Structural organization and fractal nature of macro-zoo benthos in small urban reservoirs. – Gelashvili D.B., Puchnarevich D.A., Iudin D.I. – The specific structure difference between the ground populations of deep-water places in urban reservoirs is shown to be more significant than that between the zoo benthos of the littoral zone in these reservoirs. Statistically reliable distinctions between lakes by macro-zoo benthos biomass and such parameters as the variability of biomass dynamics and specific variety caused by abiotic factors have been revealed. An estimation of the water quality is given. A direct dependence of the biomass dynamics variability on the ecological capacity has been established for small urban reservoirs. A multifractal spectrum is shown to serve an adequate generalized geometrical image of the specific structure of macro-zoo benthos biomass communities.

Key words: macro-zoo benthos, urban reservoirs, community structure, multifractal analysis.

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Modern northern boundaries of the Red-headed bunting (Emberiza bruniceps) habitat in the Northern Lower-Volga region. – Zavialov E.V., Tabachishin V.G. – The distribution dynamics of Emberiza bruniceps is considered. At present the whole territory of the southern and south-eastern administrative districts of the Saratov Trans-Volga region is inhabited by E. bruniceps; the northern reproductive habitat boundary has reached 51° latitude North between the centuries. Along the Obshchiy Syrt, E. bruniceps penetrates north more deeply (to 51°40' – 52°00' latitude North) than in plain Trans-Volga regions. Further propagation of E. bruniceps in the region is expected.

Key words: Emberiza bruniceps, abundance, biotopical location, habitat, Saratov region.

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Changes of the testate amoebae community structure along environmental gradients in a sphagnum-dominated bog under restoration after peat excavation. – Mazei Yu.A., Tsyganov A.N. – 49 testate amoebae species were identified in a sphagnum-dominated bog (the Middle Volga region) under restoration after complete peat excavation in 1930ies. There are clear spatial gradients of pH and moisture content from the central to marginal parts of the sphagnum quagmire. Despite of some differences between the species composition of the testate amoebae community from the wet and acidic central part and the moisturized and neutral marginal one, there are many eurybiont species. No directional changes in the species structure, abundance, and specific variety along these gradients were observed. At the same time, the species diversity changes directly: along the gradients there exist the maximum evenness and diversity of the species structure in moisturized and neutral conditions.

Key words: testate amoebae, community structure, environmental gradients.

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An estimation of the role of contemporary climate warming in the formation of a novel natural gerbil-type plague focus in the European South-Western Russia. – Popov N.V., Udovikov A.I., Yakovlev S.A., Sandzhiev V.B.-Kh., Sangadzhieva G.V. – The influence of contemporary climate warming on the formation of a new natural gerbil-type plague focus in the North-Western Pre-Caspian region is considered. Principal mechanisms to transform the biocenotic structure of natural-focal complexes in the late 20 century are analyzed. Due to further climate warming in the 21 century the trend of the Pre-Caspian focus to expand west and north-west at the expense of further increase of the abundance and population area of semidesert and desert rodents (Meriones predominantly) will preserve.

Key words: Spermophilus (Citellus) pygmaeus, Meriones meridianus, M. tamariscinus, biocenotic structure, natural plague focus, climate warming.

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Intracentury distribution dynamics of Black-winged stilt in the European Russia. – Spiridonov S.N., Lysenkov E.V. – The distribution dynamics of black-winged stilt is considered on the basis of our 1996 – 2006 field surveys and analysis of the literature. Its dwelling places are sewage farms and fish ponds within some areas of the European Russia, namely, Republic of Mordovia, Nizhniy Novgorod, Penza, Lipetsk, Saratov, Samara, Ulianovsk, Kirov, Moscow regions, and Republic of Udmurtia. A change of the northern boundary of black-winged stilt has been recently observed. The cause of its penetration north can be its dwelling there at the end of the ice-age period and current restoration. The process of natural habitat restoration is closely connected with its reproduction on sewage farms with their living conditions to be more favorable than those at its usual places of dwelling.

Key words: Himantopus himantopus, abundance, distribution dynamics, industrial reservoirs.

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Senecio Noëanus Rupr. (Asteraceae) – a new flora species in the Saratov region. – Berezutsky M.A., Kostetsky O.V., Dolzhikova L.V. – The discovery of a Senecio noëanus Rupr. in the Saratov region is reported. A detailed description of its disclosed habitat is given. The local nature of the habitat and the low abundance of the species form the basis for inclusion of this taxon into the protected plant list of the Saratov region.

Key words: Senecio noëanus, abundance, protected plant, Saratov region.

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Theoretical principles of the design and installation of a biological monitoring system at the Balakovo nuclear power station at building and exploitation of new power blocks. – Galkina N.V., Shlyakhtin G.V. – The necessity to design a biological monitoring system in the protection zone of the Balakovo nuclear power station is theoretically justified. A detailed analysis of the monitoring installation algorithm is presented, tasks of paramount importance are listed, their implementation will provide due inspection of the biota status at normal station working as well as at possible emergency cases.

Key words: environmental monitoring, flora, fauna, nuclear power station, Saratov region.

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Acarofauna of bark beetles (Coleoptera, Scolytidae) in the Nizhniy Novgorod region. – Ermilov S.G., Mokrousov M.V., Mukhanov A.V. – Some features of acariform mites on bark beetles collected in the Nizhniy Novgorod region are considered. 14 species of acariform mites from 11 genera and 5 families have been revealed. Anoetus gordius, Tarsonemus ellipticus, and T. talpae were the most frequent foretical mites on bark beetles.

Key words: acarofauna, acariform mites, bark beetles, foretical relations, Nizhniy Novgorod region.

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Distribution and some ecological aspects of mamushi (Gloydius halys) in the north of its habitat in the Novosibirsk region. – Simonov E.P. – The distribution, biotopical location, and abundance of Gloydius halys in the south-eastern Novosibirsk region are considered. G. halys is shown to be represented as stable micropopulations on a vast territory of the West-Siberian region (within the Novosibirsk region), its habitat is of mosaic nature, and its abundance is comparable with that in the central part of the habitat. Because of the separate nature of the marginal populations of G. halys in the region, the species is recommended to enter the regional Red Book.

Key words: Gloydius halys, abundance, biotopical location, Novosibirsk region, Russian Federation.

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A micronucleus test for the Djungarian hamster, Phodopus sungorus, in environmental monitoring. – Udroiu I. – The frequencies of micronucleated erythrocytes in bone marrow were compared with those in peripheral blood of captive Djungarian hamsters. The results indicate that the spleen probably removes micronuclei from peripheral blood. In order to detect genotoxic damage in Djungarian hamsters, the micronucleus test can be applied on bone marrow but, on peripheral blood, it must be limited to polychromatic erythrocytes.

Key words: genotoxicity, micronuclei, peripheral blood, bone marrow, environmental monitoring.

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