Pseudo-morphogenesis in the shells of the Silurian brachiopods

The analysis of paleontological data, the study of mineral matter transformation involving live organisms in various rocks is important for the understanding of the events of the geological past. The aim of this work is to identify the bio-genic factor in the process of pseudo-morphogenesis in the shell sashes of the Early Silurian brachiopods from the car-bonate rocks of the Chernyshev Ridge. Structural and microscopic methods (Shimadzu XRD 6000; Fourier spectrometer InfraLum FT-02; JSM 6400 JEOL; VEGA3 TESCAN; MIN-8) were used to study quartz pseudomorphoses in the sashes of four shells of the Early Silurian brachiopods Borealis sр. of Pentamerida order from the carbonate strata of the Chernyshev Ridge. The salicification of the brachiopod shell walls resulted in the complete replacement of the original carbonate skeleton with a change in its structural organization. It is established that quartz is the main mineral component of the intra-shell material and secondary dolomite crystals and newly formed calcite aggregates. The paper discusses the participation of Early Paleozoic and modern cyanobacterial symbionts in the replacement of primary calcite with quartz and the formation of quartz crystalline aggregates on the shell walls. It is shown that quartz on the surface of shell sashes and in the intra-shell substance of brachiopods has undergone repeated transformations due to the combination of ancient and modern weathering processes.

Petrochemical features of granite-gneisses of the Nikolaishor massif (Subpolar Urals)

The Nikolaishor massif is located within the heavily eroded gneisses of the Nyarta metamor¬phic complex and is an au-tochthonous massif composed of plagiogranites and kalispartic granites. The conducted petrochemical study of the least modified variety of granites of this massif made it possible to identify the petrochemical features of the studied rock, as well as to determine the geodynamic conditions for the formation of the Nikolaishor massif. According to the results of the silicate analysis, granites are high-alumina leucogranites of the potassium-sodium type. The initial substrate for the stud¬ied rocks was presumably magmatic protolith. Based on the ICP-MS analysis data, various in-dicator ratios were calculated for the granites. The obtained indicators allowed us to conclude that the rocks under consideration were formed from melts enriched mainly with light TR, which belong to a deep crustal type source. Comprehensive study of multivariate discrimi¬nant analysis indicators for the main elements of S. Agrawal, as well as diagrams of J.A. Pearce, D. Papu, N.B. Harris, showed that the rocks of the Nikolaishor massif are syncollisional granites formed in the Late Orogenic time.

Mineral resources of the Vorkuta region and the prospects of their development

The analysis of the state and prospects for the development of the mineral resource base of the Vorkuta region of the Komi Republic, belonging to the Arctic zone, was carried out. It is shown that the coking coal deposits of the Pechora basin, the development of which is the basis for the existence of the city of Vorkuta, were and still are the most impor-tant ones. The reserves of coking coal are significant, however, the supply of them to operating mining enterprises is becoming more and more limited. To maintain and develop coal mining, it is necessary to build new mines. Along with the coal deposits, the Vorkuta region is of great interest in relation to other minerals. In the Kosyu-Rogovsk and Koro-taikha depressions, there are potential oil and gas-bearing structures, on the western slope of the Polar Urals – barite deposits, gold, chromium and copper occurrences, deserving further geological study and prospecting works. For a more complete disclosure and development of the mineral resource potential of the Vorkuta region, the extension of transport infrastructure is of great importance. The implementation of plans for the construction of railways, access to the Northern Sea Route, can contribute, in particular, to increasing the volume of coal production and wider supplies of coal using sea transport, and raising the investment attractiveness of the Arctic territories.

Development of technologies for growing agricultural crops acceptable in organic farming in the north-western region of Russia

The paper deals with the issues of growing the main agricultural crops (cereals, vegetables, potatoes) using organic crop production technologies. The effectiveness of preparations used to control pests and plant diseases is given. A method for calculating the sales price of organic products is proposed.

The Poaceae family species in the collection of the Botanical Garden of the Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch, RAS

The paper presents the results of a long-term study (2010–2019) of the ecological and bio¬logical characteristics of the collection of species of the Poaceae family, which at the end of 2019 included 32 species (45 samples) belonging to 16 genera. The genus Festuca L. is represented by the largest number of species – 10, the genus Bromopsis Four. contains 4 species, three genera – Elymus L., Phleum L. and Poa L. – two spe¬cies each. The remaining 12 genera are repre¬sented in the collection by only one species. Arrhenatherum L., Alopecurus L., Beckmannia Host., Briza L., Calamagrostis Adams., Dactylis L., Deschampsia Beaw, Hordeum L., Leymus L., Melica L., Miscanthus Anderss, Phaloroides Wolf. All species of the collection fund are di¬vided into three groups according to the rate of their development: 16 species are classified as early plants, their vegetation period is 60–75 days; medium-sized plant group (76 – 92 days) includes 9 species; late plant group (more than 95 days) – 7 species. Long-term research on a complex of economically significant features made it possible to identify promising cereal plants (12 species) that can be used as ornamen¬tal plants for landscaping in the northern re¬gion. It is shown that among the selected prom¬ising species there are representatives of all three groups of cereal plants, distinguished by the rate of development. Thus, the group of plants of early development includes 5 promis ing species: Festuca rubra, F. pratensis, Briza media, Deshampsia cespitosa, Melica nutans. Cereals belonging to the second group are Festuca ovina, F. pseudodalmatica, Elymus sibi-ricus, Dactylis glomerata, Bromopsis tyttholepis. The group of late-growth cereals includes Beck-mannia eruciformis and Phleum pratensis. Brief data are given for each promising species: morphological description, ecological relevance, geographical distribution, timing of phenological phases, reproductive ability, possibilities of decorative use.

Socio-economic portrait of parents with many children (on the example of the Komi Republic)

The paper presents a socio-economic and demographic portrait of parents with many children in the Komi Republic, aged 25-49, based on the results of 2017 sociological survey on determining the level and quality of life of the popula-tion of the northern region. In order to study the total sampling size, 70 respondents having three or more children, aged 25-49, were selected. To compare the data obtained on some issues, a comparison with the results of the survey as a whole for the entire group of respondents aged 25-49, without taking into account the number of children, was made. The study allowed us to make a number of conclusions. All three types of reproductive attitudes in large families are at a high level and correspond to extended type of reproduction. The highest is the average desired number of children. Among the large families, there are fewer people with higher education than in the whole array of respondents, and more of those with secondary special education. The housing problem is acute for a significant part of large families: almost a third of large families have cramped housing conditions. 40% of parents with many children, with all the desire to improve their housing conditions, cannot afford it in the near future. Low personal incomes (taking into account wages and other sources) are twice as likely to have large families than the general population, without taking into account number of children. The average per capita incomes of families differ significantly depending on the level of childbearing – due to the growing dependency burden on the budget. The most disturbing fact is that four out of ten families with three or more children have an average per capita income below the subsistence minimum in the Komi Republic. At the end of the paper, recommendations for improving the financial situation of families with three or more children are proposed.

Resource efficiency and environmental impact assessment in the region by decoupling method

The conceptual model of decoupling points to an ideal goal when economic growth and human well-being will increase simultaneously with a slowdown in the rate of resource use and environmental degradation. In foreign practice, the de-coupling methodology is used to measure progress towards sustainable development. The relevance of the decoupling method lies in the possibility of its use as a tool for assessing the environmental situation in relation to economic devel-opment. The purpose of the study is to identify the effect of decoupling in the ecological and economic activity of the Komi Republic. Тhe algorithm of decoupling analysis includes the definition of specific indicators of resource efficiency and the load of the polluting impact on the environment, the determination of indicators of resource decoupling and impact decoupling, the rate of change in the economic and environmental indicators, visualization of the calculated indicators. It is established that in the period 2007-2020, the change in the pace of economic development determined the existence of various types of interrelation between economic indicators, resource and environmental performance, estimated by the value of the decoupling coefficient. This is manifested in the fact that under conditions of synchronously decreasing trends in GRP and water resources use, there is no decoupling effect, while at the same time, reducing the negative load on the atmosphere at a higher rate than reducing GRP ensures the existence of relative decoupling. An analysis of the dynamics of indicators reflecting the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce resource intensity and improve environmental efficiency showed that the planned levels of regional indicators by 2020 have not been achieved in most of the target criteria. The factors that determine the unfavorable environmental situation in the region are identified. The main measures that reduce resource intensity and provide a favorable environment are considered.

Financial factors for improving the competitiveness of the corporate sector in the Komi Republic

The paper demonstrates the importance of a stable financial state of the corporate sector for the competitiveness of the region, limited tools of regional budget policy and the possibility of increasing the financial support of small and me-dium-sized businesses in the Komi Republic. The analysis is based on the indicators of investment in fixed assets and the size of bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses, which are both indicators of the finances of the corpo-rate sector of the economy and the macro-financial block in the concept of regional competitiveness. In the Komi Re-public, as in other northern regions of Russia, the volume of bank lending to small businesses is extremely limited – but the specific investment per capita, and with it the growth rate of the economy, significantly lags behind the average northern and average Russian values. Similarly, in the Komi Republic, as in the rest of the resource economies of Rus-sia, the effects of the "resource curse" (low revenue of small and medium-sized businesses and the volume of innovative products) are manifested – while the poverty of the population is high, the size of average monetary incomes is small and, in comparison with regions with similar income levels, informal employment is very limited. The paper suggests a way to overcome the identified negative trends and restore competitiveness – stimulating demand from the corporate sector of the Komi Republic, primarily small and medium-sized businesses, for financial resources offered by federal development institutions. The problems of intersectoral unevenness and the impact of the system of “northern benefits” on the finances of enterprises are considered.

Geochemical characteristics of the Late Devonian basaltoids of the Kanin Peninsula and the Middle Timan

The petrochemistry and geochemistry of dolerites and basalts of the Late Devonian Kanin-Timan complex of the Kanin Peninsula and the Middle Timan are considered. Petrochemically, the rocks of the Kanin-Timan complex of the Kanin Peninsula and the Tsilma river area of the Middle Timan correspond to basaltoids of the normal range of alkalinity and partially to moderately alkaline varieties, and belong to the tholeiitic series. The least differentiated varieties are dolerites of the southeastern Kanin Peninsula, the most differentiated are the basalts of the river Tsilma of the Middle Timan. The lowest REE concentrations were found in the rocks of the central part of the Kanin Peninsula (36.5-56.8 g/t); in the same samples, the lowest LaN/YbN values were recorded (1.85 and 2.4, respectively), which indicates an increased degree of melting of the source. The highest REE concentrations were found in basalts from the river Tsilma (77.13-88.33 g/t), LaN/YbN values (2.49-2.7, respectively). The influence of the crustal component in the formation of melts from which rocks of the Kanin-Timan complex were formed, was established. The source of the melt was spinel-garnet lherzolite, the degree of melting varied from 10 to 30%. The maximum degree of melting was 30%, at which melts were formed, that gave rise to the least differentiated rocks of the Northern Timan and the central part of the Kanin Peninsula. The mantle source, that gave rise to the melts from which the rocks of the Kanin-Timan complex were formed, was enriched with subduction and crustal components, a similar type of source is characteristic of the basaltoids of the No-rilsk trough.

Petrogeochemical characteristics of mafite-ultramafite rocks of the southern part of the Marunkeu block (Polar Urals)

In the Polar Urals, in the Central and Western tectonic zones, small bodies of mafic-ultramafic rocks are widespread. Their age, petrographic and geochemical features are poorly studied. The paper presents the results of petrographic and petro-geochemical study of muscovite-albite-epidote-amphibole and pyroxene-amphibole-chlorite rocks of the southern part of the Marunkeu block of the Polar Urals, localized in the Middle Riphean sediments of the Nyarovey series and presumably belonging to the Ampelshor complex (O1-2). The primary composition of metamorphites corresponded to high-magnesian, low-titanic, low-alumina, and potassium-sodium tholeiitic hornblende gabbro-dolerites (dolerites) and peridotites formed either from primary magmas melted at the level of the spinel facies from the depleted mantle under the influence of an aqueous fluid, or by intra-chamber differentiation. In terms of the contents of rare and rare-earth elements, they differ from continental riftogenic formations (in particular, dolerites of the Orangyugan-Lemva complex) and are close to the tholeiites of the ensimatic island arcs.