Biosystems Diversity (E-Journal - Dnipro National University)
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Meander reshaping – the formation process of a wintering riverbed depression of fish
Get PDFThe study of the spatiotemporal distribution of fish is an important and poorly studied aspect of the ecology of aquatic organisms. The research work was performed using the modern hydroacoustic method and geographic information systems. A section in the lower reaches of the Irtysh, a large transboundary Siberian river (in Western Siberia, Russian Federation), was studied. It has a strong development of meandering. The merging (i.e., reshaping of closely spaced meanders and erosion-accumulating channel processes) results in development of wintering riverbed depression, which is a critical “temporal bottleneck” during the winter period of the fish life cycle. The average density of fish in the study area in summer and autumn was 8,031 and 9,194 individuals per ha, respectively. Analysis of the distribution of fish showed that the distribution in the horizontal aspect had a more aggregated character in the autumn. In the vertical aspect, it had a more surface (pelagic) character. The ichthyofauna in the water area of the riverbed depression is mainly represented by cyprinids. The loop-shaped evolution of the channel formed a section of the river with multidirectional, circulating, and counter-current flows. It also created zones with depths exceeding 20 m and aggregations of fish. These features characterize the studied water area as a wintering riverbed depression of the fish of the Lower Irtysh. This section of the river should be included in the list of protected wintering biotopes of fish in the West Siberian fishery basin, which will ensure the conservation of fish at the critical stage of the life cycle
An overview of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina (Amphi-bia, Anura) in the Volga River Basin
Get PDFThe helminthofauna of Bombina bombina (Linnaeus, 1761) has been studied to an unequal degree in different parts of the habitat. Thus, it has been studied in more detail in the west of its range (in the countries of central and eastern Europe) and in less detail in the center (in Belarus and Ukraine). There were few data on helminths of this host in the east of its range (in Russia). For the first time, an inventory of the helminthofauna in B. bombina was carried out for populations in the Volga River Basin. The results of our own research are presented and supplemented with information from other authors. We summarized scattered data on helminths from 390 specimens of amphibians collected over more than 40 years in the territory of five regions: Kaluga and Samara regions, the Republics of Mordovia, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The helminthofauna includes 21 species from three classes: Trematoda (15), Chromadorea (5) and Clitellata (1). For each species, we give the systematic position, localization, places of detection, geographical distribution and characteristics of the life cycle. The leech Helobdella stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) was first recorded in the European fire-bellied toad in Europe. Four species of trematodes are new to this amphibian species in Russia: Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932), Paralepoderma cloacicola (Luhe, 1909), larvae, Tylodelphys excavata (Rudolphi, 1803), larvae and Astiotrema monticelli (Stossich, 1904), larvae. Another species of trematode – Strigea strigis (Schrank, 1788), larvae – was first recorded in this host within the boundaries of the Volga Basin. A specific parasite is the trematode Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932). The number and composition of the species of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad vary in different regions; the structure of the helminth fauna is generally stable and includes three groups of species: adult and larval stages of trematodes, adult nematodes-geohelminths. The results of the study create a database for further population studies and contribute to the development of ideas about the distribution and formation of the amphibian helminth fauna in Europe, Russia and the Volga Basin
Soluble curcumin ameliorates motility, adhesiveness and abrogate parthanatos in cadmium-exposed retinal pigment epithelial cells
Get PDFCadmium (Cd) is a nonessential transition metal and one of the most toxic environmental pollutants. Industrial, agricultural and urban activities are the main sources of Cd environmental contamination. Multiple deleterious effects of Cd exposure were reported for different cell types and living organisms in a great number of research papers. Cd bioaccumulation hazard is mediated by the relatively long half-life of this metal in an organism. For example, in mammals its half-life lasts for about 10–30 years. Cd exposure affects many tissues. However, some of them, including the central nervous system and sensory organs, are most susceptible to its toxicity. The harmful effects of Cd could be linked to oxidative stress generation and consequently intracellular signalling disruption. Since Cd induces redox imbalance the antioxidants could be a prospective tool to ameliorate Cd cytotoxicity. In present work, we have studied the protective efficacy of soluble curcumin on Cd-caused retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells viability, reactive oxygen species production, adhesive and extracellular matrix proteins expression, cell migration and parthanatos level. Low dose (5 µM) of soluble curcumin ameliorated all aforementioned indices of Cd-induced cytotoxicity. Curcumin has restored the RPE cells motility as well as fibronectin and E-cadherin expression. Therefore, the modulation of RPE adhesiveness could be regarded as a cytoprotective effect of curcumin. Furthermore, Cd-caused poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) suppression and cleaved PARP-1 upregulation were ameliorated by curcumin exposure. Therefore, the protective effect of soluble curcumin could be related, at least partially, to the modulation of PARP activity and inhibition of parthanatos flux. The observed results have demonstrated that low doses of soluble curcumin are a promising tool to protect RPE cells against Cd-caused retinal injury
Modeling the bioclimatic range of Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in conditions of global climate change
Get PDFAt present, climate change significantly affects living organisms on the planet, leading to transformations in their niches, ranges and abundance. The aim of our work was to forecast the range of the representative of the large family Carabidae, famous for its indicative characters, richness and importance in soil communities. We used 19 bioclimatic variables of Bioclim according to our own data and the data of GBIF with the help of the MaxEnt program. We used 550 coordinates of ground beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) records. We distinguished the potential range the species studied and drew prognostic maps of the species’ distribution related to climate change according to four scenarios. Mean annual temperatures and the mean temperature in the warmest and the coldest quarters of the year were the major factors affecting spatial distribution of P. melanarius. Visualization of potential range according to RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 6.0 scenarios predicted range reduction by 2050 but its recovery by 2070. According to RCP 8.5 scenario, the range of the species studied will be significantly transformed: by 2070 the range will shift towards the north-west in the continental European states but to the northeast – in the coastal states. By 2070 almost all southern territories of Europe will become unsuitable for P. melanarius survival. The most visible changes will be the shift in range to the north in the eastern part of the European plain. The comfort conditions for P. melanarius decrease in mountain regions including the Alps, Carpathians, Caucasus and Urals. By 2070, the cenotic optimum significantly decreases on the Balkan Peninsula. Thus, a sharp reduction in Southern European and Mediterranean populations is predicted
Biodiversity of the Regional Landscape Park Samara Plavni within the first large reservoir in Europe Biodiversity of the Regional Landscape Park Samara Plavni within the first large reservoir in Europe
No full textThe creation of reservoirs in river valleys for the accumulation of fresh water has been and remains an important issue around the world. This process has both positive and negative consequences for people and nature. Significant changes in the regime of rivers and their valleys, flooding of meadows and forests, flooding of soils and changes in the composition of flora and fauna of adjacent territories are taking place. In this article, we consider the restoration of the biodiversity of a site of disturbed lands after the creation of one of the first large reservoirs in Europe – the Dnieper (Zaporozhe) on the River Dnieper, which has existed since 1933. The territory of the Samara floodplains was formed on the floodplain of the mouth of the Samara River, as a result of which the territories of various forest, meadow and bog biotopes were flooded. For almost 90 years, new biotopes have been developing, and populations of plant and animal species, especially waterfowl, have been renewed and enriched. In the conditions of climate change and anthropogenic pressure, the existence of this territory has fallen into question. To control the conservation of biodiversity, it is necessary to apply various management methods, one of which is creation of nature reserves. The article presents the results of a complex of scientific studies that were carried out during the zoning of the regional park Samara Plavni to improve the management of the protection of water areas and river banks. We have investigated: hydrological features, species diversity of the flora and coenotic diversity of the vegetation, fauna of aquatic invertebrates, and terrestrial vertebrates. Zoning of the Regional Landscape Park was based on the composition of stable components of ecosystems. When applying the protected regime in different zones, conditions will be created for the preservation of habitats of species, including those protected in Europe: higher plants (Senecio borysthenicus (DC.) Andrz. ex Czern., Tragopogon borystenicus Artemcz.), reptiles (Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), Vipera renardi (Christoph, 1861)), birds (Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758), Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758), Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758, Numenius arquata (Linnaeus, 1758), Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758), Lanius excubitor (Linnaeus, 1758)), mammals (Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)). Such changes would increase the implementation of the reproductive potential of all species without exception in the studied ecosystems
Allocation of the diet of the Argentine Islands’ inshore ichthyofauna
Get PDFFish diets are important indicators of ecosystem change. This aspect of the ichthyofauna of the coast of the Argentine Islands has been insufficiently studied in comparison with other regions. This article presents the results of comparison of dietary and somatic parameters of the dominant species Notothenia coriiceps depending on the point, depth and season of catch. The sample was collected between February 2006 and February 2007. In the year of study, N. coriiceps, Trematomus bernacchii, Chaenocephalus aceratus (common species), Harpagifer antarcticus and Pagothenia borchgrevinki (rare species in this region) were caught. The average fish size in this region does not differ from other places in the Southern Ocean. In Cornice Channel and Stella Creek, N. coriiceps was smaller than at other points due to the narrowness and shallow depth of these places. In winter, large individuals apparently migrated from the coast. The diet of N. coriiceps consisted mainly of crustaceans and seaweeds, with a small number of mollusks (especially limpets), which are common. The number of fish in the diet of N. coriiceps is relatively low for this region. Access to food was relatively the same at different points and depths of the catch. The lowest amount of food was in the fall, the highest amount of food was in the spring and summer. The condition and hepatosomatic index also did not change depending on the point and depth of the catch, but they were low in spring and high in summer. Perhaps this is due to the low energy value of food, which is not compensated by the amount. It is necessary to conduct studies of the diet of N. coriiceps in other years to clarify the specificity of fish in the diet and phenological changes in somatic parameters. Similar studies are needed for other species in the region if catches are sufficient to collect a representative sample
Current state and long-term changes in the mesozooplankton community of the Ukrainian and Georgian parts of the Black Sea as indicators of its ecological status
Get PDFWater quality assessment is a key task of any measures in the field of water use, environmental management and protection. Thus, it is necessary to conduct systematic monitoring to assess the ecological state in the marine waters and to develop a strategy for its recovery. Anthropogenic impacts of various types leading to eutrophication and pollution of the Black Sea are changing the main characteristics of all components of the aquatic ecosystem. Zooplankton plays a key role in the pelagic food web. This article presents the results of the research on the state of zooplankton which was conducted during the Ukrainian-Georgian expedition in the framework of the international project “Emblas-plus” during 2016, 2017 and 2019. The ecological quality class of the investigated Black Sea waters was determined by the zooplankton integrated index (IZI). In Ukrainian waters in total, 49 taxa of zooplankton were registered. In 2017 taxonomic composition of zooplankton was more diverse (36 taxa in 2016, 35 in 2019). In Georgian waters in 2019, 40 taxa of mesozooplankton were registered, most of them are widespread forms in the Black Sea. The most diverse group is Crustacea (Cladocera and Copepoda).The most prevalent crustaceans were the eurythermic species, an important representative of forage zooplankton – Acartia (Acartiura) clausi Giesbrecht, 1889 and two thermophilic species of Calanoida – Acartia (Acanthacartia) tonsa Dana, 1849 and Centropages ponticus Karavaev, 1895. In Ukrainian waters average abundance and biomass of zooplankton in 2019 was similar to those in 2016 and much higher than in 2017. Dominant taxa and spatial distribution of zooplankton in 2019 were similar to those in 2016 and 2017. Average biomass of forage zooplankton in 2019 was approximately 10 times higher than in 2016 and 2017. In the Georgian coastal waters annual average abundance and biomass of mesozooplankton decreased, due to a sharp decline in the abundance of Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy, 1921. It was found that at most of the stations the dominant role in the formation of zooplankton biomass was played by the organisms of forage zooplankton. By the IZI index, the subdivision Northwestern Black Sea Bays had “Good”, “Poor” and “Moderate” water quality in spring, summer and autumn respectively. The subdivision’s deepwater shelf and shallow shelf had “Bad” water quality. The subdivision Danube-Dnieper interfluve coastal waters had “High” water quality. The Danube Avandelta area had “High”, “Good” and “High” water quality in spring, summer and autumn respectively. The best ecological class status was in 2019 and the worst – in 2016. The main tendencies in changes in the mesozooplankton community in the Black Sea are decrease in the percentage of N. scintillans in the total zooplankton biomass and increase in the percentage of Copepoda. Those tendencies indicate decrease in the pressure of the negative eutrophication factor and show positive changes in the forage base of commercial planktophagous fish and the ecological status of the Black Sea waters
Ecological assemblages of corticulous myxomycetes in forest communities of the North-East Ukraine
Get PDFCorticulous myxomycetes remain one of the least surveyed ecological groups of terrestrial protists. These organisms develop on the bark of trees, mostly feeding on bacteria and microalgae. Their microscopic size and fast developmental cycle (3–5 days) complicate the study of these organisms, and therefore data their on ecological relationships and patterns of biodiversity corticulous myxomycetes remain controversial. On the territory of the southwest spurs of the Central Russian Upland (Northeast Ukraine), no special studies on these organisms have been conducted. During 2017–2020, in nine forest sites located in this territory, we collected samples of bark of 16 species of tree plants, on which sporulating myxomycetes were then identified using the moist chamber technique in laboratory conditions. A total of 434 moist chambers was prepared, and 267 (61.5%) of which were found to contain myxomycete fruiting bodies. In total, we made 535 observations, finding 20,211 sporocarps. As a result, in the surveyed territory, we found 38 species of corticulous myxomycetes, belonging to 18 genera, 10 families, 7 orders, and 2 subclasses of Myxomycetes. Among the species of corticulous myxomycetes, the most abundant were Echinostelium minutum, Arcyria pomiformis, Macbrideola cornea, Perichaena chrysosperma, Licea kleistobolus, Paradiacheopsis fimbriata, Cribraria violacea, Enerthenema papillatum, A. cinerea, and L. operculata. The greatest species richness in the examined biota was observed for genera Comatricha, Licea, Paradiacheopsis and Perichaena, families Amaurochaetaceae and Trichiaceae, orders Stemonitidales, Trichiales and Physarales. By species diversity, dark-spored myxomycetes (Collumellomycetidae) somewhat exceeded bright-spored myxomycetes (Lucisporomycetidae). Badhamia versicolor, Didymium dubium, D. sturgisii, Macbrideola decapillata, and Perichaena luteola are new species for the surveyed area. Four species of myxomycetes were collected in Ukraine for the first time: Hemitrichia pardina, Licea floriformis, L. pygmea, and Macbrideola argentea. Quantitative and qualitative structure of myxomycete consortia developing on different species of substrate-forming plants demonstrated significant differences. The highest level of similarity was demonstrated by Fraxinus excelsior and Acer platanoides, and a relatively strong relationship was seen between Pinus sylvestris and Tilia cordata. The central cluster comprised F. excelsior, A. platanoides and P. sylvestris. By the sum of values of Bray-Curtis coefficient, Quercus robur appeared to be most distinctive plant species by quantitative composition of myxomycete consortia. F. excelsior and T. cordata are the most favourable for the development of corticulous myxomycetes. In all the analyzed consortia, the dominant species belonged to the Stemonitidales and Trichiales orders, while the remaining orders were represented by notably fewer species. Relative species richness of Stemonitidales was the highest in consortia of P. sylvestris, the contribution of Liceales was the greatest in A. platanoides and P. sylvestris, the percentage of Echinosteliales and Physarales was the highest on F. excelsior, the share of Cribrariales was especially large on A. platanoides. Trichiales were represented on all the analyzed substrates to almost the same extent. Representatives of Cribrariales and Physarales were completely absent on P. sylvestris, the species of Clastodermatales – on all species of plants, except Q. robur. Prevalence of bright-spored myxomycetes was determined for consortia of Acer platanoides, the dominance of dark-spored myxomycetes – for F. excelsior, P. sylvestris and Q. robur. The obtained data indicate the presence of stable complexes of corticulous myxomycetes, associated with different species of trees in the forest ecosystems of Northeast Ukraine. This encourages further study of the structure of myxomycete consortia with tree species that were not included in this study and determining the influence of physical-chemical properties of the bark of different plant species on the discovered peculiarities of myxomycete communities
Virioplankton as an important component of plankton in the Volga Reservoirs
Get PDFThe distribution of virioplankton, abundance and production, frequency of visibly infected cells of heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic picocyanobacteria and their virus-induced mortality have been studied in mesotrophic and eutrophic reservoirs of the Upper and Middle Volga (Ivankovo, Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorky, Cheboksary, and Sheksna reservoirs). The abundance of planktonic viruses (VA) is on average by 4.6 ± 1.2 times greater than the abundance of bacterioplankton (BA). The distribution of VA in the Volga reservoirs was largely determined by the distribution of BA and heterotrophic bacterioplankton production (PB). There was a positive correlation between VA and BA and between VA and PB. In addition, BA and VA were both positively correlated with primary production of phytoplankton. Viral particles of 60 to 100 µm in size dominated in the phytoplankton composition. A large number of bacteria and picocyanobacteria with viruses attached to the surface of their cells were found in the reservoirs. Viruses as the most numerous component of plankton make a significant contribution to the formation of the planktonic microbial community biomass. The number of phages inside infected cells of bacteria and picocyanobacteria reached 74‒109 phages/cell. Easily digestible organic matter, which entered the aquatic environment as a result of viral lysis of bacteria and picocyanobacteria, could be an additional source of carbon for living bacteria. The results of long-term studies indicate a significant role of viruses in functioning of planktonic microbial communities in the Volga reservoirs
Local taxonomic spectra in plants, animals, fungi and terrestrial protists show common mathematical patterns
Get PDFTaxonomic spectra, i.e. relations between supraspecific taxa by the number of included species, remain poorly understood in aspect of the mathematical properties. We studied taxonomic spectra of plants (Magnoliophyta, Bryophyta), animals (Coleoptera, Aves), fungi (Agaricomycetes) and terrestrial protists (Myxomycetes), found in the Homilsha Forests National Nature Park (North-East of Ukraine), and concluded that they correspond to the hollow-curve distribution at the level of genera, families and orders. The spectra of most taxa, as shown by the Akaike information criterion, are closely approximated by the log-series distribution model at all taxonomic levels. This type of distribution is typical for the species abundance curves, based on collections made from small areas. At the same time, in the genera–families–orders row the similarity to the lognormal distribution increases. The central values and variability vary considerably between different taxonomic groups and ranks, however, without affecting the type of distribution. The number of orders in all taxa except Bryophyta has reached the saturation and coincides with the curve of the estimated number of orders according to the Chao1 coefficient. For families and especially genera the correspondence with estimated number of species is much lower. Our results do not confirm the assumption that hollow-curve distributions of taxonomic spectra result from the artificial fragmentation of taxa. These distributions neither depend on the insufficient knowledge about the species composition at the locality, nor reflect the size of the studied area. The presence of such distributions in both local and global biota of different groups may be explained by the common features of their evolution, especially by the existence of relict orphan groups. The fact that in Homilsha Forests the kurtosis and skewness of distributions decreases in the genera–families–orders row can therefore be explained by the relatively low percentage of the high-rank orphan taxa in the local biota. This may be a common feature of communities studied at small geographical scale, since orphan taxa often demonstrate a high level of endemism. Comparative studies of local communities from different climate zones may help to understand how universal are the patterns, described herein