Abstract An algorithm for determining the correlations between the structural characteristics and productivity of forests and the morphometric characteristics of terrain has been shown using the example of 12 model plots related to 11 different types of landscapes in Leningrad oblast. Geoinformation forestry databases, data from ASTER GDEM survey, and landscape maps have been used for the research

Abstract The creation of protective forests is especially difficult in arid regions of Russia, and global warming can further affect their ability to persist. In this study climatogenic changes in forest growing conditions are examined in the Northern Caspian region, taking into account that the functioning of forest stands is limited on historically treeless lands: authomorphic meliorated solonetz

Abstract This paper substantiates the necessity of improving the principles of using natural basis for ecosystem-focused forest management in mountain conditions using all the collected knowledge, regional databases, and new remote sensing facilities. The results of applying the spectral features of vegetation using the thermal range for studying the altitudinal differentiation of forest cover are

Abstract Changes in forest cover in the center of the East European Plain (Central Russian Upland) from the end of the 19th century to the end of 20th century have been assessed. Over that period, forest cover has increased in the northern part of the studied territory and declined in the southern part. After the end of the 1990s and beginning of 2000s, increases in forest cover occurred within the

Abstract Among forest fires, underground (peat) fires lead in terms of the amount of material burned per unit area and, consequently, the impact on climate change, but they differ in the complexity of assessing the loss of soil carbon and its emissions to the atmosphere. Using the example of the 2010 forest and peat fire in Moscow oblast (an area of 9 ha with a variable original tree-stand composition)

Abstract The accumulation of carbon of organic matter by forest phytocenoses during photosynthesis is their most important function, mitigating climate change on the Earth. The literature provides data that the territory of the Russian Federation is a large sink of atmospheric carbon. However, the estimates of the sink, as well as the values ​​of the net primary production (NPP) of forest ecosystems

Abstract The motivation and short history of the Information System of Remote Monitoring of the Federal Forest Agency of the Russian Federation (ISDM-Rosleskhoz) are documented in this paper. Factors of the formation and development of the system are examined. Solutions of the ISDM-Rosleskhoz were found to allow for the creation of a hierarchical system of verifying data on vast forest fires. The technological

Abstract— This study compares the 1945–2015 time series of the radial growth rate of pine Pinus sylvestris L. damaged by the 1974–1978 outbreak of the pine looper moth Bupalus piniarius L. and those of the undisturbed Krasnoturansk pine forest. It is proposed to employ regulatory characteristics of time series, including the order of autoregression (lag value n) and standard deviation of the amplitude

Abstract— Modern climate characteristics have a strong impact on plants, insects, and biogeocoenotic relations among them. This is unambiguously supported by multiple studies worldwide, the reports of which are briefly reviewed in the present article. Most of the authors agree that air temperature is the most important factor directly affecting the development and population level of insects. Ranges

Abstract Modeling the carbon cycle in forests is often restricted by modeling the main components, including emissions (respiration of soils and debris) and production (deposition of carbon in plants and soils). In this study we examine the applicability of various versions of the T&P model to estimate monthly, seasonal, and annual fluxes of CO2 from the sod-podzolic soil in the mixed forest of the

Abstract This article dwells upon the current understanding of the multifunctionality of forest ecosystems and links between multifunctionality and biodiversity, as well as the trade-offs and synergy between the ecosystem functions (EFs) and services of forests. The relevance of studying ecosystem services (ES’s) is determined by the modern societal needs that have emerged as a result of global economic

Abstract There were five major outbreaks of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) population between 1977 and 2018. The representation of the phases combined with the their ecological and population indices made it possible to recognize the eruptive and relatively prodromal cycles in the dynamics. The permanent outbreak was a feature of the coppice oak forests in southeastern Europe. The mean population

Abstract A predictive system has been developed to assess carbon absorption by tree-stand phytomass in the course of the tugai forest restoration in the Ili River valley (Republic of Kazakhstan). This system comprises constraint equations describing the relationships between the forest-stand density and age, average stand height and age, and average tree diameter and stand density; it also includes

Abstract The results of monitoring the biota of agaricoid basidiomycetes in spruce forests (riverbank spruce and wood sorrel spruce forest) in the subzone of the southern taiga of Perm krai for 40 years are summed up. To date, 336 species and intraspecific taxa of agaricoid basidiomycetes belonging to 73 genera and 16 families have been found in spruce forests. The species of the families Tricholomataceae

Abstract In 2016 and 2017, from April to July, bird individual nesting home ranges were regularly mapped along the permanent census route (2.8 km) in the low-mountain forests dominated by pine and birch. For each bird species, the nesting densities and average sizes of the bird individual nesting home range were estimated, and raster maps of spatial allocation (MSA) at the scale of the raster grid

Abstract Vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) reveals the plants capability to transform solar energy to photosynthesis. It can be used as an indicator of status of environmental processes affected by climate changes and human activities, especially in degraded areas such as Gadarif State, Sudan, where vegetation degradation has progressively taken place. In this study, three types of net primary

Abstract This study explored the spatiotemporal variability of rangeland NPP in response to drought in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran, from 2000 to 2016 using the Carnegie Ames Stanford Application (CASA) model and Standardized Palmer Drought Index (SPDI). The spatial distribution of NPP and Light Use Efficiency(LUE) values, especially during dry years, indicated a larger dwindling rate for

Abstract Environmentally related patterns of the occurrence of 14 collemiform lichen species (Collema s. l. sensu Degel.: C. (Rostania) callibotrys var. callibotrys Tuck., C. complanatum Hue, С. (Enchylium) conglomeratum var. conglomeratum Hoffm., C. (Arctomia) fasciculare var. fasciculare (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg., C. japonicum (Müll. Arg.) Hue, C. leptaleum var. leptaleum Tuck., С. (Enchylium) ligerinum

Abstract Vaccinium vitis-idaeà L. is a widespread and dominant species of boreal forests. It has an important ecological role as a food source for humans and many species of animals, including birds. The aim of this study is to determine the ecological features and their influence on the ontogenetic structure of V. vitis-idaea populations in forest ecosystems of the southern taiga (Kirov oblast, Russia)

Abstract The structure and dynamics of mollusk communities, as well as environmental factors influencing them, were analyzed in small oxbow lakes of the forest-steppe zone (a case of the Khoper river valley, Penza region, Russian Federation). 19 species of mollusks were found in the studied water bodies. The oxbow lakes were characterized by relatively low alpha-diversity (number of species 4 ± 2)

Abstract The DNA polymorphism of seven coenopopulations of Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) growing in a region which is typical for mountain taiga pine forests—the northeastern part of the Kuznetsk Alatau—has been studied. According to the data of 11 nuclear microsatellite loci, 44 allelic variants which significantly differed between the studied coenopopulations in composition and frequency

Abstract Long-chain alkenones (LCAs)—lipides produced by some microalgae of the Haptophyta group in seas and continental water bodies—are promising paleomarkers of climate changes because they are well-preserved in bottom sediments. The hydrocarbon chain and the degree of unsaturation of double bonds of this class of lipides can vary depending on habitat conditions of their producers. For the first

Abstract Under temperate climatic conditions, temperature is a key abiotic factor that controls the decomposition of coarse woody debris including bark. Using aspen bark (AB), we have carried out a 12-month laboratory experiment at three contrasting temperatures (2, 12, and 22°C) and constant sufficient moisture to quantify the temperature effect on the decomposition rate (DecR) and decay constant

Abstract— The variability of craniological characters has been studied for anadromous and lacustrine forms of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (Linnaeus, 1758) from waterbodies of the Karelian coast of the White Sea. The significant phenotypic plasticity of craniological characters of the whitefish depends on the environmental conditions. Moreover, there is a correlation between indexes of the craniological

Abstract Bird counts have been carried out in 794 habitats over 59 years (in separate seasons) from 1960 to 2018. Seventy-one bird watchers participated in collecting material. Based on the results of bird counting, a hierarchical classification and structural similarity graph are compiled for ornithocomplexes in the Pacific part of Russia, including Wrangel Island. The hierarchical classification

Abstract Considering the increasing incidence of allergy symptoms in Europe in the past decades, it is useful to obtain precise ecological and biological data regarding the allergenic plants. This study was conducted in order to assess habitat conditions allowing the development of allergenic plants along the Danube-Tisza-Danube canal network (Banat region, Serbia). In this regard, the distribution

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Abstract A new approach to modeling spatiotemporal dynamics in forest-steppe ecosystems amid climate change is proposed. This approach involves a morphometric analysis of the digital elevation model (SRTM). The resultant forecast is based on an analysis of the geological–geomorphological framework and takes into account the functional significance of specific relief forms and types and their impacts

Abstract— The quantitative and qualitative study of wetland ecosystems is the main base for their sustainable use. In arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran, importance of wetlands is more obvious. Providing new information of changes in wetlands during several decades help us finding the reasons of alteration and making programs and policies. One of the most effective techniques in this field is

Abstract Halophytic vegetation is typical for the west of the Caspian lowland. It is confined to solonetzes and solonchaks, occupying a fairly large area in the region. The phytocenotic diversity of halophytic vegetation depends on environmental factors such as the total amount of salts in the soils, as well as on soil moisture. According to literature sources and our research, halophyte communities

Abstract— The significance of the systematic position for the traits of a leaf, mesophyll, chloroplasts, and pigment complex in steppe plants has been examined for three families (Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Rosaceae) from different geographical regions of Russia and Mongolia. The species belonging to a particular family affects, first of all, the parameters of the whole leaf–its thickness and density–as

Abstract Southern Ural is a unique region in Eurasia with a high variety of flora and vegetation. Mountain relief predominates in the steppe and forest-steppe landscapes. Stony habitats and petrophytic vegetation are widespread here. It is characterized by a high diversity of flora and numerous endemic, rare, and endangered plants. The dataset of 3614 relevés of forb and shrub communities from the

Abstract The results of the long-term monitoring (from 2008 to 2018) of thermal conditions have been applied to assess the ecotopological differentiation of vegetation in the exposure-related forest-steppe of Transbaikalia. Significant differences are revealed between thermal conditions on northern and southern slopes, as well as between different kinds of forest-steppe along the aridity and continentality

Abstract Steppes play an essential role in the vegetation of mountains of Southern Siberia (SS). However, they significantly differ in mountains of different climatic facies; these features are particularly pronounced in the spatial and phytocenotic structure of extrazonal steppe phenomena, namely, in ecotones of adjacent altitudinal belts. These steppe manifestations in landscapes are termed uburs

Abstract Spider communities (Arachnida: Aranei) have been studied in central Kazakhstan along 70° E longitude in the subzones of typical, dry, and desert steppes on catenas, including eluvial, transitive, and accumulative positions. In total, 79 spider species belonging to 33 genera and 11 families have been identified. The bulk of the spider population consists of gnaphosid ground spiders, which are

Abstract Studies of communities of ground beetles (Carabidae) and black beetles (Tenebrionidae) were conducted in central Kazakhstan along 70° E in typical, dry, and desert steppe subzones in 1976–1978 and 2018. Parallel to that, soil-cover studies were conducted and the climate indicators of the studied areas were compared. Despite a considerable change in climate over 50 years, which has been expressed

Abstract One basic task of environmental activities under the conditions of rapid climate changes is to determine the degree of species vulnerability to a certain vector of climate changes. Using Maxent 3.4.1 software, this study has modeled the climatic niche of Daurian pika based on 273 points of its contemporary habitat and attempted to determine the pattern of changes in the spatial location of

AbstractStudies of 35-year dynamics of the number of bird species and 80-year observations of their arrival on the western macroslope of the Barguzin Ridge have been carried out. A steady decrease in the total abundance of background bird species after 1997–1998 has been revealed. Shifts and cyclic changes in the time of bird arrival have been found. Twenty-six (40.0%) out of 65 species arrived statistically

AbstractThe use of molecular biology methods for identifying species of fungi and myxomycetes (DNA barcoding) has shown the necessity of reconsidering our views on the ecology and habitats of many species of spore organisms. Spores of basidiomycetes and myxomycetes can spread over considerable distances by water, wind, and insects, resulting in their resettlement to various distant habitats, where

AbstractAs studies have shown, individuals from well morphologically distinct groups often represent the same species and may even belong to one population in fishes and lampreys from environments with unstable abiotic factors (Arctic, mountain, and desert regions). Phenotypic plasticity ensures broad variation ranges of morphological traits in unstable conditions, which require rapid transitions from

AbstractA study of the long-term abundance of ground beetles of the genus Carabus over a 30-year period has been made. The ratios of climatic factors that have a corrective effect on the level of their numbers are established. The level of precipitation, the duration of the frost-free period, and the ground temperature on the soil surface are the most important meteorological parameters in the life

AbstractAssessing the representativeness of protected areas is necessary to optimize their national and regional networks, as well as to improve the protection of rare and endemic species. In the Republic of Bashkortostan, an analysis of the distribution of rare vascular plant species in need of protection has been carried out on the basis of synthesizing all sources of high-precision georeferenced

AbstractIndicator values are becoming an increasingly popular tool in basic and applied botanical research: more than 55 original phytoindication systems, including about 200 optimal and range scales for various environmental factors, are known. This paper describes seven methods for calculating the phytoindication optimum of a taxonomical list: averaging with weighting by indicators of the taxon’s

AbstractBased on the GPS coordinates of geobotanical releves seven altitudinal zone association of Tuva forests have been revealed and a set of rasters with climatic and topological parameter values, potential areas of associations has been drawn using the MaxEnt software package. These techniques allowed us to extrapolate fragmentary data on specific locations of association communities to a territory

AbstractMolecular-genetic analysis is widely used in various fields of science. In particular, molecular ecology for environmental assessment is the basis of the modern methodological base. Different species and populations contain a large pool of genetic variability, which plays a major role in the adaptation of species to various environmental conditions. A significant part of this variability does

Abstract—MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy), a Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) method, was applied in the current study in order to assess present and future spatial distribution of the Phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea). Potential future changes in the geographic range size of J. phoenicea in Algeria was determined for the two horizons 2050 and 2070 based on CCSM4 model of the IPCC. Three types of

AbstractThe diversity of vascular plants in Inner Asia has been researched; the main environmental factors determining the distribution of species belonging to various life forms and having different distribution range sizes have been identified. The key factors determining species diversity in Inner Asia are past climate changes and precipitation parameters. By contrast, the temperature conditions

AbstractHighly detailed images acquired using unmanned aerial imaging made it possible to describe the structural features of a certain type of thermokarst depression. These depressions developed in edoma deposits in the southern part of the typical tundra subzone in the Lena Delta. The geomorphology and vegetation of the model depression are characterized by a combination of GIS analysis and ground

AbstractFor a long time, Amaryllidaceae were a textbook example of monopodially growing bulbs. The position of the first leaf of the innovation bud in Galanthus, which is not adaxial in relation to the inflorescence, was the main argument in favor of this. The discussion about the type of bulb innovation continued over 150 years and was completed with the approval of a sympodial innovation model. The

AbstractThis study describes the biomorphology of plants living under variable watering conditions. Its outcome expands the concept of a modular organization as a constructive and representative approach to comparative-morphological analysis and unraveling the ways of biomorph evolution. The structural organization of biomorphs growing in sites composed of gradients of humidification stability (from

AbstractThe goal of this study is to investigate the localization of dormant buds and the features of the structures arising from the buds in coniferous and deciduous trees in response to age-related changes and various growing conditions. The crown is analyzed using architectural models and the reiteration concept. It is found that the dormant buds in deciduous trees are usually at the bases of annual

AbstractThis study is aimed at studying the herb life forms of closely related narrowly localized endemic species of the genus Kudrjaschevia in Central Asia. A detailed description of life forms will make it possible to identify the morphological rearrangements of plants associated with the adaptation of species to certain ecological conditions. Our results will expand our understanding of the main

AbstractAddressing the challenges in typology of architectural models of annual Astragalus (Astragalus L.) has revealed a close relationship between the shoot system and structure of inflorescences. The article discusses features of the distinguished four patterns of the architectural models. The synthesis of approaches has provided insight into evolutionary trends. Applying the architectural model

AbstractAn algorithm for analyzing the structural and functional organization of crowns of Salix species is proposed in this study. It can be used to study the architecture of various species of trees and shrubs. The structural and biological diversity of the boreal Salix species is insufficiently investigated. The study of plant organs based on the concept of “architectural models” is particularly

AbstractThis work describes a life-form of dwarf subshrub Thymus seravshanicus using the architectural approach, which is one of the modern methods for the in-depth study of the plant structure. The species is widely distributed across various ecotopes in the Republic of Tajikistan (Gissar, Zarafshan, and Khazretishi (Hazrati-Shokh) ranges). For the first time, in the structure of individual plants

AbstractDespite the considerable interest of many researchers in the Celastrales order, which is largely due to the great diversity of structural features and almost cosmopolitan distribution (except for some arid regions), no comprehensive biomorphological analysis of its representatives has been undertaken so far. The goal of this work is to analyze the structural and rhythmological features of shoots

AbstractA study of the ecological morphology of plants is a necessary condition in solving a number of fundamental and applied problems of ecology, botany, geography, and physiology of plants when monitoring global and regional environments, as well as the problems of selecting and introducing plants. This approach is successfully used to study flowering plants of different botanical and geographical

AbstractThe aim of this work is to present biomorphological characteristics of ferns of the genus Athyrium Roth in southern Siberia and identify changes in the sporophyte life form during ontogenesis and in individuals of the same biological age in various ecological and coenotic conditions. The most important thing when identifying the life form of fern sporophytes is studying the formation of its

AbstractThis article presents the results of studies on the structural organization of the crown in Ulmus glabra. Knowledge of types of shoot systems regularly changing in the tree crown in the ontogenesis of a species is of both theoretical and practical importance. In our studies, we use an architectural (modular) approach that enables us to describe the spatiotemporal program of tree-crown development

AbstractOriginal data on the ecological relations of Sifonoptera fleas with small and medium-sized predators in southwestern Primorskii krai are presented. The parasitic community of fleas in populations of predatory mammals of the studied territory consists of eight species belonging to three families and five genera. Five flea species—Chaetopsulla appropinquans, Ch. micado, Ch. zibellina, Ch. dogieli