Biosystems Diversity (E-Journal - Dnipro National University)
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Soil and soil breathing remote monitoring: A short review
Get PDFThe efficiency of agricultural use of soils depends directly on their quality indicators, which include an extended set of characteristics: from data of the environmental situation to the component composition of the soil air. Therefore, for a more complete survey of agricultural land in order to determine their qualitative indicators and subsequent application, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive monitoring while simultaneously studying the characteristics of soils and their air composition. The article is devoted to the literature analysis on the remote monitoring of soils and soil air. Particular attention was paid to the relationship between soil type and soil air composition and it was found that the soil air composition (in the combination with pH and humidity parameters) can assess the type, quality and environmental condition of soils. Since when developing a remote monitoring system of soil air soil moisture and soil structure significantly affect the processes occurring in soils, and ultimately the quantitative composition of soil air, it is very important to know the dependence of the soil air composition on the type and quality of the soil itself, the influence of moisture, structure and other parameters on it. It was shown that the use of sensors is a promising direction for the development of the soils and soil air remote monitoring. It was indicated that soil and soil air remote monitoring in real time will provide reliable, timely information on the environmental status of soils and their quality. Commercial sensors that can be used to determine CO2, O2, NOx, CH4, CO, H2 and NH3 were considered and the technique for sensor signal processing was chosen. A remote monitoring system with the use of existing commercial sensors was proposed, the movement of which can be realized with the help of quadcopter, which will allow parallel scanning of the soils and the land terrain. Such a system will make it possible to correctly assess the readiness of soils for planting, determine their intended use, correctly apply fertilizers, and even predict the yield of certain crops. Thereby, this approach will create a modern on-line system for full monitoring of soil, land and rapid response in the case of its change for the agro-industrial sector
Mode of physiological activity of acylcyclohexadione retardants
Get PDFThe key to high productivity of plants, especially cereals, is to control lodging of cereals. Among the derivatives of acylcyclohexadiones (ACHD), highly effective retardants have been invented, which are widely used in modern crop production to control the lodging of cereals, mainly winter wheat, spring and winter wheat, winter, spring and hybrids of barley. The mechanisms of influence of ACHD derivatives – trinexapac-ethyl and prohexadione-Ca on plants and features of their application in technologies of cultivation of cultivated plants are considered. By using a composition of ACHD derivatives with a number of agrochemicals, enhancement of retardant activity is achieved. Given the identified varietal variability of the effectiveness of the use of ACHD derivatives in cereals, it is advisable to conduct registration and post-registration studies primarily on varieties that occupy the largest sown areas in the country. The peculiarities of ACHD derivatives’ influence on stem components as the main one, along with the flag leaf, carbon pool for grain filling in the ear and possible reasons for the lack of productivity increase of grain crops due to ACHD derivatives are also considered. This class of substances continues to be widely studied in the world and remains among the most promising for the development of new agrochemicals and drugs
Taxonomy of the wild species of genus Crataegus (Rosaceae): An updated review for the flora of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijan)
Get PDFWe clarified the current state of genus Crataegus L. in the flora of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijan) using a comparative analysis of herbarium specimens from the Azarbaijan herbariums and data collected during the expeditions in 2004–2018. We succeed in adding some important data on the flora of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and Azerbaijan, we also enhanced the previous research with chromosome and morphological analysis. We identified 17 wild species of Crataegus genus in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (C. pentagyna Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd., 1800, C. zangezura Pojark., 1939, C. orientalis Pall. ex Bieb., 1808, C. pojarkoviae Kossych, 1964, C. tournefortii Griseb., 1843, C. szovitsii Pojark., 1939, C. pontica C. Koch, 1853, C. meyeri Pojark., 1939, C. eriantha Pojark., 1939, C. atrosanguinea Pojark., 1939, C. caucasica C. Koch, 1853, C. pallasii Griseb., 1843, C. rhipidophylla Gand. (С. curvisepala Lindm.; C. kyrtostyla Pojark.) 1871, C. pseudoheterophylla Pojark., 1939, C. monogyna Jacq., 1775, C. x armena Pojark., 1939, and C. x cinovskisii Kassumova), which will contribute to five introduced cultural species used in the greenery. We also clarified the status of interserial and intersection hybrids using the chromosome and morphological analysis. The article includes the complete list of Crataegus L. species with information about synonyms of the species, patterns of distribution, habitat, latitude and elevation, flowering and fruiting phenology
Recreation and terrain effect on the spatial variation of the apparent soil electrical conductivity in an urban park
Get PDFRecreation is an important cultural ecosystem service and is able to significantly affect soil heterogeneity and vegetation functioning. This study investigated the role of the relief and tree stand density in the apparent soil electrical conductivity variation within an urban park. The most suitable variogram models were assessed to evaluate the autocorrelation of the regression models. The map of the spatial variability of apparent soil electrical conductivity was built on the basis of the most suitable variogram. The experimental polygon was located in the Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (Dnipro City, Ukraine). The experimental polygon was formed by a quasi-regular grid of measurement locations located about 30 m apart. The measurements of the apparent electrical conductivity of the soil in situ were made in May 2018 at 163 points. On average, the value of soil apparent electric conductivity within the investigated polygon was 0.55 dSm/m and varied within 0.17–1.10 dSm/m. Such environment predictors as tree stand density, relief altitude, topographic wetness index, and potential of relief to erosion were able to explain 48% of the observed variability of soil electrical conductivity. The relief altitude had the greatest influence on the variation of soil electrical conductivity, which was indicated with the highest values of beta regression coefficients. The most important trend of the electric conductivity variation was due to the influence of relief altitude and this dependence was nonlinear. The smallest values of the soil electrical conductivity were recorded in the highest and in lowest relief positions, and the largest values were detected in the relief slope. Recreational load can also be explained by the geomorphology predictors and tree stand density data. These predictors can explain 32% of the variation of recreational load. The variogram was built both for the soil apparent electrical conductivity dataset and for the residuals of the regression model. As a result of the procedure of the models’ selection on the basis of the AIC we obtained the best estimation of the variogram models parameters for the electrical conductivity and for the regression residuals of the electrical conductivity. The level of recreation was correlated statistically significantly with the apparent soil electrical conductivity. The residuals of regression models in which geomorphological indicators and tree stand density were used as predictors have a higher correlation level than the original variables. The soil electrical conductivity may be a sensitive indicator of the recreation load
Trophic links of the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) in transformed forest ecosystems of North-Eastern Ukraine
Get PDFThe сhaffinch (Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758; Passeriformes, Fringillidae) is one of the most colourful forest species of birds living in Europe, West Asia and North Africa. The diet of this species was studied as a contribution to the conservation of the population of this species in transformed forests of the north-eastern part of Ukraine. Four forest ecosystems were studied: three model sites in oak forests, transformed under intensive recreation pressure, and one model site in a pine-oak forest. A total of 39 invertebrate taxa, dominated by Insecta (93.0%) were found. The orders Coleoptera (32.6%) and Lepidoptera (63.5%) prevailed in the diet of finch nestlings, the highest number of taxa (52.3–76.2%) was represented by phytophages. The phytophagous species also constituted the majority of the consumed prey items (44.0–55.6%). Environmental conditions provided an important effect on the diet structure. The most favourable foraging conditions for the species were found in protected natural areas. According to the analysis, the finch foraging efficiency was similar in all the studied sites. The highest biodiversity indices were found in a protected area of Homilshanski Forests National Nature Park. Results of the research have indicated the crucial role of Fringilla coelebs in the population management of potentially dangerous agricultural pests
Peculiarities of the development and seasonal dynamics of the activity of epigean beetles of the Polyphaga suborder (Coleoptera) in fields of winter wheat in the conditions of Southern Ukraine
Get PDFIn total, 168 beetle species from 25 families of the suborder Polyphaga have been recorded on winter wheat crops. 116 species (about 20 families) are registered as stratobionts: 14 were dominants, 32 – subdominants and about 70 species were very rare. The main representatives of stratobios were Staphylinidae, Silphidae, Dermestidae, Histeridae, some Elateridae and Scarabaeidae and most Tenebrionidae. Most staphylinids are more numerous in spring (late April – first half of May) and sometimes in summer (especially dominant Tachyporus hypnorum). A high number of Silphidae was noted by mid-May, but decreased in the summer months. Two peaks of abundance are characteristic of Anthicidae, Latridiidae and Cryptophagidae: the smaller in spring (the first half of May) and the maximum in summer (the second half of June – early July). The number of Dermestidae increases gradually from mid-May and reaches maximum from late May to early or mid-June. Among Tenebrionidae, the species of genera Opatrum and Gonocepalum are more numerous in spring than in summer. Crypticus quisquilius were numerous by mid-summer. Among Elateridae, high number of Agriotes sputator was recorded from May to mid-June, and the appearance of Aelosomus rossi was recorded from mid-April, with a peak in the first half of summer. In spring, some Scarabaeidae (some species of Geotrupinae and Pentodon idiota), Histeridae and some species of weevils were more numerous in summer. In years with different meteorological conditions, significant discrepancies were noted in the timing of the rise and fall in the number of many beetles. But smaller differences in the number of specimens are noted between different years in comparision with individual phases of wheat vegetation. Some features of the sex index of beetles (higher during egg laying) and the development of dominant species are briefly considered
Local industrial pollution induces astrocyte cytoskeleton rearrangement in the dice snake brain: GFAP as a biomarker
Get PDFThe present study was designed to evaluate the responsiveness of modulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) content and its fragmentation in the snake brain as a biomarker of local industrial pollution of aquatic ecosystems. Despite GFAP being a well known cytoskeleton marker of astrocytes’ reactivity in the brain of vertebrates, its expression in the snake brain remains insufficiently described. The GFAP expression and its fragmentation were detected using the immunoblot method in the snake brain. ROS level was determined with dichlorofluorescein diacetate fluorescence. The content of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) of filament (cytoskeleton) and soluble (cytosol) fractions in the brain of dice snake Natrix tessellata from three ecosystems with different rates of industrial pollution were studied (two polluted and one clean control site). Characteristic increase in GFAP fragmentation was noted for the snakes from both the researched polluted sites. Significant increase in the content of the GFAP cleaved polypeptide fragments induced by industrial pollution exposure was confirmed in the snakes’ brains. Meaningful GFAP fragmentation was determined in snake brain astrocytes as an increase in cleaved fragments of 47–35 kDa molecular weight for both soluble and cytoskeletal GFAP fractions. We found significant abnormality in the ratio of the GFAP soluble fraction to the cytoskeletal one in contaminant-exposed dice snakes. It should testify to significant metabolic disturbance in nerve cells of the dice snakes. Furthermore, growth of reactive oxygen species level as the main cause of oxidative stress was determined in brains of the snakes exposed to environmental toxicity. Thus, astrocyte cytoskeleton disorders are associated with pollutant-induced redox imbalance in the snake brain. Despite the limited data on glial cell biology in the reptilian brain, the observed results prove that snake astrocytes can respond to the environmental toxicity using typical astroglial response. The presented results evidence that monitoring of molecular characteristics of glial cytoskeleton in dice snakes could be used as reliable biomarker of neurotoxicity and adverse effects of industrial pollution. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of astrocyte cytoskeleton in the response against neurotoxic contaminants
Morphological variation of Varroa destructor (Parasitiformes, Varroidae) in different seasons
Get PDFVarroosis is one of the most dangerous and common diseases of honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) worldwide, caused by gamasid mites of the species Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman, 2000. This external parasite is widespread and adapted to the climate conditions of most countries of the world, and it can infect bees at any life stage. It parasites on worker bees, male and queen bees, larvae and pupae, feeding on their hemolymph and fat bodies, causing lower survival rates and lower density of bee colonies, decreasing the bees’ life span. Here, we studied the specifics of the seasonal variation of female V. destructor mites, obtained from honey bees, by the morphological characters of mites belonging to the summer and winter generations, and their differences were established. Using the methods of multivariate statistics, we found significant differences between the summer (June–July) and winter (October–November) morphotypes of V. destructor mites. There are differences between the seasonal samples by 12 morphological characters of the parasite, namely the width of dorsal shield, width of dorsoventral shield, number of pores on sternal shield, length of tarsus and macrochaeta IV, and distances between setae of gnathosoma. Processing the seasonal samples of mites with discriminant analysis resulted in differences by 11 morphological characters including the length of dorsal shield, number of lancet setae, length and width of genitoventral shield, width of anal shield, number of setae and pores on sternal shield and distance between setae of gnathosoma. In general, the summer females are smaller and elongated compared to winter females, with larger genitoventral shield and shorter legs. The mites of summer and winter generations are adapted to different seasons: the summer mites to the reproductive period, the winter generation to overwintering on bees. The ratio of morphotypes in female V. destructor mites is observed to change during the year, from 20.2% winter morphotype in summer generation to 20.7% summer morphotype in winter mites. Studying the influence of acaricides on the distinguished morphotypes is a promising approach to improve pest control measures against varroosis of honey bees
Temporal dynamic of the phylogenetic diversity of the bird community of agricultural lands in Ukrainian steppe drylands
Get PDFThis study discussed the importance of the phylogenetic components in the structure of bird communities of anthropogenically transformed ecosystems. The investigation was conducted in the landscapes of the south and south-east of Ukraine in the nesting seasons 1988–2018. The bird community in the agricultural landscape was found to be presented by 10 species. The number of species was closely correlated with its phylogenetic analogue – Faith’s index. Both indices were stationary over time, as they do not show a statistically significant time trend. The two axes were extracted as a result of the DPCOA procedure and the permutation test showed their statistical significance. The axis 1 was the most sensitive to the opposite dynamics of the abundance of Coturnix coturnix and Burhinus oedicnemus on the one hand and Alauda arvensis and Melanocorypha calandra on the other. The axis 2 is the most sensitive to the opposite dynamics of Corvus monedula and Melanocorypha calandra on the one hand and Coturnix coturnix and Motacilla flava on the other. Based on phylogenetic diversity, the years can be clustered with the extraction of four relatively homogeneous phylogenetic structures of bird communities. The indicator of the initial period of dynamics (1988–1992) was Burhinus oedicnemus. Sowing or mechanical weeding may be considered as a major factor of nest destruction of Burhinus oedicnemus. The decreasing of the abundance of the trophic recourses because of agricultural activity may have caused the monotonous negative trend over time of the Burhinus oedicnemus populations. The period 1993–2003 was a transitional one, for which there were no clear indicators, as a characteristic feature of this period was the processes of bird community restructuring. The period 2004–2013 was characterized by the loss of Burhinus oedicnemus from the community and a sharp increase in the abundance of Corvus monedula. These species are distinguished by their phylogenetic specificity and are located on the periphery relative to the phylogenetic core of the community. There was growing importance in the community of such species as Alauda arvensis, Anthus campestris, and Melanocorypha calandra between 2014 and 2018. Our results also confirm the assumption that phylogenetic overdispersion is an important requirement for the stability of the bird community in anthropogenically transformed landscapes
Reduction of sulfur and oxidized forms of nitrogen by bacteria of Desulfuromonas sp., isolated from Yavorivske Lake, under the influence of ferrum citrate
Get PDFTechnogenic reservoirs mainly contain several possible electron acceptors of anaerobic respiration, many of which are dangerous to the environment. The succession of their reduction (and thus detoxification) by sulfur reducing bacteria is not yet sufficiently studied. We investigated the influence of ferrum (III) citrate, present in the cultivation medium, on the reduction of sulfur, nitrate and nitrite ions by sulfur reducing bacteria Desulfuromonas acetoxidans IMV B-7384, Desulfuromonas sp. Yavor-5 and Desulfuromonas sp. Yavor-7, isolated from Yavorivske Lake. It was established that ferrum (III) citrate inhibits the biomass accumulation and hydrogen sulfide production by bacteria of Desulfuromonas sp. after simultaneous addition to the medium of 3.47 mM S0 and 1.74–10.41 mM ferrum (III) citrate, as compared with growth and hydrogen sulfide production by bacteria in the medium with only sulfur. In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) S0 and ferrum (III) citrate bacteria produced ferrum (II) ions at concentrations 3.5–3.9 times higher than that of hydrogen sulfide. Ferrum (III) citrate inhibits the biomass accumulation, the nitrate or nitrite ions reduction and the ammonium ions production by bacteria of Desulfuromonas sp. after simultaneous addition to the medium of 3.47 mM NaNO3 or NaNO2 and 1.74–10.41 mM ferrum (III) citrate. In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) NaNO3 and ferrum (III) citrate, bacteria produced ammonium ions at concentrations in 1.1 times higher than that of ferrum (II) ions. In the medium with the same initial content (3.47 mM) NaNO2 and ferrum (III) citrate, bacteria reduced 1.5–1.6 times more ferrum (III) than nitrite ions with production of ferrum (II) ions at concentrations 1.7 times higher than that of ammonium ions. The process of nitrate reduction carried out by bacteria of Desulfuromonas genus was less sensitive to the negative influence of ferrum (III) citrate, compared to the process of nitrite ions reduction. When the reduction of nitrate ions by bacteria in the presence of 1.74–10.41 mM ferrum (III) citrate decreased by 1.4–2.2 times, then the reduction of nitrite ions decreased by 1.8–3.2 times compared to their reduction in media with only NaNO3 or NaNO2, respectively. Although the reduction of ferrum (III) by cells in media with 3.47 mM S0, NaNO3 or NaNO2 and 1.74–10.41 mM ferrum (III) citrate decreased by 1.6–2.7, 1.6–2.7 and 1.1–2.2 times, respectively, compared to the reduction in medium with only ferrum (III) citrate, the investigated strains of bacteria were resistant to high concentrations of trivalent ferrum compounds and can therefore can be used in technologies of complex purification of environments polluted by heavy metal and nitrogen compounds