A New Species of the Caddisfly Genus Triaenodes McLachlan, 1865 (Trichoptera,Leptoceridae) from the Southern Urals,Russia

Entomological Review - A new caddisfly species Triaenodes (Ylodes) lagunovi sp. n. is described from the Southern Urals.     

Zooplankton communities in the Southern Weddell Sea (Antartica)

Summary Standardized abundances of 40 frequently occurring macrozooplankton taxa collected by double-oblique bongo net hauls between the surface and 200 m depth were submitted to an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis, to characterize surface zooplankton communities in the southern and eastern Weddell Sea. The sensitivity of the analysis concerning reduction of the number of considered taxa (especially stages of species) was tested. Dominant taxa in the entire area over the whole period were copepods Metridia gerlachei and Calanoides acutus. Calanus propinquus, Appendicularia spp. and calyptopis-1 larvae of krill, Euphausia superba were abundant at 73°S/19°W. Euphausia crystallorophias and larval fish Pleuragramma antarcticum dominated at 77°S/40°W on the southern shelf. The cluster analysis revealed marked similarities between the southern shelf community and the January community further to the northeast. E. crystallorophias, and larval Pleuragramma antarcticum are thought to be transported in surface layers of the coastal current to the southwest. Oceanic species such as Thysanoessa sp. and E. superba are probably not transported in the same way. Possible mechanisms for the maintenance of the community structures are discussed. A simplified method of characterizing communities, based on analysis of euphausiids, is presented.     

New and Rare Typhloplanoid Species (Turbellaria,Neorhabdocoela) for Fauna of the Urals and Russia

Morphological decriptions and information on the biology and distribution are given for the first time for fauna of the Urals turbellarians from the Neorhabdocoela order of the Typhloplanidae family: Strongylostoma simplex Meixner 1915, Typhloplanella halleziana (Vejdovsky 1880), Phaenocora rufodorsata (Sekera 1904). The species Typhloplanella halleziana was found the first time on the territory of Russia.     

Zooplankton dynamics in the upstream part of Stratos reservoir (Greece)

The investigation of the zooplankton community in the upstream part of Stratos reservoir during a 24 months survey (September 2004–August 2006) revealed 26 invertebrate species (14 rotifers, 6 cladocerans, 5 copepods and one mollusk larva). The mean abundance of the total zooplankton was higher in the first sampling period (2004–2005) and ranged between 8.81 and 47.74 ind. L⁻¹, than the second period (2005–2006) when fluctuated between 1.91 and 43.09 ind. L⁻¹. The seasonal variation was strongly influenced by the presence of rotifers, which accounting on average for 68.4% in total. Among them Keratella cochlearis and the order Bdelloidea were numerically the most important, while Macrocyclops albidus prevailed among the copepods and Bosmina longirostris among the cladocerans. Dreissena polymorpha was the only mollusk found in the zooplankton community. Rotifers, copepods and cladocerans showed a seasonal succession with the former preceding in the abundance having their first maximum in spring, while copepods and cladocerans followed, having peaks of abundance in early summer and in autumn, respectively. No seasonal succession among the cladoceran species was observed. The intense water flow in the upstream part of the reservoir, as well as temperature, conductivity, DO, pH, phosphates and silicates, were significant parameters controlling abiotic and biotic elements of the ecosystem and consequently influencing the seasonal variation and the dynamics of the zooplankton community.     

An annotated list of flea beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Halticinae) of the Southern Urals

Based on the author’s investigation and literature data, a list of flea beetles of the Southern Urals is compiled for the first time. It includes 136 species belonging to 16 genera; the occurrence of 88 species is proved by the author’s material. Five species are recorded for the region for the first time. Misidentifications of some species previously recorded for the region are revealed.     

New data on the fauna of longicorn beetles (Coleoptera,Cerambycidae) of the Southern Urals

New records of Cerambycidae from Orenburg Province are presented. Four species were recorded for the first time from the region, and Cortodera turgaica Danil. was recorded for the first time from Russia. In total, 143 species of longicorn beetles are known in Orenburg Province.     

Zooplankton of Lake Kandrykul (Republic of Bashkortostan,Russia) under Conditions of Anthropogenic Eutrophication

The species diversity, abundance, and biomass of zooplankton in the pelagic and coastal zones of Lake Kandrykul were studied in 2007–2012. The community was dominated by large Cladocera. The maximum abundance of zooplankton was observed in the anomalously warm 2010. In July, the highest abundance of zooplankton (1300 thousand ind./m³) was recorded near the southern coast in stands of mare′s-tail Hippurus vulgaris; that of biomass (9 g/m³) was found near the northern shore in stands of narrow-leaved cattail Typha angustifolia. The lowest values of the number and biomass of aquatic invertebrates were observed in the pelagial (32 thousand ind./m³ and 0.1 g/m³) and along the M5 motorway stretching aside the northeastern coast (188 thousand ind./m³ and 0.5 g/m³). The Shannon index value (1.3–2.1) corresponded to the meso-eutrophic type of water bodies. In 2007, according to the Mjaemets trophicity index (E), the lake ecosystem was oligotrophic (E 0.11); in 2010–2012 it was mesotrophic (in the pelagial, E value was 0.54; in the open littoral it was 0.76) or weakly eutrophic (E values of protected littoral were 1.52). The estimates of water trophy as assessed by zooplankton are close to those assessed by the number and biomass of phytoplankton (meso-eutrophic type). The rapid eutrophication of the lake ecosystem was revealed. In 6 years the trophic status of the lake changed from oligo-mesotrophic to meso-eutrophic.     

Zooplankton in hollow-pools (using raised bogs in Vologda oblast, Russia, as an example)

Data on the biodiversity, structure, and seasonal dynamics of zooplankton communities in hollowpools of raised bogs in Vologda oblast are presented for the first time. The fauna of zooplankton communities in hollow-pools totals 38 species of plankton invertebrates (Rotatoria, 12; Cladocera, 19; and Copepoda, 7), and is mainly presented by acidophilic and sphagnophilic species. The water bodies are characterized by a high abundance and biomass of zooplankton organisms. The diversity and productivity of the zooplankton community increase with an increase in the area and depth of hollow-ponds. The seasonal dynamics of the abundance and biomass of zooplankton is similar in all groups of hollow-pools and depends on changes in the dominant complex of invertebrates.     

Devonian antiarchs (Pisces,Antiarchi) from central and Southern European Russia

Antiarchi (Pisces, Placodermi) from the Devonian of central and southern European Russia (Central Devonian Field) are studied. Antiarchs belong to three families, the Asterolepididae, Remigolepididae (suborder Asterolepidoidei), and Bothriolepididae (suborder Bothriolepidoidei). The diagnoses of the order, two suborders, three families, and five genera (two of which are new) are given. Sixteen species, including one new, are described; ten taxa are determined in open nomenclature. Morphological structures of representatives of these families are considered in detail. Classifications of antiarchs and their position in the system of the lower vertebrates are discussed. Devonian vertebrate localities of central and southern European Russia that have yielded antiarchs are listed. Each locality is characterized by its ichthyoassemblage.     

Body Potassium Content and Radiation Dose from 40K for the Urals Population (Russia)

Long-term whole-body monitoring of radionuclides in residents of the Urals Region has been performed at the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine (URCRM, Chelyabinsk). Quantification of ⁴⁰K was achieved by measuring the ⁴⁰K photopeak with four phoswich detectors in whole body counter SICH-9.1M. The current study presents the results of ⁴⁰K measurements in 3,651 women and 1,961 t-test; U-test men aged 11–90; measurements were performed in 2006–2014. The residents belonged to two ethnic groups, Turkic (Tatar, Bashkir) and Slavs (mainly Russian). The levels of ⁴⁰K-body contents depend upon gender, age, and body mass. Significant ethnic-differences were not found in ⁴⁰K-body contents and ⁴⁰K concentrations in terms of Bq per kg of body weight (in groups homogenous by age and gender). Both ⁴⁰K-body contents and concentrations were significantly higher in men than in women in all age-groups; the difference was about 25%. The measured ⁴⁰K-body content in men of 20–50 years was about 4200 Bq (134 g of K) and about 3000 Bq (95 g of K) in women. By the age of 80 these values decreased to 3200 Bq (102 g of K) in men and 2500 Bq (80 g of K) in women. Annual dose rates were maximal in the age group of 20–30 years– 0.16 mGy/y for men and 0.13 mGy/y for women. Further, the dose-rates decreased with age and in the groups of 60–80 years were 0.13 mGy/y for men and 0.10 mGy/y for women. Within groups homogeneous by age and gender, individual dose rates are described by a normal statistical distribution. The coefficient of variation ranges from 9 to 14%, and on the average is 12.5%. Doses from naturally occurring ⁴⁰K accumulated over 70 years were found to be 9.9 mGy for men and 8.3 mGy for women; over 90 years - 12.5 and 10.4 mGy.     

A new species of Cribroconcha (Ostracoda) from the Serpukhovian of the Southern Urals

A new ostracode species, Cribroconcha magna sp. nov., is described from the Serpukhovian cephalopod facies, Lower Carboniferous, of the Southern Urals. The ostracodes particularly frequently co-occurring with the index species are shown in the plate. The localities of the new species are described.     

Radiation accidents in the Southern Urals (1949-1967) and human genome damage

A series of radioactive catastrophes (from 1948 to 1967) in the Southern Urals in the USSR led to intensive environmental contamination. Radioactive wastes were dispersed over the 20000 km(2) territory of four provinces-Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen' and Kurgan-due to the activity of the military facility that was built in 1948 for the production of nuclear bomb plutonium. The results of 50 years of investigations into the consequences of these disasters allow a general picture of the events that occurred to be reconstructed and allow the medical consequences of the irradiation of about half a million residents to be depicted. However, due to the atmosphere of secrecy and inadequate medical procedures, the results of medical studies of radiation victims are scant. The current protocols present a unique opportunity to study the DNA damage at the nucleotide resolution level in the genome of inhabitants of the given region, who presumably received chronic doses of irradiation. Studies were conducted through the direct sequencing of genes after their PCR-amplification and preselection of allegedly mutated DNA molecules. The regions of two genes have been sequenced: D1 dopamine receptor gene (subfamily of the G-protein coupled receptor L-DOPA genes) and the intron 12 of the gene for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) responsible for phenylketonuria or hyperphenylalaninemia. Six point mutations (four presumably new) were found in the D1 gene of 42 persons and five polymorphic loci (two of which are widespread and three are unique) were revealed in the PAH gene. One of two widespread mutations is a deletion, and the other four are substitutions. Mutations in the controls were not found.     

Differentiation among populations of the Rhodiola iremelica Boriss. (Grassulaceae) in the Southern Urals

Isoenzyme markers and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis have been used to study the genetic structure of populations of Rhodiola iremelica Boriss. (Grassulaceae), a southern Ural endemic protected by the state and included in the Red Data Book of Bashkortostan Republic. A relatively large genetic variation at the species level has been found. The subdivision among populations (F _ST = 0.115) is higher than in most cross-pollination angiosperms. No consistent pattern has been observed in the spatial distribution of its genetic variation. The relatively high differentiation among samples of R. iremelica characterized by small effective population sizes, may be accounted for by genetic drift, inbreeding, and a restricted gene flow. To preserve the population gene pool, in situ protection of the species in nature is insufficient. It seems advisable to create synthetic populations ex situ and reintroduce them into nature.     

A new species of the flea-beetle genus Altica geoffr. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae) from the Southern Urals

Altica filipendulae sp. n. is described from the Southern Urals. The new species is most closely related to A. longicollis (Allard) and differs from it in the narrower terete body with less prominent humeri, shallower antebasal depression of the pronotum, details of the aedeagus structure, and in the host plant. The holotype is deposited at the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg.     

Ecofauna of Orthopterans (Orthoptera) in the Foothills and Mountains of Southern Russia

Species composition and distribution of orthopterans in the foothills and mountains of Southern Russia were studied on the basis of original and published data. The list includes 175 orthopteran species in 86 genera. Their origin was considered and current range types of orthopteran genera were analyzed. Six ecological groups associated with different habitats were recognized.     

Biostratigraphic subdivision and correlation of Uppermost Carboniferous/Lower Permian sediments in the Southern Alps: Fusulinoidean and condont faunas from the Carnic Alps (Austria/Italy), Karavanke Mountains (Slovenia), and Southern Urals (Russia)

Summary In order to establish a refined biostratigraphic subdivision and correlation of the Uppermost Carboniferous/Lower Permian deposits of the Southern Alps (Carnic Alps, Karavanke Mountains; Austria/Italy/Slovenia), two major microfossil groups (fusulinoideans, conodonts) were investigated within the same sample. The fusulinoidean species diversity (71 species, including five new species and three new subspecies) and generic composition were reviewed and complemented. Additionally, the data on fusulinoidean assemblages were supplemented by co-occurring conodont faunas (seven species). Accompanying studies on material from the type sections of the Southern Urals (Russia) were made to improve the biostratigraphic correlation with the Russian standard zonation and to discuss paleobiogeographical aspects of the faunal associations. An integrated microfacies analysis of the sampled material in the Southern Alps serves to evaluate the relationships between certain genera and specific microfacies types. The fusulinoidean fauna of the Lower “Pseudoschwagerina” Limestone is of late Gzhelian age. The Carboniferous/Permian boundary is close to the base of the Grenzland Formation, which covers the entire Asselian and a part of the Sakmarian. The Upper “Pseudoschwagerina” Limestone and Trogkofel Limestone are Lake Sakmarian to Artinskian. The studies sequences in the Karavanke Mountains. formerly known as “carbonate and clastic Trogkofel beds”, correlate to the Lower “Pseudoschwagerina” Limestone, respectively with parts of the Grenzland Formation. Due to the lithologic differences, new formation names (Dolzanova Soteska Fm., Born Fm.) were introduced for the so-called “Trogkofel” Limestone along the Dolzanova Soteska. Whereas late Gzhelian/Asselian fusulinoidean faunas of the Southern Alps correspond to the Southern Uralian faunas to a large extent, Sakmarian and Artinskian faunas reveal an increasing divergence in species and genus composition. Climatic as well as geographic barriers may have prevennted the dispersal of Paleotethyan taxa into the Southern Urals. Biostratigraphic correlation of Sakmarian to Artinskian deposits is therefore possible only on the basis of the sparse conodont faunas.     

Finding of Molars of the Archaic Vole Lasiopodomys (Stenocranius) Gregaloides (Hinton, 1923) (Mammalia,Rodentia, Cricetidae) in the Late Pleistocene of the Southern Urals

Doklady Biological Sciences - A total of 1250 lower first molars (m1) of voles (Arvicolini) were studied from Late Pleistocene deposits (the radiocarbon dates from rodent bones: 17?100 ±...     

The current state and long-term changes of zoobenthos in the Novosibirsk reservoir

The composition, structure, and spatial distribution of zoobenthos in the Novosibirsk reservoir have been analyzed. A decrease in species richness an increase in invertebrates abundance from upper to low sites of the reservoir, caused by changes in bottom sediment types, have been observed. A comparative analysis of the benthos community structure for a 50-year period (1959–2008) clearly demonstrates that, with an increase in the biomass of invasive species in the reservoir, the biomass of large bivalve mollusks decreases.     

Phytoindicational properties of the vegetation in landscape transformation studies on Sibay chalcopyrite deposits (Southern Urals)

Changes in biogeochemical, morphological, floristic, and phytocenotic vegetation properties around Sibay chalcopyrite deposits at different distances from mining facilities have been studied. Heavy metal (HM) (Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, and Mn) content has been measured in samples of soils, waters, bottom sediments, total aboveground phytomass, and several plant species (Artemisia austriaca, Salvia stepposa, Thymus marschallianus, Veronica incana, Caragana frutex, Phlomis tuberosa, Achilea setacea, Galium verum, and Phragmites australis). Groups (pleiadas) of species have been identified based on interspecific contingency coefficient. These pleiadas correspond to ecological conditions and level of anthropogenic stress of the habitats. The set of features for evaluating natural territorial transformations of complexes by means of phytoindication is proposed.     

Population structure of common juniper in the Cis-Urals and Southern Urals

The population structure of common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) growing in the Cis-Urals and Southern Urals has been studied using 17 morphological traits of generative and vegetative organs. A multivariate analysis of ten coenopopulations has recognized three phenotypically different local populations: Cis-Ural, forest Cis-Ural forest-steppe, and Southern Ural mountain populations. The Cis-Ural forest population is strictly associated with lowland pine forests of the northwestern part of the Bashkir Cis-Urals. The Cis-Ural forest-steppe population is located in the northwestern part of the Bashkir Cis-Urals and the southeastern part of the Udmurt Cis-Urals. The Southern Ural mountain population is located in the central part of the Southern Urals and is associated mainly with mountain pine and dark coniferous forests. The last population is divided into forest and forest-edge subpopulations; the first one is represented by typical undergrowth locations, whereas the second is associated with open steppelike slopes and forest edges. In general, based on morphological traits of generative organs, the revealed local subpopulations hold an intermediate position between the Eastern European and Siberian populations of common juniper. Based on the morphological traits of vegetative organs, Cis-Ural populations are considered related to the populations of the European part of Russia, whereas the mountain Southern Ural population resemble Siberian populations. Concerning morphological traits of generative organs, the intrapopulation phenotypic diversity of common juniper is higher for mountain habitats; in the case of vegetative organs, the maximum diversity is observed for lowland habitats. The character of phenotypic differentiation determines the need to conserve the gene pool of common juniper of the Cis-Urals and southern Urals on a population basis.