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Introduction. One applies a significant area of land with degraded and low-yielding soils for intensive agricultural use in Ukraine. It is economically impractical and environmentally unsafe. One of the tasks of sustainable development of the nation is to achieve a neutral state of land cover to stop the processes of land degradation and boost their productivity restoration. This fact requires the development of scientific and methodological approaches to the multifunctional land use to achieve a balance between the economy, society, and the biosphere. The purpose. The aim of the study is to develop methodological and practical recommendations for organizing the use of degraded and low-yielding agricultural lands, considering the conceptual goals of landscape planning. Results. Concerning the authors’ views, the efficient use of degraded and low-yielding agricultural land involves the formation of a system of land use that provides restoration, preservation, and maintenance of the natural capital of territories and corresponding ecosystem functions and services. In this context, one has discussed the expediency of landscape planning at the local level, as an essential tool for the sustainable management of land resources. One has proposed to make integrated decisions concerning the analysis of social and economic as well as landscape and ecological conditions of territories, defining nature protection objectives for the optimization of land use and landscapes, which are based on the assessment of sensitivity to existing and planned activities. Considering the analysis and assessment of landscape and ecological conditions, one has recommended carrying out land zoning, identifying types and subtypes of land use, and determining regulations for the use of areas with degraded and low-yielding soils. An important prerequisite for such an approach is public discussions with the involvement of experts in the field of nature use and protection. Conclusions. Landscape planning is of vital importance to solve the problems of the use of degraded and low-yielding agricultural lands, as it shifts from prevailing industry and functional approaches to ecosystems approach concerning making landscape management decisions on a sustainable development basis. Keywords: land use, degraded and low-yielding soils, landscape planning, land zoning, natural capital.

The conservation and renovation of biological diversity of territories are of vital importance in Ukraine. The concept of ecological networks has laid the foundation of these issues. In Ukraine, the law “On the ecological network” was adopted, and ecological networks were developed at the regional level. However, most developments do not fully take into account the location of reserved territories and places of concentration of valuable flora and fauna, and also often do not correspond to the principle of formation of a holistic system, which significantly reduces their environmental significance and the expediency of practical implementation. The authors of the article consider that one should estimate the natural potential of the territories in detail and objectively, as well as provide recommendations for practical actions for the renovation of biological and landscape diversity. One can do it in the process of the development of local ecological networks (at the level of separate administrative regions and territorial communities). One has developed the structure of the ecological network on the example of Stryi district of Lviv region and determined the estimation of the spatial connectivity of its crucial elements. The problem is that most of the connecting territories are formed from semi-natural and unnatural lands (hayfields, pastures, arable lands), which complicates the practical side of the project implementation. One needs to develop an effective mechanism to encourage landowners and land users to carry out environmental activities; to increase investments in re-naturalization of lands; to conduct environmental education and environmental public awareness campaign; to provide local government and other stakeholders with consulting services for the development of ecological network development programs at the local level in Ukraine.