Degree Of Anthropogenic Impact Research Articles

Biological indicators and commercial exploitation of main fish and river crayfish species of the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir

Aim: To analyze and summarize the biological indicators of the main industrial fish and river crayfish species in the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir under conditions of fishery exploitation. Methods: Biological analysis of fish was conducted according to classical methods in ichthyology, using the following parameters: standard and absolute body length, individual mass, gender, feeding coefficient. Crayfish, caught in fishing gear, underwent morphometric measurements to determine individual mass and gender. Biological sampling was carried out during the vegetation period of 2023 during both control and commercial fishing in the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir at three sites differing in hydrology and degree of anthropogenic impact. Research results: According to the data from the Department of the State Agency of Reclamation and Fisheries Management in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, during 2023, 140,504 tons of fish were caught in the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir, nearly 8 times less than in 2021. In 2021, 1078.25 tons of aquatic resources were caught, which is 8 % less than in 2020. Silver carp was the dominant fish species in 2022, accounting for 80.5 % of the total catch in the reservoir. Herbivorous fish species accounted for 5.4 % of the catch, roach - 3.3 %, bream - 2.3 %, perch - 2.0 %. Based on the conducted research, recommendations have been provided regarding the establishment of forecasts and limits for the extraction of aquatic resources from the Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir for the year 2024. Conclusions: The Zaporizhzhia (Dnipro) reservoir has potential for the development of fishing, fish farming, and aquaculture in the Prydniprovsky region. The research results suggest that limits can be set on the catch of certain fish species: bream- up to 210 tons, pike-perch - up to 42 tons, roach - up to 350 tons, and perch - up to 138 tons. However, the catch of silver carp, bleak, sprat, herbivorous fish, and sun-perch is recommended to be unrestricted. The forecasted catch of crayfish is within 1 ton. The catch of other aquatic resources should also be conducted within forecasted levels

Features of biology and coenopopulation characteristics of Silene cretacea Fisch. ex Spreng. on the Ilovli river valley, Volgograd region

One of the modern environmental problems is the reduction in the number of rare plant species due to an increase in anthropogenic pressure on natural phytocenoses. Cenopopulation studies of Silene cretacea Fisch. ex Spreng. will make it possible to study the real state of natural coenopopulations, which is the result of the intrapopulation distribution of individuals. We studied 7 cenopopulations of Silene cretacea in the natural conditions of the Volgograd region on the Cretaceous outcrops of the valley of the river Ilovlya, which differ in species composition and degree of anthropogenic impact. An ontogenetic strategy has been defined that corresponds to the S (patient) type, which allows the species, in the struggle for existence, due to its endurance, to exist in extremely unfavorable conditions, that is, in conditions where other species cannot survive, and therefore cannot compete with them. With the similarity of the age composition of cenopopulations in different ecological and cenotic areas, they differed from each other in terms of vitality composition. The vitality type of the studied cenopopulations changed from prosperous to depressive. The analysis of the age spectrum showed that all the studied populations are normal, incomplete, with a maximum in the generative fraction with a large proportion of plants of the generative period, with a small proportion of pregerative and senile individuals. For most individuals of the S. cretacea, normal development is common that described by the successive passage of individuals of all age states in their life cycle. Under optimal conditions, individuals of S. cretacea are characterized by slow development with slow rates of development in the middle generative age state. This is due to the specifics of the ecology of the habitat of S. cretacea (narrow ecological confinement, features of the soil substrate, etc.) and the biology of the species (seed renewal, prolonged stay of individuals in the generative state).

Zoning of highways of the Cherkasy region according to the degree of formation of ecosystem relations

The research is due to the great attention paid to the preservation and restoration of biodiversity in the countries of the European Union. Purpose. Carrying out zoning of the Cherkasy region according to the degree of completeness of the formation of roadside landscapes ecosystemsю Methods. From a methodological point of view, zoning is considered as one of the main methods of geographical analysis a nd synthesis. Zoning performs the function of a general geographic method of organizing spatial diversity in the geographic envelope and systematizing territorial formations at the regional level, which makes it an essential element of a systematic approach in geography. Results. The monitoring parameters of the infrastructure components of the main highways of the Cherkassy region (Kyiv-Odesa and Vinnytsia-Uman) used by us can be used for zoning, provided they are combined into logically formed factor groups. In particular, we combined all the initial parameters into the following groups of factors: natural-geographic factor: geolocation (geographic coordinates), air temperature and humidity, natural radiation background; degree of anthropogenic impact: noise level, dustiness, some geochemical indicators, proximity (or remoteness) of the road surface from agricultural land; the degree of manifestation of ecosystem relations: the number of plant species and their recurrence, the presence of invasive species and those that are indicators of salinity and waterlogging, the presence of species included in the National Catalog of Biotopes of Ukraine. Based on the list of main groups of factors, the main indicator of zoning will be the degree of completeness of the formation of roadside ecosystems. Conclutions. Taking into account the activation of ruderal flora at the exits from gas stations, or on remote sections of highways, it can be asserted that in these locations the Le Chatelier-Brown principle is fully in effect, according to which the biosphere compensates for the harmful effects from the outside with its diversity. The author sees prospects for further research in the expansion of the list of objects, in particular, it will be very interesting to investigate the formation of ecosystem relations on secondary communication routes.

The litters of spruce stands within megapolis as an object of ecological monitoring

For the purposes of ecological monitoring, the features of living ground cover and forest floor in spruce stands within Moscow urban territory were studied. Using ecological scales by Nitsenko, Ramensky, Ellenberg and Landolt, let to consider, that ruderalization of living overground cover is a result of recreation. Independently of spruce forest type, the absence of undergrowth results in increasing light penetrating and increasing species quantity. Variety of ecological spaces is a result of moderate trampling, which is mostly expressed in between-crown spaces. Hight trophy index by L.G. Ramensky is a result of increased weediness of overground cover. It is shown, that living overground cover characterizes the variety of tree layer and the level of anthropogenic impact on phytocenosis.The forest floor in urban spruce stands is sensitive to changes in functioning conditions and can be used for ecological monitoring. Availability of forest floor studying and simplicity of parameter estimation allows getting information about organic matter accumulation in express-regime under various degrees of anthropogenic impact on urban ecosystems. Within the system of trunk, crown and open space, the simplification of litter structure and decreasing organic matter total deposit are observed - this can be considered an invariant process.Maximal uniformity of coverless spaces litter, composed by needles and branches, results from absence of living overground cover, in combination with low recreation in these spaces. This fact let to conclude, that coverless spaces are able to be used as most important objects for comparing spruce ecosystems with different overground cover. Two groups of indexes, characterizing structure-functional litter organization, are proposed. Indexes, characterizing structural litter organization, include the total deposit of litter and L horizon deposit. Indexes, characterizing functional litter features, include deposit and proportion of detritus as well as the same for easydecomposed components, ratio of thickness (deposit) of L horizon and F horizon. The peculiarities of long-term spatial functioning are characterized by litter typology in the system trunk-crown-open space

Life forms of plants of natural and anthropogenic landscapes

The relevance of the study is conditioned by the solution of environmental issues to preserve the natural biological diversity of plant life forms in Central Asia and the Balkan Peninsula. The most important task of Uzbek botanists is to investigate all aspects of the structural and dynamic organisation of vegetation cover and changes in plant communities in areas affected by the intense impact of anthropogenic factors. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative characterisation of plant life forms of natural and anthropogenic landscapes of Central Asia and the Balkan Peninsula. The leading approach to the examination of this problem is spatial-comparative, which allows comprehensively investigating the elements of the system of plant life forms of natural and anthropogenic landscapes. In addition, during the empirical study, the collected field material was analysed by generally accepted geobotanical and forestry methods, which consist in describing the topographic position of woody, semi-woody, polycarpic, and monocarpic terrestrial grasses, aquatic plants. The authors used both herbarium and live material from expedition surveys on the Biosphere Reserve and the protected area of the Uvac river gorge by Kazakh, Uzbek, Greek, and Turkish researchers. As a result, a comparative characteristic of the state of modern plant communities of Central Asia and the Balkan Peninsula by the nature and degree of anthropogenic impact was presented. The main life forms of plants of the regions under study were covered; the interrelation of environmental conditions with the process of flora formation was identified and substantiated. The materials of the study are of practical value for ecologists, landscape researchers, geographers, and biologists to use the findings in creating long-term plans for the development of natural landscapes for nature reserves, ecological centres, and nature protection zones. The developed method of comparative characteristics can be used to investigate natural and anthropogenic landscapes of other territories

КАРТОГРАФИРОВАНИЕ ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ СБАЛАНСИРОВАННОСТИ УРБАНИЗИРОВАННОЙ ТЕРРИТОРИИ НА ОСНОВЕ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ФАКТОРОВ

The article discusses the main methods of assessing the environmental balance of the urbanized territory of a model area of the city of Irkutsk through a system of quantitative assessments and expert verbal descriptions of the studied processes based on geostatistical data. An inventory was carried out and a database of spatial and non-spatial data was compiled on the basis of cadastral division of the territory; types of land use and functional types of the site development were identified; the engineering and transport infrastructure, the location of industrial enterprises, recreation areas and public improvements were assessed. Functional types of the category with different degrees of anthropogenic impact and socio-ecological significance have been identified: influencing, neutral, and environment-forming, as well as local areas of environmental stability. Spatial data is represented as a vector topological model of data, surfaces and isolines, attribute data is represented as a set of MapInfo tables, with which it is easy to perform restructuring operations – changing the structure and composition of data tables and structured queries.

Bacterial composition in Swedish raw drinking water reveals three major interacting ubiquitous metacommunities.

BackgroundSurface raw water used as a source for drinking water production is a critical resource, sensitive to contamination. We conducted a study on Swedish raw water sources, aiming to identify mutually co‐occurring metacommunities of bacteria, and environmental factors driving such patterns.MethodsThe water sources were different regarding nutrient composition, water quality, and climate characteristics, and displayed various degrees of anthropogenic impact. Water inlet samples were collected at six drinking water treatment plants over 3 years, totaling 230 samples. The bacterial communities of DNA sequenced samples (n = 175), obtained by 16S metabarcoding, were analyzed using a joint model for taxa abundance.ResultsTwo major groups of well‐defined metacommunities of microorganisms were identified, in addition to a third, less distinct, and taxonomically more diverse group. These three metacommunities showed various associations to the measured environmental data. Predictions for the well‐defined metacommunities revealed differing sets of favored metabolic pathways and life strategies. In one community, taxa with methanogenic metabolism were common, while a second community was dominated by taxa with carbohydrate and lipid‐focused metabolism.ConclusionThe identification of ubiquitous persistent co‐occurring bacterial metacommunities in freshwater habitats could potentially facilitate microbial source tracking analysis of contamination issues in freshwater sources.

CELLULOSOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF SOILS OF THE ODESA CITY

Problem Statement and Purpose. Cellulose cleavage is of great importance in the carbon cycle, as it contains more than 50% of all organic carbon in the biosphere. This is a fairly stable organic compound that is destroyed only by very strong oxidants. Under natural conditions, the destruction of cellulose is carried out by various microorganisms that produce cellulase enzymes. The activation of cellulose decomposition is influenced by temperature, pH level, soil aeration, biological properties of vegetation, etc. Being very resistant to physicochemical factors, cellulose is easily decomposed by microorganisms with the release of carbon, which in the form of various compounds is involved in creating soil fertility. Cellulose is broken down by aerobic microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) and anaerobic mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria. The peculiarity of cellulose-destroying microorganisms is their high demand for nitrogen sources. Soil-destroying soil microorganisms are the most important suppliers of organic matter to various groups of microorganisms (including nitrogen-fixing) in the common food chain. Since the activity of cellulose-destroying microorganisms also depends on the presence of available phosphorus and other elements in the soil, the degree of decomposition of fiber can be considered to reflect the direction of microbiological processes in general. Cellulolytic activity indicates the intensity of biological processes in the soil. The more intensively the cellulose decomposes, the faster the biological cycle of elements takes place and the fuller the plants are provided with nutrients. Therefore, cellulose activity is used as one of the indicators of biological activity of the soil environment. Data &Methods. The author, in the study of cellulosolytic activity of soils in the city of Odessa, used the method of applications (laying in the soil strips of filter paper or linen cloth fixed on the glass). Applications were laid vertically in the upper 15-cm layer of soil of 5 pieces on the site. A month later, they were dug up, carefully washed from the soil and decay products, dried and weighed again. Cellulolytic activity was determined by weight loss of exposed tissue. Results. As a result of research on the study of cellulolytic activity of soils in the city of Odessa, it was found that cellulolytic activity is an important indicator of the intensity of destructive processes in the soil. The intensity of cellulose decomposition in the soil is determined by the combined action of several factors: weather conditions, the nature of vegetation, the amount of organic matter entering the soil, soil type, its physical properties, chemical composition. In an urban environment, the intensity of cellulosolytic processes is also regulated by the nature and degree of anthropogenic impact on soil, atmosphere and vegetation. The intensity of cellulose destruction in the city soils is estimated to be very weak, weak and medium. The cellulolytic processes in the soils of the city of Odessa in 2021 were stimulated by abundant precipitation (r = 1,000). The decrease in CA in some parts of the city may be due to minimal anthropogenic impact on the soil cover.

Features of the floristic composition of communities with the participation of Malus sieversii on the territory of “Zhongar - Alatau” National Park

Dzungarian Alatau mountain is a unique place of agrobiodiversity concentration. The apple forests consisted of the red book species Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem. in combination with Abies sibirica Ledeb. and Populus tremula L. form a pronounced altitudinal-climatic band within 1200-1600 m in Dzungarian Alatau. In this article the features of the floristic composition of M. sieversii communities in four gorges of the Zhongar-Alatau National Park (Pikhto-voye, Mushabay, Kok-Zhota and Krutoye) were revealed. Plant species characteristic of the apple forest belt are shown. In the studied communities, there are 138 species of higher vascular plants from 110 genera, 42 families. The leading families in terms of the number of species are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae. Generic coefficient was revealed as 79.7 %. The ecological and geographical analysis of the noted species indicates that the floristic richness of the communities is mainly due to the natural conditions of growth, the leading of which are the height, exposure, moisture content of the substrate, and the closeness of the crowns of the tree canopy. In addition, the degree of anthropogenic impact on communities is of great importance.

Photosynthetic apparatus features of Nuphar lutea and Nymphaea alba floating leaves can affect their redistribution

Water plants are well adapted to the aquatic environment due to the high plasticity of the photosynthetic apparatus of floating and submerged leaves. A strong decrease or complete disappearance of Nymphaea alba L. populations and their simultaneous replacement by Nuphar lutea L. Smith populations were observed for the last decades in freshwater ecosystems previously described as typical habitats of both species. However, there is no information on which environmental factors and / or interspecies differences between Nu. lutea and Ny. alba induce succession in Nymphaeaceae populations and decline of Ny. alba in natural habitats. We conducted a two-year comparative study of photosynthetic apparatus in floating leaves (chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf anatomy, and chloroplast ultrastructure) of both plant species in water bodies significantly different in the degree of anthropogenic impact and abundance of Nymphaeaceae individuals. It was shown that shifting of parameters of water chemistry induced by increasing concentrations of nitrogen and inorganic phosphorus did not affect photosynthetic processes in both species and confirmed literature data on high tolerance of rooted floating-leaved macrophytes to eutrophication. Irrespective of the water eutrophication level, a more rapid decrease of effective quantum yield (ΦPSII) of Nu. lutea floating leaves at irradiances above 500 μmol m−2 s−1 was observed. Active non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) mechanisms and local extensions of granal thylakoids indicate well-developed photoprotective features of Nu. lutea. The higher value of ΦPSII and diameter of grana in palisade parenchyma and a well-developed spongy parenchyma providing intensive gas exchange indicate better adaptation of photosynthetic apparatus of Ny. alba to high irradiance. In addition, leaf costs and leaf dynamics of Nu. lutea and Ny. alba can impact the outcome of the competition between the two species.

Scientific-methodical and practical principles for assessment of the key territories of the Eastern Podillya's econetwork based on the main criteria of their formation

 The article presents scientific-methodical and practical principles for assessment of key territories of the ecological network of Eastern Podillya based on the main criteria of their formation. It offers the system of appropriate approaches and principles to be applied for formation of the key territories of the region's ecological network. The principle of representativeness should serve as a main criterion for selection of the key territories, however, we still advise to consider three types of such territories – biotic (botanical, zoological, mycological); geographical (landscape; biogeographical); geozoological (object; categorical; functional). Such aspects as area, size, configuration, state of internal ecological balance should play a significant role in creating the key territories, however, the qualitative and quantitative composition of protected objects, degree of anthropogenic impact on natural and man-made ecosystems and types of conservation regimes are also extremely important. Matrix representativeness, which is widely used in EU countries, should be also of great importance in forming a network of key territories. It is based on the landscape-zonal principle, where the systems of natural zoning units (biogeographical, geobotanical, floristic, forest typological, zoogeographical, physical-geographical) form the matrix of biodiversity species and landscapes. According to this principle, the basis for creation of key territories should by all means include typical (indicator) species of biodiversity, landscapes of all natural zones, subzones, regions, provinces, sub-provinces, districts. The field surveys of Eastern Podillya led us to a conclusion that a significant number of key territories do not perform a function of preserving biotic and landscape diversity. The conducted field researches allowed establishing the fact that there is a risk of losing such diversity under current ecological conditions of the region. Therefore, using the principle of representativeness, we presented a method of assessing the key territories of the Eastern Podillya's ecological network based on the main criteria of their formation. The main criteria include degree of naturalness of a certain key territory, its floristic and faunistic significance, landscape-coenotic and specific (relating to species) representativeness, purpose of a key territory, and its protected status (regime).

Comparative analysis of anthropogenic impact levels and payments for natural resource use in the Russian model areas

An assessment of the effectiveness of the existing system of paid nature natural resource usage in terms of the effect of reducing the negative impact on the environment by nature users is considered. The theory and practice of the effectiveness of environmental investment, as well as environmental management fees, were used as the basis of the methodology. The basis of the methodological tools consists of calculation and analytical, comparative methods, methods of system and structural analysis. The model territories of the ecological rating of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are determined, the degree of anthropogenic impact is estimated on the basis of specific pollution indicators, the analysis of environmental investment features in the selected territories is carried out, the need for improving environmental policy is proved on the basis of the assessment of the ratio of payment for regulatory and excess pollution by environment.

გარემოს ეკოლოგიური მდგომარეობის შეფასება და ეკოლოგიური უსაფრთხოების პრობლემების გადაწყვეტა მათემატიკური ეკოლოგიის მეთოდების და გეოსაინფორმაციო სისტემის პროგრამების გამოყენებით

With the intensive development of industry and population growth, environmental protection and the correct use of natural resources are of great importance. For a proper assessment, monitoring and management of the environmental situation, it is necessary to possess cartographic, environmental and other information about all its components, analyze this information and make the right decisions. There are various ways to solve this problem. The article provides a brief description of the method that we applied to assess the ecological state in one of the sections of the Mtkvari (Kura), in particular, the content of heavy metals in the waters of the Mtkvari (Kura) River in the Zagesi – Red Bridge section. The degree of anthropogenic impact was assessed by methods of mathematical modeling and modern technologies of the geographic information system. In the mathematical processing of information, a whole range of mathematical modeling tools were used - starting with mathematical statistics and ending with a complex model. The main functions of the geographic information system were also used: information organization, its processing, analysis, verification, visualization, and etc. As a result, thematic maps were created, that clearly show the degree of pollution of the river section, as well as the dynamics of changes in the concentration of heavy metals. This method can be used for environmental assessment of various objects. With its help, it is possible to carry out environmental monitoring simply and at low cost.

Visualising the Uncertainty Cascade in Multi-Ensemble Probabilistic Coastal Erosion Projections

Future projections of coastal erosion, which are one of the most demanded climate services in coastal areas, are mainly developed using top-down approaches. These approaches consist of undertaking a sequence of steps that include selecting emission or concentration scenarios and climate models, correcting models bias, applying downscaling methods, and implementing coastal erosion models. The information involved in this modelling chain cascades across steps, and so does related uncertainty, which accumulates in the results. Here, we develop long-term multi-ensemble probabilistic coastal erosion projections following the steps of the top-down approach, factorise, decompose and visualise the uncertainty cascade using real data and analyse the contribution of the uncertainty sources (knowledge-based and intrinsic) to the total uncertainty. We find a multi-modal response in long-term erosion estimates and demonstrate that not sampling internal climate variability’s uncertainty sufficiently could lead to a truncated outcomes range, affecting decision-making. Additionally, the noise arising from internal variability (rare outcomes) appears to be an important part of the full range of results, as it turns out that the most extreme shoreline retreat events occur for the simulated chronologies of climate forcing conditions. We conclude that, to capture the full uncertainty, all sources need to be properly sampled considering the climate-related forcing variables involved, the degree of anthropogenic impact and time horizon targeted.

INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS ON THE SOIL CONDITION OF THE N.V. TSITSIN MAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN OF RAS

The territory of the N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences is subjected to significant anthropogenic stress, which has a negative effect on the state of valuable collections of tree and shrub species. Soil compaction is one of the most dangerous consequences of anthropogenic impact, expressed in increased recreational impact. In this context, the botanical garden was very concerned about the deterioration of the collection of elaeagnus species. Therefore, the soils on which these plants grow were chosen as the object of research. On this territory, three sampling plots with different degrees of anthropogenic impact were laid. Sampling plot No. 1 had the maximum anthropogenic impact. The area of medium anthropogenic impact was represented by the sampling plot No. 2. The sampling plot No. 3 where the anthropogenic impact was minimal was a reference plot. All the studied soils were classified as soddy-slightly podzolic medium loamy soils (Umbric Albeluvisols Abruptic). Fundamental differences in the morphological properties of the studied soils were that the soils located in the area of maximum anthropogenic impact, starting from a depth of 40 cm, showed gley spots, which were not found in other soils. Increased bulk density of soil in undisturbed state corresponded to increased anthropogenic impact. This led to a decrease in total pore space of soil. Soil compaction contributed to a noticeable decrease in gravimetric soil water content in upper horizons. At the same time, worsening of subsurface runoff contributed to gley-forming processes in the illuvial part of the profile. Cluster analysis revealed good grouping of the dependence of the studied indicators on the severity of anthropogenic impact. The studied indicators were separated depending on their type and position in the profile. The conducted study made it possible to assess the essential physical and hydrophysical properties of soils on the part of the territory of the Main Botanical garden of RAS that is occupied by the valuable collection of elaeagnus. Based on the results of the study, a set of measures is proposed that can significantly reduce the identified negative effects and improve the state of both the studied soils and stands growing on them in general.

СТОК РЕКИ ЛАНЬ: СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ И ПРОГНОЗ

The results of the study of the water regime of the Lan River, a typical small river of the Belarusian Polesye, are presented. The Lan River is represented by three monitoring sites (Lognovichi, Loktyshi and Mokrovo) with drainage areas A = 480 km2, A = 909 km2 and A = 2550 km2, respectively, with different observation periods and the degree of anthropogenic impact. In addition to large-scale reclamation in the river basin, carried out in the middle of the last century, in 1977, a reservoir was built in the river bed for fish farming and agricultural use. Using the method of analogies, the series of observations of annual, maximum, minimum summer-autumn and winter water discharges are reduced to a single calculated period of 68 years from 1948 to 2015. Assessment of the influence of anthropogenic impacts and natural factors on the runoff, the initial time series, the averaging intervals were analyzed: from 1948 to 2015. (the entire observation period length is 68 years); from 1948 to 1977 (29 years period before the commissioning of the Loktyshi reservoir); from 1978 to 2015 (38 years of reservoir operation period); from 1978 to 1987 (10 years period of the reservoir functioning before the beginning of the modern climate warming,); from 1988 to 2015 (27 years period of the reservoir functioning under the current climate warming). Statistical heterogeneity was found as a result of intensive economic activity, which significantly disrupts the natural hydrological regime. It was revealed that for the average annual runoff there is a decrease along the Lognovichi site and an increase along the Loktyshi site; for the maximum runoff, a decrease is observed along all the stations under consideration; for the minimum summer-autumn discharge, an increase is observed along the Loktyshi site; for the minimum winter runoff, an increase is observed along all stations. Based on the hydrological and climatic hypothesis, predictive estimates of the average discharge values for the period of 2050 are given, which are expressed in a certain decrease in it and a shift in the peak of spring flood to earlier dates.

The panpulmonate limpet Siphonaria lessonii Blainville, 1827 as a sentinel of contamination in coastal areas of Argentina

Although some studies have evaluated the use of Siphonaria lessonii as a bioindicator of pollution, no study has identified the effects of human activities on the digestive gland, which is the main centre of detoxification of xenobiotics and a target organ in contamination studies. Thus, the present work aims to evaluate the use of this species as a suitable sentinel of contamination by analysing the digestive gland and shell alterations. The study was carried out in three populations exposed to different degrees of anthropogenic impact in the coast of Buenos Aires: a reference site (VG), a mid-impacted site (MPL) and a highly-impacted site (MPP). A histological analysis of the digestive gland was performed, as well as an assessment of the geometric morphometry, thickness, density and microstructure of the shell. Our results indicated that the individuals from the impacted sites present several histological alterations in the tubules of the digestive gland. These included hypertrophy and hyperplasia of different cell types (MPP), alterations of the digestive tube morphology (MPL and MPP), the presence of lipofuscin-like substances (MPL) and a high inflammatory response (MPP). In the shells, neither microstructural malformations nor changes in the elemental composition were found. However, shell morphometric variations and a decrease in shell hardness (thickness and density) were observed in the impacted sites. In conclusion, our results indicate that S.lessonii is a well-suited sentinel of contamination since the effects of anthropogenic impact may be reflected in both soft and hard structures. Although further investigations are necessary to identify the relationship between these effects and their potential causing agents, these simple and low-cost methodological approaches could be used to diagnose disturbance in the ecosystem health status where this species inhabits.

Assessment of the impact of the northern territories of oil and gas facilities on the environment

The article highlights the problems of the negative impact of oil and gas facilities on the environment Northern territories this necessitates the development of measures for the greening of land use based on the results of an environmental impact assessment and decision-making to minimize or eliminate them. The article presents the results of the environmental impact assessment of oil and gas facilities, zoning is conducted by the degree of impact and criteria for the degree of impact are defined. The results of the environmental impact assessment made it possible to assess the degree of anthropogenic impact of the study object and to develop recommendations for reducing adverse industrial effects in order to protect the environment.

Modern exodynamic processes of relief formation under conditions of anthropogenic impact on the territory of the Klyazma river basin

The basin approach is the basis of this study of the factors of modern relief formation. Modern exogenous morphogenesis of landscapes of the river basin and its parts is not well researched. In this regard, the study of the dynamics of exogenous processes characteristic of the landscapes of the Klyazma river basin in areas with different types and degree of anthropogenic impact is relevant. Based on the results of field geomorphological studies, locations of modern relief-forming processes (hydromorphism, karst, ravine erosion, landslide formation, lateral erosion of rivers) that are most characteristic of the study areas have been identified and mapped.

A comparative analysis of the anthropogenic impact and user-pays principle availability in the model areas of the Russian Federation

Subject. This article assesses the effectiveness of the existing system of environmental management based on the user-pays principle in terms of reducing the negative impact on the environment. Objectives. The article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the anthropogenic impact on natural environment components and deficiency payments for pollution in the model areas of the Russian Federation. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of computational, comparative, systems, and structural analyses. Results. Based on the ecological rating of the Russian Federation subjects, the article defines model areas, assesses the degree of anthropogenic impact on the basis of pollution relative rates, and describes the particularities of environmental investment in the selected areas. Conclusions. The system of payments for pollution does not affect the economic behavior of economic entities.