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Mercury content and antioxidant system in insectivorous (Insectivora, Mammalia) and rodents (Rodentia, Mammalia) of various ecogenesis. - Antonova E. P., Ilyukha V. A., Komov V. T., Khizhkin E. A., Sergina S. N., Gremyachikh V. A., Kamshilova T. B., Belkin V. V., and Yakimova A. E. - TThe present study was aimed at analyzing the total mercury in the tissues of mammals adapted to the semi-aquatic or subterranean lifestyle and at analyzing the possible role of their antioxidant system in heavy metal detoxification. The water shrew (Neomys fodiens Pennant, 1771), European mole (Talpa europaea Linnaeus 1758), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus Linnaeus, 1766), and water vole (Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus, 1758) were the species under study. Our results indicate that the tissue mercury accumulation depends on age, the tissue type and diet of the species.
The largest mercury deposition occurred in the water shrew tissues as compared with the other species. Age features of toxicant accumulation in the animals were noted. A correlation between the mercury concentration and the catalase activity in the kidneys of the species investigated was revealed.
Key words: Neomys fodiens, Talpa europaea, Arvicola terrestris, Ondatra zibethicus, mercury, antioxidant system.
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Genetic diversity in populations of the silver crucian carp Carassius auratus gibelio (Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes) as depends on reproduction type and reservoir size. - Zhigileva O. N., Kultysheva M. E., Svatov A. Yu., and Urupina M. V. - The paper presents data on the polymorphism of the interior simple sequence repeats of DNA in the silver crucian carp Carassius auratus gibelio from waterbodies in the Western Siberia. The proportion of the polymorphic ISSR-PCR bands in the silver crucian carp populations from different lakes varied from 40 to 70%, the rate of Nei's gene diversity being 0.16 - 0.25. Genetic diversity indicators were lower in the populations primarily presented by females, as compared with bisexual ones. The highest levels of genetic polymorphism were revealed in the populations of diploid-triploid complexes.
The gene diversity level of the silver crucian carp population positively correlates with the reservoir's size (r =+0.90, p = 0.015; Rs = 0.74, p = 0.036).
Key words: silver crucian carp, Carassius auratus gibelio, polymorphism, ISSR, population genetic structure, Western Siberia.
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Phytoprotective effect of ammonium humate at high copper concentrations in the environment. - Kirdey T. A. and Veselov A. P. - The influence of ammonium humate obtained from peat on the wheat plant tolerance to high CuSO4 concentrations (100, 250, 500, and 1000 uM/l) was studied. Seeds were germinated on copper sulphate solution with and without the humate. Then the plants were grown on Hoagland's solution in an artificial climate chamber. The humate protective action coefficient was estimated in two ways, namely: by dry weight changes and by copper ion content in comparison with the plants grown without humate. A protective role of the humate at 100 and 250 uM was established, due to copper accumulation reduction in the plants. At higher concentrations the humate enhanced the toxic effect of copper.
Key words: phytoprotective effect, humic substances, humate, heavy metals, copper, wheat.
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Influence of macrophyte development in the zooplankton structure formation in the lower reaches of the Volga river delta. - Litvinova N. V. and Fedyaeva L. A. - The cattail, reed and bur-reed association is the cenosis-forming ones for a part of the mouth of the Kutum duct of the kultuk area of the Volga river delta. The insular area of the avandelta is characterized by reed-mace associations. The terrestrial and aquatic vegetation begins to grow massively in late May. The aquatic vegetation begins to die since the end of July whereas the terrestrial vegetation, on the contrary, reaches its maximum in this period. A direct correlation exists between the vegetation development degree and the zooplankton abundance indices in the terrestrial-aquatic vegetation zone. The zooplankton abundance peak among the macrophytes is achieved at the maximum development and normal status of the vegetation in early July.
No regularities are observed between the zooplankton abundance dynamics and the macrophyte development degree in the region free of terrestrial and aquatic vegetation.
Key words: plant associations, projective cover, zooplankton, correlation, kultuk area, avandelta.
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Soil status assessment in urban areas by chemical and environmental toxicological methods. - Olkova A. S., Berezin G. I., and Ashikhmina T. Ya. - The ecological status of soils in an urbosystem was assessed in terms of the total content of heavy metals, their mobile forms, petroleum products, integrated toxicity, and soil catalase activity. Parts of the functional transport areas of the city have turned out to be the most disadvantaged areas. A tendency of suppression of the ciliate motor activity and the growth indicators of watercress, reduction of the catalase activity in urban soils are observed. The sensitivity sequence to complex soil contamination is as follows: a phytotest for Lepidium sativum > a bioassay for Paramecium caudatum > a bioassay by the "Ecolum" test-system > soil catalase activity. With the maple Acer negundo as an example, the phytoaccumulation effect of cadmium and lead in the crust is shown.
Key words: urban areas, heavy metals, petroleum products, bioassay, soil enzymes, phytoaccumulation.
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Statistical analysis of the disturbance factor influence on the spatial structure formation of the Great Bustard (Otis tarda L.) (Otididae, Aves) population in the Trans-Volga region. - Oparin M. L., Kondratenkov I. A., Oparina O. S., Mamayev A. B., and Tikhomirova E. I. - The paper examines the influence of the location of settlements, railroads and highways on the spatial structure of the Otis tarda population in the Trans-Volga region studied on a model area of 12,000 km2, located in the southern part of the Saratov Trans-Volga region in 1998 - 2016. The zone of influence of our estimated disturbance factor caused by the movement of people and a variety of ground vehicles along roads of various purposes, on the territorial distribution of bustards in the autumn can be located as a 300 - 500 m width band on both sides of the transport communications.
Shelter belts created along transport communications render a beneficial effect on the distribution of O. tarda and the disturbance influence reduction. Besides, crop rotation fields with the side sizes more than 1 km can be considered a factor to compensate for the birds' anxiety. We have found that in the Saratov Trans-Volga region, because of the large size of crop rotation fields and the significant development of roadside and shelter belts, no special measures are required to protect O. tarda as to restrict the movement of people and vehicles on the territory where this species lives.
Key words: O. tarda, disturbance factor, transport communications, settlements, spatial structure of Great Bustard population, shelter belts, crop rotation fields.
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Physiological and biochemical aspects of halophyte ecology. - Rozentsvet O. A., Nesterov V. N., and Bogdanova E. S. - Physiological and biochemical features of euhalophytes, ñrinohalophytes and glycohalophytes growing in natural conditions in the Elton Lake area were studied. The water content in tissues, lipid peroxidation intensity, and membrane permeability were found to determine the differentiation of plants by their salt accumulation strategy. The concentration of pigments and their ratio are related to the mesostructure of leaves and dependent on the salt accumulation strategy and living form. The membrane complex is connected with the cell structure and photosynthetic apparatus. The specificity of ion transportation depends on specific features of plants.
Key words: halophytes, lipids, mesostructure, hydration, membrane permeability, Na+ and K+ accumulation.
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Influence of natural and climatic factors on the numbers of saigas (Saiga tatarica Pall.) (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) between the Volga and Ural Rivers. - Sapanov M. K. - Characteristics of the Uralian saiga habitats are discussed. Periods of high and low abundance of the animals that alternate depending on the productivity of plant communities and territorial humidity (the number of watering-places) due to climate changes are shown. After the occurring periodic mass death of saigas, their population is quickly restored to its previous level, according to the existing feed and water resources.
Key words: saiga population, territorial humidity, vegetation productivity, presence of watering-places.
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Development of the systematic approach to studying agricultural land and agrolandscape management. - Trofimov I. A., Trofimova L. S., and Yakovleva E. P. - Methodological foundations of agrolandscape-environmental studies and management of agricultural land were developed. They are based on the concept of conservation and reproduction of land and other natural resources used in agriculture, soil fertility, the productive longevity of agro-ecosystems and agro-landscapes (All-Russian Williams Fodder Research Institute); the concept of the ecological frame of agricultural landscapes and ecologo-economic balance (Moscow State University, Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences). Our integrative understanding of the essence of agricultural land allows us to consider it as natural-agricultural systems with a specific structure, functions, and links;
they are interlinked with other agrogeo-ecosystems and geo-ecosystems forming the environment. They supply agricultural products and other derivatives of their functioning outside their limits, some of these derivatives associated with the development of negative processes. Features of study, construction and management of agricultural land are determined by the dual nature-productive essence of agrogeo-ecosystems and the presence of three subsystems (abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic ones) therein. A special role is played by a control and monitoring unit. Agrogeo-ecosystems are characterized by the presence of three types of relationships (substance-energy, informational and management ones); three main functions of agrogeo-ecosystems (productive, environment-forming, and nature-protective); the ability of response reactions of agrogeo-ecosystems to anthropogenic impacts;
the capacity of adaptation and recovery; and their distinctive openness and dynamism. Priorities of studies and management of agricultural land are formulated in several principles (systematic approach, emergence, environmental frame, landscape-ecological balance, multi-level and multi-factor adaptation, etc.) They are intended to improve the adaptability, sustainability, productivity, resource conservation and environmental role of agro-ecosystems and agricultural landscapes. It is only possible with creating favorable conditions for their functioning, ensuring a balance between the protective and productive agro-ecosystems, an enabling environment for the development of soil and soil biota, for the active life of major soil-formers (perennial grasses and microbes).
Key words: systematic approach, agricultural land, agro-ecosystems, agricultural landscapes, study, rational nature usage.
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Influence of the agrochemical treatment of oil-contaminated soil on the abundance dynamics of mesophilic and psychrophilic microorganisms. - Trusey I. V., Gurevich Y. L., and Ladygina V. P. - The influence of a polymeric structure-formation agent, chalk and microorganisms on the numbers of mesophilic and psychrophilic microorganisms in oil-contaminated soil was estimated. A carbamide-formaldehyde structure-formation agent had the most positive effect on microbial growth. Introducing hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and chalk influenced to a lesser degree. The numbers of mesophilic and psychrophilic hydrocarbon- degrading bacteria on the sites treated with the agent increased from 2.8*105 to 1.95*108 cfu/g and from 2.0*105 to 1.9*107 cfu/g, respectively. This effect appeared to be more expressed in a year, when the numbers of these groups of microorganisms increased by 103 - 104.
Key words: oil-contaminated soil, psychrophilic microorganisms, mesophilic microorganisms, carbamide-formaldehyde structure-formation agent, chalk, introduction.
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Restoration of a black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) (Charadriiformes, Aves) colony: the role of releasers in the formation of a new bird colony. - Kharitonov S. P., Krasilnikov Yu. I., Zvonov B. M., and Zolotarev S. S. - Our study was conducted on the Kiyovo Lake situated within the limits of the town Lobnya (Moscow region). Formerly, the lake had held a large colony of the Black-headed Gull. Since 1996, these gulls ceased to breed at this lake. During 2009 - 2015, we managed to restore the colony by the usage of artificial measures. Our system of measures included: 1) fastening of floating islands at permanent sites (2009 - 2010); 2) exposition of black-headed gull decoys on mat islands in the spring (2011 - 2015); 3) gull voice playback at these islands in the spring (2011 - 2014); and 4) exposition of "super-gulls", i.e. profiles of Black-headed Gulls of doubled linear sizes (2013 - 2015).
The first two gull pairs started to nest on the lake in 2013. In 2014 the Black-headed Gull colony contained ca 100 nests. In 2015 and 2016, according to a drone survey, the colony had ca 600 and 950 - 1000 breeding pairs, respectively. Our super-releasers, i.e. the super-gull profiles, have turned out to be the major releaser to initiate gulls to breed on this lake. Our experiment on colony restoration has revealed an important regularity from the viewpoint of bird coloniality, namely: the presence of a well-known and stable breeding place is more important for Black-headed Gulls than the existence of closely situated and rich foraging sites.
Key words: Black-headed Gulls, Kiyovo Lake, colony, releaser.
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Dynamics of the abundance and community structure of small mammals in the Saratov Trans-Volga region. - Tsvetkova A. A. and Oparin M. L. - The population of small mammals in different areas of the Saratov Trans-Volga region features long-term and constantly increasing numbers of Sylvaemus uralensis, and its wide distribution in a variety of habitats. The maximum density of S. uralensis is 72.0 ind. per 100 trap-days and the fraction in catches is 73.0%. A tendency is observed to an increasing numbers of Microtus arvalis. It is shown that after a prolonged depression in 2012-2013, Lagurus lagurus appeared in the steppe, on fallow lands and fields, the average density of species being 4.0 ind. per 100 trap-days. A high abundance of other typical steppe dwellers (Allocricetulus eversmanni and Ellobius talpinus) is noted as well. The highest indices of specific diversity (H = 1.18) are characteristic of fallow land.
Key words: small mammals, population dynamics, habitats, steppe species.
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Dynamics of the abundance and demographic structure of populations of the small wood mouse (Apodemus uralensis Pallas, 1811) (Rodentia, Muridae) at urbanized sites of the southern taiga subzone. - Chernousova N. F. - The dynamics of abundance and demographic structure of the small wood mouse (Apodemus uralensis Pallas, 1811) at urbanized areas of a pine forest located within the urban limits and exposed to anthropogenic impact of various degree and character was under study during 9 years. No clear relation between the abundance dynamics and the sex ratio dynamics (age ignored) in the populations of A. uralensis was found, which may indicate indirectly the high death rate of young animals under the stressful conditions of the urban-disturbed environment since all mature females took part in reproduction.
The higher proportion of juvenile males in the populations of different localities with its subsequent decline in the older age groups confirms our supposition of the higher mortality of males during their movements for resettlement. Our studies indicate that the A. uralensis populations at pine forest sites changed by urbanization impact to different degrees, have their own dynamics specificity, primarily determined by plant-recreation factors and intrapopulation processes.
Key words: urbanization impact, Apodemus uralensis, abundance dynamics, sex-age structure dynamics.
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