Saratov region

Ontogenetic Structure of Coenopopulations of Orchis militaris L. and Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo (Orchidaceae, Liliopsida) in Romanovsky District, Saratov Region

Authors: Nevzorov A. V., Smirnova E. B., Sergeeva I. V., Ponomareva A. L., Shevchenko E. N.

The results of studies conducted in Romanovsky district of the Saratov region during the period of mass flowering of Orchis militaris L. and Dactylorhiza incarnate (L.) Soo from June 2 till 16, 2017, are presented. Descriptions of habitats of the species (a hollow and a pasture), which differ in the projective cover and dominants, are given.

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

Authors: Oparin M. L., Mamaev A. B., Oparina O. S., Trofimova L. S.

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.

PECULIARITIES OF FEEDING AND DAILY ACTIVITY OF ANTS OF GENUS FORMICA (INSECTA, HYMENOPTERA) IN FOREST-STEPPE BIOTOPES OF SARATOV REGION

Authors: Pavlova N. S., Anikin V. V.

The paper presents the results of our research on the foraging activity of ants in forest-steppe biotopes of the Saratov region. The food spectrum of ants was found to include small invertebrates (mainly insects), plant seeds and aphid honeydew. Ants are able to switch to the most massive type of food. F. pratensis behaves as a species with a daytime or morning-evening activity type, depending on the weather conditions. F. rufa is a species with a daily activity type.

MORPHO-ANATOMICAL SEED ADAPTATION OF SOME SPECIES FROM THE IRIS L. (IRIDACEAE, ASPARAGALES) GENUS OF THE SARATOV REGIONAL FLORA TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Authors: Minjal M. S., Boldyrev V. A.

Morpho-anatomical features of the seeds of seven species from the Iris genus of the Saratov regional flora, which are important in plant adaptation to environmental habitat conditions, are presented. The seeds of two species, namely: I. halophila Pall. and Iris pseudacorus L. seem the most revealing from this viewpoint. The strategy of I.

ABUNDANCE OF TETRAX TETRAX L. 1758 (OTIDIDAE, AVES) IN THE SARATOV REGION

Authors: Oparin M. L., Kondratenkov I. A., Oparina O. S., Mamayev A. B.

Based on the count data obtained by various methods and their statistical processing, the abundance of the autumn population of Tetrax tetrax in the Saratov Trans-Volga region was estimated from the late 1990s till now. From 2012 to 2016 it averaged about 30,000 individuals, and in the Right Volga Bank region it was one or two orders lower, the species’ distribution there was sporadic. When studying the T. tetrax abundance dynamics, an increase in its population on the studied territory in the first half of the 2000s was established.

COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF THE HETEROCERIDAE (COLEOPTERA) POPULATION IN THE SHORE ZONE OF WATER OBJECTS IN THE SARATOV REGION

Authors: Sazhnev A. S.

The composition and structure of mud-loving beetles in the conditions of the shore zone of water objects in the Saratov region were studied for the first time. Main characteristics of the water bodies surveyed are provided. Data are presented on the biotopical corrrespondence, seasonal dynamics and hibernation of several species of mud-loving beetles.

PHENOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE WINTERING OF PELOBATES FUSCUS (PELOBATIDAE, AMPHIBIA) IN THE CLIMATE TRANSFORMATION CONDITIONS OF THE NORTHERN LOWER-VOLGA REGION

Authors: Yermokhin M. V., Tabachishin V. G., Ivanov G. A.

Regularities of the changes of calendar dates of the start, end and duration of Pelobates fuscus wintering in the Medveditsa river valley (Lysogorsky district, Saratov region) within the period from 1892 until 2014 are considered. A reduction of the wintering duration by 7 days (on the average) over the last 120 years is shown, due to a shift of the start wintering date to a later date and that of the end wintering date to an earlier date.