The staff of the V.N. Sukachev Laboratory of Biogeocenology of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), together with 45 co-authors from 22 scientific institutions, prepared a catalog of ecological-climatic monitoring stations of Russia, providing information on observations of greenhouse gas flows between ecosystems and the atmosphere as of May 2025. The current version of the catalog includes information on 35 stations in ecosystems of various natural zones - from steppes to tundra. Fig.1: Map and list of stations in the catalog. Types and zones of vegetation zonation in Russia and adjacent territories. The catalog includes updated information about stations operating within the framework of the Most Important Innovative Project of National Importance "Creation of a Unified National System for Monitoring Climate-Active Substances", as well as about stations of teams supervising the work of the stations within the framework of the project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation to create carbon polygons. The catalog is published in electronic format and updated as information is provided by those responsible for the stations, the RuFlux network is developed, and new stations appear within the framework of other programs and projects. Fig.2: Example of a page from the catalog Greenhouse gas flows are monitored using the turbulent pulsation method, which allows direct estimates of the balance of greenhouse gases between the earth's surface and the atmosphere on an ecosystem scale of averaging. Measuring systems include infrared gas analyzers, acoustic anemometers, and other meteorological instruments that are installed on masts (towers) from 2 to 50 meters high. The objectives of creating this catalog are: systematization of information on stations monitoring ecosystem flows of greenhouse gases, encouragement of scientific cooperation in the field of studying ecosystem-atmospheric exchange, provision of information on stations to all interested parties. Related materials: Bulletin of the Earth Sciences Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences: "A Catalog of Ecological-Climatic Stations of Russia Has Been Compiled" CarbonPlatform: "A Catalog of Ecological-Climatic Stations of the Russian Federation Has Been Compiled at the IEE RAS" Roshydromet. Climate Change: "A Catalog of Ecological-Climatic Stations of Russia Has Been Compiled" RAS: "A Catalog of Ecological-Climatic Stations Will Help Monitor Ecosystem Flows of Greenhouse Gases" BezFormata: "A Catalog of Ecological-Climatic Stations of Russia Has Been Published"

The Wildlife Conservation Center published a book by Alexander Oleksenko, ““Meeting any animal… Is Always a Miracle.” V.M. Smirin in Search of Himself and His Life’s Work.” Russian animal painting of the 20th century is a powerful and original phenomenon, largely undiscovered. One of the greatest masters of the tradition is Vladimir (Vadim) Moiseevich Smirin (1931-1989). The first book of the two-volume work tells about his childhood, youth, development as a zoologist and artist, and his teachers — B.V. Pestinsky, V.A. Vatagin, A.N. Formozov. Particular attention is paid to the birth of the grandiose idea of ​​the Atlas of Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia based on life drawings. No one before Smirin had dared to undertake such a project and is unlikely to do so in the future. The author of the book, Alexander Oleksenko, has been studying the work of V.M. Smirin and other masters of animalism for a quarter of a century and has developed an original idea of ​​this tradition, according to which the basis of the work of its masters is the gift of involvement with nature and animals. Before you is a study and at the same time a unique film, assembled into a whole from a mosaic of drawings, photographs, autographs of documents, fragments of memories of direct participants in the events. Most of the materials are published for the first time. This book is part of one of the largest projects on animalistic graphics of the 20th century, the core of which is the multi-volume atlas by V.M. Smirin "Portraits of Animals of Northern Eurasia". The first three volumes have been published: "Pinnipeds" (2010) https://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/books/ecoeducation/Smirin_Pinnipeds_2010_sm.pdf "Predatory" (2011) https://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/books/ecoeducation/Smirin_Carnivores_2011_web.pdf "Lagomorphs" (2018) https://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/books/ecoeducation/Smirin_Lagomorphs_2018_web.pdf With the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, an electronic version of the book ""Meeting with every animal ... is always a miracle." V.M. Smirin in search of himself and his life's work" was created in 2023, which can be viewed and downloaded. Page-by-page version https://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/books/ecoeducation/ALWAYS_MIRACLE_book_about_VM_Smirin_v1.pdf Version with page spreads (the artists of the book claim that this is the best way to understand it as a whole). https://www.biodiversity.ru/publications/books/ecoeducation/ALWAYS_MIRACLE_book_about_VM_Smirin_v1_spreads.pdf In the future, it is planned to release a printed version of the publication.

Alexey Kotov and Dmitry Karabanov on an expedition. Photo: Alexey Kotov Biologists have found that the cladoceran Pleuroxus truncatus, which is widespread in the freshwater bodies of Northern Eurasia, can be divided into two large genetic lines. Representatives of the first, “western,” are found mainly in the European part of Russia, while the second, “eastern,” is found in Siberia, the Far East, and Mongolia. These lines became isolated in the late Pleistocene, approximately 10,000–300,000 years ago, probably during the era of glaciation and desertification, which led to the isolation of individual populations. The data obtained will help to better understand the processes of evolution and dispersal of freshwater crustaceans, as well as predict their adaptation to climate change. The results of the study, supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), are published in the journal PeerJ. Petr Garibyan takes samples. Photo: Alexey Kotov Cladocera are an important component of food chains in continental waters. They serve as a primary food source for many fish species, insect larvae, and even some waterfowl. Despite their relative abundance, nearly 95% of genetic studies on them have focused on planktonic crustaceans, such as Daphnia, while other groups, including members of the genus Pleuroxus, which is widespread in Eurasian lakes and rivers, are poorly understood. This situation limits our understanding of freshwater crustacean evolution because it is unclear to what extent the patterns observed in planktonic Daphnia are also characteristic of other crustaceans with different lifestyles, such as those living in aquatic plant beds and on the bottom of reservoirs. Research team member Dmitry Karabanov. Photo: Alexey Kotov Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) studied populations of the crustacean Pleuroxus truncatus, common to Northern Eurasia, individuals of which were caught in water bodies in the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Far East and Mongolia. The authors assessed the relationship of individuals from different populations to each other by analyzing the sequences of four genes. Two of them were in the DNA of mitochondria (the "energy stations" of the cell), and two more were in the nuclear DNA. This set made it possible to most accurately trace the evolutionary history of the species due to the fact that mitochondrial DNA changes quickly during evolution, while the studied nuclear genes, on the contrary, are conservative. Anna Neretina catches freshwater crustaceans. Photo: Alexey Kotov The analysis showed that all populations of Pleuroxus truncatus are divided into two main genetic lines: "western", whose representatives are found mainly in the European part of Russia, and "eastern", more typical for Siberia, the Far East and Mongolia. However, biologists have also discovered several populations of the "eastern" line in the European part of Russia. General view of a female Pleuroxus truncatus. Photo: Alexey Kotov The differences between the genetic lines were relatively small, indicating their recent separation. According to the authors, it occurred approximately 10,000 to 300,000 years ago, that is, during the late Pleistocene, when the climate on Earth was quite harsh - cold and very dry. This allowed biologists to assume that the identified genetic division of the Pleuroxus truncatus species into two lines may be associated with this unfavorable time for freshwater animals. Populations of Pleuroxus truncatus could have been isolated in separate refugia (refuges) in the western and eastern parts of the continent, which led to their genetic separation. After warming and the retreat of glaciers, these lines again expanded their ranges, partially mixing in contact zones, but retained differences due to limited genetic exchange. "The data we have obtained not only allow us to reconstruct the history of species distribution, but also to predict possible paths of future transformation of faunas in the context of global climate change. In the future, we plan to continue similar work on representatives of other genera living both in thickets of aquatic plants and directly on the bottom of water bodies. We will pay special attention to the fauna of cladocerans of the south of the European part of Russia, which has not been sufficiently studied. Such a paradoxical situation has arisen because a number of previous projects of our team were focused on the Far East and adjacent territories, on which many works have already been published," says the head of the project supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, Alexey Kotov, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Communities and Invasions of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Related materials: Novaya Nauka: "Russian scientists have uncovered the secrets of the evolution of freshwater crustaceans" Zhukovsky Life: "Cladocerans are divided into two genetic groups" Rambler: "Scientists have identified the "western" and "eastern" genetic lines of Eurasian cladocerans" RAS: "The "western" and "eastern" genetic lines of Eurasian cladocerans have been identified" Nauka.Mail: "Glaciering has divided Eurasian crustaceans into two genetic lines" RSF: "Evolutionary processes. The "western" and "eastern" genetic lines of Eurasian cladocerans have been identified"

Figure 1. Ural gudgeon Gobio uralensis caught in different places of the Ural River basin. Source: Turbanov et al. / Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2025. Scientists have described a new species of gudgeon from the Ural River basin and therefore named it Gobio uralensis. It turned out that this species is closest in external features (morphology) to the Volga gudgeon, which inhabits the European part of Russia, and genetically to the Markakol gudgeon, which inhabits the rivers of Kazakhstan and China. This may indicate that the Ural gudgeon appeared in the distant past as a result of hybridization of European and Asian gudgeon lines. The results of the study, supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), were published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. Figure 2. Map of collections of different species of gudgeons. Source: Turbanov et al. / Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2025. Freshwater fish make up half of the total species diversity of fish, despite the fact that freshwater bodies occupy only 0.8% of the surface of the globe. At the same time, even in the most well-studied regions, previously unknown fish species are still sometimes found. For example, it was long believed that the gudgeon species Gobio gobio, which is widespread throughout almost all of Eurasia and looks different in different parts of the continent, is simply characterized by high intraspecific variability. However, scientists have shown using genetic analysis that there are several separate species of gudgeon in Europe and Asia, which were previously classified as the common gudgeon Gobio gobio. At the same time, there remains a high probability that not all species have been discovered and described. Biologists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS (Moscow), I.D. Papanin Institute of Biology of Inland Waters RAS (Borok) and the Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow) studied gudgeons living in the Ural, Volga and Ob basins to better understand what species are found there. Figure 3. Type locality (the place where the most typical representatives were taken) of the Ural gudgeon Gobio uralensis, the Bolshoy Kizil River, a right tributary of the Ural, in Bashkortostan. Source: Turbanov et al. / Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2025. The authors caught the fish, examined their external features (morphology) and conducted a genetic analysis. Using morphological and genetic analysis, the researchers identified four species of gudgeon - Gobio volgensis, Gobio sibiricus, Gobio acutipinnatus and a previously unknown species, which they called the Ural gudgeon Gobio uralensis. The choice of name is due to the fact that scientists discovered this species in the upper and middle reaches of the Ural River, which is considered the border between Europe and Asia. The Ural gudgeon turned out to be most similar in appearance to the Volga gudgeon Gobio volgensis, which lives in the Volga in the European part of Russia, but is genetically very distant from it. Based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, which are often used to establish the relationship of organisms, Gobio uralensis was closest to the Markakol gudgeon Gobio acutipinnatus, which lives in the upper Irtysh basin (Ob River system) within Kazakhstan and China. Figure 4. Pharyngeal teeth of the Ural gudgeon. Source: Turbanov et al. / Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2025. Accordingly, the intermediate position of the new species' range between Europe and Asia has affected its proximity to two groups of gudgeons at once: morphologically to the European ones, and genetically to the Asian ones. It is possible that the Gobio uralensis species could have arisen in the distant past as a result of hybridization of ancient lines leading to the modern species Gobio acutipinnatus and Gobio volgensis, when the Caspian basin (the Ural river system) could have been connected with the Ob river system through the Turgai trough during the glacial-interglacial periods of the Pleistocene (2.58 million years ago - 11.7 thousand years ago). During this connection, different evolutionary lines of fish were moving along with the water masses, penetrating into the range of other closely related species. Figure 5. Radiograph of the Ural gudgeon. Source: Turbanov et al. / Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2025. "Our study shows that the Ural River is inhabited by an endemic species of gudgeon, characteristic only of it. At the same time, Gobio uralensis is currently the only known endemic fish inhabiting this basin. In the future, we plan to study in more detail the genetic diversity and ancient contacts of various fish species inhabiting the upper reaches of the Caspian basin, which have a common watershed with Siberian rivers. This will allow us to better understand the origin of the local fauna and clarify the biogeographic relationships between Asian and European fish species," says Boris Levin, PhD in Biology, leading researcher at the Papanin Institute of Biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who is the head of the project supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The work was published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution: On the border of Europe and Asia: Gobio uralensis, a new species of gudgeons (Cypriniformes, Gobionidae) from the Caspian Sea basin, Ilya S. Turbanov, Aleksey A. Bolotovskiy, Oleg N. Artaev, Aleksandr A. Gandlin, Marina A. Levina, Ekaterina D. Vasil’eva, Boris A. Levin, 101(2): 855-874 (https://zse.pensoft.net/article/147368/). Related materials: National Scientific Network: "Scientists have discovered a new species of fish on the border of Europe and Asia" RAS: "A new species of fish has been discovered on the border of Europe and Asia" Rambler: "A new species of fish has been discovered in the Ural River basin" Zhukovsky Life: "A new species of gudgeon has been discovered in the Urals" Naked Science: "A new species of fish has been discovered in the Urals" Agro XXI: "Unique gudgeon are found in the Ural River and are found nowhere else in the world" Indicator: "Scientists have discovered a new species of fish on the border of Europe and Asia" XX2 century: "A new species of fish lives on the border of Europe and Asia" Poisk: "Gudgeons from the Ural basin. A new species of fish has been discovered on the border of Europe and Asia" MK: "A new species of fish has been discovered in the Ural River basin" Nature.Kremlin: "A new species of fish has been discovered on the border of Europe and Asia"

The fish rotan (Perccottus glenii). Photo by A.N. Reshetnikov The fish rotan (=Amur sleeper, = Chinese sleeper) Perccottus glenii (Odontobutidae) is one of the most successful invaders in freshwater environments, damaging native ecosystems. Its invaded range has covered over 100 longitudinal degrees in northern Eurasia since 1916. This fish appeared in Western Siberia more than 50 years ago and is now recorded in many water bodies of this vast region. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Ecology & Evolution Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPEE RAS), together with colleagues from other scientific institutions, conducted several expeditions to the regions of Western Siberia to collect data on the current distribution and ecology of the fish rotan. During route expedition in the Ob’ river basin Scientists have ‘decoded’ the details of the half-century invasion history of rotan in Western Siberia. At least five independent initial introductions of the rotan were identified, which gave rise to centres of secondary dispersal: Chelyabinsk, Tomsk, Tyumen’, Upper Ob’-1, and Upper Ob’-2. The Chelyabinsk and Tomsk centres appeared first (in the 1970s), the other centres became known later, at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. Three stages of invasion of Western Siberia by the rotan can be distinguished. At the first stage, its spreading was along the trans-Siberian highway P-254, which was probably facilitated by irresponsible behaviour of fishermen using rotan as a live bait, as well as by the transportations of commercial fish species (unsorted stocking material) between fish farms. At the second stage, the rotan penetrated into floodplains and began to spread rapidly downstream of large Siberian rivers (Tobol, Irtysh, Tom, Ob’), expanding its range, year by year, in a northerly direction, and has already reached Khanty-Mansiysk at the confluence of the Irtysh and Ob’. At present, the third stage is observed: the rotan is slowly but steadily expanding its range, penetrating into tributaries of large rivers and water bodies of interfluves. The rotan reaches the greatest number in shallow ponds and lakes, as well as in shallow warmed river oxbows, the number of which is incalculable in the expanses of Western Siberia. Analysis of the invasion history of the fish rotan (Perccottus glenii) in Western Siberia: five regions of initial introductions were identified (Reshetnikov et al., 2025) Results were obtained using a combination of different methods: 1. Spatio-temporal analysis of the georeferenced records; 2. Molecular genetic analysis; 3. Parasitological analysis to determine the invasion vectors and to trace the dispersal pathways of the host fish. The paper discusses in detail the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of different methods to study the invasion history. As a result, the study has convincingly demonstrated the advantage of a combined approach with the simultaneous use of different methods aimed at reconstructing the invasion history of the studied alien species. The results of the study are published in the international journal Biological Invasions (Q1, IF 2.8): Reshetnikov A.N., Interesova E.A., Borovikova E.A., 2025. Using a combined approach to analyse the invasion history of the fish rotan, widespread in northern Eurasia. Biological Invasions 27(2), article number 84, pp. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-025-03550-3 The pdf is available for free due to courtesy of Springer Nature Content Sharing Initiative: https://rdcu.be/d9Fjv

Rosneft conducted two scientific expeditions to study the populations of polar bears and marine mammals of the Kara Sea. Specialists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution took part in the field work in the north of Krasnoyarsk Krai and on the Yamal Peninsula. The main goal of the research is a full-scale census, assessment of the distribution of polar bears and marine mammals using instrumental (photo and infrared aerial photography) and aerial visual methods. The expeditions are being conducted as part of Rosneft's corporate program for the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, called "Tamura". The polar bear is a bioindicator species. Based on the health of these endangered predators, scientists draw conclusions about the sustainability of northern ecosystems as a whole. From the village of Sabetta in Yamal, 8 flights of the AN-28 laboratory aircraft were made for a comprehensive survey of the inner delta of the Gulf of Ob and the southeastern part of the Kara Sea. The total length of the routes was almost 10 thousand km, more than 90 thousand images were taken, which will be processed using neural network algorithms. During the aerial visual observations, 22 polar bears, 23 walruses, 616 seals, 77 belugas, as well as rare bird species were recorded. Ten flights of the Mi-8MTV-1 helicopter were made from the village of Dikson to survey the ice of a number of islands, as well as the ice in the Yenisei Gulf to Sever Bay and along the northern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula to the mouth of the Uboynaya River. The length of the routes was almost 5 thousand km. During the work, 37 polar bears of various ages and both sexes were registered. Fifteen adult bears were captured, 10 animals were tagged with satellite collars and ear tags for remote tracking of migration routes. Scientists also took blood samples and fur samples from polar bears to study their health and genetic affiliation to a particular subpopulation. Reference: Rosneft and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources continue research work in the Arctic region as part of the national project "Ecology". From 2024 to 2027, Rosneft plans to conduct research work in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Kara Sea. In 2024, the Company's Arctic Research Center organized 5 expeditions, during which scientists studied the Kara subpopulation of polar bears, wild reindeer and rare bird species. The total length of air routes was almost 17,000 km, water routes - more than 3,000 km. Related materials: Taimyr Telegraph: "Rosneft conducted a large-scale expedition to study polar bears in the Arctic" Rubrik: "Visiting the Guardians of the North" Zapolyarnaya Pravda: "Polar bears and marine mammals are being counted in the north of the region" Lenta: "Rosneft conducted expeditions to study polar bears" Arguments of the Week: "Tamura - the wealth and value of native nature" Regnum: "Scientists studied populations of marine animals in the Arctic" Trud: "Preserving biodiversity" Vedomosti: "Metallurgists created an expert council on biodiversity" Severstal: "Severstal" created the first expert council on biodiversity in the Russian metallurgical industry"

IEE RAS postgraduate student receives Russian Presidential Scholarship Ivan Vladimirovich Sotnikov, a graduate student of the IEE RAS, received a scholarship from the President of the Russian Federation for graduate students and adjuncts conducting research in the context of implementing the priorities of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation. I.V. Sotnikov's scientific supervisor is Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Deputy Director for Science Alexey Vladimirovich Tiunov. Congratulations to Alexey Vladimirovich and Ivan Vladimirovich! The minutes of the meeting and the list of all supported graduate students can be found at the link.

From May 5 to 12, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Aquatic Community Ecology and Invasions of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) A.A. Kotov held a series of lectures for 7th-8th grade schoolchildren of the "Biological Shift" at the Sirius Educational Center (Sirius Federal Territory). The lectures were devoted to the problem of invasive species in marine and continental water bodies, as well as the work of hydrobiologists. One of the lectures was called "Why Study Small Crustaceans?" The schoolchildren showed great interest in the reports and asked the lecturer many "children's" and very "adult" questions. A.A. Kotov separately spoke about the activities of the IEE RAS.

An international team of scientists has studied the consequences of global warming in the Arctic, combining a large pool of long-term data on 12 populations of 9 bird species. The work was attended by an employee of the Bird Ringing Center of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), senior researcher, PhD in biology Sergey Valerievich Volkov. Global climate change is most clearly manifested in the Arctic, the increase in average annual temperatures is more than twice as high as in temperate regions. Earlier snowmelt and ecosystem development affect the established connections in communities, disrupting traditional interactions. To compensate for the negative consequences of desynchronization between different phenomena, migrating birds have to optimize their migration strategies, including shifting wintering areas closer to nesting sites, starting from wintering grounds earlier, increasing the speed of migration, and reducing the duration of intermediate stops. However, the question remains whether such changes lead to earlier arrival to nesting areas or earlier reproduction. The publication demonstrates patterns of earlier migration and reproduction as a response to warming. However, against the background of warming, the unpredictability of conditions in each specific season limits the fine-tuning of Arctic bird migration to annually changing conditions. The study "Migratory birds advance spring arrival and egg-laying in the Arctic, mostly by travelling faster" was published in the prestigious international journal Global Change Biology.

Senior researcher at the Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals, PhD in Biology Anastasia Antonevich took part in the Naukogradostno festival, which was held in Chernogolovka on May 17-18. Anastasia Antonevich spoke at the round table "Science and Art: Creating Worlds." She spoke to the participants about how studying animal behavior and possible evolutionary origins of art help to understand the origins of creativity. You can watch the recording of the round table at the link.