EUPHORIA DAVIDII SUBILS (EUPHORBIACEAE) IN FLORA OF RAILWAY TRACKS OF DNIESTER BAY BAR

Aim. Anthropogenically transformed ecotopes act as a centre for existance of many adventive species. The distribution of North-American species Euphorbia davidii subsp. Poinsettia across various continents is often attributed to the export of grain. For some time scientists have been bringing up the issue about identification of plants E. davidii in new territories, because the species is morphologically similar to E. dentata agg. The species E. davidii is characterised by a high invasive potential, it is a neophyte. In Ukraine the species is represented by separate localities almost throughout the country. It is related to sectors of ports, railway tracks, and abandoned lands. Methods. In the year 2021, by means of route method, in sectors of railway tracks of the Dniester bay bar, between the railway stops Karolina-Buhas and Soniachna (total length is up to eight kilometers) seven localities of E. davidii were distinguished; the coordinates of the locations are listed in the publication. The examined ecotopes are characterised by a crushed stone substratum, with higher temperatures, and also by specific vibrational, insolational and hydrological modes. Results. Both inconsiderable in number of plants localities (32 exemplars) and zones, where the number of plants reaches over 2000 are represented. The extent of habitats ranges from 2 to 20 meters. The height of particular, the most developed individuals constituted 20 cm. As a rule, in the inter-rail space there is a considerably smaller number of plants, however, they are better developed, well-branched and have more inflorescences with fruits. Conclusions. A number of plants from the southern slopes of the railways is typically bigger, however, the plants on the southern slopes (in comparison with the northern ones) are worse developed, branch out less and, at the time of conducting the research were represented by a smaller number of generative individuals. In sandy sectors of the bay bar adjoining the railway tracks the plants E. davidii were almost not noticed. The individuals found in the above-mentioned sectors are characterised by stunted growth, a single stem, almost did not bloom, and did not produce seeds.

New and rare alien species of vascular plants in the Primorye Territory

The article provides information on twelve new species of alien plants for the flora of the Primorye Territory, assesses the prospects for their further settlement. Data on new and confirmed localities of the adventive species of vascular plants rare for the regional flora are also provided, including the growth of Myosoton aquaticum confirmed by herbarium collections on the territory of the Russian Far East for a number of years in the only location.

Adventive component flora of the southern part of Sakhalin Island

The article is devoted to the adventive flora of the southern part of Sakhalin Island. Nowadays, 274 species of adventive plants, belonging to 192 genera and 57 families, have been identified here. Five families (Amaranthaceae, Cannabaceae, Commelinaceae, Linaceae, and Malvaceae) are represented by invasive species only. The structure of the leading families and genera is analyzed, the participation of adventive species information of plant communities is indicated. Adventive species are classified into life forms, method of entering and degree of naturalization.

Plant diversity of Absheron peninsula

In this article, we discuss the results of studying the flora of the Absheron Peninsula. The dynamics of the species composition over the past 70 years is considered. We were unable to find 206 species in the habitats previously recorded by Karyagin in 1952. We included 678 species in the list of flora of the Absheron Peninsula, of which 599 species were classified as native flora. In accordance with the direction of the dynamics of their habitats, we distinguish five groups of native flora species: Extinct (not found on the territory of Absheron for more than 50 years) – seven species, endangered (disappeared in several previously known localities) - 130 species, stable (found in previously known localities) – 209 species, dynamic (disappeared in previously known localities, but found in new localities) - 191 species, progressive (found in previously known localities and found in new localities) - 47 species. It is well known that for any region the adventive element of the flora is more dynamic than the native one. In total, we recorded 97 adventive species for the Absheron peninsula, of which 23 were new species for the flora of the region. We draw attention to the fact that since the beginning of the XIX century, the relative role of various sources of replenishment of the adventitious flora has changed. However, with the beginning of the new millennium, the contribution of railways to the formation of the advent component is noticeably decreasing.The number of new species entering the territory of the Absheron Peninsula by rail is radically decreasing. During the period covering 9 years (from 2012 to 2020), we were not able to find a single new adventive species that was intrude by rail. On the other hands, the activity of cultivated ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants became more clearly visible. There is a significant increase in the role landfills and wastelands in the formation of the adventive flora of the region

Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palaearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

A long tradition of separate Nearctic and Palaearctic taxonomic studies of the diverse aleocharine rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) has obscured the recognition of Holarctic species and detection of adventive species in both regions. Recently, integrated study of the two regions through detailed morphological comparisons and development of an authoritatively identified DNA barcode reference library has revealed the degree to which these two aleocharine faunas are interconnected, both naturally and through human activity. Here this approach is adopted to recognize new species, reveal Holarctic species, and recognize adventive species in both North America and Europe. The following new species are described: Isoglossa triangularis Klimaszewski, Brunke & Pentinsaari, sp. nov. from British Columbia; Gnypeta impressicollis Klimaszewski, Brunke & Pentinsaari, sp. nov., from Ontario, Maryland and North Carolina; Aloconota pseudogregaria Klimaszewski, Brunke & Pentinsaari, sp. nov., from Ontario and Virginia; and Philhygra pseudolaevicollis Klimaszewski, Brunke & Pentinsaari, sp. nov. from eastern Canada. Dasygnypeta velata and Philhygra angusticauda are revealed to be Holarctic species, resulting in the following synonymies: Dasygnypeta velata (Erichson, 1839) = Gnypeta minuta Klimaszewski & Webster, 2008, syn. nov. and Philhygra angusticauda (Bernhauer, 1909) = Atheta (Philhygra) pinegensis Muona, 1983, syn. nov. The Nearctic species Hylota ochracea (and genus Hylota), Thecturota tenuissima, and Trichiusa robustula are newly reported from the Palaearctic region as adventive, resulting in the following synonymies: Hylota ochracea Casey, 1906 = Stichoglossa (Dexiogyia) forticornis Strand, 1939, syn. nov.; Thecturota tenuissima Casey, 1893 = Atheta marchii Dodero, 1922, syn. nov.; and Trichiusa robustula Casey, 1893 = T. immigrata Lohse, 1984, syn. nov. The Palaearctic species Amarochara forticornis, Anomognathus cuspidatus, Oligota pumilio, and Parocyusa rubicunda are newly confirmed from the Nearctic region as adventive, resulting in the following synonymies: Parocyusa rubicunda (Erichson, 1837) = Chilopora americana Casey, 1906, syn. nov. and Anomognathus cuspidatus (Erichson, 1839) = Thectura americana Casey, 1893, syn. nov. The genus Dasygnypeta, sensu nov. is newly reported from North America, Paradilacra is newly reported from eastern North America, and Haploglossa is newly reported from Canada, resulting in the following synonymy: Paradilacra densissima (Bernhauer, 1909) = Gnypeta saccharina Klimaszewski & Webster, 2008, syn. nov. Native Cyphea wallisi is newly reported from across Canada and C. curtula is removed from the Nearctic fauna. The status of both Gyrophaena affinis and Homalota plana is uncertain but these species are no longer considered to be adventive in North America. Three new combinations are proposed: Dasygnypeta baranowskii (Klimaszewski, 2020) and D. nigrella (LeConte, 1863) (both from Gnypeta) and Mocyta scopula (Casey, 1893) (from Acrotona). Dolosota Casey, 1910, syn. nov. (type species Eurypronota scopula Casey), currently a subgenus of Acrotona, is therefore synonymized with Mocyta Mulsant & Rey, 1874. Additionally, four new Canadian records and 18 new provincial and state records are reported.

Allelopathic tension of biotopes in forest ecosystems of wet subtropics

In the absence of a pronounced anthropogenic impact, allelopathic tension in forest ecosystems of the main formations of the Sochi Black Sea region and its influence on the saturation of phytocenoses with an adventive plant group are analyzed. The studies were carried out in 38 forest ecosystems of 7 formations at 13 stationary sites in the foothill zone. The absence of anthropogenic load was determined by the average bulk soil mass and the class of atmospheric air pollution. The аllelopathy environment of individual trees was assessed according to the activity of the forest floor of 21 tree species recorded in the analyzed forest communities. The tension of biotopes in ecosystems was assessed with the joint growth of 1 to 5 tree species in the main canopy. The activity of water-soluble colins was determined by biotesting of water extracts from forest litter according to A.M. Grodzinsky. The activity of the solutions was assessed by the index of allelopathic activity. It is shown that the magnitude of the contribution of the influence of phytocenosis to the allelopathic background of the biotope depends on the species-specific features of the stand and the manifestation of a synergistic or antagonistic effect of аllelopathy related to the level of species completeness of communities. An increase in species completeness to 0,4-0,6 is accompanied by an increase in the synergistic effect, a decrease in the intensity of the аllelopathic background and saturation with adventive species, with their proportion increasing by 11,9-21,5%. An increase in the species completeness by more than 0, 6 is statistically reliably accompanied by a decrease in the synergistic effect and a transition to antagonism, with an increase in allelopathic tension in the community, increasing the proportion of native species, reducing the number of free niches for adventive species and the level of vulnerability of communities to their introduction and distribution.

Hieracium pilosella L. – a new adventive species for the flora of the Tian Shan (Kazakhstan)

Information is given about the finding of Hieracium pilosella L. in the Issyk River valley on the northern slope of the Zailiysky Alatau ridge. The habitat of the species, the composition of the plant community with its participation are described, the data on the population density of the species, the ratio of generative and vegetative individuals are provided. The appearance of this adventive species in the immediate vicinity of Almaty in the last decade is most likely due to the increasing recreational load on this territory.

Forest shelter belts in organic agricultural landscape: structure of biodiversity and their ecological role

The aim of this article is to assess the structure of biodiversity of field protective forest shelter belts to determine the directions of increasing their reclamation and conservation potential in the organic agricultural landscape. Methods of comparative ecology (synecological approach, assessment of α-diversity), forestry, geobotany, ornithology and statistical analysis are used. Changes in species diversity of plants and birds in forest shelter belts around organic fields are characterized. It is established that plantations with developed undergrowth and under-storey are transformed due to the loss of up to 43.5% of trees, liquefaction of the edificatory tier. Transformer species with a wide phytocenotic range predominate in the tree stands. The grass tier is dominated by ruderants (36.5%) and adventive species (24.5%). The share (60%) of species with a mixed life strategy indicates changes in moisture conditions and soil trophism. A 2.4% of shade-loving plants and the presence of 14.7% nitrophils indicate an imbalance in the structure of forest shelter belts. Depletion of species composition, ecological and trophic structure of bird groups testify to the decrease in the capacity of forest shelter belts and their statio diversity, reduction of protective, environment-creating functions and other ecosystem services. In the three-tiered dense forest shelter belts with developed undergrowth and understorey, 10–27 species of birds nest. In general, avifauna is represented by 2 ecological groups (93.1% dendrophiles, 6.9% sclerophiles), divided into 5 types of nesting strategy (with a predominance of hollow-nests 37.0–53.3%), and 5 types of feeding (with a predominance of entomophagous 70.4–90.0%). Twenty-nine species have been identified on nesting, 27 of which are subject to protection at the level of international agreements. There are no adventive species, the index of synanthropization of avifauna is high – 0.85–1.0. For organic technologies to increase the potential of biological protection of fields from entomological pests by attracting insectivorous birds is relevant.

Assessment of the impact of the urbanized territory of Yekaterinburg city on the formation of undergrowth in the forest park zone

The parameters of the undergrowth in the forbs and berry groups of pine forest types in 9 parks in Yekaterinburg and areas of natural forest have been investigated. Data on the species composition, density, and distribution by groups of heights of plants that make up the undergrowth collected. It has been established that the transformation of the undergrowth by an urbanized environment neutralizes the influence of the growing conditions of the considered forest types on it. In the forest-park zone, an increase in the density of the undergrowth is observed in comparison with the natural forest. The specificity of the forest park undergrowth is the floristic contamination with adventive species, the number of which is close to 50% of the total number of undergrowth species. The coefficient of floristic similarity of the undergrowth, according to the Sorensen coefficient between forest parks and a site of natural forest, was 0.26-0.46. In quantitative terms, the self-seeding of adventive species in the undergrowth is less than that of native plants. The invasive activity of ash-leaved maple in city parks and its dynamics over a 10-year period are considered, using the example of one of the parks.

Adventive and invasive plant species of natural ecosystems in the Republic of Khakassia

In this study, 56 adventive species have been identified in Khakas flora to date. In terms of the introduction method, xenophytes dominate; this group is composed of 44 species, which is 78.6% of all the adventive species under study. The ergasiophyte group consists of 12 species (21.4%). According to the naturalization degree, we identified three groups: epecophytes, agriophytes, and ephemerophytes. The epecophyte group is in the lead and consists of 21 species (37.5%). The agriophytes are represented by 19 invasive species (33.9%). The ephemerophyte group is composed of 16 species (28.6%). Thus, the ratios of the synanthropic-plant groups defined according to the introduction method and naturalization degree indicate that most of these adventive plants have been introduced unintentionally and successfully established themselves on a territory new to them. The adventive fraction of natural ecosystems in Khakas flora contains 20 species included in the report “The Black Book of the Flora of Siberia” [1].