The avifauna of Western Siberia taiga zone wetlands (Tomsk oblast)

Wetland landscapes are widely spread in the Western Siberia taiga zone. Wetlands serve climatic and hydrological global functions, as well as many others. They also form the habitats for many species of animals. Dynamic development of Western Siberia wetlands and human influence on them demand the investigation of the wetlands’ bird population. This study aims to determine the wetland avifauna species diversity and to evaluate bird abundance and current state of rare species listed in Red Data Book. The study was carried out in the southern and middle taiga zones and in subtaiga. The study is based on the surveys that authors made in 2007–2013 in Tomsk oblast and also on the data gathered by the scientists in the Western Siberia forest zone. Counts were made according to Y.S. Ravkin’s methods. Counts of bird density are based on mean discovery distance on the routes. A total of 600?km walking and 150 water counting routes (by boats) were covered. It was found that 225 bird species inhabit Western Siberia wetland landscapes (196 – Tomsk oblast). Near 80% of birds inhabiting wetlands nest here.     

First list of macromycetes forming ectomycorrhizas in cedar and pine forests of Tomsk region of West Siberia

Abstract

The study was conducted during 2004–2015 in West Siberia natural forests. The Tomsk region mycobiota is almost unstudied though this region is considered to be an accumulation zone for North American, European, and Far East fungi species. Sampling was implemented in pure cedar or pine stands. Molecular data and microscoping identified 283 macromycetes species, which form ectomycorrhizas with Pinus sibirica and Pinus sylvestris.     

Management of protected areas and conservation of biodiversity in Iran

The paper describes the protection of Iran’s natural resources and discusses the system of management, showing the range of those resources, their vulnerability to infractions of management principles, and the need for strengthening the system. The paper makes policy recommendations on the basis of an analytical study.     

Birds of Siberian-pine (Pinus sibirica) forests of the south-east part of Western Siberia (Tomsk Region)

Abstract

The article examines the fauna and bird population of Siberian-pine forests in Tomsk Region (the south-east part of Western Siberia) in the summer period. The article is based on data collected by the authors over many years in 12 areas of Siberian-pine forests in various forest subzones. The taxonomical structure of avifauna, the landscape and ecological structure, and species distribution are examined. A comparison has been made of species diversity and population density for birds of sub-taiga Siberian-pine forests in the southern and middle taiga. The authors have identified the leading species of birds in terms of population density in various forest subzones. A tendency towards latitudinal changes in species diversity and population density in Siberian-pine forests has been discovered. The authors have identified the species of birds whose diet includes the nuts of Siberian pines. Data on the bird species of Siberian-pine forests listed in the Red Data Book of Tomsk Region have been included.     

The history and modern condition of the brown bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758) of the West Siberian plain

Abstract

Ursus arctos is a large carnivore and a common species for Western Siberia. The earliest traces of it date back to the Middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, its population grew and its range significantly extended northwards. The modern West Siberian habitat lies between 55° and 67°N, and its dynamics are being affected by human activity and climate change. The beginning of the twenty-first century has been marked by the growth of the population of the brown bear and its occurrence in unusual habitats. Earlier studies of the population genetic structure prove the existence of a Pleistocene refugium on this territory. The body size of the West Siberian brown bear is the largest for U. arctos subscpecies within its range.     

Distribution of (210)Pb and (210)Po in boreal forest soil

Vertical distribution and activity contents of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po were investigated in forest soils of Scots pine-dominated (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands from seven different locations in Finland. The mean total inventory in the soil profile, up to 20 cm, of ²¹⁰Pb was 4.0 kBq m^− 2 (range 3.1-5.0 kBq m^− 2) and ²¹⁰Po 5.5 kBq m^− 2 (range 4.0-7.4 kBq m^− 2), the organic soil layer containing 45% of the total inventory of both nuclides. In both the organic and the mineral layers the ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb ratio was close to unity indicating a radioactive equilibrium between them. In the litter layer there was, however, a clear excess of ²¹⁰Po suggesting that polonium is recycled via root uptake from the root zone to the ground surface. The activity concentration (Bq kg^− 1) of ²¹⁰Pb clearly correlated with organic matter and the Fe, Al and Mn concentrations in soil indicating that radioactive lead is associated both with humic substances and the oxides of iron, aluminium and manganese. Radioactive lead was also seen to follow the behavior of stable lead. No systematic correlation between polonium and soil properties was seen.     

Soil fauna as an indicator of disturbed forest areas in West Siberian industrial regions (the Kuznetsky Alatau case study)

The possibility to use soil-inhabiting rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) as an indicator of disturbed forest areas has been studied. The studies of Staphylinidae succession and changes in beetles’ communities in the couse of demutational successions took place in the dark coniferous forests of the Kuznetsky Alatau. The specific species for all the stages of secondary succession on the clearings of different ages were marked. For instance, Philonthus lepidus Grav. indicates meadow stages of succession in fir forests, while Tachinus marginellus Grav., Tachinus elongatus Gyll and Philonthus setosus Sahlb. are typical for primary forests. In pine forests, Tachyporus obtusus L. may serve as a good indicator for initial stages of succession, while Staphylinus erythropterus L. and Tachinus marginatus Gyll. are typical for old growth forests. A trend of decrease in the level of aggregation during the process of restoration of primary plant communities has been registered for all types of forest ecosystems.     

Current distribution and recent development of sessile oak forests in Montseny (1956–2015)

There is a distribution limit of sessile oak (Quercus petraea) in the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, with its southernmost populations located at the xeric limit for the species. We present here the current distribution of these populations in the Montseny Massif (N.E. Catalonia) and how the surface area they cover has developed over the last 50 years. Using a new high-resolution map (1:5000) we have calculated that Q. petraea currently covers 64.1 ha, and is found between 450 and 1150 m above sea level with a predominantly southern exposure, with the north-facing slopes being dominated by beech forests. With regard to its recent development, 44% of what is now dense forest was, in 1956, much more dispersed while 11% of it consisted of open spaces or shrubs. Such changes clearly show that, in Montseny, Q. petraea is well capable of regenerating its forest canopy as well as colonising adjacent environments.