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Vol 12, No 6 (2019)
- Year: 2019
- Articles: 14
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1995-4255/issue/view/12667
Article
Landscape–Ecological Trends of Spatial Changes in the Bird Communities of Central Siberia
Abstract
Population density, species richness, and total biomass of birds in Central Siberia increase toward the south. The greatest values are noted in terrestrial natural landscapes: for the total abundance of birds, they are in the southern forest type of communities; for species richness, they are in the meadow–field type; and for total biomass, they are in the subarctic plain–tundra type. In industrial–technogenic and southern residential types, the density and biomass of bird communities increase and the species richness decreases in comparison with natural ornithocomplexes. In aquatic habitats, the total abundance of birds and their species richness decrease and biomass increases when compared with terrestrial ones. The representation of types of fauna in bird communities (by number of individuals) is determined by the zones of their landscape preference, which have ecological similarity with the areas of their formation. Since birds actively choose tiers with the most favorable thermal, trophic, and protective conditions, their vertical biotopic distribution to some extent does not correspond to the tier structure of their habitats.
515-523
Ecological Zonation of Soils in the Lake Baikal Basin
Abstract
Soil-ecological zonation is a new approach to the study of soils, making it possible to consider soil cover a holistic ecological system. On the basis of long-term research in Russia and Mongolia, the authors have ranked plots with a similar soil cover pattern and combination of soil-forming factors and quantified their areas. All the data are unified using the same methodological and classification approach for the two countries. Soil groups with relatively similar bioclimatic factors (the dryness index by M.M. Budyko, the sum of biologically active temperatures, and the type and productivity of vegetation), which play the leading role in soil formation, are combined into soil-ecological provinces (9). Soils with similar lithologic and geomorphologic features (rocks and topography) are grouped into districts (28) at the regional level. The presented soil-ecological map is a kind of integrated information source which reflects exogenous factors of soil formation: climate, relief, rocks, and vegetation.
524-533
Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Soil Respiration in Cryolithozone: Quantifying the Contributions and Methodological Approaches (The Case of Soils of the North of Western Siberia)
Abstract
In the course of research performed in the continuous and discontinuous permafrost zone of the north of Western Siberia, the values of autotrophic (root) and heterotrophic (microbial) soil respiration and their ratio were estimated for typical ecosystems of the area. The data were obtained on the basis of a complex of field, laboratory, and calculation methods: shading, the root exclusion technique (comparison of emissions at similar sites with and without vegetation), the method of component integration or separate incubation, and the regression method. For soils of plateau palsa, the root contribution to total soil respiration was 16–30% with the use of the shading method and 14 ± 6% under the application of the component integration method. The contribution of root respiration was 60% for soils of shrub–green-moss pine forests and 30% for lichen pine forests. It may be assumed that, in forest ecosystems of the studied area, the contribution of root-derived respiration is even higher, which is related to the undercounting of respiration of tree roots and/or of rhizomicrobial microorganisms and priming effect by some methods. The contribution of root respiration in soils of mound palsa averaged 40%. For tundra with frost-boil ecosystems, the variation in the contribution of root respiration was 15–70%, depending on the location on microelements of cryogenic topography (boils and interboils). All the methods are characterized by disadvantages and some assumptions. These require additional studies to check or correct the data. The interpretation of the results is not always obvious. When using different techniques, similar results were obtained at a large number of replications of experiments during several seasons. The work also presents data on the absolute values of the specific root respiration for different species and size fractions, the value of the root biomass, and the microbial respiration of soils of different permafrost landscapes.
534-543
The Main Factor Determining the Dynamics of the Lake Ecosystem under Excessive Nutrient Loading (A Case Study of the Naroch Lakes)
Abstract
The system of the Naroch lakes, which includes the eutrophic Lake Batorino, the mesotrophic Lake Myastro, and the oligo-mesotrophic Lake Naroch, serves as a model object for the study of the factors initially influencing the state of a particular lake ecosystem affected by variable nutrient loading. Throughout the 1970s–2000s, these lakes have been going through the stages of anthropogenic eutrophication, deeutrophication, and benthification. A set of continuous data based on the seasonal means of the eight parameters from each lake for the period 1978–2015 has been analyzed by Principal Component and Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA, or Caterpillar). In addition, we consider the dynamics of the trophic index of each lake, which had been calculated earlier at the same data set. The first main component is the stability of the lake ecosystem under variable nutrient loading, which is inversely related to the trophic state of the water body. This component determines the condition of the Batorino, Myastro and Naroch lakes by 63, 65, and 43% respectively.
544-561
Current Levels of Organochlorine Pesticides in Marine Ecosystems of the Russian Far Eastern Seas
Abstract
This review provides information on major organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which were applied in agriculture worldwide in the 1940s–1960s and are still in use in some developing countries (such as India and China). Patterns of their distribution in the environment, toxicity, metabolism, and degradation are described. Their distribution over the components of ecosystems in different regions of the World Ocean, including the Far Eastern seas of Russia (the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea), is characterized over the period of 2000–2016. In the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, the OCP content of marine organisms is lower than that in other regions of the World Ocean, in particular, in the Sea of Japan. Results show that a pesticide “background” has formed on the planet. The OCP concentrations in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea can be considered a background level, while the Sea of Japan is exposed to contamination from countries using these substances in agriculture.
562-574
Dynamics and Relationship between Plankton Organisms in the Littoral Zone of a Large Plain Reservoir at the Beginning of the Vegetation Season
Abstract
The dynamics and relationship between planktonic algae, bacteria, protozoa, invertebrates, and viruses were studied at different sites in shallow littoral zones of the Rybinsk Reservoir (Upper Volga) in April–June. The features of seasonal succession of different components of the littoral plankton community have been identified. The spring peak in the development of phytoplankton, caused by diatoms and cryptophyte algae, is weakly pronounced in shallow littoral waters. An increase in the number of bacteria and development of protozoa and zooplankton in the littoral occurs earlier than in the open part of the reservoir. Consequently, the clear-water phase starts earlier and has a shorter duration. An important role in the nutrition of the littoral zooplankton, in addition to phytoplankton, is played by heterotrophic protozoa and bacteria developing through the use of both auto- and allochthonous organic substances.
575-583
Microbial Community of Umkhei Thermal Lake (Baikal Rift Zone) in the Groundwater Discharge Zone
Abstract
The diversity and functional activity of the microbial community of the bottom sediments and water of the thermal alkaline Umkhei Lake (Baikal Rift Zone), which was formed as a result of groundwater discharge, has been studied. The lake water is shown to be thermal hydrocarbonate–sulphate–sodium water of the Kuldur type. Lake sediments are characterized by higher temperatures and greater saturation with microelements. A comparative analysis of the species abundance of the microbial community of water and bottom sediments shows high indices of diversity in all layers of sediments, while the diversity in water is low. An analysis of taxonomic diversity reveals the predominance of the members of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi phyla in the community of water and bottom sediments. The presence of bacteria with various metabolic pathways of substance and energy transformation in both production and destruction processes is determined. The sequences belonging to the genus Hydrogenophaga (class β-Proteobacteria, phylum Proteobacteria), which is an indicator of the deep geochemical processes of hydrogen production, are found in the bottom layers of sediments. The rates of microbial processes of photosynthesis, dark assimilation of CO2, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis are determined to characterize the functional activity. The main part of the organic-matter production in water is found to be formed as a result of the activity of chemolithoautotrophic prokaryotes. In the microbial community, the producers synthesize organic matter using volcanogenic carbon dioxide enriched in the heavy isotope (δ13C). An analysis of the rates of terminal processes indicates that sulfate reduction is the main process.
584-593
Variability of Chemical Elements and Biologically Active Polyphenols in Lonicera caerulea subsp. Altaica (Caprifoliaceae) Plant Organs Along an Altitudinal Gradient
Abstract
The variability of the content of macro- and trace elements and fractions of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in organs of the honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea subsp. altaica plants collected from indigenous populations in Gorny Altai (Seminsky Ridge), Russia, has been examined. Statistically significant positive correlations between the altitude of the plant growth site and the content of Cu in leaves, Ca, Zn and Cd in stems, and K and Na uptake rate by leaves are found. A physiologically important ratio of biophylic elements such as Fe/Mn in leaves are found to decrease with increasing altitude. The main polyphenolic components of L. caerulea subsp. аltaica leaves showed altitudinal ranges of 1176–3216 mg/100 g for hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (chlorogenic and dicoffeylcinchonic acids), 342–1442 mg/100 g for phlavonols (quercetin glucosides), and 757–1988 mg/100 g for flavons (luteoline and apigenine glucosides). The content of flavons positively correlated with the growth site altitude. The content of flavonols, on the contrary, decreased with increased altitude. The accumulation levels of flavons and flavonols negatively correlated with the content of Cu in leaves; Ca, Zn, and Cd in stems; and K/Na in leaves and K/Ca in stems. The derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid correlated with accumulation rates of Ca, K, Mg, Zn, Mn, Sr, and Cd, and the ratios K/Ca, Ca/Na, and Cu/Zn in leaves.
594-606
Nesting of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca Pall.) in the Southeast of Western Siberia
Abstract
The natural quantity of the pied flycatcher in deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests and reproductive parameters in deciduous and mixed stands of subtaiga forests in the southeast of Western Siberia has been studied comparatively based on materials collected in the period from 1980 to 2017. The natural quantity of the species at the nesting period is greater in mixed and deciduous forests when compared to coniferous forests. Nesting density, clutch size, volume of eggs, success, and productivity of reproduction in nest boxes are higher in deciduous forests. The data on the natural quantity and breeding of pied flycatchers in the study area are compared with the similar indicators in the European part of the range.
607-620
Factors of Formation of Communities with Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. on the Periphery of the Mass Distribution Zone
Abstract
The aim of this study is to identify the main environmental factors of the formation of plant communities with Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. on the periphery of the mass distribution zone in the Central Chernozem region. Four types of communities with Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. were identified in the study area. Their ecological determination is demonstrated as a result of the analysis of different species and species with the greatest activity by identifying differences in ecological regimes of habitats and DCA-ordination of relevés. Habitat disturbance is a leading factor in the formation of these studied phytocenoses. The degree of habitat disturbance affects the abundance of Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Monodominant communities with the species are formed on severely disturbed sites with sparse vegetation cover. In ruderal phytocenoses with denser herbage, ambrosia is not abundant, but can it be present in them for a long time due to their periodic disturbances. Moisture of soils and substrates is the second strongest factor influencing the differentiation of communities. The studied communities are formed on a rather wide gradient of this factor. In the study area, we identified not only xerophytic communities common in many regions of Central and Eastern Europe, but also communities emerging in coastal ecotopes with variable moisture regimes. These phytocenoses are formed in sites disturbed both under human influence and under the influence of natural factors such as river spills or heavy rains. As a result, along with xerothermic technogenic ecotopes, banks of rivers are habitats of phytocenoses with high density of Ambrosia artemisiifolia.
621-628
Quantification and Conservation Status of Forests Fragments of Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests—A Geospatial Analysis Running Head: Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests
Abstract
In this study, it was observed that the number of fragments in category <2 ha are more in each forest cover class. The suitable wildlife habitat was found to be very dense and dense forest. Thus the need of the hour is to protect these fragmented forests and connect these fragments to allow better movement of large mammals such that their population can thrive. The study also acts as a bench mark in using geospatial technology to define fragmentation. The focus should be on medium dense and open forests. Very dense and dense forests act as refugia which should be protected from further destruction.
629-641
Interrelations between Alien and Native Foliar Fungal Pathogens and Woody Plants in Siberia
Abstract
This article presents the results of 15-year observations of alien and native foliar fungal pathogens and woody plants in Siberian arboreta and urban ecosystems and discusses the possibility of using these data to determine how the pathogenic mycobiota of woody species was formed under Siberian conditions. In total, 121 species of pathogenic micromycetes affecting the leaves of woody plants in botanical gardens and city and belonging to 2 divisions, 14 orders, and 46 genera have been revealed. Most of these species belong to the Ascomycota division (86.8%). The Basidiomycota division is represented by fungi from the order Pucciniales. Among all observed pathogens, 21 species belong to powdery mildew fungi, 15 species belong to rust fungi, and 84 species represent anamorphic fungi. A study of 108 woody plant species growing in Siberian cities has revealed 101 species of leaf pathogens, while 158 woody plant species growing in arboreta have been inhabited by 105 pathogen species. All fungal species revealed during this study, except for three species (Mycopappus alni, Venturia acerina, and Phyllosticta westendorpii), have been observed in Siberia earlier. However, some fungus–host plant associations are apparently new to science, suggesting that complexes of cryptic species differing in their host range and geographic range may occur. The main sources for tree mycobiota formation in Siberia include the invasion of pathogens together with alien plant species, the transition of pathogens from native to alien plant species, the enhancement of a pathogenicity of saprotrophic fungi, and the expansion of fungi onto new hosts. The majority of pathogens (65−75% of the total number of revealed fungi) locate on native plants. Alien plants are infected mainly by (native) pathogens. Only eight pathogen species have been introduced in Siberia with alien plants; three of them originate from the Far East (Cercospora gotoana, Phyllosticta phellodendricola, and Erysiphe palczewskii), while five are of European origin (Cladosporium syringae, Phyllosticta vincae-minoris, Erysiphe syringae, Erysiphe alphitoides, and Erysiphe berberidis). In Siberia, the lateness of phenological phases of plants originating from mild climatic zones, may be favorable for the development of fungal pathogens, such as Erysiphe alphitoides, causing the powdery mildew of oak trees.
642-657
Effect of Human-Induced Activities on Waterbirds Diversity and Abundance in Three Wetlands of International Importance in Iran
Abstract
Over six years from 2011 to 2015, direct field observations and waterbirds' surveys were performed in three Ramsar sites (Choghakhor, Shadegan and Parishan). Our results indicated that all three wetlands affected by developing intensive farming systems and lowered species richness. The most important difference existing among the wetlands points to the habitat of the specialist waterbirds, while we found no significant differences in the habitat of the generalist birds. Meanwhile, some completely dependent birds like White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) have completely disappeared. Our results indicated that 87 percent of the variation in the species richness and abundance can be justified by a combination of water depth, water area, sludge depth, conductivity, total phosphorus, newly developed farming areas and vegetation cover.
658-666
On the Issue of Ecological Niches of Plant Pathogens in Western Siberia
Abstract
This article outlines a systematic and ecological approach to the analysis of ecological niches of pathogenic plant micromycetes taking into account the achievements of general and evolutionary ecology and epiphytothiology. The regularities of the expansion of phytopathogen niches in different ecological environments are traced. The evolutionarily formed primary narrow ecological niches of soil micromycetes expand as they move to the “soil–air” boundary and air environment with the damage of plant organs. The evolutionarily formed wide ecological niches of ground–air (or leaf–stem) micromycetes expand due to the air-drop transmission mechanism under favorable hydrothermal conditions. In Western Siberia, the formation of ecological niches of pathogenic micromycetes of annual and perennial plants is at different stages of completion. The suggested evolutionary ecological classification of ecological niches of phytogathogens allows one to move from the abstract concept of ecological niche hypervolume to their specific monitoring taking into account the nature of the action of factors: evolutionary ecological (tactics R, S, T), natural, and anthropogenic in agroecosystems and natural landscapes.
667-674