Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2024 number 5

Ecosystems of the fjell fields in the Khibiny Mountains (Kola Peninsula), were investigated, including vegetation, soils, soil algae and invertebrate fauna. We used EUNIS habitat typification (2013) to differentiation of habitats. The most common habitat types were: (1) Crustose-lichens (Rhizocarpon geographicum) rocks habitat type on eluvia of base-rich, alkaline and siliceous rocks (U5111); (2) The lichens-, sedges-and dwarf-shrubs-dominated turfs and cushions on gravelly and rocky slopes (U5112); (3) Sedge-, moss- and-lichens-dominated habitat type on rubble and stony mountain plateaus and peaks (U5113); (4) Biological soil crusts (BSCs) habitat type on fine-earth and gravelly polygons edges (U5114); (5) Late snow bed moss vegetation (U5115). Soils of the fjell fields were Leptosols. Content of soil organic C was very high (26-32 %) despite the thin soil profile, which had no illuvial-eluvial differentiation by the content of SiO2 и R2O3. The total flora includes 176 species of plants and lichens. Soil algae flora comprised 43 species, where green algae of Chlorophyceae prevailed. Among soil microarthropods prevailed Collembola, Oribatida and Mesostigmata, which were also typical for mountain tundra. The soil microbial activity, diversity and abundance of soil algae and invertebrates depend on habitat type, soil moisture, as well as soil organic matter contents and gets higher on wet substrata or in more complex vegetation.

The materials and performs a systematic analysis of the elemental composition of 110 species and 28 families of plants that form tree-shrub layers of forest phytocenoses and form the structure of urban landscaping in South Primorye in the article was summarizes. A high differentiation of the species composition in the accumulative abilities to the weight of the metal, especially Zn and Mn was noted. The most stable indicator among of the species was recorded on the Cu content. The types and families of high, low and background of heavy metals content are distinguished by the basis of the author’s indicator, i. e. “the relative intensity of accumulation (RIA)” of chemical elements. The low content of heavy metals is more typical for the main arboriflora composition. At the same time, about the half of the studied species is accumulated some metals above the background (average) exponents. The maximum of metals content (for the 5 times and high more than the background exponent) was recorded in the leaves (needles) of the concentrator species: Zn - Salix udensis, Populus maximowiczii, P. nigra, P. tremula, Syringa wolfii; Mn - Salix udensis, Sorbus pochuashanensis, Picea sp.; Fe - Crataegus pinnatifida. The high heavy metals content among the families is most typical for Hydrangeaceae and Salicaceae, the low content - for Fabaceae, Pinaceae, Tiliaceae and Aceraceae, the background level - for Rosaceae. The phytogeochemical systematics of the Far East arboriflora for species and family ranks on the basis research results was developed for the first time.

A study was conducted about the variation of levels of macro- and microelements in the soil and leaves of two species of the genus Nitraria L. in various habitats in Siberia. New data were obtained on the concentration variations of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Li, Sr, and Cd in leaves of N. schoberi L. and N. sibirica Pall. plants. It was found that the salinity of habitats of N. sibirica (up to 3.23 %) can exceed salinity of soils under N. schoberi (up to 0.5 %) by more than sixfold. Soils of N. schoberi habitats are characterized by lower contents of carbonates (1.0-3.8 %) and of physical clay (2-19 %) as compared to soils of N. sibirica habitats: 1.2-18.2 % and 9-40 %, respectively. An increase in the physical-clay content of soil positively correlated with the accumulation of Mg, Cu ( p ≤ 0.01), and Mn ( p ≤ 0.001) in the plant leaves. The degree of soil salinity was positively associated with the accumulation of Ca, Zn, Sr ( p ≤ 0.01), Mg ( p ≤ 0.05), and Cd ( p ≤ 0.001) in the plant leaves. An increase in concentration of mobile Na in soil positively correlated with concentrations of Ca, Cu ( p ≤ 0.01), and Zn ( p ≤ 0.001) in the leaves. In N. sibirica leaves, the concentration of K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Sr, Mn, Zn, and Cu was 1.5-3 times higher than that in N. schoberi leaves. Both species are capable of accumulating very high concentrations of Na (N. schoberi: up to 83,8 g/kg and N. sibirica: up to 77,2 g/kg). In the leaves of N. schoberi plants of immature age, K and Na levels were seven times higher than those in leaves of adult generative plants, whereas Mg and Ca levels were 3-5 times higher. This study should expand the understanding of mechanisms of Nitraria species’ adaptation to high-salinity conditions.

The accumulation features of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Mn, Cd, Co, Pb) were studied in two annual halophytes, Sedobassia sedoides and Atriplex tatarica, growing naturally in contaminated soils (exceeding MAC values for Zn, Cd, Ni, Cu). The ability to accumulate heavy metals from the soil, evaluated as the ratio of metal concentration in the root to soil metal concentration (BF), was high and similar for both species, except for Ni and Cd. High values of BF and TF of Ni (ability to translocate the metal from the root to the shoot), as well as the positive correlation of translocation degree with the rate of Ni bioaccumulation in A. tatarica, make this species promising for soil phytostabilization. S. sedoides showed higher efficiency in the accumulation and translocation of Cd, as well as resistance to high/toxic concentrations of Cd in shoots, which makes this species promising for phytoremediation of Cd from soil. Both investigated plant species demonstrated the ability to accumulate Cu, Mn, and Fe in toxic concentrations.

The work summarizes the results of long-term field studies of 22 species of halophytic plants in the Elton region, belonging to 4 families and 14 genera. Plants were classified according to the ecological (salt-accumulating euhalophytes, salt-secreting crinohalophytes, salt-excluding glycohalophytes) and genetic (C3-type and C4-type of photosynthesis) system. The conditions of the abiotic environment (level of salinity and soil moisture) under which various groups of halophytic plants grew are shown. The composition of fatty acids of lipids in halophyte leaves was analyzed. It is concluded that the modulation of halophyte lipids, associated with changes in fatty acids composition depending on soil salinity and moisture, is one of the mechanisms of plant salt tolerance at the cellular level of organization.

Urbanization ongoing around the world leads to changes in ecosystems, and wildlife is forced to respond by adapting to this impact. First of all, plant communities change, which are actively being transformed inside and around the city what, with the stress of human presence, does not remain indifferent and for animals. For animals this often leads to decrease in biodiversity in the sites exposed to anthropogenic stress. However, for some mammalian species (especially small ones) what are more resistant to stress from human presence, urbanization has some advantages by creating modified habitats and reducing competition with natural forest species that are more sensitive to urbanogenic effects. For several years, we have been investigating the influence of the megalopolis located in the forest zone (Ekaterinburg city) on phytocenoses and communities of small mammals. The objects were two park-forests - areas of pine forest of the city outskirts, altered to varying degrees depending on the proximity to urban development, as well as the remains of a pine forest in the Central Park of Culture and Recreation. The forest phytocenoses were found have been changed through all park-forests area, especially strongly in places adjacent or close to buildings at the cost of weed vegetation and introduced plant species, as well as under the influence of recreation. In addition to the forest species, small mammals uncharacteristic for the forest of this zone were present at all sites. In outlying park-forest places where the anthropogenic load is much lower, forest mammal species are found in greater numbers, although and the presence of hemisynanthropic species, which in our forests include small wood mouse and striped field mouse, remains. In some cases, this might lead to an increase in community diversity indices. Naturally, the conditions of the plant environment affect the ability of rodents and shrews to form steady micropopulations and communities in the forest sites of the city, although and the disquiet factor plays a material role.

A statistical analysis of the variability in the amino acid composition of the mitochondrial protein CYTB of Asian mountain voles of the genus Alticola was carried out. Sequences (N = 36; 380 a. a.) were taken from GenBank along with accompanying information about their geographical location. The frequencies of amino acids for each sequence and the matrix of squared Euclidean distances between them were calculated, from which the principal components (PC) were calculated using the principal coordinate method. In the space of the first two PCs (Σλ = 76.89 %), all sequences are grouped according to their species, forming the East Siberian (A. strelzowi, A. olchonensis, A. semicanus, A. tuvinicus), southern (A. stracheyi, A. argentatus, A. albicaudus, A. stoliczkanus, A. barakshin) and the northeastern group (A. lemminus, A. macrotis). Mutational pressure in the PC1 direction leads to a change in the frequencies of Met, Gly, Ile → Ala, Thr, which strongly correlates with a large subset of AA indices and the average evolutionary rank of CYTB sequences (N = 362 with p-value < 0.01 taking into account multiple comparisons according to Bonferroni). In the PC2 direction, the frequencies Val, Phe → Leu change. This direction reveals significant correlations with latitude, altitude, 21 climatic variables of vole habitats and 54 AA indices.

Climate changes have led to an increase in fire rates throughout the entire range of larch (Larix sibirica, L. gmelinii, L. cajanderi). We tested the hypothesis that natural fires are an important factor that contributes to the functional stability and dominance of larch forests in the continuous permafrost zone. We included satellite imageries, on-ground surveys data, dendrochronological measurements and eco-climatic variables into analysis. We found that warming in the 21st century has led to an increase in the intensity and frequency of fires, moderate and extreme (>10,000 ha) burnt areas. The maximal burn areas and fire frequency observed in the northern and southern parts of the permafrost zone, respectively. The frequency of fires and burned areas are inverse exponentially dependent on precipitation, soil and ground cover moisture and atmospheric drought, and increase exponentially with air temperature increase. In the zone of continuous permafrost, larch successfully regenerates in burnt areas (up to 500+ thousand/ha of seedlings). In the zone of discontinues permafrost (southern part of the study area) the number of regeneration is 2-3 orders lower and regeneration represented mainly by hardwood species. The increasing fire frequency in the south of the larch range contributes to the partly transformation of the forested areas into grass and shrub communities. There is a high probability of larch retreat from its southern range during the process of continuous permafrost thawing. Gross primary productivity (GPP) in burned areas quickly (3-15 years) recovers to the pre-fire level. In combination with increasing GPP trends, that indicates carbon- sink role of larch forests increasing fire rate. In conditions of fire rate increase, it necessary to change firefighting strategy. It is necessary to realize (1) the impossibility of the total fires’ suppression and (2) the ecological significance of fires in the larch forests in cryolithozone, in which fires are the most important factor of supporting larch forests health and dominance. Alongside with that, periodic natural fires reduce the likelihood of catastrophic fires. It is necessary to focus the firefighting on the areas of the priority social, natural and economic importance, controlling burning outside these areas by monitoring methods.

Regularities of radial growth of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were studied within the southern taiga subzone of Western Siberia. The objects of the study were pine forests: uplands on sandy podzols and swamps under different conditions of water-mineral nutrition and pyrogenic influence. Using the methods of multivariate statistical analysis (cluster and discriminant analysis) based on the data of cyclic fluctuations in radial growth (increase, decrease or duplication of the subsequent one relative to the previous one), 4 clusters were identified. Swamp pine forests - eutrophic, oligo-mesotrophic, oligotrophic and upland pine forest. The final result of correctly classified objects is 100 %. The average width of growth rings in dry land conditions is 1.05 mm. In eutrophic swamp pine forests - 0.81 mm, oligo-mesotrophic - 0.57, oligotrophic - 0.39 mm. The main trend in the change in the width of tree rings over time (trend) is determined by a second-order parabola (p-level < 0.001). The signs and highly significant coefficients of the regression equations are postulated. In oligotrophic pine forests, the width of the rings increased annually on average by 0.80 mm with an annual average slowdown of 0.004 mm - an extreme of 190 years (inflection point). In oligo-mesotrophic ones - at 0.95 and 0.002 mm - the extremum is 340 years, in upland ones - at 4.27 and 0.068 mm - the extremum is 62 years. In eutrophic pine forests, according to the linear trend, the increase in the width of annual rings for 1 year averaged 0.715 mm. The relative frequencies of cyclic fluctuations in the increase and decrease of tree rings are characterized by equivalent ratios of their occurrence: 45-48 % in eutrophic and upland pine forests, 40-41 % in oligo-mesotrophic and oligotrophic ones. These equally possible episodes of recurrence can be considered one of the mechanisms for the formation of society through the probabilistic good neighborly relationships of trees in the interests of the whole. The frequency of occurrence of duplicate variants in eutrophic and upland pine forests is 7-9 %, increasing to 18-20 % in oligotophic and oligo-mesotrophic ones: the more severe the conditions, the higher the concordant onset.

Natural populations of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk. has recently been subjected to severe anthropogenic impact due to biologically active substances with a wide spectrum of action detected in plants. The purpose of the study is to determine the state of natural populations of S. divaricata, to identify the biological features of the species that contribute to their stable ststus. 7 cenopopulations in the Republic of Buryatia have been studied, a description of phytocenoses and ontogenetic states of S. divaricata, demographic characteristics of cenopopulations, environmental and biological factors affecting the existence of this species have been identified. S. divaricata has a wide ecological amplitude, grows from tree communities to steppes and deposits. The share of participation in communities does not exceed 2 % of the total projective coverage. Most populations are characterized by a low density of individuals (5-48 individuals/ 100 m²) due to the destruction of plants (root extraction). One stable population without damage was found (density 209 individuals/100 m²) and one recovering population (113 individuals/100 m²). The height of generative plants varies significantly depending on the growing conditions from 35 to 100 cm. Environmental factors that negatively affect the stability of natural populations of S. divaricata have been identified: biotic (massive damage to seeds by invertebrates), anthropogenic (root harvesting, grazing). A number of biological features determine the strategy of the species in nature: a likely low stock of seeds in the soil and a spike in seedlings during dissemination; biological longevity of seeds for more than 5 years; early contractility of roots; dormant buds and renewal buds in the leaf axils of previous years are protected by remnants of leaf sheaths; when the apical bud is damaged, monopodial growth changes to sympodial (more often at the beginning of the virginal ontogenetic state); duration of the pregenerative period 10-12 years; monocarpicity, up to 50 % of generative individuals in the population they form pseudomutches, the percentage of fruit formation in a simple umbrella is 50-100 %.

The groupings of ground beetles of the lawn and the area with ruderal vegetation were studied on the territory of the PSU’s Botanical Garden in the period from April to November 2021 by the method of soil traps with a fixative (formalin 4 %). In total, 1,643 specimens of ground beetles were collected during the research period, 41 species from 14 genera belonging to 7 life forms and 5 ecological groups were registered. The absolute dominant is Pterostichus melanarius, and the subdominants in different seasons are such species as Bembidion properans, Calathus erratus, Amara aenea, Harpalus rufipes, Harpalus affinis and Harpalus tardus. The abundance, number of species and diversity indices of the ground beetle population vary significantly between sites and undergo changes depending on the season. On the lawn site, two peaks of abundance (May and August) were noted in the seasonal dynamics of ground beetles, whereas only May peak is expressed in ruderal vegetation. The quantitative ratios of ecological groups are dynamic throughout the season, but the common feature is the predominance of meadow-field species. On a site with ruderal vegetation, mixophytophages predominate over zoophages both in terms of the number of species and in number of individuals, zoophages predominate on the lawn both in terms of species diversity and the number of individuals.

Biomarkers of the presence of animals and humans - fecal stanols - are well preserved in the lake sediments. They are produced by intestinal microflora from sterols. Coprostanol and epicoprostanol are specific human stanols, since they are produced in the greatest quantities compared to animals. These stanols are used to reconstruct the population history of water bodies. In this work, fecal stanols were studied for the first time in the bottom sediments of Lake Zapovednoye, located in Evenkia (Siberia, Russia). The analysis was carried out using a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometric detector. Along the entire core, there were no pronounced signals of coprostanol and epicoprostanol compared with other stanols, which indicates a negligible contribution of humans to the pool of fecal stanols. It is obvious that throughout the entire studied time interval (up to two and a half thousand years ago) there were no permanent settlements in the lake’s drainage basin, which is generally consistent with the extremely low population density of this region and unfavorable living conditions.

The gyrfalcon is a rare falcon with circumpolar distribution in low Arctic tundra. For the Russian Arctic islands and archipelagos, it is known as a occasional vagrant only. Here we report late summer observation of a young female gyrfalcon far beyond its main range. Our finding of gyrfalcon on Vize Island in 2020 is the northeasternmost record of this species in Eurasian Arctic. The falcon spent at least two weeks on the island and was able to adapt and mastered a new food resource - fledglings of0 kittiwakes. A young falcon took pre only in flight and often failed while attacking kittiwakes, but hunted 1-2 gulls daily, what covered its energetic demands in full. Under conditions of scarce food resources and few prey species available, being hunger the gyrfalcon could eat stale food, but necessarily obtained by itself. Any new data on the distribution of this rare species expands our understanding of its capabilities for dispersal and exploration of new habitats, adaptations to previously unknown trophic conditions and food plasticity.