Biosystems Diversity (E-Journal - Dnipro National University)
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Morphological variability of Bembidion minimum (Coleoptera, Carabidae) populations under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors
Get PDFMorphological variability is the result of interaction between genetic diversity of the population and environmental selection. Despite the large number of studies of morphological variability of ground beetles, there is very little research dedicated to influence of environmental factors on it. This article discusses the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the variability of Bembidion minimum (Fabricius, 1792). B. minimum is a West Palearctic species which is distributed in North Africa, Europe, Western Asia. It is a macropterous species that lives in humid biotopes along the shores of seas, rivers and standing water bodies. 410 specimens were collected from 12 ecosystems differing by plant cover, degree of litter development, mechanical composition of the soil, mineralization and acidity of soil solution, type and intensity of anthropogenic impact. 13 linear characteristics, one angular characteristic, density of elytra puncturing and contrast of spots on the beetles’ elytra were measured. Additionally 6 morphometric indices were calculated. More than a third of the variability of imagoes in the studied populations was found to be determined by the general body size. Sexual dimorphism was observed on all linear parameters and most morphometric indices. Females do not differ from males in the back angles of the prothorax. Natural and anthropogenic factors to a greater or lesser degree were shown to affect the morphological variability of B. minimum: soil acidity and mineralization have the greatest impact. The soil acidity causes significant variability of most linear parameters; mineralization – body length, head length, prothorax length and width, elytra width. Plant cover and mechanical composition of the soil have a slight impact on imago morphology. The type and structure of vegetation significantly affect head width, prothorax length and width, and the mechanical composition of the soil – body length and head length. Degree of litter development does not cause significant changes in the linear dimensions of beetles. With thickening of the litter the posterior spots on the elytra become brighter, they have sharper contours, and density of elytra puncturing also changes. The mean value of the back angles is affected by the herb layer of meadow vegetation, soil mineralization and acidity. The variability of morphometric indexes under the influence of natural factors was found to be lower than variability of linear characteristics. The recreational load and cattle grazing cause similar changes in linear measurements and morphometric indexes of B. minimum. With escalation of these factors, the body length, length and width of elytra of both females and males decrease. Assessing the natural morphological variability of populations in ecosystems whose environmental factors are within extreme and sub-extreme values for a given population is a promising direction of research in modern ecology
Effects of temperature and water levels on dynamics of density and structure of the fish population of the channel-floodplain complex of a large river in the period of spring floods
Get PDFThe article discusses the features of the dynamic process of migration of ichthyofauna from wintering sites to the wetlands of a large boreal river for feeding and spawning. The influence of factors of temperature and water level on various groups of fish is estimated, and the role of water bodies of various types during fish migration in a flooded floodplain is also established. The research was performed during the spring flood in the floodplain-channel complex of the Irtysh River (Western Siberia, Russian Federation) in the water area of the conjugate water bodies: the lotic and lentic parts of the riverbed depression and the mouth of the tributary – transit section of the migration pathway of fish to the flooded floodplain. The research work was performed by “AsCor” – computerized hydroacoustic complex, hydroacoustic survey data were processed in the laboratory. The “AsCor” complex remotely performs taxonomic identification of abundant species of fish at the family level by groups (Cyprinidae, Percidae, Coregonidae–Esocidae, Acipenseridae–Lotidae). It was found that after the breakup of ice cover, maximum densities of fish were observed in the wintering sections – the initial location of the spring migration. During the 30-days observation period in the wintering sections and conjugate water bodies, the density of fish decreased from 4 to 13 times due to their migration to the floodplain. The response to a decrease in the overall density of fish in the year-round functioning lotic part of the riverbed depression to the influence of factors of water level and temperature regimes was >0.300 in general for ichthyofauna and for all groups of fish registered by hydroacoustic method (Cyprinidae, Percidae, Coregonidae–Esocidae, Acipenseridae–Lotidae). We constructed regression models of changes in the density of fish in the wintering sections of the river depending on the considered factors. Use of ANOVA analysis of variance confirmed the adequacy of the choice and the acceptability of the constructed models. We established a high statistically significant inverse correlation between the density of the fish, the water level and temperature regime for the mouth of the Konda River and the lentic part of the riverbed depression, which are transit sections of the migration pathway of fish in the floodplain. The lentic part of the riverbed depression may perform the function of a temporary station of fish during migration to the floodplain, which is beneficial from the point of view of bioenergetics resources. During the observation period, in the river flows there was a decrease in the proportion of larger fish and an increase in smaller individuals; in the lentic part of the riverbed depression, on the contrary, there was a reduced proportion of small fish and increase in the proportion of larger individuals.This pattern is explained by the reduced risk of predation by small fish in more turbulent conditions, as well as by an initial entry into the flooded floodplain of larger individuals of fish for spawning, followed by the smaller ones for feeding
New findings of pest sciarid species (Diptera, Sciaridae) in Ukraine, with the first record of Bradysia difformis
Get PDFSciarids (Diptera, Sciaridae) or black fungus gnats are small, mainly dark coloured insects whose larvae usually develop in rotting plant remains permeated by fungal hyphae. Typical habitats for sciarids are shaded forests and wet meadows, but some species can migrate from natural biotopes to anthropogenic ecosystems and live as synanthropes. Synanthropic sciarid species in the case of their larvae mass development, may cause significant damage to agricultural plants and mushrooms and are considered as pests. The information on pest activities of sciarids in the literature is provided for 34 species, but only 7 species can be considered as dangerous pests. In the framework of taxonomic and ecological research on Sciaridae in Ukraine, some chorological and faunistic peculiarities of pest sciarids have been studied. We collected material during the expeditions and excursions in different biotopes of Ukraine from 2012 to 2018 using the Malaise trap, by the method of non-count sweeping with entomological net and with exhauster directly from substrate. The collected imagoes were placed into 5 mL vials with 70% ethanol. In the lab, the fixed material was dehydrated in absolute ethanol and mounted on slides in Euparal. All of the studied material is kept in Andriy Babytskiy’s Private Collection, Kyiv (PABK) and mostly availible to the public on the UkrBIN. In Ukraine 4 species of harmful sciarid pests from 3 genera are recorded, namely Bradysia brunnipes (in Crimea), B. difformis (in Kyiv and Volyn Regions), Lycoriella ingenua (in Kyiv and Volyn Regions) and Pnyxia scabiei (Western regions excluding the Carpathians). B. brunnipes, also known as “cucumber gnat”, is one of the widespread cucumber pests in greenhouses, damaging roots and above-ground shoots of cucumbers. In Ukraine, mass development of this species and significant loses of the harvest caused by it have not been reported. B. difformis is a widespread pest sciarid, but in Ukraine it has been recorded for the first time. The mass development of this species was recorded in hothouses with cacti and other succulent plants at the O. V. Fomin Botanical Garden, where the larvae of B. difformis cause significant damage to these plants, especially to their sprouts. L. ingenua is the most common sciarid pest which damages mushrooms in hothouses. In Ukraine it was massively recorded in cellars and on vegetables in storages. P. scabiei was recorded in Western Ukraine, except the Carpathians, as a potato pest species that damages sprouts in the fields and tubers in storages. Considering the absence of records of P. scabiei in natural biotopes of Ukraine, it is likely that this species was introduced to our country from America together with potatoes and should be recognized as an alien species to the natural entomofauna of Ukraine
The temporal dynamics of readily available soil moisture for plants in the technosols of the Nikopol Manganese Ore Basin
Get PDFThe restoration of a stable and productive ecosystem after drastic disturbances to the natural environment due to mining and open-cast mining may be achieved by means of reclamation. Investigation of the hydrological budget of technosols is important task in developing adequate approaches to reclamation. Sod lithogenic soils on red-brown clay, on grey-green clay were chosen as the objects of the investigation. The simulation of moisture content in Nikopol Manganese Ore Basin technosols was performed using the Penman-Monteith approach and evaluated the role of the dependence of soils’ surface albedo on the humidity in the intensity of evapotranspiration. The research was conducted during 2013–2015 at the station for research on reclaimed land within the Nikopol Manganese Ore Basin (city Pokrov, Ukraine). The experimental area for the study of optimal modes of agricultural reclamation was created in 1968–1970. Precipitation in the investigated area was found to fall very unevenly in time. In 2013, the duration of the rainless period was 259 days, in 2014 – 264 days, in 2015 – 261 days. The maximum daily rainfall varies within 18–49 mm. There are significant interannual differences in the intensity of rainfall. The minimum total annual precipitation in 2014 was due to a decrease in atypical rainfall in late winter and early winter. The maximum annual rainfall in 2015 was caused by intense rainfall both in the spring and in mid-summer and late autumn. The average annual temperature was 11.1 ºC and the annual totals did not statistically significantly vary within the study period. The average wind speed and average atmospheric humidity are statistically significantly different from year to year. The technosols’ colour properties and surface albedo varied depending on the moisture content. There is a linear relationship between the moisture content in the soil and albedo of the soil surface. The evaluation of readily available water content was carried out based on the Penman-Monteith model taking into account meteorological data, the water-physical properties of the technosols and the dependence of soil surface albedo on soil humidity. The distribution of this index for different teсhnosols is characterized by a high level of similarity of shape due to the fact that the overall climate factors are crucial in shaping the dynamics of moisture. A complex mixture of normal distributions is the best model for representing the experimental data. The readily available water content distribution can best be represented as a mixture of two normal distributions. The relatively high moisture level is characterized for winter and spring periods. Water content in sod-lithogenic soils on red-brown clay over the period of research never reached the value of the permanent wilting point. In 2013, the period when the moisture content was less than the value of the permanent wilting point lasted 23 days, and in 2014 this period lasted 39 days. Thus, you can always expect the phenomenon of drought under typical climatic conditions for the technosols on grey-green clay. It was found that monitoring water supplies before the start of the growing season can provide valuable information necessary for the selection of crops for cultivation in the current year. The results indicate the urgency of measures to save the winter rainfall on the fields
Distribution of species of Fusarium and Alternaria genera on cereals in Ukraine
Get PDFIn recent years phytosanitary situation in agrophytocenooses has worsened, and damage caused by diseases increased. In the conditions of field experiments in the vegetative seasons of 2015–2018 the dissemination of Fusarium and Alternaria spp., and composition of Fusarium species in Ukraine were studied. The selection of plant samples was carried out twice – at the beginning of vegetation and before entering into wintering. In autumn the samples of winter wheat with the symptoms of root rot from more than 150 fields from different oblasts of Ukraine were selected. Later these samples were analyzed using PCR method in real time to determine the species composition of Fusarium genus. In the analysis of grain material from different regions of Ukraine we determined high level of Fusarium infection. Fusariosis of grain were observed in several areas in more than 50% of samples from all regions of county. In all oblasts of Ukraine, the high level of Alternarìa infection were identified also. It is found out that the main sources of the root rot are F. tricinctum, F. graminearum, F. poae and F. avenaceum. The role of F. avenaceum, as the pathogen of root rot was at the level of F. graminearum and F. sporotrichioides in most regions of Ukraine. The studies reveiled that the dominant species in the grain material were F. tricinctum and F. graminearum, presence of which exceeded 20–25%. Quite often F. poae and F. sporotrichioides was observed, presence of which in grain equaled 15–20%. In the Central, Eastern and Southern regions, the dominant species was F. avenaceum with a level of identification 15–23%. F. culmorum, F. langsethiae were within 5–7%. The species composition of fusariosis in the grain and the species composition of pathogens that cause fusariosis root rot in general are similar. Fusariosis becomes one of the most common and harmful diseases of grain crops, and cause no less harm than smut diseases. The fact that their danger continues to grow is explained by adverse weather conditions (alternation of wet and arid periods) and reduction of general level of cultivation: distribution of corn fields, decrease of expenses on tillage, and low-quality pesticides, often generics. It should be noted that the best precursors for cereal crops, for example, soy bean, is also vulnerable to fusariosis. Therefore, performing protective measures at preparing of grain for sowing and in the period of vegetation of the crop will contribute to total reduction of the levels of infection of agrophytocenoses with Fusarium species and potential damage to the cultivated plants. The study revealed that species of fungi belonging to the Alternaria and Fusarium genera infect wheat grain in the yields of each year. The results of data analysis of the genera showed antagonistic interaction between them. Perhaps, particularly at such negative interaction in the vegetative season of 2018, during, practically continuous warm rains in the "grain belt" of Ukraine during the generative period of development of wheat, the grain was infected with Alternaria spp. at moderate presence of Fusarium species. These patterns in the interaction of Alternaria and Fusarium spp. are expedient to be taken into account during development of systems of control of fusariosis using fungicides. Absence of contamination of grains with mycotoxins of Fusarium species does not reduce the levels of danger for crops posed by probable increase in the levels of presence of Alternaria mycotoxins – alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, tenuazonic acid, etc. Certainly, the results of the vegetation season of 2018 year and the large-scale alternariosis infication require clarifications to the current normative documentation. The conducted researches are important for improvement of protection systems for crops in intensive technologies of cultivation
Antimicrobial, antibiofilm and biochemichal properties of Thymus vulgaris essential oil against clinical isolates of opportunistic infections
Get PDFThyme belongs to a genus encompassing over 215 species of hardy perennial herbaceous plants and sub-shrubs, which are native to Europe, particularly around the Mediterranean. Thymus vulgaris L., or garden thyme, with narrow small leaves and clusters of tubular mauve flowers, is used mainly in cookery. Dried herb yields 1% and more essential oil, which is a pale yellowish-red liquid with a sweet, very aromatic odour. Thyme is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and is a source of substances of antimicrobial effect upon antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms. The purpose of our work was to identify the biochemical and antimicrobial peculiarities of Th. vulgaris essential oil against clinical isolates of opportunistic microorganisms. The analysis of thyme essential oil was carried out using GC/MS analysis. The clinical isolates were isolated with the use of differentially diagnostic nutrient media. The antibiotic susceptibility was identified with the help of the disc-diffusion test. The sensitivity of microorganisms to plant extracts was determined by the agar diffusion test. The antibiofilm activity of the extracts was tested in standard 96-well microtitration plates. The GC/MS results confirm the earlier reports that the major volatile constituents obtained from the aerial parts of thyme species were thymol, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, 3-carene and carvacrol. After subjecting the selected essential oil to effective steam distillation, substantial contents of phenolic monoterpenoids were obtained – thymol (67.7%) and γ-terpinene (8.2%). The European Pharmacopoeia set quality standards for thyme essential oil, which dealt mainly with the % content (w/w) of the volatile phenols (expressed as thymol: 36.0–55.0%). Garden thyme essential oil has been found to show a high antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant microorganism strains. The obtained results proved the wide spectrum of antibiotic activity of thyme essential oil. The highest antimicrobial activity was registered against the typical and clinic strains of S. aureus and microscopic Candida genus fungi. Garden thyme essential oil was ascertained to show high antibiofilm-forming activity against S. aureus. The antimicrobial and antibiofilm-forming activities of thyme essential oil against both bacterial pathogens of opportunistic infections and microscopic fungi have proven the good prospects for development of a broad-spectrum agent against opportunistic microbial associations based on this oil
The effect of technological oil spill in soil within electrical generation substations, analysed by ecological regime in the context of relief properties
Get PDFTechnological oil spills within electrical substations are the source of considerable environmental contamination. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relation between phytoindication assessments of ecological factors and geomorphological covariates and investigate the effect of the technological oil spill on ecological regimes within electrical substations. During the fieldwork 175 geobotanical releves were analysed in the years 2016–2017 within Dnipropetrovsk region (Ukraine). Within each electrical substation the geobotanical prospecting was conducted both in plots with undisturbed vegetation cover (control, the plot size 3 × 6 m) and in plots with technological oil spill (pollution, plot size 3 × 3 m). Phytoindication assessment of the following ecological factors was made: soil water regime, soil aeration, soil acidity, total salt regime, carbonate content in the soil, nitrogen content in the soil, radiation balance, aridity or humidity, continental climate, cryo-climate, light regime. HydroSHEDS data were taken for the basis for creating a digital elevation model with resolution of the data layer 15 arcseconds. The phytoindication assessments of the ecological regimes are characterized by correlation of geomorphological properties. The soil humidity is characterized by statistically significant negative correlation with the topographic position index and positive correlation with the vector ruggedness measure. The variability of damping correlates with four geomorphological predictors. This environmental regime has positive correlation with digital elevation model and diffuse insolation and negative correlation with topographic wetness index and direct insolation. The soil acidity of the edaphotope within Dnipropetrovsk region correlates with statistical signiicance with the vector ruggedness measure. The soil humidity of the edaphotope is associated with variation of the topographic wetness index, direct insolation, diffuse insolation and entropy of terrain diversity. The highest carbonate content in the soil correlates with higher risks of erosion, which is characterized by loss of soil and vertical distance to channel network. The nitrogen content in the soil is very sensitive to geomorphological features of the area. This results in the correlation of this indicator with six geomorphological predictors. Obviously, the most favourable supply of the nitrogen content in the soil is formed on upland areas. This allows positive correlation of the phytoindication assessment of the nitrogen content in the soil and the height relief. The use of relief variable as the covariate revealed the nature of the impact of soil contamination on ecological factors. Technological oil pollution leads to deterioration of water regime, reducing the availability of plant available forms of nitrogen and deterioration of soil aeration. There are also changes in microclimatic properties. There are more extreme thermal regimes and greater level of illumination. A key task for further research is to study the influence of relief features on the degree of negative transformation of soil due to technological oil pollution
Prophylactic effect of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria probiotic strains on experimental bacterial vaginitis
Get PDFThe objective of the study was determining the prophylactic effect of Lactobacillus casei IMV B-7280, L. acidophilus IMV B-7279, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus IMV B-7281, Bifidobacterium animalis VKL and B. animalis VKB probiotic strains on experimental vaginitis in BALB/c mice induced by Staphylococcus aureus 8325-4. The infection with S. aureus 8325-4 caused an imbalance of microbiota in the vagina and intestine, as evidenced by an increase in the number of opportunistic microorganisms and a decrease in the amount of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. L. casei IMV B-7280, B. animalis VKL and B. animalis VKB probiotic strains altered the microbiota spectrum of the vagina and intestine of Staphylococcus-infected mice: the amount of Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria increased with the reduction of the number of opportunistic microorganisms. Also under the influence of these strains, the normalization of the microbiota spectrum typical for vagina and intestine was observed in different periods of observation – in the intestines of mice the number of coliform bacteria increased, the number of microscopic fungi, streptococci and staphylococci decreased; in the vagina, the number of coliform bacteria and microscopic fungi decreased, the number of streptococci normalized. Rapid elimination of S. aureus 8325-4 from the vagina and prevention of the spread of infection to the intestine were observed after use of probiotics. Preventive effect of L. acidophilus IMV B-7279 and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus IMV B-7281 for bacterial vaginitis in mice was less effective. So, the target probiotic strains L. casei IMV B-7280, B. animalis VKL and B. animalis VKB are promising for the creation of highly effective novel probiotic drugs that can be used for directed prevention of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system caused by pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms
Patterns of mercury accumulation in the organs of bank vole Myodes glareolus (Rodentia, Cricetidae)
Get PDFMercury (Hg) and its compounds are among the most hazardous environmental pollutants with a high cumulative potential and they can have toxic effects on human and animal health even in low concentrations. Due to the increasing rate of human economic activity and the increase in the amount of Hg in the total cycling of matter, the study of its distribution, transformation, redistribution and accumulation in the abiotic and biotic components of various ecosystems remains important up to the present time. We assessed the content of metal in organs and tissues of the bank vole Myodes (Clethrionomys) glareolus Schreber, 1780 (Rodentia, Cricetidae), a widespread small rodent, caught in different biotopes of forest-steppe and steppe zones of Voronezh region. Measurements of Hg in samples were carried out with a mercury analyzer RA-915+ with the accessory PYRO (Lumex) using the atomic absorption method of cold steam without preliminary sample preparation (the lower limit of mercury detection in samples was 0.001 mg/kg). The sample size was 344 specimens. Mean Hg concentrations ranged from values below the analytical determination threshold to 0.887 mg/kg dry weight in the kidneys, 0.411 in the liver, 0.031 in the muscle tissue, and 0.040 in the brain. A positive correlation was found between the metal content in all possible pairs of organs (except for the “muscle – brain” pair) and a weak negative correlation was found between the Hg level and the mass of the animals. Hg concentrations in the studied organs did not differ between males and females. The metal content in the liver and kidneys of voles from the forest-steppe zone was significantly higher than in those from the steppe zone. Among all studied biotopes (meadow, pine and mixed forest, shrub thickets), the lowest concentrations were observed in animals living in pine forests, while the highest one – in more humidified bush thickets. During the vegetation season, there was a decrease in the average values of animal body mass in the samples and an increase in the content of Hg in the liver and kidneys. The results of the study are relevant in the assessment of atmospheric mercury pollution of terrestrial ecosystems using small mammals, such as Myodes glareolus, as a model object
Dynamic phase portrait: New possibilities of detecting changes in populations
Get PDFThis paper demonstrates the possibilities of detecting changes in populations of animals, based on the analysis of their dynamic phase portrait. This method allowed us to clarify the periodization of the process of naturalization of the Black Sea sprat (Clupeonella cultriventris) in the Rybinsk Reservoir and in detail describe the changes in the main dynamic characteristics of the population. On the example of zander (Sander lucioperca) in Lake Vozhe, the state was observed in which intra-population mechanisms activate which slow the increase in population (distribution of individuals from regions with high density). Use of this method allowed us to describe the new stable state of the population of grayling (Thymallus thymallus), which it entered as a result of increase in sport fishing. The data on time of presence of a population in equilibrium state allowed us to correctly unify the materials used for the analysis of changes in its age group