New Cnidaria species in Saratov oblast waterbodies (Povolzhye)

Cnidaria species that were earlier unknown in the waterbodies of Saratov oblast have been found in this region in the last decade. Colonies of Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) were found on stems of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. in the basin cooler of the Balakovo nuclear power plant (Saratov water reservoir), while the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankaster, 1880 was found in the Saratovka River (Volgograd water reservoir). It is possible that these species penetrate into waterbodies with foreign plants or are introduced by birds. Another possibility is that their discovery is due to a more thorough examination of the waterbodies’ biota.     

The ecology and prevalence of arboviruses on the territory of the Saratov Region

The territorial spread of Tahyna, Batai, Sindbis, West Nile fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses throughout the Saratov region in 1998 - 2000 was analyzed. The characteristics of the epizootic activity of the natural foci of these arboviruses in different landscape zones (temperate forest-steppes, steppes and semi-deserts) were calculated. The species composition of small mammals, the natural reservoirs of the causative agents of arbovirus infections, was determined.     

The susceptibility to loss of diapause capacity in hydrobionts of ephemeral waterbodies

The life cycle strategy of inhabitants of intermittent water bodies includes a short period of intensive growth and reproduction and an indispensable long term pause. The frequent development of so called laboratory cultures of species originating from such habitats which are able to reproduce persistently without undergoing such diapause indicates that this reproductive ban can be lost relatively easily.     

Zooplankton in the zones of confluence of unregulated rivers

The hydrophysical characteristics and indices of zooplankton are given for the confluence zones of small and medium tributaries and channels of the Don and Khoper rivers within the territory of Voronezh oblast. Three types of confluence areas of tributaries and recipient rivers are described. In these areas the water masses mix and habitats differing in physical parameters of water and structures of aquatic animal communities are formed.     

Ostracods (Crustacea and Ostracoda) in the zooperiphyton of waterbodies and watercourses of Tyumen oblast (Western Siberia)

The species composition of ostracods in the zooperiphyton was determined in 45 waterbodies and watercourses of Tyumen oblast. A total of 58 species from seven families and 22 genera of the suborder Podocopa Sars, 1866, have been found: 30 species of the family Candonidae, 13 of Cyprididae, 8 of Cyridopsidae, 3 of Ilyocyprididae, 1 of Darwinulidae, 2 of Cytherideidae, and 1 of Limnocytheridae. Of these 58 species, 32 are recorded for the first time in the region; one of them is a Mediterranean species (Stenocypris sp.) from the cooling reservoir of Tyumen Thermal Power Station 1. The distribution and biogeography of the ostracods are described.     

The fauna of bivalves of the superfamily Pisidioidea in the small waterbodies and watercourses of Northwestern Russia (Vologda oblast)

This study of freshwater bivalves of the superfamily Pisidioidea was carried out in small waterbodies and watercourses of the central part of Vologda oblast in 2000–2005. It revealed 24 species from 13 genera and 3 families. The investigated bodies of water were grouped according to the similarity of the mollusk species composition. An analysis of the distribution of ecological and biogeographical groups of Pisidioidea was also made.     

Current status of the Russian desman habitats in small rivers of the Don River Basin in Saratov oblast and the abundance of this species

The Don Basin rivers confined to Saratov oblast were searched for the Russian desman in 2009–2011. The suitability of habitats for this species was assessed. Potentially negative factors for the Russian desman (Desmana moschata) in various types of habitats were detected, and their intensities were assessed. The small tributaries of the Khopyor and Medveditsa rivers have turned out to be suitable for the Russian desman; however, neither animals nor any sign of their life activities have been found using different techniques. Nonetheless, we cannot state that this species is absent in the small rivers of the Saratov oblast; however, if this species is present in the examined area, its abundance is extremely low. A drastic decrease in the Russian desman population and even its disappearance are most likely associated with intraspecific processes, factors of a global scale, and immigration of new species previously not found in the river ecosystems in the examined areas.     

The specific assemblage structure of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera,Cerambycidae) in floodplain forests of the western part of Saratov oblast

The biodiversity structure and habitat requirements of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in floodplain forests of the western part of Saratov oblast were studied from 2011 to 2014. A total of 51 species of longhorn beetles has been identified. The largest subfamilies are Cerambycinae (19 species), Lepturinae (17 species), and Lamiinae (13 species). The specific communities include 34, 14, 11, 9, 7, 7, 6, and 3 species for oak, aspen, elm, willow, linden, maple, alder, and ash tree, respectively. The largest number of longhorn beetle species was found in oak forests.     

Combined manifestations of natural foci in the territory of the Vologda province

Based on epizootological and epidemiological investigations in the Vologda province since 1958 till 2000, the combined territorial and temporal manifestations of natural foci of diseases was revealed. A natural focus occupies a complex of biotopes, and in different time the focus is activated in different areas, such as a river plain, marsh, meadow-field, and forest. Most commonly an activation of the natural focus appears in a border zone of three biotopes, namely, a forest, meadow-field, and river plain. A dependence of activation of various natural foci upon local climate conditions and fluctuations of micromammalian host number are considered.     

Characterization of the natural foci of Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever on the territory of Ukraine

The natural foci of the Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Ukraine were characterized by their geographical factors. The circulation of CCHF virus was found to occur mainly in forest and forest-steppe zones irrespective of the location of administrative regions. The territories found to be most favorable for the prolonged existence of the focus of CCHF were those having high humidity. The possibility of using geoinformation technologies for the correction of the boundaries of natural foci, the evaluation of the influence of geographical factors on the circulation of the virus was shown.     

Variation in acid tolerance of certain freshwater crustaceans in different natural waters

On the island of Rhum (Inner Hebrides: Western Scotland) several taxonomically diverse species of small crustaceans live in water that is more acidic and of lower ionic content than that in which they have ever been found in Yorkshire (England). Physiological difficulties appear to be experienced by these species in Yorkshire in waters that would evidently be suitable in Rhum. This may be due to the presence of heavy metals and other substances derived from atmospheric pollution, of which Rhum is largely free, that act synergistically with other stressful factors. Evidence from other areas is in agreement with this suggestion.The few species that are specialised for life in highly acidic water can frequent more acidic conditions in Yorkshire than any encountered on Rhum. Nevertheless certain species that are common in the Northern Pennines have not been found in the Southern Pennines where pollution has been most intense. One species that is common in the Northern, but has not been found in the Southern Pennines, formerly occurred there as shown by abundant remains in the peat.     

Assimilation of carbon dioxide and oxidation of methane in various zones of the Rainbow hyperthermophilic field zones

Rates of carbon dioxide assimilation and methane oxidation were determined in various zones of the Rainbow Hydrothermal Field (36 degrees N) of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the plume above the hydrothermal field, anomalously high methane content was recorded; the microbial population density (up to 10(5) cells/ml) was an order of magnitude higher than the background values; and the CO2 assimilation rate varied from 0.01 to 1.1 micrograms C/(1 day). Based on the data on CO2 assimilation, the production of organic carbon due to bacterial chemosynthesis in the plume was calculated to be 930 kg/day or 340 tons/year (about 29% of the organic carbon production in the photic zone). In the black smoke above active smokers, the microbial population density was as high as 10(6) cells/ml; the rate of CO2 assimilation made up 5-10 micrograms C/(1 day); the methane oxidation rate varied from 0.15 to 12.7 mu/(1 day); and the methane concentration ranged from 1.05 to 70.6 mu/l. In bottom sediments enriched with sulfides, the rate of CO2 assimilation was at least an order of magnitude higher than in oxidized metal-bearing sediments. At the base of an active construction site, whitish sediment was found, which was characterized by a methane high content (92 mu/dm3) and a high rate of oxidation (1.7 mu/(dm3 day)).     

Pattern of soil methanotrophs on the natural vertical zones of the North Tianshan Mountain

Methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases and plays an essential role in atmospheric chemistry. Knowledge about methanotrophs and their diversity is important to understand the microbial mediation of the greenhouse gas CH₄ under climate change. The methanotrophs is one of main functional microbial groups in soil mediating methane cycles of terrestrial ecosystem. The purpose of this study was to explore spatial distribution pattern of methanotrophs diversity and the major factors affecting soil methanotrophs diversity along an elevation gradient on vertical natural belt of the North Tianshan Mountains, soil samples were collected at six sites in 2010, which were desert grassland belt (H1), Mountain grassland belt (H2), Mountain forest belt (H3), sub-alpine cushion belt (H4), alpine cushion belt (H5), alpine tundra vegetation (H6). Methanotrophs diversity in six sites from the North Tianshan Mountain were assessed with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP).The carbon–nitrogen ratio was significant difference under different vertical natural belt, ranged from 10.34 to 20.10, soil organic carbon were lowest in alpine tundra vegetation and highest in Mountain forest belt, those numbers of belts ranging from H1 to H3 were increased, with increasing elevation, then H3 to H6 were decreased. The total number of Terminal Restriction Fragments (T-RFs) derived from all those soil samples was 233, indicating high genetic diversity of methanotrophs on vertical natural belt of the North Tianshan Mountains. Microbial communities of T-RFs 55 bp, 242 bp, 376 bp represented the dominant species in sampling sites. However, some of the T-RFs were more sensitive to environment, such as 79 bp, 176 bp and 250 bp. Methanotrophs diversity index and T-RFs numbers were lowest in mountain forest belt and highest in subalpine cushion belt. Along the elevation gradient, the trendency of those numbers are as follows, H1>H2>H3<H4>H5>H6. Cluster analysis revealed that the samples could be separated into two groups, H4, H5 and H6 clustered into one group, while H2 and H3 clustered into other group.The community shifts were further investigated by Principle component analysis (PCA). The first PCA axis, which is related to the main compositional variation, separated the communities of the different sites. The main variation was mainly caused by changes in the relative abundance of the 58 bp, 87 bp, 137 bp, 243 bp and 248 bp T-RFs.Based on canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), Shannon index(H) of methanotrophs was positively correlated with soil pH and C/N ratio and negatively correlated with elevation, content of total nitrogen and total phosphorus; and Simpson index (D) and Evenness (E) were positively correlated with soils’ C/N ratio, soil surface temperature, pH and organic carbon, and negatively with elevation, total nitrogen and total phosphorus; indicating that plant communities and soil nutrients influence the soil microbial structure.Our research showed that soil methanotrophs was high genetic diversity along the elevation gradient on vertical natural belt in the North Tianshan Mountain. Soil microorganisms were positively correlated with vegetation, soils pH, C/N ratio, and soil moisture, total nitrogen, these parameters might be the main factors controlling soil methanotrophs diversity.