© Photo: Margarita Romanova A team of scientists is currently conducting large-scale environmental monitoring on Lake Baikal. Employees of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS and other researchers are participating in the expedition organized by the En+ energy holding. They are studying the state of the lake in the area of the villages of Bolshoye Goloustnoye, Listvyanka, Gremyachinsk, Tankhoy, Babushkin, Maksimikha, near Olkhon Island and the Selenga delta. Scientists prioritize measuring the amount of microplastics in water The expedition In 2017 recorded that there are from 19 to 75 thousand microplastic particles per square kilometer of Baikal. This is a high degree of contamination, since the average value in areas of this area is 42 thousand fragments. Microplastics travel through the food chain from the inhabitants of Baikal waters to larger creatures, including humans. – The content of plastic in Baikal waters is already comparable to the content in other lakes on our planet: European, Lake Geneva, and the American Great Lakes. There, “plastic” civilization has been developing quite actively for a long time, from the very beginning of the use of polymers, but here pollution began relatively recently, but its speed is so high that the concentrations are already comparable, says Mikhail Kolobov, senior researcher at the Department of General Ecology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University. Fig.1. The expedition started in early July and will last until mid-September. © Photo: Margarita Romanova The problem of the high content of microplastics attracted the attention of large companies in the region - so in 2022 in the Irkutsk region, the Baikal Without Plastic Association whose members advocate reducing the use of such products, began its work. This year, the association, with the support of En+, recovered more than two tons of abandoned fishing nets from the bottom of the lake. Another important mission of the expedition is to check water quality. Recently, employees of the Limnological Institute of the SB RAS reported shocking research results: in popular tourist places on Lake Baikal the content of E. coli and enterococci was many times higher. This is a result of the lack of an effective sewage treatment system and uncontrolled runoff from agricultural land. Now scientists from Moscow have to take groundwater samples. Fig.2. Some water samples are analyzed on site, while others are taken for chemical analysis to Moscow. © Photo: Margarita Romanova The expedition includes geneticists, they study Baikal gammarus - these are endemic crustaceans that serve as a food base for other inhabitants of the lake. Their numbers have greatly decreased in recent years. This is especially noticeable in the delta of the Selenga River. To find the cause, scientists used special bacteria that react to toxicants. The results suggested that Gammarus dies due to the toxic effects of DNA-tropic substances, which it accumulates in its tissues during its life. On Lake Baikal, the population of another endemic – the Baikal sponge – is declining. Due to the high concentration of nutrients in coastal waters, the immune system of sponges collapses, bacteria begin to develop on them, and over time, endemic species die. Fig.3. The main goal of the expedition is to measure and assess microplastic pollution in Lake Baikal. © Photo: Margarita Romanova Baikal sponges are one of the main filters of the lake. One sponge cleanses a bucket of water per day. Scientists and representatives of En+ are confident that a set of environmental measures is necessary to solve the accumulated problems. In particular, reducing the use of plastic, building treatment facilities, and a waste disposal system. The full results of this year's expedition will be known after its completion and analysis of the data obtained. “Since 2019, we have been supporting a scientific environmental monitoring expedition; it covers the coastal zone of the lake and is carried out annually. The results of scientists' research are discussed on discussion platforms and submitted to authorities for making management decisions. Research allows us to assess the current situation, environmental risks and the causes of their occurrence. This is a lot of work that is necessary for the sustainable development of the Baikal natural territory,” emphasized Alexander Pervushin, chief specialist in analytics and management systems of the Directorate for Sustainable Development of En+.

Experts from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with the support of the World Around You Foundation Siberian Wellness, went on an expedition to Shelikhov Bay in the northern Sea of Okhotsk to discover whether bowhead whales could be found there. According to eyewitness accounts and literary sources, it is known that cases of encounters with whales in this area have been recorded. The main goal of the expedition was to update and verify this data. Experts have been studying the Sea of Okhotsk population of bowhead whales for more than 20 years. Previously, the main work was carried out off the coast in the Shantarsky region, where whales come in the summer. Where they spend the rest of the year is still unclear. Finding new whale sites in the Sea of Okhotsk is an important step in studying the rare mammal and developing a strategy for its protection. They managed to find such a place - experts found about 13 whales in Shelikhov Bay. As part of the expedition, a research team of six people spent 25 days at sea. During this time, 253 hours of observations were carried out, which is almost 10.5 days in totality. They also covered 4,345 kilometers on a yacht and another more than 330 kilometers on a motor boat. Researchers were able to take genetic samples from two whales that will help clarify their sex and identify the individual. Five animals were examined in sufficient detail: they were identified by visual characteristics and entered into the database, which already contains more than 250 individuals. Now specialists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences will have to find out whether the animals encountered in Shelikhov Bay are related to the summer Shantar herd - this will allow us to learn more about how the Sea of Okhotsk whales move through the sea. Saker falcons need enhanced protection. Over the past 20 years, the number of these birds in Russia has decreased by half, and Altai Saker Falcons have practically disappeared from nature. The main reasons are poaching and trapping for the needs of falconry enthusiasts in Arab countries and the danger of unprotected power lines. The Sea of Okhotsk population of bowhead whales has been under the care of the World Around You Foundation Siberian Wellness since 2022. By the end of the 19th century, their numbers were greatly reduced as a result of fishing; today there are only 300–400 individuals. And even now, when whales are not threatened by fishing, they face other threats and are vulnerable to them.

Fig. 1. Boundary of the experimental area during root pruning in the Kivach Nature Reserve. No fruiting of macromycetes was observed inside the sites (in the photo to the right of the steel plate). Researchers from IEE RAS, Zuev A.G. and Doctor of Biological Sciences Corresponding member Tiunov A.V., together with colleagues from the Moscow Pedagogical State University and the Forest Institute of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, studied the significance of the flow of matter and energy entering soil food webs through the mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi in coniferous forests for soil springtails. A four-year field experiment was conducted in 70-year-old and 180-year-old pine forests on the territory of the Kivach Nature Reserve (Republic of Karelia). It included pruning tree roots, isolating experimental areas with steel sheets to a depth of 0.6 m, and further monitoring changes in the abundance and isotopic composition of soil springtails at the species level. Fig. 2. Isotopic composition of carbon (δ13C, ‰) and nitrogen (δ15N, ‰) of springtails after pruning tree roots (blue dots) and control soil (red dots). Green and brown dots indicate the isotopic composition of fruiting bodies and mycelium of ectomycorrhizal fungi; the ellipse describes the 95% confidence interval for fungal fruiting bodies and mycelium. The dotted lines show the isotopic composition of plant litter. The springtail community was represented by 25 species, of which 22 were common to young and overripe pine forests; the dominant species in the communities of both forests also coincided. Tree root pruning did not lead to a statistically significant change in the total number of springtails, but the abundance of the species Friesea mirabilis, Mesaphorura yosiii, and Willemia anophthalma decreased with root pruning in a 70-year-old pine forest. The biomass of the mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi 1 year after root pruning on the experimental plots was approximately three times lower compared to the control, and did not differ between forests of different ages. The isotopic composition of nitrogen and carbon, corresponding to the isotopic composition of the putative consumers of the mycelium of ectomycorrhizal fungi (inside the green ellipse in Fig. 2), was found almost exclusively in springtail samples from control plots, represented by 5 species. In general, the results of the study indicate the limited importance of the mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi in the nutrition of soil springtails, but confirm the importance of this resource for individual species. The work was published in the European Journal of Soil Biology (SJR Q1, IF = 3.232) Zuev A.G., Potapov M. B., Tiunov A.V., Saraeva A.K. (2023). Root trenching and stable isotope analysis uncover trophic links of euedaphic collembola species to mycorrhizal mycelium in pine forests. European Journal of Soil Biology, 118, 103519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2023.103519

Scientists continue to work on recreating the Caucasian leopard population lost in the last century in Ossetia. On July 22, 2023, another male leopard was released to form a breeding group in the Central Caucasus as part of the state program for the restoration of the Red Book predator. Zoologists regularly obtain data on the movements and life of leopards, and then check their hunting areas. Exactly one month has passed since the release into the wild of another representative of the main predators of the Caucasus - the Central Asian leopard named Chilmas. He successfully hunts ungulates, uses energy sparingly and avoids encounters with humans. This information is confirmed by zoologists of the protected area complex Ossetia-Alania from the leopard monitoring group in the Caucasus. The young leopard passes field tests in the mountain forests of Ossetia with excellent marks. In comparison with other males previously released in North Ossetia, during the first month of life in the wild, Chilmas traveled a slightly shorter distance - 73 kilometers versus 100-160 for Leo and Baksan. At the same time, he surprised the zoologists of the field monitoring group with a large prey - an adult male roe deer. Thus, Chilmas becomes a full-fledged link in the ecosystem of the mountain forests of Ossetia and, as we all hope, can become one of the founders of the reviving population. The Caucasian leopard stays away from roads and settlements, is not at all interested in forest edges, does not reduce the distance to anthropogenic objects and places of human activity, and the area that he has colonized to date is about 100 square kilometers. Other transmitters installed on the collars of Khosta and Laura, which were released into the wild last summer, continue to transmit information about the movements of leopards in the Central Caucasus. “They chose to settle in different directions. Laura is mastering the western direction - this is the area covering the western part of North Ossetia and the eastern part of Kabardino-Balkaria. And Khosta prefers the eastern direction - the eastern part of Ossetia, Ingushetia and Chechnya. Despite the fact that both of them covered approximately the same distance in a year (Laura - 1882 km, and Khosta - 1942 km), the areas they traversed differed significantly. The area that Khosta has developed is 6,453 sq. m. km, but she has so far explored it in less detail than Laura has explored hers - her plot is more compact, only 1910 sq. m. km, and is better studied by the leopardess. Both of them are successful hunters and are excellent at hunting both small and large prey. At the same time, Khosta still prefers to hunt more often and for small prey (76% versus 24%), and Laura less often, but for large prey - wild boar or roe deer (60% versus 40% of small prey),” say experts from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS). “Leo, released together with Khosta and Laura in 2022, is currently out of reach: his transmitter probably stopped working completely in May. However, during the time he kept us updated on his journey, he hunted no less than 35 times, of which 72% were large game - mainly wild boar, and 28% - small game, such as badgers, raccoon dogs and jackals. During the 10 months that we tracked him, he walked 1,101 km and developed an area of 1,965 square kilometers,” says Jose Antonio Hernandez-Blanco, Candidate of Biological Sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of Economics and Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “In total, over the years of implementing the project to return the Caucasian leopard to North Ossetia, 8 leopards were released here, and they continue to develop the territory of the Central Caucasus, moving through mountain forests between the republics, where nature is least affected by humans. It is currently unknown for certain whether they have offspring, but this may be due to the secretive lifestyle of these predators and the ability to avoid human attention,” noted Madina Slanova, coordinator of the Caucasian leopard restoration program in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Central Asian leopard before the release A reminder that the program for the restoration (reintroduction) of the Central Asian leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, the Ossetia-Alania Protected Natural Area complex, the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. RAS, A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS, the Caspian Institute of Biological Resources FERC RAS, the Moscow Zoo, as well as with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Funding for monitoring and activities for the release of the Central Asian leopard in North Ossetia is carried out with the support of the RusHydro business company, EcoEnergy Group, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the ERA republican operator. Related materials: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania:“Scientists continue to work on the return of the Caucasian leopard population lost in the lastcentury in Ossetia” KP Kuban: “Caught a roe deer and avoids humans. It became known how a leopard fromSochi settled on the territory of Ossetia” Institute of Ecology of Mountain Areas: "Leopard Chilmas. A month after release in theCentral Caucasus" Kuban news: "First kill: the Sochi leopard Chilmas, released into the wild, began to huntsuccessfully" Greater Asia: "The Central Asian leopard named Chilmas has successfully settled in theOssetian forests" 15th region: "The Central Asian leopard named Chilmas has successfully settled in theOssetian forests" New Kuban: “Successfully hunts ungulates and avoids encounters with humans”: scientistsspoke about the first month of life in the wild of the Sochi leopard Chilmas” Kuban Inform: “The leopard Chilmas, raised in Sochi, has mastered the forests of NorthOssetia in a month”

Scientists from the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) with colleagues from the University of Tennessee (USA) for the first time predicted the consequences of the impact of global climate change in the next 80 years on the dynamics of the range of invasive species using the example of the field mouse (Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771) in Russia. The species is widespread in Eurasia and common in many regions, damages agricultural crops and is a carrier of zoonotic pathogens that are dangerous to humans. Among them is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which is characterized by a high mortality rate in the Far East. Expansion of the species' range now and under future climate change may have negative impacts on the economy and public health. This study used an ensemble approach to generate robust models of the species' spatial distribution under current (1970–2000) and future climate conditions derived from sixth generation global climate change models (GMCM-6). To model the time-varying range of the field mouse, high-, moderate-, and low-sensitivity GMIC-6 were used under four scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). For the first time, it is shown that among the forty GMIC-6, there is a group of models that are more consistent with real field data for the period 1980–2020. For these models, moderate warming is expected over the next two decades of the 21st century, i.e. an increase in temperature (dT) for the periods 2021–2040 and 2041–2060 will be less than 2.0 °C (dT = 1.13 °C, dT = 1.89 °C, respectively) (Fig. 1). Warming for the period 2061–2080 may be 2.15 °C, but after CO2 emissions drop to zero (around 2075), the increase in average annual air temperature for the period 2081–2100 will increase to 1.93 °C. Fig.1: Increase in average annual air temperature (T , °C) in Russia in the 21st century, where A are average values for all climate models (CM) for various climate change scenarios SSPx-y (SSP1-2.6 - low greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), in which CO2 emissions fall to zero around 2075, SSP2-4.5 - intermediate GHG emissions, in which CO2 emissions increase at approximately the current rate until 2050, and then decline, but do not reach zero by 2100), SSP3 -7.0 (high GHG emissions, with CO2 emissions doubling by 2100) and SSP5-8.5 (very high GHG emissions, with CO2 emissions tripling by 2075); B – increase in T when implementing highly sensitive CMs (Hsens), C – increase in T when implementing moderately sensitive CMs (Msens); D – increase in T when implementing low-sensitivity CMs (Lsens). For each type of GMIC-6 and each of the four scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5), models of the geographical range of the field mouse were built for the periods 2021–2040, 2041–2060, 2061–2080 and 2081 –2100 and the positions of the centroids of the area were determined. It has been established that range changes depend on both the sensitivity of GMIC and climate change scenarios. It is shown that in the future the range of the field mouse is expected to expand with a major shift to the northeast and partial loss of habitats in the modern steppe zone. In addition, the models show the merging of the western and eastern parts of the mouse range, isolated for 12 thousand years until the present, i.e. the formation of a continuous range of the field mouse is expected from Western Europe to East Asia (Fig. 2). Fig. 2: The range of the field mouse (Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771)) in Russia under the current climate (A) and its predicted range by the end of 2100 for low-sensitivity climate models (Lsens) under different scenarios (SSPx- y) of climate change (B, C, D, D). The red arrows indicate the area of the current range gap, which existed for 12 thousand years. By the end of the 21st century, the merger of the western and eastern parts of the range and the implementation of low-sensitivity CM (Lsens) are expected. It is important to note that warming in the 20th century by 0.78 °C has already led to a shift in the range of many species (about 1,700 species from different taxa are documented) to the north at a rate of 6.1 km per decade, while warming in the 21st century by 2 °C will lead to a shift in the centroid of the species' range to the north at a rate of 32 to 36 km per decade. In general, the research carried out and the prediction of the spread of the field mouse under conditions of climate change can help to take timely measures to limit the invasion of the species and the possibility of introducing infectious diseases into new regions of Russia. At the moment, there are over 40 different climate change models in the world and 4 scenarios for each of them (i.e. 160 model implementations), which often give inaccurate predictions, and their data are published in highly rated scientific publications and are the basis for making decisions on measures combating global climate change in many countries. In this regard, comprehensive work was carried out to select the most realistic models of climate change in the 21st century to correctly assess its impact on the process of biological invasions of dangerous species at the global level and on Russian ecosystems. The research was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 21-14-00123). The results were published in the international journal Biology (JCR IF 4.2; Q1-General Agricultural and Biological Sciences) Petrosyan, V.; Dinets, V.; Osipov, F.; Dergunova, N.; Khlyap, L. Range Dynamics of Striped Field Mouse (Apodemus agrarius) in Northern Eurasia under Global Climate Change Based on Ensemble Species Distribution Models. Biology 2023, 12, 1034. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12071034 Materials on the topic in the media: Press service of the Russian Science Foundation: "Climate warming will help harmfulrodents expand their range almost twice" Press Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences: “Climate warming will help harmfulrodents expand their range almost twice” GAZETA.RU: “It has been established how the habitat of field mice in Russia will increasedue to global warming” Vedomosti: "Global warming will lead to a large-scale spread of the field mouse" Snob: "Research: Global warming will lead to the spread of the field mouse" Sirius Magazine: "Nightmare for farmers: global warming will trigger mouse expansion" TASS Science: "The range of rodent pests may expand by 80% due to climate change" Internet portal "Rossiyskaya Gazeta": "Scientists have found that by the end of the centurythe range of the field mouse will increase by 80 percent" Russian popular science publication Naked Science: “Climate warming will help harmfulrodents almost double their range” Online publication "Pravda.Ru": "Due to global warming, there is a threat of the spread of thefield mouse" Neva.Today: “Global warming threatens a large-scale spread of harmful rodents” News Agency "Business Information Agency": "Due to warming, Russia is threatened by themigration of mice carrying a deadly disease" Information portal “Moscow is changing”: “Due to global warming, harmful mice will breed” Planet Today: "Global warming will provoke a large-scale resettlement of the field mouse" Greencity newspaper: "Climate change may expand the distribution area of rodents" Forpost-Sevastopol.ru: “Due to global warming, there is a threat of the spread of the fieldmouse” Agro-industrial portal AGROXXI: “Climate warming will help harmful rodents expand theirrange almost twice” Gazeta.Ru: “It has been established how the habitat of field mice in Russia will increase dueto warming” United Europe Publishing Group: “Global warming will provoke a large-scale resettlement ofthe field mouse” Scientific and business portal “Atomic Energy 2.0”: “Climate warming will help harmfulrodents expand their range almost twice” Polit.ru: "Field mice are advancing" Publishing house "Arguments of the Week": "Due to climate change, the range of rodentpests may expand by 80%" SCIENCE OF THE RF: “Global warming will help field mice expand their range almost twice” Central News Service: "Scientists have identified a connection between warming and thespread of rodents" Indicator.ru: "Climate warming will help harmful rodents expand their range almost twice" Scientific Russia: “Climate warming will help harmful rodents expand their range almosttwice” News Mail.RU: "Climate warming will help harmful rodents expand their range almost twice" News Rambler.Ru: "Climate warming will help harmful rodents expand their range almosttwice" Recyclemag: "Climate change could expand the range of rodent pests by 80%" MK: “Due to warming, Russia is threatened by the migration of mice carrying a deadlydisease” OSN: "MK: Due to the warming of the Russian Federation, the migration of mice carrying adeadly disease threatens" InScience: "Climate warming will help harmful rodents almost double their range"

Scientific research continues in specially protected natural areas of federal significance. But in some nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, interim results are already being drawn up. In the Bolshekhehtsirsky Nature Reserve in the Khabarovsk Territory, gastrodia elata has made its reappearance. This relict endemic of the Khabarovsk Territory, the Amur Region and the Primorsky Territory is extremely rare - it blooms once in its life at 8-9 years. Before the flowering period begins, the entire life cycle of the plant takes place underground. Several years ago, during a snowless winter in the Khabarovsk Territory, the plant suffered from frost and disappeared for a couple of years. “When I saw a small clump of gastrodia, I couldn’t bear the suspense and dug up the soil at the root to see if there were buds for next year. It turned out that there were. This means that the endemic species will not be lost next year,” said Yuri Kya, chief engineer for forest protection and forestry activities of the Bolshekhehtsirsky Nature Reserve. This summer, on the territory of the Frolikha Nature Reserve in the Republic of Buryatia in Ayaya Bay, we continued the monitoring of rare plant species, which has been carried out in protected areas for several years. The work was carried out under the “Save the Flowers of Baikal” program by schoolchildren from Severobaikalsk under the guidance of employees of the protected area. During the census of the almost-woolly cranium, which took place at three sites, it was concluded that the population was in a favorable state. The children counted all the plants they encountered, noted their phenological state, and collected material on morphology. Compared to last year, a lot of young plants were noted. In the Kenozersky National Park in the Arkhangelsk Region, a new species of butterfly for protected areas has been registered - the rosy footman (mitochrista miniata). The insect became the 63rd species of butterfly registered in the Kenozersky National Park. The discovery was made by a resident of the village of Vershinino, Anna Yuryeva. Last year, she recorded another butterfly in the national park - the herald (scoliopteryx libatrix). Field work on environmental monitoring of the White Sea Baikal seal took place in the Onezhskoye Pomorie National Park in the Arkhangelsk Region. The research was carried out on Konyukhovaya Bay of the Onega Peninsula by employees of the Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the support of protected areas. Scientists have developed a technique for catching seals using stationary floating traps, which are absolutely safe for mammals. Special satellite telemetry sensors were installed on eight individuals, thanks to which new data can be obtained on the distribution and seasonal migrations of seals in the White Sea throughout the year. The information obtained will also help to form a clearer idea of the ecology of animals, to understand how young seals behave in the summer in Onega Bay, in which directions they move in search of food. Scientists also observed the dynamics of the number of seals in the summer haulouts in Konyukhovaya Bay and obtained new biological data on the size, body weight, sex, and age of the seals. Based on the research results, it was noted that the activities of the Onega Pomorie National Park made it possible to preserve a unique habitat not only for the Baikal seal, but also for the bearded seal, which is regularly found on rocky shallows. In the Central Forest Reserve in the Tver region, work began in the summer on an inventory of European badger settlements. This is the first stage of research into the behavioral ecology of this species, which will be carried out in protected areas in the coming years together with the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS. Within the boundaries of its range, the European badger demonstrates a wide variety of family relationships - from a solitary lifestyle to the formation of families of up to 30 individuals. Therefore, the species is of great interest when studying the formation and development of a group lifestyle in predators. At the first stage of work, a detailed description of all known badger habitats is carried out. Camera traps are installed near the entrances to collect information on the daily and seasonal activity of animals. Moreover, both the badger itself and its “guests” - other species of predators and ungulates. This information is necessary to determine the composition of family groups and the number of badger cubs in litters, which will make it possible to calculate the number of badgers in the reserve. Related materials: Green Russia: "Count badgers and preserve endemic animals: The summer field seasoncontinues in nature reserves and national parks" Zoopicture: "Tver badgers will be counted" Tverskaya Vedomosti: “Badgers have begun to be counted in the Tver region” Bezformata: “In the reserve of the Tver region, they continue to count badgers and badgercubs” Izvestiya: “Badgers will be counted in the Tver region” TIA News: “The counting of badgers and badger cubs continues in the reserve of the Tverregion”

The discovery of several new species of stygobiotic crustaceans allowed scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences to suggest that a glacial refugium existed at the mouth of the Don River, along with the South Caucasus (Colchis) and the southern Caspian Sea (Hyrcania), where many species survived several periods of glaciation, starting in the late Miocene. The work was published in Diversity magazine. Unlike previous data, which were based on the analysis of endemic but free-living fish and shellfish, the new data are based on the findings of several stygobiont crustaceans that are not capable of dispersing over long distances. Like most underground/stygobiotic animals, the discovered crustaceans are well adapted to ecologically narrow stygobiontic/underground conditions, and are not able to survive beyond them, since they are very sensitive to environmental changes (stenobiontic). In a small spring on the bank of the Kiziterinka River within the city of Rostov-on-Don at the mouth of the Don River, scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences described a new species of stygobiotic crustaceans from the genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Amphipoda: Niphargidae). The closest related species lives in northern Greece and the island of Crete. According to the molecular genetic data obtained, these species separated from related forms in the late Miocene, more than 10 million years ago. And, most surprisingly, they were able to survive in these habitats to this day. Fig.1: Appearance of the new species from the genus Nymphargus. It is also interesting that the new Nifargus coexists in the surveyed spring with other stygobiotic amphipods, Diasynurella kiwi Marin & Palatov, 2023 and Pontonyx donensis (Marytnov, 1919) (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae). Two of the three species in the source examined, D. kiwi and the discovered nifargus, are microcrustaceans with a total body size of less than 3 mm and are among the smallest within their genera and families. The work presents a table of endemic species found in this area, as well as an analysis of previously published works, which also suggested the presence of a refugia here. The work emphasizes that such habitats require enhanced protection measures, since the organisms inhabiting them are unique. Fig.2: Molecular genetic reconstruction made it possible to determine related species and the time of their divergence. Related materials: RAS: "An ancient glacial refugium existed in the northern Black Sea region"

In the published review, scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences assessed the diversity, distribution, and ecological functions of terrestrial crustaceans. Of the approximately 70,000 known species of crustaceans, approximately 4,900 species live in terrestrial habitats. They can be divided into two ecological (but not phylogenetic) groups. Microcrustaceans (Cladocera, Ostracoda, Copepoda) are tiny organisms that live in water films or water-filled pores of soil, moss or plant litter. Macrocrustaceans (Amphipoda, Isopoda, Decapoda) are relatively large animals that spend the entirety or most of their life cycle independent of liquid water. Fig.1: the percentage of different taxonomic groups of crustaceans in the total diversity of terrestrial species. Terrestrial crustaceans are both the smallest (<1 mm in length) and most abundant, as well as the largest terrestrial arthropods. For example, the palm thief, the terrestrial hermit crab Birguslatro, reaches a weight of 3 kg, while many terrestrial crabs do not exceed 500 grams. Adaptations to a terrestrial lifestyle, including changes in morphology, physiology, and behavior, allow certain forms of terrestrial crustaceans to survive and thrive in virtually all geographic areas, including the Arctic and sub-Antarctic, mountain ecosystems above 4,500 m above sea level, and even extremely arid deserts . The most adapted species have acquired many of the characteristics of insects, including highly developed visual and olfactory systems. Unlike insects, crustaceans are capable of regenerating limbs and continuous growth throughout their lives. Reaching high abundance and biomass, crustaceans are often an important component of terrestrial food chains, sometimes occupying the highest trophic positions. The density of soil copepods in humid terrestrial ecosystems can reach tens of thousands per square meter, comparable to the density of soil mites and springtails, and the total biomass of land crabs on some islands exceeds the biomass of mammals in tropical forests. Together with other macroarthropods and earthworms, saprotrophic macrocrustaceans play an important role in nutrient cycling, recycling and consuming up to 50% of all forest litter. It is noteworthy that crustaceans are the only group among terrestrial saprotrophic animals that are widely used as food by humans. Massive annual migrations of hecarcinid crabs from the forest to the coast, as well as the reverse migration of young crabs, form powerful flows of matter and energy connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Despite their great diversity, terrestrial crustaceans, with the exception of woodlice, are often ignored by terrestrial zoologists and ecologists. The information collected in the review will help draw attention to the functional role of crustaceans as one of the important components of soil ecosystems. The largest terrestrial crustaceans: A – one of the largest terrestrial crabs, Cardisoma guanhumi, and its burrow (below); B – male land crab Cardisoma guanhumi at the entrance to the burrow; C – land hermit crab Birgus latro; and migrations of numerous individuals of the land crab jd Gecarcoidea natalis on Christmas Island (D–F). A – Photo by Alison Copeland from Copeland, 2020: fig. 3; B – http://s15858.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/default/files/images/crab10.JPG ; C – https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgamboias/28725243916; D – https://www.elitereaders.com/50-million-red-crabs-to-migrate-from-land-o-sea-in-christmas-island; E – https://viralcola.com/unless-love-crabs-dont-want-island-december; F - htps://www.15min.lt/nuotrauka/4425980.

Fig. 1. The ratio of finds of cladoceran crustaceans of “southern” (ST) and “northern” (WE) origin in the benthos and littoral zone (A) and in plankton (B). 1-7 – individual regions of the Far East, ranked from north (1) to south (7). If the biogeography of terrestrial and marine animals is a well-developed branch of biological sciences, then researchers of continental bodies of water still have much to do to adequately understand the modern distribution of organisms and the history of their settlement on the planet. Recently, significant progress has been made in understanding these processes using the example of microscopic crustaceans - water fleas (= Cladocera), which have become a model group of freshwater biogeography. A study of a large array of samples collected in different years in the Russian Far East and on the Korean Peninsula shows a different picture. The Far Eastern region is known as a zone of endemism for cladoceran crustaceans, and is of great interest from the point of view of studying the mechanisms of formation of local faunas as a result of the invasion of “southern” and “northern” species during climatic changes, primarily in the Pleistocene. Scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences studied the distribution of finds of cladoceran crustaceans, differing in their place of origin, in freshwater reservoirs with different seasonal regimes (permanent and temporary) and belonging to planktonic (that is, living in the water column) or benthic-phytophilic (that is, living in bottom and in coastal thickets) faunas. In addition to the previously demonstrated latitudinal gradient in the proportion of “northern” (northern origin) and “southern” (southern, possibly tropical, origin) species in Cladocera faunas, it was found that in the region it is the planktonic community that includes the largest proportion of endemic species, which are relic from before Pleistocene times. The scientists have found that the proportion of representatives of the “southern” (tropical) fauna among benthic-phytophilic species drops sharply when moving from south to north, and approximately in the area of North Korea it is replaced by the “northern” (boreal) fauna. On the contrary, the proportion of representatives of the “southern” fauna in plankton is relatively small (maximum – 16% of the number of finds in each region) even in the extreme south of the studied zone and falls very smoothly when moving north; its complete replacement with the “northern” fauna does not occur. At the same time, many endemics of this region were noted in the plankton. It is known that these endemics are the remains of ancient, pre-Pleistocene fauna, while the spread of other cladoceran crustaceans to the south and north occurred in the late Pleistocene, and possibly in the Holocene. These results support the previously stated hypothesis that ancient endemics, having a serious “head start” in comparison with “southern” and “northern” species in time, quickly monopolized the water bodies of the Far East in the late Pleistocene and prevented the spread of “southern” species to the north, and “northern” species – to the south. Among representatives of the benthic-phytophilic fauna, their number is significantly lower than in plankton, and it is among their representatives that we can observe a mixture of “southern” and “northern” faunas, which resulted from settlement in the late Pleistocene to the north and south. In this case, the “southern” species prevented the “northern” ones from spreading to the south, and vice versa. On the contrary, relatively few representatives from the north and south were able to penetrate the plankton of this region, since it was already occupied by more successful competitors and more adapted to the conditions of the region - endemics of the Far East. At present, it is not entirely clear why the proportion of endemics in the Far East is so high in plankton and low in the coastal zone. Directly opposite situations are known, when, for example, in Lake Baikal, the plankton is represented by widespread species, while the benthos contains many endemic species. “However, in any case, we emphasize the importance of the role of biotic interactions and historical processes in determining modern biogeographic boundaries. If the ecological preferences of a species allow it to spread, for example, to the south during a period of climate warming, this does not mean at all that it will be allowed to do so. " – says Doctor of Biological Sciences, corresponding member of RAS A.A. Kotov, who is in charge of this research. Undoubtedly, such studies will be continued by the staff of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The research was carried out within the framework of the State assignment AAAA-A18-118042490059-5. The article was published in the magazine "Water". Ivan I. Krolenko, Petr G. Garibian and Alexey A. Kotov The Role of Old Relicts in Structuring the Boreal/Tropical Transitional Zone: The Case of East Asian Planktonic Cladocera (Crustacea) Diversity 2023, 15, 713. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060713 Related materials: RAS: "The influence of relict planktonic crustaceans on the settlement of the Far East in thePleistocene"

The project to restore the historical symbol of Ossetia in nature - the reintroduction of Caucasian leopards - is 5 years old this year. The fourth release of a representative of the most striking indicator species of the well-being of the Caucasian mountain ecosystems successfully took place last week in the reserve on the territory of the Turmon forest. This is the third time the reserve has become a place where leopards are released into the wild. According to the scientific coordinator of the project in Ossetia - senior researcher, Ph.D. IEE RAS Yachmennikova Anna: “This time only one young male named Chermen was released, but, nevertheless, this event is remarkable. This is the eighth animal released in this region, it is quite large and weighed 61 kg when released, and it is only two years old. Its genetics are new for the region and for the Russian Caucasus as a whole; for the first time, a descendant of a pair received by Russia from Sweden 3 years ago was released with the assistance of the international community of IUCN and EAZA. In total, to date, 4 females and 4 males have been released in Ossetia, the sex ratio is balanced.” According to information received from senior researcher, Ph.D. IEE RAS Jose Antonio Hernandez-Blanco, responsible for installing transmitters on animals and the information coming from them: “Transmitters on the collars of a female named Achipse released earlier in the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve (Krasnodar Territory) and her brother Chermen released in North Ossetia Achipse) work properly. The animals began to settle into their new space, make their first short journeys, and recovered safely after transportation and release.” The head of the scientific part of the leopard restoration project in the Caucasus is Academician of RAS, Professor Vyacheslav Rozhnov, who takes part in each release of animals, commented on the event: “Such regular releases are necessary to restore the leopard group in the Central Caucasus and revive the biological information field along the distribution routes of these cats; this is a comprehensive and extensive work to restore the lost ecosystem link. The experience of monitoring previously released animals has proven the sufficiency of the natural food supply to ensure the successful settlement of leopards. Cats can successfully develop and form their own individual areas in the natural areas they like, passing along migratory routes that have existed since ancient times, even to other regions. Thus, the animals released last year have mastered the transition to Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya, where they successfully hunt wild boars and roe deer, the collars still work on them and we, of course, have a unique array of information on the spatial ecology of these cats.” The program for the restoration (reintroduction) of the Central Asian leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, the Ossetia-Alania Protected Natural Area, the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolutio RAS, A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS, the Moscow Zoo, as well as with the assistance of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Financing of monitoring and activities for the release of the Central Asian leopard in North Ossetia is carried out with the support of the business company RusHydro, as well as EcoEnergy Group and the Ecological Region of Alanya. Related materials: RAS: “As part of the project for the reintroduction of Caucasian leopards into the forests ofOssetia, the eighth leopard has been released”