Water vole (Arvicola amphibious) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

The paper is devoted to the dynamics of the water vole population in the conditions of total deforestation of valley forests and their subsequent restoration. We analyzed the relative population of small mammals in the typical biotopes in the Tom River basin (Western Siberia) on the border of the forest-steppe and taiga zones. From 1978 to 2019, 1,139 water voles Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym of A. terrestris) were caught with 50-meter trapping grooves; for 788 individuals we assessed the condition of non-metric features (phenes) of the skull. It was found that changes in the population level are non-cyclical, while against the background of a generally low occurrence of the species in the region, the population level increased tenfold in some years. It was shown that such episodic population surges can significantly impact the structure of the community of small mammals. In the valley of the Tom River, the water vole prefers inhabit wet meadows and ecotone areas between the meadow and the dark coniferous taiga forest. During the years of population surges, the water vole intensely occupies new nesting sites due to the dispersal activity of young animals but at the same time retains the original biotopic preferences. Dispersal of the species takes place in waterlogged wetlands. Most of the animals caught during the peak of their numbers were young animals of late broods born from overwintered individuals. The conducted phenetic analysis revealed the heterogeneity of young animals during the population surge, which allowed us to assume the participation of several populations in the formation of the peak. In the final surge year, the surge was characterized by an extremely low percentage of participation in the breeding of young females and the appearance of a large number of weakened animals, which led to crisis in the species population and the disappearance of the water vole from the captures. The research shows that one cannot predict the success of this process at the current stage; therefore, after flooding, it is necessary to continue monitoring.

Assessment of soil quality in agroecosystems based on soil fauna

Soil arthropods respond sensitively to land management practices and correlate with beneficial soil functions. The aim of this research was to determine soil quality using the QBS index in different types of crops and influence of soil variables (pH soil, soil moisture, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen) on soil arthropods. Between the years 2018 and 2020, we studied different types of crops (Brassica napus, Pisum sativum, Triticum aestivum, T. spelta, Zea mays, Grass mixture and Hordeum vulgare) and recorded 14 taxa. Our results suggest a higher QBS index value in crops grass mixture, Pisum sativum, Triticum aestivum, T. spelta. The EMI value grew with increasing values of soil moisture, soil pH, phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen; indicating the presence of soil arthropods occurring in higher quality soil. Our results suggest that agricultural intensification affects soil arthropods, which are important for the production of biomass, which also affects crop yields.

An overview of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina (Amphi-bia, Anura) in the Volga River Basin

The helminthofauna of Bombina bombina (Linnaeus, 1761) has been studied to an unequal degree in different parts of the habitat. Thus, it has been studied in more detail in the west of its range (in the countries of central and eastern Europe) and in less detail in the center (in Belarus and Ukraine). There were few data on helminths of this host in the east of its range (in Russia). For the first time, an inventory of the helminthofauna in B. bombina was carried out for populations in the Volga River Basin. The results of our own research are presented and supplemented with information from other authors. We summarized scattered data on helminths from 390 specimens of amphibians collected over more than 40 years in the territory of five regions: Kaluga and Samara regions, the Republics of Mordovia, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The helminthofauna includes 21 species from three classes: Trematoda (15), Chromadorea (5) and Clitellata (1). For each species, we give the systematic position, localization, places of detection, geographical distribution and characteristics of the life cycle. The leech Helobdella stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) was first recorded in the European fire-bellied toad in Europe. Four species of trematodes are new to this amphibian species in Russia: Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932), Paralepoderma cloacicola (Luhe, 1909), larvae, Tylodelphys excavata (Rudolphi, 1803), larvae and Astiotrema monticelli (Stossich, 1904), larvae. Another species of trematode – Strigea strigis (Schrank, 1788), larvae – was first recorded in this host within the boundaries of the Volga Basin. A specific parasite is the trematode Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932). The number and composition of the species of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad vary in different regions; the structure of the helminth fauna is generally stable and includes three groups of species: adult and larval stages of trematodes, adult nematodes-geohelminths. The results of the study create a database for further population studies and contribute to the development of ideas about the distribution and formation of the amphibian helminth fauna in Europe, Russia and the Volga Basin.

Variability of the structure of winter microbial communities in Chelyabinsk lakes

Microorganisms form complex and dynamic communities that play a key role in the biogeochemical cycles of lakes. A high level of urbanization is currently a serious threat to bacterial communities and the ecosystem of freshwater bodies. To assess the contribution of anthropogenic load to variations in the structure of winter microbial communities in lakes, microorganisms of four water bodies of Chelyabinsk region were studied for the first time. We used cultural, chromatography-mass spectrometric, and modern methods of statistical data processing (particularly, multivariate exploratory analysis and canonical analysis of correspondences). The research showed that the composition of winter microbial communities in lakes Chebarkul’, Smolino, Pervoye, and Shershenevskoye Reservoir did not differ significantly between the main phyla of microorganisms. The dominant microorganisms were found to be of the Firmicutes phylum and Actinobacteria phylum. The structure of bacterial communities had special features depending on the characteristics of the water body and the sampling depths. Thus, in the lakes Smolino, Pervoye, and Shershenevskoye Reservoir, an important role was played by associations between microorganisms – indicators of fecal contamination: coliform bacteria and Enterococcus. On the contrary, in Chebarkul’ Lake, members of the genus Bacillus, which are natural bioremediators, formed stable winter associations. However, the differences between water bodies and sampling depths reflected 28.1% and 9.8% of the variability of the winter microbial communities, respectively. The largest contribution (about 60%) to the variability of the structure was made by intra-water processes, which determined the high heterogeneity of samples from different water areas. We assume that an important role in this variability was played by the high anthropogenic impact in a large industrial metropolis. In our opinion, this line of research is very promising for addressing key environmental issues.

Ecology of Laridae under conditions of unstable hydrological regime: colony sizes and synchronization of reproduction

The problem of criteria for distinguishing colonies from similar socio-demographic structures (mainly in terms of nesting density) is highly relevant and has remained in the focus of attention of ornithologists for a long time. The synchronization of reproduction in a colony is one of the criteria which require special development. Based on particular works (1972–2005), I present synchronization of the reproduction of gulls in colonies of different sizes. In contrast to previous studies, this paper uses a specially developed Index of Synchronization of Bird Breeding (Isr) to study this phenomenon, making it relatively easy to determine its level. The index distinguishes between different species of birds of this group: 75.7% (white-winged black tern) and 97.6% (black-headed gull) of the total variability of synchronization of breeding birds in colonies. Frequent failure of nesting attempts often causes repeated (compensatory) reproduction, which in the case of a mass manifestation significantly reduces the synchronization of the nesting period in colonies and thus significantly reduces this indicator. It is proved that a higher synchronization of reproduction characterizes small colonies (up to 50 nests). In all species of gulls, the beginning of reproduction in different colonies differs in terms of the appearance of the first eggs by 1–10 days and at the beginning of mass egg-laying – by 1–18 days. To the same extent, they differ in the timing of the hatching of eggs. In small colonies, the total egg-laying period is shorter by 34.9–49.7% compared to larger colonies. My observations show that large colonies are formed by the nesting of several small colonies on one plot. This phenomenon is noticeable during periods of mass re-nesting of birds after a high loss of nests (up to 69.5% or more) because of severe flooding. Differences in the breeding periods of colonies that differ in size appear when several small colonies with different breeding periods of birds are combined into one larger colony. This phenomenon is well detected in the formation of several sub-colonies and in the differences in the timing of reproduction of different parts of a large colony.

Summer coastal rookeries and perspectives of the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica) population in the conditions of the global warming

Based on the secondary literature, a retrospective characterization of the climate in the Baikal region, starting from the end of the Pleistocene, is given. According to satellite monitoring data, the characteristics of the ice regime of the Lake Baikal in the conditions of climate warming are presented. Moreover, we briefly discuss the impact of climate change on the ecology and biology of the Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica Gm.). Using video materials obtained online at one of the main island coastal rookeries of seals (on the island of Tonkyi, the archipelago of the Ushkany Islands, Lake Baikal) in 2011–2017, the dependence of the number of seals hauled out on the lake level and the peculiarities of the fishing regime was determined (the survey was conducted from May–June to October). A direct relationship was determined between the relative number of animals that had a moulting delay and the ice regime of a given year: the longer the floating ice in the northern part of Lake Baikal remained, the more numerous were the first approaches of seals to the studied rookery and the greater was the proportion of moulting individuals. It is reasonable to assume that the main reason for the Baikal seal to come ashore is not prolongued moulting time, but a physiological need for sunlight, which has a healing effect on the body of animals that lack solar radiation in winter. In general, climate warming has a negative impact on the state of the Baikal seal population. The available paleoclimatic reconstructions of the Holocene indicate that the population of the Baikal seal has experienced a lot of climate changes in its history. Nevertheless, if the current trends of climatic changes persist until the end of the 21st century, the ecology and biology of the seal will drastically change (up to the beginning of terrestrial reproduction), and the population will significantly decrease. However, the Baikal seal as a species would remain.

Meander reshaping – the formation process of a wintering riverbed depression of fish

The study of the spatiotemporal distribution of fish is an important and poorly studied aspect of the ecology of aquatic organisms. The research work was performed using the modern hydroacoustic method and geographic information systems. A section in the lower reaches of the Irtysh, a large transboundary Siberian river (in Western Siberia, Russian Federation), was studied. It has a strong development of meandering. The merging (i.e., reshaping of closely spaced meanders and erosion-accumulating channel processes) results in development of wintering riverbed depression, which is a critical “temporal bottleneck” during the winter period of the fish life cycle. The average density of fish in the study area in summer and autumn was 8,031 and 9,194 individuals per ha, respectively. Analysis of the distribution of fish showed that the distribution in the horizontal aspect had a more aggregated character in the autumn. In the vertical aspect, it had a more surface (pelagic) character. The ichthyofauna in the water area of the riverbed depression is mainly represented by cyprinids. The loop-shaped evolution of the channel formed a section of the river with multidirectional, circulating, and counter-current flows. It also created zones with depths exceeding 20 m and aggregations of fish. These features characterize the studied water area as a wintering riverbed depression of the fish of the Lower Irtysh. This section of the river should be included in the list of protected wintering biotopes of fish in the West Siberian fishery basin, which will ensure the conservation of fish at the critical stage of the life cycle.

Soluble cuticular wax composition and antimicrobial activity of the fruits of Chaenomeles species and an interspecific hybrid

Plants of the genus Chaenomeles Lindl. (Rosaceae) naturally grow in Southeast Asia and represent the richest resource of biologically active compounds with beneficial properties for humans. Plants of C. japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. and C. speciosa (Sweet) Nakai species, and interspecific hybrid C. × superba (Frahm) Rehder (C. japonica × C. speciosa, Superba group) have been successfully introduced in the steppe zone of Ukraine and bear fruits. In this study, we evaluated chemical composition of fruit cuticular waxes and antimicrobial activity of fruit extracts. The soluble waxes were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 26–36 compounds, representing 91.7–96.6% of the total soluble cuticular waxes, were identified. Waxes of Chaenomeles fruits belonged to six classes, namely fatty acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ethers and alkanes. Aldehydes 7-hexadecenal and heptacosanal, and alkanes hexatriacontane and tetrapentacontane were the main constituents in the soluble cuticular waxes of C. speciosa and C. × superba fruits, accounting for more than half of the total contents. However, alkane tetrapentacontane, alcohol 8,10-hexadecadien-1-ol and heptacosanal prevailed in C. japonica fruit waxes. Isopropanolic fruit extracts exhibited dose-dependent antimicrobial activity against four Gram-negative bacteria, five Gram-positive bacteria and one fungal strain in the disc diffusion assay. In general, extracts from the Chaenomeles fruits demonstrated higher activity against Gram+ bacteria than Gram- strains. The strongest inhibiting activity was shown against Staphylococcus epidermidis (by the fruit extracts of C. × superba and C. speciosa), Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Candida albicans (both by C. × superba fruit extract). Results of the study confirmed accumulation of the bioactive compounds in the fruit waxes of different Chaenomeles species and antimicrobial ability of Chaenomeles fruits as well. These findings revealed the bioactive compounds in fruit cuticular waxes and suggested health-promoting properties of introduced Chaenomeles species.

Fouling communities of microscopic fungi on various substrates of the Black Sea

Fungi are the most active biodeteriorators of natural and man-made materials. The article presents generalizations of the studies (2001–2019) of communities of microscopic fungi within biofilms on various substrates: shells of live Mytilus (Mytilus galloprovincialis, 670 specimens) and Ostreidae (Crassostrea gigas, 90 specimens), fragments of driftwood (over 7,000), stones (40), concrete of hydrotechnical constructions along the shoreline (80) and wood between concrete blocks in constructions on the shores (80). The studies were carried out in Odessa Oblast, the coastal zone of Sevastopol and open area of the Black Sea. There were identified 123 species of micromycetes, belonging to 65 genera, 33 families, 21 orders, 10 classes, 4 divisions, 2 kingdoms: Fungi and Chromista (fungi-like organisms). The Chromista kingdom was represented by 1 species – Ostracoblabe implexa, on shells of C. gigas. The number of species of micromycetes on various substrates varied 23 (wood between concrete blocks of hydrotechnical constructions) to 74 (shells of M. galloprovincialis at the depths of 3 and 6 m). On all the substrates, the following species were found; Alternaria alternata, Botryotrichum murorum. The communities were found to contain pathogenic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus (shells of mollusks, stones, concrete), A. terreus (concrete), Fusarium oxysporum, Pseudallescheria boydii (shells of mollusks). The best representation was seen for the Pleosporales order – from 12.9% (shells of M. galloprovincialis, 0.3 m depth) to 33.3% (shells of C. gigas) of the species composition. Toxin-producing species of Microascales in mycological communities accounted for 1.6% (driftwood) to 40.0% (concrete), and were also observed on shells of Bivalvia – 11.1–32.3%. Similarity of species composition of mycological communities according to Bray-Curtis coefficient varied 21.1% (driftwood and concrete, 10 shared species) to 72.7% (shells of M. galloprovincialis, the depths of 3 and 7 m and shells of C. gigas, 45 shared species). Using graphs of indices of mean taxonomic distinctness (AvTD, Δ+) and variation (Variation in Taxonomic Distinctness index, VarTD, Λ+), we determined deviations of taxonomic structure of the studied mycological communities from the level of mean expected values, calculated based on the list of species, taking into account their systematic positions. The lowest values of index Δ+ were determined for communities on shells of M. galloprovincialis, 0.3 m depth, driftwood, stones and concrete. These communities had uneven distribution of species according to higher taxonomic ranks and minimum number of the highest taxa: 4–6 classes, 1–2 divisions, Fungi kingdom. Disproportion in species composition with decrease in the number of the highest taxa occurred in extreme environmental conditions. Using index Λ+, we found that the most complex taxonomic structure of fungi communities has developed on concrete and shells of C. gigas. In mycological communities on those substrates, the number of species was low (25 and 46), but they belonged to 4–7 classes, 2–3 divisions, 1–2 kingdoms. To compare the structures of mycological communities that have developed in such substrates in biotopes sea, sea-land-air, land-air, we compiled a list of fungi based on the literature data, which, taking into account our data, comprised 445 species of 240 genera, 103 families, 51 orders, 15 classes, 5 divisions, 2 kingdoms. The analysis revealed that on substrates with similar chemical composition, in all the biotopes, the species of the same divisions dominated (genus and family may vary). Therefore, in the biotope land-air – Hypocreales, Pleosporales, Eurotiales (genera Acremonium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium); sea – Pleosporales, Eurotiales, Microascales (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Corollospora); sea-land-air – Pleosporales, Microascales (Alternaria, Leptosphaeria, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Corollospora, Halosarpheia). Monitoring of species composition of myxomycetes is needed in farms that cultivate industrial objects, recreation sites, various buildings for prevention of mycotoxin intoxication and infestation by mycodermatoses and other diseases caused by opportunistic and pathogenic fungi.

Physiological responses of orchids to prolonged clinorotation

Creation of plant-based bioregenerative life support systems is crucial for future long-duration space exploring missions. Microgravity is one of the major stresses affecting plant growth and development under space flight conditions. Search for higher plant genotypes resilient to microgravity as well as revealing of biological features which could be used as markers of such resilience is rather urgently needed. The objective of this study was to analyze physiological and biochemical responses of three orchid species representing different life forms (terrestrial and epiphytic), growth types (monopodial and sympodial) and pathways of CO2 fixation to long-term (24 months) clinorotation which modeled the combined effect of two stress factors: hermetic conditions and microgravity. Three years old meristematic orchids Cypripedium flavum, Angraecum eburneum, Epidendrum radicans, representing different life forms, types of branching shoot system and pathways of CO2 fixation, were used as test-plants. The microgravity was simulated using three-dimensional (3-D) clinostat equipped with two rotation axes placed at right angles (rotation frequency was 3 rpm) in controlled conditions of air temperature, illumination, air humidity and substrate moisture. The control plants were grown in the similar plastic vessels but not hermetically sealed and without clinorotating in the same environmental conditions. The vital state of the test plants was assessed using characteristics of mineral nutrition, content of photosynthetic pigments, free amino acids, soluble proteins, DNA and RNA, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. The results of this study confirmed that orchids grown under simulated microgravity and kept in hermetically-sealed vessels were subjected to oxidative stress, which could be responsible for the observed inhibition of basic physiological processes such as mineral nutrition, metabolism of aminoacids, protein biosynthesis and photosynthesis. Monopodial orchids C. flavum and A. eburneum demonstrated better adaptation to prolonged clinorotation as compared to sympodial E. radicans. In particular, the latter demonstrated some stimulation of mineral nutrition processes (i.e. K, N, Fe, Mn, Zn accumulation), content of photosynthetic pigments, proline and superoxide dismutase activity. Long-lasting clinorotation induced adaptive changes of antioxidant systems in the studied orchids (e.i. increase in carotenoids and proline content and stimulation of superoxide dismutase activity), which helped to maintain the main physiological functions at stable level in the above-mentioned stressful conditions. The following biochemical characteristics in the studied orchids could be considered as markers of resilience to simulated microgravity and hermetic conditions: 1) an increase in the accumulation of non-enzymatic (proline, carotenoids) and enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase); 2) ability to maintain stable balance of mineral nutrients; 3) increase in the content of photosynthetic pigments; 4) increase in the content of proteinogenic amino acids and soluble proteins; 5) increase in the DNA content or RNA/DNA ratio. Our studies have also demonstrated a correlation between orchid ecomorphological characteristics such as type of branching with their adaptive responses to prolonged clinorotation. We observed no correlation between the studied life form of orchids, ecotype or the pathway of CO2 fixation and their resilience to prolonged clinorotation. This research can be a starting point for studying the relationships between ecomorphological features of various orchids and their resilience to microgravity conditions in the search for biological markers of microgravity tolerance in species of higher plants.