The role of floods in the Long-term dynamics of geobiont and chortobiont communities on islands of the Kuibyshev Reservoir

Interannual changes in geobiont and chortobiont abundance on the islands of Kuibyshev Reservoir are largely determined by flood conditions, because the seasonal average abundance of many taxa is negatively correlated to the water level in May and June. Floods influence the abundance of these animals both directly and indirectly, through biocenotic connections and some aspects of behavior. Long-term positive trends are observed in the abundance of many species. The hypothesis is proposed that this increase in the abundance of geobionts and chortobionts is a consequence of adaptation processes in these communities, which are stimulated by the flood regime of the reservoir.     

Aggregated Estimation of the Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 1. Stocks of Plant Organic Mass

The data presented were obtained at the first stage (1993–1999) of studies on evaluating the basic parameters of biological production in Russian terrestrial ecosystems in order to provide information for assessing and modeling the carbon budget of the entire terrestrial biota of the country. Stocks of phytomass (by fractions), coarse woody debris, and dead roots (underground necromass) were calculated by two independent methods, which yielded close results. The total amount of phytomass in Russian terrestrial ecosystems was estimated at 81800 Tg (=10¹² g = million t) dry matter, or 39989 Tg carbon. Forest ecosystems comprise a greater part (82.1%) of live plant organic matter (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to the carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods account for 8.8%; the phytomass of wetlands (bogs and swamps), for 6.6%; and the phytomass of farmlands, for only 2.5%. Aboveground wood contains approximately two-thirds of the plant carbon (63.8%), and green parts contain 9.9%. For all classes of ecosystems, the proportion of underground phytomass averages 26.7% of the total amount, varying from 22.0% in forests to 57.1% in grasslands and brushwoods. The average phytomass density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.9 million hectares in Russia) is 5.02 kg/m² dry matter, or 2.45 kg C/m². The total amount of carbon in coarse woody debris is 4955 Tg C, and 9180 Tg C are in the underground necromass. In total, the vegetation of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (without litter) contains 54124 Tg carbon.     

General analysis of forest vegetation in the south of the Far East with regard to the feeding of wild ruminants (Artiodactyla, Ruminantia)

Vegetation in the main types of forest landscapes in the south of the Far East has been analyzed with regard to the dependence of population density and spatial distribution of five wild ruminant species on the main parameters of phytomass. The results have shown that the majority of ruminant species at their current population density never suffer from insufficient food supply. A high population density of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) is the only factor that may cause degradation of vegetation in the study region. The present-day population density of ruminants in their habitats does not depend on the amount of phytomass and species diversity of forage plants. Conversely, there is a strong relationship between the highest population density of ruminants recorded during the past 50 years and the phytomass stock of forage plants in their habitats.     

Changes in the taxonomic structure of herpetobiont arachnids along the gradient of pollution with emissions from a copper smelter

Changes in the dynamic density of herpetobiont arachnids and the ratio of spider life forms have been studied in southern taiga forests transformed under the impact of emissions from a copper smelter. Along the pollution gradient, the dynamic density of spiders decreases; web-spinning spiders are replaced by ambush spiders, since the abundance of families Lycosidae and Gnaphosidae increases while that of the family Linyphiidae decreases; and spatial variation in the abundance of arachnids increases. One harvestmen family (Nemastomatidae) completely disappears near the copper smelter.     

Assessment of phytomass changes in an alpine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geranium-Hedysarum</Emphasis> meadow after the removal of dominants: The results of a ten-year experiment

Changes in the aboveground phytomass of a Geranium-Hedysarum meadow community and its constituent species after the removal of dominants, Geranium gymnocaulon and Hedysarum caucasicum, over ten years have been studied in the Northwestern Caucasus. Responses of individual species to this intervention have been revealed. It has been shown that the phytomass of nondominant species increases under such conditions, but this cannot fully counterbalance the loss of phytomass resulting from the removal of dominants. Dominant species of Geranium-Hedysarum meadows exert different influences on the community structure and also compete with each other. However, this competition is fairly weak, which is probably due to considerable divergence of these species with respect to resource consumption.     

Quantifying 137Cs aggregated transfer coefficients in a semi-natural woodland ecosystem adjacent to a nuclear reprocessing facility

Radiocaesium (137Cs) activity concentrations and aggregated transfer factors (Tag values) were calculated for vascular plants, fungal fruiting bodies and invertebrates in a semi-natural Picea sitchensis woodland (Lady Wood) adjacent to the British Nuclear Fuels plc. reprocessing facility at Sellafield, Cumbria, UK. The Tag values for vascular plants ranged from 7.1 x 10(-4) - 1.9 x 10(-2) m2 kg(-1), the maximum value being for Pteridium aquilinum. Fungal fruiting bodies had higher Tag values (1.9 x 10(-3) - 1.8 x 10(-1) m2 kg(-1)) than vascular plants, with a maximum value for Mycena galericulata. None of the activity concentrations for edible foodstuffs collected within this study (fungi and berries) exceeded the EC recommended limits of 137Cs in foodstuffs grown within the UK. The invertebrate community sampled during the study had Tag values ranging from 3.4 x 10(-4) to 1.3 x 10(-2) m2 kg(-1). There were no systematic differences in 137Cs activity concentration between invertebrate guilds, or between seasonal cohorts within guilds. The invertebrates in Lady Wood were exposed to a dose from 137Cs (internal gamma + beta and external gamma) ranging between 4.37 x 10(-4) and 6.40 x 10(-4) mGy day(-1). Including dose from radionuclides other than 137Cs and accounting for uncertainties due to the relative biological effectiveness of differing radionuclides could increase total dose by approximately an order of magnitude. These dose rates are at least three orders of magnitude lower than the 1 mGy d(-1) level at which harm may be caused to terrestrial biota, hence the risk to the invertebrate community from the effects of ionising radiation in Lady Wood is low.     

三峡水库春季浮游植物群落特征及影响因素

浮游植物群落特征是水域生态系统的一个基础信息,三峡水库作为长江经济带环境保护的重要区域,而关于三峡水库全水域浮游植物群落特征及其影响因素的研究报道仍不多见。为了解三峡水库浮游植物群落特征差异及影响因素等一系列基础信息,于2015年4月对三峡水库进行了大范围的调查,调查范围包括17个长江断面(共51个样点)及22条支流库湾(共122个样点)。结果显示:共采集到浮游植物7门39属61种,以绿藻门、硅藻门、甲藻门为主,其中绿藻门有26种,占据总种数的42.62%;硅藻门有16种,占据总种数的26.23%;甲藻门有7种,占据总种数的11.48%。丰度方面,硅藻门占绝对优势,比例为34.26%,其次是隐藻门(23.72%)、蓝藻门(20.96%)。生物量方面,则是甲藻门占绝对优势,其比例达到了44.18%,随后是隐藻门(29.92%)、硅藻门(14.32%)。丰度和生物量分别变化在2.22×10~4～5.12×10~(7 )cells/L和0.001 8～120.99 mg/L之间,且存在一致的趋势,从三峡大坝往长江上游,丰度值和生物量值逐渐增加。支流库湾浮游植物Shannon-Wiener多样性指数显著高于长江干流(Mann-Whitney U检验,P0.001)。冗余分析(Redundancy Analysis,RDA)表明,在长江干流中,水温(WT)、可溶性硅酸盐(DSi)是影响浮游植物群落结构的主要环境因子(P0.001);在支流库湾中,硝态氮(NO~-_3-N)、水温(WT)是影响浮游植物群落结构的主要环境因子(P=0.002)。该研究的成果有助于全面认识了解三峡水库长江干流和支流库湾春季浮游植物种类组成和影响因子,同时对三峡水库水资源管理和水生态保护具有一定参考价值。     

Aboveground phytomass and rate of plant debris decomposition in herbaceous communities exposed to soil pollution with heavy metals

Consideration is given to production and decomposition processes in herbaceous communities exposed to chemical pollution with heavy metals in the Middle Urals. High variation in the aboveground phytomass of agrobotanical groups (legumes, forbs, grasses) is due to spatial heterogeneity of soil pollution levels and consequent changes in the species composition of plant communities in the areas studied. Therefore, nonparametric statistical methods have been used (Kruskal–Wallis test with subsequent pairwise comparisons by Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). The phytomass of legumes remains unchanged in the increasing pollution gradient, while the contribution of forbs to the total phytomass decreases and that of grasses increases. Soils rich in nutrient elements can maintain a high rate of plant debris decomposition, counterbalancing the adverse effect of increased heavy metal concentrations on relevant processes. The balance between production and mineralization processes provides for the sustainable, long-term existence of herbaceous communities under conditions of intense pollution of the natural environment.     

Aggregated Estimation of Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 2. Net Primary Production

The estimated net primary production (NPP) of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (annual average over the period from 1988 to 1992) is 9544 Tg of dry matter, or 4353 Tg of carbon. Of the total amount, forests account for approximately 39.2% (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods, for 27.6%; farmlands (arable land and cultivated pastures), for 22.0%; and wetlands, for 11.2%. The average NPP density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.8 million hectares in Russia) is 267 g C/m²per year. The highest value (498 g C/m²per year) is characteristic of arable lands. Other land-use/land-cover (LULC) classes have the following NPP densities (in areas covered with vegetation): grasslands and brushwoods, 278 g C/m²; forests, 224 g C/m²; and wetlands, 219 g C/m²per year. In general, Russian terrestrial ecosystems accumulate 59.7% of the total NPP in the aboveground phytomass (47.8% in green parts and 11.9% in wood) and 40.3% in the underground phytomass. The latter parameter differs significantly in different LULC classes and bioclimatic zones. According to calculations, the uncertainty in estimating the total NPP is 11% (a priori confidential probability 0.9).     

Respiratory hospital admissions in young children living near metal smelters,pulp mills and oil refineries in two Canadian provinces

BackgroundIndustrial plants emit air pollutants like fine particles (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that may affect the health of individuals living nearby.ObjectiveTo assess the effects of community exposure to air emissions of PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 from pulp mills, oil refineries, metal smelters, on respiratory hospital admissions in young children in Quebec (QC) and British Columbia (BC), Canada.MethodsWe assessed QC, BC and pooled associations between the following estimates of exposure and hospital admissions for asthma and bronchiolitis in children aged 2–4 years for the years 2002–2010: i) Crude emission exposures at the residential postal codes of children, calculated by multiplying estimated daily emissions of PM2.5, SO2, or NO2 from all nearby (< 7.5 km) pulp mills, oil refineries, metal smelters emitting yearly ≥ 50 t and their total emissions, by the percent of the day each postal code was downwind; ii) Daily levels of these pollutants at central ambient monitoring stations nearby the industries and the children's residences.ResultsSeventy-one major industries were selected between QC and BC, with a total of 2868 cases included in our analyses. More cases were exposed to emissions from major industries in QC than in BC (e.g. 2505 admissions near SO2 industrial emitters in QC vs 334 in BC), although air pollutant levels were similar. Odds ratios (ORs) for crude refinery and smelter emissions were positive in QC but more variable in BC. For example with PM2.5 in QC, ORs were 1.13 per 0.15 t/day (95% CI: 1.00–1.27) and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.99–1.07) for refinery and smelter emissions, respectively. Pooled results of QC and BC for crude total SO2 emissions from all sources indicated a 1% increase (0–3%) in odds of hospital admissions per 1.50 t/day increase in exposure. Associations with measured pollutant levels were only seen in BC, with SO2 and NO2.ConclusionHospital admissions for wheezing diseases in young children were associated with community exposure to industrial air pollutant emissions. Future work is needed to better assess the risk of exposure to complex mixture of air pollutants from multiple industrial sources.     

Initial stages of recovery of epiphytic lichen communities after reduction of emissions from a copper smelter

Analysis has been made of changes in the species composition and abundance of epiphytic lichens on fir trees during the first decade after a sharp reduction of emissions from a large copper smelter in the Middle Urals. The results show that lichens have recolonized the area of the former lichen desert and that the abundance of lichen species in the impact and buffer zones has increased. However, a fairly long time is required before lichen communities in the vicinity of the smelter can recover to the background state, since species highly sensitive to pollution still occur only in the background area.     

Response of lithophilic zoobenthos to changes in the granulometric composition of grounds in the metarithral zone of a small river in the foothills of southwestern kamchatka

Data on the species composition, abundance, and biomass of macrozoobenthos in the rapids of a small river flowing in the foothills of the southwestern Kamchatka Peninsula are considered along with the results of quantitative analysis of structural rearrangements in the lithophilic community under the effects of changes in the granulometric composition of bottom sediments. Groups of lithophilic and pelophilic invertebrates typical of the metarithral of such rivers (e.g., chironomids of subfamilies Diamesinae and Prodiamesinae) are identified.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 120–125.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Leman, Chebanova.     

Influence of the zebra mussel and fish fry on structural and functional characteristics of microorganisms in experimental ecosystems

The interactions of zebra mussels, invertebrates, fish, and microorganisms were studied experimentally. Trends in the distribution of total bacterial biomass, the abundance of heterotrophic organisms, and their functional activities in water and grounds were analyzed. The most favorable conditions for development of bacteria developed in June, in the presence of fish and without zebra mussels. In experimental ecosystems with zebra mussels, a decrease in the abundance and activity of microorganisms and a change of dominant yeast forms were observed.     

富营养湖泊中轮虫群落结构季节变化的环境驱动力研究(英)

通过对桥墩湖一周年的逐月采样,比较了影响轮虫群落结构季节变化的3种环境驱动力的相对重要性。桥墩湖是一个富营养湖泊,具有较高的营养盐和Chl a含量以及低的透明度。研究发现：水温和营养水平是影响轮虫数量和群落结构季节变化最重要的理化因子。由于大型枝角类数量的稀少,其对轮虫数量并没有显著的负面影响。短尾秀体溞是影响轮虫群落结构季节变化的最重要的枝角类;然而大多数优势轮虫与短尾秀体溞密度峰值的共同出现可能反映了它们对高营养水平和高水温的共同喜好。在浮游植物中,绿藻是决定轮虫密度的最重要的浮游植物门类;而其中的隐藻则是影响轮虫群落结构变化的最重要属。3组环境因子(理化因子、浮游植物、浮游甲壳动物)对轮虫群落结构的季节变化具有相似的解释大小。这些结果表明：在该富营养湖泊中,轮虫群落结构的季节变化可能主要受理化因子和食物资源的影响;浮游甲壳动物对轮虫群落结构的塑造作用有限     

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.     

Carcinogenic potential, levels and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures in indoor and outdoor environments and their implications for air quality standards

Both the World Health Organization and the UK Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS) have considered benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) as a marker of the carcinogenic potency of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) mixture, when recommending their respective guidelines for PAHs in outdoor air. The aim of this research is to compare the concentrations and relative abundance of individual PAH and their contribution to the overall carcinogenic potential of the PAH mixture in indoor and outdoor environments to assess the suitability of the UK air quality standard derived for outdoor air for use as a guideline for indoor environments. Samples were collected onto filters using active sampling in different indoor and outdoor microenvironments. The ratio of individual compounds to BaP, the BaP equivalent concentrations and the percentage contribution of each individual compound to the total carcinogenic potential of the PAH mixture were calculated. Mean concentrations were generally lower indoors (BaP=0.10 ng/m(3)) than outdoors (BaP=0.19 ng/m(3)), with the exception of indoor environments with wood burners (BaP=2.4 ng/m(3)) or ETS (BaP=0.6 ng/m(3)). The ratio of individual PAHs to BaP showed no significant differences between indoors (e.g. DahA/BaP=0.27) and outdoors (DahA/BaP=0.31). The relative contribution of BaP to the PAH overall carcinogenic potency is similar indoors (49%), outdoors (54%) and in the smelter environment (48%) used by EPAQS to derive the UK Air Quality Standard for ambient air. These results suggest the suitability of BaP as a marker for the carcinogenic potential of the PAH mixture irrespective of the environment. Despite small differences in PAH mixture composition indoors and outdoors, the level of protection afforded by the present EPAQS standard is likely to be similar whether it is applied to indoor or outdoor air.     

Heavy metal accumulation by freshwater hydrobionts in a mining area in the south of the Russian Far East

The contents of heavy metals (HMs) were studied in freshwater hydrobionts from the south of the Russian Far East, including the area of wastewater discharge from a lead smelter (the village of Rudnaya Pristan, Primorye). The results showed that most invertebrates disappeared from the ecosystem as the toxicity of the aquatic environment increased. Mollusks of the genus Lymnaea proved to be most tolerant of HM pollution. As the contents of Pb, Mn, Cd, and Zn in bottom sediments increased, the amounts of these metals in mollusk bodies increased as well but to a much lesser extent, with the intensity of HM accumulation decreasing at their higher concentrations in the environment. The range of HM concentrations accumulated in the bodies of limneids noticeably broadened with an increase in technogenic impact. This is evidence for differences in the efficiency of mechanisms regulating the contents of trace elements in individuals of the same species under conditions of extreme pollution.     

长江干流浮游细菌群落结构及影响因素

为研究长江干流浮游细菌群落结构的空间分布规律及其环境影响因素,针对细菌16S rRNA基因,采用定量PCR和高通量测序技术,对2015年和2016年采集的长江干流自四川泸州到上海吴淞口共计40个样点进行分析。结果表明：水体中浮游细菌16S rRNA基因丰度为2.64×106~1.44×109 copies/L。上游（泸州至秭归）、中游（宜昌至湖口）和下游水体（湖口至上海入海口）的α多样性在3组间都没有呈现出显著差异性。长江干流浮游细菌在门水平上主要由变形菌门（Proteobacteria,7.49%~86.53%）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria,0.27%~54.72%）、厚壁菌门（Firmicutes,0.03%~90.95%）、拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes,0.50%~45.36%）和异常球菌-栖热菌门（Deinococcus-Thermus,0.00%~23.96%）构成。在属或科水平上主要由丛毛单胞菌科（Comamonadaceae,0.03%~65.67%）、CL500-29_marine_group（0.00%~24.23%）、hgcI_clade（0.00%~28.82%）、芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus,0.00%~90.88%）和氢噬胞菌属（Hydrogenophaga,0.03%~38.55%）组成。从上中下游水体的浮游细菌群落组成来看,上游水体相对丰度最高的类群为Bacillus（0.00%~90.88%）,中游和下游为Comamonadaceae（分别为0.60%~65.67%和2.87%~50.64%）。造成上中下游水体中浮游细菌群落组成差异的环境因子各不相同：影响上游的主要为pH和悬浮颗粒物（SS）,影响中游的主要为溶解氧（DO）,影响下游的主要为DO、水温（WT）和总磷（TP）。     

Impact of urban anthropogenic pollution on seed production,morphological and biochemical characteristics of chamomile,Matricaria chamomila L.

It has been shown that the growth of technogenic dust pollution is accompanied by the accumulation of heavy metals in soil and plant phytomass, compared to the control, and that the morphometric and reproductive characteristics of Matricaria chamomila are most sensitive to the impact of these pollutants. The response of plants is manifested in increased variation in morphological characters, mobilization of compensatory protective biochemical mechanisms, and production of more viable seed progeny.