Diatom algae from some water bodies of northeastern West Siberia: Communication 2. Pennatophyceae

In the studied water bodies of the northeast of the Western Siberia, Bacillariophyta dominates the flora of planktonic organisms by species abundance. Among them, class Pennatophyceae is distinguished by the highest species richness. The first electron microscopic studies of pennate diatom algae allowed obtaining complete data on the species composition of Pennatophyceae at the modern level. Discovered were 213 taxa from 53 genera, including 98 new to the region, 56 new and rare to the flora of Russia, and forms identified only to the genus. The taxonomy of the genera Nitzchia, Stauroneis, Pinnularia, and Navicula s.s. is the richest.     

Estimation of the carry-over of substances by dragonflies from water bodies to land in the forest-steppe of West Siberia

The results of many years’ monitoring of the number and distribution of dragonflies in the Chany area of the Baraba forest-steppe are presented. An estimation of the biomass carry-over by dragonflies from water bodies to land ecosystems is given. The data presented provide evidence of the important role of dragonflies in the migration of substances from water bodies to land.     

Lichen biota of West Siberia

The author has surveyed the diversity of lichen biota of West Siberia and distribution of lichens over its two geographic parts: the West Siberian Plain and the mountain frame in the south of West Siberia. The diversity of lichen biota in entire West Siberia is currently estimated at 1845 species in 325 genera and 95 families. The diversity of the West Siberian Plain is estimated at 1421 species in 271 genera and 86 families, and that of the southern mountains of West Siberia, at 1682 species in 312 genera and 94 families.     

Greenhouse gas emission in West Siberia

The major gases contributing to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide and methane (60 and 15–18%, respectively). The former Soviet Union area accounts for 11% of the global methane flux on the average. However, virtually no records of methane flux were kept in Russia in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Inventories of methane emission in Russia were reported in the middle 1990s, but those data were confined to measurements performed by the early 1990s. This paper presents generalized data on methane and carbon dioxide emission from the surfaces of marsh ecosystems in West Siberia in the 1990s, when the majority of measurements were carried out.     

Centric diatom algae (Centrophyceae) of ultraoligotrophic Lake Elgygytgyn and water bodies of its basin (Chukotka,Russia)

The electron microscopy study of algae from Lake Elgygytgyn and the water bodies of its basin has revealed 21 taxa of centric diatoms of specific and intraspecific ranks. Nine new species and varieties have been found, including Aulacoseira distans var. nivaloides, A. distans var. septentrionalis, Discostella guslyakovyi, which are rare for the flora of Russia; an endemic species (?) Pliocaenicus seckinae; and six interesting forms from the genus Aulacoseira identified only to the genus. The list of Centrophyceae of Beringia has been broadened.     

Characteristics of common wheat cultivars of West Siberia carrying the wheat-rye 1RS.1BL translocation

Using genomic in situ hybidization, among the common wheat cultivars produced in West Siberia (Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture, Omsk) with the involvement of the winter wheat cultivar Kavkaz carrying the wheat-rye 1RS.1BL translocation we identified three cultivars with this translocation: Omskaya 29, Omskaya 37, and Omskaya 38. The protein and crude gluten contents in the grain of these cultivars are equal to or exceed the levels observed in cultivars without the wheat-rye translocation. The common wheat cultivars carrying the wheat-rye translocation were evaluated in terms of resistance of plants reaching wax ripeness to leaf rust and powdery mildew in the natural field conditions. The cultivars Omskaya 37 and Omskaya 38 displayed a high field resistance to leaf rust and were resistant to a variable extent to powdery mildew. The cultivar Omskaya 29 was susceptible to leaf rust and powdery mildew pathogens. Importance of the selection direction and the role of the genetic background in developing common wheat cultivars carrying the wheat-rye translocation is discussed.     

Characteristics of opisthorchiasis foci in southern West Siberia

Natural foci of opistorchiasis were studied in southern West Siberia. It has been shown that the foci are of two biocenotic groups: floodplain-river and lake-interfluve. The main difference between them is that in the former intermediate hosts of opistorchides are commercial Cyprinidae fish and final hosts are humans and domestic carnivores, whereas in the latter, intermediate hosts are noncommercial Cyprinidae fish, wild carnivores, and muskrat. Floodplain-river foci are associated with river basins in the north of Baraba, big and small tributaries of the Ob and Irtysh rivers, as well as euthrophic lakes within floodplains of the rivers. Lake-interfluve foci are associated with euthrophic and dystrophic lakes in the river floodplains which do not communicate with the Ob-Irtysh water system. They are located in North Kulunda and in the south of Baraba lowland.     

The spatial structure of potamophytoplankton in extreme environmental conditions of northeastern Siberia

The basic patterns of the spatial structure of phytoplankton in large oligotrophic rivers of northeastern Siberia were determined using principle component analysis (PCA), factor analysis, and cluster analysis. It was found that in extreme conditions of oligotrophic subarctic rivers the formation of the spatial structure of the phytoplankton generally occurs under the influence of climate, rather than physicochemical water properties. Among the developmental parameters of the phytoplankton, the floristic structure of phytoplankton is the most dependent on the abiotic factor.     

Phytoplankton of the Karasuk River (West Siberia) as an indicator of water quality

The authors discuss the indicator value of taxonomic structure, abundance, and biomass of phytoplankton and use of the indicators to characterize water quality by example of the Karasuk River, West Siberian Plain.     

The genetic history of Russian old settlers of polar northeastern Siberia

The mtDNA variation has been studied in representatives of the Russkoe Ust’e (n = 30), Kolyma (n = 31), and Markovo (n = 26) ethnic subgroups originating from Russian military men, hunters, and fishers who married local Yukaghir women and settled at the Arctic Ocean coast and on the Anadyr’ River more than 350 years ago. The mtDNA haplotypes characteristic of indigenous Siberian peoples have been demonstrated to form the basis of the mitochondrial gene pool of Russian old settlers of the region. Only one of 30 identified haplotypes belonging to 11 haplogroups (H2a) is characteristic of European populations. The C and D haplogroups are the most diverse. The analysis has revealed the characteristics of the population structure of the Russian old settlers and allowed them to be interpreted in terms of recent historical and environmental processes.     

Karyotypes of some Cypriniform fishes from the water bodies of Armenia

Karyotypes of six species of Cypriniformes from the water bodies of Armenia—blackbrow Acanthalburnus microlepis, white bream Blicca bjoerkna transcaucasica, chub Leuciscus cephalus orientalis, stone moroco Pseudorasbora parva, mursa Barbus mursa, and Angora stone loach Barbatula angorae were studied. The karyotype of A. microlepis is represented by 50 chromosomes (2n = 50), 10M + 28SM + 12STA, NF = 88; of B. bjoerkna transcaucasica, by 2n = 50, 12M + 24SM + 14STA, NF = 86; of L. cephalus orientalis, by 2n = 50, 12M + 18SM + 20STA, NF = 80; of P. parva, by 2n = 50, 8M + 16SM + 26STA, NF = 74; of B. mursa, by 2n = 100, 6M + 36SM + 58STA, NF = 142; and of B. angorae, by 2n = 50, 8M + 24SM + 18STA, NF = 86. The intraspecific and interspecific chromosome polymorphism of species of the genera Blicca, Leuciscus and Pseudorasbora is described.     

Gas-resistance of the woody plants of West Siberia

A resistant of the woody plants in West Siberia to toxic substances (sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon black) is studied by the reaction of the pigment complex, change of acidity of the leaf blade, activity of oxidative enzymes, moisture regime, and degree of damage of the leaf blade. The data of the study can be used in the landscaping of the sanitary protective zones of enterprises.     

Communities of charophytes in water bodies and water courses in the north of the endorheic basin of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve (Western Siberia)

As a result of investigations in 60 lakes in the north of the endorheic basin of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve (Western Siberia) in 2001–2009, nine syntaxa (types of plant communities) of the association rank were distinguished using the Braun-Blanquet approach: Charetum fragilis, C. contrariae, C. intermediate, C. tomentosae, C. asperae, Nitellopsidetum obtusae, Charetum canescentis, C. altaicae, and C. vulgaris. The relatively low coenotic diversity is due to the predominance of brackish and saline lakes in the surveyed area. Charetum fragilis is the most common in the forest-steppe zone; Charetum tomentosae and Charetum canescentis are frequent in the steppe zone. The ranges of salinity for charophytes species and communities have been estimated. Charophytes in the studied area grew successfully and formed communities in eutrophic and even hypertrophic waters.     

Seed germination of Fragaria vesca L. From atypical ecotopes of West Siberia

Seed formation and seed germination rate were established to be essentially higher in Fragaria vesca L. populations growing in the ecotopes which are atypical for wood strawberry than in the standard ecotopes for the species. Having equal capabilities for cross-pollination and self-pollination, the plants exhibit higher level of xenogamy than autogamy when growing in atypical ecotopes. Xenogamy predomination promotes the gene diversity of the population, thus ultimately providing realization of the ecological plasticity of the species.     

Distribution of total mercury in peat soil profiles in West Siberia

Total mercury content in peat soils of different botanical composition has been determined. Mercury content in peat depends on principal properties of peat soil such as botanical composition, ash content, degree of peat decomposition, as well as nitrogen, carbon, and humic acid content in peat. A model based on the mercury/biomass concept is proposed to determine the distribution of total mercury in peat soil profiles in West Siberia from the content of the main biogenic elements C and N.     

Human evolution in Siberia: from frozen bodies to ancient DNA

Background  

The Yakuts contrast strikingly with other populations from Siberia due to their cattle- and horse-breeding economy as well as their Turkic language. On the basis of ethnological and linguistic criteria as well as population genetic studies, it has been assumed that they originated from South Siberian populations. However, many questions regarding the origins of this intriguing population still need to be clarified (e.g. the precise origin of paternal lineages and the admixture rate with indigenous populations). This study attempts to better understand the origins of the Yakuts by performing genetic analyses on 58 mummified frozen bodies dated from the 15^th to the 19^th century, excavated from Yakutia (Eastern Siberia).     

Biocenotic characteristics of some Yucatan lentic water bodies based on invertebrate remains in sediments

The Yucatan Peninsula is a karstic environment with almost no permanent surface water flows. All freshwater lentic systems here are supported by underground water. We examined sediments, obtained with an Eckman dredge, from 25 different types of water bodies (sinkholes or cenotes, lagoons, and wetlands), to investigate their biocenotic characteristics. All systems showed differences in their zoocenoses, ostracods being the dominant group in most. Cladocera were scarce in the sediments, represented by only eight genera. It can be partially related to the near absence of a littoral zone in cenotes, due to vertical walls, and the lack of submersed vegetation. In spite of their importance, relatively little work has been done on ostracods from this region of the world.     

Spatial Distribution of Species Diversity of Clavarioid Mycobiota in West Siberia

The results of a 20-year study of the spatial distribution of clavarioid mycobiota in the West Siberian Plain (WSP) are discussed. The species structure has been studied on two scales: regional (an area of 100000 km²) and local (100 km²). In the studied area, 121 species of clavarioid fungi are found. The patterns of spatial variability of species diversity on the plain are revealed. On the regional scale, the maximum species richness of fungi is observed in hemiboreal forests (104 species); on the local scale it ranges from the middle boreal to hemiboreal (54.3–54.5 species). With the increasing pessimality of the hydrothermal regime, the number of species decreases sharply on both scales in the direction of the tundra and steppes. The study of the distribution of diversity among the localities reveals changes not only along the latitudinal gradient, but also in the longitude sectors: in the forest zone, the richest localities are located on the western and eastern edges of the plain, while in the extensive marshy areas in the center the number of species is lower (p < 0.05). A map of the spatial distribution of species diversity for the local scale is constructed. The correspondence of the spatial distribution of the studied fungi group to a global latitudinal gradient is discussed. The main abiotic factors forming a variety of the studied group of fungi in the region are revealed.     

Centric diatom algae (Centrophyceae) in waterbodies and water courses of the middle Irtysh basin

Light and scanning electron microscopy studies of centric diatoms of the plankton in the middle Irtysh River and waterbodies and water courses of its basin have revealed 21 taxa of Centrophyceae from 9 genera, including 14 new for the region. A revision of the species composition allowed us to specify and broaden the list of centric diatoms in the Omsk Priirtyshye up to 30 species.     

Genome-wide association study of allergic diseases in Russians of West Siberia

Genome-wide association studies are currently considered as one of the most powerful tools for establishing the genetic basis of complex diseases. A number of such studies have been carried out for allergic diseases; however, in the Russian population, this analysis has not been performed so far. For the first time, we performed a genome-wide association study of allergic diseases in Russian residents of West Siberia. Two new loci associated with childhood bronchial asthma (20q13.12, rs2425656, P = 1.99 × 10⁻⁷; 1q32.1, rs3817222, rs12734001, P = 2.18 × 10⁻⁷ and 2.79 × 10⁻⁷, respectively) as well as one locus associated with allergic rhinitis (2q36.1, rs1597167, P = 3.69 × 10⁻⁷) were identified. Genes located in these loci, YWHAB and PPP1R12B for asthma and KCNE4 for allergic rhinitis, are suggested as new candidate genes for these diseases. It was also found that BAT1 (6p21.33), MAGI2 (7q21.11), and ACPL2 (3q23) are probably common (syntropic) genes of allergic disease and atopic sensitization. It was shown that RIT2 (18q12.3) and FSTL4 (5q31.1) genes can be involved in the control of lung function. The results of the study contribute to the body of data on genetic factors of allergy and expand the list of genes underlying these diseases.