Ecological Mechanisms of the Formation of Biological Rhythms in Hibernators of the Family Sciuridae in Northeastern Siberia

A mechanism of the formation of biological rhythms in hibernators at cold temperatures is proposed. Certain ecophysiological characteristics have been studied in three hibernating species: the ground squirrels Citellus undulatus Pallas, 1778 and C. parryi Richardson, 1825 and the chipmunk Tamias sibiricus Laxmann, 1769. The changes in body temperature and the temperature of litter in wintering nests during hibernation seasons have been studied. The dependences of metabolic rate on ambient temperature and the size and species of animals have been studied.     

Temperature conditions in burrows of the steppe marmot, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marmota bobak</Emphasis> Müller (1776), in the hibernation period

Data published in the Handbook on the Climate of the Soviet Union have been used as a basis for estimating the temperature of the soil surrounding the nest chamber during the period of bobak marmot hibernation. Interspecific differences in the temperature conditions of hibernation have been revealed. The hypothesis is substantiated that the dates of hibernation onset in marmots depend on air temperature outside the burrow.     

Influence of Body Weight and Size on the Mode of Wintering in Hibernators of the Family Sciuridae in Northeastern Russia

Energy expenditures in the Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus jacutensis Ognev, 1935) and long-tailed ground squirrel Citellus undulates jacutensis Brandt, 1843 during hibernation were compared. Energy expenditures were assessed by analyzing changes in body weight and gas exchange rate. The animals were weighed either monthly throughout the winter (26 ground squirrels and 9 chipmunks) or continuously (four to six times a day) in five ground squirrels (395 h) and three chipmunks (696 h). At a constant ambient temperature, the body weight of animals in both species decreased almost linearly during the day. The decrease in the body weight of hibernating grounds squirrels and chipmunks over a single short hibernation cycle was also approximated by a linear function, irrespective of species, age, and sex.     

Annual Nutritional Organ Mass Cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo gargarizans</Emphasis> (Cantor, 1842) in Response to Extreme High Temperature

The annual relative mass of storage organs cycle of Bufo gargarizans in southwestern China was studied from December 2005 to November 2006. We described how those organs changed in response to extreme temperatures. Energy reservation dropped to the lowest levels after dormancy for both sexes, and then increased for period of 4.25 month. However, the mass of these organs dropped again rapidly until August (liver) and September (fat bodies) due to the constraint from extreme high temperature occurred during the summer, and then non-significantly increased before hibernation. For ovaries, varied with a different profile to those of liver and fat bodies have a resting period of four months. In addition, the toads’ ovaries kept growing when the mass of liver and fat bodies declining accordingly during hibernation. Therefore, ovarian mass increased during the hibernation and non-hibernation period.     

The Northern Mole Vole: Is It a Hibernator?

Based on the results of long-term field studies (1980–1997) and published data on the ecology of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinusPall.), it is assumed that these animals living in the Southern Urals and the Transural region do hibernate. The factors that cause their hibernation (freezing of the ground, the resultant unavailability of food, and hypoxia), some indirect evidence for hibernation (the cessation of tooth root growth from autumn to spring and a long life span), and characteristic signs of the preparation for hibernation (a decrease in body weight and an increase in liver weight) are considered. A hypothetical scheme of the active and dormant periods is proposed.     

气候变化对西苕溪流域未来洪水影响研究——Ⅱ.情景分析

研究表明VIC模型在西苕溪流域具有良好的适用性,特别是对汛期洪水的模拟。应用陆面水文模型VIC与区域气候模式PRECIS耦合,探讨了西苕溪流域未来洪水对气候变化的响应。结果表明：横塘村水文站月平均流量与月最大洪峰流量的关系较为密切,相关系数均在0.85以上,在一定程度上可以表征洪水的变化特征;基于PRECIS生成的气候情景,未来时期西苕溪流域洪水对气候变化的响应比较明显,尤其是汛期流量增加趋势较显著;结合P-Ⅲ型分布频率分析,西苕溪流域2021~2050年发生洪水极值事件的频率及量级都较基准期增大,且A2情景比B2情景相对更容易触发较大洪水,基准期50 a一遇洪水在未来两种情景下分别缩短为27 a一遇和32 a一遇,说明流域洪水对于气候变化的响应程度增大。     

Increasingly warm summers in the Euro–Mediterranean zone: mean temperatures and extremes

The recent increase in European temperatures led to a strong enhancement in the occurrence of extremely warm events, with relevant consequences for environment and everyday life. Here, we investigate the evolution of very intense warm and cold events in a south-western European zone during 1961–2007 at a seasonal level. Special attention is given to summertime when warming is the most pronounced. Using a previously developed theoretical model, we discuss how the average properties and long-term trends observed in probability density functions of daily temperatures can explain changes in the frequency of severe, isolated events. In this perspective, the recent intensification of extremely warm events, especially experienced by the Mediterranean zone, is proved to be well consistent with a pure shift of seasonal mean temperatures. On the other hand, any change in the second and higher distributional moments of daily temperatures is ruled out by the data, whereas the average values of these properties, that is, variability and asymmetry, do play a role by shaping the temporal behavior of very intense events.     

Climatic signal in radial increment of conifers in forest-steppe of southern Siberia and its dependence on local growing conditions

Radial increments have been studied in Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in the forest-steppe zone of southern Siberia in areas with different landscapes and levels of soil moisture supply but uniform climatic conditions. It has been shown that the radial increment significantly depends on climatic factors, primarily temperatures in April to July and September, sums of precipitation in April to July and September to November, and hydrothermal coefficient in May. The climatiC response in the wood of conifers in the forest-steppe zone differs depending on their species-specific features and local growing conditions.     

湖北省60年代以来气温日较差的变化趋势

利用湖北省７２站１９６１￣１９９５年逐月最高、最低气温资料,计算并详细分析了湖北省年、四季及逐月气温日较差的线性变化趋势。结果表明：（１）年最低气温呈明显上升趋势,而最高气温为下降趋势,因此气温日较差呈显著减少趋势。（２）就四季来看,最高气温在春、夏、冬季均呈下降趋势,但只有夏季的下降趋势是显著的,秋季呈弱上升趋势;最低气温在四季均呈上升趋势,但只有冬季的上升趋势是显著的;气温日较差在冬季与夏季均     

Long-Term Dynamics of Winter Communities of Forest Birds in the Ilmen Nature Reserve

Quantitative data of winter bird censuses in forest habitats of the Ilmen Nature Reserve (1986–2010) have been analyzed with regard to changes in the monthly average, maximum, and minimum temperatures and precipitation in the period from December to February. No warming trend has been revealed in the reserve over the study period, The dynamics of bird population structure in winter has proved to be independent of weather conditions, despite significant interannual fluctuations. The most significant factors of long-term dynamics of abundance of wintering birds include population density in the previous nesting period, the seed yield of the main food plants, and local migration of wintering species.     

Radon exhalation from uranium mill tailings: experimental validation of a 1-D model

TRACI, a model based on the physical mechanisms governing the migration of radon in unsaturated soils, has been developed to evaluate the radon flux density at the surface of uranium mill tailings. To check the validity of the TRACI model and the effectiveness of cover layers, an in situ study was launched in 1997 with the French uranium mining company, COGEMA. The study consisted of continuous measurements of moisture content, suction, radon concentration at various depths inside a UMT cover, and flux density at its surface. An initial analysis has shown that radon concentration and flux density, as calculated with a steady-state diffusion model using monthly averaged moisture contents, are in good agreement with measured monthly averaged concentrations and flux densities.     

长江流域月降水的EEMD多时间尺度遥相关分析

基于长江流域138个气象站1961~2016年的逐月降水观测资料,应用集合经验模态分解（EEMD）方法,分别对各站点的月降水序列进行EEMD分解,然后,运用时滞相关分析和逐步变量选择的方法,以识别长江流域月降水周期振荡和长期趋势的显著影响因子,并构建多元线性回归模型对长江流域月降水进行预测。结果表明：（1）近50多年来,长江流域各站点的月降水呈现出显著的季节、年际和年代际尺度振荡特征。（2）流域内各站点月降水的长期变化趋势存在着较大的空间差异性,表现为金沙江、雅砻江、大渡河以及鄱阳湖流域是月降水长期趋势显著增加的集中区,而岷江中游以及洞庭湖流域的南部是月降水长期趋势显著减少的集中区。（3）厄尔尼诺1+2区的平均海表温度（NINO1+2）的过去模式是影响长江流域月降水周期振荡的主要气候因子,而全球平均气温距平（GlobalT）是影响长江流域月降水长期趋势的主要气候因子。（4）基于已识别的影响因子构建的月降水量预测模型在旱季的预报性能高于雨季,并在长江上游地区的预报性能高于其中下游地区。     

Association of Kawasaki disease with tropospheric winds in Central Chile: Is wind-borne desert dust a risk factor?

It has been found that Kawasaki disease (KD) cases diagnosed in Japan, Hawaii and San Diego, USA increase when tropospheric wind patterns arrive from central Asia, suggesting a common, wind-borne causal agent. We analyzed KD cases hospitalized in Santiago, Chile to look for associations with local, regional and large scale meteorological variables. We compiled monthly data of KD incidence rates, local meteorological variables, large scale wind patterns and several El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices for 2001–2010; we considered standardized anomalies in all analyses and used linear time series models to account for data autocorrelation. We found that meteorological variables explain 38% of variance in KD rates. A unit increase in northerly wind at 3 lagged months, temperature at 1 and 3 lagged months and monthly change of ENSO 4 index are associated with changes in KD rates of 0.203 (95% CI 0.049–0.358), 0.181 (95% CI 0.014–0.347), 0.192 (95% CI 0.030–0.353) and − 0.307 (95% CI − 0.458–0.156), respectively. These results are robust when northerly wind level is changed or when a shorter period (2005–2010) is used to estimate model parameters. We found a statistical association of KD at Santiago, Chile with tropospheric, northerly wind patterns suggesting that dust transported from the Atacama Desert could include a causative agent. A novel result is that ENSO dynamics also explain part of KD variability with a decrease in KD when La Niña is dissipating or El Niño is on the rise; hence climate scale dynamics might be taken into account in future studies worldwide — at least as a potential explanatory variable that may confound KD seasonality on a global scale.     

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.”     

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。     

Tree vegetation of the forest-tundra ecotone in the Western Sayan mountains and climatic trends

Parameters of reproduction of the Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica), including radial and apical tree increments, the age structure of stands, the amount of young growth, and its distribution along an altitudinal gradient, have been studied in the forest-tundra ecotone of the Western Sayan. The results show that, over the past 30 years, P. sibirica undergrowth has expanded to the mountain tundra belt, the apical and radial tree increments and stand density have increased, and the life form of many P. sibirica plants has changed from prostrate to erect (single-or multistemmed). These changes correlate with the dynamics of summer temperatures and monthly (in May and June) and annual precipitation. The rise of summer temperatures by 1°C promotes the expansion of P. sibirica undergrowth for approximately 150 m up the altitudinal gradient.     

太湖五里湖沿岸带浮游植物群落生态特征(2014~2015年)

2014年7月~2015年6月对五里湖浮游植物开展了逐月调查,以研究综合治理后五里湖沿岸带浮游植物群落变化特征。本次调查共检出浮游植物8门196种,绿藻门物种最多(74种),硅藻门次之(57种)。优势种共6门30种,其中2014年7、8、9、10月和2015年6月的第一优势种均为蓝藻门的小颤藻,其优势度范围为0.567~0.879。时间上,浮游植物密度和生物量的月均值变幅分别为1.07×106~2.18×108 ind./L,0.32~50.52 mg/L,其中由于蓝藻的大量增殖,夏和秋初密度、生物量极显著高于其他月份;空间上,A区浮游植物密度和生物量显著低于其余3个湖区。Pearson相关性分析表明,藻类密度、生物量和物种数与水体浊度(Tur)、pH和水温(WT)呈显著或极显著相关关系;RDA分析表明,WT、DO和Tur是与浮游植物群落结构相关性较强的环境因子(p<0.01),其中相关性最强的为WT(r=0.8982)。依据浮游植物物种数和生物多样性指数对水质的分析表明：五里湖沿岸带水体处于中度富营养化水平。     

Spatial pattern of recent rainfall trends in Serbia (1961–2009)

This paper examines a spatial pattern of annual, seasonal and monthly rainfall trends in Serbia. The study used data from 63 weather stations between the period of 1961–2009. The rainfall series was examined by applying the nonparametric method of the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s method to determine the significance and magnitude of the trends. Significant trends have not been detected for the whole country at an annual scale. Seasonal trends at the confidence level of 97.5 %, however, indicate a slight decrease in winter (5 stations out of 63) and spring (7 stations out of 63) precipitation and an increase in autumn precipitation (10 stations out of 63). Results for monthly rainfall trends also generally showed a nonsignificant trend with the exception of a negative trend in May (6 stations out of 63) and positive trend for October (9 stations out of 63). Calculated global autocorrelation statistics (Moran’s I) indicate a random spatial pattern of rainfall trends on annual, seasonal and monthly timescales with exceptions for March, June and November. Overall, results suggest that only weak, mostly nonsignificant trends are present in Serbia in the period 1961–2009.     

Climate change impact on countrywide water balance in Bolivia

There is increasing concern about the ongoing reduction in water supplies in the tropical Andes due to climate change effects such as glacier/snow melting resulting from rising air temperatures. In addition, extreme events and population growth are already directly affecting life and water renewability in the country. A countrywide integrated national plan for improving basin-scale water management in Bolivia is needed to assure water availability for agriculture, industry, mining, and human consumption. This study aims to provide a modeling tool to assess Bolivia’s past, current, and future water availability and identify basins at risk of water deficits. The Soil Water Assessment Tool was used to simulate the monthly water balance from 1997 to 2008, as well as the water balance projected to 2050 for the entire country. It considers possible changes in air temperatures and precipitation proposed by 17 Global Circulation Models as well as carbon dioxide projections derived from the Special Report Emission Scenario. Overall, model results were close to satisfactory compared to observations, with some exceptions due to lack of information for expanding the timeline and improving calibration. Based on the calculation of three hydrologic indicators, the study identifies basins that would be the most susceptible to water deficits for a baseline from 1997 to 2008, and in the event of the projected climate change, to 2050.     

Specific features of xylogenesis in Dahurian larch, Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr., growing on permafrost soils in Middle Siberia

Processes of xylem formation in Dahurian larch have been studied at three sites differing in the hydrothermal regime of soils in the permafrost zone of Middle Siberia. It has been found that the start and end dates of different phases of tree ring formation may differ between the sites by up to 14 days, depending on site conditions. The data obtained contribute to knowledge of possible changes in larch forest phytomass production and provide the possibility of predicting its dynamics under conditions of climate change.