Delineation of vegetation shaded ox-bow lakes in Ganges flood plain,India

Floating vegetation cover over the ox-bow lake withstands against its sharp delineation. A good many spectral indices are successfully used for water body delineation. But how far these are applicable in vegetation-shaded ox-bow lakes is a research question. The study also aimed that if the existing indices are not satisfactory and how a new index could be endorsed for resolving the problem. The study additionally monitored the ox-bow lake and vegetation cover area from 1991 to 2021 based on Landsat satellite images.Normalized differences water index (NDWI), Modified NDWI (MNDWI), Re-modified NDWI (RmNDWI), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) spectral indices were used for delineating ox-bow lakes and multiple accuracy test measures revealed that these are not highly satisfactory. Vegetation inclusive aggregated water index (ViAWI) was built by coupling mentioned spectral indices with the vegetation index and the ensemble map was found more accurate.Monitoring the ox-bow lake area clearly showed that these declined in the last 30 years irrespective of the historical drainage modification legacy of the major rivers to which the ox-bow lakes belonged. Aquatic vegetation cover within ox-bow lakes changed dynamically.The endorsed ViAWI would be a good approach for resolving wetland delineation shaded with floating vegetation and it could be used in other regional units worldwide. Quantitative information regarding ox-bow lake and vegetation cover within ox-bow lakes would be valuable data support for adopting ox-bow lake conservation and restoration planning.     

Classification of meadow vegetation in the USSR

The scientific classification of meadow vegetation (mesophilous grasslands) was already available in the 1930's due to A. P. Shennikov who suggested to apply new classification principles, on the basis of species dominance. This classification became subjected to criticism, as the criteria proposed did not correspond to the nature of the classification object and as meadow community dominants were instable. In 1971 the Soviet phytocenology was influenced by the ideas of the Braun-Blanquet classification, but before completely adopting it, the Soviet geobotanists employed the so-called dominant-determinant principles of classification, when differential species and dominants were simultaneously used for association determination. In the seventies phytocenoses on the floristic basis, were used though their syntaxonomic analysis was not performed. In 1981, the All-Union conference on vegetation classification was held in Ufa. This conference gave careful consideration to the problem of the floristic classification in the USSR, stated that impressive progress had been achieved in meadow classification on the floristic basis and recommended to use more strict principles for phytocenosis determination alongside with syntaxonomic analysis and subordination of the existing higher syntaxons of the Braun-Blanquet system. The perspectives for implementation of the Braun-Blanquet principles in the USSR are elucidated and a tentative question is raised on the necessity to develop some new classes in order to reflect the specific character of the meadows in the USSR.     

The order Aeluropodetalia littoralis in the flood plain of Atrek River (South West Turkmenia)

Halophytic communities of the hemicryptophytes in the lower part of the Atrek river valley (South‐Western Turkmenia) are described in the paper. The characteristic of nine new associations referred to new alliances is given. The new order Aeluropodetalia littoralis ord. nov. has been distinguished for the communities of halophytic hemicryptophytes in the Middle Asia.     

Macrophytes and flood plain water dynamics in the River Danube ecotone research region (Austria)

In the ecotone research region of the Danube in Austria (Man-and-the-Biosphere (MaB)- project 5/21, Austrian Academy of Science) the macrophytes are one of the most important groups of organisms investigated. The species composition and the plant mass in hydrologically dynamic, and in predominantly stagnant sections of a system of lateral branches and sloughs were studied. This study showed that areas protected from frequent disturbance by floods had a greater number of species and higher biomass of aquatic macrophytes. Some species were shown to be evenly distributed throughout the branch system, whereas other species tended to form rare, but large singular patches. A set of new data elaboration techniques enabled us to describe the distribution pattern of the aquatic vegetation in this large branch system of the River Danube.     

Modeling of vegetation dynamics in the Mississippi River deltaic plain

An analysis was made of vegetation phenomena associated with cyclic river delta building and abandonment in the Mississippi River deltaic plain, Louisiana. Markov models of vegetation succession were completed for the new Atchafalaya delta and for the abandoned Lafourche delta. Transition matrices representing different flood conditions in the Atchafalaya delta (1979–1984) were used separately and in combinations based on long term river discharge data. Effect of grazing was introduced into the model as a special transition matrix. Succession during active delta building is heavily dependent on a particular sequence of flood conditions and, apparently, on the intensity of grazing. Natural vegetation changes and land losses in the abandoned Lafourche delta were simulated using a transition matrix based on air photographs from 1945 and 1956. A general flow diagram of long cyclic vegetation changes in the Mississippi deltaic plain was completed.We are grateful to G. W. Peterson, R. K. Abernethy, D. E. Parton, W. B. Johnson, D. A. Fuller, C. Neill, J. W. Day, R. E. Turner, F. Sklar, R. Costanza and M. G. Barbour for help and advice during this study.Nomenclature follows D. T. MacRoberts, 1984. The vascular plants of Louisiana. Bull. Mus. Life Sci., Louisiana State University in Shreveport 6: 1–165.Part of this work was supported by the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program maintained by NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce.     

挠力河流域平原区湿地景观完整性评价

探讨一种景观完整性评价方法对湿地管理和保护非常重要.利用遥感和GIS技术,选择10个指标构建景观完整性指数,对挠力河流域平原区开展景观完整性评价.结果显示,1950年挠力河流域洪泛平原中的湿地景观完整性远好于2005年;人类活动影响越强的区域湿地景观完整性越差;2005年仅河岸带湿地景观比其它区域具有较好的景观完整性.由于景观完整性指数包涵了必要的景观结构和功能完整性特征信息,对评价景观尺度生态完整性,诊断生态受损区域,保护、恢复和管理湿地具有重要作用.     

Cylindrotomidae (Diptera,Tipulomorpha) from the paleogene of bolshaya svetlovodnaya (Eastern Asiatic USSR)

Cyttaromyia rayona n. sp. andCylindrotoma biamoensis n. sp. are described from limnic deposits of probably Oligocène age of Bolshaya Svetlovodnaya. Both belong to the rarely preserved tipulomorph family Cylindrotomidae and are the first fossil representatives of cylindrotomids from Asia.     

Succession and fluctuation in the vegetation of a Dutch beach plain

The development of the vegetation of a brackish sand flat with scattered embryo-dunes on one of the West Frisian islands, Schiermonnikoog (The Netherlands), was recorded over a ten-year period. Some persisting trends, as well as pronounced annual fluctuations, were observed. Therophyte populations are especially vulnerable to environmental fluctuation. The behaviour of various species populations is discussed in relation to environmental instability and life-forms. Special attention is paid to the shuttling of populations of short-lived species on the dune slope. The zonation of the latter may vary, which could be ascribed to their reaction on abiotic conditions as affected by specific life-history characteristics, viz. the germination period, the duration of the life-cycle and the mode of reproduction. Some concluding remarks are made about succession and the role species of different life-forms play in this process.     

Composition change and vegetation degradation of riparian forests in the altai plain,NW China

Riparian forests of the Altai Plain in China were studied usingDetrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis (DCCA) and Two-way Indictor SpeciesAnalysis (TWINSPAN). The species could be divided into hydrophytes,hygrophytes,hygro-mesophytes, xero-mesophytes, xerophytes, and high xerophytes. Riverrun-off, water table, and physical components of the soil decided thedistribution of the species. The forests could be classified into wood swamp,hygro-mesic forest, mesic forest and xeric forest. As a specific habitat in thedesert of northwest China, the river valleys harbored most of thePopulus and Salix species recorded inChina. However, the forest has been gradually invaded by adjacent desertspecies. Meanwhile, the native species diversity of the forest has beendeclining as the soil has become more saline and more xeric through intensiveirrigation practice and dam construction in the upper rivers.     

Ecology of fish spawning and nursery zones in the flood plain,using a new sampling approach

Horizontal zonation of fish reproduction, a lotic-to-lentic succession similar to that seen with increasing stream order, was evident from the relative abundance of larval and 0 + juvenile fishes in three floodplain spawning and nursery areas (lotic, semi-lotic, lentic) of the Upper Rhône River, France. Although the lotic and lentic ecosystems provided similar estimates of standing crop (0 + juveniles), differences were apparent in the reproductive and trophic guild structure of the YOY taxocoenoses at the three sites. A new sampling approach (Random Point-Abundance Sampling and modified electrofishing) is described for early-life fish ecology. The electrofishing method employed is mobile, effective for all sizes of larvae and 0 + juveniles of most species, quantitative, and applicable to a number of freshwater situations; and the punctual data resulting from this sampling approach are comparable both spatially and temporally.     

Toxorhina (Ceratocheilus) caucasiensis,a new species from the Middle Miocene of Stavropol (northern Caucasus,USSR) (Diptera,Limoniidae)

Middle Miocene limnic deposits from Stavropol contain wings of the limomidToxorhina (Ceratocheilus) caucasiensis n. sp. Recent species of this genus are distributed in tropic regions around the world.     

Pterostichus ( Pseudomaseus ) anthracinus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the Desna River floodland plane: Sex and age structure of the population, developmental biology, and parental care

The sex and age structure of the population, developmental biology, and parental care were studied in Pterostichus anthracinus from the floodland plain of the Desna River. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the life cycle of P. anthracinus can be characterized as a spring-summer one with the summer development of larvae and wintering at the adult stage. Reproduction ends in the first ten days of August. Development from eggs to adults lasts for 29–33 days. P. anthracinus possesses the advanced type of parental care that is characterized by active guarding of egg clutches till emergence of larvae. Original Russian Text ? F.N. Kolesnikov, 2008, published in Zoologicheskii Zhurnal, 2008, Vol. 87, No. 10, pp. 1205–1210.     

Inbreeding,heterozygosity, and lymphoma risk among the baboons (Papio hamadryas) of Sukhumi,USSR

This paper describes the spread of lymphoma through a baboon (Papio hamadryas) colony in the Institute of Experimental Pathology and Therapy at Sukhumi, USSR. In the late 1960s, Soviet scientists inoculated 12 baboons with cells from hospitalized human leukemia patients, causing the death of a total of 135 animals between 1967 and 1978. The death rate from lymphoma averages almost 12 baboons per year in the Sukhumi colony. Genetic investigations of these baboons revealed the following: 1) Six blood protein markers out of 16 systems (38%) tested were polymorphic; 2) the average inbreeding coefficient for the entire colony (N = 1,226) was 0.027 (exclusion of baboons with F values equal to 0.0 raised the mean inbreeding coefficient to 0.096); 3) no relationship between inbreeding and risk of lymphoma was noted; and 4) there was an apparent association between both PGM loci and the incidence of lymphoma at the 0.005 levels of significance. This association was further supported by the significantly lower incidence of PGM2 (2-1) genotype in baboons with high anti-VCA-HVP titers.     

Cretaceous and Paleogene Bourgueticrinina (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) of the USSR

The theca and the columnals of twenty-two lateCretaceous species of the genus Bourgueticrinus (including two new species), of one species of the genus Democrinus, of four species of the genus Conocrinus (including one new species) and of one species of the genus Paleobathycrinus known from USSR are figured and shortly described. Biometric reconstructions of stems for B. aequalis, B. bellus, B. danicus, B. fischeri and C. tauricus nov. sp. are given. A new index is used to suggest the relative flexibility of stem. Decrease in dimension and flexibility of the arms in several species take place simultaneously with an increase of stem flexibility. This fact seems to be closely related to environmental changes.     

Diversity of intestinal helminth communities of carp from six lakes in the flood plain of the Yangtze River, China

The infra- and component communities of intestinal helminths of carp Cyprinus carpio were investigated in six lakes in the flood plain of the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Eight species of helminth parasites were recorded. The intestinal helminth communities were species rich in Niushan and Tonghu lakes where the digenean Asymphylodora japonica was the dominant species, whereas in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes a species-poor helminth community had only one species, Khawia sinensis . The degree of similarity within localities was highest in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes, and was high between communities where K. sinensis was the dominant species. The rich composition of these helminth communities may be because China is the heartland for carp while the poor helminth composition of those in Qinggang and Yanglan lakes may reflect the poor fauna there. It is suggested that species compositions of intestinal helminth communities of carp may be diversified in lakes in the flood plain of the Yangtze River.