Biological productivity of bogs in the middle taiga subzone of Western Siberia

New experimental data on biological productivity of plant communities in oligotrophic and mesotrophic bogs of the middle taiga subzone over the past five years are presented. The relationship between net primary production and the stock of live phytomass is estimated. The stock of necromass in oligotrophic bog ecosystems increases from west to east, while the stock of live phytomass and net primary production decrease.     

Specific features of bird community formation depending on the degree of anthropogenic impact

The population density and relative abundance of some bird species reach the highest values in the communities of habitats with a high degree of anthropogenic transformation. The species diversity of birds shows an inverse correlation with the index of anthropogenic impact (in grades) calculated with regard to a number of parameters. Relevant correlations change periodically, with the correlation coefficient reaching the highest values in the nesting period and decreasing to a minimum during the flight period.     

Habitus Diversity of Ladybirds (Coleoptera,Coccinellidae) in the Steppe Zone of the Southern Urals and the South of Western Siberia

In the ladybird fauna of the steppe zone of the Southern Urals and the south of Western Siberia, five variants, three forms, and two habitus types of adult beetles are distinguished, and their hierarchy is established. The habitus diversity of ladybirds is revealed using a new method of describing each form in a polar system of coordinates whose center coincides with the center of gravity of the insect body. The system of ladybird habitus reflects the main directions of trophic specialization in the family.     

Effect of forest fires on the avifauna of the Northern Amur Region

To reveal the effect of forest fires on the avifauna of the Northern Amur Region, bird assemblages of primary dark conifer-deciduous forests, wild rosemary larch forests, and secondary larch-birch forests have been studied in the Komsomol’skii and Norskii nature reserves. It has been shown that the replacement of primary dark conifer-deciduous forests by secondary forests is accompanied by a significant decrease in bird population density, with some species being lost and the composition of the dominant species group being changed. On the other hand, fires lead to increasing patchiness of the environment, which can sometimes provide for an increase in biological diversity.     

Latitudinal variation in size of freshwater pulmonate mollusks (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in Western Siberia

The size of shells in some freshwater pulmonate mollusk species abundant in Western Siberia (Lymnaea fragilis, L. terebra, Planorbis planorbis, and Anisus leucostoma) is relatively large in the south and decreases in the north. It is supposed that this phenomenon is explained by the fact that the season with conditions allowing the growth of mollusks is shorter in the north than in the south of Western Siberia.     

Cyclicity of the European water vole population as a factor of biodiversity in ecosystems of Western Siberia

Population outbreaks of the European water vole (Arvicola amphibius = Arvicola terrestris) in the northern forest-steppe of Western Siberia have been analyzed over more than 100 years. The results show that the period of the A. amphibius population cycle averages 8 years and its amplitude reaches a factor of 10³–10⁴, with population outbreaks leading to large-scale rearrangements in the ecosystem. In particular, the abundance of other species in the murine rodent community decreases with a 1-year lag, while the abundance of myophagous predators increases in the last year of the outbreak or in the next year.     

Long-Term Changes in the Fauna of Diurnal Lepidopterans (Lepidoptera,Diurna) in the Northern Taiga Subzone of the Western Russian Plain

In the diurnal lepidopteran fauna of the northern taiga subzone in the western Russian Plain, the species inhabiting primary biotopic complexes typical of this subzone currently account for slightly more than 60% of the total species richness and abundance. A large part of the fauna is represented by the species of more southern origin, whose expansion to the northern taiga was caused by anthropogenic transformation of landscapes between the 12th and 20th centuries and recent climate warming.     

The ecology of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) in Western Siberia

The data on the ecology of bilberry and cowberry in the West Siberian Plain, Kuznetsk Ala Tau, and highland Altai are presented. Ecological ranges of these plants and amplitudes of their tolerance for some environmental factors are described.     

Evaluation of the usefulness of bird feathers as a non-destructive biomonitoring tool for organic pollutants: a comparative and meta-analytical approach

In this study, we investigated whether bird feathers can be used as a non-destructive biomonitor for organic pollutants. We analysed the outermost tail feathers of 8 terrestrial and aquatic bird species from Belgium (8 species, n=108) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Every compound class could be quantified in one single tail feather of the birds under study (sum PCBs ranging from 5.5 to 510 ng/g feather, sum PBDEs from 0.33 to 53 ng/g feather, sum DDTs from 1.5 to 730 ng/g feather), except for PBDEs in feathers of the common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). Further, we calculated Pearson correlations between concentrations of organic pollutants in feathers and concentrations in corresponding muscle or liver tissue from the birds. Correlations were found significant in half of the cases of the terrestrial species, but were found not significant for the aquatic species, with the exception of a significant correlation of sum PCBs in the common moorhen. Only for the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) (n=43) all correlations were found significant (0.32相似文献   

Design for environment as a tool for the development of a sustainable supply chain

In this work, design for environment (DfE) methodologies have been used as a tool for the development of a more sustainable supply chain. In particular by combining life‐cycle assessment (LCA) techniques and by using the quality function deployment (QFD) multi‐criteria matrices, an ‘environmental compromise’ can be reached. In this work, the QFD matrices have been developed in a new way using an iterative process that involves the whole supply chain starting from the product life‐cycle, taking into consideration the machines that make the product and their components. This methodology is compatible with the requirements of the various stakeholders, suppliers, manufacturers and clients, involved in the supply chain. To assess the validity of the proposed approach a specific supply chain was studied concerning packaging systems for liquid food substances (beverage cartons). Firstly all the stages which are most critical from the environmental point of view in the supply chain of packaging systems were identified and assessed. The starting point for the analysis of environmental aspects and impacts which characterise the supply chain was LCA, which proved to be useful for the identification and the environmental assessment of the various stages in a packaging system. Through the use of ‘iterative QFD’ it is possible to arrive at a definition of the engineering characteristics of all the machinery which is involved in the supply chain. In particular in this work the authors have tried to identify the critical points in the design of those machines which either make the beverage cartons or are involved in the filling process.     

Paleoecological analysis of chironomid assemblages of a mountain lake as a source of information for biomonitoring

The results of paleoecological analysis of chironomid remains in bottom sediments of a mountain lake exposed to atmospheric pollution with acidifying compounds and heavy metals are described. With consideration of the reconstructed chironomid assemblages, it is demonstrated that the course of natural lake ontogeny has been tending to change since the beginning of industrial development in the region. Chironomid taxa promising as indicators for biological monitoring are discussed.     

The considerations and limitations of feedback as a strategy for behaviour change

Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) is a maturing research area concerned with the application of design strategies to influence consumer behaviour during a products use phase towards more sustainable action. However, current DfSB research has focussed on strategy selection with little research into understanding the real-world impact of the behaviour changing interventions debated. This article presents the results of an extensive literature review of one specific DfSB strategy, feedback – a user agentive performance indicator. These findings exemplify the considerations and limitations of this particular approach to behaviour change, drawing on empirical research conducted by a breadth of authors, including two of the only medium-term case studies in the field of DfSB. Considerations discussed include the frequency, duration and accuracy of feedback; the selection of metrics and the presentation medium and mode; the use of ambience and the location of the installation. Limitations of feedback include the need for additional information and comparisons; the issue with multiple users; technical issues; relegation to background technology and the potential rebound effects. This article provides insights to both improve the effectiveness of future feedback design efforts and also to help facilitate discussion on feedbacks position as a strategy within DfSB.     

Opportunities for redistributed manufacturing and digital intelligence as enablers of a circular economy

The linear production of consumer goods is characterised by mass manufacture by multinational enterprises and globally dispersed supply chains. The current centralised model has created a distance between the manufacturer and end user, limiting the opportunity for intelligent circular approaches for production and consumption. Through a mixed method approach, opportunities of circularity are explored for the consumer goods sector. The study presents four lenses to analyse three enterprises through a multi-case study approach to explore the potential of digital intelligence and redistributed manufacturing (RDM) as enablers of circular business models. In addition, the study examines whether Discrete Event Simulation can be used to evaluate the circular scenarios identified through quantifying flows of material that determine traditional economic value (cost/tonne). The mixed method approach demonstrates that, a qualitative systemic analysis can reveal opportunities for circularity, gained through implementing ‘digital intelligence’ and distributed models of production and consumption. Furthermore, simulations can provide a quantified evaluation on the effects of introducing circular activities across a supply chain.     

Syntaxonomy of Southern Ural Forests as a basis for the system of their protection

Using the example of Southern Ural forests, it is shown that the Braun-Blanquet method is promising for estimating the efficiency of the system of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) and drawing up guidelines for its further development. In particular, evidence is provided that forests of the unions Aconito-Piceion and Lathyro-Quercion are protected quite insufficiently. Proposals concerning organization of new SPNAs are formulated.     

The Phytoecological Map as a Means for Evaluating the State and Anthropogenic Transformation of Vegetation

The methodological principles of making a phytoecological map reflecting the degree of anthropogenic transformation of the plant cover are described.     

Evaluation of Brasilia wastewater sludge as a biomass resource for the production of energy by gasification simulation

This work evaluated the sludge potential of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETA) in the city of Brasília to be used as a fuel by gasification. It is known that ETA sludge is a significant environmental liability, since current legislation restricts its final disposal. For this, the chemical characterisation of ETA sludge was performed by immediate and elemental analysis. No traces of heavy metals were observed, and the moisture (ω) and ash contents were 31.17 and 51.77%, respectively, different from those already reported in the literature because the composition depends on the water treatment technology employed. The gasification process was numerically simulated; once dry, it constitutes a residue with an energy content (HHV) of 22.4498 MJ kg^?1, comparable with other types of biomass currently used for large-scale energy generation by thermochemical processes (e.g. agricultural residues, wood and sugar cane bagasse). For the numerical simulation with an equivalence ratio (Φ) near 3, higher concentrations of CO and H₂ can only be achieved with ω lower than 15%. The results showed that gasification can be an attractive option for the disposal and use of a renewable waste resource, such as ETA sludge, in an environmentally safe way, and it is allowed by local legislation.     

Ecological risk as a tool for evaluating the effects of offshore wind farm construction in the North Sea

Offshore wind power generation represents a chance to supply energy in a more sustainable way; however, the ecological risks associated with the construction and operation of offshore wind farms are still largely unknown. This paper uses the concept of ecological risk for analysing ecological changes during construction of offshore wind farms. “Ecological risk” is defined as the potentially reduced ability of providing ecosystem services. The ERSEM ecosystem model allows assessing ecological risk based on a number of selected variables (integrity indicators) and under the assumption that increased suspended matter concentration during construction of wind farms affects ecosystem functioning. We conclude that ecological risk is adequate to describe the effects of wind farm constructions, although the computation procedure still needs to be refined and the choice of indicators further optimised. In this context, the choice of indicators available in modelling as well as in monitoring time-series may offer the way forward.     

210Pb as a tool for establishing sediment chronologies: examples of potentials and limitations of conventional dating models

For aquatic sediments, the use of ²¹⁰Pb originating from the decay of atmospheric ²²²Rn is a well-established methodology to estimate sediment ages and sedimentation rates. Traditionally, the measurement of ²¹⁰Pb in soils and sediments involved laborious and time-consuming radiochemical separation procedures. Due to the recent development of advanced planar (‘n-type’) semi-conductors with high efficiencies in the low-energy range which enable the gamma-spectrometric analysis of the 46.5 keV decay line of ²¹⁰Pb, sediment dating using this radionuclide has gained renewed interest.In this contribution, potentials and limitations of the ²¹⁰Pb methodology and of the models used for estimating sediment ages and sedimentation rates are discussed and illustrated by examples of freshwater and marine sediments. Comparison with the use of ¹³⁷Cs shows that the information which may be gained by these two tracers is complementary. As a consequence, both radionuclides should be used in combination for dating of recent sediments. It is shown that for various sedimentation regimes additional information from other sources (e.g. sediment lithology) may be needed to establish a reliable chronology. A strategy for sediment dating using ²¹⁰Pb is recommended.