Vol 10, No 3 (2017)

A 13-year study of forest-nesting birds (orders Passeriformes and Piciformes) has been conducted at five constant census areas in European Russia, Caucasus, and the mountains of Southern Siberia. The nesting individuals are mapped at each census area for two or more nesting periods. The nesting densities for each species are estimated. Raster maps of spatial allocation (MSA) at the scale of the raster grid of 50 × 50 m are obtained for each species. The degree of spatial conservatism (DSC) for each local population is inferred from the pairwise comparisons of the specific MSAs obtained at the same area in different years with the use of the Gamma rank correlation method. This index characterizes the connection of population with the habitat. Based on 5-year observations at that particular census area, the areas of habitats are estimated (Y) and mean DSC values (X) are obtained for all 18 model species. Using the regression model (Y = 117–103.5X; R = 0.84; p < 0.01), it is demonstrated that, under conditions of almost complete saturation, when a population uses almost the entire area of available habitats and maximum carrying capacity of habitat is almost achieved, the total area occupied by the individual nesting home ranges of the particular species is in an inverse linear relationship with the DSC estimates. Based on this model, it is possible to calculate the maximum carrying capacity of habitat for each species from its DSC value. Maximum nesting density for each species at a particular census area is calculated based on its DSC values and mean size of its nesting home range. The ratio between observed and maximum nesting densities allows estimating the degree of saturation of carrying capacity of habitat and the population status of a particular species under different environmental conditions.

A comparative study of mobility and anxiety of subadult flat-headed and Tuva silver voles in an open field test has been performed using arenas 50 and 63 cm in diameter. It is found that individuals of both species demonstrate higher movement speed and cover longer distances, both on the periphery and in general, on the larger arena. Interspecies behavioral differences have been identified only in the arena 63 cm in diameter. Subadult flat-headed voles demonstrate higher mobility and lower anxiety in the test compared to Tuva silver voles. Hypotheses pertaining to specific features of the ecology of the two species reflected in their behavior are proposed.

According to the materials of multiyear studies, the author estimates the ecological status of forest lakes in the Omsk Priirtyshye with respect to the phytoplankton development indicators. The species composition, structure, and floristic similarity degree of the phytoplankton of polytypic forest lakes are described. The author also determines the trophic status and water quality of these lakes. It is found that excessive recreation has a negative impact on the ecological status of the lakes.

The species composition and diversity of insect assemblages in the grass–shrub cover has been studied. A total of 374 species from 10 orders have been revealed. Coleoptera, Diptera, Heteroptera, and Auchenorryncha prevailed. Each order was dominated by two to eight species. These species are Cixius similis Kirschbaum, 1868; Neophilaenus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758); Lepyronia coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Auchenorryncha); Lygus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758); Kleidocerys resedae (Panzer, 1797); Stictopleurus crassicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Heteroptera); Lochmaea suturalis (Thomson, 1866); Cyphon padi (Linnaeus, 1758); Plateumaris discolor (Herbst, 1795) (Coleoptera); etc. The assemblages were characterized by low species diversity and distribution of species abundance. The most similar entomocomplexes were those in biotopes dominated by herbs, on the one hand, and dwarf shrubs, on the other. The regression analysis has shown a significant relation between the species richness and diversity of insects and the species composition of plants and their projective cover. The multivariate analysis with various methods (CCA and PCA) demonstrated the influence of these factors on the spatial distribution of certain species and their preferences to particular habitats.

Foothill plains along the northwest periphery of Altai–Sayan Mountain Country are the northern limit of stony substrates in the West Siberian longitudinal sector. Rock outcrops in this area are rare; their areas usually do not exceed few dozens of square meters. Despite small areas, the rocky outcrops keep nearly half of the foothill moss flora. 119 moss species were recorded in the rocky habitat; 26 of them are rare both in Western Siberia and in its mountain ringing. An annotated list of species is given. Features of species distribution in the longitudinal sector of West Siberia are discussed.

The study of potential vegetation can reveal the impact of climate on changes in vegetation patterns. It is the starting point for studying vegetation-environmental classification and relationships, and it is the key point for studying global change and terrestrial ecosystems. By using the Comprehensive Sequential Classification System (CSCS) and the meteorological data under the four climate change scenarios from the IPCC5 publication, the present paper carries out a GIS simulation study of the spatial distribution of potential vegetation in China at the end of the 21st century. The results indicate that under the four climate scenarios at the end of the 21st century: (1) The potential vegetation in China shows significant horizontal and vertical distribution, which corresponds well to those of natural topographic features. (2) There are 40 classes of potential vegetation in China. Tropical-extrarid tropical desert (VIIA), which has no corresponding condition of growth in China, is commonly lacking, and differences exist among the potential vegetation classes and among the ratios of the classes under different scenarios. (3) From the perspective of categories, temperate forest is the most widely distributed, and savanna is the least widely distributed. Together with the strengthening of the radiation intensity according to RCP2.6 → RCP4.5 → RCP6.0 → RCP8.5, the area covered by cold-dry potential vegetation decreases as the area covered by warm-humid potential vegetation increases. As a result, the areas of tundra and alpine steppe, frigid desert, steppe, and temperate humid grassland tend to decrease, and those of semi-desert, temperate forest, sub-tropical forest, tropical forest, warm desert, and savanna tend to increase. Moreover, the potential vegetation in China at the end of the 21st century would change at different levels and in different directions when compared with that at the end of the 20th century. (4) In the same period, potential vegetation in different regions shows differences in their sensitivity to climate change, and by the end of the 21st century, 30.73% of land in China would be classified as a sensitive region, which highly corresponds to the current ecologically vulnerable zone, and whose potential vegetation easily evolves along with changes of climate scenarios.