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Olfactory environment of commensal house mice as a factor that affects the formation of the species composition of the population of rodents in buildings. – Bazhenov Yu. A., Caraman N. K., Shepelev A. A., Osipova O. V., and Kotenkova E. V. – It was demonstrated that in Y-maze individuals of outdoor species Myodes glareolus and facultative synanthropic species Microtus levis avoided the urine odor of commensal Mus musculus. On the contrary mice stayed longer in the maze compartment with the odor of voles. The level of avoidance of commensal mice odor was higher than the other strange odors (urine of rabbit or outdoor mouse Mus spicilegus). It is assumed that the sharp smell of commensal mice is an adaptation designed to hold and protect against other species of rodents a particular ecological niche – the human buildings.
Key words: Mus musculus, Myodes glareolus, Microtus levis, olfactory cues, competition, species.
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Ecological relations of ermine (Mustela erminea) in the Rozhdestvenskaya Volga flood-lands. – Vladimirova E. J. – The relative numbers, trace distribution patterns, climatic preferences and trophic relations of the ermine lived in the Rozhdestvenskaya Volga flood-lands were studied. A correlation between the abundances of ermine and aquatic vole was revealed. High positive values of the biotopic selectivity index of ermine are noted for forest cuttings, coast meadows, and forest-meadow ecotones. Features of the coexistence of ermine and other rodentophage species are shown.
Key words: ermine, winter tracking technique, relative abundance, preferred biotopes, foraging activity.
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Aquatic organism community structure in the Vygozero Reservoir inflows. – Komulaynen S. F., Kruglova A. N., and Baryshev I. A. – Hydrobiont communities were studied in 8 rivers of the Vygozero Reservoir basin, including analysis of their taxonomic composition, ecological features, and space dynamics. The paper discusses main principles of changes in the structure and functioning of the phytoperiphyton, zooplankton and zoobenthos communities in these rivers. Landscape peculiarities are shown to influence the spatial structure of the phytoperiphyton, zooplankton and zoobenthos communities within a certain watercourse. In most rivers studied by us, their «classical» continuum was disturbed by the presence of lotic lakes and the impact of human activity.
Key words: phytoperiphyton, zooplankton, zoobenthos, taxonomy, abundance, biomass, Vygozero reservoir.
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Behaviour and vocalization of the Chinese Gray Shrike (Lanius sphenocercus Cabanis, 1873) at the beginning of its breeding cycle. – Opaev A. S. – The Chinese Grey Shrike is an endemic species in the Eastern Asia. It belongs to the Great Grey Shrike group, different from other representatives of the genus Lanius by a number of parameters. Data on the biology, vocalization and behavior of this species are scarce. Original materials on the behavior and vocalization of the Chinese Grey Shrike at the initial stages of its nesting cycle are given in the paper. The lability of the spatial behavior of birds within this time is noted. The vocalization of the Chinese Grey Shrike (most various at the initial stages of the nesting cycle) is analyzed for the first time. Songs (males and females both sing) are the most characteristic vocalization in this period.
Key words: shrike, social behavior, vocalization, song.
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Population structure of ground-nesting birds in the Saratov Trans-Volga region and its intracentury and interannual dynamics. – Oparin M. L. Oparin O. S., Mamayev A. B., and Ruban O. A. – The paper is devoted to the structure dynamics of the population of ground-nesting birds in the steppe Trans-Volga region; both intracentury trends and interannual changes are considered. The population structure of the ecological bird group considered in different phases of its intracentury climatic cycle is shown to change radically. With lark populations in the deserted steppe of the northern Caspian Depression as an example, the interannual dynamics of the population structure of this taxonomic bird group is shown, which is expressed as an annual dominant change and changes in the status of separate species.
Key words: dry steppes, deserted steppes, ground-nesting birds, bird population structure dynamics, Saratov region.
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Methodical approach to evaluating the significance of natural and anthropogenic factors of the abundance dynamics of ungulates within the impact zone of the Zeya reservoir. – Podol’sky S. A. – The role of natural and anthropogenic factors in the density dynamics of several model species of wild ungulates (namely, musk-deer, roe, and Siberian stag) is evaluated according to our data collected in the Zeyskiy Nature reserve during 1986 – 2010. All the model species show significant differences from their natural population density dynamics, including the most deep and long depressions and amplified oscillations of the abundance. The difference between the average annual population density within the experimental (the reservoir coast) and reference (outside the coast) areas seems to be the most relevant quantitative index of the reservoir influence.
Key words: ungulates, several, dynamics, Zeya reservoir.
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Features of the development of small mammalian fauna in the northern shore of the Rybinskoye reservoir (with the Darvinsky reserve as an exaple). – Pozhidaeva N. V. – The biodiversity and abundance dynamics of small mammals (shrews and murine rodents) on the northern shore of the Rybinskoye water reservoir were studied. Forest habitats were compared with open habitats located in a periodically flooded area (PFA). In comparison with other localities with similar environmental conditions, the average relative abundance of small mammals in the forest habitats was very low (2.7 ind. per 100 trap/day), while in the PFA this characteristics was significantly higher (10.9 ind. per 100 trap/night). We assume the cause of this phenomenon to be the low quality of forest habitats (as a result of deforestations in the past) and the partial isolation of populations by the waters. Besides, the high level water could have a great impact on the abundance of small mammals in the habitats located in the PFA and forests. In general, this impact was negative for Microtus oeconomys, predominated in the PFA, and positive for Clethrionomys glareolus and Sorex araneus, which predominate in the forest habitats. So, the PFA plays an important role for small mammals of all types of habitats. During the low water period this area was populated by periaquatic species as well as by forest ones.
Key words: small mammals, Rybinskoye water reservoir, Darvinsky reserve, forest habitat, periodically flooded area.
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Features of the feeding behavior of long-tailed tits in the post-nesting period in the Chuvash Republic. – Rakhcheeva M. V. – The results of our long-term (from 2005 till 2010) research of the feeding behavior of long-tailed tits in the Chuvash Republic are presented. 39 cases of observing long-tailed tit flocks were analyzed, the total observation duration was 50.4 h. Analysis of the flock structure and dynamics is given; the average number of birds in their flocks fluctuates from 8 to 40. Flocks may unite for foraging or in the roosting time. Besides, we saw meetings of long-tailed tit flocks with other species during foraging. A detailed analysis of visiting different trees and estimating the efficiency of searching food on then are given as well.
Key words: Aegithalos caudatus, foraging behavior, flock, summer roaming.
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Features of the halophytic lipid composition in the conditions of Lake Elton. – Rozentsvet O. A., Nesterov V. N., Bogdanova E. S., and Lysenko T. M. – The lipid composition in Suaeda acuminata and S. salsa in the conditions of strong-saline soils of chloride-sulfate type around Lake Elton was studied. Regression and correlation analysis has shown that the membrane lipids in the S. acuminata leaves are more dependent on the total salinity level, and the membrane lipids in the S. salsa leaves are more dependent on the anionic salt composition. The fatty acid composition in the S. acuminata leaves is increasingly influenced by anions, and that in the S. salsa leaves is by anions and the overall salinity level. Variations in the lipid composition indicate the involvement of lipid metabolism in the functioning of mechanisms for halophyte survival in saline soils.
Key words: Suaeda, soil salinity, polar and neutral lipids, fatty acids, Lake Elton.
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Agrolandscapes of the Central Chernozem region. – Trofimov I. A., Trofimova L. S., and Iakovleva E. P. – The results of our agrolandscape-ecological zoning of the grassland Central Chernozem natural economic area with a description of the selected areas and provinces are presented, for the purposes of adaptive intensification of fodder production, environmental management, optimization of landscapes and environment. The territory covering the Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk and Tambov regions (a total of 16785.6 thousand ha) was divided into 3 natural and agricultural areas (higher zoning units), namely: the broadleaved forest (8%), forest-steppe (75%) and steppe (17%) ones. Four provinces (average zoning units) and 10 counties (lower zoning units) were identified within these areas. The ecological state of the land structure, the prevailing types of natural grassland are shown for natural areas. The influence of the actual landscape and environmental management of agricultural landscapes on the soil fertility is given.
Key words: agrolandscape-ecological zoning, Central Black Earth, natural and economic region, area, province, environmental land condition, environmental management, optimization of agrolandscapes.
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Spiders as indicators of basic types of the Trans-Syzran steppes. – Alekseenko Yu. G. – 221 spider species were revealed as a result of our survey in three different steppe types of the right bank of the Volda River from 23 April 2010 till 28 May, 2012. The following species are suggested to be bioindicators for lime, carbonate and sand steppes: Ozyptila claveata (Walckenaer, 1837), Pellenes nigrociliatus (Simon, 1875), Philaeus chrysops (Poda, 1761), Talavera monticola (Kulczynski, 1884), Caspicosa manytchensis Ponomarev, 2007, Heterotrichoncus pusillus (Miller, 1958), Thomisus onustus Walckenaer, 1805, Ero tuberculata (De Geer, 1778), Euryopis laeta (Westring, 1861), Micrargus subaequalis (Westring, 1851), Xysticus mongolicus Schenkel, 1963, Sitticus zimmermanni Simon, 1877 and Talavera aequipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871).
Key words: spiders, bioindication, steppes, ecology, Ulyanovsk region, Russia.
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Structural peculiarities of the root systems of white willow (Salix alba L.) under the conditions of the Ufa industrial centre. – Akhmadullin R. Sh. and Zaitsev G. A. – Structural peculiarities of the root systems (the cutting technique) of the white willow under the conditions of the Ufa industrial centre were studied. A slight increase in the number of roots on the soil trench wall in comparison with a reference is noted under the conditions of contamination. Changes in the fractional composition of the root system of the white willow were noted: an 11% increase of the suction part of the root system was observed under the conditions of contamination.
Key words: white willow, root systems, industrial centre.
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