О биогеографических реконструкциях морских фаун геологического прошлого

Some issues in biogeographic reconstructions of marine faunas of the geologic past are considered. The nature of biogeographic boundaries is discussed, and the criteria for identifying and the rank of established biochories, in particular, the applicability of various indices of biogeographic similarity, are considered. It is concluded that only the use of the entire complex of paleobiogeographic methods permits to reconstruct the features of the ancient organisms geographical differentiation most reliably. Such reconstructions should be carried out for the most fractional time intervals at the spe- cies level and based on the integration of data for all fauna groups.

Geography of the presidential elections in Poland in 2020

The elections for the president of Poland in 2020 took place during a difficult period of the pandemic. Additionally, by the decision of the National Electoral Commission, they were postponed from May 10 to June 28. The incumbent president Andrzej Duda won the election, defeating his opponent Rafał Trzaskowski with a majority of around 420,000 in the second round. votes. The study aims to indicate the geographical differentiation of the results of two candidates and the spatial changes in the results in the first and second rounds of elections. In the first round, A. Duda won in thirteen regions (voivodeships) of Poland, in the second only in six, in eastern and south-eastern Poland. However, the big difference in the winning regions (15-20%) allowed him to win the final. R. Trzaskowski won in ten regions (voivodeships), but his advantage was small (5-10%).

Epigraphic Habits of Private Associations in the Ptolemaic Chora

This chapter illustrates the ways in which Greek epigraphic habits developed in, or were adapted to, the local communities of Egypt, focusing in particular on the habits of associations in Ptolemaic Egypt, groups of private individuals who gathered—more or less of their own accord—for a variety of purposes and communal activities. The epigraphy of associations provides a wide range of text typologies and formats, illustrating the full potential of epigraphic practices. The discussion focuses on habits of associations in the chora of Ptolemaic Egypt, particularly the villages—that is to say, in places other than the three cities of Alexandria, Naukratis, and Ptolemais in the Thebaid. Consideration of the typology and format of inscriptions by associations in the chora will raise the question of socio-geographical differentiation and local variation, as well as the possible models (civic or not) for rural epigraphy. Furthermore, the impact that associations had on their local communities through their epigraphic habits, in particular on the visual landscape, is highlighted.

The genus Melanconis (Diaporthales)

The genus Melanconis (Melanconidaceae, Diaporthales) in the strict sense is here re-evaluated regarding phylogenetic structure, taxonomy, distribution and ecology. Using a matrix of sequences from ITS, LSU, ms204, rpb2, tef1 and tub2, eight species are recognised and their phylogenetic positions are determined. Based on phylogenetic, morphological and geographical differentiation, Melanconis marginalis is subdivided into four subspecies. Melanconis italica is reduced to a subspecies of Melanconis marginalis. The two species Melanconis larissae from Betula sp. and M. pacifica from Alnus rubra are described as new. Melanconis alni and M. stilbostoma are lectotypified and M. alni, M. marginalis and M. stilbostoma are epitypified. All GenBank sequences deposited as Melanconis alni are shown to actually represent M. marginalis and those as M. marginalis belong to the newly described M. pacifica. Currently, Alnus and Betula are the sole host genera of Melanconis. All species and subspecies are (re-)described and illustrated. In addition, the neotypification of Melanconium pterocaryae is here validated.

FOREIGN ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN THE CONTEXT OF FOREIGN TRADE DIFFERENTIATION

The article highlights the need to develop effective mechanisms for guaranteeing the foreign economic security of agricultural enterprises due to the increase in their foreign trade activity. The share of agricultural exports in the structure of national exports is key, which confirms the feasibility of relevant research. In this case, the question of the quality of export activity becomes relevant not only due to the increase in value volumes but also given its content. Therefore, the problem of the high share of primary agricultural products in the export of agricultural products is problematic, which precedes the problem of forming the characteristics of the domestic agricultural sector as a resource with a low level of added value. The article examines the relationship between the state of foreign economic security of the agricultural sector with the commodity and geographical differentiation of foreign trade. The problem of insufficient commodity differentiation is problematic because to a greater extent domestic agricultural exports are represented by goods of plant origin. Moreover, the basis of exports of crop products are cereals and oilseeds. This state of affairs forms a position of high dependence on trends in foreign markets and fluctuations in demand for these types of crops, which precedes the existence of problems of foreign economic security of the agricultural sector in general and enterprises in particular. Instead, the situation of geographical differentiation has positive characteristics due to the balancing of priorities in trade relations. Despite the European integration path of Ukraine's development, the degree of dependence on fluctuations in demand in EU markets is within the norm. Positive is the destruction of the established approach to the priority of cooperation with the Russian Federation and the acquisition of new markets for agricultural products. The effectiveness of this kind of change in geographical differentiation is confirmed by the positive balance of export-import activity. However, it is worth noting the negative trends in terms of imports. For example, with minimal exports to the United States, we have huge volumes of imports. A mechanism of a certain kind of "structural isolation" should be formed, which would determine the limits of expediency of interstate cooperation in the sense of trade in agricultural products, based on efficiency indicators.

ANTHROPOLOGY OF ZONALITY: NATURE AND CULTURE IN THE SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

The article is theoretical in nature and does not cover any particular region; however, the phenomenon of zonality is of particular relevance to the northern part of Siberia. The article draws a fundamental analogy be-tween the classical theoretical zonal model of Thünen and zoning models of various regions of the world (South-east Asia, Africa and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Ugra in Russia). Zonality is usually perceived as a natural phenomenon — regularly and naturally alternating natural zones (tundras, taigas, steppes, etc.). Under the influence of changing natural conditions, human activity also changes to one degree or another. However, there are many cultural and human factors under whose influence a similar picture of regularly and naturally dif-ferentiated zones emerges. For example, it could be the centre and periphery, previously and newly developed zones, etc. These zones are differentiated not only from an economic point of view but also as complex phenom-ena including holistic, imperious, behavioural and other aspects. The article is aimed at expanding the standard use of the concept ‘zonality’, reconsider zoning as not only and not so much a natural phenomenon as a broad theoretical approach effective for comparative studies in anthropology, economic and social geography, history, economics, as well as other disciplines. The technique used in this study consists in the identification of similar features when modelling the geographical differentiation of processes of different nature. As a result, the author proposes a general conceptualisation framework for the concept ‘zonality’ as a universal phenomenon of spatially differentiated conditions for activities and the understanding of these conditions by people. The phenomenon of zonality can be observed when the geographical differentiation of any studied process is determined by a regular difference in a certain basic condition from place to place, which has a definitive effect on the development of the studied process. In the case of natural zonality, this is the distribution of solar radiation; in the case of economic zoning, cost of transportation often serves as the differentiating factor; in the case of areas of new development, the differentiating factor is the age of development.