Urban Flora as a Component of the Urban Ecosystems in the Taiga Zone: An Example of Karelian Cities

Cities are areas of increased diversity of species in the taiga zone. The aboriginal fraction of Karelian flora is a stable natural system whose main characteristics are preserved in the urban flora. The adventive fraction, which is a dynamic component of the flora, has not been completely formed in the cities, as well as in eastern Fennoscandia as a whole. It has become substantially richer during the past 20–25 years. Cities of the taiga zone may serve as objects for monitoring the anthropogenic processes of flora transformation in the North.     

长江上游滇西北地区植物区系组成及物种多样性

长江上游滇西北地区是全球重要的生物多样性热点地区之一,也是长江流域重要的生态屏障。利用最新的文献数据,结合过去5 a的野外考察成果,分析了滇西北地区的植物区系组成及其物种多样性。研究结果表明：滇西北地区拥有种子植物6 559种,分属于205科,1 281属。滇西北地区以04%的国土面积,拥有我国种子植物科数的74%,属数的41%和物种数的20%。同时也以10%的土地面积,拥有云南地区种子植物科数的77%,属数的55%和物种数的43%。在热带区系组成方面,比重较大的分布区类型为泛热带分布(165%)和热带亚洲分布(122%);在温带区系方面,北温带分布和东亚分布所占比重比较高,分别为193%和145%。热带区系成分与温带区系成分所占的比重非常接近,分别为47%和53%,表现出强烈的区系过渡性,这可能与地层抬升、板块漂移和温性植物类群的迁入有关。温带区系比重略高于热带区系,说明该区域的植物区系具有一定的温凉性质,这与滇西北地区相对温凉的气候环境是一致的。科的分化强度为63;属的分化强度为51。研究区域内丰富的植物多样性与其复杂的生境、强烈的区系过渡性和区系分化是一致的。滇西北地区可能是验证、发展各种生物多样性假说的理想场所。因此,滇西北地区的植物多样性不仅值得人们关注和保护,而且也值得研究和探索。与滇东北的药山自然保护区相比,滇西北地区拥有更高比重的热带亚洲成分,这可能与古南大陆的“掸邦 马来亚”板块的位移和旋转有关。滇西北地区与滇西南的铜壁关自然保护区在植物区系高级分区和系统进化的起源上具有一定的联系,在一定程度上证实了“田中线”的真实存在。联系滇西北地区植物区系与铜壁关自然保护区植物区系的节点可能是研究区域内的独龙江地区.     

Trends of changes in the floristic composition of forest vegetation in the northern Baikal region upon climate warming

Parameters characterizing the activity of species in altitudinal zonal elements of the flora have been analyzed in the northern Baikal region. The results provide evidence for the weakening status of xerophilic species in the cenoflora of hemiboreal light coniferous forests of the class Rhytidio-Laricetea, which form the lower part of the forest belt bordering the steppe. This fact indicates that climate on the slopes of mountain ridges is becoming more humid. The increase in humidity may be explained by both progressing degradation of permafrost and increasing precipitation. On the other hand, no significant change has been observed in the cenoflora of mountain taiga forests of the class Vaccinio-Piceetea, which form the upper part of the forest belt.     

Comparative Estimation of Floristic Diversity in Protected Natural Areas

A method for estimating floristic diversity at the species, genus, and family levels and the taxonomic structure of the flora of protected natural areas is proposed. The method is illustrated using the example of three nature reserves located in the Northern, Middle, and Southern Urals. The dependence of the characteristics of the regional floras on their positions in the system of botanical–geographic zones, the size of the protected area, and other factors have been studied in these reserves. The proportion of endemic plants and the degree of flora synanthropization have been determined.     

Ecological features and trends in the formation of the flora of liverworts under the impact of current volcanic and glacial activities: The example of Ushkovskii Volcano, Kamchatka

The flora of liverworts has been studied in the vicinity of the Bil’chenok glacier (the Ushkovskii volcano, Kamchatka), which is in a zone of volcanic ash fallout. Specific complexes of liverworts growing on young moraine and ash deposits have been identified. These complexes are dominated by thallose marchantioid species. Under the effect of periodic ash fallout (in the absence of glacial activity), communities are formed that contain increased proportions of xerophytes and species preferring sites with a disturbed ground vegetation cover.     

三峡库区香溪河流域河岸带种子植物区系研究

根据详细的植物群落调查资料,对三峡库区香溪河流域河岸带种子植物区系进行了研究。结果表明：河岸带维管束种类在科级水平上占神农架的65.8％,在属级水平上占47.3％,在种级水平上占26.7％。河岸带植物区系的性质为温带特性,与神农架地区种子植物属的性质相一致。河岸带这一独特自然景观的植物区系在整个区域自然景观中具有相当的代表性。在香溪河流域河岸带中,维管束植物种类较丰富,分布着大量的珍稀濒危植物种类,表明河岸带在生物多样性保护中具有重要的作用。     

Sexual forms and their ecological correlates of flowering plants in Siberia

The flora of Siberia includes 4500 species, 815 genera, and 123 families of angiosperms. The causes of the relationship between sexual forms and such ecological and biological features of plants as the life form, the mode of pollination, pericarp’s consistency, habitat type, zonal group, and the ecological group in relation to moistening were analyzed and discussed. For the first time, we demonstrated that gynomonoecy in the flora of Siberia was associated with a semiwoody growth form, pollination by wind, and propagation in zonal communities. It was revealed that gynodioecy in Siberia was associated with a semiwoody growth form, circumpolar or Eurasian distribution, and floodplain meadows. It was found that the ratio of dioecious and hermaphrodite plants in the ecological-biological complexes of species directly depends on the frequency of the abundance of species with endemic areas.     

Natural Recovery of Technogenic Landscapes in Open Larch Forests in Northeastern Russia

Studies on the vegetation and soil complexes in areas of the Kolyma River basin disturbed by mining, in the northeast of the Chukchi Peninsula, have been performed to reveal trends in natural restorative processes in posttechnogenic landscapes. Data on the flora, phytomass stock, chemical composition of plants pioneering in the overgrowing of disturbed areas, and physicochemical properties of soils and technogenic eluvia have been obtained. The results have shown that plant cover restoration in disturbed areas depends primarily on the type (genesis) of technogenic substrates, the content of fine earth in the surface layer, and the distance from natural plant complexes that serve as a source of seeds coming to the disturbed area.     

Buffer boreal forests as an evolutionary phenomenon in the Pacific ecotone of Northern Eurasia

The results of landscape-ecological surveys in the Komsomolsk Nature Reserve (the Lower Amur region) have been used as a basis for empirical–statistical modeling of the spatial organization of floristic phratries and forest types that characterize the Amur sub-Pacific as part of the continental marginal part of the megaecotone. Trends in the evolutionary forest-forming processes are described. Mechanisms have been revealed for the origin of buffer forest communities, including spruce–broadleaf and nemoral fir–spruce forests of the Manchurian–Okhotian phratry. Forests of this phenomenal buffer flora are distinguished by extremely high parameters of structural and functional development and have reached the state approaching the evolutionary climax. The previously advanced concepts of the Pacific ecotone of Northern Eurasia as a focus of evolutionary processes in the continental biosphere have been confirmed.     

A common approach for radiological protection of humans and the environment

Protection of the environment is developing rapidly at the national and international level, but there are still no internationally agreed recommendations as to how radiological protection of the environment should be carried out. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is currently reviewing its existing recommendations for human protection. It has set up a task group with the aim of developing a protection policy for, and suggesting a framework of, the protection of the environment that could feed into its recommendations at the start of the 21st century. The task group will propose a framework for the protection of the environment from harmful effects of radiation, harmonising with the principles for the protection of humans. Although the task group has not yet finalised on the objectives for the environment, these might be to safeguard the environment by preventing or reducing the frequency of effects likely to cause early mortality, reduced reproductive success, or the occurrence of scorable DNA damage in individual fauna and flora to a level where they would have a negligible impact on conservation of species, maintenance of biodiversity, or the health and status of natural habitats or communities. To achieve these objectives, a set of reference dose models, reference dose per unit intake and reference organisms will be required.     

Using stated preference methods to assess environmental impacts of forest biomass power plants in Portugal

As a renewable energy source, the use of forest biomass for electricity generation is advantageous in comparison with fossil fuels; however, the activity of forest biomass power plants causes adverse impacts, affecting particularly neighbouring communities. The main objective of this study is to estimate the effects of the activity of forest biomass power plants on the welfare of two groups of stakeholders, namely local residents and the general population. To this end, we apply two stated preference methods: contingent valuation and discrete choice experiments, respectively. The former method was applied to estimate the minimum compensation residents of neighbouring communities of two forest biomass power plants in Portugal would be willing to accept. The latter method was applied among the general population to estimate their willingness to pay to avoid specific environmental impacts. The results show that the presence of the selected facilities affects individuals’ well-being. On the other hand, in the discrete choice experiments conducted among the general population all impacts considered were valued, in particular odour and fauna and flora impacts. The results of this study stress the importance of performing an equity analysis of the welfare effects on different groups of stakeholders from the installation of forest biomass power plants, as their effects on welfare are location and impact specific. Policy makers should take into account the views of all stakeholders either directly or indirectly involved when deciding crucial issues regarding the sitting of new forest biomass power plants, in order to achieve an efficient and equitable outcome.     

Flora biodiversity change detection: a case study

Changes in flora biodiversity are a dilemma facing managers in order to cope with challenges of extinction or endangering plant species as well as replacement by invasive species. Such problems can occur in the region as disruption of ecosystem balance. The first step of proper management of a watershed is obtaining accurate information about plant communities and their dominance and biodiversity status. Such information will help decision makers to adopt an appropriate management approach. Accordingly, the current study was conducted to detect various types of plant species in Zanjanrood Watershed. For this porous, quadrate and transect methods were applied to determine available plant species in the region. Afterwards, Shannon and Simpson’s Reciprocal indices were used to specify the biodiversity status of the identified communities. The calculation results revealed 3.19 and 5.98 for Shannon and Simpson’s Reciprocal indices, respectively. As the results suggested, there has been a downward trend in biodiversity status over the last 20 years. Such a deteriorating condition has been accelerated rise in recent years so that the non-palatable species are rapidly replaced by the palatable ones due to uncontrolled overgrazing of livestock. If management is not based on principles of sustainability in the region, the watershed will experience an extreme poverty of land cover. The findings would be so helpful to achieve an appropriate strategy in order to conserve the biodiversity in a sustainable manner.     

Factors of Richness of Urban Floras in the Ural–Volga Region

Original data on 14 urban floras in the Ural–Volga region have been analyzed to estimate the effect of the geographic location, topography, climate, size, and age of a city on the species richness of its flora. This parameter in different cities varied from 288 to 973 species, with the proportion of alien species varying from 21 to 41%. Factors of flora richness were estimated by multiple linear regression using principal component estimates obtained by factor analysis of 13 city characteristics as predictors. It has been confirmed that the richness of urban floras depends primarily on the city size, which accounts for greater proportions of variation in the number of native species (56%), the number of alien species (91%), and the total number of species (71%). In addition, variation in the number of native species is determined by terrain elevation (22%), increasing at higher elevations. The proportion of alien species in the urban flora does not depend on the size of the city and is negatively correlated with terrain elevation.     

Effect of sewage on biodegradability of hydrocarbons in refinery wastewater

The effect of the microbial flora of municipal sewage, with special reference to faecal coliform and faecal streptococci groups, on the hydrocarbons biodegradation of the refinery wastewater from the Moustorod Oil Refinery has been studied. The results indicate that sewage with its microbial flora seems to have a significant role in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in refinery wastewater. In addition, the early degradation in the wastewater seeded by sewage reveals that faecal streptococci, in addition to other microbial flora, have a significant role in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons.     

The role of railroads in the formation of synanthropic flora in the Middle Urals

Consideration is given to the biological diversity and bioecological features of ruderal vegetation developing along railroads and to its role in the formation of synanthropic flora.     

Impacts of atrazine in aquatic ecosystems

A portion of all herbicides applied to forests, croplands, road sides, and gardens are inevitably lost to water bodies either directly through runoff or indirectly by leaching through groundwater into ephemeral streams and lakes. Once in the aquatic environment, herbicides may cause stress within aquatic communities and radically alter community structure. Atrazine is one of the most effective and inexpensive herbicides in the world and is consequently used more frequently than any other herbicide. Atrazine is frequently detected in aquatic waters, and has been known to affect reproduction of aquatic flora and fauna, which in turn impacts on the community structure as a whole. This paper presents a summary of the reported direct and indirect impacts of atrazine on aquatic organisms and community structure. The information can be used for developing improved management guidelines and legislation. It is concluded that a single universal maximum limit on the atrazine application in catchments, as suggested by many regulatory authorities, does not provide adequate protection of the aquatic environment. Rather, it is advocated that flexible limits on the application of atrazine be developed in line with the potential risk of contamination to surface and subsurface water and fragility of the aquatic environment.     

长江上游玉龙雪山植物物种多样性形成的探讨

玉龙雪山位于云南省西北部的丽江市,是界于澜沧江和金沙江之间云岭山脉的主峰。南临丽江坝,东、西、北三面均为金沙江环绕,处于中国三大植物多样性中心之一的横断山区的核心地带,具有很高的植物物种多样性。该区有藻类植物31科72属196种,地衣植物17科20余种,在苔藓植物中有苔类45种、藓类130种,蕨类植物约有220 多种,种子植物有171科804属2 646种(不含栽培种及种下等级),其中中国特有种1 631种,占本区种子植物总数的61.46%。对玉龙雪山植物物种多样性的形成进行了探讨,认为玉龙雪山丰富的植物物种多样性主要来源于3个第三纪古植物区系成分即古北大陆、古地中海以及古南大陆成分,其中以古北大陆成分为主。之后的新构造运动及第四纪冰期冰川的反复作用,形成了玉龙雪山复杂多样的生态环境。来源于以上3个古植物区系成分的植物物种在以后的进化过程中经过不断分化、发展以及与临近区域的交流,形成了现在丰富的植物物种多样性格局。     

赣江河岸带植被的数量分析

河岸带是河流-陆地生态系统的重要生态交错带,具有独特的生态系统结构和功能。基于植物群落的野外标准样方调查,采用双向指示种分析(TWINSPAN)和除趋势对应分析(DCA)的多元分析方法,对赣江河岸带植物群落进行数量分类与排序。TWINSPAN将所调查的109个样方分为7组。DCA排序将TWINSPAN分成7组的第1和2组合成了一个植被类型,其余类型与TWINSPAN分类的结果比较一致。结合分类与排序结果,可将赣江河岸带植被分为6个植被类型：河岸带草丛、河岸落叶阔叶群落、河漫滩草甸、河岸常绿阔叶林、河岸针阔混交林、岗地马尾松林,这6个植被类型在赣江河岸带有明显的分布格局。赣江河岸带植被为典型的隐域性植被,然而其物种组成又兼具中亚热带常绿阔叶林地带的烙印。受人为活动影响,河岸带植被结构及其功能均发生退化。因此,亟需加强河岸带恢复重建和生态系统管理     

Specific Features of the Dynamics of Murine Rodent Communities under the Effects of Urbanization: 1. Dynamics of Species Composition and Abundance

The long-term population dynamics of rodent communities in park forests of Yekaterinburg was studied. The results showed that deep population depressions occurring in natural communities are not characteristic of the urban communities. In the urban environment, the density of rodents is always maintained at a relatively high level due to the appearance of species that are atypical for the natural communities. This fact deserves attention in view of the increasing risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in the region, as a high rodent abundance may provide for the maintenance of a stable TBE focus in the city.