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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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%).

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

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.

SOME ECOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF BULBOCODIUM VERSICOLOR (KER-GAWL.) SPRENG. (COLCHICACEAE, MAGNOLIOPHYTA) IN THE LOWER VOLGA REGION

The paper presents the results of our four-year observation of Bulbocodium versicolor (Ker-Gawl.) Spreng populations in the Saratov and Volgograd regions. A low ecological plasticity of the species was established. Although the species grows in steppe phytocenoses that vary in composition and structure, the specimens’ morphology was rather conservative, which can be explained by the homogeneity of the species’ vegetation conditions over the territory under study during active vegetation and flowering. It is shown that in the Lower Volga region, B.

VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF BACTERIA IN FOREST LAKES OF KARELIA

The total abundance of bacteria, the numbers of saprophytic, oligotrophic and sulfate -reducing microorganisms, the shapes of bacterial cells, the primary and bacterial production, organic matter destruction, and the rate of sulfate reduction were studied in small Karelian lakes during the stagnation period. It is shown that the uneven vertical distribution of light, temperature, oxygen and hydrogen sulfide creates ecological niches for the development of many various groups of microorganisms.

FORAGING BEHAVIOR FEATURES OF THE BLACKBIRD TURDUS MERULA L. AND FIELDFARE TURDUS PILARIS L. (TURDIDAE, PASSERIFORMES)

The foraging behavior of the Blackbird and Fieldfare in the city of Kaliningrad was studied. A similarity of the feeding habitats used by thrushes is noted. The main type of fodder stations during the reproductive period are lawns with low vegetable cover, rare-fied as a result of human influence, while these are squares and gardens with fruit bushes and trees during the autumn and winter period. The use of fodder stations and fodder objects of anthropogenic origin is noted for the blackbird out of its period of re-production.

Seasonal Changes in Burrowing of the Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus L., 1758) (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the City

The Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) has been intensively colonizing cities during the last decades. Changes in the burrow numbers and their distribution over an area might be important indicators of the population status for the Common hamster in an urban environment. In this study, we consider the character of the burrow distribution on the experimental plot (2.2 ha) situated in the park of Simferopol City, Russian Federation. The brushwood and tree vegetation on this plot had been previously mapped in detail.

Effect of Lighting Conditions on the Reproductive Success of Cypripedium calceolus L. (Orchidaceae, Liliopsida)

The influence of lighting conditions on the reproductive characteristics of the Cypripedium calceolus L. was studied on the territory of the Komi Republic, where the species is located on the Northern border of its habitat. The study was carried out in the southern part of the region (within the Vychegda-Mezen plain) in 2017. Eight coenopopulations of the species in areas with various light intensities were examined, among which three coenopopulations were in swamps, and five were in forests with varying degrees of the canopy closeness.

Tendencies in the Dynamics of Birds Community in Agricultural Landscapes of the Steppe Trans-Urals at the Turn of the Century

The dynamics of the bird community in agricultural landscapes of the Trans-Urals steppe from the period of heavy agricultural intensification (1988 - 1992) until the decline of agricultural production (2000 - 2008) is considered. In the conditions of inten-sive agriculture, the agrophytocenosis structure and features of the agricultural cultivation technology serve as the key factors for the differentiation of bird communities in the steppe agricultural landscape.

Decreasing the Copper Ion Phytotoxicity Using Rhodococcus Biosurfactants

The effect of copper on the germination of seeds of several agricultural plants, namely, common vetch, white mustard and oats in the presence of Rhodoccocus-biosurfactants was studied. As a result of the conducted studies it was established that Avena sativa L. was the most stable plant to the action of copper, and Vicia sativa L. was a less stable plant. By the copper resistance degree, the plants used in the work could be arranged in the series: Avena sativa L. > Sinapis alba L. > Vicia sativa L.

Long-term Dynamics of the Community Structure of Larks (Alaudidae, Aves) in the North-Western Caspian Lowland

We studied the population structure and the number of larks in the steppe and semi-desert zones of the Caspian Lowland (within the territories of Alexandrov-Gay district of the Saratov region, Russian Federation, Dzhanybek and Bokey-Ordyn districts of the Western-Kazakhstan region, Republic of Kazakhstan) in six key areas in 2011 - 2018.

Morphological Variability and Biochemical Indices of Leaves in Coenopopulations of Aegopodium podagraria L. (Apiаceae, Apiales) under Various Levels of Soil Pollution with Heavy Metals

The morphological variability, lipid peroxidation rate (LPR) and photosynthetic pigment content in the leaves of Aegopodium podagraria L. were studied in four coenopopulations growing in urban ecosystems whose soils were contaminated, to varying degrees, with heavy metals (HM): Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr. The increase of the HM level in the soil induced a decrease in the terminal leaflet size, the average number of phens (i.e. various variants of the leaf shape), and the chlorophyll content b in leaves but the percentage of rare phens increased.

Snow-drift Redistribution as the Main Factor of Regulation of Water Availability for Forest Cultures in Steppe Conditions

The applicability and necessity of analysis of snow-drift redistribution features for optimizing moisture availability for both forest cultures and adjacent territories are recommended while creating artificially-planted protective forest belts in previously tree-less territories. The average distance traveled by individual snowflakes by wind, which usually does not exceed several hundred meters, is the most important parameter of snow cover formation.

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