Dynamics of plant communities in insular pine forests of Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe

The dynamics of vegetation have been studied in forest-steppe pine (Pinus symvestris L.) forests affected by anthropogenic factors such as felling and fires. Gradient analysis has been used to reveal specific ecological features of plant communities and trace the main directions of succession. The results show that these forests are at different stages of progressive succession, with the development of theircommunities following similar trends over the past few decades.     

Inhibition of restorative succession by invasive plant species: Examples from southeastern Belarus

Consideration is given to the examples of suppression of restorative succession by invasive plant species (Solidago canadensis L., Helianthus subcanescens (A. Gray) E. Watson, Impatiens glandulifera Royle) in anthropogenic landscapes of southeastern Belarus. Characteristics of communities blocking the succession process have been revealed: low species richness, dominance of alien species in coverage, high level of synanthropization, and the absence of natural regeneration of trees and shrubs. It is suggested that a delay in succession is caused by the suppressing influence of transformer species on seed germination in apophytic trees.     

Seasonal variation in photosynthesis in relation to differing environmental factors of dominant plant species in three successional communities in Hangzhou Bay Wetlands,East China

We investigated the ecophysiology (physiological ecology) of plant succession within a coastal wetland community. The photosynthetic characteristics of six plants were studied; Scirpus mariqueter and Carex scabrifolia in early successional communities, Phragmites communis and Tamarix chinensis in mid successional communities, and Salix matsudana and Imperata cylindrica in later successional communities. Environmental factors were concurrently determined for each community. Relationships between photosynthetic and environmental factors were analyzed by path analysis, and the dependence of photosynthesis on particular environmental factors was shown to vary between plants in the differing successional communities. Ability to cope with irradiation appears to be one of the most important factors influencing plant succession. The increasing stratification of plant communities following colonization of new coastal land necessitates differing physiological strategies and photosynthetic dynamics in the later colonizing plants.     

Succession in the Abra ovata Community on Soft Grounds of a Newly Flooded Area of the Caspian Sea

Studies on succession in the Abra ovata community inhabiting the flooded area in Sulak Bay, Caspian Sea, that have been carried out since the mid-1980s were continued. It has been found that the pioneer species A. ovata and Cerastoderma glaucum are still dominant in the structure of this community, determining the course of its succession. Its second stage does not fit the framework of the models characteristic of benthic communities. On the one hand, it conforms to the tolerance model: the pioneer species A. ovata, despite its dominance at all stages of succession, has not prevented the spread of other numerous colonizers of the same trophic level. On the other hand, it conforms to the facilitation model: due to their abundance, the pioneer species as grazing species have attracted organisms of a higher trophic level, namely, sturgeons.     

Expansion of invasive alien plant species in the republic of Bashkortostan, the Southern Urals: Analysis of causes and ecological consequences

The causes and ecological consequences of alien plant species invasions in the Southern Urals are analyzed. Aggressive invasive species of North American origin??Ambrosia trifida L., A. psylostachya DC., Cyclachaena xanthiifolia (Nutt.) Fresen., Hordeum jubatum L., Oenothera biennis L., Bidens frondosa L., etc.??have invaded synanthropic and natural plant communities and became dominant, with their proportion varying from 10 to 99%. The biomass of these plants may reach 6 kg/m²; density, more than 1000 shoots per square meter; and seed production, up to 30000 seeds per plant, which explains their dominance in communities. The ecological hazard they pose lies in the displacement of native species, overgrowing of disturbed land areas, and allergenicity of their pollen.     

The role of spring and rain floods in the development of zooplankton in beaver ponds

The role of spring floods as a factor determining the seasonal succession of zooplankton in beaver ponds is demonstrated. The absence of spring floods has an adverse effect on the zooplankton communities of beaver ponds. The taxonomic and trophic organization of communities becomes similar to that in areas exposed to anthropogenic imact. The rain floods in summer and autumn can return the system to early stages of seasonal succession.     

Using sustainability science to analyse social–ecological restoration in NE Japan after the great earthquake and tsunami of 2011

In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated part of northeastern Japan in March 2011, proposals for reconstruction and rehabilitation are still subjects of debate. The claim by many climate scientists that large-scale extreme events can be expected in the future, with similar catastrophic effects in coastal areas, suggests the need for long-term planning that aims at building resilience, the ability for socio-ecological systems to withstand and recover quickly from natural disasters, and continue to develop. We hypothesize that ecosystems and socio-economic resilience will provide affected communities with flexible barriers against future disasters and greater protection in the long run than will hard/engineering solutions such as high seawalls aimed at ensuring only physical security. Building social/ecological resilience in the Tohoku region will increase general security and is anticipated also to contribute to an enhanced quality of life now and for generations to come. This paper argues that building resilience in the affected area requires a transformation to sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries and we describe how the links between satoyama and satoumi, traditional rural territorial and coastal landscapes in Japan, can contribute to this revitalization and to strengthening the relationship between local residents and the landscape in the affected communities. Decision makers at local, regional and national levels need to take a holistic approach based on sustainability science to understand the inter-relationships between these landscapes and ecosystems to develop a robust rebuilding plan for the affected communities. Moreover, this paper suggests that building resilient communities in Japan that demonstrate the strategic benefits of satoyama and satoumi linkages can be a model for building resilient rural and urban communities throughout the world.     

Invasive alien species as drivers in socio-ecological systems: local adaptations towards use of Lantana in Southern India

Lantana camara. L (hereafter Lantana) was first introduced by the British into India in 1807 as an ornamental plant. Since then the species has spread across the length and breadth of the country. Attempts to control Lantana in India have not been successful. In this study, we analysed the use of Lantana by local communities in southern India and identified the possible causes and consequences of its use through the use of a household survey of the socio-economic profile of the user and nonuser households and an analysis of the ecological history of the communities. Communities have been using Lantana for over 25–30 years and apparently such use was not prompted by external agencies. The characteristics of user and nonuser households were similar, except that Lantana users were more literate and had a greater number of occupations per household than nonusers. Per capita income was similar between user and nonuser groups. For nonuser groups, their main income sources were from trading (44 %), wage labour (32 %) and forest resources (23 %). In contrast, the Lantana user groups substituted their loss of income from forest resources (7 %) by income from Lantana (46 %). The ecological history revealed that Lantana was adopted as a resource at a time when it was increasing in the landscape and traditional bamboo resources were in decline because of overuse by commercial enterprises and mast flowering. This change in ecological resource availability prompted a major shift in livelihoods for some in the area.     

Dynamics of floristic composition of communities dominated by Carex acuta in the northern Volga-Akhtuba floodplain

The floristic composition of plant communities dominated by Carex acuta in the northern Volga-Akhtuba floodplain has been analyzed over the period from 1928 to 2009. It has been shown that, in 2008 to 2009, some hygrophytes disappeared from these phytocenoses; simultaneously, their composition was enriched with mesophytes and adventive species. Ramenskii??s ecological scales have indicated a decrease in water supply to habitats of the communities studied.     

Abundance and community structure of bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) hibernating in artificial caves of Samarskaya Luka

The structure of hibernating bat communities has been studied in eight artificial caves of Samarskaya Luka differing in size and layout. Three types of the relative abundance distribution (RAD) of species in these communities have been revealed. Conditions for hibernation are most favorable in large caves with a stable microclimate, where the abundance of bats is high, the Shannon index has the peak values, and variation in the index of species evenness is the lowest. In such caves, RAD fits the broken-stick and log-series models. Variation in diversity indices reaches the highest level in shallow adits with a changeable microclimate, where RAD fits the geometric series model. The abundance, diversity, and structure of communities depend mainly on cave size and the presence of absence of drafts and, to a lesser extent, on ambient temperature, availability of microshelters, and the type of landscape surrounding the cave. Anthropogenic factors have a weak effect only on the abundance of individual species (M. nattereri, M. daubentonii, M. dasycneme, and E. nilssonii) but not on the overall diversity of bat communities.     

Evolutionary ecological analysis of coupled geographic variation of two sympatric rodent species in the Southern Urals

Geometric morphometrics has been used to reveal coupled geographic variation in the mandible shape in two sympatric rodent species, the pygmy wood mouse (Sylvaemus uralensis Pall.) and bank vole (Myodes glareolus Pall.), in the Southern Urals. It has been shown that syntopic samples synchronously collected from the local communities of these species usually display similar, parallel, and unidirectional morphological changes as demonstrated by comparison of species pairs from different localities. The degree of concordance in geographic variation of the species makes it possible to estimate their coevolutionary potential within local communities: the wider the range of ecological conditions under which parallel variation of sympatric species is observed, the higher is their coevolutionary potential.     

Plant communities in the zone of gas field development and heavy metal accumulation by them

Heavy metal accumulation by plant communities has been studied in different zones of impact of gas field development. The contents of heavy metals in different blocks of plant communities has proved to depend not only on the location of phytocenosis but also on its species composition. Communities dominated by species of the family Poaceae contain smaller amounts of heavy metals than those dominated by species of the family Asteraceae, especially of the genus Artemisia. The order of precedence in the accumulation of heavy metals in different blocks of plant communities has been revealed.     

Effect of water pH and total dissolved solids on the species diversity of pelagic zooplankton in lakes: A statistical analysis

Statistical analysis of the combined influence of lake surface area (S), water pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) on the formation of zooplankton communities in lakes has been made on the basis of available data on the number of species (N _sp ) of pelagic zooplankton in 256 lakes of the temperate zone of Europe, Asia, and North America. Graphic analysis and analysis of variance have shown that extremely high or extremely low values of pH and TDS inhibit lake zooplankton. If the value of one of these factors is extremely high, any increase in the other factor is favorable for the inhibited zooplankton, and this second factor determines the value of N _sp .     

The survival strategy of Crepis tectorum L. under conditions of chronic atmospheric pollution

The results of demographic studies on Crepis tectorum L. populations from polluted and clean habitats are presented. They show that these populations significantly differ from each other in a number of parameters, including the seasonal dynamics of seed germination, the number of generations, the time of plant transition to reproduction, and the rate of generation succession in general. These data provide evidence that populations of annual or biennial plants can employ different survival strategies when growing under conditions of pollution or its absence.     

Species richness of tree and shrub layers in riparian forests of the Western Caucasus dominated by alien species

The consequences of replacement of native dominants by alien species (Ailanthus altissima, Ficus carica, Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer negundo, and Amorpha fruticosa) in the tree and shrub layers have been studied in riparian forests of the Western Caucasus. The results show that the invasive dominant species do not always achieve higher abundance, compared with native dominants. When this is the case, however, the dominance of alien species as stronger competitors leads to reduction in the species richness of communities, because they not only intercept the greater part of resources from the environment but also provoke increasingly strict partitioning of remaining resources among associated species.     

Analysis of Catenae in the Kivach Reserve: Structure,Succession State,and Potential Composition of Forest Vegetation

Types of catenae of the moraine landscape of the Kivach Reserve have been described, and five ecotopes have been distinguished in their composition. The analysis of ecological ranges of the main forest-forming species has made it possible to predict the potential composition of a tree synusia that included five to seven species in the greater part of the catenae and three species in depressions with stagnant moistening. The population demographic approach has been used to determine the succession status of communities in the study area. Six variants of phytochores have been distinguished in the herb-dwarf shrub layer; the main ecological and succession factors of distribution have been determined for them.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 252–258.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Platonova.     

The structure of bumblebee communities (Hymenoptera,Apidae, Bombus spp.) in some ecosystems of Kunashir Island and Southern Sakhalin (Russian Far East)

The structure of bumblebee communities has been studied in some ecosystems of Kunashir Island and Southern Sakhalin. The island taxocenes include five to eight bumblebee species. Bombus hypnorum is dominant in the majority of habitats. In geothermal areas near hot springs on Kunashir, the families of this species develop more rapidly than in areas without geothermal heating.     

Role of small mammals in natural and anthropogenic landscapes of the right-bank region of Saratov oblast

Small mammal communities inhabiting natural and anthropogenically transformed areas of the right-bank region of Saratov oblast are fairly similar in species composition. They are represented by wide-spread, common species that, against the background of a low population density of typical steppe species, make a major contribution to the community. The highest ecological tolerance is characteristic of the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius, which is widespread in the study region and dominates in the majority of natural biotopes and in agrocenoses; the common vole Microtus arvalis is scarce in agrocenoses.     

Building climate change resilience through local cooperation: a Peruvian Andes case study

Many of the problems faced by international projects intending to create adaptive social–ecological systems for climate change stem from lack of stakeholder engagement, limited understanding of local political, economic, and environmental complexities, and restricted time. Local organizations focused on conservation and development might have an advantage in creating adaptive social–ecological systems because they understand local processes and are involved with communities for extended periods of time. A local non-governmental organization, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), works in twenty-one communities in the Andean highlands outside of Cusco to conserve the endangered Polylepis forests. As part of the conservation project, ECOAN supports community-led development projects such as building greenhouses. Data for this project were gathered through interviews (with community members in three different communities, ECOAN staff, and donors) and participant observation. This paper shows that ECOAN’s extensive use of participation has led to community ownership of the conservation and development projects. The communities’ close connections to the Polylepis project contribute to resilience through creating networks, extending the local environmental ethic to the Polylepis trees, supporting projects that diversify and strengthen community sustenance, and contributing to the growth of economic activities. This case study provides a positive example of the potential for local organizations and people to take charge of their own resiliency efforts where international projects and protocols may otherwise prove ineffective.