Reproductive parameters and disturbances of embryonic development in the fieldfare (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Turdus pilaris</Emphasis> L.) in the zone of impact from the nuclear fuel industry

The impact of emissions from the Siberian Chemical Plant (Tomsk oblast) on reproduction and embryonic development of the fieldfare was studied. Bird abundance, clutch size, and egg volume in the impact and background (control) zones were similar, but partial brood mortality in the impact zone proved to be significantly higher, and the frequency of embryonic pathologies (including developmental abnormalities) was also several times higher than in the control.     

Analysis of long-term changes in the dates of seasonal phenomena in plants and insects of the Il’men Reserve as related to climatic factors

The results of monitoring the dates of the onset of flowering and leaf budding in eight herbaceous and woody plant species and the first appearance of three insect species in the Il’men Reserve (1972–2005) were processed by means of regression and correlation analyses. No significant changes in test parameters were revealed in the majority of these species. Only two early spring plants, coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.) and goat willow (Salix caprea L.), showed a weak tendency toward earlier flowering in the 1980s and 1990s. This is explained primarily by the absence of any significant trends in spring and summer air temperatures in the study region over the observation period. On the other hand, interannual fluctuations in the dates of plant flowering and insect appearance were well manifested not only in early spring but also in late-spring species. These fluctuations proved to depend largely on spring temperatures: in years with early and warm springs, flowering and leaf budding in plants and the appearance of first individuals in insects were recorded on significantly earlier dates.     

Composition of pied flycatcher (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficedula hypoleuca</Emphasis> Pall.) nestling diet in industrially polluted area

The composition of pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca Pall.) nestling diet was studied in the zone of strong pollution with emissions from the Middle Ural Copper Smelter (Revda, Sverdlovsk oblast) and in the background area from 2005 to 2007. The results show that diversity of the diet decreases and prevalence in it of one insect taxon (Lepidoptera) increases near the source of emissions. The proportion of uncharacteristic food objects (orthopterans, herpetobiont invertebrates) and variation in the size of invertebrates brought by parents to their nestlings increase, which is explained by degradation of forest habitats in the polluted area. Pied flycatchers provide nestlings with sufficient quantities of food, but its quality in the polluted zone is lower than in the background area.     

Specific features of early stages of progressive succession in an anthropogenic landscape: An example from southeastern Belarus

Specific features of progressive succession in the vegetation of anthropogenically transformed landscapes in southeastern Belarus have been studied in permanent test plots. Using phytoindication scales proposed by Ellenberg (1974) and Tsyganov (1983), trends of changes in ecological conditions in the first years of succession have been revealed.     

On causes of gigantism in herbaceous plants

Landscape-geochemical features providing for manifestation of gigantism in herbaceous plants have been revealed in natural habitats in the south of Sakhalin and Kunashir islands. Tall herb assemblages have proved to be associated with geochemical landscapes characterized by reducing (gley or hydrogen sulfide) conditions and increased contents of petroleum hydrocarbons and some trace elements (total and movable forms). A hypothesis is put forward that gigantism in herbaceous plants is manifested in zones of active faults, which serve as a kind of conduits supplying endogenous heat, matter, and water to the root systems.     

Postfire succession in a forest of the cryolithozone: The example of central Yakutia

The results of studies on postfire succession in larch forests of the permafrost zone are discussed. The main directions of successional processes in burned-out areas of different ages are described. It has been shown that secondary pyrogenic successions in larch forests follow the scheme of rapid regeneration without tree species replacement and the model of succession tolerance. Groups of plant species with different life strategies and indicator species characterizing different stages of the overgrowing of burned-out areas have been identified.     

Particle-size-fractioned transfer of dioxins from sediments to water columns by resuspension process

Particle-size-fractioned transfer of dioxins from sediments to water columns by resuspension process was investigated, using supernatant samples obtained from shaking experiments of sediment-water pairs simulating natural disturbances. The concentrations (dry-matter mass basis) of individual compounds (Cfraction) in two particle size fractions (0.1-1 and 1-10 μm) in the supernatants were generally slightly higher than those in the original sediment (Csed). Cfraction/Csed ratios ranged from 0.45 to 5.9 (median 1.5) without consistent differences among congener groups or consistent correlations against the number of chlorine atoms. The dioxin concentrations in the water column associated with the remaining sediment particles can therefore be estimated by those in the original sediment and by the concentration of suspended sediment particles in the water. The concentration of each compound in the remaining sediment particles (mostly 0.1-10 μm in size) can be roughly estimated by multiplying the concentration in the original sediment by 1.5.     

On experimental setup in bioelectromagnetics

Bioeffects created by electromagnetic field (EMF) are the subject of intensive studies. This paper critically considers estimations of exposure to EMF in bioelectromagnetic experiments. Results of calculations presented herein show the significant role of the presence of conducting bodies (the exposure system) near an object under test on EMF energy absorption as well as mutual interactions between simultaneously exposed objects. Our aims herein are twofold: firstly to find a way to refer measurement results to free-space conditions in order to enable comparison of results obtained in different laboratories, and secondly to show that EMF energy absorption in any exposed object is different and that this difference is a function of the size of the exposure system, the number of exposed objects, and the particular properties (i.e., the electromagnetic structure) of the objects. In the authors’ opinion the existence of interactions caused by the presence of the exposure system and other exposed objects is a reason why remarkable differences are observed between experiments performed even under supposedly identical conditions. The presented considerations and conclusion suggest wider participation of physicists and engineers in bioelectromagnetic experiments in order to ensure the correctness of metrological aspects of these experiments.