Genesis of natural conditions and basic trends in the modern dynamics of animal habitats in the north of the Lower Volga region. Report IV. Genesis of the fauna and flora in the Quaternary. Holocene. – Zavialov E.V., Shlyakhtin G.V., Tabachishin V.G., Makarov V.Z., Zabaluyev A.P., Yakushev N.N. – Issues of the flora and fauna genesis of the north of the Lower Volga region in the Quaternary (Holocene) are discussed. The development of the climate, landscape, and flora is outlined. Paleontologic data on some fossil animals from the north of the Lower Volga region and the adjacent territories are presented.

Key words: genesis, Quaternary, Holocene, flora, fauna, Lower Volga region.

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Realization strategy for the reproductive potential of the mass fish species in the Volgograd Reservoir during the early months of life. – Mosiyash S.S., Shashulovsky V.A., Cherepanov K.M. – The seasonal population dynamics of the fry generations of eight predominant fish species in the Volgograd Reservoir ichthyocenosis was studied. The quantitative structure of generations has been shown to undergo substantial changes during the early months of life, namely, an increase and, then, a decrease in the entropy index of the multispecies system under consideration. It is suggested that this fact may be due to the action of some homeostatic mechanisms directed towards promoting the organization and stability of the ichthyocenosis as a whole. The fish populations were classified by the level of their reproductive potential and several species have been singled out that have advantages over other ones for further reproduction and, thus, set the main trends of the Reservoir ichthyocenosis formation.

Key words: fish fry, population dynamics, reproductive potential, simulation, entropy, ichthyocenosis formation, Volgograd reservoir.

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Changes of the natural steppe complexes on the left bank of the Volga river in connection with the climate dynamics and anthropogenic effect. – Oparin M.L., Oparina O.S. – The climate dynamics and anthropogenic effect on the nature of the steppes on the left bank of the Volga river in the Holocene is described. The climate changes are shown to cause cyclic variations of the natural conditions. The anthropogenic effect in the Syrtovaya plain on the left bank of the Volga river was moderate pasture loads for a long period and rendered no decisive influence on the dynamics of the natural steppe complexes. In the second half of the XIX century, this territory began to intensely ploughed up with a simultaneous increase of the pasture load. The most essential changes caused by the economic activity took place in the second half of the XX century, when virgin land was ploughed up and the livestock increased sharply. The population dynamics of petty mammals and birds is now determined by both natural and anthropogenic factors.

Key words: steppe, climate, anthropogenic effect, birds, mammals.

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Fauna and birds of the island woods of the Prut-Dnestr interfluve (Ukraine). – Skilsky I.V. – The data to be presented were collected in the Ivano-Frankovsk and Chernovtsy regions (the south-west of the Ukraine) in 1990 – 2000. 76 bird species were found in total. The results are given as tables. The bird species distribution by fauna types, ecological groups, breeding types, foraging has been examined. The structure of the ornithocomplex has been analyzed.

Key words: birds, ornithocomplex, biomass, fauna type, ecological group.

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Global geoecological problems of the growing Earth and its Socium. – Khudyakov G.I. – The existing fundamental global links between the common terrestrial and social (noospherical) processes are discussed. An infinite set of Universes is hypothesized, in a metagalaxy of which there are cosmos-typical cycles of aging, stagnation, gravitational convergence, and explosions of matter clots, which form «cosmic wind» of elementary particles to accelerate the galaxies with their subsequent gravitational convergence. The Earth in this cosmodynamic system is thought as part of the cosmic matter, which is developing and increasing its mass while its socium is regarded as a global system of the terrestrial living substance of the highest organization. The idea of the socium, Earth, and Cosmos being a single whole is expressed by the following formula: biosocioontogenesis repeats geophylogenesis, geoontogenesis repeats cosmophylogenesis.

Key words: Cosmos, Earth, biosocioontogenesis, geophylogenesis, Socium, chaos.

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Species of gelechiid moths (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), new to the European fauna. – Anikin V.V., Piskunov V.I. – The gelechiid moths Scrobipalpa hypothetica Povolnỳ, 1973; Scrobipalpa maniaca Povolnỳ, 1969, and Scrobipalpa filia Povolnỳ, 1969 were found in the European fauna for the first time. Before they had been known to inhabit the steppes of the Asian part of the Palaearctic only.

Key words: Microlepidoptera, Gelechiidae, habitat, Palaearctic, Russia.

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Analysis of the deflation stability of the sand landscapes in the middle part of the Ilek river basin (with the Sol-Iletsk district territory as an example). – Ismakov R.A., Khalitov N.G. – Our results of soil and botanic researches in the Sol-Iletsk district (the Orenburg region) in 2000 – 2002 are presented. The bare and semifixed areas of sand soils with a poor floristic complex and a low degree of the projection covering, where excessive pasture is performed, are shown to undergo aeolian transference most of all. The area of the Kumak sands is most dangerous with respect to deflation.

Key words: deflation, aeolian processes, sand landscapes, Sol-Iletsk district, Orenburg region.

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Habitats and ecological peculiarities of Spotted toad-headed agama (Prynocephalus guttatus) of the sandy deserts of the Northern Caspian area. – Nakaryonok E.G. – The results of our reptile research in the sandy deserts of the Northern Caspian area in 1975 – 1990 are presented. The habitats, biotopic distribution, and ecological peculiarities of Spotted toad-headed agama are discussed.

Key words: Spotted toad-headed agama, Prynocephalus guttatus, expansion, biotope, sandy deserts, Northern Caspian area.

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Modern habitats and some ecological aspects of the Forest-steppe Viper in the north of the Lower Volga region. – Tabachishin V.G., Tabachishina I.E., Zavialov E.V. – The habitats, biotopic distribution, morphology, and some ecological peculiarities of Vipera nikolskii in the north of the Lower Volga region are considered. The seasonal and daily activity cycles are presented.

Key words: Forest-steppe viper, Vipera nikolskii, habitat, number, Lower Volga region, Russia.

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