The Baikal regional system of ecological monitoring of natural objects

The ecology of the Lake Baikal region is vulnerable to industrial development. The purpose of the work the authors are undertaking is a complex ecological evaluation of the present state of the natural environment and biological resources in the Baikalian region, as well as the study of anthropogenic impact on the ecosystems based on ground and space data application methods which are currently being developed. The research work was initiated under cooperation agreements between the Buryat Scientific Center and NPO “Mashinostroyenie”. This work included processing of “Almaz” satellite spaceborne SAR digital radar data. A “rough” radar image synthesized with the help of soft and hardware is presented which shows the territory around Gusinoozerskoye Hydroelectric Power station. In the detailed image anthropogenic changes are sufficiently well identifiable. Parallel to the southern slopes of Khamar-Daban Ridge cultivated areas are distinguishable decoded by rectangular shaped fields