The response of gypsy moth (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lymantria dispar</Emphasis> L.) larvae infected with nuclear polyhedrosis virus to induced resistance in birch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pendula</Emphasis> Roth.)

The effects of birch resistance induced by its artificial defoliation on the development of gypsy moth larvae and their sensitivity to viral infection and on the state of the antioxidant and detoxification systems of the insect midgut were studied. The dynamics of larval body weight; larval mortality and its etiology; glutathione-S-transferase (GT), nonspecific esterase (NE), and catalase (CAT) activities; and the ratio between the concentrations of oxidized and reduced thiol-containing compounds (RSSR/RSH) were estimated. In larvae feeding on the leaves of a previously defoliated plant, body weight was decreased, NE was inhibited, and the RSSR/RSH ratio was increased.     

Interspecific interactions of amphipods <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gammarus lacustris</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gmelinoides fasciatus</Emphasis>

Experimental studies of interactions between two amphipod species (Gmelinoides fasciatus and Gammarus lacustris) showed that predation is the basic mechanism accounting for their mutual exclusion in nature. Mortality from predation among similar-sized specimens of both species at an equal abundance ratio was similar (24–25% in G. lacustris and 27–30% in G. fasciatus). The displacement of G. lacustris by G. fasciatus was observed when the latter was dominant. Adult G. fasciatus and G. lacustris successfully preyed on juveniles of their competitors and did not differ significantly in daily food consumption as a percentage of body weight: 6–24% at a fresh body weight of 18–24 mg in both species. The potential for rapid population growth under new conditions contributed to the success of the invasive Baikal species G. fasciatus in displacing G. lacustris from many water bodies of Russia.     

Effect of temperature and precipitation on linear increment of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphagnum fuscum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. magellanicum</Emphasis> in Western Siberia

The linear increment of Sphagnum fuscum and S. magellanicum in ombrotrophic mires of Western Siberia has been measured during two years over a transect about 2500 km long extending from forest–steppe to forest–tundra. Along the latitudinal gradient, the increment of both species has proved to be correlated with annual average air temperature and, in S. magellanicum, also with annual precipitation. The determinants of their growth differ between the southern, central, and northern parts of the study region. At the regional level, the annual and summer precipitation plays a more important role than the average air temperature. The increment of S. fuscum in the southern part is positively correlated with the amount of precipitation and negatively correlated with summer temperature, whereas the situation in the central part is inverse. In S. magellanicum, the linear increment is directly dependent on the annual average temperature and annual and summer precipitation in the south and on the annual and summer precipitation in the north of Western Siberia. The dynamics of linear growth of both species in bog pine forests during the growing season are similar: its rate is the highest in June, when the linear increment of S. fuscum and S. magellanicum amounts to 60 and 85% of the annual total, respectively.     

Spatiotemporal dynamics of geographical ranges of red deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus</Emphasis>, Cervidae) and Siberian roe deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Capreolus pygargus</Emphasis>, Cervidae) in Yakutia

Patterns of expansion of geographical ranges of red deer and Siberian roe deer in Yakutia during the 20th century are considered. The area inhabited by red deer in Yakutia has increased almost fourfold over the past 50 years, with an expansion of over 200000 km² toward the northwest. The geographical range of roe deer in the Lena–Amga interfluve has also changed considerably during the same period. Roe deer sightings in the subarctic zone were reported. The structure of geographical ranges of the species under investigation in different ecological and geographical regions of Yakutia is discussed, and the factors influencing the transformation of geographical range borders are characterized.     

Effect of illumination regime on life span in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

Accelerated aging of Drosophila strains with impaired detoxification of free radicals (Sod) and DNA repair (mus-210) under illumination as compared to the wild type has been demonstrated. In contrast, in a strain carrying a defective homolog of mammalian gene PCNA, the life span increases under conditions of round-the-clock illumination compared to constant darkness. The first review of the possible mechanisms underlying the effect of the illumination regime on the life span is presented, with special emphasis on the roles of the disturbance of normal circadian rhythms, increase in fecundity and physical activity (metabolic rate), and the neuroendocrine control of the insulin/IGF-1 pathway.     

Genetic differentiation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus mugo</Emphasis> Turra and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. sylvestris</Emphasis> L. populations in the Ukrainian Carpathians and the Swiss Alps

The allozyme analysis of six local populations of Pinus mugo Turra and six populations of P. sylvestris L. in the Ukrainian Carpathians, Swiss Alps, and Schwarzwald has shown a higher polymorphism and greater interpopulation differentiation of the Carpathian group of P. mugo populations compared to the Alpine group (Nei’s genetic distance DN ₇₈ at the level of geographic population group is −0.023). A genetic differentiation of DN ₇₈ = 0.049 between these populations, which are isolated by a distance of more than 1000 km, has been found. This confirms the existence of the subspecies P. mugo ssp. mugo and P. mugo ssp. uncinata in the Carpathians and Alps, respectively. The hypothesis is put forward that the former subspecies has been formed in the Balkans and the latter, in the Pyreneans. It has been demonstrated that regional populations and geographic groups of P. sylvestris are less differentiated than those of P. mugo.     

Mating systems in the steppe lemming (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lagurus lagurus)</Emphasis> and narrow-skulled vole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus gregalis</Emphasis>) from the Northern Kulunda Steppe

A comparative analysis of reproductive behavior has been performed in the steppe lemming (Lagurus lagurus) and narrow-skulled vole (Microtus gregalis). The results show that the species are similar in certain behavioral features indicative of the stability of mating pairs. However, in the narrow-skulled vole, unlike in the steppe lemming, mature males in olfactory tests show preference for receptive sibling females versus non-kin females. Probably, it is the absence of the incest taboo that allows the involvement of young of the year in reproduction within growing family groups and accounts for “coloniality” of the species.     

Plasticity in metamorphic traits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana kukunoris</Emphasis> tadpoles: The interactive effects of food level and rearing temperature

Larval amphibians are particularly likely to encounter variation in rearing temperature and resource availability due to variation in aquatic breeding habitats. In this study, plasticity in growth rates, larval mass, larval period, and size at metamorphosis were examined in Rana kukunoris Nikolskii, 1918 under different combinations of temperature and food level. Larval period and larval body mass was sensitive to food level, and varied with temperature. Tadpoles metamorphosed at an older age at low temperature than those reared at warm temperature. Food level was a significant affect on larval period at low temperature, but not at warm temperature. Mass was heavier for tadpoles reared at low temperatures than those reared at warm temperatures. The effect of food level depended on temperature, because larvae reared at low temperature that were offered a high food level achieved a larger size than larvae offered a low food level, but this did not occur at warm temperature. Therefore, we suggest that high food availability at low temperature prolonged developmental periods, thus larvae are larger as metamorphs than those reared at warm temperatures.     

Ecological-demographic characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potentilla bifurca</Emphasis> L. cenopopulations

A discrete approach to the study of ontogeny has made it possible to reveal a high degree of age heterogeneity in P. bifurca cenopopulations. The basal ontogenetic spectrum of cenopopulations has been determined. The index of regeneration is higher in cenopopulations of the young type and decreases in cenopopulations of the old type, whereas the situation with the index of senescence is inverse. The density of cenopopulations depends mainly on parameters of the substrate (density, composition, and moisture), its slope, and the intensity of plant vegetative reproduction and spread.     

Variability of biochemical parameters and radiation resistance of the seed progeny of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Descurainia sophia</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepidium apetalum</Emphasis> under exposure to various factors

The physiological and biochemical characteristics of seedlings of Descurainia sophia (Fisch.) and Lepidium apetalum Wild. have been used as examples to demonstrate that long-term exposure of plant populations to environmental stress factors causes adaptive changes in antioxidant and genomic systems that may considerably affect the radioresistance of seed progeny. The resistance to additional acute irradiation of seed progeny of wild plants adapted to different environmental conditions has been found to be determined not only by the combination of antioxidant and DNA-repair protection systems and the vulnerability of the functioning genome, but also by their variability. The data on the relationship of the radioresistance of wild plant populations with physiological and biochemical characteristics and their variability may be used for expert environmental assessment of the state of the biota and prediction of its viability under exposure to abiotic environmental factors.     

Characterization of MAR and heavy metal-tolerant <Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>. <Emphasis Type="Italic">coli</Emphasis> O157:H7 in water sources: a suggestion for behavioral intervention

The water sources in developing countries are usually contaminated with the members of enterobacteriaceae leading to gastrointestinal infections. There has been an increasing consumption of antibiotics during last decade in India. The development of multiple antibiotic resistance and heavy metal tolerance among waterborne bacteria has been coexisting traits. Keeping above features in view, 51 waterborne isolates of Escherichia coli O157:H7 have been characterized in the present study. The disk diffusion test for antibiotic sensitivity assay revealed that all the isolates were resistant to at least one or more antibiotics. Cephalosporins were least effective, while fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides were most effective antibiotics. The isolates shared resistance pattern similarities regardless of their sources. The isolates were subjected to test maximum tolerance concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, chromium and mercury. About 98% isolates tolerated arsenic at 250 μg ml^?1 or various above concentrations. Mercury >25 μg ml^?1 was not tolerated by more than 90% isolates. In dug well, a commonly used water source in rural India, the isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance index of 0.68 indicating it as high risk contaminating source. PCR–RFLP of 16S rDNA distinguished isolates into four groups with the smallest group represented by 3 isolates. Three isolates belonged to different sources but shared all the features of biochemical, serological, multiple antibiotic resistance and heavy metal tolerance test. 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the three selected isolates were closely related to each other. Based on the microbial and molecular findings, the study recommends to follow social cognitive theory to alter the behavior of the local communities for sustainable use of water resources.     

Influence of experimental conditions on manifestation of the group effect in the gypsy moth, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lymantria dispar</Emphasis> L.

The effect of rearing conditions for gypsy moth larvae on parameters of their development (its duration and mortality) was studied in experiments with early instar larvae reared singly or in groups. The manifestation of the group effect was analyzed depending on the choice of experimental unit (the larva or the rearing container) and the amount of volume per larva. The observed effects were evaluated quantitatively.     

Spatiotemporal distribution of caddis fly larvae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aethaloptera evanescens</Emphasis> MacLachlan, 1880 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in the Selenga River

Data on the occurrence, abundance, and biomass of caddis fly larvae Aethaloptera evanescens in the Selenga during the ice periods of 1987–2005 are presented. These insect larvae prefer river stretches with a gravel-sand ground, flow rate of 0.3–0.4 m/s, and depth of 2–3 m. Probable factors determining their distribution in the Selenga in recent years are a considerable drop of water level in the river (1995–2005), the improvement of hydrochemical conditions, and the presence of suspended and drifting erosion materials entering the river as a consequence of sand-gravel mixture excavation between 1980 and 1990.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria lobata</Emphasis> is expanding and endangering in China ecosystems

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is an aggressive invasive species and has brought great loss world-widely. Though it is originated in China, it has not been considered as a weed in China. While more and more articles report its destructive effects on the native community throughout the whole country. We conducted an experiment to validate whether kudzu could endanger its native ecosystem and wanted to find the reason of its fast spreading from 2008 to 2010. Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, water content, irradiance, pH, species number and aboveground biomass in the three sub-communities (Kudzu, Mixed and NonKudzu) were analyzed. Meanwhile, light irradiance and coverage of kudzu at 0, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 m distance from the road surface verge were also measured. The results showed that kudzu evidently lowed the species biodiversity and obviously changed the water, light and nutrient cycles in its expanding area. Kudzu’s rapid expansion is mainly because it can get full available space and light for growth by reason of anthropogenic disturbances. Our results indicated that Kudzu was a potential weed in China if great land changes from human activities are continuing.     

Trophic factor during the transition of peled (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coregonus peled</Emphasis> Gmelin) larvae to active feeding in their native range

With regard to published data on the ecology of early peled larvae acclimated in lakes or reared under experimental or fish farm conditions, interannual variability of feeding and environmental conditions during the transition to exogenous feeding has been demonstrated for peled larvae in a control water body located in the floodplain of the main spawning tributary of the lower Ob River. The conditions that govern exogenous food consumption by early peled larvae and largely determine the fate of a given generation depend on both biotic (the concentration of food organisms) and abiotic factors (wind regime). The trophic optimum during the transition of larvae to exogenous feeding, which ensures the level of gut filling sufficient for their survival and growth in the control water body, is determined by a complex of natural events. The results of this study may be extrapolated to the entire native range of the Ob River peled population and used for planning the release of peled larvae into natural water bodies of Western Siberia to compensate for losses to their biological resources.     

Lipid peroxidation rates in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum officinale</Emphasis> Wigg. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia cracca</Emphasis> L. from biotopes with different levels of soil pollution with heavy metals

The rates of lipid peroxidation (LPO) have been studied in Taraxacum officinale Wigg. (Asteraceae) and Vicia cracca L. (Fabaceae) from urban ecosystems with different levels of soil pollution with heavy metals (HMs), including Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr. The former species responds to the increased HM contents by intensification of LPO processes, with their parameters correlating with the concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cu in the soil. In the latter species from the same biotopes, conversely, LPO homeostasis remains actually undisturbed.     

Halotolerant bacteria of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrobacter</Emphasis> degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Eight strains of bacteria capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been isolated from soils and bottom sediments sampled in the region of Verkhnekamskoe potash deposit (Berezniki, Perm krai) and classified with the genus Arthrobacter on the basis of phylogenetic analysis (16S rRNA genes) and morphological and chemotaxonomic characters. According to the results of 16S rDNA sequence alignment, strains B905, SMB11, SMB145, SF27, and DF14 show the highest sequence homology to the type strain of A. crystallopoietes (99.7%), and strain SN17, to the type strain of A. arilaitensis (99.8%). The isolated strains are capable of growing on naphthalene and phenanthrene (as the sole sources of carbon and energy) in the presence of 60 mg/l NaCl. Their cells contain large plasmids ranging in size from 85 to 130 kb. Plasmid elimination from Arthrobacter sp. SF27 has proved to result in the loss of capacity for growing on naphthalene and phenanthrene, suggesting a plasmid localization of genes responsible for degradation of these compounds.     

Mating patterns in three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo andrewsi</Emphasis> populations at different latitude

Body size-dependent mating pattern is thought to a consequence of the sexual selection on phenotypic characters. In the view, we investigated the mating patterns in Bufo andrewsi from three populations at different latitude in three Nature Reserves (i.e. Wanglang, Yele and Fengtongzhai) in China from early- March to late-May 2013 and 2014. The results showed that average body size did not differ significantly between amplectant and non-amplectant males within each population. We found a significantly positive relationship in body size between the amplectant males and amplectant females in Wanglang population, but not in Qiqiao and Yele populations. The strength of size-dependent mating was not correlated with the malebiased operational sex ratios (OSRs), suggesting that intensity of male-male competition at nights do not result in variation in size-dependent mating patterns in B. andrewsi among populations.