Analysis of rodent populations in technogenically transformed areas (with reference to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apodemus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S.</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">uralensis</Emphasis> from the EURT zone)

It is shown that the response of rodent populations to acute and chronic irradiation depends on its functional structure, i.e., on specific features of animals with two alternative types of ontogenetic development. Upon acute irradiation, sexually immature young of the year (animals with the second type of ontogeny) are most radioresistant. Exposure to chronic irradiation, as in the zone of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT), leads to an increase in the proportion of mature young of the year (animals with the first type of ontogeny), which are the most radiosensitive part of the population. The abundance and fecundity of mice in the impact zone are consistently higher than in the background zone, which improves the adaptive potential of the population. The role of species ecological specialization and configuration of the contaminated zone in the formation of migrant rodent population is emphasized. It is concluded that a high migration activity allows the pigmy wood mouse (a radiosensitive species) to avoid long-term radiation exposure.     

Factors influencing the duration of gypsy moth (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lymantria dispar</Emphasis> L.) population outbreaks

For the first time, an attempt has been made to reveal possible causes of the relative “brevity” of gypsy moth outbreaks in the Russian Far East. The results show that major factors limiting these outbreaks include the weakly manifested seasonal drift of gypsy moth foci, oviposition habits, as well as specific weather conditions during the period of larval development and death that facilitating the dispersal of insect pathogens in components of the forest ecosystem.     

Influence of intra- and interspecific competition on daily activity of common (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus arvalis</Emphasis>) and East European (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus rossiaemeridionalis</Emphasis>) voles in experiments

The influence of intra- and interspecific competition of common and East European voles on their daily activity was studied in 34-m² enclosures at the Chernogolovka Experimental Research Station (Moscow Region). Family groups of animals captured in the same biotopes were placed in enclosures and, 25 day later, their daily activity was observed. Thereafter, the animals were pooled and observations were repeated 25 days later. The experiment consisted of three stages. At the first stage, the daily activity, time budget, and social behavior of common voles were studied before and after pooling different family groups; at the second stage, the same was performed with East European voles; and at the third stage, with both species. The species proved to use different strategies for alleviating intraspecific competition: in common voles, this was segregation of ecological niches via desynchronization of daily activity; in East European voles, conversely, aggregation in groups and synchronization of activity. Under experimental cohabitation, the strategy of the common vole, a more aggressive species, was to force out the other species, ecologically similar but less competitive; the strategy of the East European vole was aimed at avoidance via segregation of ecological niches in time.     

Traditional management and conservation of shea trees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitellaria paradoxa</Emphasis> subspecies <Emphasis Type="Italic">nilotica</Emphasis>) in Uganda

Traditional practices are universally recognised as a basis for conservation of biodiversity. However, such practices are often not included in natural resource conservation policies. This study assessed local conservation practices of shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) within different farming systems in Uganda and developed conservation guidelines for the species. The assessment involved 300 respondents, 15 focus groups and 41 key informants. Content analysis was used to identify the most important management and conservation practices. Local uses were categorised on the basis of shea tree products while differences in conservation practices were analysed using the Friedman test. The results show that eight shea tree products are used for 36 different purposes. Respondents’ age significantly influenced their knowledge about the shea tree. Traditional conservation practices include on-farm retention during cultivation and the use of folklore (mainly taboos), customs and rituals. Traditional management practices include weeding, bush burning, pollarding and pruning. Based on the current management and traditional conservation practices, a framework for the conservation of shea trees is proposed for integration into conservation policy decisions.     

Combined influence of food level and inoculation density on competition between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anuraeopsis fissa</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus patulus</Emphasis> or <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus macracanthus</Emphasis> (Rotifera: Brachionidae)

We tested separately the effect of two taxonomically related rotifers (B. patulus and B. macracanthus) on the population dynamics of another species (A. fissa) at low (0.5 ×10 ⁶) and high food levels (1.5 × 10⁶ cells/ml of Chlorella vulgaris) using different inoculation densities (0–100%). We also quantified the impact of A. fissa on the two brachionid species. Regardless of the presence of the competing species, an increase in the availability of food led to increase in the abundances of the three rotifers. The population growth of B. patulus, B. macracanthus, or A. fissa was affected negatively when cultured together with another species. An increase in the initial density of any one of the competing species became advantageous to maintain a certain population size. At a low algal food level, B. patulus was able to suppress A. fissa more strongly than B. macracanthus. On the other hand, at a high food level, B. macracanthus suppressed the population of A. fissa more strongly than B. patulus. Peak population densities for A. fissa varied from about 150 to 1000 ind./ml, depending on food density and the presence of competitors. The rate of population increase (r) of A. fissa, B. patulus, and B. macracanthus increased with an increase in food availability but decreased with increasing initial density of the competitor. Both Brachionus spp. experienced negative growth rates in the presence of A. fissa, especially at a high initial density of the latter. Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2007, Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 381–390. The article was submitted by the authors in English.     

Variation of male nuptial plumage in the willow ptarmigan <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lagopus lagopus</Emphasis> L.

In male willow ptarmigans, the relationship between qualitative differences between birds belonging to different intrapopulation groups and some individual features of male nuptial plumage has been revealed by studying banded birds. Thus, males that have changed their nesting site differ from those returning to the former site and bigamous males differ from monogamous in the number and size of dark spots amid the white plumage. The influence of the time of the onset of spring on the development of nuptial plumage is considered.     

Changes of leaf morphology in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pendula</Emphasis> roth and <Emphasis Type="Italic">B. pubescens</Emphasis> Ehrh. along a zonal-climatic transect in the Urals and Western Siberia

Leaf size, shape, and parameters of venation in Betula pendula and B. pubescens have been studied along a 1600-km latitudinal zonal transect in the Urals and Western Siberia. The results show that leaf size and venation density depend on the geographic location of population, with these parameters in the two species changing in opposite directions along the transect. In its northern part (forest tundra-southern taiga), B. pubescens shows a positive correlation of leaf area with long-term-average air temperature, while this correlation in B. pendula is negative. In the southern part, correlations of leaf size with long-term average precipitation in the two species are also opposite in sign. Parameters of leaf shape in both species depend mainly on weather conditions in the current year rather than on long-term average climatic parameters. The conclusion is drawn that B. pendula and B. pubescens have different mechanisms of structural adaptation of leaves to climate and weather conditions that are based on changes in leaf size and shape.     

Effects of environmental factors on the seasonal growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> L. (Karst.) in northern Karelia

The seasonal growth of shoots, needles, and the trunk in the Norway spruce has been studied in a bilberry spruce forest in the middle taiga subzone of Karelia. The results show that the growth of vegetative organs in this tree species depends mainly on the air temperature regime, whereas the effect of variations in factors such as the period of sunshine, precipitation, and air humidity is relatively weak.     

Intrapopulation spatial segregation in bream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abramis brama</Emphasis>) and roach (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rutilus rutilus</Emphasis>) in the Rybinsk Reservoir

In the course of studies on mass fish species (bream and roach) in water bodies of the Upper Volga basin, intraspecific groups of individuals have been distinguished. Conditions and possible mechanisms of spatial differentiation of these groups are considered. The intrapopulation divergence of individuals by some adaptive characters, primarily behavioral, enables them to utilize alternative resources, which provides for more efficient use of the environment by populations.     

Insularization and polymorphism in marginal island populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis> L.

Comparative allozyme analysis of 26 marginal island populations of Pinus sylvestris L. and 20 populations from the center of the species range has confirmed, at the species level, the Wright-Dubinin “island model” of automatic genetic processes and Mayr’s hypothesis about homozygotization of small isolated populations at range boundaries. It has been shown that the polymorphism of isolated populations sharply decreases when their area is reduced below 15–20 km² and increases to the level observed in the center of the range when the population area exceeds 50–100 km². A chorogenetic classification of marginal P. sylvestris populations is proposed.     

New Aspect in Understanding the Biocenotic Role of Domestic Ungulates in the Life of Wolf (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis lupus</Emphasis> L.)

The dynamics of wolf attacks on domestic ungulates at the levels of population group (the region of Central Forest Nature Reserve) and population (Tver oblast) have been analyzed over the period of 1971 to 2015. It has been found that the frequency of attacks increases during the phase of predator population growth under the effect of qualitative changes within the population. An increase in the frequency of attacks and the number of sheep and calves killed per attack also takes place in the summer–autumn period, as a consequence of training wolf cubs in methods of killing prey. Therefore, domestic animals are not only a source of food for the wolf but also an object for training the young.     

Specific ecological features of the brown bear (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ursus arctos</Emphasis> L. 1758) in Yakutia

In Yakutia, the brown bear inhabits the forest and forest-tundra zones. Compared to bears from other regions of Russia, Yakutian bears have slightly smaller body and skull sizes and are mainly herbivorous, with their wood spectrum being relatively narrow. Their fecundity averages 1.68 cubs per parous female. The bears make their dens at a depth reaching 2.5–3 m. The denning period begins early and is 195–210 days long. An electroencephalographic analysis of the effect of a 1–10 kDa peptide fraction from the bear brain on Wistar rats has shown that wintering bears are in the state of sleep, or “superficial hibernation.”     

On the term <Emphasis Type="Italic">Station</Emphasis> used in Russian ecological and faunistic literature

The history of the term station (in Russian, statsiya) in the Russian ecological and faunistic literature, interpretation of its meaning by different authors, and relationships between the terms station, habitat, biotope, and ecological license are discussed. It is suggested that station should be interpreted as the entire set of all external conditions affecting a population, which is observable as a part of physical space possessing certain properties.     

Mitochondrial DNA variation pattern and postglacial history of the Siberian larch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix sibirica</Emphasis> Ledeb.)

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation has been studied in populations of the Siberian larch with the use of five PCR-based markers characterizing 29 haplotypes. The studied populations from the main parts of the Siberian larch range belong to several geographically isolated groups with their specific sets of haplotypes, which have probably originated from separate refugia for forest vegetation of the last glacial maximum. Conclusions concerning the possible location of these refugia and the ways and pattern of the postglacial recolonization of the recent Siberian larch range are drawn. The spatial distribution of haplotypes within individual populations is nonrandom. The typical size of the area occupied by a group of plants with the same haplotype is 50–100 m across.     

Winter ecology of the pine marten (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Martes martes</Emphasis> L.) in the Volga floodplain opposite Samara

The footprint tracking method has been used to study specific features of winter ecology of pine martens inhabiting the Rozhdestvenskaya Floodplain of the Volga River. Attention has been paid to the size and demographic structure of the population, the distribution of footprints by habitats, home ranges and shelters, features of foraging and territorial behavior, reactions to objects of natural and anthropogenic origin, and interactions with heterospecific animals.     

The narrow-skulled vole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus gregalis</Emphasis> Pall.) in the dynamics of zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia

On the basis of abundant fossil and subfossil bone remains, the ecological and faunal role of the narrow-skulled vole in zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia is analyzed over the period from the Late Pleistocene to the present time. Special attention is given to the correlated dynamics of relative abundance of Microtus gregalis and other rodent species in the course of transition from one zonal type to another and to specific features of this correlation in the southern, middle, and northern parts of the species range. It is shown that distinctive dimensional and morphotypic features of the two currently existing subspecies, Microtus gregalis major Ogn. and M. g. gregalis Pall., are the product of concordant development of the species and environmental conditions in the past 3000–4000 years (transition from the Holocene optimum to the present-day climate and state of the natural environment). Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2007, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 117–123. The article was translated by the authors.