Статьи

TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF TWO SUBSPECIES OF THE MIDDAY GERBIL (MERIONES MERIDIANUS NOGAIORUM, M. M. PSAMMOPHILUS) (MURIDAE, MAMMALIA) UNDER SEMI-NATURAL CONDITIONS

Authors: Gromov V. S.

The territorial structure and social organization of artificial groups of two subspecies of the midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus nogaiorum, M. m. psammophilus) were studied under semi-natural conditions. No significant differences in the space usage system of the subspecies under comparison were found. The structure of social interactions was found to be identical in females but different in males: M. m. nogaiorum males exhibited dominance hierarchy, whilst a despotic dominance was found in M. m. psammophilus males. M. m. psammophilus females also exhibited dominance hierarchy.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF MOUNTAIN AND PLAIN CHERNOSEM SOILS IN THE CENTRAL CAUCASUS (WITHIN KABARDINO-BALKARIA)

Authors: Gorobtsova O. N., Minkina T. M., Uligova T. S., Tembotov R. K., Khakunova E. M.

A comparative analysis of biological properties of several subtypes of mountain and plain chernosems in the Central Caucasus (within Kabardino-Balkaria) was conducted. Statistically significant differences between the parameters of biological activity in the upper horizons (0 - 20 cm) of the soils under study were revealed. Mountain chernosems are characterized by the high humus content (by 38% on average), an increased activity of dehydrogenase (by 42%) and urease (by 35%), and all microbial parameters (by 12 - 53%).

STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION AND SPECIFICITY OF TERRITORIAL LINKS AMONG BIRDS OF INNER-MOUNTAIN AND HIGH-MOUNTAIN DAGHESTAN

Authors: Vilkov E. V.

The results of our bird counts carried out in 1996-2017 in the Inner-mountain and High-mountain Dagestan are analyzed. The bird specific composition, average popula-tion abundance and ecological structure of the avifauna in two difficult-to-reach mountain areas of the republic are described for the first time.

THE TENGMALM’S OWL (AEGOLIUS FUNEREUS) (STRIGIDAE, AVES) IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS

Authors: Belik V. P., Akkiev M. I.

Tengmalm’s Owl (Aegolius funereus caucasicus But.) inhabits dark coniferous, pine and deciduous forests in the mountains of the North Caucasus from the City of Tuapse in the west to the Inner Dagestan in the east, rising to pine forests to a height of 1,900 - 2,000 m above sea level. During its winter wanderings it occasionally occurs in the foothills, but almost does not go out to the piedmont plains. Winter records in the steppe regions of Ciscaucasia may refer to nomadic specimens of a nominate subspecies (A. f.

EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF GENETIC VARIABILITY IN POPULATIONS OF SICISTA BETULINA (RODENTIA, DIPODOIDEA) FROM VALDAI HILLS

Authors: Baskevich M. I., Khlyap L. A., Potapov S. G., Shvarts E. A., Dmitriev S. G., Malygin V. M.

Chromosomal (routine, C-banding) and molecular (cytb) data for Sicista of the betulina group from the northern (Valdai National Park), central (the main watershed of East European Plain) and southeast (Upper Volga Basin) parts of Valdai and, for comparison, from the Moscow and Central Chernozem regions are presented and generalized. The birch mice from Valdai and the Moscow area belonging to the 32-chromosomal S. betulina, and that from the Central Chernozem area belonging to S. strandi (2n = 44) are confirmed.

STOPOVERS OF SWANS (CYGNUS CYGNUS AND C. BEWICKII) (ANATIDAE, AVES) IN THE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN KARELIA DURING THE SPRING MIGRATION

Authors: Artemyev A. V., Lapshin N. V., Simonov S. A.

Spring migrations of the Whooper swan and Bewick's swan were studied on a farm-land near the town of Olonets during 1997 - 2017. Usually the majority of swans crossed the territory of the agricultural landscape in transit, and only a small portion of the birds stayed on it for feeding for 1 - 2 days. In 2017, swans formed a mass migration stopover on the fields, 340 to 1,328 individuals were counted on it for 11 days, whose majority (about 90%) were Bewick's swans.

ON THE SYNTAXONOMY OF SOME PHYTOCENOSES IN MOUNTAIN AND PIEDMONT ECOSYSTEMS OF THE CENTRAL CAUCASUS (WITHIN KABARDINO-BALKARIA)

Authors: Tzepkova N. L.

Three associations (Carici michelii-Bromopsidetum ripariae ass. nov., Amorio ambiguae-Alchemilletum orthotrichae ass. nov., and Cicerbito macrophyllae-Aethusetum сynapii ass. nov.) have been distinguished and characterized as a result of our ecological and floristic classification of phytocenoses in the mountain and piedmont ecosystems of Kabardino-Balkaria (the Central Caucasus) within the Tersky and Elbrussian variants of vertical zonation.

CURRENT VEGETATION COVER OF THE CASPIAN LOWLAND IN THE SOUTH-EAST OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA

Authors: Safronova I. N., Stepanova N. Y.

The distribution of steppe and desert vegetation is typical for the Caspian Lowland. There are two subzones of the steppe zone of Eurasia (the Middle subzone with dry steppes and the Southern subzone with desert steppes) and one subzone of the desert zone of the Pre-Caspian and Turan (the Northern subzone with dwarf semishrub and shrub deserts). At present, natural regularities are invisible because of the results of human impact. Natural dry bunch-grass steppes have completely disappeared to the East from the Volga River.

LEUKOCYTIC INDICES AND MICRONUCLEUS IN ERYTHROCYTES AS POPULATION MARKERS OF THE IMMUNE STATUS OF PELOPHYLAX RIDIBUNDUS (PALLAS, 1771) (AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE) LIVING IN VARIOUS BIOTOPIC CONDITIONS

Authors: Romavova E. B., Shapovalova K. V., Ryabinina E. S., Gelashvili D. B.

A differentiated assessment of blood cells and micronucleus species in the erythrocytes of marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) living in reservoirs of the Nizhniy Novgorod region and differing by origin, morphology and chemical composition was performed. Specific abiotic conditions (a peat bog) and anthropogenic load led to the most expressed change of the leukocyte composition of the blood, corresponding to the neutrophilic type of leukemoid reaction and an increased fraction of micronucleus in the erythrocytes.

Pb AND Cd INFLUENCE ON BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF AVENA SATIVA (POÁCEAE, LILIOPSIDA)

Authors: Petukhov A. S., Khritokhin N. A., Petukhova G. A., Kremleva T. A.

This work is devoted to studying of changes of vegetable raw under Pb and Cd translocation in the tissues of oat grown on turf and sand soils at model pollution, as well the impact of Pb and Cd accumulation on the biochemical status of plants. The oat germinants accumulated the intriduced metals actively; at a combined action of Pb and Cd, synergism of the elements in the organogenic soil and antagonism in the mineral soil were revealed.

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