Host Specificity of Flukes of the Genus Sphaerostomum (Trematoda: Opecoelidae) within Their Geographic Ranges

The host specificity of flukes belonging to the genus Sphaerostomum (S. bramae and S. globiporum) in the center and at the periphery of the genus range is discussed. Both fluke species are specific parasites of cyprinids. However, fish of nine other families and one cyclostome species have also been recorded as their hosts. At the periphery of the range, the spectrum of definitive hosts is broader than in the center owing to a greater number of unspecific hosts. In the center, unspecific hosts are represented by six fish species (Esox lucius, Misgurnus fossilis, Perca fluviatilis, Lota lota, Gymnocephalus cernuus, and Salmo sp.), four of which are predators. At the periphery, 11 fish species, including six predators (Anguilla anguilla, Barbatula barbatula, Cottus gobio, Cobitis taenia, Coregonus lavaretus, Salmo trutta, Alosa sp., Potamoschistus minutus, E. lucius, P. fluviatilis, and L. lota), and the cyclostome Lampetra fluviatilis are unspecific hosts. In the peripheral populations, compared to central, flukes manifest greater adaptive plasticity and can infest new hosts.     

Dynamics of the Mite Communities (Acari: Parasitiformes) in Nests of the Parus major

The dynamics of nest-dwelling mites from the nests of the great tit in the protected area of Kamchia Mountain in Northeastern Bulgaria was investigated. The mite fauna inhabiting the nests of great tit differs significantly in terms of the degree of infestation, species richness, abundance and structure of communities in study years. There are statistically significant differences in the specimens’ number between 2014 and the other years 2012, 2013 and 2015. The mite species such as Dermanyssus gallinae, Androlaelaps casalis and Ornithonyssus sylviarum demonstrated significant changes in the abundance over the study years. A relation between the abundance of a species and the species diversity in the nests was not registered. Comparison of the annual dynamics of mites in the nests of great tit and the nests of semi-collared flycatcher for the same period of time and for the same environment, showed similarities—a significant fluctuation in the abundance of mites over the years and differences—in the species richness. Regarding the structure of the communities, both similarities and differences were recorded.

     

Long-term population dynamics of ixodid ticks and development of tick-borne encephalitis foci under conditions of the middle taiga subzone

Long-term (1995–2003) population dynamics of ixodid ticks and their main hosts (small mammals) and conditions providing for the formation of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) foci were studies in the middle taiga subzone (Karelia). The results show that the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Schr.) is the main host for the larvae and nymphs of Ixodes persulcatus Schulze, 1930 and for the larvae, nymphs, and adult individuals of I. trianguliceps Birula, 1895. The proportion of ticks feeding on this species (relative to their total number) reaches 63.3% (64.0% of I. persulcatus and 61.1% of I. trianguliceps). Activity of a TBE focus is determined primarily by the abundance of bank voles of older age groups.     

Daily torpor in hamsters (Rodentia,Cricetinae)

Study of ecological adaptations, including torpor, related to survival through the adverse conditions of the autumn-winter season is important for both the estimation of the body reserves in mammals in general and the search for the ways to increase the cold-stress resistance in humans. The changes in the body temperature during the period from October to May were studied in hamsters of six species under the natural photoperiod and temperature conditions. Incidental winter torpor (a drastically decreased physiological activity) was detected in all species except Cricetulus griseus; in three of them, it had not been observed before. No specific combination of conditions causing torpor was identified. Apparently, it is determined by individual characteristics of the animal. Torpors were the most frequent in January, at temperatures from −15 to −5°C; their depth was positively correlated with the ambient temperature. Since torpor is a rare event, it is assumed to be a stored resource of the body allowing animal to save energy and occurring only in extreme situations.     

Forest structure and regeneration along the altitudinal gradient in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary,Uttarakhand Himalaya,India

Forest structure and regeneration were studied along the altitudinal gradient in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttarakhand Himalaya in India. Stratified random sampling of tree species was done by placing minimum 15 quadrats of 10 × 10 m at each aspect and altitude. The results reveal that along the altitudinal gradient there were three types of forest communities in the Sanctuary viz., chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), oakchir pine (Quercus leucotrichophora and Pinus roxburghii) and oak (Quercus floribunda and Quercus leucotrichophora). Rhododendron arboreum, Cornus macrophylla and Lyonia ovalifolia were main associates of these forest communities. The oak forests had larger shrub population as compared to chir pine. Myrsine africana was the most dominant shrub across the altitudinal gradient, whereas few shrub species were restricted to a certain altitudinal range. The regeneration of chir pine was best at lower altitude on south and east aspects, which indicates that it mostly regenerates on warm and dry slopes. In general, the regeneration potential in most of the tree species declines with the altitude. The density of saplings and seedlings also represented the dominant species at each altitudinal range, which indicates the cyclic regeneration of forests in the Sanctuary area.     

The possibility of sustainable pest management by introducing bio-diversity: simulations of pest mite outbreak and regulation

Since the late 1980s, spider mite pests have caused serious damage to many moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forests in China’s Fujian province. The culms of this plant are an essential component of the building and handicraft industries, and the shoots are a prized food item in many Asian countries. Furthermore, bamboo forests play an important soil conservation role in mountainous areas. We examined pest mite outbreaks in several moso bamboo plantations in Fujian, and could show that a change in cultivation style from polyculture (a kind of mixed forest) to monoculture (all plants other than bamboo were removed) was primarily responsible for the local extinction of an important predaceous mite species. This phenomenon is due to the periodic shedding of leaves by the bamboo, which forces the predator mites occurring on bamboo to switch to prey mite species that occur on other plants. We then tried to elucidate the factors that resulted from such a cultivation change. Adopting a computer simulation approach, we could successfully show that at least two plants, moso bamboo and Chinese silvergrass, are necessary to maintain stable predator–prey interactions in moso forests. That is, systems consisting of one common predator and two host-specific pest mites on different host plant species frequently became stable when the pest mites were at low density. This finding indicates clearly that bio-diversity, even when it consists of only two plants and three mite species as in this study, is necessary for the sustainable regulation of large-scale forests, such as moso bamboo plantations.     

Geographic Variation in the Seasonal Reproductive Strategy of the Mite Varroa jacobsoni in the Honeybee Nest

Variation in the reproduction of Varroa jacobsoni mite was studied in relation to the expansion of the range of its parasitism on the honeybee. Geographic differences in the seasonal dynamics of mite reproduction in the nests of bee families were revealed. Variation in the sex ratio of mites and the factors inhibiting their reproduction at the northern boundary of the honeybee range are considered. The forms of parthenogenetic reproduction in V. jacobsoni are discussed.     

Characteristics of parasitic infection in the least cisco, Coregonus sardinella valenciennes, 1848, in the Ural tributaries of the lower Ob

Data on the parasite fauna of the least cisco, Coregonus sardinella Valenciennes, 1848 in Ural tributaries of the Ob downstream of the city of Salekhard have been obtained for the first time. The formation patterns of the parasite fauna in this species and the rate (prevalence and intensity) of infection by Ichthyocotylurus erraticus (Odening, 1969), a parasite specific to coregonids, have been revealed. Infection of the least cisco with six parasite species (out of the 12 species found) occurs as the fish feed on zooplankton and benthic organisms. The dominant parasites are trematode larvae of the genera Ichthyocotylurus and, in some years, Diplostomum; this composition of dominants is evidence that the least cisco fattens up mainly in shallow areas. All sexually mature fish of this species were found to be infected by I. erraticus, but the average intensity of infection was rather low: the abundance index of the parasite did not exceed 40 ind. per fish. Analysis of the distribution of I. erraticus metacercariae in the least cisco shows that the relationship in the host-parasite system is stable and the parasite has no pathogenic effect on individuals of older age classes.     

Effect of Climatic Factors on the Growth of Representatives of the Genus Pinus (Pinaceae) under Conditions of Introduction

Four introduced and one aboriginal species of the genus Pinus L. have been studied in the middle taiga subzone of southern Karelia. Significant interspecific differences in the dates of onset, cessation, and peak of the growth of shoots and needles have been revealed. It has been shown that their annual increment depends on the rate of growth, rather than on its duration. The dynamics of shoot and needle growth in introduced and aboriginal species, though largely similar, differ in some respects. These differences reflect species-specific responses to hydrothermal conditions in a certain growing season.     

Immunotoxic effects of environmental pollutants in marine mammals

Due to their marine ecology and life-history, marine mammals accumulate some of the highest levels of environmental contaminants of all wildlife. Given the increasing prevalence and severity of diseases in marine wildlife, it is imperative to understand how pollutants affect the immune system and consequently disease susceptibility. Advancements and adaptations of analytical techniques have facilitated marine mammal immunotoxicology research. Field studies, captive-feeding experiments and in vitro laboratory studies with marine mammals have associated exposure to environmental pollutants, most notable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals, to alterations of both the innate and adaptive arms of immune systems, which include aspects of cellular and humoral immunity. For marine mammals, reported immunotoxicology endpoints fell into several major categories: immune tissue histopathology, haematology/circulating immune cell populations, functional immune assays (lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis, respiratory burst, and natural killer cell activity), immunoglobulin production, and cytokine gene expression. Lymphocyte proliferation is by far the most commonly used immune assay, with studies using different organic pollutants and metals predominantly reporting immunosuppressive effects despite the many differences in study design and animal life history. Using combined field and laboratory data, we determined effect threshold levels for suppression of lymphocyte proliferation to be between < 0.001–10 ppm for PCBs, 0.002–1.3 ppm for Hg, 0.009–0.06 for MeHg, and 0.1–2.4 for cadmium in polar bears and several pinniped and cetacean species. Similarly, thresholds for suppression of phagocytosis were 0.6–1.4 and 0.08–1.9 ppm for PCBs and mercury, respectively. Although data are lacking for many important immune endpoints and mechanisms of specific immune alterations are not well understood, this review revealed a systemic suppression of immune function in marine mammals exposed to environmental contaminants. Exposure to immunotoxic contaminants may have significant population level consequences as a contributing factor to increasing anthropogenic stress in wildlife and infectious disease outbreaks.     

Effect of boric acid on the ability of plants to accumulate heavy metals

The effect of boric acid on the ability of herbaceous plants to absorb heavy metals has been studied. The results show that at a low content of boron in sandy loam soil (0.0007 mg/kg dry matter), boric acid at doses of 0.1–3.0 kg/ha stimulates the accumulation of certain heavy metals in the aboveground part of plants from the families Asteraceae (Taraxacum officinale Wigg.), Poaceae (Phleum pratense L.), and Fabaceae (Trifolium pratense L.). The most active accumulation is characteristic of dandelion (T. officinale) plants, which allows this species to be considered promising for phytoremediation of soils with a low boron content given that boron is applied at specified doses.     

Multivariate statistical methods as a tool for model-based prediction of vegetation types

The current research was carried out to find the most effective environmental factors in plant species occurrence and providing their predictive habitat models. For this purpose, study was conducted in Poshtkouh rangelands of Yazd province in the central of Iran. For modeling, vegetation data in addition to site condition information including topography, climate, geology and soil were prepared. CCA and Logistic regression (LR) techniques were implemented for plant species predictive modeling. To plants predictive mapping, it is necessary to prepare the maps of all affective factors of models. To mapping soil characteristics, geoestatistical method including variogram analysis and Kriging interpolation were used. Based on obtained predictive models for each species (through LR method) and for whole species (through CCA method) related predictive maps were prepared in GIS. The accuracy of predictive maps were tested with actual vegetation maps. Vegetation modeling results with CCA indicates that predictive map of vegetation corresponds with actual map (with high accuracy). Predictive maps of Cornulaca monachantha, Ephedra strobilacea-Zygophyllum eurypterum, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, and Tamarix ramosissima, which have narrow amplitude, has high accordance with actual vegetation map prepared for the study area. Among species of study area, predictive model of Artemisia sieberi, due to its ability to grow in most parts of Poshtkouh rangelands with relatively different habitat conditions, is not possible. Comparing CCA and LR methods showed that each technique has its advantages and drawbacks. In general, LR will provide better specific-model, but CCA will provide a broader overview of multiple species.     

Plant biodiversity and ethnobotany inside the projected impact area of the Upper Seti Hydropower Project,Western Nepal

A survey of plant biodiversity and ethnobotany was conducted along the Seti river banks in the Tanahun district of Western Nepal. This area, home of the Magar ethnic group, will be impacted by a major hydropower project, currently under feasibility study. The objective of the study was to document plant biodiversity and ethnobotany in order to suggest appropriate conservation and management strategies. Botanical sampling was conducted inside quadrats and along transects. A total of 221 plant species were recorded in the study area, distributed as herbs (80 species), trees (68), shrubs (28), climbers (19), pteridophytes (18), lianas (5), and epiphytes (3). Twelve of the inventoried species figure in one or more conservation categories identified by various national or international agencies. Group discussions and personal interviews allowed to find out that 43% of the species were ethnobotanically important for the local people and that most were used as medicine, food, or timber. We propose specific species for sustainable use programs based on certain criteria. The area is very important in terms of plant biodiversity and ethnobotany, and hence, immediate implementation of conservation measures is recommended to maintain the high social, ecological and economic values of the area.     

The ecology of quaternary mammals in the Urals

Special aspects of solving certain key problems in the ecology of Quaternary mammals using materials from the Ural region are considered. Possibilities and limitations accounted for by specific features of the region are analyzed. The nature of “mixed” (mammoth, tundra-steppe, hyperborean) faunas and their diversity are considered in the context of questions related to trends in the dynamics of range boundaries and relative abundance of different mammal species during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.     

Population morphological variability of the Daphnia galeata populations (Cladocera: Anomopoda) in the lakes of the Todzha Depression (the Bolshoi Yenisei River Basin)

Comparative study on morphological variability of the polymorphic species Daphnia galeata Sars from the lakes of the Todzha Depression was carried out. The purpose of this study was to estimate the population variability and adaptive opportunities of this species. It was revealed, that almost all samples from the populations were reliably differed from each other based on body size. We did not find any significant differences based on the number of paired spines on postabdomen and fecundity between most of the populations. All individuals were characterized by pointed helmet, and helmet length varied markedly among the populations across the lakes. Moreover, it was found a high morphological variability of helmet length and shape and some traits of head for D. galeata. In spite of the fact that helmet length of D. galeata was extremely variable, the samples from the different lakes organized an overlapping cloud in the space of the second and third principal component axes. We assume that the morphological variation of D. galeata from the lakes of the Todzha Depression belongs to populational and depends on the environmental conditions.     

Variation in the Parameters of the Life Cycle in Prawns of the Genus MacrobrachiumBate (Crustacea, Palaemonidae)

Variations in the parameters of the life cycle in freshwater prawns of the genus MacrobrachiumBate and some populations of the species Macrobrachium nipponense(De Haan) were analyzed comparatively. Using factor analysis, these parameters were systematized and expressed through two factors. The first factor is related to the parameters of larval development and the dimensions of an egg, and the second, to the length of adults and their fecundity. The greatest differences in the values of intrageneric and intraspecific variation of parameters are noted for the dimensions of larval stages. It is assumed that the formation of a species proceeds primarily through the appearance of adaptations at larval stages.     

Male Alborz Red Sheep (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ovis gmelini</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">O. vignei</Emphasis>) migration corridors selection from summer to fall habitats in Jajroud Protected Area Complex,Iran

Jajroud Protected Area Complex is one of the main habitats of Alborz Red Sheep (Ovis gmelini × O. vignei) in Iran. Being close to Tehran, this habitat has been reduced and fragmented due to the human constructions. This study was designed with the aim of identifying the summer and fall habitat patches and the suitability of the matrix by means of Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA). Cost-distance function was then used to calculate the cost of moving among the patches and the corridors with the least cost was identified using Least-cost path analysis. Results showed that, in both seasons, the species inhabits a narrow niche and is very sensitive to habitat changes. Overall, a suitable habitat for this species is at an elevation of more than 1535 m, with a lower average temperature than average of the habitat, with suitable escape terrain, and away from villages. Military areas, based on their specific use, can have different effects on the habitat suitability. This species selects corridors which are close to escape terrain, with a slope of about 15 percent and low slope fluctuation.     

Sustainable Exploitation of Borassus aethiopum, Elaeis guineensis and Raphia hookeri for the Extraction of Palm Wine in Côte d'Ivoire

In the rural areas of developing countries palms are major sources of many products. One of these is palm wine, which has an important role for nutrition, income and social life. In the Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa), palm wine is extracted from three different species: Borassus aethiopum Mart., Raphia hookeri Mann & Wendland and Elaeis guineensis Jacq. As the extraction methods are destructive, palm stands are locally threatened by extinction. This could have serious consequences not only for the nutritional situation of the population but also for their income. Field visits were conducted in order to assess the degree of sustainability of palm wine extraction in eight villages of Côte d'Ivoire's three major agro-ecozones. Based on the annual palm wine need for consumption and commercialisation and on the availability of palms, a sustainability index was calculated for each palm species in each village. The occurrence of palm trees depends on the vegetation type. B. aethiopum is a typical savanna tree (> 20 palms per hectare) and is almost absent in other vegetation types. In 75% of the villages the exploitation of B. aethiopum is not sustainable. The preferred vegetation type for R. hookeri is the forest along the rivers (> 33 palms per hectare) compared to the other vegetation types of the forest zone (< 5 palms per hectare). Due to the high preference for the palm wine of this species its exploitation is not sustainable in any of the selected villages. The distribution of E. guineensis depends mostly on human activities, the main vegetation types being plantations (34 palms per hectare), fallow land and cultivated fields (15 palms per hectare) and the forest along the rivers (31 palms per hectare). The exploitation of this species is in general sustainable throughout all ecozones with some rare exceptions.     

Abundance of orchids on calcareous grasslands in relation to community species,environmental, and vegetational conditions

The abundance of Orchidaceae on three calcareous grasslands is studied in relation to floristic composition, environmental and vegetational factors and plant traits (ecological and life forms). The aims are: (i) to identify a group of species that is significantly correlated with the abundance of Orchidaceae or with individual species of orchids on calcareous grasslands; (ii) to study the relationship between traits associated with habitat specialisation, community life forms and the abundance of orchids; (iii) to identify the main environmental and vegetational predictors of the abundance of orchids. A shortlist of species is found to be significantly correlated with the abundance of total orchids, Orchis pauciflora and O. morio. The life forms of the community species do not show any correlation with the orchids, with the exception of Orchis pauciflora, which tends to increase in communities rich in hemicryptophytes and poor in annual species. Analyses of Orchis morio seem to suggest that it has a high level of ecological tolerance. The most important predictors of the abundance of orchids are the substrate reaction (basic) and arid grassland with low herbaceous vegetation cover (i.e. high soil reaction and luminosity values, positive correlation with the cover of lichens and rockiness, negative correlation with tree cover and herbaceous layer). The least favourable sites were the least basic and most superficial and arid sites.