Anthrax in Yamal: An ecological view on traditional reindeer husbandry

The critical situation with traditional reindeer husbandry in the Yamal district of the Yamalo- Nenets Autonomous Area, indicated by an anthrax epizootic, is analyzed from an ecological viewpoint. The phenomenon of epizootic is regarded as an ecosystemic homeostatic mechanism operating to prevent excess population growth and maintain ecosystem integrity. The shutdown of this mechanism by means of vaccination, with the proportion of reindeer removed from slaughter remaining low, has resulted in an increased grazing load of rangelands and their consequent severe degradation. These events have been aggravated due to change in the type of ownership in reindeer husbandry during the reforms of the 1990s. The ecological situation is classified as critical, posing a real hazard to this particular ethnic form of economy. It is concluded that the period of extensive/expansive development of Yamal reindeer husbandry has come to an end. Sociopsychological attitudes of the Nenets, acquired when biological resources were abundant, contradict with the principles of ecosystem existence and functioning in the period of resource depletion. The maintenance of reindeer husbandry in the traditional form requires increasing material, labor, and financial investments, but positive results are unlikely to be obtained because of ecological constraints.     

Changes in the hepatosomatic index of semianadromous burbot, Lota lota L. (Lotidae), in the Ob River depending on fish physiological state and foraging conditions

The results of long-term observations on changes in the hepatosomatic index of burbot in the Lower Ob basin are presented. The dynamics of this index are considered as dependent on fish sex, stage of gonad maturity, period of reproductive cycle, body damage or abnormalities, and feeding intensity.     

Ecological aspects of larval drift in coregonids with long migration routes

Downstream migration (larval drift) of coregonids in the lower reaches of the Severnaya Sos??va River (the largest spawning tributary of the Lower Ob) has been analyzed from ecological aspects such as the long-term, seasonal, and daily dynamics and the spatial distribution, growth, and feeding of larvae in the current. Considerable changes in the abundance of coregonid generations have been revealed. It is shown that downstream larval migration over a long route has a number of features distinguishing it from that at spawning grounds. In particular, mass migration takes place after the ice drift, and its intensity is independent of changes in flow discharge. The drifting larvae display species-specific distribution in the current, and their density is the lowest in the surface water layer. In the course of migration, their linear body growth is accompanied by considerable depletion of endogenous food reserves and transition to active feeding.     

The boundary between European and Asian freshwater ichthyofaunas in the Arctic part of the Polar Urals

The spatial distribution of ichthyofauna in water bodies of the northern Polar Urals is reviewed. Four lake types are distinguished according to the species composition of fishes. The faunistic ranking of water bodies has been performed. The zoogeographic boundary between the ranges of the European and Siberian ichthyofaunas in the freshwater part of the Arctic has been determined.     

Impact of the Development of Hydrocarbon Deposits on Water Ecosystems of the Yamal Peninsula

Russian Journal of Ecology - Data of monitoring studies (2014–2016) on the state of hydrobionts in watercourses during the development of a hydrocarbon deposit on the Yamal Peninsula have...