Scientists from IEE RAS, together with colleagues from Kazan Federal University, described two species of benthic copepods of the order Harpacticoida new to science from water bodies of the Arctic Middle Siberia. Bryocamptus putoranus (Novikov, Sharafutdinova & Chertoprud, 2023) is now known for the mountain lakes of the Putorana Plateau, and Bryocamptus abramovae is known for the thermokarst lakes of the southern Lena Delta (Novikov, Sharafutdinova & Chertoprud, 2023). It is interesting that the last of the species is also noted in the lakes of Wrangel Island. The described species stand out against the background of previously known details of the structure of the limbs, the location of integumentary sensilla and pores, and the ornamentation of swimming legs. The two new species of Bryocamptus differ significantly from each other in the structure of the prehensile antennae of the males, although the structure of the furcal branches of the females, which the males grasp with these antennae, is similar. This fact may indicate the convergence of modifications of furcal branches of females, while significant differences in male antennules illustrate the origin of species from different ancestral forms. Fig.1 Habitats of Bryocamptus species new to science (right): thermokarst lakes in the Lena River delta (above); drainless lake on the Putorana Plateau (below) Photographer: Sadchikov IP; author of the drawing: Novikov A.A. Fig.2 Location of regions in which new species of Harpacticoida have been discovered Attention is drawn to the high diversity and specificity of the fauna of copepods in the reservoirs of the Lena River delta and the Putorana Plateau. Findings (previous and present) of a significant number of species new to science, as well as the presence of elements from more southern regions, indicate the relict nature of the fauna. The main reason for the presence of a significant number of endemic taxa in the region is that the north of Central Siberia was not completely covered by the last Pleistocene glaciation. On the Putorana Plateau, ice domes lay only on plateaus, and in the Lena Delta, glaciation had the character of firn snowfields. Thus, the ancient fauna had the opportunity to be preserved in refugia, and today the north of Central Siberia is home to copepods, contemporary to mammoths. There is a hypothesis that the microcrustaceans of the north of Central Siberia are a fragment of the fauna of the ancient land of Beringia, which is currently partially flooded by the World Ocean. The discovery of the same species of Bryocamptus abramovae in the Lena River delta and on Wrangel Island confirms this assumption. Novikov A., Sharafutdinova D., Chertoprud E. 2023. Two new species of Bryocamptus (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Russian Arctic, comparison with Bryocamptus minutus and full analysis of interspecies differences // ZooKeys. 1138: 89-141. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1138.90580 Related materials: Ministry of Education and Science: "Russian scientists have discovered new types ofcrustaceans in the Arctic" Forpost Sevastopol.ru: "KFU scientists have discovered new species of crustaceans in theArctic" Fishnews: "Arctic crustaceans gave science new discoveries" World News 24: "Several new species of crustaceans discovered in the Arctic" ECO portal: "Two species of crustaceans discovered in the Arctic" Dzen of the Ministry of Education and Science: "Russian scientists have discovered newtypes of crustaceans in the Arctic"

Scientists, including employees of IEE RAS, evaluated the effect of the floor height of a residential building on the amount and composition of urban dust reaching its windows. For this, the analysis included the dust accumulated over 6 months on the surface of the windows of a 17-storey building, facing a busy road. In total, 41 windows with a total area of more than 38 m² were studied. It turned out that the amount of dust linearly decreases by 6 times from 386 mg/m² on the 3rd floor to 63 mg/m² on the 17th floor (height difference is 42 m). With increasing height, a sharp decrease in the proportion of particles larger than 0.25 mm is observed due to an increase in the amount of particles of 0.01-0.05 mm. Particles larger than 2 mm do not rise above the third floor; particles larger than 1 mm do not rise above the 9th floor. The proportion of the most physiologically dangerous fine particles (less than 0.01 mm) does not change with height. The chemical composition of dust also does not change with altitude. According to the composition of macrocomponents (organics, Si, Ca, S, Fe, Al), window dust is similar to road dust collected near the house. However, window dust is distinguished from ground dust by a higher content of sulfur (27 times), sodium (15 times), zinc (10 times) and copper (6 times). Based on the elemental composition of dust, it can be concluded that window dust is a mixture of soil cover and rubber tires. At the same time, the share of tires is much higher than in road dust. This is most likely due to the greater sedimentation of silica compared to rubber particles. The dust does not contain a noticeable amount of exhaust markers from automobile engines, brakes, thermal power plants, metallurgical and printing industries. Interestingly, the elimination of leaded gasoline led to the complete disappearance of excess lead from the dust. In general, the studied window dust shows a very low industrial load. Thus, increasing the residential floor in Moscow reduces the amount of incoming dust by half for every 4-5 floors. The relative content of hazardous granulometric fractions and heavy metals does not change with height. Nikolaeva Olga, Kuznetsova Tatiana, Karpukhin Mikhail, Vecherskii Maxim Elemental composition of sediments on exterior window surfaces along vertical gradient in Moscow // Science of the Total Environment https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153999

Pond slider. Photo by E.S. Malafeeva Biological invasion is the introduction of alien organisms into new regions of the planet. A new type of biological invasion was described when studying the macroecology of the freshwater red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), which is native to North America. This terrapin is sold in pet shops. Young terrapins are small and brightly colored, making them very attractive to young aquarists. However, these animals grow quickly, and larger individuals require more space, are less pretty, more aggressive and may even bite. Releasing them into a nearby pond is a common way to get rid of an annoying pet. Due to terrapin frequent release into water bodies, this reptile is now recorded on every continent except Antarctica. In new regions, this terrapin demonstrates a negative impact on native species; it eradicates larval and adult amphibians, and kills hatchlings of native terrapins and ducklings. Pseudopopulation of the red-eared turtle. Photo by A.N. Reshetnikov The study has been carried out across the entire continent of Eurasia. This ambitious project required the participation of local scientists from 26 different scientific institutes, ranging from European part of Russia to the Far East, as well as scientists from other countries in Europe and Asia. A total of 59 co-authors from 20 countries contributed to the study. Through joint coordinated work, data on the geographical distribution and ecology of the red-eared slider in natural water bodies across Eurasia have been collected. Distribution of the red-eared turtle in Eurasia Scientists from IEE RAS prepared a unique and extensive database on the ecology of the red-eared slider and analyzed the information collected. It was found that the area of geographical distribution, the range of successful wintering and the range of successful reproduction of the red-eared slider do not coincide. The invasive status of a biological species implies 1) naturalization, i.e., the establishment of populations, and 2) a significant negative impact on native species or even entire ecosystems. Therefore, for this reptile, invasive status, in the strict sense, has not been confirmed for most territories of Eurasia, because confirmed established populations have only been recorded in a few regions of the continent. However, taking into account the huge number of releases into the wild, the ability of individuals to survive in suboptimal conditions, their long lifespan (up to 30 years), the increase in numbers (without reproduction) due to progressive releases and the continuing large-scale geographical expansion, this freshwater reptile has invasive status even without establishing self-sustaining populations in areas where it is capable of surviving more than one year. Because of the absence of such an important feature as established populations, this new type of invasion may be defined as "conditional invasion". This can be applied to a given reptile within the area of successful overwintering, excluding the area of successful reproduction. Reshetnikov Andrey Nikolaevich, IPEE RAS ”The investigation is of practical relevance because we propose that a cost-effective conservation strategy against the red-eared slider in large countries with a variety of climatic zones may differ for three geographical areas: 1) area of true invasion (within potential reproduction range), 2) area of conditional invasion (within potential wintering range but outside potential reproduction range), and 3) area without potential for reproduction and wintering. Nevertheless, some protective measures (i.e., banning of import and trade) are effective only on an all-country level and therefore must be applied at national levels”, – the study's principal investigator, Andrey Reshetnikov, PhD, a senior researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told. Andrey Reshetnikov on the expedition The results have been published in the international journal NeoBiota (JCR IF4.2; Q1). Reshetnikov A.N., Zibrova M.G., Ayaz D., Bhattarai S., Borodin O.V., Borzée A., Brejcha J., Çiçek K., Dimaki M., Doronin I.V., Drobenkov S.M., Gichikhanova U.A., Gladkova A.Y., Gordeev D.A., Ioannidis Y., Ilyukh M.P., Interesova E.A., Jadhav T.D., Karabanov D.P., Khabibullin V.F., Khabilov T.K., Khan M.M.H., Kidov A.A., Klimov A.S., Kochetkov D.N., Kolbintsev V.G., Kuzmin S.L., Lotiev K.Y., Louppova N.E., Lvov V.D., Lyapkov S.M., Martynenko I.M., Maslova I.V., Masroor R., Mazanaeva L.F., Milko D.A., Milto K.D., Mozaffari O., Nguyen T.Q., Novitsky R.V., Petrovskiy A.B., Prelovskiy V.A., Serbin V.V., Shi H-t., Skalon N.V., Struijk R.P.J.H., Taniguchi M., Tarkhnishvili D., Tsurkan V.F., Tyutenkov O.Y., Ushakov M.V., Vekhov D.A., Xiao F., Yakimov A.V., Yakovleva T.I., Yang P., Zeleev D.F., Petrosyan V.G., 2023. Rarely naturalized, but widespread and even invasive: the paradox of a popular pet terrapin expansion in Eurasia. NeoBiota 81: 91–27. Related materials: RT на русском: "«Эффективная стратегия контроля»: учёные прояснили картину экспансии американских красноухих черепах в Евразии" Научная Россия: "Домашние черепахи захватили Евразию с двух сторон" Вокруг света: "Остановить вторжение: как красноухие черепахи стали захватчиками по вине людей" Российский Научный Фонд: "«Эффективная стратегия контроля»: ученые прояснили картину экспансии американских красноухих черепах в Евразии" XX2 век: "Как домашние черепахи захватили Евразию" Новые Известия: "Эволюция поневоле: домашние черепахи захватывают Евразию с двух сторон"

The Asian mollusk Corbicula fluminea is one of the most successful invaders in freshwater ecosystems. They settled far beyond the borders of East and Southeast Asia - their native range - and spread in the waters of North, Central and South America and in Europe. At the same time, scientists noticed a pattern: if in the European zone of invasions, corbiculae are free from any “cohabitants”, while in the native area the shell cavity often becomes an incubator for insect larvae, as well as water mites and parasitic trematode worms. The role of a refuge for insects is unlikely to have any effect on the fertility of these unpretentious hermaphrodite corbiculae. At least, this is demonstrated by the example of two new endemic species of mayflies, previously unknown to science, recently discovered by Russian scientists in Laos and Thailand. The larvae of winged insects were found in corbicula living in the Mun and Sein Kapo rivers. The new species were named Symbiocloeon corbiculinus and Symbiocloeon laoensis. This is the first case of discovery of mayflies in corbiculae recorded by science. "Studio apartment tenants" Dmitry Palatov, Senior Researcher at the Synecology Laboratory of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), says that the first representatives of the genus Symbiocloeon were discovered in 1979, and only two of their species have been known to date. Both developed inside the shells of very large mollusks, the corbicula being much smaller. Previously scientists did not consider the possibility of symbiotic fauna within corbicula: it is unlikely that someone larger than nematodes lives in compact shells. Therefore, the fact of such a find is already surprising in itself. Director of the N.P. Laverov Institute of Biogeography and Genetic Resources of the Federal Research Center for the Comprehensive Study of the Arctic of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FITsKIA Ural Branch of RAS, Arkhangelsk) Yulia Bespalaya notes a trend: in the overwhelming majority of cases of discovered symbiotic relationships, there is only one insect larva per mollusk individual. A kind of evolutionarily adjusted load, which gives the mayflies, rather, the status of a commensal cohabitant (whose owner receives neither harm nor benefit), rather than a harmful parasite. In the language of housing and communal services, a tolerable tenant of a studio apartment. – Mayfly larvae attach themselves to the area of corbicula gills, which is obviously due to the fact that oxygen saturation and nutrition in this part of the mollusk body is the highest, – says Yulia Bespalaya. – At the same time, the gills of mayflies are enlarged compared to free- living species. Gill filaments grow somewhat - mayflies receive more oxygen. According to Dmitry Palatov, the chitinization of the gills is weakened in the larvae - they are very soft and wide. The oral appendages are strongly modified - softened and expanded. It seems that with such a configuration it is easier to feed on fragments of organic matter from the gills. Their limbs are noticeably weakened - definitely not fit for swimming effectively. They are barely able to glide over the body of the mollusk. Deprived of "combat equipment" In the larvae of mayflies found in Laos and Thailand, the external structure is modified for the comfort of the host. The development of molluscs on soft structures under the protection of a strong thick-walled shell influenced their appearance: they lost (some partially and some completely) almost all the rigid elements of their external structure - strong bristles, spines and microscales. – The body of a common mayfly larva is completely covered with such microstructures. The species described by us got rid of such attributes almost completely - there is a minimum of surface chitinous structures, - emphasizes Dmitry Palatov. “They look like little soft pouches on the gills of a clam. – New species of mayflies do not have the same “combat equipment” as free-living species, since they reside in the cavity of mollusks, which can be injured and harm the host, – believes Alexander Kropotin, junior researcher at the Museum of Biodiversity Centers of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Scientists are convinced that in different regions of Southeast and East Asia - Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and North Korea - there are many species of symbiocleons still unknown to science. There is a lot of work to be done in this direction. Especially when you consider that it is still unknown what adult winged individuals look like, how they leave the mollusk and where they lay their eggs. The family ties of symbiocleons are also a mystery. From which group of free-living mayflies they originated, scientists cannot yet say with confidence. The article about the symbiotic relationship between mayflies and corbiculae was published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. You can download the article in pdf format here. Related materials: Scientific Russia: "Shells with a surprise: zoologists of the Laverov Center and IEE RASstudy the symbiotic relationships of freshwater species of Asian fauna"

Fig.1 Mature males of representatives of the species group Nothobranchius ugandensis. The coloration of males is species-specific and is an important diagnostic feature for Notobranchius. Researchers from IEE RAS, Ph.D. E.Yu. Krysanov and Ph.D. S.A. Simanovsky, together with colleagues from France, Canada, and the Czech Republic, studied the differentiation of karyotypes in the group of Nothobranchius ugandensis, which includes 12 valid species. In addition to cytogenetic data for each of the 12 species, a complete set of phylogenetic and biogeographic data was also analyzed. Fig.2 Karyotypes of seven notobranchius species that were first studied cytogenetically in this work Fig.3 Phylogenetic tree based on the analysis of two mitochondrial genes, with cytogenetic and biogeographic data included The researchers showed that the N. ugandensis species group is characterized by a conservative diploid number of chromosomes 2n = 36, but a varying number of chromosome arms NF = 46–64, which suggested a significant role of pericentric inversions and/or other types of centromere reposition in the evolution of the genomes of this species in this group. It is noteworthy that while the karyotypes of many other species of the genus Nothobranchius have differentiated by chromosome fusions and splits (2n within the genus varies from 16 to 50), the N. ugandensis species group retains a stable 2n, and karyotype differentiation seems to have been limited to intrachromosomal restructuring. One of the most interesting conclusions of the work was that the cytogenetic characteristics did not show any correlation either with phylogenetic relationships or with the features of the distribution of the ranges of the studied species. The authors suggest that the main factor in the fixation of chromosomal rearrangements in this case is genetic drift; however, further studies are needed to assess the impact of putative multiple inversions on genome evolution and their possible role in local adaptations. The work was published in Comparative Cytogenetics (SJR Q2, IF = 1.079): Krysanov E.Yu., Nagy B., Watters B.R., Sember A., Simanovsky S.A. (2023) Karyotype differentiation in the Nothobranchius ugandensis species group (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes), seasonal fishes from the east African inland plateau, in the context of phylogeny and biogeography. Comparative Cytogenetics 7(1): 13–29. https://doi.org/10.3897/compcytogen.v7.i1.97165

One of the mountain swamps of Kabardino-Balkaria and testate amoebae living in it: Arcella discoides, A. catinus, Padaungiela lageniformis (from left to right) Photographers: Chertoprud E.S. and Esaulov A.S. Understanding the nature of interactions between different ecological and taxonomic groups of living organisms in ecosystems is the most important task of ecology. This issue is of particular interest in relation to the interactions between the aboveground and soil components of ecosystems. Scientists from M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University together with colleagues from the A.N. Severtsov RAS (Moscow) studied the influence of macro- (geographical position) and microenvironment (water hydrochemistry and temperature), as well as the composition of vegetation (including vascular plants and bryophytes) on the species structure of testate amoebae communities. The study was carried out on relic upland sphagnum bogs of the North Caucasus, located at altitudes of more than 1600 m above sea level. Swamps covered with sphagnum mosses are often found on the plains, but are rare in the mountains. In the Caucasus, the fauna of such reservoirs has been studied very poorly. In North Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria there are more than a dozen small swamps, usually located on flat or slightly concave sections of the slopes of mountain ranges. The largest swamp, Chifandzar, is located at the headwaters of the Kharesidon River in North Ossetia. The study made it possible to discover a strong relationship between testate amoeba communities and swamp vegetation. Characteristically, the composition of mosses, which form a complex structured habitat for microorganisms, determined the composition of amoebae to the greatest extent. The influence of the composition of the flora on testate amoebae was comparable to the influence of geographical location and exceeded the influence of local abiotic conditions. Apparently, vegetation is a complex ecological factor which reflects the sum of environmental conditions affecting testate amoebae in a separate biotope. Further research should clarify how true this hypothesis is and deepen the understanding of the relationship between biotic and abiotic components in raised bogs. The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 19-14-00102. Tsyganov A.N., Chertoprud E.S., Mazei N.G., Esaulov A.S., Sadchikov I.P., Mazei Y.A. 2023. The effects of vegetation and environmental variables on testate amoeba assemblages in Sphagnum peatlands in the Northern Caucasus Mountains // Diversity. 15, 258. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020258 Related materials: Science and Life: "Amoebic Preferences"

Leopards released in July 2022 in the Republic of North Ossetia continue to explore the Central Caucasus. Having traveled most of the territory of North Ossetia, they headed west: the male Leo and female Laura left for Kabardino-Balkaria and, judging by the data we receive, are adapting well. The process of habitat formation is entering a new phase; it is too early to talk about their stabilization. The female Hosta remains faithful to the Ossetian mountains, now exploring the southern direction. The results of processing data from GPS-collars, the coordinates from which we regularly receive, confirm that Khosta remains a record-breaking traveler - since her release she has already walked 991 km across the mountain slopes, foothills and low forests of Ossetia. The area mastered by her, in which she freely navigates, is now 1592 square kilometers: it covers Digorsky and Alagirsky districts and the district of Vladikavkaz. In spite of her attachment to forested gorges and red deer (she successfully hunted them in Tsey Reserve), Khosta decided to visit the southern part of the North-Ossetian Reserve and continues moving in the direction of the NP Alania. As she moves south, her preference for low forests changes to heights of about 1000-1500 m. Approximately every 100 km Khosta climbs a peak or ridge to have a good look around. The highest elevation to which she climbed was 2,488 m, all other climbs were limited to 2,000 m above sea level. During the "winter period" Khosta has already covered a greater distance than during the snow-free period - 562 and 429 km, respectively. The leopard is in excellent shape, as evidenced by the data we received from the camera traps. She feeds regularly and in abundance. So far we have checked 27 places where Khosta hunted. In spite of the fact that her diet consists primarily of small prey (badgers, jackals, raccoon dogs), she successfully hunted wild ungulates (deer, roe deer). On January 9, 2023, Leo crossed the border of Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria, at the same time conquering a height of 3200 m above sea level. So far, he has chosen to explore the highest mountains of all leopards released in the Central Caucasus. In Kabardino-Balkaria, Leo prefers wild boars as winter food (he has already caught at least 5 wild boars in a month). It cannot be said that he traveled a lot in Kabardino-Balkaria - during the time spent there, he walked only 130 km and mastered a space of 116 sq. km, while he walked 548 km through the territory of Ossetia, and the area that he mastered there was 796 sq. km. In general, Leo prefers the path of least resistance: apart from climbing above 3,000 m a.s.l., he prefers altitudes no more than 1,000 m a.s.l. According to the data from the camera traps, Leo feeds very well (Fig. 1). Laura showed interest for Kabardino-Balkaria twice. The first time she crossed the border before the new year (December 24, 2022), after which she returned to Ossetia (January 24, 2023), and the second time she left for Kabardino-Balkaria on January 29, where she remains to this day. Interestingly, Laura used the same ecological corridor for the transition from Ossetia to Kabardino-Balkaria which was once used by the female Volna, released in Ossetia in 2018. Laura did not meet Leo, despite the fact that she was moving from the north to the south, and Leo, after conquering the heights in the south, on the contrary, went north. At this time, there were moments when the cats were relatively close to each other (they were separated by no more than 4-5 km), but there was still no face-to-face meeting. Laura traveled 268 km through the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria and mastered an area of almost 400 sq. km, while in Ossetia her total track was 548 km, and the area was 652 sq. km. Among her latest prey are three wild boars, a raccoon dog and a wild Caucasian forest cat. It should be noted that Laura explores valleys and slopes most carefully, keeping a long distance from settlements - she never came closer than 3 km to them. At the moment there is no direct capture from camera traps, but there is no doubt that Laura is healthy and able, otherwise she would not have hunted for difficult prey like wild boars so successfully. The program for the restoration (reintroduction) of the Caucasian (Persian) leopard in the Caucasus is being implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia with the participation of the Sochi National Park, the Caucasian Reserve, the North Ossetian Reserve, the World Fund for Nature, the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, A.K. Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS, 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 the monitoring of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus is funded by supporters of the World Fund for Nature, business companies RusHydro and EcoEnergy. Fig. 1 Moments of relaxation of Leo's after a meal. Fig. 2 Height profile of the trajectory of leopards: (a) Khosta; (b) Leo; (c) Laura. For successful hunting, all three leopards prefer twilight and hunt mainly at dusk (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. Time of the leopard hunt

Photo: Astrakhan 24 The saiga, born in May 2022, was released into its natural habitat in the Stepnoy reserve in the Limansky district three months ago. Before being released into semi-free conditions, the male of the relic antelope was equipped with a device with the function of video recording and data transmission. It is needed for remote monitoring of the saiga population of the North-Western Caspian region, which is carried out by scientists from the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Last week, the male was in the coverage area of cellular transmission. Institute specialists received a report on its movement from the moment of issue until December 25, 2022. These studies have shown that the young saiga actively moves around the territory of the reserve and stays with the herd. The project for remote monitoring of the saiga population has been implemented since 2020. All animals are marked with transmitters before being released into the territory of the Stepnoy Reserve. Saigas are raised and researched under the state program "Environmental Protection of the Astrakhan Region".

On the eve of the consideration by the State Duma Committee on Ecology of the draft law No. 288302-8 “On the Development of the Russian Federation”, the Interregional Public Organization “Expert Council on Reserve Affairs” addressed an opinion on the inadmissibility of adopting this draft law in the presented version to Dmitry Kobylkin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. The bill was submitted to the State Duma by Deputy Viktor Pinsky. The draft law does not define who, in what order and by what criteria determines the “significance” or other grounds for the abolition of protected areas. This means that if the bill is adopted, the boundaries of any specially protected natural areas of regional importance (which make up more than 80% of all Russian protected areas, and their area - more than 50% of the total area of all protected areas) may be cut or the protected areas themselves may be abolished. According to the Expert Council, the adoption of the draft law entails the risk of destruction of specially protected natural complexes, violation of Russia's international obligations and deterioration of the ecological state of many regions of Russia. The draft law contradicts the current legislation and runs counter to such conceptual documents as the Environmental Doctrine of the Russian Federation and the Environmental Security Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025. Due to the vagueness of the wording cited as grounds for the abolition or reduction of the boundaries of protected areas, the draft law carries corruption risks and threats to the implementation of commercial projects in specially protected natural areas of regional significance. Thus, in the conclusion of the Expert Council, examples are given when the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia has repeatedly agreed on controversial decisions of regional authorities that threaten the integrity of protected areas and protected natural complexes, as well as examples of regional protected areas that are already threatened by various nature-destroying projects. If the bill is adopted, the number of such decisions and threats to protected areas may increase many times over. Experts point out that the bill hinders the implementation of international conventions and agreements ratified by the Russian Federation, in particular, the Kunming-Montreal Declaration, adopted in December 2022 and supported by Russia, according to which by 2030 the area of protected areas should reach 30% of the land and sea. Among those who signed the conclusion of the Expert Council on the reserve case on the inadmissibility of adopting the draft law No. 288302-8 “On Amending Article 2 of the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories” in the presented version are Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.V. Rozhnov; corresponding members of the RAS B.A. Voronov, V.I. Danilov-Danilyan, N.V. Lukina, A.A. Sirin, A.A. Tishkov; professors at Moscow State University Lomonosov A.A. Romanov and A.V. Khoroshev; Professor of Perm State University S.A. Buzmakov; Honored Ecologists of the Russian Federation - Doctor of Geography E.A. Shvarts, Doctor of Biology Yu.A. Gorshkov, Doctor of Biology, A.N. Kudakin, Doctor of Biology B.S. Tuniev, M.N. P. Novikov, M.V. Onufrenya, V.B. Stepanitsky, Yu.A. Darman, Chairman of the Commission on Ecology and Environment of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation E.A. Sharoikina, Director of the Ecological and Educational Center "Zapovedniki" N.R. national parks "Reserved Russia" R.T.Bakirova, Director of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, Doctor of Biology M.V.Kalyakin, President of the Union for the Protection of Birds of Russia V.N.Melnikov, President of the Russian Society for the Preservation and Study of Birds A.S.Mishchenko, V.Yu. Ilyashenko, Head of the Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory of the A.N. Severtsov IEE, E.V. Khamenkova, Deputy Director of the Institute of Biological Problems of the North, E.Borovichev, Deputy Director General of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, well-known professionals - heads of regional directorates of protected areas O.N. Kanishcheva, T .V.Kovaleva, Ya.S.Sivtsev. Read the text of the appeal

Scientists of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences took part in the preparation of the next edition of the Red Book of the city of Moscow. This is the first edition after the expansion of the territory of the capital, which increased by 2.4 times after the accession to it in 2012 of the areas of the so-called "New Moscow" (TiNAO). The annexed territory is intensively built up, quickly fragmented, and this process, according to expert estimates, may soon lead to the loss of up to 60% of forests. In Moscow, the transformation of parks continues, even in protected areas within the Moscow Ring Road, which is accompanied by the destruction of undergrowth, the removal of fallen leaves, old-growth trees, and the massive laying of bike paths and sidewalks. All this negatively affects the survival of animals in the city, depriving many species of places suitable for burrows and shelters, as well as leading to depletion of the food supply (insects and other invertebrates, fruits and seeds). Common toad The modern theriofauna of Moscow includes at least 43 species of mammals belonging to 6 orders. It is hardly possible to determine the exact number of species, since systematic censuses of the animal population are not carried out. The previous edition of the Red Book of the city of Moscow included 16 species of mammals belonging to 5 orders - European hedgehog, Eurasian water shrew, Brandt's bat, Daubenton’s bat, common long-eared bat, Nathusius’s pipistrelle, common noctule, parti-coloured bat, stoat, least weasel, black polecat, mountain hare, European hare, hazel dormouse, birch mouse, water vole. All of these species are included in the new edition. In addition, 8 more species of mammals have been added to the Red Book. These are European badger, pine and beech martens, flying squirrel, common beaver, harvest mouse, yellow-necked mouse and common hamster. Thus, in the new edition of the Red Book there are now 24 species of mammals, which is already more than 50% of the species composition of the city's theriofauna.The conservation status of a number of species has been changed to more threatened, but it is not yet clear whether this is due to a decline in their numbers or just additional information received. The theriofauna of the TiNAO, in comparison with the "old" Moscow, is much less studied. Further monitoring studies are needed to clarify the status of mammal species in the annexed territory, in particular, badger, pine and beech martens, flying squirrels, harvest mice, yellow-necked mice, etc. Employees of the IEE RAS examined all districts of the capital and made a detailed inventory of the habitats of reptiles and reservoirs - breeding grounds for amphibians. New, previously unrecorded, habitats were discovered. Detailed work was carried out with museum collections of both Russian and foreign museums, which store collections of reptiles and amphibians from Moscow. According to the results of the work, 6 species of reptiles and 8 species of amphibians are listed in the 3rd edition of the Red Book of the city of Moscow. Baby mouse The expansion of the boundaries of Moscow made it possible to include in the composition of the fauna of the city the rarest species of snakes - the non-poisonous smooth snake, previously noted only in the Moscow region. The common viper, previously considered extinct on the territory of Moscow, has been repeatedly noted here in recent years, which served as the basis for entering it into the Red Book of Moscow. For the first time in decades, populations of the common spadefoot were identified in the city, which was considered extinct here until the early 1990s. Breeding reservoirs of the crested newt, a species that was also considered extinct for the territory inside the Moscow Ring Road, were discovered in this search. However, these species, along with the green toad, are exceptionally rare and endangered. Another species of amphibians - the fire-bellied toad - according to the results of the study, has to be considered presumably extinct in the city. The new edition includes 16 species of fish, including three new species, such as sterlet. This fish of the sturgeon family in former times was common in rivers in Moscow, but later practically disappeared due to water pollution. In recent years, a slight recovery of the sterlet population is due to the release into the Moskva River of juveniles grown at the Mozhaisk experimental fish hatchery. The conservation status of many animals in Moscow has been upgraded due to degradation and destruction of habitats and population decline. Among the "traditional" reasons for the decline of animal populations in the urban environment (such as pollution, fragmentation or disappearance of habitats, inbreeding of the remaining individuals, hunting by domestic animals), new negative factors are now increasingly relevant. From the second half of the twentieth century, the role of alien species is increasing. For example, an important reason for the suppression of amphibian populations on the territory of Moscow was the widespread distribution of the invasive sleeper fish (Perccottus glenii), introduced into the water bodies of the European part of Russia from the Far East. This fish actively destroys tadpoles, and reservoirs previously suitable for breeding newts and frogs cease to be such. The release of another invasive animal into the city ponds by amateurs is also a cause of concern - the North American pond slider, which, like the sleeper, is included in the list of the Top 100 invasive species most dangerous for the ecosystems of Russia. An insufficiently studied factor is the spread and role of diseases, including the invasive species - amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which caused the decline of many amphibian populations in different parts of the world, including Europe. All species of reptiles and amphibians, a number of representatives of other groups of animals that are listed in the Red Book of Moscow, need urgent measures aimed at preserving their populations. The conservation of these animals in the urban environment is possible only with the adoption of a special urban program. Without taking a number of special measures, these species may disappear from the fauna of Moscow. Thus, the Red Book is not only an important government document that establishes the status of a species, but also a tool for solving many biological problems of the species inhabiting the city.