Modern features of the settlement of the territory of the Chechen Republic depending on natural conditions

Abstract

The analysis of residential development is a primary task in assessing the anthropogenic load on the territory. The Chechen Republic has been experiencing a construction boom in the last decade. The load on landscapes is increasing. In this regard, it is very important to assess the degree of modern residential development of landscapes. For comparison, data from remote sensing of the Earth were used, namely Landsat and Sentinel-2 images for 1985 and 2024. The material was processed using the ArcGIS and MapInfo programs. A quantitative assessment of the residential load showed that the increase in residential areas in 2024 compared to 1985 was 192%. The maximum increase in residential areas in 2024 is in steppe landscapes (by 233%). Large settlements such as Grozny and Gudermes are located in the steppe landscapes. Infrastructure development and recreational attractiveness have led to an increase in the share of residential areas in the lower montane forest (226%) and in the high-altitude subalpine forest-shrub-meadow landscapes (177%).