Статьи

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pages