Northeast Europe Research Articles

Syntaxonomy of secondary communities formed instead of earlier agricultural lands in the middle and south taiga subzones of the European North-East of Russia

We have identified the diversity of secondary communities formed instead of earlier agricultural lands (middle and south taiga subzones of the European North-East of Russia). The work describes 8 associations, 2 subassociations of the classes Papaveretea rhoeadis, Artemisietea vulgaris,Epilobietea angustifolii, Molinio–Arrhenatheretea, Vaccinio–Piceetea. 3 associations (Urtico dioicae–Chamaenerietum angustifolii, Centaureo phrygiae–Dactyletum glomeratae, Deschampsio cespitosae–Salicetum capreae), 1 subassociation (Galeopsietum bifidae galeopsietosum speciosae)were fixed for the first time. We noted a replacement of segetal communities (subass. Galeopsietum bifidae galeopsietosum speciosae) by meadow communities (аss. Centaureo phrygiae–Dactyletum glomeratae) through the domination stage of Cirsium setosum and Elytrigia repens (аss. Cirsio setosi–Elytrigietum repentis). Favorable conditions for development of woody plants (small size of study area, its close position to forest ecosystems, poorly sodded soil) respond for replacement of meadow succession stage by young woody plants towards the second decade of succession. Earlier agricultural lands are an appropriated place for formation of birch forests with a well-developed undergrowth of Salix caprea and herb layer of meadow and forest edge plants (аss. Deschampsio cespitosae–Salicetum capreae). Big-size study areas with a well-formed grass stand are dominated by meadow communities towards the second succession decade even in case of no haying. The highly competitive nitrophytes as Heracleum sosnowskyi, Chamaenerion angustifolium, Anthriscus sylvestris form the following communities as аss. Urtico dioicae–Heracleetum sosnowskyi, аss. Urtico dioicae–Chamaenerietum angustifolii, аss. Symphyto officinalis–Anthriscetum sylvestris. Being highly competitive, these species lead to degradation of first-formed meadow communities.

Building NATO Collective Defence Capabilities in Northeastern Europe I

The basis of NATO’s existence is the collective defence of Allies, its population and borders. Assurance and deterrence measures and activities implemented in Northeast Europe aim to build NATO’s common defence potential and deter potential aggression against NATO members. Assurance activities began in 2014, defined at the NATO Summit in Wales. They respond to the changed security situation on NATO’s eastern borders with Russian activities, the illegal annexation of Crimea, destabilisation activities and military involvement in eastern Ukraine. Increasing military activities and concentration of Russian military forces near NATO’s eastern borders, accompanied by hybrid warfare activities against the Northeastern European NATO members, followed. After the NATO Summits in Warsaw (2016) and Brussels (2018), NATO assurance and deterrence measures have been launched as a response to perceived threat. They aim to strengthen the Eastern Allies’ defence and deter and prevent any potential aggression while building Allied collective defence capabilities.

GNOME: A Dynamic Dispatch and Investment Optimisation Model of the European Natural Gas Network and Its Suppliers

As indigenous production declines, the European gas market is becoming increasingly dependent on imports. This poses energy security questions for a number of countries, particularly in the north-east of Europe. A suite of mathematical models of the European natural gas network has been borne from these concerns and has traditionally been used to assess supply disruption scenarios. The literature reveals that most existing European gas network models are insufficiently specified to analyse changes in supply and demand dynamics, appraise proposed infrastructure investments, and assess the impacts of supply disruption scenarios over a range of time horizons. Furthermore, those that are suited to these applications are typically proprietary and therefore publicly unavailable. This offers an opportunity to present a new model. The Gas Network Optimisation Model for Europe (GNOME) is a dynamic, highly granular mixed-integer linear optimisation model of the European natural gas network and its exogenous suppliers. GNOME represents demand and supply for all EU-27 Member States except Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta. The UK, Norway, Switzerland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Turkey are also included. Russia, the Southern Corridor suppliers, Qatar, North Africa, Nigeria, and the Americas are modelled as supply-only regions. GNOME satisfies gas demand in each country by generating a cost-minimal mix of indigenous gas production, pipeline flows, LNG imports, and storage use. If demand cannot be met using existing infrastructure, GNOME will generate a cost-optimal investment strategy of pipeline, LNG regasification, and gas storage capacity additions. The model solves on a monthly basis, from 2025 to 2040, in 5-year steps. The capabilities of GNOME are demonstrated by tasking it to analyse the impacts of a failure to complete the upcoming Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany. The complete formulation of GNOME including input files, equations, and source code is provided.

The fauna of aquatic invertebrates in the river impacted by wastewaters from the pulp and paper industry (Komi Republic).

BackgroundInvertebrates are important elements of aquatic ecosystems and play a crucial role in the transformation of matter and energy in continental water bodies. Communities of aquatic invertebrates are characterised by high sensitivity to pollution by nutrients and toxic substances and acidification of water bodies; they serve as good bioindicators of the quality of the aquatic environment and impacts on hydroecosystems. All hydrobionts participate in the processes of self-purification of water bodies.The presented dataset provides information on the aquatic invertebrate community of a large northern river. During 2018-2020, we collected data on changes in the quantitative indicators of the development of benthic and planktonic communities, as well as the species diversity of their fauna. The dataset combines information about the occurrence and abundance of benthic and planktonic invertebrates and summarises data of aquatic invertebrate species found in the Vychegda River in the zone of influence from the pulp and paper mill.New informationThe presented dataset is part of a monitoring programme of the river ecosystems in the production area of Mondi Syktyvkar JSC (the European North-East of Russia, Komi Republic). The dataset describes the structure of benthic invertebrate and plankton communities in the Northern Dvina River Basin. The data on the finding and abundance of large taxa of aquatic invertebrates and species of some groups: Oligochaeta, Cladocera, Copepoda, Rotifera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera are presented. In total, the resource includes 8720 findings of invertebrates, of which 6041 are for zoobenthos organisms and 2679 for zooplankton organisms.

A new straton in the Late Devonian sedimentation in the Tsil’ma river basin of the Middle Timan

Research subject. Terrigenous rocks of the Sargaevo stage of sedimentation in various structural-facies settings within the Tsilma area (Middle Timan). Material and methods. The composition, structural features of rocks, and the species diversity of spores of higher plants were studied in the most complete natural outcrops proposed as a stratotype of the Paladinskaya Formation – a new straton of the Sargaevo age in the Middle Timan. Over a large area of the region, the deposits contain very few remains of fossil fauna, often indifferent. As a result, palynostratigraphy was selected as the main biostratigraphic method. Results. In the Middle Timan, a new straton, the Paladinskaya Formation, is described, which characterizes the Sargaevo stage of sedimentation in various structural-facies settings within the Tsil’ma area. The new straton has clear lithological and detailed palynological characteristics; a description of the limitotypes was performed.At present, the Paladinskaya Formation is the most complete sequence of Early Frasnian sedimentation in the European North-East of Russia, where it was possible to record regional responses to the global Frasnes event and to determine the position of the controversial level of the boundary between the Middle and Upper Devonian. Conclusions. The name “Ust’e Yarega” Formation in the Middle Timan cannot be considered valid, since it is a homonym of the sediments of the same age in the South Timan. The section is represented mainly by continental, rather than marine, deposits. A new name for the identifed formation is proposed – “Paladinskaya” with a description of the stratum section and limitotype.The Paladinskaya Formation is characterized by subcomplexes of spores (А and Б) of the regional miospore zone Cristatisporites pseudodeliquescens, which made it possible to correlate the marine and continental deposits of the Early Frasnian on the territory of the entire Timan-Pechora region and establish its exact position in the stratigraphic scheme of the Devonian.

Deep crustal structure and Palaeoproterozoic evolution of the supercontinent Lauroscandia: 3D model of Trans-Hudson Orogen and new insight based on LITHOPROBE, FIRE and 1-EU reflection seismic and HuBLE tomography imaging

The Palaeoproterozoic Lauroscandia supercontinent received fundamental geological and geodynamic support based on the 3D characteristics of the deep structure of key tectonic units in the North American and East European megacratons. The deep structure of the western Reindeer zone of Trans-Hudson orogen (THO) most closely resembles the structure of sedimentary–volcanic belts along the eastern boundary of the Karelia craton formed during continental rifting. These belts were accompanied by vast depressions filled by the thick epicontinental volcano-sedimentary sequences, which were later affected together with the Archaean basement by high-temperature metamorphism. Some of the rifts could later be transformed into narrow short-lived oceans. The deep structure of the eastern Reindeer zone of THO is similar to Svecofennian accretionary orogen: structures of the crust and crust-mantle boundary point to a significant breakup of the continent, the origin of an ocean, and its later closure, involving a number of subduction zones, which operated almost simultaneously. The Sask craton should be viewed as a fragment of a Neoarchaean megacraton of North America. The main feature of the THO, Svecofennian Accretionary Orogen and Lauroscandia as a whole during Palaeoproterozoic evolution is the causal link with development of the Hudson Bay superplume that initialized a succession of huge events of plate-tectonic type. The head of the Hudson Bay superplume reached about 3000 km in the north-south direction and from 3000 to 4500 km in the east-west direction at different stages of evolution; 4500 km likely is a minimal estimate of the greatest dimension. The width of the Manikewan ocean reached more 1000 km, the width of the Svecofennian–Pre-Labradorian Ocean of ~2000 km that apparently also corresponds to a minimal value. The most significant temporal intervals in the Lauroscandia Palaeoproterozoic evolution (~2.5 Ga and 2.2–1.8 Ga ago) coincide with events of global rank.

Pezmogty 3B – a small Neolithic dwelling on the Middle Vychegda (Komi Republic)

The paper publishes the results of a study of complex B of Pezmogty 3 site. The author has studied traces and remains of a depressed small dwelling with an excavation area of 81 m. The spatial distribution of artefacts, faunal remains and their association with deposits of different genesis have been analysed. It is defined that the studied structure was rounded in the plan, 3,03,5 m in diameter, 79,5 m in area, and, probably, a cone-shaped roof. The assemblage contains stone objects, fragments of ceramic ware and indeterminable items, fragments of calcified bones. The morphology of the flint arrowheads; the signs of secondary bifacial thinning technology; the ceramic pots, made of clay with an admixture of silt and decorated with a comb-pit ornament, allow us to attribute these materials to the Lyalovo culture in the European North-East and date them to the first half of the V millennium B.C. Until now, the most informative data for the study of this culture in north-eastern Europe were the remains of medium and large dwellings with an area of 26 to 100 m, so the published materials expand our understanding of the way of life and house-building traditions of the Middle Neolithic people of this region.

Carbon stocks of soils under forest in the Komi Republic of Russia

Soils are a large reservoir of organic carbon, and plays a significant role in its accumulation and storage. The goal of this study is to provide a generalized estimate of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at dominant types of forest soils in the European North-East of Russia. The soil cover of the studied territory is mostly formed by Histic Retisols (HsR), Haplic Retisols (HpR) and Albic Podzols (AP). We used the results of our own SOC estimates and the ones of soil profile descriptions that were published for the region of investigation. The calculation was carried out for organic horizons and depths of 0–30, 0–50 and 0–100 cm including the organic horizon. The literature data lacks bulk density (BD) information. We calculated the mean BD value for soil horizons based on our BD determinations conducted for the studied soil groups in various parts of the region. The obtained BD values differed for separate soil groups. Relatively high BD of mineral horizons was obtained for HsR, low BD – for AP. Larger BD of organic layer for HpR is explained by accumulation of comparatively well-decomposed organic matter on the soil surface. The BD of organic layers was comparable for AP and HsR. The SOC stocks in all soil groups were characterized by a wide variation with differences between minimal and maximal values changing from 4 to 13 times. A closer spread was for HpR. The highest SOC stocks in 1 m depth were calculated for HsR with the mean value of 12.66 ± 0.13 kg m−2. The SOC content in HpR was 7.69 ± 0.12 kg m−2 and in AP – 3.80 ± 0.09 kg m−2. The organic layer share varied from 24 to 35% in SOC stocks of the 1 m profile. The depth of 0–50 cm concentrates 70–78% of SOC of the 1 m soil profile. According to the mean SOC stocks data and the area of the soil groups we estimated SOC stocks concentrated in main soil groups in the Komi Republic.

Distribution of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands (Northeast Atlantic Ocean): Implications for the Natura 2000 Network and Future Conservation Measures

The waters of the Canary Islands are considered a hotspot for marine biodiversity, especially regarding cetacean species. Based on this fact, this study pays attention to the spatial distribution pattern of cetacean species and the conservation role of the Natura 2000 Network, a set of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), which were defined mainly based on data compiled in 1996, under the framework of the European Habitats Directive. In recent years, the declaration of conservation areas for cetaceans between the Tenerife—La Gomera Islands by two global conservation programs, Mission Blue (“Hope Spots”) and Whale Heritage Site (“Whale Sanctuary”) sent clear signals of scientific and social interest to promote better protection of the cetacean species in the Canary Islands. The main aim of the designated SACs is the conservation of its biological and ecological diversity, ensuring the long-term survival of the target species in the waters around islands. In this case, the enactment of the SACs was based only on the sparse data available for the common bottlenose dolphin,Tursiops truncatus. This study shows that the spatial distribution of cetaceans in the Canary archipelago generated from a large database of cetacean sightings, from 2007 to 2018. The results obtained show the main marine areas where the different cetacean species are distributed around the different islands of the archipelago. The spatial distribution maps of the cetacean species, when compared with the existing SACs of the Natura 2000, show the need to extend these SACs into the open sea to include more cetacean species and a larger number of individuals for better conservation of the endangered marine mammals. As a consequence, some suggestions were proposed to improve and update the role of SACs in European Northeast Atlantic waters as a key environmental tool for cetacean conservation. The data supporting the recent declarations of these two new milestones the “Hope Spot” and the “Whale Sanctuary” enhance more keystone information to promote a large marine protected area in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, such as the “Macaronesian Biodiversity and Ecological Migration Corridor for Cetaceans,” a conservation figure that has been already proposed in the scientific literature as a deserving candidate of governmental regulations and policies by Portugal and Spain; it would also require joint cross-border cooperation efforts for marine spatial planning.

Сельская экономика северного региона: специфика, направления и механизмы развития.

The article presents the results of the research to substantiate the directions and mechanisms of development of the rural economy of the Komi Republic. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the works of the scientists in the field of development of rural economy sectors. The methods used were analytical, statistical, logical, comparative, SWOT analysis, and expert assessments. When studying this topic, we used normative legal acts on rural development, datafrom territorial statistics. The paper considers the views of the scientists and economists on the content of the concept of rural economy, identifies the features and problems of its development. The predominance of small forms of management in the branches of the rural economy has been established, and the low profitability of the products produced has been revealed. The article shows a decrease in the role of the rural economy in the overall economic activity of the region. In order to expand the areas of activity in the rural areas, the diversification of production is proposed. Mechanisms and priority areas for improving state support for the development of the rural economy have been developed. To eliminate the currently prevailing tactical approach to solving the current problems of the rural economy, its strategic management is justified. As an effective mechanism for the development of rural economy sectors, it is proposed to use strategic planning and forecasting. The methodological foundations of the strategy development are substantiated. The formulated scientific and methodological provisions of strategic planning are the basis for the development of strategies for the development of agriculture in the Komi Republic and reindeer herding in the European North-East of Russia. The results of the study are used in the development of the Strategy of Socio-economic Development of the Republic of Komi for the period up to 2035, and can also become the basis for improving state support for rural economy sectors, for the preparation of strategies and programs for the sustainable development of its industries and spheres at regional and municipal levels. The use of the research results is possible in the further research work of the author, as well as in theeducational process.

Prehistoric Pendants as Instigators of Sound and Body Movements: A Traceological Case Study from Northeast Europe, c. 8200 cal. bp

In the Late Mesolithic graves of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov, northwest Russia, large numbers of Eurasian elk (Alces alces) incisors have been found. These teeth, for the most part fashioned into portable pendants, seem to have formed decorative sets for the garments or accessories of the deceased. This article examines both the technologies associated with these artefacts and their uses, as well as reflecting on the sensorial experiences generated by them. Osteological analysis of a sample of 100 specimens indicates that all types of incisors were used for making the pendants. Traceological analysis indicates that the teeth were modified by scraping, grooving, grinding and retouching. Traces of wear consist of general wear and distinctive pits or pecks on the perimeters of the crowns. These traces indicate that the pendants were worn before their deposition in the graves, in such a way that they were in contact with both soft and solid materials. This pattern of pits or pecks has until now been unreported in the traceological literature. In experiments, a similar pattern emerged when pendants of fresh elk incisors were hung in rows and bunches and struck against one another. These strokes created a rattling sound. Thus, the elk incisors of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov appear to provide insight into previously unattainable sonic experiences and activities of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, as well as the early history of the instrument category of rattles.

Nutritional Value of Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers (Helianthus tuberosus L.) Grown in Organic System under Lithuanian and Polish Conditions

The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional value of H. tuberosus tubers grown in the organic farming system in Poland and Lithuania. The work was based on field experiments carried out in 2015–2017 in Parczew (Poland) and Akademija (Lithuania). The experiments were carried out using the randomized block method in four replications. Two cultivars of Jerusalem artichoke (JA) ‘Albik’ and ‘Rubik’ were tested. After the harvest of tubers, an assessment of their quality was carried out by standard methods. Due to the relocation of JA cultivation from Central and Eastern Europe to Northeast Europe, there were changes in the chemical composition of H. tuberosus tubers. The tubers from crops in Lithuania were characterized by a lower content of inulin, crude fiber and protein, ascorbic acid, total and endogenous amino acids than in Poland, but a higher content of true protein and macroelements. Edaphic factors determined, to a greater extent than genetic factors, the nutritional value of tubers. Assessment of the influence of varietal characteristics, meteorological conditions, and geographic location on the amount of biologically active compounds in JA will allow growers and consumers to choose the most suitable cultivars.

Historical Variability and Lifecycles of North Atlantic Midlatitude Cyclones Originating in the Tropics

AbstractNorth Atlantic tropical and post‐tropical cyclones impact midlatitude regions, but the inhomogeneous observational record of the latter stages of tropical cyclones precludes many climatological analyses. The frequency of tropical‐origin storms basin‐wide is projected to increase under anthropogenic climate change, so establishing confidence in our knowledge of their historical variability and lifecycles—against which climate model simulations may be evaluated—is important. We used a Lagrangian feature‐tracking algorithm to identify tropical cyclones that impacted Northeast North America and Europe in seven global reanalysis data sets, distinguishing systems that retained warm‐core structures or underwent warm seclusion from those that underwent extratropical transition, acquiring cold‐core, frontal structures. Over the last four decades, ∼25% and ∼10% of tropical‐origin cyclones made landfall across Northeast North America and Europe, respectively, as warm‐core systems, with, on average, higher wind speeds than cold‐core systems. Historical warm‐core and cold‐core landfalls also exhibit distinct tracks, likely responding to differing steering flow and midlatitude conditions.

Y-Chromosome Haplogroup Diversity in Khazar Burials from Southern Russia

Genetic studies of archaeological burials open up new possibilities for investigating the cultural-historical development of ancient populations, providing objective data that can be used to investigate the most controversial problems of archeology. In this work, we analyzed the Y-chromosomes of nine skeletons recovered from elite burial mounds attributed to the 7th–9th centuries of the Khazar Khaganate in the modern Rostov region. Genotyping of polymorphic microsatellite loci of the Y chromosome made it possible to establish that among the nine skeletons studied, three individuals had R1a Y-haplogroup, two had C2b, and one each had G2a, N1a, Q, and R1b Y-haplogroups. Such results were noteworthy for the mixture of West Eurasian and East Asian paternal lineages in these samples. The Y-chromosome data are consistent with the results of the craniological study and genome-wide analysis of the same individuals in showing mixed genetic origins for the early medieval Khazar nobility. These findings are not surprising in light of the history of the Khazar Khaganate, which arose through its separation from the Western Turkic Khaganate and establishment in the North Caucasus and East European steppes.

Plant CSR types in the north: comparing the morphological and morpho-physiological approaches.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-00973-9.

<p><strong>Morphology and molecular data of the species of <em>Suillus</em> (Suillaceae, Boletales) associated with <em>Pinus sibirica</em> at the European northeast of Russia</strong></p>

The genus Suillus represents the largest genus of the family Suillaceae, forming ectomycorrhizae with coniferous trees. Here, we presented the first results of molecular research (nrITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequences) of the specimens of Suillus, forming ectomycorrhizae with Pinus sibirica, at the territory of European northeast of Russia. The six taxa (Suillus acidus var. intermedius, S. placidus, S. plorans subsp. plorans, S. plorans subsp. cyanescens, S. punctipes and S. sibiricus) are identified based on morphological and molecular evidence. The key for identification, full morphological descriptions, the color photos of basidiomata and information on their ecology and distribution in Russia and world are presented for these taxa. On the basis of the molecular approach, we confirmed the relevance of subspecies Suillus plorans subsp. cyanescens previously described only by morphological features. BLAST-analysis of Suillus placidus with untypical for this species brown pileus revealed 99% identity with the specimens of S. placidus from Asia, for which the color of pileus varies from white to brown.

Climate hazard indices projections based on CORDEX-CORE, CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensemble

The CORDEX-CORE initiative was developed with the aim of producing homogeneous regional climate model (RCM) projections over domains world wide. In its first phase, two RCMs were run at 0.22° resolution downscaling 3 global climate models (GCMs) from the CMIP5 program for 9 CORDEX domains and two climate scenarios, the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5. The CORDEX-CORE simulations along with the CMIP5 GCM ensemble and the most recently produced CMIP6 GCM ensemble are analyzed, with focus on several temperature, heat, wet and dry hazard indicators for present day and mid-century and far future time slices. The CORDEX-CORE ensemble shows a better performance than the driving GCMs for several hazard indices due to its higher spatial resolution. For the far future time slice the 3 ensembles project an increase in all temperature and heat indices analyzed under the RCP8.5 scenario. The largest increases are always shown by the CMIP6 ensemble, except for Tx > 35 °C, for which the CORDEX-CORE projects higher warming. Extreme wet and flood prone maxima are projected to increase by the RCM ensemble over the la Plata basin in South America, the Congo basin in Africa, east North America, north east Europe, India and Indochina, regions where a better performance is obtained, whereas the GCM ensembles show small or negligible signals. Compound hazard hotspots based on heat, drought and wet indicators are detected in each continent worldwide in region like Central America, the Amazon, the Mediterranean, South Africa and Australia, where a linear relation is shown between the heatwave and drought change signal, and region like Arabian peninsula, the central and south east Africa region (SEAF), the north west America (NWN), south east Asia, India, China and central and northern European regions (WCE, NEU) where the same linear relation is found for extreme precipitation and HW increases. Although still limited, the CORDEX-CORE initiative was able to produce high resolution climate projections with almost global coverage and can provide an important resource for impact assessment and climate service activities.

Traces types in the deposits: case study of V–II millennium BC sites in the far northeast of Europe

The author publishes data on the main types of traces of human activity, revealed in the deposits of the sites with sub-terrain dwellings of the Neolithic and Eneolithic, modern territories of the Komi Republic and the eastern part of the Arkhangelsk Region. The description, expertise, analysis and interpretation of such evidences are an argumentative basis for further reconstruction of specific archaeological situations. The sequence of their development project creation use abandonment taphonomy determined the range of methods; the involved facts and the structure of the study. The author uses planigraphic and stratigraphic observations collected by researchers in the region; geomorphology; pedology; chemical and mineral composition of soils. These methods made it possible to determine the creation and the appearance of traces, as well as to identify problematic situations for which the data are still insufficient. The sediments are classified into four groups: original soil; sediments modified by mechanical and geochemical influences; and soils formed after the abandonment of the sites, including modern soil. As a result, it is determined that for research in archaeology, the entire complex of deposits, including modern soil, is of significance as evidences. The author therefore proposes to go beyond universal definitions of cultural layer, cultural or culture-bearing deposits, and to study and describe specific contexts of traces and remains under research. The available experience is predominantly the results of purely archaeological research with occasional use of science data. It is obvious that the traces of prehistoric life were created under complex conditions with the influence of physical, chemical and biological processes. Therefore, to further accumulate the evidence base of archaeological research, experiments in systematic comprehensive analysis of deposits of sites, buried in the ground are necessary.

Long-term dynamics of plant communities after biological remediation of oil-contaminated soils in far north

We studied the long-term dynamics of plant communities after bio and phytoremediation of oil-polluted soils. Nine plots located in European Northeast and treated using various bioremediation methods were monitored from 2002 to 2014. Geobotanical descriptions (relevés) of each plot were performed in 2006 and 2014, and Grime’s theoretical CSR (competition–stress–ruderality) framework was used to assess the vegetation state and dynamics. We observed a clear shift of communities from pioneer (where ruderal species were prevalent) to stable (where competitor species were dominant) states. However, the remediation type did not significantly impact the vegetation recovery rate. After 12 years, all methods led to a 55–90% decrease in the oil content of the soil and a recovery of the vegetation cover. The plant communities contained mainly cereals and sedges which significantly differed from the original tundra communities before the oil spill. The control plot, treated only by mechanical cleaning, had minimum oil degradation rate (50%) and vegetation recovery rates, although, in CSR terms, its vegetation assemblage resembled the background community. Cereals (Agrostis gigantea, Deschampsia cespitosa, Phalaris arundinacea, and Poa pratensis), sedges (Carex canescens, Carex limosa, and Eriophorum vaginatum), and shrubs (Salix) were found to be the most effective species for phytoremediation, exhibiting high community productivity under the harsh northern conditions.

Dwellings of the Kama culture in the Middle Cis-Urals

The paper describes the dwellings of the Kama Neolithic culture, which were studied on the territory of the Middle Cis-Urals. In total, six dwellings are known in the region at the sites of Ust-Bukorok, Khutorskaya (2 dwellings), Levshino, Chernashka and Ust-Zalaznushka II settlements. They belong to different stages of the Kama Neolithic culture. The huts were located either on terraces or in the floodplain. All dwellings had a quadrangular shape. Inside the dwellings, 1 to 6 household pits of the sub-oval or sub-circular shape are distinguished. Hearths are known only in dwellings of the early and Khutorskaya stages Kama Neolithic culture. All huts had no more than one exit. As a rule, it was located on the longitudinal axis of the structure. Dwellings belonging to the Kama Neolithic culture are known on the territory of North-East Europe, the Kama-Vyatka interfluve, the Lower Kama and the Middle Volga Region. The main type of dwellings are structures under a quadrangular shape, deepened into the mainland by 0,20,6 m, with 12 exits, 13 hearths, 16 household pits.