Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995425524040012 PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524040012
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: This paper discusses the abundance and morphogenetic parameters of the species Adonis villosa Ledeb., which is vulnerable in the Altai Republic (AR). Genetic differentiation has been identified in six A. villosa coenopopulations (CPs) using ISSR markers and the variability of its morphometric parameters has been determined in individuals from four CPs inhabiting the AR for the first time. It is established that the studied CPs are similar in variability of morphometric parameters, and the number of mature generative individuals in them has decreased 1.5–2.0 times over the period from 2017 to 2023. The genetic structure is examined using six primers: M 9, UBC 834, UBC 830, UBC 857, UBC 840, and UBC 811; UBC-857 turned out to be the most informative one. Four variants of the distribution of ISSR markers are identified in representatives of the six studied A. villosa CPs that feature a high (88–99%) similarity in the distribution of ISSR markers. Intrapopulation similarity between individuals of this species is also high (97%). Apparently, this is due to the small numbers of mature generative individuals (up to ten) in the studied CPs and their spatial isolation. In the Northern Altai region, A. villosa individuals feature a homogeneous genetic structure, which makes this species vulnerable and necessitates a special approach to its conservation. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700355
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: This study is focused on soil nematode communities in undercrown areas of tree plants introduced to and cultivated for a long time in the botanical garden on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (Arkhangelsk oblast, Russia). Soil nematode communities of natural forests (pine-, spruce-, and birch stands) are studied as the control. The study has demonstrated that the taxonomic diversity and abundance of nematodes, as well as the proportion of plant parasites in the trophic structure of nematode communities in the soil under introduced trees, are higher compared to natural forests. The ecological indices (structure index SI and enrichment index EI) change nonuniformly and so have poor performance as tools for evaluating the consequences of the plant introductions for the soil ecosystem. Correlation analysis reveals a significant positive relationship between the content of carbon and nitrogen in soil and the absolute and relative abundance and the taxonomic diversity of plant parasites, as well as significant negative relationships between C : N and fungal feeders, as well as between the soil pH and the taxonomic diversity of nematodes and the relative abundance of bacterial feeders and EI. The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema affine Bovien revealed on the island has been reported for the first time in Russia. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700318
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Here, the effect of the energy characteristics of fires, their seasonality, and duration on the number of fires causing the death of forest stands in Siberia in 2002–2022 was studied. The energy characteristics of fires were assessed using an indicator, such as the fire radiative power (FRP), measured using data from the MODIS radiometer. To assess the degree of disturbance of forest stands and to identify those fires that led to the death of the forest stand, a product of changes in global forest cover, generated from Landsat satellite data, was used. Over the period from 2002 to 2022, the region experienced an increase in both the total burned area and the area of fires resulting in the death of the forest stand. At the same time, an increase in the recorded fire radiative power was observed. The total values of the fire radiative power released during the duration of the fire in the case of fires that caused the death of forest stands (390.2 (σ = 80.5) MW/km2) turned out to be significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the values of fire radiative power for fires that did not lead to the death of forest stands (291.8 (σ = 74.7) MW/km2). The fire radiative power in dark coniferous forests and larch forests was on average 20–25% higher than that for fires in mixed forests dominated by deciduous stands. Fires that were accompanied by the death of forests were commonly recorded in the second half of summer, with a maximum occurring from July to the first decade of August, while fires that did not lead to the death of the forest stand were observed throughout the entire fire season. Moreover, stand-replacement fires were characterized by a longer duration (average duration, 4.8 (σ = 1.0) days) compared to non-stand-replacement fires (3.9 (σ = 0.7) days). PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700288
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The trophic relationships between bats (Chiroptera) and Lake Baikal biota have been assessed based on microscopic studies of Myotis petax feces (n = 22). From 82 to 86% of samples had fragments of exoskeletons of caddis flies (Trichoptera) and dipterans (Diptera). These taxa include mainly aquatic and semiaquatic species. Many species from these taxa are endemic to Lake Baikal. Terrestrial insects are found in studied samples less frequently (Hymenoptera 41%, Neuroptera 27%, and Heteroptera 9%). Morphological analysis has revealed fragments of Baikal amphipods in two fecal samples of M. pretax. Further molecular studies will make it possible to detect greater invertebrate taxa diversity in fecal samples of bats feeding near Lake Baikal. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700367
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: This paper discusses earthworm (Lumbricidae) populations inhabiting forb–fern pine forests and fern birch–aspen forests prevailing in the forest-steppe belt of the Ob River region (Novosibirsk oblast) in relation to the forest mosaic. A detailed analysis of the structure of earthworm complexes has made it possible to identify individual species and living forms biotopically confined not only to certain forest types, but to forest microsites as well. Pine forests are mostly predominated by Asian earthworm species, while birch–aspen forests are mostly predominated by cosmopolitans. Differences between earthworm populations inhabiting various microsites in population density and biomass are more pronounced in forest openings than in undercrown and intercrown spaces, especially in pine forests. An analysis of earthworm populations inhabiting fallen deadwood has made it possible to identify distinctive features of their structure: in pine forests, incomplete deadwood earthworm complexes complement soil earthworm complexes; in birch–aspen forests, fallen deadwood represents a distinct microsite with a fully featured earthworm complex. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700331
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: — An analysis of the ecological characteristics of cyanobacteria of the Svalbard Archipelago was carried out. Two groups of habitats (aquatic and terrestrial ones) were identified. The degree of water saturation was the main factor determining the development of cyanobacteria. The variability of habitats can be represented as a gradient of moisture from typically aquatic to subaerophytic and dry terrestrial habitats. Based on the number of finds and species richness, the most favorable habitats for cyanobacteria in Svalbard were as follows: (1) rocky communities under conditions of sufficient moisture, (2) exposed soil surfaces on which biological soil crusts were formed, (3) well-warmed slow streams, and (4) specific waterlogged habitats, such as seepages. Using the example of the analysis of the ecological characteristics of species growing on the archipelago, the concept of eurybiont properties of cyanobacteria was shown to be inconsistent. The greatest plasticity was exhibited by Nostoc commune Vauch. ex Born. et Flah., Microcoleus autumnalis (Trev. ex Gom.) Strunecky et al., Calothrix parietina Thur. ex Born. et Flah., Oscillatoria tenuis C. Ag. ex Gom., and Pseudanabaena frigida (Fritsch) Anagn. All species, including those mentioned above, had obvious ecological preferences. An analysis of the substrate specificity of cyanprokaryotes indicated that the greatest number of their species was found in soil, rocky substrates, and moss-like environments. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700264
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The 13C-NMR spectra and elemental composition of lipids of gray forest soils (Greyic Phaeozems), dispersed carbonate chernozems (Haplic Chernozem Hypocalcic), and chestnut soils (Kastanazems) of Western Transbaikalia were analyzed. The contribution of carbon in lipids to the total organic carbon was calculated. This is the first characterization of the lipid fraction of organic matter in cold soils of Western Transbaikalia. An analysis of the spectra, including the assignment of signals from ethoxy groups, phenol derivatives, and alkene fragments, as well as an indication of the ranges of chemical shifts characteristic of certain types of carbon nuclei, were carried out. The content of various types of structural elements in the studied lipids was compared. Based on the obtained results, the main part of lipids consisted of esters and fatty acids. Analysis of the composition of lipids showed that the content of carbon and hydrogen atoms was 65‒73 and 8‒10%, respectively. The high concentration of oxygen atoms in lipids indicated that functional groups containing oxygen were concentrated in the aliphatic part of the lipids. The share of lipid carbon in the total reserve of organic carbon was 6.5% for chestnut soils, 5.8% for gray forest soils, and 4.1% for dispersed carbonate chernozems. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700343
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The results of studies of bottom biocenoses in three types of littoral zone (rocky biotope, gravel-sand biotope, and surf zone with thickets of higher aquatic vegetation) of Lake Onego in 2013 and 2014 are presented. Our data show that, among the three types of coastal zone, the macrozoobenthos biomass is maximal in the rocky littoral zone (3.4–6.6 g/m2) and is minimal in the sandy zone (0.1–0.2 g/m2). The invasive species Gmelinoides fasciatus (Stebbing 1899) (CRUSTACEA: AMPHIPODA) has successfully naturalized in all types of littoral zones of the reservoir in recent decades. This species dominates both in number and biomass in the rocky type of biotope. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700306
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The information about the algae of Lake Azas, a part of the water area of which belongs to the Azas State Nature Reserve, is reported for the first time. One hundred seventy one species and intraspecific taxa were identified referred to 72 genera, 50 families, and 8 divisions. The basis of the algal flora was found to consist of diatoms and blue-green algae. Fourteen dominants were identified, 9 of which belong to the Bacillariophyta microalgae. Ecological and geographical studies of the algae in the reserved part of the lake were carried out. The algal flora of the water body was found to be represented by benthic species with a prevalence of indifferent forms in relation to halobility and active reaction of the environment. One hundred twenty three species, indicators of water saprobity, were identified in all the biotopes studied. The predominance of betamezosaprobionts and oligosaprobionts was detected. Geographically, cosmopolitan and boreal species dominated. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S199542552470032X
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: A comprehensive paleoecological study of permafrost peat deposits from three locations in the middle reaches of the Yuribei River in the subzone of modern subarctic shrub tundra of the Yamal Peninsula has been performed. Based on the results of palynological and carpological methods and of radiocarbon dating, the changes in regional and local vegetation and climatic conditions of Central Yamal in the Late Glacial and the Postglacial periods are reconstructed. It is found that shrubby tundra with Betula nana was widespread in this area under climatic conditions close to modern ones in the Younger Dryas about 12.6–11.7 cal ka BP. The penetration of tree species (Betula sect. Betula, Picea obovata, and Larix sibirica) and accompanying boreal herbaceous plants began due to more favorable climatic conditions during the Early Holocene warming about 10.2–9.7 cal ka BP. The most favorable conditions for the growth of birch tree, larch, and spruce existed in Central Yamal in the Early and the Middle Holocene in the range of 10.2–4.4 cal ka BP. At that time, open woodlands or even closed forests were common, and the climate was much warmer than the modern one. Forest vegetation degraded and open landscapes with tundra communities were formed at the end of the Middle Holocene (4.5–4.4 cal ka BP). The climatic conditions became similar to modern ones. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700276
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The changes in the life status of Larix gmelinii along the gradient of urbanized ecotypes were considered on the basis of the population analysis and morphometric approach. L. gmelinii growing under different conditions differed in a number of size and growth characteristics of the photosynthetic activity. The highest values were found in plants growing in public gardens and on city streets under conditions of high insolation. Population analysis of L. gmelinii in an urbanized environment was carried out on the basis of quantitative parameters that characterized the growth and morphogenesis of plants (annual growth, indicators of photosynthetic activity). The determining set of characters for the vitality analysis of L. gmelinii consisted of biologically significant characters with a high degree of variability: length of shoot growth (CV varied from 39.09 to 68.86%), weight of needles at annual growth (CV 51.81–120.52%), weight of annual shoot (CV 67.73–119.85). The vitality structure of the populations of the species in the vegetative ontogenetic state changed from depressive to equilibrium, with the population quality index changing from 0.2 to 0.333. The analysis of landscaping of the city transport highways demonstrated that local populations of L. gmelinii in the generative ontogenetic state were of a prosperous type, with the population quality index varying slightly from 0.47 to 0.49. The plasticity of the species and a high viability of L. gmelinii due to the resistance to air pollution and unpretentiousness to soil conditions support a broad application of the larch for landscaping of urban areas. PubDate: 2024-08-01 DOI: 10.1134/S199542552470029X
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Forested areas provide various services, including crucial carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation. The Madhupur Sal Forest (MSF) in Bangladesh was studied extensively for its ecosystem services and carbon sequestration potential. Research conducted from February to August 2023 in Gaira and Dokhola villages assessed local community benefits and biodiversity. Interviews with 50 respondents and analysis of 20 plots were conducted to study carbon sequestration in the MSF. Twenty identified ecosystem services range from fuel and wood to cultural and economic advantages. Eight tree species, totaling 401 trees, were identified, with Ficus hispida being the most effective in annual carbon sequestration. Shorea robusta showed less efficacy in carbon sequestration, resulting in a total forest capture of 12 004 657.8 pounds per year. The study highlights the MSF’s significant contribution to global climate change mitigation. Emphasis is placed on the need for enhanced carbon sequestration through forest management, reforestation, and afforestation projects in deforested areas. Despite diverse ecosystem services, the MSF faces threats, necessitating collaborative conservation efforts, sustainable management practices, and community involvement for its vitality. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524030016
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of a study of basic population parameters of the black scorpionfish caught in the waters of the coasts of the Crimean Peninsula, its grown rate, and its nutritional spectrum. The modern food supply of scorpionfish from the southeastern part differs from that in 1940–1950: in the Sevastopol region, scorpionfish mainly consume fish, and in the waters of Feodosia they consume crustaceans. The main changes in food items, depending on the fish age, are associated with the components—decapods and fish. In the southeastern part of Crimea, small fish species predominate in the diet of scorpionfish, which affected the higher growth rate of the object studied. Black scorpionfish at the age of 6 years and older in these waters consume mainly decapods. In Sevastopol waters, the diet does not change significantly depending on age, so the fish component in the stomach of black scorpionfish of older age groups cause it to grow faster. However, no significant differences in the growth rate of fish from the two areas were obtained. The data presented in the paper on the physical and chemical parameters of water, as well as the distribution of bottom aquatic vegetation in the two main study areas, demonstrate small differences in the quality of the environment and are satisfactory for the bottom predator studied. The average age of the scorpionfish from Karadag was 5.9 years old, the most numerous age group was 4 years; the average age of individuals from the water area was 3.72, and the most numerous age group was 3 years. In the Sevastopol region, scorpionfish up to 5 years of age are larger than in the Feodosia region, and from 6 years of age it is the other way around. Despite this, the condition factor of fish from the waters of southeastern Crimea was higher in most cases. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700161
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: In 2010–2023, the dynamics of the population abundance and changes in the proportion of species in the community of small mammals (insectivores and rodents) inhabiting a slope larch forest in the vicinity of the city of Magadan (northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk) was traced. The census of animals was carried out using Gero traps and cone traps (trap-line methods). In total, we analyzed 4700 trap-nights and 15 720 cone-nights. Altogether, 3384 individuals of 9 species belonging to the families of shrews (Soricidae), squirrels (Sciuridae), mice (Muridae), and hamsters (Cricetidae) were trapped. During the considered period, the relative abundance and the amplitude of its interannual fluctuations decreased in the populations of even-toothed shrews (Sorex isodon) and grey red-backed voles (Craseomys rufocanus). The proportion of Laxmann’s shrews (S. caecutiens) and Korean field mice (Apodemus peninsulae) in the community increased 2.6 and 2.5 times, respectively, while the proportion of even-toothed shrew and grey red-backed vole decreased 2.8 times and 3 times, respectively. As a result, about 50% of the individuals in the samples were Laxmann’s shrews and about 30% were northern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys rutilus). This, in turn, led to an increase in the dominance (the Simpson index increased from 0.21 to 0.34), a decrease in evenness (the Pielou index decreased from 0.87 to 0.61), and a significant decrease in the species diversity of the small mammal community (the Shannon index decreased from 1.7 to 1.3; t = 10.90, p < 0.001). PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700240
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: A geobotanical analysis of 160 steppe and ecotone plant communities with the participation of cereals in the north of the Lower Volga region (within Saratov oblast) has been carried out. The species diversity of apomictic cereals is significantly inferior to the diversity of their amphimictic relatives in the flora of the region and in the studied phytocenoses (24 apomictic and 109 amphimictic species in the flora; 17 and 34 species in the phytocenoses, respectively). At the same time, the dominants of the studied communities are equally represented by both amphimictic (14 species) and apomictic cereals (9 species). It is established that cereals with an amphimictic mode of reproduction dominate in 64 phytocenoses and apomictic cereals dominate in 48 ones. The number of phytocenoses in which apomicts are codominants significantly exceeds the number of plant communities with amphimicts codominance (46 and 22, respectively). The studied plant communities are similar in species richness and evenness. The data indicate successful competition between apomictic cereals and amphimicts and their significant contribution to the composition of steppe and ecotone phytocenoses in the northern Lower Volga region. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700203
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The problem of differences in the rate of evolution among different animal or plant species has been intensely discussed in recent years, so the question of the validity of a so-called molecular clock hypothesis is very relevant. We have performed a search for publications describing median networks, which include haplotypes of mitochondrial genes for closely related boreal and arctic fish species (or those who settled through the Arctic). In all seven cases included into our analysis, the rate of nucleotide substitutions in Arctic taxa or taxa that settled through the Arctic during their evolutionary history was higher, and this difference was statistically significant. Therefore, the formation of new fish taxa in polar latitudes is accompanied by a rapid evolution of mitochondrial DNA that apparently reflects their adaptation to the new environment. In addition, speciation in Arctic fishes is usually accompanied by multiple chromosome fusions. Therefore, both our data and the data of other researchers provide solid reasons to doubt in the validity of the molecular clock hypothesis. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700173
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: To estimate the diversity of trematodes parasitizing the invasive mollusk Viviparus viviparus, the occurrence frequency of trematode larvae (cercariae and metacercariae) in the Tura River has been surveyed near the city of Tyumen in Western Siberia. In total, 53 snails with a shell height of 17–32 mm have been examined. Three trematode species are found: Cercaria nigrospora cercariae (3.77%), Neoacanthoparyphium echinatoides cercariae (5.56%), N. echinatoides metacercariae (58.5%, 47–279), and nonencysted Leucochloridiomorpha constantiae metacercariae (62.3%, 2–69). PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700136
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: The spatial divergence of climatic changes necessitates the creation of predictive models of the state of vegetation cover. Our proposed solution for the spatial modeling of the biological productivity of natural ecosystems creates the basis for a further quantitative assessment of the potential absorption of CO2, which is currently considered one of the most urgent environmental issues. In the proposed work, using the methods of geoanalysis of growing conditions, an original technology for modeling the potential spread of biocenoses and their productivity has been developed, reflecting the internal attractor of the development of biocenoses under the influence of local hydrological and climatic conditions of their growth. The methodology was implemented for the southeast of Western Siberia within the framework of publicly available GIS Saga based on a digital terrain model and data from the WorldClim 2.0 climate reanalysis. To forecast data for the period of the third decade of the 21st century, V.V. Paromov’s regional climate forecast was used on the basis of an adaptive model—the exponential smoothing method. The verification of the simulation results was carried out on the basis of the Productivity of Ecosystems of Northern Eurasia database. As a result, spatially distributed data were obtained in the form of rasters with high spatial resolution for the average long-term potential bioproductivity according to reanalysis data for 1970–2000 and predicted data for 2021–2030. Both positive and negative trends of potential bioproductivity for various natural zones of the southeast of Western Siberia due to the spatial divergence of changes in heat and energy resources and precipitation over the territory have been revealed. In general, warming in sufficiently drained areas contributes to an increase in the biological productivity of agro and biocenoses and, in hydromorphic areas, to a decrease. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700252
Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Outbreak prediction is a crucial component of forest pest management. Weather plays a substantial role in outbreaks of leaf-eating insects. Weather-based prediction models in this field are numerous and more or less precise. We have attempted to create such a model for the Siberian moth (SM) Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetv., one of the most harmful defoliators in the southern taiga of Siberia. For the territory of interest (the southern taiga and hemiboreal forests of Tomsk oblast, Kemerovo oblast, and Krasnoyarsk krai), the gradient boosting (XBGoost) model was created with an accuracy of 0.952. Temperatures of the vegetation period in the fourth and fifth years before the onset of outbreak are better predictors. PubDate: 2024-06-01 DOI: 10.1134/S1995425524700215