The desiccation of the Aral Sea has resulted in the formation of the Aralkum, one of the largest anthropogenic deserts in the world. Despite profound environmental transformation, spatially comprehensive assessments of vascular plant diversity across the Uzbek sector of the dried seabed remain limited. This study presents a grid-based floristic analysis of vascular plants on the dried bed of the Aral Sea (DBAS) based on field surveys conducted between 2020 and 2023. A total of 225 species belonging to 130 genera and 35 families were recorded, with the flora strongly dominated by taxa of Amaranthaceae s.l. (including Chenopodiaceae: totally 25.8%). Annual species constitute approximately 45% of the flora, indicating early-to-intermediate stages of primary desert succession. Using a standardized 5 × 5 km grid-based mapping system, 18,822 occurrence records were aggregated within 1,378 grid cells, revealing pronounced spatial heterogeneity in species richness. Former island territories, particularly Vozrozhdeniya Island, function as floristic hotspots, whereas 34.5% of grid cells had no recorded vegetation formed by vascular plants. Beta diversity analysis indicated high compositional heterogeneity (βSOR = 0.67), driven mainly by species turnover across environmental gradients.
This study evaluates changes in the sensitivity of radial growth of Quercus robur to water balance, assessed using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), in stands located within the Supiy River valley (Kyiv Region, Ukraine) in relation to the dam destruction in 1941 and the subsequent construction of a drainage network in the floodplain. Two valley stands were investigated: Tashan Park (TAS), situated downstream of the former dam site, and Zgurivka Dendropark (ZGU), located upstream. Two extra-valley sites, Bykivnia Forest (BYK) and Feofaniya Park (FEO), were used as the regional reference (REF) sites. The study period was divided into two intervals: before hydrological alterations (1910–1940) and after the completion of major drainage works (1962–2015); 1941–1961 were excluded from the analysis. Statistical modeling revealed a pronounced shift in moisture sensitivity of Q. robur within the Supiy valley: at TAS, the previously negative relationship between growth and March SPEI3 became positive after 1961, while the positive relationship with July SPEI3 observed before 1941 shifted to negative. In contrast, ZGU exhibited only weak changes in sensitivity, and the regional reference chronology (REF) maintained a consistently positive response to SPEI throughout the study period. These findings indicate a localized shift in hydroclimatic controls on tree growth within the river valley, particularly downstream of the dam site. The complex interaction of hydrological alterations, water management practices, small-stream regulation, and ongoing climate change complicates the prediction of ecological consequences of dam destruction and drainage works without empirical evidence from comparable settings.
The article reports the first record of the corticioid fungus Fibricium rude in Ukraine. This is also the first report of the genus Fibricium in the country. A detailed description of morphological characters of the species based on the light microscopy examination is provided. The ecological characteristics and substrate preferences are analyzed, the worldwide distribution data is summarized. The macro- and microscopic characters of the fungus are illustrated.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are among the most frequently detected xenobiotics in the environment. Flumequine, a representative of this class, often reaches ecosystems through livestock, where its presence and persistence may harm living organisms. Fungal biotransformation is a promising alternative way to degrade or transform such xenobiotics. Therefore, our research aimed to evaluate the ability of five fungal strains from the IBK Mushroom Culture Collection to biotransform flumequine and to compare their metabolite profiles. Fungal cultures were incubated with flumequine under submerged conditions, and the transformation products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The research has shown that all studied strains are capable of transforming flumequine. Biodegradation rates ranged from 87 to 90% within three days. Hydroxyflumequine was identified as the major metabolite for all investigated strains. Additionally, three other flumequine derivatives were determined: Bjerkandera adusta 2144 formed ethyl ester of flumequine; Coprinus comatus 2325 and 1687 produced methyl ester of flumequine; and Irpex lacteus 2437 formed methyl esters of flumequine and hydroxyflumequine. This is the first report on the ability of the humicolous saprotroph Coprinus comatus to transform flumequine. The obtained results highlight species-specific features of the biotransformation process and reveal the prospects of basidiomycetes as promising agents for fluoroquinolone antibiotic biotransformation.
Coenogonium (lichenized Ascomycota: Coenogoniaceae) was last treated in Aotearoa | New Zealand by Galloway (2007), who accepted nine species, with a further species subsequently described, bringing the total to 10 species. Since this treatment, mounting evidence has indicated that Coenogonium luteum (Dicks.) Kalb & Lücking may constitute a species complex in New Zealand collections, highlighting the need for a comprehensive taxonomic re-evaluation. Specimens of C. luteum were examined from multiple New Zealand herbaria, with a focus on those from Auckland War Memorial Museum (AK), University of Otago (OTA) and Unitec (UNITEC). The results of this indicated that collections of C. luteum sensu lato included multiple taxa. Here, we present a revised circumscription of C. luteum for New Zealand material, report two new records for Aotearoa, C. australiense Kantvilas & Lücking and C. pineti (Ach.) Lücking & Lumbsch, and describe two new species: C. hepatiphilum C.J. James sp. nov. and C. goniocystosum C.J. James sp. nov. For all five species, we provide morphological descriptions, ecological notes, distribution data, conservation assessments and a revised key to Coenogonium in Aotearoa. In addition, we synonymize C. pertenue (Stirt.) Kalb & Lücking with C. luteum and C. tomentosum Müll. Arg. with C. implexum Nyl.
