Ground Fires as a Factor of Maintenance of Pine–Larch Forests in the Southern Urals

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

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.     

Seasonal spatial differentiation of sex groups in populations of resident bat species (Chiroptera,Vespertilionidae) in the Southern Urals

On the basis of studies on the ecology of boreal bat species in the Southern Urals (1997–2004), the first classification of their summer habitats has been made. It has been shown that spatial segregation of sex groups into areas of two types, designated wintering and breeding zones, takes place in populations in the period of offspring rearing. In females, seasonal migrations are guided by imprinting on sites providing sufficient food for offspring rearing and on wintering sites. In males, imprinting on wintering sites alone is observed.     

Interannual changes in the fauna of dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta,Odonata) in the Southern Urals

Data on the abundance and occurrence of 64 odonate species in the Southern Urals are considered. A comparative analysis of the odonate fauna in the early 20th century, in the 1960s and 1970s, and in the early 21st century is performed. On this basis, it is concluded that its structure has been markedly changing with time, with the magnitude of these changes being comparable to that of regional faunistic differences. The causes of these changes are discussed. The apparent enrichment of the odonate fauna is attributed primarily to the appearance of new anthropogenic habitats.     

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.     

Climate changes in the past century and radial increment of pine in the Southern Ural steppe

Changes in the main climatic factors (air temperature and total precipitation) and their effect on the radial increment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) over the period from 1933 to 2002 were studied in an insular pine forest growing in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals. Evidence for a significant increase in the amount of precipitation and air temperature in the second half of this period was obtained. Functions of response of radial increment indices to climatic parameters were analyzed. Relative contributions of air temperature and precipitation to variation in the radial increment of pine in different time intervals proved to differ in relation to climate changes during the past century.     

Effect of Climatic Changes on the Formation of Siberian Spruce Generations in Subglotsy Tree Stands of the Southern Urals

The correlation between climatic changes and the numbers of trees in the generations of Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) in subgoltsy tree stands of the Southern Urals was analyzed over the past 200 years. The results showed that the most abundant generations appeared in 1809–1816, 1821–1827, 1839–1845, 1850–1867, 1875–1887, 1891–1896, 1900–1904, 1911–1918, 1923–1932, 1944–1952, 1958–1966, and 1975–1995. Their formation proved to be related to the improvement of thermal conditions of the warm season during the five to seven years before and after the emergence of trees and conditions of the cold season in the year of their emergence, as well as to the periods of increased snow depth in late April in the years 27–32 of tree growth.     

Altitudinal and horizontal shifts of the upper boundaries of open and closed forests in the Polar Urals in the 20th century

In the Polar Urals (the Rai-Iz massif and Mounts Tchernaya and Malaya Tchernaya), altitudinal and horizontal shifts of the upper boundary of open and closed larch forests in the 20th century have been studied. Spatiotemporal parameters of these shifts have been assessed with the aid of the ARC/INFO geographic information system (ESRI Inc., United States), using our original large-scale geobotanical maps showing the distribution of different types of forest-tundra communities in the early 1910s and 2000s. The results show that tree vegetation has been actively expanding to higher elevations over the past 90 years. On average, the upper boundaries of open and closed forests have ascended 26 and 35 m and shifted horizontally 290 and 520 m, respectively. These shifts have been conditioned by climate warming and increasing humidity observed since the 1920s.     

The Dynamics of Species Composition and Abundance of Wasps from the Families Pompilidae, Sphecidae, and Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in Successional Pine Biogeocenoses of the Berezinskii Biosphere Reserve

The data on the dynamics of population size and species composition of wasps from the families Pompilidae, Sphecidae, and Vespidae were obtained in the course of long-term studies carried out in successional pine forests of the Berezinskii Biosphere Reserve. The abundance and species diversity of wasps were significantly higher in a polewood forest (40 years) than in a young forest (20 years) and mature moss forest (70 years). In an overgrown ride in the moss pine forest, the composition of dominant wasp species remained relatively stable during the seven-year period of observations, although the number of species and their abundance varied significantly from year to year, depending on the weather.     

退耕还林(草)的生态补偿机制完善研究——以西部黄土高原地区为例

生态补偿措施是退耕还林（草）工程顺利进行的重要保障。以退耕还林（草）在黄土高原地区的实施情况为例，通过问卷调查，应用生态经济学的相关理论进行分析，认为应从以下几个方面完善退耕还林（草）工程的生态补偿机制：首先，建立退耕还林（草）的补偿组织体系；其次。以退耕还林（草）所造成的农民机会成本的损失来确定补偿标准。根据工程的进程和资金的投入情况．可将生态补偿划分为基本补偿、产业结构调整补偿和生态效益外溢补偿三个阶段；第三，根据产业结构调整取得显著成效所需的时间来确定补偿年限；最后提出退耕还林（草）的补偿方式及可能的资金渠道来源。生态补偿计量方法的研究将是今后研究的重点和难点。     

Trade and the environment: An application of the WIOD database

The new WIOD database allows for improved empirical analysis on a wide range of important environmental research questions.In this paper we demonstrate the scientific power of the WIOD database and analyze very urgent policy questions on the impacts of international trade and structural change on the environment.We apply recent econometric approaches to show the impact of international trade on the environment via its different channels as for instance to increase welfare and potentially affect environmental regulation as well as countries’sector.This approach has become known as the econometric structural decomposition method.In addition to these guidelines by the literature,an econometric panel data approach is offered to shed some light on the impact of structural change and international trade on environmental pressure,where we especially address and solve several endogeneity issues that add further complexity to the analysis.     

区域分异视角下乡村企业入城意愿分析——基于浙、豫、川三省193家企业的实证研究

乡村企业入城是实现我国城镇化发展的基本路径。利用浙江、河南、四川三省193家乡村企业的实地调查数据,运用多元有序Logistic回归模型进行相关验证,实证分析我国东中西部三个省份的乡村企业入城意愿及其影响因素。通过对调研数据的描述统计发现:有58.55%的乡村企业主有入城意愿,仅有21.24%的乡村企业主不愿意或非常不愿意搬迁,集群环境、土地价格、运输成本等是企业愿意搬迁的主要原因,土地价格政策、当地经济发展水平、产品产销信息、集群环境是影响企业搬迁方向的重要因素,当地的土地、税收和融资等政府政策对于企业是否入城产生重要影响。通过多元有序Logistic回归模型估计结果表明:企业总资产、土地价格、运输成本、集群环境、与政府关系对入城意愿有显著负向影响,税收政策有显著正向影响,这些影响因素主要是通过影响企业的显性成本(土地价格、运输成本),以及企业的交易成本、寻租成本等隐性成本(集群环境、与政府关系和税收政策),进而影响企业的迁移意愿,且浙江、河南与四川三地计量结果差异显著。在上述研究的基础上,本文提出相应的政策建议。