The main research areas are information and software support for the study of biological systems, including
- Studying the mechanisms of molecular evolution of the genomes of reptiles of the genus Darevskia that led to the emergence of parthenogenesis in these animals;
- Developing information technologies (creating expert-analytical and reference information systems, raster-vector databases, and special programs for assessing population genetic structure and the phylogenetic relationships of species-level and higher taxa) based on the results of research on living nature;
- Creating special models, methods, algorithms and programs for spatiotemporal analysis of population dynamics under changing climate and anthropogenic impacts;
- Studying theoretical questions of biological invasions — invasion corridors, invasion vectors, adaptations of invasive species, invasion risk assessment, and the genetic, biological, biogeographic and evolutionary aspects of the impact of alien species on the biological diversity of biosystems at various levels of organization.
RESEARCH RESULTS
1. Studying the mechanisms of molecular evolution of the genomes of reptiles of the genus Darevskia that led to the emergence of parthenogenesis in these animals;
1.1. Clonal diversity and clone formation were established for the parthenogenetic species Darevskia dahli (111 female D. dahli specimens from 5 populations; 72 specimens — the first, main clone; 21 specimens — a second, intermediate clone; the remaining specimens represent 9 rare clones, each represented by a few specimens). The figure shows a phylogenetic network constructed by mutation modeling, based on the minimum-evolution principle characteristic of the marker loci used. This diagram demonstrates three independent lines of inheritance, probably arising from three independent acts of hybridization during the formation of the parthenogenetic species D. dahli (Clonal Diversity and Clone Formation in the Parthenogenetic Caucasian Rock Lizard Darevskia dahli, PLoS ONE, 2014, p. 1-9)
1.2. An analysis was carried out of the genetic parameters of lizard populations of the Darevskia raddei complex (D. raddei nairensis and D. raddei raddei) and of D. valentini populations, based on variability at 50 allelic variants of three microsatellite-containing nuclear genome loci in 83 specimens. The figure shows a phylogenetic tree of the D. r. raddei, D. r. nairensis and D. valentini populations, constructed from Fst distances using the neighbor-joining clustering method with bootstrap support over 1000 iterations. This figure (2) demonstrates that D. r. nairensis populations differ significantly from D. r. raddei populations. This indicates deep divergence between the D. r. raddei and D. r. nairensis populations of the D. raddei complex and raises the question of whether they should be classified as separate species (Omelchenko et al., 2016, Genetika)
1.3. Allelic polymorphism at three microsatellite-containing loci (Du215, Du281, Du323) was analyzed in D. rostombekowi populations (42 specimens from 4 Armenian populations) using single-locus PCR followed by cloning and sequencing of the amplification products. Eleven allelic variants of the three loci were identified, differing in microsatellite structure and in single nucleotide variations (SNVs) located at fixed distances from the microsatellite cluster, forming different combinations — haplotypes characteristic of particular alleles. To determine which of these alleles were of paternal and which of maternal origin, PCR analysis of homeologous loci was carried out in the parental species (65 specimens from 13 D. raddei populations and 27 specimens from 2 D. portschinskii populations). The resulting PCR products were cloned and sequenced. It was shown that the alleles of the bisexual species are highly diverse in microsatellite structure and, in the case of the Du281 and Du323 loci, also contain single nucleotide variations outside the microsatellites. Based on the combination of these variations and the specific microsatellite structure, it was determined from which parental species each allele of each locus in the parthenogenetic species was inherited. Based on the combination of alleles at each locus, genotypes were established for all 42 D. rostombekowi specimens. Specimens with identical genotypes represented separate clonal lineages. A total of 5 genotypes were detected (shown in the figure below), differing in frequency of occurrence and geographic distribution. The most common was genotype 1, found in 24 specimens (57.1%) from three populations. Genotypes 2 (8 specimens — 19%) and 3 (8 specimens — 19%) were found in two and one population, respectively. The rare genotypes 4 and 5 were each represented by a single specimen (2.38% each). Genotypic diversity across the four populations ranged from 0% to 75% (11.9% on average). Thus, the data obtained indicate multiclonality of the parthenogenetic species D. rostombekowi, in contrast to the monoclonality previously proposed based on allozyme analysis. Combinations of specific parental single-nucleotide substitutions, inherited by the parthenogenetic species, form genotype-specific markers that identified a single act of interspecific hybridization that led to the formation of one main (most common) clone. Other clones, differing only in microsatellite structure, arose through mutations in the microsatellite cluster of the main clone. Thus, the genotyping approach we developed may have universal application for assessing clonal diversity and determining its origin in any animal species of hybrid origin. (Ryskov A.P., Osipov F.A., Omelchenko A.V., Semyenova S.K., Girnyk A.E., Korchagin V.I., Vergun A.A., Murphy R.W. (2017) The origin of multiple clones in the parthenogenetic lizard species Darevskia rostombekowi // PLoS ONE 12(9): e0185161. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185161).
2. Development of information technologies based on the results of research on living nature
2.1. Павлов Д.С., Петросян В.Г., Дгебуадзе Ю.Ю., Рожнов В.В., Решетников Ю.С., Павлинов И.Я., Корнеева Т.М., Бессонов С.А., Хляп Л.А., Варшавский А.А., Дорофеева Е.А., Сиделева В.Г., Попова О.А., Бобров В.В., Омельченко А.В., Назаренко Е.А. A web-based information system and integrated database on the diversity of vertebrate animals in Russia.
The database of vertebrate animals of Russia includes species and subspecies of 1,430 freshwater and marine fish, 29 amphibians, 84 reptiles, 739 birds and 310 mammals. The vertebrate information system contains all species currently known whose validity has not been revised in the relevant systematic reviews. A common conceptual data model was adopted for describing each species. The database is intended for ecologists, zoologists, ichthyologists, botanists and geographers. It operates on multi-frame technology in three different modes: browse, query and search. The browse mode is designed for navigating a hierarchical tree when selecting a species from the database. The query and search mode provides functional flexibility for full-text contextual search within the integrated database.
2.2. Павлов Д.С., Петросян В.Г., Дгебуадзе Ю.Ю., Рожнов В.В., Бессонов С.А., Решетников Ю.С., Корнеева Т.М., Нухимовская Ю.Д., Дергунова Н.Н., Омельченко А.В. A web-based information retrieval system on the fauna and flora of specially protected natural areas (nature reserves) of Russia.
The information retrieval system includes an integrated database of organisms currently protected in Russian nature reserves. The Russian-English version of the system was implemented for jawless fish and fish (321 species), amphibians (26) and reptiles (56), birds (696), mammals (254), hornworts and liverworts (328), mosses (883), lichens (2,015) and vascular plants (7,920 species). The database is intended for ecologists, zoologists, ichthyologists, botanists and geographers. The information system, including its integrated database, operates on multi-frame technology in three different modes: browse, query and search. The browse mode is designed for navigating a hierarchical tree when selecting a species from the database. The query and search mode provides functional flexibility for full-text contextual search within the integrated database.
2.3. Павлов Д.С., Петросян В.Г., Дгебуадзе Ю.Ю., Бессонов С.А., Омельченко А.В., Дергунова Н.Н. Genetic and biological (zoological and botanical) collections of the Russian Federation: A database with web-based access
The unified database created for the genetic and biological collections of microorganisms, cell cultures, herbaria, botanical gardens and living organisms in Russian nature reserves is designed to perform key functions for inventorying and documenting genetic resources in the Russian Federation. The database is intended for geneticists, ecologists, zoologists, ichthyologists, botanists and geographers, and serves as an information basis for creating new pharmaceuticals, biotechnologies and other goods and services.
2.4. Петросян В.Г., Рожнов В.В., Хляп Л.А., Бессонов С.А., Омельченко А.В., Варшавский А.А. Regional mammal faunas of Russia: A database with web-based access
The database "Regional Mammal Faunas of Russia", with its web-based interface, is intended both for professional biologists and for a broad range of users. It can be used to standardize the collection, processing and exchange of zoological information, to assess taxonomic diversity, and for monitoring changes in diversity parameters at both the regional and federal levels. It is suitable for reference and informational use by users of any level of expertise.
2.5. Рожнов В.В., Букварева Е.Н., Петросян В.Г., Бессонов С.А. Web-based information retrieval system — "Red Data Book of the Russian Federation"
A publicly accessible information system and integrated database on the rare and endangered species of the Russian Federation. The information system consists of two parts — "Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (Animals)" — 434 species, and "Red Data Book of the RSFSR (Plants)" — 533 species.
2.6. Петросян В.Г., Зиновьева С.В., Филимонова Л.В., Ломакин В.В., Удалова Ж.В. Хасанова О.С. Буторина Н.Н. Геннадиева Т.М. Database of the Helminthological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences within the local information retrieval system Helminthsys
The database developed for the Helminthological Museum of the RAS, within the local information retrieval system Helminth_Sys, is designed to create a unified methodological approach for systematizing the helminth collections accumulated in the museum over more than 60 years. The system facilitates rapid inventorying and systematization of all collections and simplifies the search for information on all taxa, based on a unified conceptual data model covering both type and identified material and unidentified holdings. Microsoft Access was chosen as the basis for developing the local version of the database. Tabular and screen-based data-entry forms were developed, allowing each parasitic worm species to be inventoried according to the following parameters: location within the museum (preparation or vial numbers); collection category (type — combining type specimens; general — including forms identified to species; or bulk — combining forms identified only to genus or higher level); the author of the original description and year of publication; systematic position; characteristics of the type material or the age, sex and numerical composition of specimens; place and time of collection; parasite host; site of localization; the collectors, identifiers and preparators; data from field and museum logbooks; and bibliography. In total, 27 parameters define a complete species label.
2.7. Петросян В.Г., Зиновьева С. В., Филимонова Л.В., Ломакин В.В., Удалова Ж. В., Хасанова О.С., Буторина Н. Н., Геннадыева Т. М., Омельченко А.В., Бессонов С.А. Analysis of the Helminthological Collections Holdings — Helminthsys.
The Helminthsys software was developed for accumulating, analyzing and presenting the holdings of the RAS museum's helminthological collections. Field of application: biological, agricultural and medical sciences. Program functionality: data entry and editing; organizing standard and free-form queries; and generating reports, all performed via the system's main menu, which includes the following sections: File, Edit, Record, View, Format, Tools, Window, Help.
2.8. Петросян В.Г. An integrated database management and statistical analysis system for biological data — Biosystem office.
Biosystem Office is a compact, powerful, high-performance, reliable and integrated system for database management and statistical data analysis. The system's core objects are stored in a single file with the .bdb extension. The system includes a set of software modules for creating, modifying and storing the main database objects: tables, multi-table forms, queries, charts and reports. It also includes methods of descriptive statistics; outlier detection; statistical hypothesis testing; multiple sample comparison and analysis of proportions and contingency tables; analysis of variance and regression analysis; as well as multivariate analysis methods — cluster analysis, principal component analysis, discriminant analysis, and probabilistic neural networks and Kohonen networks.
3. Creating special models, methods, algorithms and programs for spatiotemporal analysis of population dynamics under changing climate and anthropogenic impacts.
3.1. A quantitative analysis was carried out of population trends, the pattern of spatial distribution, and current animal density of the key resource artiodactyl species for the forest-vegetation zones of Russia (coniferous-broadleaf forest, taiga, forest-steppe, steppe, pre-tundra forest and open taiga). Using classical population-dynamics models and time-series analysis, it was shown that roe deer and wild boar show positive population growth trends in recent years, while no positive trend is observed for elk at either the federal or regional level. Models are presented decomposing trends and periodic and random components of the population dynamics of game species. Model-based estimates of reproductive potential, annual recruitment, and the maximum possible population size of the species studied are provided within the framework of modified discrete Malthus, Beverton-Holt and Ricker models (Petrosyan et al., 2012).
3.2. A parametric discrete-time model was developed to analyze beaver population dynamics from their introduction (1948) to the present day (2011) in the Tadenka River basin. The population dynamics were shown to tend toward a stationary state with a quasi-periodic component with periods of 14 to 26 years. Model estimates showed that the periodic component has a sawtooth shape, with beaver numbers rising from a minimum to a maximum over 6 years within each period and then falling from maximum to minimum over the remainder of the period. The amplitude of the quasi-periodic component is on the order of 6 beavers and shows a weak upward trend. It is suggested that the further development of the beaver population will primarily depend on many random events affecting factors that regulate beaver numbers, such as the geomorphological features of the terrain, the recovery rate of food resources in abandoned habitats, and the scale and rate of development of beaver settlements. Analysis of the stability of the stationary solution and assessment of the adequacy of the proposed model support the conclusion that this discrete model can be used to describe local beaver populations in other areas in order to quantitatively assess their population dynamics as a function of available food resources (Petrosyan et al., 2013)
3.3. A collective monograph was published on the ecosystem-forming activity of the beaver as a keystone species of a small river, using the Tadenka River (Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve, PTZ) as an example. The monograph examines the dynamics of beaver numbers and distribution in the reserve's water bodies from the first days of reintroduction to the present (60 years). It also characterizes various aspects of the beaver's impact on the aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems of the small Tadenka River, providing quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the beaver's effect on zooplankton, macrozoobenthos, amphibian reproduction, black alder stand dynamics, and aquatic vegetation. Particular attention is given to mathematical models designed to identify the main trends in population change and to forecast population dynamics taking into account the species' ecological characteristics. For the first time, the potential of medium-resolution (Landsat 7) and very-high-resolution (IKONOS, GeoEye-1) satellite imagery was analyzed for mapping beaver activity features within the PTZ territory. Primary data were obtained through route surveys of the PTZ's watercourse valleys using GPS in 2009–2012. The main elements of the beaver landscape were recorded: point objects were recorded as single points, linear objects (dams, beaver trails) as multiple points, and areal objects (beaver ponds and meadows) were mapped by perimeter. For the integrated processing of ground and satellite imagery, we created an integrated vector-raster database within the ArcGIS 9.3 GIS environment. The raster part of the database includes satellite imagery from the IKONOS, Landsat 7 and GeoEye-1 series for 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively, covering the PTZ territory and its buffer zone (The River Beaver as a Keystone... 2012)
3.4. A collective monograph was published summarizing the authors' original research findings and published data on the systematics, distribution, morphology, ecology and role of the Eurasian ruffe in various freshwater ecosystems. The ruffe is widely distributed from France in the west to the Kolyma in the east; in the 1980s it began spreading to new areas — Italy, France, Ireland — and has recently reached North America. It inhabits rivers, lakes and brackish coastal areas near river deltas, occurring from the shoreline to depths of 50–80 m, and avoids fast-flowing stretches in rivers. The ruffe has a broad diet and can act as a benthivore, planktivore, or even a predator, feeding on fish eggs and juveniles. Owing to its high abundance and rapid reproduction, it plays an important role in the water body's food chains, and in some water bodies can be a strong competitor to bream and whitefish. At the same time, it is a primary food source for all major predatory fish species — pike, pikeperch, burbot, perch and eel. Predators exert a limiting influence on ruffe numbers and on the qualitative composition and structure of its populations; moreover, they convert this low-value fish species, as the ruffe is often considered, into a high-quality product. The role of the ruffe in water bodies is therefore ambiguous, and there is no basis for considering it universally harmful or for recommending a reduction in its numbers or its eradication (Reshetnikov et al., 2016).
3.5. A mathematical model was developed for the emergence and development of pelagic ocean fouling biocenoses. Fouling communities were shown to be convenient objects for modeling when studying the patterns of emergence and functioning of biosystems, invasions of aquatic organisms, the use of bioindicators, and other phenomena. The mathematical models presented take into account the key relationships among the main fouling organisms (dominated by the crustaceans Lepadidae) in areas and depths typical of invasion, under favorable and relatively constant abiotic environmental factors. The interaction of planktonic, substrate-settling larvae of Lepas and Conchoderma (Lepadidae), the fouling species C. virgatum, L. anatifera, L. anserifera and L. hillii, and their most common predators — the crab Planes minutus and fish — is modeled using differential equations. In particular, the model captures colonization by these organisms, the "attractiveness" of the fouling organisms to predators, and the rate at which different age groups are consumed by predators. Computational experiments showed that the rate of density change differs considerably between age groups of Lepas and Conchoderma. Predation pressure on Conchoderma is significantly higher than on Lepas. The attractive effect of the fouling organisms on cyprids and predators in the water near the substrate is of key importance for the dynamics of fouling density. The models showed that crabs, and especially fish, are the strongest modifiers of ocean fouling biocenoses, significantly limiting the growth in the number of fouling organisms. When fish were "excluded" in the computational experiments, the number of Conchoderma increased sharply, becoming close in magnitude to the number of Lepas. The models showed that the most important factors limiting ocean fouling are: the settlement rate of Lepadidae larvae on the substrate, the "attractiveness" of the fouling organisms to predators, and predation on these organisms. The models correspond well with experimental data from oceanographic buoy stations. The use of mathematical models for predictive assessments of fouling invasions and the further development of their biocenoses is highly promising and cannot be replaced by other research methods (Iljin, Petrosyan et al., 2013)
3.6. A comparative analysis was carried out of the quantitative characteristics of woody and shrub forage in active and abandoned beaver settlements within the Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve in the Tadenka River basin, where beavers have lived for more than 60 years. Using one-way analysis of variance by settlement type (active, abandoned), it was shown that long-term foraging in settlements leads to a decrease in tree-stand species richness (P=0.068). Various hypotheses regarding the beavers' selective foraging impact on different vegetation layers (tree stand, undergrowth-understory) are presented, and factors leading to thinning and changes in the age structure of the tree stand and undergrowth-understory are identified. Changes in species composition were shown, accompanied by an increase in the proportion of little-eaten and uneaten species. It was concluded that whereas the foraging zone did not exceed 50 m during initial use, with repeated use of a settlement and in the absence of predators, the foraging zone expands to 165 m. This conclusion is supported by Fisher's exact test (P=0.005), the Yates-corrected χ2 test (P=0.002), and the likelihood ratio test (P=0.0002). Upon repeated colonization of previously used settlements with unrecovered food resources in the Tadenka River basin, the main area for gathering woody and shrub forage becomes the remote zone between 50 and 165 m from the bank (Goryainova et al., 2014)
3.7. Software was developed for a comprehensive simulation model, including a problem-oriented database of long-term winter track-count surveys (1961–2012) of key resource species, designed to determine harvest quota norms and the optimal cull structure for artiodactyls at the level of individual hunting grounds, federal subjects of Russia, and at the federal level. Based on analysis of monitoring data for mammals (6 herbivores and 3 carnivores) over the period 1981–2012, it was shown that the collapse of the USSR first caused a decline in animal numbers (1991–2000), primarily as a result of overexploitation, followed by a recovery in numbers from 2000 onward. After the collapse of the USSR, wolf numbers increased by more than 150% (Bragina et al., 2015).
3.8. An analysis was carried out of the long-term dynamics of the numbers of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and its settlements in the Pushta River basin and the floodplain lakes of the Moksha in the southwestern part of the Mordovia Nature Reserve over 1940–2013. It was shown that 73 years after beaver reintroduction, the number of settlements and animal numbers stabilized in the range of 20 to 29 settlements and 65 to 96 individuals, respectively. A comprehensive analysis of natural conditions, climate, the hydrological network, predator impact, disease, the spatial arrangement of settlements, the size of occupied areas, the number of dams per settlement, foraging characteristics, and food resource stocks, together with mathematical processing of the data using classical population-dynamics models (Malthus, Beverton-Holt and Ricker) and time-series models, supports the conclusion that the dynamics are characterized by a climax stage with fluctuations at a low population level. A hypothetical, theoretical qualitative model of the long-term dynamics of beaver population numbers for different rates of food-resource recovery is discussed. Within this model, it is shown that the population dynamics in the Berezinsky and Oka Nature Reserves and Allegheny National Park are characteristic of high rates of food-resource recovery (Type I dynamics), while the dynamics of other populations inhabiting the Lapland, Ilmen, Pechora-Ilych and Mordovia Nature Reserves are characteristic of low rates of food-resource recovery (Type II dynamics). It is argued that the further development of the population in the reserves will mainly depend on functional factors (the rate of food recovery in abandoned habitats, and the scale and rate of black alder stand development at abandoned beaver settlements) and random factors (severe winters, winter floods, and summer droughts) affecting the dynamics of the beaver population in the reserve (Zavyalov et al., 2015).
3.9. An original discrete model was developed for analyzing the patterns of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) population dynamics following its introduction into the Lapland, Darwin, Prioksko-Terrasny, Central Forest, Oka and Khopyor Nature Reserves, located in the northern, southern and central parts of its range. The proposed population-dynamics model expands our understanding of the various trends in beaver population dynamics following reintroduction. It was previously believed that such cases are characterized by an eruptive type of population dynamics. However, our research showed that the population dynamics of the Eurasian beaver can be described by 4 types: eruptive (Lapland Nature Reserve); single-step with quasi-periodic fluctuation (Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve); multi-step with quasi-periodic fluctuations (Darwin, Central Forest and Khopyor Nature Reserves); and a logistic trend in numbers with periodic fluctuations around it (Oka Nature Reserve) (Petrosyan et al., 2016).
3.10. For the first time, using a specially developed procedure implemented in ArcGIS Desktop 10.4.1, a retrospective quantitative analysis was carried out of the impact of the beaver's ecosystem-forming activity on plant communities in the Tadenka River basin, Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve, where beavers have lived for more than 65 years. It was shown that selective beaver foraging statistically significantly reduces (by Tukey's test) the proportion of tree species preferred by beavers within the 100-meter riparian zone — birch (35%) >> aspen (26%) >> lime (13%) = willow (11%) (P<0.05) — and increases the proportion of non-preferred species — alder (78%) >> pine (65%) >> spruce (30%) (P<0.05). Recommendations for using this procedure in other GIS environments were developed.
3.11. Mechanisms of the influence of fish on the abundance of small and large water flea species were studied in mesocosms under eutrophic conditions. Fish were shown to shift the ratio between the abundance of small and large water flea species toward an increase in small species relative to the control. Enrichment with nutrients, conversely, shifted this ratio toward large species. Fish activity and nutrient enrichment of the water led to a statistically significant increase in the concentration of total chlorophyll and blue-green algal chlorophyll. However, no statistically significant effect of fish or nutrient enrichment was found on the total biomass of water fleas or the biomass of large species, owing to high variance among replicates. Nevertheless, mean biomass values indicated an effect of fish and nutrient enrichment on the total biomass and the biomass of large water flea species (Feniova et al., 2016).
3.12. Meiotic drive is defined as a deviation from Mendelian inheritance in which the offspring of a heterozygote show an excess frequency of one of the two gene variants. This genetic phenomenon can affect gametogenesis, fertility, behavior, mating systems, population survival and reproductive isolation. In recent years, meiotic drive has been discovered in representatives of various taxa — plants, fungi and animals (insects, birds, mammals). The evolutionary and ecological aspects of this phenomenon are presented in the collective paper "The Ecology and Evolutionary Dynamics of Meiotic Drive" (Lindholm A.K., Petrosyan V.G., Safronova L.D. et al.), Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2016, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 315-326.
Studying theoretical questions of biological invasions
4.1. Data on the allelic and genotypic diversity of Ukrainian and Armenian populations of the parthenogenetic lizard Darevskia armeniaca were analyzed (4.1). Figure 4.2 shows diagrams of two models of genotype evolution in D. armeniaca populations in Armenia and Ukraine (1963, Darevsky I.S., Shcherbak N.N.). Shading indicates genotypes that arose in the Ukrainian population and are absent in the Armenian populations. The modeling results show that Model B — sequential fixation of mutations from genotype to genotype — is the most likely (Omelchenko et al., 2016, RJBI).
4.2. Database: Alien mammal species in the ecosystems of Russia: A web-based information retrieval system.
The database includes material on 62 mammal species that have become established in new regions, including those whose ranges have contracted in recent decades. Four main groups are used to describe the pathways of introduction of alien mammal species into native ecosystems: deliberately introduced, reintroduced, self-dispersing, and accidentally introduced. The database is intended for: automating the collection of information (systematizing material, creating an information basis for GIS); studying the diversity of alien mammals in Russia and assessing the degree of "contamination" of the Russian fauna by them (both overall and in individual regions); compiling inventories of alien species for areas of various scales; clarifying the patterns of alien species distribution in a given area (identifying dispersal trends and assessing participation in various community types); assessing the ecological impact of alien species; and selecting indicators for developing, and creating, a system for forecasting possible invasions. The database is intended for ecologists, zoologists, botanists and geographers.
4.4. Петросян В. Г., Дгебуадзе Ю. Ю., Рожнов В. В., Виноградова Ю. К., Кривошеина М. Г., Решетников А. Н., Хляп Л. А., Фенёва И.Ю., Озерова Н. А., Омельченко А. В., Горяйнова З.И., Дергунова Н. Н., Башинский И.В., Назаренко Е. А. Database of alien plant, animal and microorganism species of the Russian Federation within the Biosystem Office environment.
The database created includes material on alien plant, animal and microorganism species that have become established in new regions, including those whose ranges have contracted in recent decades. The database is designed to address tasks in the following areas: studying the characteristics of the invasion process for individual groups of living organisms; identifying the main invasion corridors and vectors for the transfer of alien organisms; forecasting and preventing invasions; assessing the damage caused by invasive species — both economic and socio-political; ways and means of reducing the negative consequences of invasions; and developing information support (creating species databases for various sectors of the national economy).