The AGRAVIA-2026 international exhibition was held at Crocus Expo from January 21-23, 2026. AGRAVIA-2026 was the largest agricultural exhibition of the year – a venue showcasing the best achievements with a proven track record and a platform for experts to share their experiences. The exhibition featured booths from 806 manufacturers from 27 countries. The exhibition was attended by over 23,000 visitors from 65 countries and 87 regions of Russia. At the roundtable discussion "New Approaches to Protecting Potatoes from Bacteriosis, Anthracnose, and Nematodes," Renat Viktorovich Khusainov, a researcher at the Phytoparasitology Laboratory at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), presented a report on the main nematode pests of potatoes and nematode control systems.

In a world where it seems everything has already been discovered and studied, a true living relic lurks in the harsh deserts of Central Asia: the planet's last wild Bactrian camel. These are not feral domestic animals, but a distinct species that survived ice ages and mammoths. Today, they teeter on the brink of extinction, but large-scale international efforts are giving them a chance to survive. The story of this unique species began with a discovery that was initially disbelieved. In 1878, the renowned Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky, during his second expedition to Central Asia, described an unusual camel encountered near Lake Lop Nur. Many of his colleagues doubted it, believing it to be simply escaped domestic animals. However, time and modern science have confirmed Przhevalsky's claim. Genetic studies have shown that the wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) diverged from its domestic counterpart hundreds of thousands of years ago, long before domestication. This is an independent branch of evolution that has miraculously survived to this day. This camel's appearance differs from the familiar "ship of the desert." It is more slender, lighter, with a narrow head (for which the Mongolians nicknamed it "havtagai" – "flat head"), pointed humps, and short, sandy-yellow fur. It is incredibly resilient: it can go a month without water, drink salty mud that other animals cannot tolerate, and travel up to 4,500 kilometers a year across the lifeless sands of the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts. But even this phenomenal adaptability doesn't save it from its main threat – humans. Its range once extended over 840,000 square kilometers, but has now shrunk to four scattered areas totaling approximately 110,000 square kilometers in Mongolia and China. The species' population is catastrophically low: according to the latest estimates, there are approximately 1,250 individuals left in the wild. The main threats are poaching, mining that is harmful to the natural environment, competition for water with livestock, and, most insidiously, hybridization with domestic camels, which is eroding their unique gene pool. Added to this are wolf predation and global climate change: modeling shows that by 2050, the camel's habitat will shrink by almost half. Recognizing the value of this living treasure, the governments of Mongolia and China are taking unprecedented measures. A network of specially protected natural areas has been established. Mongolia boasts the Great Gobi Nature Reserve (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). China boasts the vast Lop Nur Nature Reserve, the West Dunhuang Lake, and the Gansu Nature Reserve. However, the Taklamakan Desert, where oil and gas production is actively underway, remains the Achilles' heel of the conservation system. But the most encouraging part of the story is the breeding centers. In China, in Gansu Province, a center has been operating for several decades where the world's first captive wild camel offspring were bred and successfully released into the wild, equipped with GPS tracking collars. In Mongolia, with the support of international foundations and the Prague Zoo, two centers have been established – Zakhyn-Us and the new Toli-Bulag, where the first animals were recently transported, and where the first camel calf has already been born. Scientists agree that the ultimate salvation of the species is only possible through close cross-border cooperation. It is necessary to create a unified Mongolian-Chinese nature reserve, restore watering holes, conduct ongoing monitoring, protect young animals from wolves, and, most importantly, enlist the support of the local population in the fight against poaching. The story of the wild camel is a story of the stubborn survival of a species that has outlived geological eras, and the hope it receives from today's coordinated efforts by scientists, environmentalists, and governments. It has evolved from a legend and a scientific curiosity to a symbol of international efforts to preserve our planet's biodiversity. The struggle for its future continues, and its outcome determines whether the truly wild spirit of ancient Asia will remain in our deserts. The study was conducted by researchers at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and published in the journal "Arid Ecosystems." Related materials: News.Mail: "Scientists save the last wild camel"

Photo by Jim Peaco, Public Domain Unusually warm December weather in Moscow changed the rhythm of life for Moscow's beavers. They had more time to prepare for winter and successfully complete their fattening period. The animals spend the winter frosts in their dens, rarely leaving them. Accumulated fat and ample food reserves will not only help them survive the cold weather but also influence reproductive success. According to Ivan Bashinsky, a senior researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), the warm, ice-free December gave beavers additional time to actively prepare their reserves. In addition to storing food, the beavers actively repaired their dens: they reinforced their walls with mud, expanded underground spaces, dug additional tunnels, and created vents in the upper portions of their burrows. These openings will allow air to enter during the winter and can be used as emergency exits if a thick layer of ice forms on bodies of water. Only with the arrival of frost do beavers switch to a leisurely regime and begin to use up accumulated fat, so as not to leave the burrow in search of food and to wait out the cold. Beavers have long been a permanent fixture in Moscow. Around 250 beavers inhabit the capital, primarily in parks and natural areas: for example, in Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo, Yauza, and Moskvoretsky Parks, the Setun River Valley Nature Reserve, the Brateyevskaya Floodplain, and Bobrovy Island. In their burrows, beaver family members are friendly with each other, although minor squabbles and conflicts can occur – much like in humans, as each animal has its own personality. Unlike in the summer, when beavers prefer to sleep lying on their backs in separate corners of their dens, in cold weather they gather in a tight circle and rest huddled together. During extremely severe frosts – minus 20 degrees Celsius or lower – beavers completely cease to leave their dens. In northern regions, they can spend entire months in burrows and lodges—in extreme cases, they even have to eat the branches from which the lodge is built. During this period, their body temperature drops slightly, which helps beavers conserve energy. A remarkable characteristic of beavers is their ability to survive the stuffiness of their underground dwellings. Even if the cramped burrow depletes oxygen and accumulates a lot of carbon dioxide, it doesn't seriously affect them. Related materials: Regions: "Lodge Locked: Moscow Region Beavers Distinguished themselves in the Cold" Tochno.st: "The beaver population in Russia has doubled over the past 25 years" Rambler: "Moscow beavers spend the winter cold without leaving their lodges" News.Mail: "Moscow beavers spend the winter cold without leaving their lodges" Knife.media: "Russian scientists have discovered that Moscow beavers have stopped leaving their lodges due to the cold"

Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences studied how long-term forest fragmentation affects the structure and functional composition of plant communities in the central Russian Plain. An analysis of 1,694 geobotanical descriptions from the Moscow region showed that fragmentation does not reduce forest species richness, but it does dramatically alter their functional composition: large forest tracts are dominated by boreal species with developed moss cover, while small isolated patches are dominated by nemoral and adventitious species. Forest fragmentation - the division of continuous forest tracts into separate, isolated areas - poses a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functions. The Moscow region serves as a classic example of a fragmented temperate landscape: over the past 500 years, intensive logging, settlement expansion, and agricultural land expansion have led to the fragmentation of forests into hundreds of small patches. However, the relationship between fragmentation metrics and vegetation characteristics often remains weak and difficult to interpret, especially under conditions of multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors. The aim of the study was to identify the sensitivity of forest community characteristics to landscape fragmentation metrics using methods effective at low correlation coefficients. The researchers calculated seven uncorrelated fragmentation metrics—forest patch area (AREA), edge density (ED), edge contrast (ECON), normalized shape index (NLSI), number of patches (NP), distance to nearest patch (Euclidean nearest-neighbour distance, ENN), and proximity index (PROX) - and assessed their relationships with 20 plant community characteristics. The key result of the study: species richness and the Shannon index of the tree and herbage layers showed no relationship with fragmentation, but the composition of ecocenotic groups demonstrated the greatest sensitivity. The proportion of boreal and oligotrophic (preferring poor soils) species, as well as the abundance of the moss layer, increased with the forest patch size. Conversely, nemoral (broadleaf) and adventitious species dominated in small, contrasting patches with high edge density. "Our study shows that fragmentation affects species composition rather than species abundance and diversity. Boreal complex communities with developed moss cover persist only in large, connected forest stands. The moss layer serves as a major carbon accumulator in boreal forest soils and an indicator of their long-term stability." "The increase in the proportion of nemoral, nitrophilous, and adventitious species indicates a transformation of communities associated with fragmentation and anthropogenic impact," comments Ivan Kotlov, PhD in Biology, Senior Researcher at the Biogeocenology Laboratory at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the lead author of the study. An important result was the discovery of nonlinear (quadratic) relationships between fragmentation metrics and vegetation composition. For example, the proportion of boreal species initially declines sharply with increasing boundary density and then stabilizes at high levels of fragmentation. This indicates a threshold nature of ecosystem responses. Fig.1: Proportion of boreal species and AREA metric: (a) scatter plot; (b) boxplot. D-layer cover and NLSI metric: (c) scatter plot; (d) boxplot. Proportion of boreal species and ED metric: (e) scatter plot; (f) boxplot; (g) scatter plot (quadratic fit). Scatter plot legend: blue dots represent observations, solid red line represents linear or quadratic fit, dotted red line represents 95% confidence interval. Boxplot legend: central dot represents mean, whiskers represent 95% confidence interval. The obtained low correlation coefficients (|r| < 0.30) with high statistical significance (p < 0.005) reflect the multifactorial nature of the impacts on forest ecosystems. Fragmentation leads to asynchronous responses of ecosystem components, reducing the correlation between structure and functioning. However, an integrated approach—rank correlation, analysis of differences between classes, and testing for nonlinear interactions—made it possible to identify significant ecological patterns even with highly complex impacts. The study results have important practical implications for forest management and conservation policy. Preserving large, connected forest stands is critical for maintaining the boreal-oligotrophic complex and is a priority for climate adaptation. Boreal forests store a third of all carbon in terrestrial biomes, and fragmentation leads to the loss of this carbon storage potential. This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 24-17-00120 (field research, analytical work, statistical data analysis). The methodological research was supported by a state assignment (topic No. 1022033100172-2-1.6.19) to the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Fig. 1. On the left, biomass dynamics: H – herbivores; G – granivores; I – insectivores; the red arrow indicates the year of extreme drought. On the right, the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity with meadow and forest biomass patterns obtained from long-term observations in forest and open habitats. Human well-being depends on the functioning of natural ecosystems, which provide us with everything from clean air and fertile soil to abundant timber. Ecosystems function by distributing matter and energy flows and are supported by the diversity of their constituent biological species. To preserve and restore these systems, scientists strive to predict their response to various environmental changes. The main difficulty is that ecosystems often change abruptly rather than gradually, changing their status after a certain "threshold." Understanding the nature of the "threshold effect" is a key component of modern ecological research. Scientists describe it using the "ball-in-hole" model. The greater the "depth of the hole," the greater the ecosystem's resilience. When impacted, the ecosystem - the ball - rolls back down. When the hole narrows, or when impacted very strongly, the ball pops out of the hole and takes a new position. Species that perform specific functions exert pressure on the ecological landscape: the greater the strength of the matter and energy flows associated with them, the greater the hole's depth. Ecosystem changes with a “threshold effect” have been studied spatially; direct observations of the emergence of a threshold over time are rare. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) observed this threshold effect during a 19-year study (2006-2025) in the Staritsky District of the Tver Region. They studied small mammal communities (rodents and shrews)—indicators of ecosystem health. The feeding habits of different small mammal species are well known, and knowing their population density (number of individuals per hectare) and their weight allows one to determine the "depth of the hole" formed by species associated with a given ecosystem. The study was conducted on two adjacent sites with different histories: a former pasture that retained the features of a natural meadow, and an abandoned cropland where vegetation rapidly transitioned from a mixed-grass meadow to a young forest. The extreme drought of 2010 ultimately led to different results. In the stable meadow (former pasture), the animal community remained unchanged, but the overall species biomass decreased. However, in the overgrown cropland, the same drought triggered a threshold transformation: the meadow system abruptly transitioned to a forest-like structure. Why were the responses so different? The meadow on the cropland had not yet had time to form as an ecosystem; its "hole" was shallow. A severe drought easily overcame this threshold and transformed the ecosystem into a new state. In contrast, in the pastured meadow—an ecosystem that had been developing over many decades—the "hole" was much deeper, and the ecosystem resisted the same impact. Thus, this study demonstrates for the first time, using a specific example, how the same climate event can lead either to temporary changes in an established ecosystem or to a complete restructuring of communities in an unstructured system, i.e., one still in the process of formation.

Fig.1. A female polar bear with her cub, Eva-Liv Island, Franz Josef Land, 2020.Photo by Svetlana Artemyeva Rosneft, in collaboration with the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika, has launched an online course of popular science lectures, "Arctic Wanderer: Polar Bear." Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) and the Arctic Research Center of Rosneft participated in its creation. The course's author is Svetlana Artemyeva, a researcher at IEE RAS and the head of Rosneft's polar bear research expeditions. The course is available free of charge on the educational platform "Lectorium" at this link. It includes 10 thematic lectures with quizzes and is dedicated to the polar bear, the largest predator and the Arctic's main inhabitant. The lectures are based on materials from the atlas "Marine Mammals of Russia," produced by Rosneft. During the course, participants will learn interesting facts about the Arctic's ruler, its behavioral characteristics, and the species' origin story. Lecturers will also discuss the threats polar bears face and measures to help conserve them. The course materials include unique photographs and scientific data on the polar bear's condition, obtained during Rosneft's long-term research. This educational course is designed for a general audience and will be useful to anyone interested in the Arctic and its fauna, as well as those who want to broaden their horizons and learn more about this northern predator. Related materials: Lenta: "Russia launches online course of scientific lectures on polar bears" Gazeta: "Russians will be taught in detail about polar bears" Vedomosti: "Rosneft has developed an online course of scientific lectures on polar bears" Rambler: "Rosneft has launched an online course of scientific lectures on polar bears" Argumenty: "Rosneft has developed an online course of scientific lectures on polar bears" Rosneft: "Rosneft has developed an online course of scientific lectures on polar bears" Regnum: "Rosneft has presented an online course on polar bears"

The year 2025 marked a number of anniversaries. Specifically, 55 years ago, the Joint Soviet-Mongolian Integrated Biological Expedition of the Academies of Sciences of the USSR and Mongolia (now the Joint Russian-Mongolian Complex Biological Expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences - JRMCBE) was established. Exactly 50 years ago, the expedition was transferred to the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), and an ichthyological and hydrobiological team was formed within it. Since 1975, this team has been conducting regular research in all of Mongolia's water bodies. Not only staff from the IEE RAS, but also from many institutes within the Russian Academy of Sciences and universities, as well as scientists from the CIS, have participated in the fieldwork, data processing, and publications. The team's primary goals are to study the biodiversity, structure, and functions of Mongolia's aquatic ecosystems. The research has yielded a number of fundamentally new results in biological science, including the study of aquatic organism diversity and adaptations to the specific conditions of East Asian water bodies, ecosystem dynamics under cyclical climate change, the microevolution of living organisms, and the development of ecosystems in reservoirs in the semi-arid zone. For the first time, primary production, species composition, abundance, and biomass of bacterioplankton, phototrophic picoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, nematodes, and benthos have been determined in Mongolian water bodies. Study of the biodiversity of Mongolia's water bodies and streams Fish diversity. During the first stage of joint Russian-Mongolian research, the first reports were published (Fishes of the Mongolian People's Republic, 1983; Baasanjav et al., 1985). These reports provided identification keys, morphological descriptions, chromosome sets, and distributions of 58 fish species and one lamprey species, as well as data on parasites and the lifestyle of several species and the history of the ichthyofauna of Mongolia.              To date, the number of fish species found in Mongolian waters has reached 79 (Mendsaikhan et al., 2017), which is associated with the description of species new to science, new finds of fish of the local ichthyofauna, as well as the penetration of alien species.   For the first time, the mechanisms of formation and adaptation of unique intraspecific morpho-ecological "form bundles" in fish of the genus Oreoleuciscus have been studied in detail. During regular multi-year (1975-2018) field studies conducted by the Ichthyology and Hydrobiology team within the framework of the expedition (JRMCBE) in Mongolia, a unique natural situation with periodically drying up reservoirs of the Central Asian endorheic basin was described. This is the first scientific description of the phenomenon of rapid cyclical diversification of fish (Oreoleuciscus humilis) in connection with changes in the water content of the Valley of Lakes.       Diversity of other aquatic organisms in Mongolia. Over the course of years of research, 42 species of heterotrophic flagellates from 8 major taxa were identified in the Tatsyn and Orog lakes, the Chonokhoraykh channel, the Zavkhan River, and the Taishir and Durgun reservoirs. Rare species constituted the bulk of the diversity, accounting for 78.5% of the total species composition, with 18 species (more than 40% of the species richness) found in only one of the studied water bodies, indicating a high degree of heterogeneity in the heterotrophic flagellate population. The largest number of such species (4 species) were identified in the reservoirs. A list of aquatic and semi-aquatic beetles of Mongolia has been compiled, 28 species are reported for the country for the first time, and 76 taxa are noted as new regional finds. 63 amendments were prepared for Heteroceridae. It has been established that the list of algal species in the Tayshin River basin is quite diverse. The Selenga River contains approximately 1,500 taxa (approximately 1,300 species). In recent years, 18 species new to science and 428 taxa new to the Selenga River have been discovered. Anthropogenic Impact on Mongolian Water Bodies At the end of the 20th century, gold mining intensified in Mongolia on many rivers in the Arctic Ocean basin (primarily on the Selenga River and its tributaries), leading to significant pollution and siltation of waterways. Hydrobiological consequences of anthropogenic siltation of the Tuul River (a tributary of the Selenga River) Research conducted by the expedition’s Ichthyology and Hydrobiology team has demonstrated negative anthropogenic impacts on the fish population and aquatic invertebrates of the rivers of the Selenga basin. For example, in the Tuul River, as a result of gold mining, the numbers of valuable commercial fish species, taimen and thymallus (grayling), have sharply declined following the siltation of their spawning grounds; the structure of river ecosystems has significantly changed due to changes in the ratio of life forms and ecological groups of fish based on reproductive patterns; and lithophilic benthic organisms have disappeared. Reservoir Construction in Western Mongolia At the beginning of the 21st century, observations were made of the ecosystem formation process in the newly created Durgun and Taishir reservoirs, the largest in Western Mongolia. Data were obtained on planktonic algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria and nanophlegellates, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish communities, and the parasitic fauna of fish in the newly formed reservoirs. A collective monograph was published. A case of rapid diversification in fish of the genus Oreoleuciscus during the formation of the Taishir Reservoir on the Zavkhan River was described, confirming the cyclical model of morphogenesis for these fish (Dgebuadze et al., 2020). The expedition team's research on ichthyology and hydrobiology has resulted in the publication of 9 monographs and over 250 scientific articles, and the defense of 4 doctoral and 5 candidate dissertations. The results of the ichthyological and hydrobiological research conducted by the Russian-Mongolian Integrated Biological Expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences over the past 50 years were presented at two conferences in September 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. A review of this work was published in the proceedings of these conferences: Dgebuadze Yu.Yu., B. Mendsaikhan. 2025. 50 years of ichthyological and hydrobiological research in Mongolia - a review. Proceedings of the Institute of Biology Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Special Issue. 253-265.hdf https://sev-in.ru/sites/default/files/2026-01/Dgebuadze_Mendsaikha-Review_2025.pdf

The Yunnan striped field mouse, Apodemus ilex, is a new rodent species to Vietnam.Photo: Wikipedia Russian and Vietnamese researchers working at the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) have made another interesting discovery, expanding the mammal fauna of Indochina. During an expedition in the mountainous region of northeastern Vietnam, the Yunnan striped field mouse (Apodemus ilex, O. Thomas, 1922) was discovered for the first time. Striped field mice of the genus Apodemus are typical and abundant representatives of the temperate regions, forests, and steppes of East Asia and Europe; they are also found in Russia. However, they do not penetrate tropical regions, and representatives of this genus have not previously been recorded in Vietnam or anywhere in Southeast Asia. Genetic analysis demonstrated that the discovered population was not the product of an accidental introduction, meaning it was not brought in by humans, but rather represents an original genetic lineage, not closely related to the nearby Chinese populations. "This discovery extends the known range of the species and genus south by more than 200 kilometers and provides further evidence of the unique composition of the mammal fauna of eastern Son La Province, where several new species of small mammals have recently been described," said Alexander Balakirev, PhD in Biology and a senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Photo: 360VP / Shutterstock / Fotodom Dust, pollen, soot, synthetic particles… What are the similarities between these objects, and how can they impact the cells of living organisms? At the end of October 2025, scientists from around the world discussed these and other questions at the III International Conference on Microplastics in Samarkand. Among them was a group of Russian researchers studying the impact of various microparticles on DNA structure. The results show that the level of impact depends not only on the origin of the particles but also on their size. At the same time, synthetic fiber, which has become the main source of microplastics on the planet, is unlikely to pose a greater risk than tiny "natural" grains of sand or flakes, and at the concentrations we encounter in everyday life, the risk is practically zero. Kristina Ordzhonikidze, one of the authors of the experiment and a geneticist at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke to Lenta.ru about the problem. Let's agree on terminology? Lenta.ru: What particles are we talking about? Kristina Ordzhonikidze: Oddly enough, even the terminology isn't entirely clear. For example, what is microplastic and what particles are considered microplastics? The fact is, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of types of synthetic plastics. Therefore, their microparticles, the main source of which isn't plastic bottles and dishes, but laundry, car tires, and urban dust, vary in composition, shape, origin, and, most importantly, size—ranging from nanometers to half a centimeter. Today, it's clear that fairly large particles—visible to the eye—of any origin (sand, dust, or plastic) are unlikely to significantly impact biological processes in the body. Over millions of years of evolution, living creatures, including humans, have learned to cope with them: such indigestible particles are simply excreted naturally. However, smaller ones – a thousandth of a millimetre and smaller (submicron) – behave much less predictably, since they are capable of penetrating cellular structures. Photo: Katarzyna Ledwon / Shutterstock / Fotodom Smaller, but worse How can any particle—cellulose (wood), keratin (wool and leather), silicon oxide (sand), plastic, and so on—affect the body? Let's clarify right away: a cell with DNA stored in its nucleus is very stable, protected by a complex membrane and possessing numerous defense and repair mechanisms. Penetrating it, much less damaging it, is quite difficult even with a very small particle—viruses, for example, have been "learning" this for millions of years. However, it is possible, and there are two key pathways for this: The first pathway: primary damage, when a particle immediately destroys DNA molecules—an extremely unlikely pathway. Typically, such an effect can be caused by a very high-energy object, such as radiation exposure; The second pathway: secondary damage, when particles that have penetrated the membrane trigger chemical reactions within the cell. In this case, oxidative stress develops, which can indeed damage DNA. Photo: OlegD / Shutterstock / Fotodom But how exactly does this exposure occur, and how significant is the threat? This question was addressed by Russian scientists from two academic research institutes—the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution and the N.I. Vavilov Institute of General Genetics. We studied tropical fish, which are convenient model organisms because they have a short life cycle and only eight pairs of chromosomes, simplifying the research process. We used these fish to study the effects of microplastics and other particles by adding them to their habitat. We did not include standard polystyrene microbeads in our experiment, which are often used in similar studies but are virtually uncommon in nature. To get closer to reality, we selected submicron particles of nylon (the material used to make tea pyramids) and keratin (the material found in animal hair and fur). These materials were frozen and ground in the laboratory to produce a particle mixture that more realistically simulated environmental pollution. To assess DNA problems, scientists used the DNA comet assay. It's based on the fact that a damaged molecule behaves differently in an electric field and forms a "tail" as it moves. The more damage there is, the more pronounced the "tail" is. In general, the DNA comet assay detects breaks in one or two DNA strands, which, in turn, can develop into other abnormalities. Photo: PreciousJ / Shutterstock / Fotodom Natural vs. Artificial As it turned out, there was no fundamental difference between the behavior and impact of "natural" particles (keratin) and "artificial" ones (nylon). All of them, in high concentrations not found in nature, left minor traces in the structure of the fish's chromosomes. This means that submicron particles of different natures affected the cells in a similar way. Does this pose any risk to fish or humans? The risk is small. First, to achieve a detectable result, we had to significantly overestimate the particle concentration in the aquariums. This is unlikely in nature, unless we're talking about isolated outliers. Second, the results obtained in fish cannot be extrapolated to humans: we are structured differently and live in different conditions. Third, our genetic structures are extremely resilient: cells with chromosomal abnormalities were extremely rare in our studies, and this level of genomic damage cannot affect either an individual organism or the species as a whole. However, it's crucial to continue research, not only to establish the truth but also to reduce the hype surrounding this rather specific problem. Although synthetic particles are the most prominent among other pollutants, they are only a small part of the many other pollutants, and far from the largest. The question of their impact on living organisms, which scientists face, is important and interesting, but there are many far more powerful threats to the body around us, including unhealthy habits, poor diet, and chronic stress. In this context, microparticles, at worst, will simply be an additional factor, on top of those already present.

An undisturbed spruce-broadleaf nemoral forest. Photo by K.V. Dudova A new study conducted in the forests of the Tver region has shown that, under different forest management patterns, the overall abundance of soil invertebrates can remain unchanged, while the structure of their communities changes radically. As primary forests are transformed, the developmental timing of invertebrates shifts, the proportion of predatory forms increases, and the role of saprophages decreases, indicating a hidden destabilization of the functioning of soil ecosystems. Hierarchical research model diagram: A - five studied phytocenosis types: 1: intact areas of coniferous-broadleaf nemoral forests, 2: coniferous-broadleaf forests under the influence of recreational load, 3: monocultural spruce plantations; 4: secondary birch forests with spruce undergrowth, 5: young birch forests in the places of coniferous-broadleaf forest clearings. B: Diagram of the location of sample plots within one phytocenosis type. Photo by K.V. Dudova Soil invertebrates are often unnoticed, yet key "engineers" of ecosystems. They decompose leaf litter, contribute to soil fertility, regulate the populations of microorganisms and other animals, and provide food for many species. Different groups perform different roles: saprophagous organisms (such as earthworms and diplopods) accelerate litter decomposition, while predators (spiders, ground beetles, and predatory millipedes) control the populations of other invertebrates. Even moderate changes in forest ecosystems can shift not only the composition of species but also the "distribution of roles" within the soil community. The centipede Polidesmus sp. is a typical saprophage of the forests studied. Photo by D.I. Korobushkin. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) studied how the taxonomic and functional diversity of large soil invertebrates (macrofauna) changes in temperate forests under different forest management patterns. They compared five scenarios: native spruce-oak forests (a nature reserve), similar forests with recreational use, spruce plantations on the site of long-deforested areas, secondary spruce-birch forests, and recent clearcuts. An earthworm sampled in undisturbed forests. Earthworms were not detected in forests subject to recreational pressure. Photo by D.I. Korobushkin. The total number of invertebrates found did not differ significantly between forest types, and was even slightly higher in recreational forests. However, the community composition changed dramatically. In disturbed forests (cutovers, recreational, and secondary sites), the proportion of actively moving adult animals, especially predators, increased. In contrast, in intact forests and spruce monocultures, immature saprophages and phytophages consistently predominated. The observed shift toward predators may indicate a restructuring of trophic relationships and a decrease in ecosystem stability. Differences in age structure are likely related to changes in the timing of metamorphosis due to earlier soil warming in more open, often litter-free, disturbed ecosystems. An earthworm sampled in undisturbed forests. Earthworms were not detected in forests subject to recreational pressure. Photo by D.I. Korobushkin. The key factors determining the composition of macrofauna were the thickness, quality, and quantity of litter. Soil acidity (pH) and microbial activity were not significant. Surprisingly, spruce monocultures were found to be the most similar to native forests in taxonomic composition, likely due to the similar conditions created by litter dominated by spruce needles. The number of predators was significantly higher relative to saprophages in disturbed forests compared to natural ones, indicating a hidden destabilization of soil ecosystems. A predatory stone millipede in the soil of a birch forest. Photo by D.I. Korobushkin. "Our study shows that assessing forest health solely based on numerical indicators is a misguided strategy. It's far more important to understand what exactly lives in the soil and what functions it performs. Effective monitoring and conservation of forest ecosystems requires shifting the focus from quantifying abundance to analyzing the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil fauna," comments Ksenia Dudova, PhD, a researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution (RAS) and the project's leader. The number of predators was significantly higher relative to saprophages in disturbed forests compared to natural ones, indicating a hidden destabilization of soil ecosystems. A predatory drupe millipede in the soil of a birch forest. Photo by D.I. Korobushkin. This work was supported by Russian Science Foundation project No. 23-74-01143. Research publication: Korobushkin, D.I., Pronina, N.A.; Saifutdinov, R.A.; Guseva, P.A.; Tsurikov, S.M.; Dudova, K.V. Taxonomic Diversity and Abundance of Soil Macrofauna in Temperate Forests Under Different Types of Forest Management: A Case Study in European Russia. Diversity 2025, 17, 216. Related materials: РАН: "Как вырубки леса и рекреация меняют разнообразие почвенных беспозвоночных"