Changes in the Area and Location of Arable Land Borders over 250 Years (Based on the Example of a Key Plot in Moscow Oblast)

Based on data from old and modern maps and satellite images, we have reconstructed the arable land borders of a key plot (100 km2) in Moscow oblast from the time of General Land Survey (1768) to the present day (eight time periods). Brief descriptions for the special geometric plans of the Bogorodsky, Dmitrovsky, and Moscow districts (“uyezdy”) of the Moscow province (“guberniya”) have been analyzed to accurately describe the land use displayed on the General Land Survey plans. It has been established that the contours of arable land on the General Land Survey plans (1767) of the studied area coincide with arable lands that were under constant cultivation; however, fallow lands were described and measured separately. The dynamics of the arable land borders for the studied period has been analyzed using the scheme of landscape zoning and data on the lithological and geomorphological structure of the territory and the morphometric characteristics of the relief. The prevailing ranges of slopes and the area of arable land have been identified for each period. The maximum square of arable land under constant cultivation (42%) was observed during GLS at the end of the 18th century, while the minimum level (8%) is at the present time. It has been established that the main factors determining the spatial structure of the arable land distribution were the proximity to human settlements and drainage grade of soil.