and improve the accuracy of the obtained information on spatial plantation layouts, the author of the research has developed the recommendations covering the use of a GPS-receiving unit with further correction of inventory points according to the materials of remote sensing of high spatial resolution in geographical information systems and creation of a spatial database. According to the conducted analysis of the methodological and the technological background of plantation management, the author of the thesis has first developed a systemic approach and the use of modern tools in this process. It has been determined that the system should include the performance of plantation cost estimation aimed at the implementation of a compensation mechanism for damaged urban landscapes in order to allocate funds for restoring their functional purpose. In order to prove the practicability of the suggested electronic system of plantation management, the possibilities of implementing its separate components by means of the existing tools, namely by means of applying the possibilities of GIS and Web-resources, spatial information modelling and modern computer programs, have been worked out. For the needs of urban landscape monitoring, the flow sheet of the functioning principle of the electronic system of geo-information monitoring of plantation state has been developed and the concept of its development has been worked out. The ultimate goal of the conducted research is the formation of the national system of plantation management based on complex combination of their inventory, accounting and monitoring with the use of modern approaches to making substantiated decisions on their further protection and preservation, the improvement of the hardiness, the decorative value and the functionality of urban landscapes.