Fig. 1: Schematic map of pink salmon catching sites in the White Sea: Kandalaksha Gulf The introduction of animals or plants into new geographic regions has unpredictable parasitological consequences, and can lead to an increase or decrease in parasitic load on local species, or have a relatively neutral status. Parasitological monitoring of introduced species is important for assessing their ecological role in new ecosystems. In this study, scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, the Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Petrozavodsk State University focused on the analysis of the parasitic fauna of pink salmon spawning in the rivers of the White Sea and feeding in the North Atlantic and the western seas of the Arctic Ocean. The historical range of pink salmon covers the North Pacific Ocean, the eastern seas of the Arctic Ocean and the rivers of their basins. In the northern latitudes of Europe, pink salmon appeared thanks to a program of targeted introduction, the active phase of which occurred in the years 1950-1980. Scientists assessed the species composition and abundance of parasites in pink salmon caught in July 2021 in Kandalaksha Gulf of the White Sea, and compared these data with results obtained by other authors in the 1960s, 1990s and early 2000s. A number of species have been identified using molecular data. Over the 60 years that have passed since the first studies of the parasitic fauna of introduced pink salmon, only three species have constantly maintained dominant positions in numbers - adult trematodes Brachyphallus crenatus, Lecithaster salmonis, and larvae of tetraphyllid cestodes. The abundance of other parasites, with the exception of larvae of nematodes of the genus Anisakis, is variable without clear trends. Anisakis has a noticeable increase in abundance in White Sea pink salmon in 2021 compared to the period of the 1990s – early 2000s. In general, the species composition of parasites of introduced pink salmon indicates that the host uses the same range of food items as in its native range. The materials were published in the article Sokolov, S., Ieshko, E., Gordeeva, N. Gorbach V.V., Parshukov A.N. (2024) Parasites of invasive pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792) (Actinopterygii: Salmonidae), in the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea. Polar Biology 47, 101–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-023-03214-9; Q1 Fig.2: Phylogenetic position of tetraphyllid cestode larvae from White Sea pink salmon (tree fragment, cox1 gene sequences)

Fig. 1. X-ray of the carcass of the pine marten Martes martes (PAN-160) in lateral view: (a) back at the moment of greatest dorsal extension; (b, c) two poses demonstrating the position of the back during ventral flexion. T11 – eleventh thoracic vertebra; L1 – first lumbar vertebra. Swift pursuits over short distances, long and grueling pursuit of the victim, ambush and jump, meditative searches for carrion on the plains, hunting in the harsh conditions of the Arctic and in the hot humid climate near the equator, hunting in tree branches and burrows. Regardless of weight categories, which range from hundreds of grams in small mustelids to hundreds of kilograms in bears and large cats, carnivorous mammals (order Carnivora) remain among the most successful carnivores on our planet. One of the foundations for the harmonious perfection of their locomotor system is the flexibility of the spinal column, which is in direct relationship with the characteristics of locomotion and hunting strategy. In their new article published in the Journal of Anatomy, Ruslan Belyaev and Natalya Prilepskaya, members of the Laboratory of Ecology, Physiology and Functional Morphology of Higher Vertebrates of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, studied the mobility of the neck and back in 34 different species belonging to 6 families of terrestrial carnivores. This article is the first comparative study of this type. The use of phylogenetic methods of data analysis made it possible to show that such structural characteristics of the spinal column as the vertebral column (the number of vertebrae in different sections) and articular formula, as well as the proportions of the lengths of the dorsal modules, have a strong phylogenetic signal. This indicates high homogeneity in the structural characteristics of the back in closely related taxa. In contrast, most spinal mobility traits show little phylogenetic signal. This means that within the existing structure (the stabilization of which could have occurred quite early in the evolutionary history of large phylogenetic lineages of carnivores) various biomechanical solutions can be implemented. Thus, the mobility of the spine is highly plastic and easily adapts to the ecological conditions of different species. The only characteristic of mobility for which the researchers found a strong phylogenetic signal was flexibility of the cervical spine in the frontal plane. When hunting, predators implement two main strategies for capturing prey: using the claws on their paws or using their mouths. The work showed that canids and hyenas that use their jaws to grab prey are characterized by a significant increase in the relative length of the cervical region, accompanied by an increase in the flexibility of the cervical joints in the sagittal and especially frontal planes. Given that hyenas and canids were hot spots of positive autocorrelations for both increased flexibility and higher relative neck length, we can speculate that these specializations may have occurred quite early in these two phylogenetic lineages and were related to prey capture method. It is interesting to note that despite the fact that in representatives of other families of terrestrial carnivores the relative length of the neck is one and a half to two times inferior to canids and hyenas, its flexibility (both in the sagittal and frontal plane) remains quite high and significantly exceeds it in short-necked ungulates. One of the most important specializations of the mammalian back is the ability for vertical movements during running. It was this that allowed land mammals to master galloping, a fast and very economical way of moving quickly. Vertical flexibility is localized in the posterior part of the back, and the cycle of flexion and extension of the spine is synchronized with the cycle of action of the hind limbs. Previous studies of galloping in small mammals have shown that the boundary of the vertically flexible module of the back can either exactly coincide with the boundary of the thoracic and lumbar regions, or, in addition to the lumbar region, involve several more of the last thoracic joints. However, in none of the previously studied species did this module cover all postdiaphragmatic joints (joints with the ‘locking’ type of zygapophyseal articulation). In a new study, X-ray imaging of the pine marten made it possible to show that this particular variant of regionalization of mobility is characteristic of small mustelids. Moreover, the total flexibility of the thoracic ‘post-diaphragmatic’ joints in mustelids is only slightly inferior to the mobility of the lumbar region, accounting for ~40% of the total vertical flexibility of the back. In general terms, the study showed that the lumbar spine of carnivores is noticeably more mobile than that of ungulates, with which they compete in running as predator and prey. On average, carnivores are superior in vertical mobility to artiodactyls by ~25°, and perissodactyls by ~40°. Despite the general dorsomobility (high vertical flexibility of the back), the mobility of the lower back in most carnivores is in the range of variability of artiodactyls; only some representatives of Canidae, Felidae, Mustelidae and Viverridae exceed the flexibility of the lower back of all ungulates without exception. The article also showed that the flexibility of the spine in carnivores and artiodactyls is distributed differently between flexion and extension. Thus, the most dorsomobile artiodactyls are not inferior to or even superior to carnivores in the ability to extend the spine during gallop, while carnivores are significantly superior to ungulates in their ability to flex it. Flexion of the back allows carnivores to more effectively move their hind legs forward in the swing phase, while extension serves the propulsion of the hind legs in the stance phase. The fact that even the largest carnivores are significantly superior to any ungulates in the ability to bend their backs is probably due to the much shorter digestive tract and the lack of chambers for cellulose fermentation. Fig. 2. Diagram showing the ratio of the total vertical flexibility of the lumbar back and the cube root of body weight in some carnivores, artiodactyls and equids. * – Paleogene ancestor of horses Arenahippus grangeri. The total vertical flexibility in the lumbar region of carnivores largely depends on the specifics of running and the method of hunting. Thus, adaptation to long and enduring pursuit of prey in hyenas is accompanied by a noticeable decrease in vertical flexibility in the lumbar region. More dorsally stable running is also characteristic of Ursidae and the long-legged maned wolf. Representatives of Felidae and Canidae have, on average, significantly greater available mobility in the lumbar region. However, storyboards of hunting scenes of these animals showed that they fully use the flexibility of their backs only during key moments of the hunt associated with acceleration, direct capture of prey, or when running in a straight line at maximum speed. At the same time, even most of the time of active pursuit of the victim occurs at a lower speed, at which a fairly dorsally stable gallop is used. This is due, among other things, to the need to actively maneuver when catching prey. Running at maximum speed deprives animals of the ability to effectively make sharp maneuvers. Fig. 3. Maximum (left) and minimum (right) bending of the back during gallop in canids: (a, b) greyhound running in a straight line at maximum speed (https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=sf9pr gDBeAU); (c, d) wolf chasing a hare; (e, f) a pair of wolves before catching a hare (BBC The Hunt. Episode 2. “In the Grip of Seasons Arctic”), note the torn tuft of hair from the hare’s tail in the mouth of one of the pursuing wolves. Source: Ruslan I. Belyaev, Polina Nikolskaia, Andrey V. Bushuev, Aleksandra A. Panyutina, Darya A. Kozhanova, & Natalya E. Prilepskaya. (2024) Running, jumping, hunting, and scavenging: Functional analysis of vertebral mobility and backbone properties in carnivorans. Journal of Anatomy, 244(2), 205–231. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13955 Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.13955

Fig. 1. The main uses of fish oil from shark liver (left) and trends in the fishing of sharks for fat, meat and fins (right). The ocean depths are the last natural refuge of biodiversity virtually untouched by human activity. Deep-sea sharks and rays are among the marine vertebrates most sensitive to overfishing. Populations of a third of deep-sea shark and ray species are threatened, and half of the species involved in the international trade in fish liver oil are threatened with extinction. Stopping and reversing the dramatic population declines of deep-sea sharks and rays is challenging due to the long lifespans of most species, low reproduction rates, and little or no management of their fisheries. An international team of scientists from 16 countries, including members of the Russian Academy of Sciences from the  P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, long-term data on the biodiversity of deep-sea sharks and rays, the state of their populations and the fishing of species hunted primarily for the production of fat from the liver, as well as for fins and meat, were analyzed. The purpose of the study was to understand the extent to which these types of fishing affect the diversity of the fauna of deep-sea sharks and rays and the state of their populations. The results of the study showed that the populations of deep-sea sharks and rays have declined due to overfishing, aggravated by the presence of specific life cycle characteristics of these species. This combination of biology, overfishing and international trade has led to a doubling in the number of endangered deep-sea shark and ray species over the past 10 years, requiring urgent action to halt and reverse their dramatic population declines. Fig. 2. Catch of chilled sharks at the fish market in Busan (Republic of Korea). Article imprint: Finucci B., Pacoureau N., Rigby C.L., Matsushiba J.H., Faure-Beaulieu N., Sherman C.S., Vanderwright W.J., Jabado R.W., Charvet P., Mejía-Falla P.A., Navia A.F., Derrick D.H., Kyne P.M., Pollom R.A., Walls R.H.L., Herman C.B., Kinattumkara B., Cotton C.F.,Cuevas J.-M., Daley R.K., Dharmadi, Ebert D.A., Fernando D., Fernando S.M.C., Francis M.P., Huveneers C., Ishihara H., Kulka D.W., Leslie R.W., Neat F., Orlov A.M., Rincon G., Sant G.J., Volvenko I.V., Walker T.I., Simpfendorfer C.A., Dulvy N.K. 2024. Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks and rays. Science.No.383. P. 1135-1141.  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ade9121 Fig. 3. Dried rays at the fish market in Busan (Republic of Korea). Related materials: RAS: "Research has shown a significant decline in populations of deep-sea sharks and rays due to overfishing"

Figure 1. Corals suffering from extreme bleaching. Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam. Photo by K. Tkachenko. Coral reef ecosystems are famous for their richness and diversity; from time immemorial, they have provided food and other resources to millions of people living in tropical countries. However, coral ecosystems are currently undergoing rapid degradation. Between the late 1960s and the late 2000s alone, the area of coral reefs decreased by approximately half. So what is causing reef degradation? Both natural and anthropogenic factors are to blame for this: increased water temperature, acidity, concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus salts, sedimentation, outbreaks in the number of predatory starfish and mollusks, overfishing, and the development of macroalgae. The list goes on. The most well-known cause of reef degradation is coral bleaching. This is the process by which symbiotic algae are released from the body cavity of the coral polyp into the water (Figure 1). Coral nutrition is largely provided by these microscopic algae, so bleaching weakens the coral, and severe, prolonged bleaching often leads to its death. Numerous articles and books are devoted to the study of intense bleaching, while two less pronounced, but no less significant processes for the coral reef - seasonal bleaching and partial mortality - remain in the shadows. Corals around the world appear to experience seasonal bleaching as a natural response of symbiotic algae to changes in environmental factors such as temperature and light. However, even minor seasonal bleaching weakens the coral, which can lead to its death if the bleaching process is prolonged. Partial mortality is the death of the coral surface that occurs for various reasons, for example, due to mechanical damage to the coral colony due to the bites of coral-eating fish or hard grains of sand during storms. The resulting areas of exposed coral skeleton can be regrown with tissue, but if this process is slow, they are colonized by macroalgae. Algae release metabolites that are toxic to corals, causing the damaged area to grow. Under natural conditions, the process of coral fouling is controlled by phytophagous fish, but if these fish are absent or few due to overfishing, the balance shifts in favor of algae. As a result, the affected area expands more and more, gradually taking over the entire colony, which ultimately leads to its death. Until recently, only a few scattered studies were devoted to investigating the causes of seasonal bleaching and partial mortality, and the relationship between seasonal bleaching, partial mortality and coral mortality was not studied at all. Filling this gap was the goal of the study by a group of employees of the Laboratory of Morphology and Ecology of Marine Invertebrates of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of Temir Alanovich Britaev. The work was carried out at the Dam Bay Marine Research Station, located in Nha Trang Bay (Vietnam). During the study, the state of the environment was monitored daily, in particular water temperature, precipitation intensity and wind speed (the latter factor was chosen as an indirect indicator of storms in the station area), and the condition of Pocillopora verrucosa corals planted at a testing site near the station was recorded twice a month. The work showed that the development of seasonal bleaching is driven (Figure 2) primarily by rising water temperatures, with colonies already suffering from partial mortality being more susceptible to bleaching than those without affected areas. Figure 2. Progression of seasonal bleaching and colony recovery of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa. In turn, some of the mortality was caused by storms. Coral colonies suffering from bleaching were more likely to develop partial mortality than healthy ones. However, the effect of bleaching on partial mortality was markedly lower than that of partial mortality on bleaching. Figure 3. A Pocillopora verrucosa coral colony suffering from partial mortality. Finally, the question was answered - can seasonal bleaching and partial mortality cause the death of corals? According to observations, all dead colonies suffered from partial mortality before death. As expected, the lesion gradually spread throughout the coral, capturing more and more of it every day, which ultimately led to the death of the colony (Fig. 3). On the other hand, no direct relationship was found between seasonal bleaching and mortality. Yes, a number of colonies suffered from bleaching before their death, but this was more of an external manifestation of the deterioration of the coral’s condition, and not the cause of death. Figure 4. Factors causing bleaching and partial mortality. Thus, the hypothesis was confirmed that the mass death of corals could be caused by their damage and overgrowth by macroalgae. On the other hand, the effect of seasonal bleaching on coral mortality was significantly weaker than expected. Both processes studied are caused by environmental factors (increased water temperature in the case of seasonal bleaching and storms in the case of partial mortality) and are related to each other (Fig. 4). The data obtained not only significantly expands knowledge about the biology of corals, but can also serve as a fundamental basis for the development of programs for the restoration of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. This study was carried out within the framework of the Ecolan E - 3.1 program, task 1 Structure and dynamics of the formation of symbiotic communities associated with corals. In addition, the work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 22-24-00836. The results of the study are presented in more detail in the article Seasonal bleaching and partial mortality of Pocillopora verrucosa corals of the coast of central Vietnam, available at the link.

Participants of the press conference (from left to right): Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Liaison with the Russian Federation Oleg Kobyakov, Member of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Alexander Bashkin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Chairman of the VOOP Vyacheslav Fetisov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vyacheslav Rozhnov, head of the representative office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in the Russian Federation Vladimir Moshkalo. ©photo: Tatyana Divakova. On March 4, TASS hosted a press conference dedicated to “World Wildlife Day 2024: Digital Innovation” and dedicated to the official opening of the International Year of Camelids in Russia. The press conference was attended by the chief researcher of the Institute of Economics and Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on problems of ecology of biological systems, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vyacheslav Rozhnov. V.V. Rozhnov began by talking about the role of digital innovation in environmental projects, in particular the use of artificial intelligence in the analysis of space images, which makes it possible to identify and count saigas on them, which opens a new page in animal monitoring. Digital conservation technologies like these help conserve wildlife. Regarding camelids, he noted that camels provide more than just meat, wool or transportation. This includes wildlife, culture, religion, medicine, and history. V.V. Rozhnov spoke about the wild camel - khavtagai, whose name translated from Mongolian (flat) reflects the peculiarities of the body shape of this species. Several hundred individuals of Khavtagai still live in the Great Gobi Nature Reserve in Mongolia, where the Joint Russian-Mongolian Biological Expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences of the Mongolian People's Republic operates. V. Rozhnov recalled the canvases with camels by the wonderful Russian battle painter Vasily Vereshchagin, and that Christians greatly reverence Orthodox holy healers, many of whom are well known to people - for example, St. Luke of Crimea, Great Martyr Panteleimon, and told the story of the cured brothers-healers Cosmas and Damian the wild camel. These brothers lived in Asia Minor in the 4th century and vowed not to charge for treatment. But towards the end of his life, Damian had to break his vow - he took three eggs from a healed woman in the name of the Holy Trinity, and Cosmas, not knowing the reason for this, was so upset that he made a will in which he forbade burying himself and his brother together. And only thanks to the camel cured by the silverless brothers that came to the people they learned the secret that almost led to a rupture in relations between them. V.V. Rozhnov focused a lot of attention on the place of camels in medicine, pharmacology and biotechnology, to which they owe antibodies, or immunoglobulins, which today are a key tool for the study of specific proteins and the processes in which they participate, as well as the basis for the production of medicine and immunobiotechnological drugs. It turned out that only camelids and some cartilaginous fish have not just antibodies, but single-domain nanoantibodies (nanobodies). Camels that are kept at the Chernogolovka scientific and experimental base of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences are used by employees of the Institute of Gene Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences to obtain nanobodies, immunizing them in a special way to obtain special camel nanoantibodies to given antigens. They use such nanoantibodies to treat allergic diseases, a number of infectious diseases (mycoplasma, anthrax, leptospirosis, rabies, etc.), and to diagnose diseases, including cancer. Speaking about history, Vyacheslav Rozhnov spoke about camels, which replaced horses during the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad, the 28th reserve army was formed in Astrakhan, in which the draft force consisted of captured wild camels and ones brought from Central Asia. And one of the first shots at the Reichstag was fired by a crew in which the camels Mashka and Mishka “served,” to whom a monument was later erected in Akhtubinsk.

Fig.1: Aquariums with experimental fish Currently, a wide range of software of varying degrees of complexity and economic availability is offered for recording the behavior of experimental animals. Not all of these programs and techniques are convenient for use due to the frequent lack of a graphical interface and general requirements for high quality video with contrasting objects being studied. As a result, a researcher trying to automate observations of experimental animals may encounter a number of problems: lack of necessary and expensive equipment to record changes in behavior; the need for advanced training in the use of specialized recording devices and software; the need to modify the experimental design to meet the requirements of the software (for example, increasing illumination), which could potentially in itself change the behavior of the animal, etc. Employees of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS (Pavlov E.D., Ganzha E.V.) together with a Vietnamese colleague (Tran Duc Dien) developed a new method for non-invasive assessment of the motor activity of fish (LAAD, Locomotor Activity Auto Detection). The technique makes it possible to assess the biological rhythms of animals based on their movements over a long period of time (an hour, a day or more). LAAD includes an experimental design, a recording software module, and a data sequence aggregator (time series data sets). The software module, based on the open source Python code, is capable of simultaneously analyzing video files with an accuracy of more than 95%, the number and size of which are limited only by the capabilities of a personal computer for simultaneous processing of an array of video data. On a PC with average performance, the application is capable of processing 24-hour video files with a resolution of 480p, obtained from at least 10 experimental animals (>240 hours of video recordings per day), in one day. In this case, the discreteness of software analysis is less than one second. Fig.2: Circadian rhythm of locomotor activity of the climbing perch: motor activity (in %) by time (in hours) The main differences between the original LAAD method and other software approaches are as follows: No strict requirements for video quality. You can use inexpensive video cameras that operate in the infrared range.The omnivorous nature of the method in terms of the object of research - from ciliates to mammals.Easy to configure and launch the recording module.Does not require a powerful PC.There are no license restrictions for use. The work was carried out within the framework of the Ecolan 3.2 project in 2022‒2023. (Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center) with financial support from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. At the moment, the technique has been verified on two representatives of tropical fish: the chain catfish Pterygoplichthys spp. and Anabas testudineus. The protocol of experiments on armored catfish is published on the protocols.io website and in the first quartile journal: PloS ONE.

Urban forests provide ecosystem services: temperature regulation, air purification, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, etc. To assess the condition and develop management measures, it is important to ensure a baseline assessment and further regular monitoring of biodiversity, vegetation dynamics and spatial structure of urban forests. For most cities, a unified monitoring system has not been developed that would allow systematically carrying out such work and integrating their results and recommendations into the existing urban area management system. The territory of Moscow is extremely heterogeneous in the context of different types of land use, which in turn determines the different functions and condition of urban forests. To what extent do the forests of modern Moscow support the natural resource and environmental potential and what are the risks in meeting the social and environmental needs of the population in the urban region? The assessment was carried out for three sectors characterized by different anthropogenic load and land use: 1. “old Moscow”, 2. “new Moscow” up to the A-107 highway and 3. beyond the A-107 highway. The study assessed three aspects of the condition of Moscow's forests. Firstly, typological diversity was studied (heterogeneity of forest types: coniferous, broad-leaved, etc.). Secondly, the stages of forest succession were studied: the extent to which the forests are old-growth, indigenous and, therefore, valuable, or vice versa, young - for example, long-term derivatives in overgrown clearings. The third aspect is the fragmentation and mosaic nature of forests - how small and disconnected they are or, on the contrary, how they are grouped into large coherent masses. About 1,700 field geobotanical descriptions were used to classify forest formations and groups of associations. The Random Forest algorithm was used for cartographic modeling. Elementary territorial units of forest cover (divisions), with their assigned membership in formations and groups of associations, were the object of analysis of the diversity, dynamics and spatial structure of forests. As a result of the classification, 11 forest formations and 33 groups of forest cover associations were identified. Overall accuracy of mapping modeling was 59% for association groups and 67% for formations. With distance from the center, an ambiguous trend is observed: despite a significant increase in the share of forest cover from 9% in the center to 56% on the periphery, there is a slight decrease in typological diversity due to the dominance of pine forests in the second sector (32%) and spruce-small-leaved forests in the third sector (39%). The share of conditionally indigenous forests is steadily decreasing from the center to the periphery, and the share of long-term derived forests, on the contrary, is increasing. In terms of fragmentation, multidirectional processes are also observed. The average area of a forest stand, the complexity of shape, the similarity and proximity of stands increase from the center to the periphery. However, there is a decrease in the share of the ecological core in the patch (in conjunction with an increase in contrast), and at the same time, a decrease in connectivity between the patches. Based on the study, it is shown that the combination of significant fragmentation with a high proportion of long-term derived forest types is critical for the sustainable existence of forest cover in the region. The unsatisfactory ability of forests to meet the social and environmental needs of residents in the central part of the city is quantitatively substantiated. In general, the methodology and results of the work create the basis for monitoring Moscow forests, as well as other urban areas. Article: Kotlov, I., Chernenkova, T. & Belyaeva, N. Urban forests of Moscow: typological diversity, succession status, and fragmentation assessment. Landsc Ecol 38, 3767–3789 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01788-7

Fig.1: Candidate of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Ilya Mordvintsev / Maxim Stulov from Vedomosti Their dependence on sea ice makes polar bears extremely vulnerable to climate change, so they need to be studied and protected. In Russia, measures to protect these animals are carried out within the framework of the national project “Ecology”. A new program for monitoring bears in the Kara Sea was launched in 2024. Candidate of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Ilya Mordvintsev spoke about how animals are counted, why it is needed and what the role of business is in this. – In 2024, as part of the national project “Ecology”, a new program to study the polar bear will start in the Russian Arctic. What is your role in this process? – Strictly speaking, this is not a completely new project, but a continuation of the work that we have been carrying out for three years together with the Rosneft company. Since 2020, we have been researching polar bears in the Barents Sea - on Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. We determined the composition of the population, the routes of its movement, and assessed the health of the animals. Therefore, Rosneft entrusted us with a new job - for another three years and already in the Kara Sea. – What is the main task of new research? – The project is called “Study and monitoring of the Kara subpopulation of polar bears in conditions of climate change.” We understand that climate change is a growing issue  and that it is worse in the Arctic than anywhere else. At the same time, approximately a third of the entire polar bear population lives in the Russian Arctic; it amounts to 5,000–7,000 individuals. Climate change directly affects the polar bear because its habitat is sea ice, which is now shrinking at a catastrophic rate. We need to understand what is really happening, at what speed and how to preserve this species. – What is interesting about the Kara Sea? How is it different from Barents? – The Kara Sea is a blind spot, an absolute lack of data. There is no information about how many polar bears inhabit its area. No records were ever carried out; even in Soviet times there were only incidental observations during ice reconnaissance. For the first time in the history of the country, we are going to conduct a total count of polar bears in the Kara Sea, determine the size of the population, see how it is distributed, and identify key water areas to maintain its stable state. – That is, to do a kind of population census? - Not really. When a population census is taken, many parameters are recorded: gender, age, etc. Our main research method is aerial survey; there is no way to determine the sex of a bear from an airplane. But if in the end we can confidently say that, say, two or two and a half thousand polar bears live in the Kara Sea, from a scientific point of view this will already be a super result. – How is field work carried out? – Counting polar bears is done from a laboratory aircraft using two methods. First, the visual counting method: scientists with binoculars look out the portholes on the port and starboard sides and record the number of bears encountered. Secondly, the instrumental accounting method. There are devices installed on board the aircraft - cameras for photo and thermal imaging. Since each device has its own shooting angle, they do not capture some part of the field of view. That is why it is important to use all methods simultaneously: they complement each other, allow you to capture the whole picture and not miss anything. – What is a laboratory aircraft? – In our project we use two aircrafts – An-26 “Arctic” and An-28, equipped with all the necessary equipment for carrying out field work. The principle of complementarity also applies here: the An-26 is larger, it is capable of covering longer distances, because we plan to reach the northernmost point of the Kara Sea. The An-28 is smaller both in size and in flight range, but with its help we plan to more often and carefully examine the surrounding area, in particular the coastal zone. This is important because we expect that the density of polar bears will be higher on the coast - where there is thin ice with a lot of cracks and polynyas, where there are a lot of true seals and ringed seals. – What makes the work difficult? – Our research in terms of the coverage of the territory and the conditions in which they must be carried out is one of the most complex, technically, logistically, and financially. In addition to the fact that we need to work throughout the Kara Sea, which is almost 900,000 square km, it is necessary to cover it in a fairly short period of time. We have to do everything quickly because the ice is always moving and the bears with it. Fig.2: Press service of PJSC Rosneft – So as not to count the same bears twice? – Yes, we cannot allow individuals to be counted again. Another difficulty is that weather conditions in the Arctic are very varied. Imagine, you received a weather report in the morning near the airport, but while you are flying 1000 km north, everything has changed and you have no visibility. You are forced to turn around and leave, and the cost of renting an airplane per hour is very, very high. In addition, in parallel with airplanes, we will also use helicopters. – Why helicopters? – Helicopters are necessary to deliver specialists to the place of contract work. This is the second task of our project - assessing the health status of polar bears and studying the routes of their movement in the Kara Sea. Now the plane has flown by, observers have seen that the density of bears in this area is high, and we can confidently head there by helicopter to try to get closer to the animals. – How much closer? – Contact work involves catching animals for installation of satellite transmitters. We use satellite collars made in Russia; they allow us to track the migration routes of bears, their activity, and determine the possible locations of females in their maternity dens. In addition, during contact work we take biological samples to identify diseases and heavy metals using blood, conduct hormonal studies, and determine nutrition using isotopic analysis of fur collections. – This is a large amount of information, how do you process it? – Biological samples are studied by specialists during laboratory analytical and desk research. But the results of aerial photography over such a gigantic area is a huge array of data, the manual processing of which will take several years. Therefore, for the project in the Kara Sea we will use algorithms based on neural networks - artificial intelligence. It will help automatically identify bears in a large number of photo and thermal images. To count them accurately and, most importantly, quickly. – Planes, helicopters, thermal imagers, transmitters, artificial intelligence... Is counting polar bears an expensive undertaking? – Yes, like all work in the North. Back in 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources approved a roadmap for the conservation and restoration of the polar bear. Rosneft was the first to get involved in this work, since businesses have more opportunities to finance them, pay for equipment, and attract scientists. – How do businesses benefit from this? – There is a practical meaning. The development trend of the Arctic suggests the presence of more and more people in the region every year. This is due to an increase in the number of infrastructure projects and the development of the Northern Sea Route. No wonder they say that the Arctic is our future. However, with climate change, more polar bears are being spotted on land. This is the moment when man and bear will inevitably collide. And you need to understand how to act in such encounters. How to create an effective response system, video surveillance, sound alerts, develop safety protocols to protect both people and animals. – Who is more dangerous to whom – a bear to a person or a person to a bear? – There are only three types of animals that are dangerous to humans: a hungry predator, a sick one, and a female protecting cubs. A polar bear that is well-fed, healthy, has the opportunity to hunt and lead its normal lifestyle, does not need a human. He will often bypass them. Therefore, it is so important to preserve its natural habitat. You need to remember about order and cleanliness, to not pollute nature, to not throw away waste, and to store it correctly. – Do you already know everything about polar bears? – No, we still know very little about polar bears. – What does this knowledge provide globally? – Knowledge is primarily needed to understand this species. Any knowledge is necessary for a person to develop; it is good to accumulate it, but it is also better to be able to apply it. We must use our knowledge to preserve the polar bear. – Do you have a dream as a scientist? – Our dream is to cover the entire Arctic, to work in all polar bear populations, from the Barents Sea to the Chukchi. For us, this is a big mystery that needs to be solved.

As part of the International Exhibition and Forum "Russia", the Rosneft company presented its new program for the study and conservation of bioindicator species of the Arctic region. The press conference was attended by representatives of the company, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. The research will take place from 2024 to 2027 and take place  in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. During the expeditions organized by Rosneft, specialists from leading scientific organizations in Russia will for the first time conduct an aerial survey of polar bears in the Kara Sea, monitor wild reindeer and study the fish of the mouth of the Yenisei River, and also build maps of the ecological sensitivity of the shores of the Yenisei Bay and the adjacent waters of the Kara Sea, checking the nesting places of valuable bird species. Information about animal populations will allow scientists to draw conclusions about the state of their habitats and develop measures to preserve the biodiversity of the Arctic region. At the moment, the scientific world does not have data on the Kara subpopulation of the polar bear, and Rosneft’s research will add to the knowledge base about this animal. Scientists will also try out a new type of satellite transmitter to track bear activity and migration movements. Monitoring of wild reindeer in Western Taimyr is of practical importance for the region, since this animal is a key element in the existence of the indigenous population engaged in traditional crafts. Part of the work on studying animals in the northern regions is carried out by the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS. According to Sergei Naidenko, director of  IEE RAS, in the context of global warming and climate change in the Arctic, the behavior of animals is constantly changing. Scientists are tracking these changes to better understand the processes taking place in the region. The presentation of the project took place as part of the themed Arctic Days until February 18 in the Rosneft pavilion at the International Exhibition and Forum “Russia” at VDNKh. Related materials: AiF: "The pristine Arctic. Scientists and Rosneft will continue to study ecosystems" Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Rosneft holds Polar Bear Days at VDNKh

Fig.1: A - normal individual.B - individual with morphological anomalies.The arrow points to the anal pore During parasitological studies of mites in the nests of swallows (Riparia riparia L., 1758) in the Vladimir region, scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences noticed that among the 6982 collected larvae of Ixodes lividus Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), one was observed with an abnormal appearance and the presence of two anal pores. Thus, only 0.01% of all ticks collected in 2022 had morphological abnormalities. Teratological changes are a rare phenomenon in ticks. The most common abnormality reported in ticks is gynandromorphism (i.e. individuals have both male and female characteristics). There are also other types of morphological abnormalities, such as asymmetry, bifurcation, fusion of adanal plates and scallops, atrophy or absence of one or two legs. At the same time, according to the literature, in Ixodes persulcatus (Schulze, 1930), a neighboring species from this genus, which has a normal exoskeleton structure, no more than 3–4 types of pathogenic microorganisms can be simultaneously recorded, which a tick can transmit through a bite, while the individuals with abnormalities often carry 5–7. This work represents the first study of morphological abnormalities (i.e., teratology) in I. lividus, and the findings are the first for this tick species. Bykov, Y., Yatsuk, A., Kondratev, E., Porshakov, A., & Matyukhin, A. (2023). Abnormal morphology of a larva Ixodes lividus Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae). Persian Journal of Acarology, 12(4), 593–597. https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v12i4.82615