Tree-ring chronologies based on the width of the annual ring of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were studied at 8 test sites in island forests in the north of the Republic of Kazakhstan from the Turgai trough to the eastern part of the Kazakh small hills. An analysis of the relationships between the radial growth of pine and climate showed that the climate signal in chronologies can change depending on geomorphological conditions determined by the edaphic factor, relief and absolute elevations. These features must be taken into account when using tree-ring chronologies for spatiotemporal climate reconstructions.
Data on the variability of transfer aggregated factors (Tag) of 90Sr in different species of woody plants growing in the zone of influence of the Mayak Production Association are summarized. The radioecological situation in this territory is determined mainly by two events: the dumping of radioactive waste into the river. Techu, 1949−1951 and the Kyshtym accident, 1957. The main reasons for the variability of Tag, including species characteristics of plants, different soil moisture regimes and the level of their 90Sr contamination, were analyzed. The dependence of the Tag of this radionuclide in trees on the density of soil contamination is described by a power function. In buffer areas and background areas, Tag 90Sr corresponds to the ranges of variability of the indicator established by the IAEA, and in more contaminated impact areas, the accumulative capacity of trees, as a rule, decreases.
The article presents the main events in the history of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2024. The main attention is paid to the changes in the research topics. In the 40’s and 50’s it was closely associated with the tasks assigned to the institute in relation to the requirements of the post-war national economy. Since 1955, in connection with the direction of the Institute by S.S. Schwartz and the renewal of the staff, a period of reorganisation of the subjects began, which led to the transformation of the Institute of Biology into the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology. In the same year, research into radiobiology and population studies began. A new period of history began after V.N. Bolshakov became the director of the Institute in 1976. Several branches of the Institute were established, the number of staff increased and the scope of research broadened. Recent decades have been characterised by the mass arrival of young staff, the organisation of new laboratories and the increase in the number of publications in the most prestigious international journals.
An assessment of the primary sex ratio in the local pied flycatcher population in South Karelia (Russia) is given and its variations in broods depending on breeding characteristics and characteristics of the parents are analyzed. The proportion of males in 30 clutches examined in 2012 did not differ from the proportion of females and amounted to 50.8% of the total number of eggs laid (n = 199), although it varied from 14.3% to 85.7% in individual nests. A weak positive correlation between the proportion of males in the brood and the timing of breeding and the ornamentation of the feathers that form the white spot on the male’s wing (the first tertiary and the 5–6th upper greater coverts of the secondary feathers), and a negative correlation with the length of the wing and the third primary feather of the female were shown. Analysis using generalized linear models showed a significant relationship of primary sex ratio in the brood only with the length of the female’s third primary feather. Possible mechanisms of changes in the sex ratio in broods are discussed.
The body condition of pied flycatchers breeding near the Middle Ural copper smelter (MUCS) and in the background area was analyzed in 1996–2023, a period of significant reduction in industrial emissions. The body condition index (BCI) of females was not related to the level of environmental pollution. The lower BCI of males near the MUCS compared to the background area was probably due to the forcing the low-quality individuals into transformed habitats. The BCI of yearlings was less than that of older birds, especially in females incubating early and late clutches. The BCI of incubating females increased with increasing clutch size and breeding density. The BCI decreased with increasing date of breeding (females only), air temperature at the chick feeding stage, and brood size (both females and males).
Abstract–The dynamics of the number of road accidents with wild animals in the Sverdlovsk region for the period from 2012 to 2022 was analyzed. The species composition of the animals is sharply shifted towards pair-horned ungulates. The increase in the number of collisions with roe deer and moose is faster than the increase in the number of species by an average of 3.1 times. The seasonal peak of incidents occurs in May-July for moose and Siberian roe deer and in October for wild boar. A strong correlation was found between the number of road incidents, roe deer and moose numbers and vehicle density on roads. The rate of increase in animal populations is 31 and 33% (for roe deer and moose, respectively) of the rate of increase in the number of accidents, while the rate of increase in vehicle density on roads is 7.5–9.9%. It is suggested that the impact of animal population growth on the change in the number of accidents is higher than the impact of the change in traffic intensity.
Abstract – The morphological characters variability structure of two closely related species (Orchis punctulata Steven ex Lindl. and O. purpurea Huds.) in forest and steppe communities was studied. In total, six cenopopulations were researched during 2015–2023. An analysis of the variability of 12 morphological characters in 375 generative individuals of O. punctulata and 356 generative individuals of O. purpurea was carried out. We used the following methods: correlated, principal component, linear discriminant. It was found that growing conditions influence the majority (58%) of O. punctulata morphological characters, and do not influence the vast majority (83%) of O. purpurea characters. Ordination by the methods of principal components and discriminant analysis convincingly separates O. punctulata population samples from forest and steppe communities. Population samples of O. purpurea from forest and steppe communities were morphologically homogeneous. The morphological variability specifics of these two closely related species could be explained by different mechanisms of life strategies formation
A comparative analysis of the size structure of 24 population groups of sable and pine marten was performed using two museum pools of craniometric data: the first is based on a complex of 17 standard traits, and the second is based on a new trait, Δ (“delta”), proposed by us to determine the two species by the skull. Each pool contains more than 3000 specimens. Three groups of traits were identified: four traits by which the sable is always larger than the marten; five traits by which the marten is superior to the sable at any point in its range; the main group is represented by seven traits with special variation: in transgression areas their values are higher for the sable, and in “pure” areas, on the contrary, for the pine marten. In areas of hybridization, the size parameters of the sable increase, while those of the marten, on the contrary, decrease, leading to their partial convergence. Each species demonstrates two variants of size structure: one is realized in allopatric groups (sables are smaller in size), the second is observed in areas of sympatry (sables, on the contrary, are larger), but the convergence of parameters is not absolute, statistically significant differences in size between species persist. The described phenomenon of bivariant dimensional structure is most likely, the result of limited introgression in the zone of sympatry. For the Δ trait, a high level of intersexual differences was found, exceeding the usual values by 3–4 times: 28
Abstract – The distribution of the invasive species Impatiens glandulifera in the Southern Urals (Republic of Bashkortostan) is considered. The species is wild from ornamental culture and actively naturalizes in shady coastal and anthropogenic ecotopes, mainly in forest-steppe and nemoral-forest zones of the Urals. Sixty-two localities of the species in 28 districts of the republic have been identified. Cenoses with its dominance have been described within the Epilobietea angustifolii class, association Calystegio sepium–Impatientetum glanduliferae, two subassociations C. s.–I. g. menthetosum longifolii and C. s.–I. g. arctietosum tomentosi and five variants. Using ecological scales, ecological preferences and leading factors influencing the differentiation of communities with the participation of species were determined: mechanical composition, structure, soil richness, moisture, and climate continentality.
The influence of illumination conditions on the reproductive characteristics of the rare orchid Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich has been studied on the territory of the Komi Republic, where the species is located on the northern border of its range. In 2023, five populations of the species were surveyed in habitats with varying level of canopy closure (from 6.5 to 82.3
The work studied the effects of air temperature and precipitation during the post-diapause development of preimaginal stages, as well as wing size, on the occurrence of deviations from normal wing venation in Aporia crataegi. Samples for the analysis were collected from a natural population in the south of Sverdlovsk oblast from 2013 to 2022. The occurrence of wing venation abnormalities was shown to be dependent on weather conditions during the development of larvae and pupae in spring, as well as the size of the adults. Some variants were more frequent in years with cold and rainy springs, while the occurrence of others was not dependent on the weather. Certain wing venation abnormalities were more common in small adults, while others were more common in the larger individuals. The results indicate a variable degree of canalization and sensitivity of wing vein development in Aporia crataegi to the effects of environmental factors.
The results of estimation of the number of generations of the Lower Ob broad whitefish are presented. On the basis of data on the number of larvae descending from spawning grounds, obtained in 1981-2023 on the main spawning rivers, conclusions are drawn about the current demographic situation in the Lower Ob broad whitefish population, about the influence of anthropogenic factors and water content of the Ob floodplain on reproduction. It was established that the decisive importance in the reproduction of the broad whitefish in the 80s and 90s belonged to the Severnaya Sosva River. In recent years, there has been an increase in the contribution of the more northern rivers Voykar and Sob. The decreasing role of the Severnaya Sosva River is connected both with climate warming in the region and with increased removal of producers by fishing, including for fish breeding needs. The reproduction of the broad whitefish population is weakly dependent on the water availability in the Lower Ob floodplain. In order to restore its numbers, it is necessary to significantly change the system of protection of spawning herds and organise protected areas in the Khulga River basin. Artificial reproduction of the broad whitefish is not required.
Tritium (3H) has natural and anthropogenic origins. Its high migration ability, the presence of different physical forms and chemical compounds, affinity with organic molecules, and involvement in exchange processes in the biosphere draw attention to this isotope in the field of radiation protection of living organisms and humans. The data from 324 publications (230 of which are in the Supplementary Information) based on laboratory and field studies were analyzed to understand the approaches to the methodology for assessing 3H doses in the reference groups of plant and animal organisms specified in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 108. The basic principles and features of calculating the absorbed dose rate from inorganic and organic forms and compounds of 3H for different levels of biological organization are described. More than half of the studies were found to be unrelated to dosimetry issues but analyzing radiobiological effects. Prospects for further research may be associated with a differentiated approach in assessing doses from different forms and compounds of 3H, ensuring closer contact between laboratory and field studies, as well as shifting the focus of attention from the level of reference organisms to the level of populations. The results will find their application in setting problems in the field of radioecology and radiobiology, as well as in improving radiation safety standards related to the operation of existing nuclear industry enterprises and the development of new nuclear technology facilities.
Enchytraeids are key organisms in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, but despite this, the fauna and population of enchytraeids of the European part of Russia (ER) have been studied rather poorly. Based on our own collections from 193 sites across the main biomes of the ER from 2019 to 2023, 74 species of enchytraeids belonging to 15 genera were identified. The presence of tundra, boreal, nemoral and desert faunal complexes of enchytraeids, as well as a group of polyzonal species, was shown. From a faunal perspective, the Caucasus, which is inhabited by a group of species that are not found anywhere else in Russia, stands out within the ER. Analysis of enchytraeid communities in various biomes of the ER at the species level will allow for a more correct assessment of their role in detrital food webs and the functioning of ecosystems overall.
Faxonius limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) was first discovered in the rivers of Belarus in 1997. The striped crayfish spread along rivers originated in Poland. Currently, F. limosus is found in the Neman River and in all tributaries of the first and second orders within the borders of the Grodno region and the rivers of the Western Bug basin of the Brest region of Belarus. The striped crayfish colonizing new places moved upstream of the rivers: the maximum speed of spread was 20 km/year, and the average speed was 7–8 km/year. Males of older age groups appear first in new habitats. As a result of human activity, the migration of striped crayfish from the Neman basin to the Dnieper basin has been noted.
We present the main demographic parameters of the Western Siberian pied flycatcher population, nesting in natural habitats, at different stages of population dynamics. The average values, range, boundaries, and direction of changes in the survival of sexually mature individuals, fecundity, and the encounter probability at different ages were analyzed. Using matrix models of population structure and population dynamics, an estimate of the true survival rate of fledglings is given. The range of values of demographic parameters that characterize viable groups of the studied bird species is indicated.
The distribution of trematodes Paracoenogonimus ovatus and its first intermediate hosts, viviparous Viviparus viviparus and V. contectus in the Ob–Irtysh basin were analyzed. Until the 1990s the spreading of P. ovatus in this region was associated with habitats of V. contectus, which is considered a native species in Western Siberia. Since the mid-1990s European species V. viviparus began to spread in the Ob basin. Before this, only one source of infection with P. ovatus was known associated with finding V. viviparus in the Lower Irtysh. This paper describes another such outbreak in the Tura River near the city of Tyumen. In fish from the Tura River, a generally high extent and intensity of invasion were noted. Further expansion of the range is predicted P. ovatus associated with expansion V. viviparus.
On 12 sample plots established in the ecotone of the northern forest boundary in the Khadyta-Yakha River valley on the Yamal Peninsula, time of emergence and death, as well as productivity of about 1000 Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) trees were analyzed. Over the last 140 years, there has been a sharp increase in the stocks and annual growth of stem phytomass of woody plants within the studied ecotone. Since the 1970s, the average annual growth of phytomass has been increased by 1.2–39 times, which was facilitated by a 0.9°C increase in average June–July air temperature. However, this effect is insignificant in areas of mixed open forests subjected to periodic logging.
Overall, 34 local floras of vascular plants were analyzed at testing sites in the Middle Volga region with an area of 400 km2. Noticeable differences were revealed in the nature of correlations between the number of species of adventitious and native flora fractions and environmental factors: climate and relief. In the region, the number of native species is negatively related to air temperature, evaporation rates, and water deficit, while adventive species show a positive relationship with these characteristics. Adventive species are more often found in gently sloping lowlands in polygons characterized by increased elevation differences and drainage area. In general, adventitious species are more associated with semi-arid conditions in sites with relatively high ranges of environmental factors and standard deviation. Multiple regression showed that adventive species are more closely related to environmental factors than native species. In the region, adventive species are distributed predominantly in places (ecotopes) with increased environmental heterogeneity. An analysis of the relationships with environmental factors of the studied fractions may indicate that their distribution on the test sites is consistent, as a result of which they do not show opposition, which is also confirmed by the weak positive relationship between the richness of their species.
We tested the hypothesis that the number of seedlings from the soil seed bank (SSB) in forests polluted by heavy metals and disturbed by recent fires decreases. It was also assumed that the consequences of pollution and fires for the soil seed bank are additive. We estimated the number of seedlings from the SSB of pine forests located near the Karabash copper smelter (KCS) (contaminated by Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) and from uncontaminated forests of the Ilmen State Reserve (ISR). In both areas, samples of the forest litter and humus horizon were taken from forests recently exposed to ground fires and long-term unburned forests. Samples were exhibited from June to September, conducting seven rounds of counting seedlings. Small peculiarities of the emergence of seedlings on the samples of the forest litter and the humus horizon were established. However, the regularities of the reaction of SSB to pollution and fire disturbances did not depend on the soil horizon. The number of seedlings on substrates from contaminated forests was 5–8 times lower than the number of seedlings on substrates from background forests. A decrease in the number of seedlings on polluted substrates was accompanied by an increase in the share of dicots in the total number of seedlings. The relationship between the number of seedlings and the age of fires was not found. The additivity of the consequences of pollution and fires has also not been established. Of the two types of damage, pollution and fires, the pollution factor is of leading importance for SSBs. The results indicate a low recovery capacity of the herb-shrub layer of polluted forests.
