Arid Ecosystems最新文献

{"title":"The Nitrogen Balance in the Soil–Plant Cover of Arid Ecosystems in the Northwestern Caspian Region","authors":"T. A. Asvarova,&nbsp;G. N. Gasanov,&nbsp;K. M. Gadzhiev,&nbsp;R. R. Bashirov,&nbsp;K. B. Gimbatova,&nbsp;A. S. Abdulaeva","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030022","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030022","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The research data on the accumulation and translocation of phytomass by blocks of plant matter and on nitrogen concentration and reserves are given. Compensation of nitrogen balance in light chestnut and meadow-chestnut soil and typical solonchak in grass ecosystems of the Northwestern Caspian Region under conditions of aridization and desertification is assessed.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47268458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Structure of a Soil Nematode Community in Dry Steppe Phytocenoses of Vodnyi Island (State Biosphere Reserve Rostovskii) during the Spring Period","authors":"V. Yu. Shmatko,&nbsp;L. P. Il’ina,&nbsp;T. A. Sokolova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030125","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030125","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper presents the results of study of the structure of a soil nematode community from key sites (index plots) on Vodnyi Island of the State Biosphere Reserve Rostovskii in the spring. A total of 76 genera from 41 families and nine orders were identified with 39 species common for 2 months (April–May). A number of characteristics of soil nematode fauna in spring were shown to manifest themselves in the genus diversity, occurrence frequency, and dominance of particular ecological–trophic groups and genera. The total number of species on index plots varied between 17 and 33; with the number of nematodes ranging from 230 to 994 individuals per 100 cm³ of soil in April and from 134 to 1043 individuals per 100 cm³ of soil in May. The order Dorylaimida, which included 29 genera, proved to be the most diverse by the genus composition followed by Tylenchida with 19 and Rhabditida with 11 genera. An increase in the number of nematodes from phytotrophic group in the spring was directly related to an increase in the fresh aboveground phytomass, as confirmed by correlation analysis (the coefficient of correlation has very high values: <i>r</i>_April = 0.86, <i>r</i>_May = 0.96 at <i>p-</i>level &lt; 0.05).</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48145829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interference Competition between Wild and Domestic Ungulates at Watering Sites of Gobi Desert, Mongolia","authors":"Francesco Raimondi,&nbsp;Davide Sogliani,&nbsp;Marta Cimini,&nbsp;Luciano Atzeni,&nbsp;Claudio Augugliaro","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030101","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030101","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Desertification processes in Central Asia are largely dependent on soil degradation induced by excessive livestock grazing, besides climate changes. Desertification represents a threat to wildlife species living in arid environments, since reduced accessibility to water strongly affects their distribution and behavior. Moreover, livestock presence exacerbates competition with wildlife for scarce water resources. Given their crucial importance to wildlife persistence, water sources in arid environments are critical to the study of wildlife behavior and interspecific competition. The Small Gobi A is one such environment of Mongolia, characterized by high grazing pressure despite low human presence. Between September and October 2017, we conducted camera trapping surveys at two waterholes identified as potential drinking sources for wildlife. We aimed to explore the spatio-temporal interactions among large domestic ungulates (<i>e.g.</i>, Bactrian camel <i>Camelus bactrianus</i>), and wild ungulates (<i>e.g.</i>, Asian wild ass <i>Equus hemionus,</i> and goitered gazelle <i>Gazella subgutturosa</i>), which are among the most iconic and threatened ungulates of Mongolia. The results showed a complete spatial segregation between domestic and wild ungulates, and a high temporal segregation among wild ungulates. This study confirms spatial and temporal niche partitioning as a strategy adopted by wild species to reduce competition and allow species coexistence. We recommend enhanced management measures of free-roaming livestock to reduce the pressure on wild species at drinking sites.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47067755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Method of Iteration of Averages in Ecological Research","authors":"Yu. I. Sukhorukikh,&nbsp;S. G. Biganova","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030149","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030149","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The study and conservation of biological diversity is one of the global contemporary environmental problems of world significance. The goal of the study is to propose a method for identifying promising plants based on iteration of average values. For this purpose, nine trial plots were laid in the steppe, forest-steppe, and mountain zones of the Northwestern Caucasus in protective and forest stands. Based on well-known methods, the height, trunk diameter, crown radius, abundance of fruiting, weight and selection value of nuts were studied. We studied the change in the average values of the indicators at different numbers of iterations. A method for identifying promising individuals based on the values of the average of iterations 4 and 5 was proposed. The proposed method was compared with the known method based on the values of the sum (difference) of the mean and double standard deviation. With a statistically normal distribution of indicators, the known and proposed methods give close values in the direction of increase or decrease in the indicator. Using the known method with a statistical distribution that differs from normal in some cases gives meaningless values. The proposed method based on the average value of iterations 4 and 5 in the direction of increase or decrease in the studied indicator allows one to use it to select objects with a statistical distribution that differs from normal.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46406077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial Structure of Steppe Marmot Populations under Protection Regime in the Southern CIS-Urals","authors":"O. V. Soroka","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030137","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030137","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article presents data on the distribution of the steppe marmot <i>Marmota bobak</i> Müll, 1776 in the Burtinskaya Steppe Site of the Orenburg State Nature Reserve (Orenburg Region, Belyaevsky District), from its inception to the present. The research was carried out by the author in 1998–2001 and 2021–2022; information on the number of steppe marmots from the archive of the reserve was also used. Mapping of all residential colonies of the steppe marmot and families in them was carried out, and the area of family plots was calculated. Statistical processing of the results of observations was carried out using the STATISTICA 10.0.1011 computer program. The spatial structure of the population, which had developed even before the establishment of the reserve, has been preserved with minor changes for more than 30 years. In the first years (1989–1990), eight relatively small settlements were noted on the territory of the site. Since 1996, ten colonies have been identified, and in 1999, 75 residential family plots were noted on them. By 2003, the territories of the colonies were completely developed, the marmots occupied old abandoned burrows within the colonies, and the number of families on the site increased to 106. Over the next 9 years, the number of families remained stable, after which their number began to decline: by 2017, only 55 families remained. Currently, there is a gradual increase in the number of families in the Burtinskaya Steppe Site; according to the results of mapping in 2022, 74 families were noted.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47678536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the Filtration Activity of the Dreissena Polymorpha Southern Invasive Species for the Ivankovo Reservoir","authors":"L. P. Fedorova,&nbsp;V. O. Polyanin","doi":"10.1134/S207909612303006X","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S207909612303006X","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bivalve mollusks are an important component of the ecosystems of many natural and artificial reservoirs. However, the ecological role of some of them is very ambiguous, especially if we talk about invasive species that have spread widely beyond their natural habitats over the past 100 years. The present study aims to obtain quantitative estimates of the distribution of a southern invasive species, the zebra mussel bivalve mollusk, over the water area of the Ivankovo reservoir and to assess the contribution of its filtration capacity to water self-purification.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44127733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Assessment of the Current State of Semi-Anadromous and Non-Anadromous Fish Species in the Northern Part of Agrakhan Bay","authors":"L. M. Vasilyeva,&nbsp;N. I. Rabazanov,&nbsp;N. V. Sudakova,&nbsp;A. Z. Anokhina,&nbsp;D. M. Ramazanova,&nbsp;R. M. Barkhalov","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030162","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030162","url":null,"abstract":"<p>An unfavorable hydrological regime has contributed in recent years to negative changes in the species and age structure of the ichthyofauna in the northern part of the Agrakhan Bay of the Caspian Sea. The article presents the data on the species composition, age categories and morphometric indicators of semi-anadromous and freshwater fish species in detail based on the results of studies in 2019–2021. A comparative analysis of the obtained results with the data of previous years was carried out; negative dynamics of changes in the studied indicators under modern conditions were established. There has been a reduction in the species composition of semi-anadromous fish from 14 to 9 species, the commercially valuable kutum <i>Rutilus kutum</i> (Kamensky, 1901), catfish <i>Silurus glanis</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), vimba <i>Vimba vimba</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), tench <i>Tinca tinca</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) and asp <i>Aspius aspius</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) have disappeared, the share of the remaining surviving species has significantly decreased. The average age has increased, the proportion of fish of older age categories has grown, and, accordingly, the number of younger groups of fish has decreased, which indicates a decrease in growth potential. At the same time, freshwater low-value fish species such as crucian carp <i>Carassius gibelio</i> (Bloch, 1782), rudd <i>Scardinius erythrophthalmus</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), white bream <i>Blicca bjoerkna</i> (Linnaeus, 1758), and others have growth trends in terms of age and morphometric parameters.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48846588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Map of the Current Vegetation on the Territory of Distribution of the Population of Saiga tatarica tatarica L. in the North-Western Caspian Region","authors":"I. N. Safronova,&nbsp;N. Yu. Stepanova,&nbsp;T. Yu. Karimova,&nbsp;O. G. Kalmykova,&nbsp;S. S. Ulanova,&nbsp;N. L. Fedorova,&nbsp;I. A. Goryaev,&nbsp;S. A. Poluektov,&nbsp;D. G. Polyakov","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123030113","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123030113","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The map of the current vegetation on the territory of the present and expected distribution of the Saiga population in the North-Western Caspian region is presented. The map was created due the research work under an agreement of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at a scale of 1 : 200,000 in the ArcGIS. The legend contains 61 numbers, which are combined into 11 groups according to the dominant formation. In the steppe zone fallow lands and pasture fields of different ages on slightly undulating and undulating plains with light chestnut soils (Kastanozem by WRB) are represented by Stipa sareptana, Artemisia lerchiana communities on loamy and sandy loam soils in complexes with Artemisia lerchiana and Leymus ramosus, Poa bulbosa, Agropyron desertorum communites on solonetzes (I); Stipa sareptana, S. lessingiana, Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron desertorum, Poa bulbosa, Artemisia lerchiana, Tanacetum achilleifolium communities on loamy and sandy loam soils in complexes with Artemisia lerchiana, A. pauciflora, Tanacetum achilleifolium communites on solonetzes (II); Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron desertorum, Stipa sareptana, Leymus ramosus, Artemisia lerchiana communities on loamy and sandy loam saline soils in complexes with Artemisia lerchiana, A. pauciflora, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Poa bulbosa, Leymus ramosus communites on solonetzes (III); Poa bulbosa, Agropyron desertorum, Stipa sareptana, Leymus ramosus, Artemisia lerchiana, A. taurica, Tanacetum achilleifolium communities on loamy and sandy loam saline soils in complexes with Artemisia taurica, A. lerchiana, A. pauciflora communites on solonetzes (IV); Artemisia lerchiana, A. austriaca, Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron desertorum, Leymus ramosus and Festuca valesiaca, Poa bulbosa, Artemisia austriaca communities on loamy and sandy loam saline soils in complexes with Artemisia pauciflora, A. santonica communites on solonetzes (V). In the desert zone pasture fields on hilly sands, on undulating plains with brown desert (Calcisol by WRB) sandy and sandy loam soils are represented by Artemisia lerchiana, Poa bulbosa and Poa bulbosa, Artemisia lerchiana communities (VI); Artemisia lerchiana, Poa bulbosa and Poa bulbosa, Artemisia lerchiana communities on brown desert saline soils of light granulometric composition in complexes with Artemisia pauciflora, Poa bulbosa communites on solonetzes (VII); complexes of Artemisia lerchiana, Poa bulbosa and Artemisia taurica, Poa bulbosa communities on brown desert saline soils of light granulometric composition (VIII); complexes of Poa bulbosa, Artemisia lerchiana and Poa bulbosa, Artemisia taurica communities on brown desert saline soils of light granulometric composition (IX); Artemisia lerchiana, Poa bulbosa communities on undulating and wavy sands, Calligonum aphyllum on hilly sands (X); Poa bulbosa, Stipa sareptana, S. caspia, Agropyron fragile, Sporobolus cryptandrus, annual (<i>Ceratocarpus arenarius</i>, etc.) communities on intensive pastures with brown ","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44675229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extreme Drought on the Eastern European Plain during the Early 20th Century Warming: Climate Characteristics and Analogues under the Conditions of Modern Climate","authors":"V. V. Popova,&nbsp;D. D. Bokuchava,&nbsp;T. A. Aldonina","doi":"10.1134/S2079096123020105","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S2079096123020105","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The unprecedented anomalies of the annual runoff of the Volga and the Northern Dvina rivers in 1920–1940s are considered in the context of global warming in the mid-twentieth century and climate extremes of recent decades. The analysis of climate characteristics demonstrates that the global temperature rise during a given period manifested itself in the long-term drought in 1934–1940s on the Eastern European Plain, which, according to Palmer’s classification, has no analogues in the region in terms of intensity and duration and caused extreme hydrological events. The results of the spectral analysis of the river runoff variability, as well as the analysis of empirical orthogonal functions of atmospheric pressure anomalies, suggest that the droughts of 1972 and 2010 can be considered as the closest similar phenomena, but significantly inferior in their impact on the natural environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49644981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Palatability of Plant Communities as One of the Criteria for the Qualitative Assessment of Pastures in Mongolia","authors":"E. V. Danzhalova,&nbsp;E. Ariunbold,&nbsp;N. I. Dorofeyuk,&nbsp;D. Myagmarsuren,&nbsp;S. N. Bazha","doi":"10.1134/S207909612302004X","DOIUrl":"10.1134/S207909612302004X","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The study of the state and economic value of pasture ecosystems in Mongolia in the context of their progressive degradation continues to be very relevant. The existing methods of forage assessment of pastures are either laborious (the zootechnical method) or do not reflect the real situation (assessment of overall productivity) in the formation of low-species or monodominant degraded communities. To determine the nutritional value and productivity of pasture ecosystems in Mongolia, the palatability coefficient (PC) is proposed, which is determined on the basis of data on the nutritional usefulness of plant species that make up the community, as well as the diversity of eaten species. The PC was calculated as the ratio of the phytomass eaten to the total aboveground phytomass, multiplied by the number of eaten species included in the composition of dominants and codominants. The PC was determined for 158 communities of meadow and steppe pasture ecosystems. These were ranked in four categories. It has been established that a significant part of the studied communities have a high PC. Although these communities are characterized by varying degrees of anthropogenic disturbance, including severe ones, the high PC is due to the fact that some of the digressively active species have satisfactory or good palatability. This fact probably supports the potential for an increase in the number of livestock in Mongolia, which have a wide range of food preferences. At the same time, there is a high proportion of pastures with low and very low PCs. To a greater extent, such pastures are formed by communities of real and dry steppes, which experience the greatest pasture load in Mongolia.</p>","PeriodicalId":44316,"journal":{"name":"Arid Ecosystems","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47632118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}