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Anthropogenic transformation trends of the taxonomic structure of the native flora in the southern Volga Uplands. – Berezutsky M. A. – Trends in the anthropogenic transformation of the taxonomic structure of the native flora in the southern Volga Uplands (within the Saratov region) are analyzed. The temporal dynamics of this structure in three local floras was studied for the past 100 years. The degree of tolerance of the flowering plant taxa in the flora studied to a full range of anthropogenic habitats and to their individual types is shown. The proportion of species characterized by anthropogenic geographical migrations was estimated for each taxon. The percentage species ratio in the Magnoliophyta classes is proposed to be used as an indicator of the degree and stage of anthropogenic transformation of the flora.
Key words: flora, taxonomic structure, anthropogenic transformation, Saratov region.
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Violation of the vertical plankton distribution in the outfall area of a lowland water reservoir’s inflow in the summer period of a hot year. – Bolotov S. E., Romanenko A. V., Tsvetkov A. I., and Krylov A. V. – A stratification site was revealed by the water conductivity in the frontal zone of the outfall area of a lowland water reservoir’s inflow. The «second bottom» effect is shown to occur on the lower, denser layer of the river waters, where the zooplankton develops, whose structural and functional indicators differ from those in the overlying and underlying water layers. The bacterial plankton development is controlled by the zooplankton. The «second bottom» effect is violated under oxygen deficiency caused by abnormally high water temperatures.
Key words: river, water reservoir, outfall area, bacterial plankton, zooplankton, vertical distribution.
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Data on the diatom algae (Ñentrophyceae) flora in the karstic lake Svyatoye Dedovskoye (Nizhny Novgorod region). – Genkal S. I. and Okhapkin A. G. – Early data are presented on the species composition of diatom algae (the Ñentrophyceae class) in the karstic lake Svyatoye Dedovskoye, a unique natural monument in the Nizhny Novgorod region, from electron microscopy studies. A total of 25 taxa of centric diatoms have been recorded, belonging to 6 genera, namely: Aulacoseira (13), Cyclotella (1), Discostella (1), Melosira (1), Stephanodiscus (5), Thalassiosira (4), including Aulacoseira laevissima, a species new for the flora of Russia. The species composition of centric diatom algae characterizes the lake as oligotrophic.
Key words: phytoplankton, diatom algae, Centrophyceae, flora, electron microscopy, lake Svyatoye Dedovskoye, Nizhny Novgorod region.
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An attempt of the phytoplankton dynamics analysis with statistical criteria. – Golub V. B., Pautova V. N., Grechushkina N. A., and Nomokonova V. I. – The phytoplankton dynamics near the near-dam stretch of the Kuibyshev reservoir was estimated from the 1989 – 1991 survey data with frequent water sampling. Cluster analysis was used to identify phytoplankton species agglomerations arising during these three years. Eight agglomerations of phytoplankton species with different stability degrees were identified. Faithful species for each agglomeration were revealed by phi-coefficient calculations.
Key words: phytoplankton, statistical analysis, seasonal and interannual dynamics, faithful species, Kuibyshev reservoir.
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Ecological structure of vertebrate animals in the road-effect zone on some federal highways. – Dmitriev A. I., Dmitriev G. A., Zamoreva Z. A., Troushkova M. A., and Krivonogov D. M. – Features of the ecological structure of vertebrate animals were studied in the road-effect area of some federal highways, where the traffic amounted to above 9,000 vehicles a day. The road-effect zone was found to stretch up to 800 m to the left and to the right from the road in forest ecosystems, and up to 1500 m in meadow ecosystems. It has been revealed that the road-effect zone renders its maximum negative impact on inactive and sedentary animals. It was noted that the majority of environmental indicators of the vertebrate animal communities in the road-effect zone are significantly lower than those on a control plot.
Key words: road-effect zone, vertebrate animals, federal highway, control plot, ecological structure.
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Spawning migration phenology of spadefoot toad – Pelobates fuscus (Pelobatidae, Amphibia) in Medveditsa river valley (Saratov region). – Yermokhin M. V., Tabachishin V. G., and Ivanov G. A. – Peculiarities of the phenology of spawning migrations of Pelobates fuscus were revealed on the basis of our field surveys of four floodplain lakes in the Medveditsa river valley (the Saratov region) conducted in 2009 – 2013. The mean perennial dates of the onset of main phases of this phenomenon (the start – April 7 – 13, the culmination – April 17 – 20, the end – May 8 – 14) and the critical values of water temperature in the spawning waterbodies at the time of their onset (3.7 – 4.7, 5.2 – 8.6, and 14.3 – 16.9°C, respectively) were estimated. The species specificity of the temperature parameters at the onset of each phase of spawning migration is shown. The interpopulation differences were insignificant and caused by local features of the spawning waterbody (its position in the valley, water supply mode features, the impact of floods, the weather conditions of a concrete year) and the area around it (the forestation level of the territory).
Key words: Pelobates fuscus, phenology, spawning migration, Saratov region.
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Experimental hydrological studies of destruction of beaver’s dams and draining ponds. – Klimenko D. E. and Eponchintseva D. N. – Beaver’s dams on small rivers significantly alter their hydrological regime. The formation of the maximum break-through expenditures on small rivers and flooding of territories are detrimental consequences caused by destruction of such dams. On the basis of our survey of 11 dams and ponds in the Vereshchaginskiy district (the Perm region), as well as from cartographic modeling of 20 ponds, dependences of the pond bowl volume on the length of the pond and the maximum height of the dam were established, which can be used to estimate an approximate volume of such ponds. When the dam’s height changes from 0.5 to 3.4 m and its length changes from 5 to 50 m, the volume of the pond bowl alters from 0 to 850 m3. According to the results of artificial dam destruction, the following facts were established: the passage nature of simulated floods, the dependence of hydrological characteristics on the levels; the hydrograph and volume of the drain and the nature of the deflated pond were estimated. It was also found that the channel development closure in the body of the dams in width is unlike, that erosion mainly occurs in the soils of the coast. Based on calculations, it was revealed that the quantity of natural full-scale breakthrough expenditures was equal to the maximum expenditure of rain floods with a 10% probability of exceeding. The full-scale breakthrough expenditures differ from those calculated by the formulas of hydraulics by 10 – 30%. The maximum expenditure values during our experiment reached 50 to 500 L/s, the duration of ponds emptying varied from 100 to 180 min.
Key words: small river, beaver’s dams, hydrology, hydrological regime, rain floods.
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Environmental aspects of the earthworm (Lumbricidae, Oligochaeta) tropho-metabolic activity on the pH buffering capacity of remediated soils in the Ukrainian steppe zone. – Kulbachko Y. L., Didur O. A., Loza I. M., Pakhomov A. E., and Bezrodnova O. V. – The influence of the tropho-metabolic activity of soil saprophages on the pH-buffering capacity of remediated soils in the Ukraine is considered. Earthworm (Lumbricidae) casts have been experimentally proven to have a higher acid–base buffering capacity in comparison with that of the initial soil. Remediated soils enriched with earthworm casts become more resistant to man-caused effects. Thus, the activity of soil saprophages positively influences on the environmental properties of remediated soils on plots of forest remediation by increasing their buffer capacity.
Key words: forest remediation, soil saprophages, tropho-metabolic activity, earthworm, acid-base buffering capacity.
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Fleas (Siphonaptera, Insecta) of the Birds in Moscow and the Moscow region. – Matyukhin A. V., Matrosov A. N., and Knyazeva T. V. – Data on the fleas of the wild birds in Moscow and the Moscow region over a period of observation from 1997 till 2012 are given. 7 species of ectoparasites living on birds and in their nests were identified, namely, C. gallinae, C. garei, C. columbae, C. pullatus, M. sciurorum, C. tribulis, and C. vagabundus, 5 of which are new for the region. C. tribulis and C. gallinae make over 90% of our findings.
Key words: bird fleas, dominance rate, frequency index, habitat correspondence.
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Structure of a lark (Alaudidae, Aves) breeding population in typical semi-desert habitats of the Caspian lowland. – Oparin M. L., Konyushkova M. V., Oparina O. S., Mamayev A. B., Shadrina M. B., and Ruban O. A. – The paper is based on our data of the density of breeding pairs of individual lark species from route counts and considers the distribution of their breeding population over semi-desert habitats in the Caspian lowland. The counts were conducted in key 25 km2 areas, within which soil and vegetation descriptions and mapping were done. Our comprehensive work on these key areas has enabled revealing a relation to the habitats of certain species of the Alaudidae family, characteristic of the northwestern Trans-Volga part of the Caspian lowland. It is shown that in a monotonous plain, a vital role in the distribution of lark species is played by the meso-relief and micro-relief, which determines the soil salinity and the distribution of vegetation groupings, which predetermines peculiarities of the bird habitats.
Key words: Caspian lowland, Trans-Volga region, semi-desert, lark, soil, vegetation, habitat.
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Evaluation of the toxicity of soils contaminated with drilling fluids and their components using the Staratel™ earthworms. – Pleshakova E. V. and Belyakov A. Yu. – A very high and super-high toxicity of soils contaminated with oil, diesel fuel, and drilling fluids was demonstrated using the Staratel™ earthworms. A low toxic effect of mineral oil and mineral oil-based drilling fluid on the soil is shown. It was found that, of the examined components of the disperse phase of drilling fluids, sulfonol and calcium chloride moderately contributed to the soil toxicity, which decreased with time in the first case, and, on the contrary, increased to a high level in the second case.
Key words: invert-emulsion fluids, drilling fluid components, soil toxicity, Staratel™ earthworms.
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A comparative characteristics of Cypripedium calceolus L. (Orchidaceae, Monocotyledones) coenopopulations in the Republic of Mordovia. – Khapugin A. A., Semchuk A. A., Silaeva T. B., and Chugunov G. G. – Cypripedium calceolus L. is an RF Red Data Book plant species. The paper presents the results of our study of the age and topographic structure, and fruit productivity of 4 coenopopulations in the Republic of Mordovia. It is shown that generatively-oriented and vegetatively-oriented coenopopulations are present in different habitats. The highest fruit productivity (56.7 and 62.5%) was observed for the coenopopulations in the habitats with moderate shading, in contrast to the habitats with excess lighting (30.5%) and those with excess shading (34.7%). The most stable coenopopulation is located in the Mordovian State Nature Reserve at a Maianthemo-Piceetum pleuroziosum Korot. 1986 spruce forest. This coenopopulation includes individuals of all age groups.
Key words: Cypripedium calceolus, Orchidaceae, coenopopulation, age structure, reproductive biology, Republic of Mordovia.
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Fauna and geography of the rodent communities (Rodentia, Mammalia) in the Western Kazakhstan Region. – Khlyap L. A., Okulova N. M., Bidashko F. G., Warshavsky A. A., Grazhdanov A. K., and Neronov V. V. – A GIS and map of the rodent communities in the Western Kazakhstan region were designed. They allow one to estimate the spatial and temporal regularities of changes in the rodent communities in this region. The role of the communities with house mouse having a leading position has been increasing during the past decade.
Key words: zoogeography, Rodentia, GIS, Western Kazakhstan.
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Characterization of the present status of the species structure and spatial distribution of zooplankton communities in the Cheboksary reservoir. – Shurganova G. V., Cherepennikov V. V., Kudrin I. A., and Ilin M. Y. – Four main zooplankton communities were identified in the Cheboksary reservoir waters at the present stage of its existence by multivariate analysis. The species structure of zooplankton communities is analyzed.
Key words: species structure of zooplanktocoenose, multivariate analysis, Cheboksary reservoir.
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