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Taras Sipko spoke to journalists about the construction of border structures and environmental consequences
Belarus called on UNESCO to prevent the politicization of the problem around the Polish border in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This was stated by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic Sergei Maslyak. He recalled that as a result of Poland's construction of the border fence, the greatest concern is its impact on the environment and on animal populations. The problem was commented on by Taras Sipko, Candidate of Biological Sciences, employee of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Chairman of the Committee for the Study of Bison, Bison and Musk Oxen of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The commentary can be listened to in the audio version.
Fish scales – an important additional indicator of taxonomy and ecology
An employee of the Laboratory of Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plant Regions and Bioindication of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences published an article in the journal Fish and Fisheries (IF=6.7) by Wiley as part of an international team from Russia, Hungary and Brazil. Fig.2. Landmarks of scales for morphometric analysis The published work is devoted to a large-scale study of the shape of freshwater fish scales and an attempt to use it as a taxonomic and environmental indicator. Despite the long-established value of scale morphology for taxonomy, its use for taxonomic identification purposes has generally been limited to the identification of high-ranking taxa. The authors analyzed the shape of the scales of 193 fish species from 14 orders belonging to 5 biogeographic kingdoms. Scale measurements were performed along with measurements of fish body length and height. The study showed that scales can be used to determine orders of fish, and when using additional data on the size of scales relative to the length and height of the fish’s body, species identification is also possible. The study showed that despite the fact that the shape and size of scales are genetically determined, they can also be used as indicators of the division of ecological niches (habitat, preferred flow rate regimes) of closely related species. Fig.3. Canonical variates analysis (CVA) of scale data. In summary, this study demonstrates that scale morphology is a promising additional tool for inferring the ecological preferences of species for which such information is absent or insufficient (including extinct species). The authors note the importance of expanding the database and the need to use artificial intelligence for the purposes of shape recognition and species identification based on the shape and texture of scales. Fig.4. Relationship between scale size and body height index of fish. The studied species were classified according to their preferred flow regimes (a) and their preferred habitat (b). Lines represent phylogenetically generalized least squares (PGLS) regressions. (Data was used for 136 species for which sequences of the mtDNA COI barcode fragment are available in the international NCBI database). The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 19-04-00218 (Adaptive radiation and speciation in cyprinids under sympatry conditions).
The diversity of trophic groups in soil-diving worms of the family Enchytraeidae is shown
Fig. 1. Enchytraeid among plant remains. Enchytraeids (Annelida, Clitellata, Enchytraeidae) are small relatives of earthworms that can be found in moderately moist soils around the world. These are one of the most important organisms in the soil that decompose plant litter. Despite their widespread distribution, for a long time representatives of the enchytraeid family were considered as an ecologically homogeneous group, ignoring possible differences between species. However, a new study conducted by specialists from the laboratory for studying the ecological functions of soils of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences showed that enchytraeids can be classified into several trophic guilds depending on their feeding preferences, morphological and environmental features. To assess the trophic niches of 16 widespread enchytraeid species living in various biomes and biotopes throughout European Russia, stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen was carried out. The results showed that, judging by the fairly high 15N content in enchytraeid tissues, all members of the family are secondary decomposers that receive nutrients not only from decomposing organic matter, but also from the microorganisms living in it. At the same time, the large scatter of δ13C and δ15N values ​​allows us to divide enchytraeids into three trophic guilds by analogy with the ecological groups of earthworms (Fig. 2). Fig. 2. Isotopic composition (∆13C and ∆15N, ‰) of enchytraeids, soil, plants and mycelium, corrected for the isotopic composition of litter from the local habitat. Green symbols show mean values ​​± standard error for each enchytraeid species, orange symbols show the same for soil, plants, and mycelium. Gray symbols represent the isotopic composition of single enchytraeid samples. The ellipses include 95% of the data for the identified trophic guilds of enchytraeids: Epi - epigeic, Epi-endo - epi-endogeic and Endo - endogeic species Epigeic enchytraeids live in forest litter and algae washed up on the sea coast, and feed mainly on plant particles along with the saprotrophic microorganisms found on them. Epi-endogeic enchytraeids inhabit the lower layers of microbiologically treated litter and mineral soil. The variability of the isotopic composition within the group and even within the species indicates the consumption of a wide range of resources, consisting of various saprotrophic microorganisms (bacteria, fungal mycelium) and highly decomposed plant litter. Epigeic enchytraeids penetrate deeper into the soil using capillary moisture, where they feed on highly humified organic matter and associated microorganisms and dissolved organic compounds. “This work allows us to see enchytraeids not just as a homogeneous group, but as many diverse units that act differently in the soil and make unique contributions to the food web,” the study authors note. The work was carried out with financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 22-14-00227). The results of the work were published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry. D.I. Korobushkin, P.A. Guseva, K.B. Gongalsky, R.A. Saifutdinov, A.S. Zaitsev, M.I. Degtyarev. Are there different trophic niches of enchytraeids? A stable isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) evidence. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 194, April 2024, 109422, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109422
A session dedicated to the memory of k.B.N. Mukhametov lev mukharamovich was held May 24 at the A.N. Severtsov institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS
The opening speech was made by the Director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Corresponding Member. RAS, S.V. Naidenko. V.V. Rozhnov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals, also spoke at the beginning of the session. Reports moderated by V.V. Popov were made by: - Supin A.Ya. "Lev Mukhametov from his student years to the present day" - Lyamin O.I. "Comparative study of sleep in marine mammals" - Popov V.V. "Utrish naval station - history" - Artyukhov A. “Creation of demonstration dolphinariums” - Abramov A.V. "Keeping dolphins (capture, transportation, veterinary medicine)" - Kovalzon V.M. "Forgotten pages of scientific biography" - Glazov D.M. "Experience in aerial surveys and satellite tagging of marine mammals." Photos of the event can be viewed in our VKontakte group.
Are small mammal population cycles recovering?
Figure 1. Dynamics of the population size of the small mammal community in the vicinity of the Mirnoye ecological station (time series analysis was performed using the wavelet transform method). A) and C) – Histograms of averaged values ​​of periods of fluctuations of time series for 1976-1994 and 2008-2022, respectively. B) Number of small mammals. The color in the background indicates the coherence of wavelets of the time series from 0 (no correlation, blue color) to 1 (maximum correlation, red color). The dark blue area in the background is the cone of influence, spectral information beyond which is subject to edge effects and must be interpreted with caution. The solid white line indicates a statistically significant (p <0.05) region. The study of population dynamics has been one of the classic problems in animal ecology since the time of Charles Elton. It is a widely known fact that at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, cyclical fluctuations in the numbers of several species were replaced by non-cyclical, or fluctuation ones. These processes are associated primarily with global climate change. However, in recent decades, isolated reports have been published in the literature that cyclical fluctuations are being restored. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS analyzed time series containing data from long-term observations of a number of small mammals in the vicinity of the Mirnoye station of the Institute from 1976 to 1994 and from 2008 to 2023. The following results were obtained from the analysis: 1) In the 20th century the dynamics of the population size of the community and a number of species included in its composition (common shrew - S. araneus, medium shrew - S. caecutiens, equal-toothed shrew - S. isodon, tundra shrew - S. tundrensis, small shrew - S. minutus, red-gray vole C. rufocanus, red-backed vole - C. rutilus, root vole - M. oeconomus, dark or arable vole - M. agrestis) were characterized by a four-year periodicity. 2) The peak in abundance was accompanied by a disturbance in the developmental stability of the model species S. araneus, expressed in an increase in skull asymmetry. 3) Periodic oscillations in the 20th century were primarily carried out by dominant and subdominant species; small-numbered species were characterized by low-amplitude oscillations without a clear periodicity. 4) Periodic fluctuations were synchronous on both banks of the Yenisei in populations of most species. 5) The phases of depression in different species tended to coincide, even if other stages of the cycle were different. 6) At the end of the 20th century, cyclical fluctuations in the number of the studied community and a number of species of small mammals included in its composition were replaced by fluctuating ones that do not have a clear periodicity. 7) In the case of fluctuations, desynchronization of oscillations was sometimes observed on different banks of the Yenisei. 8) In 2017-2020, a complete “classical” cycle of the community abundance and a number of dominant species included in its composition (S. araneus, S. isodon, C. rutilus, M. oeconomus) was observed, and the peak in abundance was accompanied by a violation of the stability of development model species S. araneus, which is similar to population cycles. The results were published in the journal Integrative Zoology: Vasily D. Yakushov, Boris I. Sheftel (2024). Are population cycles recovering? Integrative Zoology. 19(3): 538-547. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12770 Possible causes of disruption and restoration of cyclic oscillations will be discussed in the next publication.
Aquarium catfishes threaten the Indo-Burman biodiversity hotspot
Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin The Indo-Burma hotspot of freshwater biodiversity is one of the richest in the world, but the animals and plants that inhabit it face a serious problem of rapid degradation and habitat destruction. In addition to pollution, large-scale agricultural and industrial transformation of the environment, and excessive exploitation of water resources, alien species of animals and plants penetrating into the region in different ways make a serious contribution to the process of destruction of biotopes. Fig.1. Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin One of the most dangerous groups of invasive fish rapidly spreading in tropical freshwater habitats around the world, including Indo-Burma, is the South American catfish Pterygoplichthys spp. The main source of distribution of these catfish was the aquarium fish market. Once in new bodies of water, catfish successfully compete with local fish, and sometimes completely displace them. Due to the fact that armoured catfish dig deep burrows in coastal slopes, they provoke coastal erosion. All this becomes an important factor not only of the environmental, but also of the hydrological degradation of water bodies. Hard covers and sharp spines of the fins make these catfish almost invulnerable to predators and cause damage to fishing gear. Fig.2. MaxEnt forecast of the potential distribution of Pterygoplichthys spp. in the Indo-Burma Hotspot.Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin In the Indo-Burman biodiversity hotspot, pterygoplichthys invasions have already been registered in Vietnam, India, China, Myanmar, and Thailand. Their populations are recorded in neighboring countries: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. There are no reports only from Cambodia and Laos, but most likely this is due to the lack of relevant research, and not to the lack of the fish themselves. A separate difficulty arises from the fact that the region is crossed by large transboundary rivers such as the Mekong. It is obvious that effective control of invasive species in such water bodies is impossible without international cooperation. Fig.3. Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin The current situation requires the development of methods for assessing invasion risks, adequate measures to prevent invasions and combat them in those reservoirs where invasion has already occurred. However, for effective cooperation between states in the region, it is necessary to conduct global assessments, compile databases throughout the region and, more broadly, throughout the world, as well as forecast the development of invasions and develop a unified concept for combating them. An important step in the implementation of such a program was taken by an international group of researchers, which included Dmitry Zvorykin, an employee of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Based on the results of the work, the most complete database to date of all registered cases of detection of Pterygoplichthys spp was compiled. worldwide, including 4916 observations from 33 countries. A map of the current distribution of catfish in the Indo-Burma region and the world as a whole was also created. The most important result of the study is the analysis and forecast of the further distribution of armoured catfish in the Indo-Burma hotspot using a model based on the MaxEnt maximum entropy method. Fig.4. Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin The model showed that the entire Indo-Burma hotspot of freshwater biodiversity, with the exception of the Rakhine Range in western Myanmar and the Sino-Tibetan Mountains in China, is potentially suitable for the habitat of alien catfish and the formation of naturalized populations of these alien fish. Accordingly, the entire region is in dire need of conservation measures that should prevent the destruction of one of the most important hotbeds of freshwater biodiversity on the planet. The work formulates the main provisions of the plan for interstate control of invasive risks associated with the penetration of Pterygoplichthys spp. in the Indo-Burma hotspot. Fig.5. Photo by: Dmitry Zvorykin The article was published in the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.4173
Do gerbils have personal qualities?
Yes and no, answer the scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Laboratory of Population Ecology studied personality (stable individual characteristics of behavior) in two species of gerbils: the solitary midday gerbil (Merionesmeridianus) and the social Mongolian gerbil (M. unguiculatus). In a specially designed battery of behavioral tests, reminiscent of agility competitions, gerbils were given the opportunity to run, jump, look for new objects, get scared and overcome fear, interact with a conspecific, and resist restriction of freedom. Interindividual differences in personality traits (boldness, curiosity, sociability, excitability and self-confidence) were stronger and more consistent in solitary midday gerbils, contrary to the hypothesis of social niche specialization. It is an anthropocentric and economical assumption that personalities should be more strongly expressed in social species: each social niche has its own personality type. This saves time and energy on the distribution of social roles. That's what the theory says. However, so far the hypothesis has been tested on non-primate mammals twice: once receiving arguments “for”, once “against”. So now the score is 1:2. The results were published April 16 in the journal PLOS ONE.
Fourth all-russian conference with international participation “Current issues in the study of crustaceans” and Conference of the Russian Carcinological society
The Fourth All-Russian Conference with international participation “Current problems in the study of crustaceans” was successfully held on the basis of the IBVV RAS in the village Bohrok. Within the time frame, four sections took place in succession, at which 48 oral reports were presented, as well as 28 presentations at the poster session. During these three days, 76 Russian researchers from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin, as well as colleagues from Belarus and Uzbekistan, gathered within the walls of our Institute. The discussion of all aspects of the life of crustaceans continued (and, we are sure, will continue) not only at the reports, but also after the end of the official program in an informal setting until late at night, sometimes turning into heated debates (which, undoubtedly, mutually enriches all those involved and serves as the basis for new discoveries). The conference was held under the auspices of the Russian Carcinological Society, the All-Russian Hydrobiological Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Council on Hydrobiology and Ichthyology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The recording of the Internet broadcast is available on the YouTube channel of the Institute of Biomedicine and Water Resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences (https://youtube.com/live/9BfXxfK7Yg0). Based on the results of the Conference, it is planned to publish a collection of abstracts and, if possible, create a special issue of the academic journal “Biology of Inland Waters”. On May 22, the Conference of the Russian Carcinological Society was held, at which its leadership was re-elected. Corresponding member of RAS, Professor of RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexey Alekseevich Kotov.was re-elected as President of RKO. Elected Vice Presidents: Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexander Vitalievich Krylov, Ph.D. Ivan Nikolaevich Marin, Ph.D. Elena Borisovna Fefilova; Inspector – Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences Artem Yuryevich Sinev, Secretary - Ph.D. Anna Sergeevna Semenova.
The changing fish fauna in the Siberian Arctic under the influence of climate change
Fig. 1. Photos of fish caught in the Arctic and subarctic waters of Russia: black halibut (a), Pacific cod (b), pollock (c), spotted catfish (d), benthozema (e) and beaked perch (f) (photos A .M. Orlova and I.I. Glebov)  Recent climate changes on Earth, most pronounced in the polar regions, are one of the most pressing environmental problems of our time. Warming in the Arctic has initiated an ever-increasing influence on it from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which is manifested in the transfer of heat by currents and the erasing of differences in conditions between individual regions of the Arctic and the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific. In the scientific literature, this phenomenon received the names “Atlantification” (or “Atlantization”) and “pacification,” respectively. These processes lead to the transition of Arctic marine ecosystems to a more moderate state, which is commonly called “borealization.” The impact of borealization on individual fish species and ichthyocenes in the Arctic has not been sufficiently studied. Most of the published data concerns the seas of the European Arctic (Barents Sea and Greenland waters) or the expansion of the ranges of boreal fish species capable of long active migrations into Arctic waters. Employees of the Institute of Oceanology (IO RAS) and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE RAS) of the Russian Academy of Sciences presented new information on the occurrence, abundance, biomass and size composition of six boreal fish species (Fig. 1): black halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus, pollock G. chalcogrammus, spotted catfish Anarhichas denticulatus, beaked perch Sebastes mentella and benthosema Benthosema glaciale) in the Siberian Arctic seas (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukotka), obtained from open databases (OBIS, GBIF and FishBase) and the results of scientific ship observations in 1977-2020. (Fig. 2). Fig. 2. Location of points of ship scientific observations in 1977-2020, used in the analysis of catches of boreal fish species in the waters of the Siberian Arctic. It turned out that in open databases information on the captures of these species is available mainly for the eastern part of the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea, but is practically absent for the seas of the Russian Arctic. Data from ship observations indicate an expansion of the ranges of Atlantic species in the eastern direction, and Pacific species in the western direction (Fig. 3), which indicates the ongoing borealization of the seas of the Siberian Arctic under the influence of the changing climate. Fig. 3. Scheme of migrations of boreal fish species into the waters of the Siberian Arctic Further warming in the Arctic may lead to the closure of the ranges of the “western” and “eastern” populations of black halibut, which will make it possible to exchange genetic material between them and will help erase the differences between individuals of Atlantic and Pacific origin. The emergence of Pacific cod in recent years as a result of climate change in the Pacific Arctic may in the future lead to the closure of its range with the range of the Greenland cod Gadus ogac (which are considered separated in the waters of northern Alaska), the possibility of the exchange of genetic material and further blurring of differences between these species. The captures in recent years of individual adult pollock in pre-spawning, spawning and post-spawning states indicate the possibility of spawning in this area. In the event of further warming in the Arctic, it is possible that not only spawning, but also the survival of pollock offspring will become possible in the Chukchi Sea. Since there are theoretical possibilities for the survival of benthozema offspring in the waters of the continental slope and/or the return of individuals with countercurrents to the North Atlantic, there is no reason yet to consider the waters of the Arctic as an area of ​​sterile eviction (as indicated by some authors). Orlov A.M., Volvenko I.V. 2024. Ongoing borealization of Siberian Arctic marine ichthyofauna: Further evidence // Progress in Oceanography. Art. 103288 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103288. Related materials: RAS: "Changes in the fish fauna in the Siberian Arctic under the influence of a changing climate"
For the female ground squirrel “time is money”: the oestrual cycle in a rodent with extremely long hibernation
Employees of the Laboratory of Population Ecology of the Institute of A.N. Severtsov Ecology and Evolution RAS together with colleagues from the A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology were the first to study the reproductive cycle of female yellow ground squirrels in the wild using cytological methods, hormonal analysis and telemetry. A peculiarity of this species is long hibernation of up to 9 months, which imposes strict time restrictions on its life processes. Based on the analysis of vaginal cytology and hormonal profiles of females, four stages of the reproductive cycle were identified: proestrus, estrus, metestrus and anestrus. As in other rodents, polygonal epithelial cells, usually without nuclei, acted as estrus markers; an increased number of leukocytes reflected the transition to metestrus. For the first time for this species, a vaginal plug in a female after mating was described. Estrus began immediately after the female emerged from hibernation, and pregnancy occurred, as a rule, within three days from the moment of awakening. Analysis of hormones in the blood showed an increase in progesterone from proestrus and estrus to pregnancy. Changes in estradiol levels between cycle stages were not significant. Particular attention was paid to the high variability in this indicator: in some females the level of estradiol was high from year to year. The hormonal status of females did not depend on their age, despite the fact that one-year-old females were significantly smaller in size than older ones. During the summer, progesterone levels decreased as hibernation approached, and there were no clear signs of the females' reproductive systems preparing for the next breeding season. Perhaps this preparation in females occurs during periodic awakenings during hibernation. Thus, the data obtained indicate rapid transitions between stages of the cycle in females and early maturation. All this is consistent with the hypothesis about the strategy of short and fast life in the yellow ground squirrel. The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 22-24-00610. Vasilieva NA, Tikhonova NB, Savinetskaya LE, Kuznetsova EV (2024). Female hormonal profiles and vaginal cytology in a ground squirrel species with prolonged hibernation. Mammalian Biology, 104(1), 55-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-023-00387-y
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