Pechora River Research Articles

Hybrid Zone between the Sok and Serov Chromosomal Races of the Common Shrew Sorex araneus (Lipotyphla, Mammalia) in European Russia

Analysis of the frequencies of karyotypic variants in the hybrid zone between the Sok and Serov chromosomal races of the common shrew Sorex araneus revealed that the zone has a complex configuration. A large part of the contact zone is located in a monotonous mid taiga zone, where there are no significant barriers to limit dispersion of shrews. Another part of the zone runs along the Pechora River (Komi Republic). Analysis of distribution of the diagnostic chromosomes on a transect along the Pechora River showed that the hybrid zone could be described by opposing metacentric clines. Individuals of both pure Sok and Serov races, as well as F1 hybrids, were found only on the left bank of the Pechora River. The right bank was occupied only by the Serov race, and F1 hybrids were rare there. The observed number of interracial hybrids in the center of the zone does not differ from that expected in the case of random breeding. This allows us to define this zone as unimodal. The standard width of the zone is about 40 km. This is considerably higher than all known cases of hybrid zones with the same level of karyotypic differences between parental races: two pairs of diagnostic metacentric chromosomes with monobrachial homology. We discuss possible causes of this phenomenon.

Wintertime Arctic Oscillation and Formation of River Spring Floods in the Barents Sea Basin

Results from the research on the influence of the wintertime (December-February) Arctic Oscillation (AO) on the spring floods of the North European Russia rivers of Onega, Northern Dvina, Mezen’, and Pechora flowing into the White and Barents seas are presented. Composites of the river water discharges from 1930–2014 constructed in accordance with the wintertime AO index above the upper and below the lower quartiles are analyzed. Statistically significant relationships between the dates and intensity of the river spring floods in the Barents Sea basin and the wintertime AO are shown. For all the analyzed rivers, April water runoff preceded by the winters of the AO positive phase significantly increases and by more than twice exceeds that preceded by the winters of the AO negative phase, with the significant runoff increase persisting into May for the Mezen’ and Pechora rivers. The earlier and more intensive floods are caused by the earlier spring warming after the winters of the positive AO phase and larger snow accumulation during these winters as compared to the winters of the negative AO phase.

Morphological and physiological traits of the mesonephros in a freshwater fish, grayling Thymallus thymallus

The study presents new data on the structural and functional organization of the mesonephros of the grayling Thymallus thymallus (Linnaeus, 1758). Adult grayling were sampled in the middle course of the Unya River, a tributary of the Pechora River (Komi Republic, Russia). The mesonephros of the grayling, as of other freshwater fishes, is composed by nephrons, blood vessels and hematopoietic tissue forming the renal interstice. In the interstice, сells with a radial vesicle array and chloride cells were discovered; the latter were mostly localized near the renal tubules. The degree of the interstice development in the mesonephros of the grayling was determined. New data on the ultrastructure of leukocytes, cells with a radial vesicle array, chloride cells, and nephron segments were obtained. A lack of mesangial cells, a small number of podocytes, and a thin basement membrane were observed on the sections of a renal corpuscle, being characteristic features of the ultrathin organization of the mesonephros in freshwater members of Salmoniformes and Esociformes. In the grayling’s nephrons, no neck segment was found, which was reported earlier for several species, including mammals. On the sections of proximal tubules, the ciliated cells were rare, and large amounts of the tubular-vesicular network in the zone of endocytosis of the type II epithelial cells were observed. On the sections of distal tubules, short blade-shaped cytoplasmic processes, with large numbers of invaginations of cytoplasmic membrane, were found. On the basis of the distinctive ultrastructure features mentioned above, the inference that grayling show the cytological markers of adaptation to euryhalinity was made. Thus, the results contribute to the knowledge of mesonephros development in fishes during their life history. From the species protection standpoint, our study provides baseline data on a WBC differential in the mesonephros as well as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities, which can be used in further studies addressing the health status of grayling populations.

Distribution of macrozoobenthos in an Arctic estuary (Pechora Bay, SE Barents Sea) during the spring flood period

Pechora Bay, located in the permafrost area of the Russian European Arctic, is characterised by highly variable environments due to its shallowness, complex system of water currents, and extensive freshwater input. The results of several benthic surveys carried out in the 1990s showed the stability of distribution of macrozoobenthos in summer. The aim of this study is to assess the status and distribution of the macrozoobenthos during the spring flood period, when the volume of the Pechora River discharge shows a 5- to 7-fold increase, and to determine the relationship of macrozoobenthos distribution to environmental factors. The intensive river runoff provokes ice scouring of the bottom sediments in shallow areas, causing low species richness, abundance and biomass. It was found that estuarine species spread to the entrance of the bay in flood time but the dominant species in five determined communities remain stable. The strongest driver for species richness and biomass is sediment granulometric composition. Shannon diversity (H′) negatively correlated with the organic matter content of the sediments. Assessing the status of the macrozoobenthos showed that it is slightly disturbed only in the small area close to the Pechora River mouth, influenced both by ice scouring and enormous freshwater discharge.

Diversity of planktonic fauna of the Pechora River Delta

Diversity of planktonic fauna of the Pechora River Delta

European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) mtDNA control region haplotypes diversity and postglacial colonization of Russian European North

European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) mtDNA control region haplotypes diversity and postglacial colonization of Russian European North

Суточные ритмы питания и рационы рыб, обитающих в р. Белая Кедва (бассейн р. Печора)

Суточные ритмы питания и рационы рыб, обитающих в р. Белая Кедва (бассейн р. Печора)

New karyotypes of the common shrew Sorex araneus (Lipotyphla, Mammalia) at the northern periphery of the species range in European Russia

The karyotypic diversity of the common shrew was examined in a poorly studied area of northeastern European Russia between the estuary of the Pechora River and the North Ural Mountains. The karyotypes that belonged to the Serov chromosomal race were found at 500 km to the north from the previously known race range limit. In addition, three new homozygous karyotypic variants were detected in the vicinities of the towns of Inta and Naryan-Mar (near and above the Arctic Circle, respectively). An individual with the diagnostic metacentrics go, hn, im, kq, and pr—termed the “Inta” variant—could have originated from a single whole-arm reciprocal translocation (WART) from the karyotype of the Sok race. This variant corresponds to the predicted karyotype that links the Petchora and Sok races. The second variant had the metacentrics go, hn, im, kr, and pq (Naryan-Mar) and could have arisen from the “Inta” variant by a single WART. An unusual karyotype that was found on the left bank of the Pechora River was determined to be a recombinant that resulted from natural hybridization between the Petchora race and new “Naryan-Mar” variant. Thus, we have determined the origin of new karyotypic variants in a small local hybrid population.

Lower Bathonian Belemnites and Biostratigraphy of the Central and Southern Parts of the East European Platform: Part 2. Cylindroteuthididae and Belemnotheutididae

Belemnites from the lower Bathonian deposits of the Russian Plate are revised and discussed on the basis of study of the two reference sections—Pletnyovka and Sokur quarries. This is the second part of the investigation dealing with representatives of the family Cylindroteuthididae, and “rostrum-less” belemnites of the family Belemnotheutididae, while members of the family Megateuthididae were discussed in detail in the first part (Ippolitov, 2018). The cylindroteuthidids are found only in the Sokur Quarry and comprise four species all assigned to the genus Pachyteuthis, including a new species, Pachyteuthis mittai sp. nov. For Belemnotheutididae, the presence of a single species Acanthoteuthis foliorostris sp. nov. is recorded, which is the first confirmed record of the genus Acanthoteuthis in the pre-Callovian strata. The study of morphological changes within Cylindroteuthididae across the succession allowed two biohorizons to be recognized and the existing belemnite-based scheme for the lower Bathonian of the Volga Region and its correlation with sections in the Pechora River basin to be updated. As the result of the revision, a complex zonal and infrazonal belemnite-based stratigraphic scheme of the lower Bathonian of the Volga Region is introduced. The presence of an endemic genus deriving from Arctic-Boreal immigrants in the lower Bathonian of the Middle Russian Sea allows the belemnite fauna of this age to be interpreted as the first isolated episode of differentiation of the Boreal-Atlantic Province in belemnites. The study of the development of the cephalopod fauna in the early Bathonian of the Russian Plate indicates a biphase formation of the meridional strait connecting the Middle Russian Sea with the Arctic basins and also supports the hypothesis of a short-term opening of a sublatitudinal Pripyat Strait during the maximum highstand.

THE ROLE OF ECO-GEOLOGICAL UNITS (ECO-STRATONS) IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STRATIGRAPHIC SCALES

Alternative, fit in with the ideas of Einstein, it is to construct a stratigraphic scales based on the stages of development of the entire biome of a sedimentation basin. N. Andrussov has developed such a scheme for the Ponto-Caspian Neogene, A. Ivanov — for Carboniferous of Central Russia, R. Hecker for Devonian of Central Russia and Paleogene of the Fergana. Paleozoologists used this method very rarely. Paleobotanists, on the contrary, went namely this way. The most important achievement was the establishment of the stratigraphic scheme of the Carboniferous — Permian of the Kuznetsk basin, which was soon extended to the entire North temperate zone of the Earth: from Pechora river to the Far East, and from Taimyr peninsula to Mongolia. Based on the horizons of this scheme eco-geological units (stratons) can be distinguished. In non-marine deposits of Carboniferous — Jurassic of Northern and Central Eurasia, 13 eco-stratons have been selected. Ecozones Elatocladus linearis ... Cornia vosini, Quadrocladus pachyphyllum ... Echinolimnadia mattoxi and Quadrocladus pachyphyllum ... Prilukiella (?) tomiensis are described in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Stratigraphic Code. The volume of eco-zones usually comprises one or two series. But in the upper Permian and lower Triassic it is a part of the stage. This reflects the uneven pace of the historical development of the organisms. In the Stratigraphic code of Russia ecozone is considered as a local or provincial biostraton. But eco-stratons can be regional and planetary. A set of the regional eco-stratigraphic scales forms a complete variant of the stratigraphic scale of the Earth. What is now called a General scale, it is a simplified version of it.

РЕКОНСТРУКЦИЯ ТЕМПЕРАТУРЫ ЛЕТНИХ МЕСЯЦЕВ НА ОСНОВЕ ГОДИЧНЫХ КОЛЕЦ СОСНЫ ОБЫКНОВЕННОЙ PINUS SYLVESTRIS L., ПРОИЗРАСТАЮЩЕЙ В БАССЕЙНЕ Р. ПЕЧОРА, "Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая"

Cores of Scots pine growing in northern taiga on the northern limit of distribution in lichen pine forests in the Pechora River basin are collected with purpose to reveal most suitable for climatic reconstructions tree-ring parameters. Tree-ring width has a weak mixed signal of temperature and precipitations of previous and current years and, therefore, cannot be used for reconstruction. Maximum optical density has shown a very perspective temperature signal for reconstruction in area under study. Northern island pine forests have stronger signal, in comparison with the pine forests growing in 100 km to the south, in a zone of continuous pine forest. Reconstruction of June–August temperature for the last 200 years is executed for the first time. The obtained data have correlated with the reconstruction by chronologies of the maximal density of pine from Fennoskandia and Eurasia.

Цилемские рудники в контексте истории старообрядчества на Нижней Печоре

Цилемские рудники в контексте истории старообрядчества на Нижней Печоре

Distribution of waterfowl of the Malozemelskaya tundra (Nenets autonomous district, Russia) among different wetland types

Investigations were conducted between 1993 and 2005 in the Malozemelskaya tundra of Nenets autonomous district of the Arkhangelskaya region in Russia. The study site spanned the area along the Barents Sea from the saltwater Indigskaya Bay, across the saltwater Kolokolkova Bay, to the freshwater Korovinskaya Bay, and along the region’s major rivers of the Malozemelskaya tundra. We divided the region into 6 different subregions and compared physical, biological, and chemical features of the lakes and ponds among the subregions, including number of waterfowl species and individuals by life stage (e.g., breeding and post-breeding), water surface area, spatial configuration of adjacent wetlands, water depth, pH, shoreline vegetation, and ratio of open water to vegetation. We used the information to categorize wetlands into 5 types and evaluated waterfowl use among the wetland types. The study area was strongly influenced by cryogenic processes with thermokarst formations with associated lakes and ponds of various ages, assessed by successional changes in vegetation. The hilly and hilly-ridge landscape of the area between the Urdjuzskoe lake subregion is dominanted by lakes of glacial and glacial cumulative origin. We also investigated waterfowl use within the saltwater-dominated Kolokolkova Bay, the freshwater Korovinskaya Bay, and within the Indiga, Neruta, and Velt river basins that bisect the region, and lastly wetlands of the Russkij Zavorot peninsula. We observed 42 species from 25 genera using about 72% of the wetland of the region. Thermokarst lakes had the greatest species diversity with 23 species observed. Glacial lakes and cumulative wetlands hosted the fewest species with 17 and 14 species, respectively. Oxbow lakes and lagoon lakes hosted 20 and 16 waterfowl species, respectively. We counted 20 species on saltwater Kolokolkova Bay and 19 on freshwater Korovinskaya Bay. The average number of species using any one of the 5 wetland types was 23. The greatest diversity of waterfowl species was observed on Rivers Neruta (22 species) and Velt (21 species) and in Pechora River Delta (17 species). During summer, species composition in river habitats was richer than in lakes.

Chironomid fauna of the lakes from the Pechora river basin (east of European part of Russian Arctic): Ecology and reconstruction of recent ecological changes in the region

We investigated chironomid fauna of surface sediments and a short sediment core (Bol’shoy Kharbey Lake) from Pechora river basin, Northern Russia. Twenty three investigated lakes have thermokarst, glacial or floodplain origin and are characterised by low mineralization, mostly hydrocarbon-calcium type of water and low concentration of nutrients. Most of the lakes have circumneutral pH around ≤7 and only two lakes are slightly more acidic with pH ≤ 6. Ninety six chironomid taxa were identified in the surface sediments. Distribution of chironomids in the studied region is driven by continentality, mean TJuly and рН. Chironomid communities from the core of the B. Kharbei Lake demonstrate the highest similarity with the fauna of the deeper lakes of the glacial origin. The glacial lakes have the highest indices of continentality and the lowest winter temperatures within the investigated data set. The chironomid fauna of the glacial lakes is composed of the profundal, oligotrophic and cold-stenotherm taxa. The fauna of the floodplain and thermokarst lakes is more closely related to TJuly and is composed of littoral and phytophilic taxa of meso–or eutrophic waters and moderate temperature conditions. The fauna of the acidic thermokarst lakes considerably differs from the other lakes. Chironomid communities here are represented by tolerant to acidification taxa, and by the typically littoral and shallow water acid-tolerant taxa that apparently also can tolerate acidification. Studied sediment record covers ca last 200 years. The reconstructed TJuly during the entire period remain slightly below the modern temperatures. From 1970 reconstructed TJuly shows steady increase to the modern level. The reconstructed water depths (WDs) of the lake are higher than today till 1980. The highest WDs are reconstructed for ca 1970. After that the WDs gradually decrease to the modern level. Changes of the WDs are most probably related to changes in the precipitation rate.

Прибрежная травяная растительность пойм рек Вычегда и Печора. Класс Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941

The present study continues a series of publications by the authors on the diversity of the herb vegetation in the floodplains of the Vychegda and Pechora rivers and their tributaries (Komi Republic). The floristic classification of the orders Molinietalia Koch 1926 and Arrhenatheretalia R. Tx. 1931 was published earlier (Shushpannikova, Yamalov, 2013, 2014). The results of classification of communities belonging to the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 are discussed in this paper in accordance with principles of the Braun-Blanquet approach (Braun-Blanquet, 1964; Mirkin, Naumova, 1998). Analysis was based on 268 relevés made in 1981–2016. The assessment of environmental parameters was performed by ecological methods by L. G. Ramensky (Ramensky et al., 1956). Syntaxonomic diversity of the vegetation of the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea in the floodplain of rivers Vychegda and Pechora is presented by 3 orders (Phragmitetalia W. Koch 1926, Oenanthetalia aquaticae Hejny in Kopecky et Hejny 1965 and Magno-Caricetalia Pignatti 1953), 4 alliances (Phragmition communis W. Koch 1926, Nardosmion laevigatae Klotz et Köck 1986, Equisetion arvensis Mirkin. et Naumova in Kononov et al. 1989 emend. Taran 1995 and Magnocaricion elatae Koch 1926) and 13 associations. The communities of the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea, as well as the order Molinietalia of Molinio–Arrhenatheretea, are located at all levels of the floodplains and are characterized by a variety of humidification conditions. However, the communities of the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea are characterized by higher humidification indices (72.2–86.3) compared to meadow vegetation the order Molinietalia of the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea of (68.8–74.4). A lot of associations, heterogeneous in their floristic composition, can be divided into 9 subassociations and 10 variants. New 4 subassociations (caricetosum vesicariae, equisetosum fluviatilis, persicaretosum amphibiae and lysimachetosum vulgaris), are included into ass. Caricetum gracilis Savich 1926. The peculiarities of the floristic composition of the above mentioned associations, as well as their distribution and ecology are discussed. The distinguished associations are well differentiated by their elevation position on the floodplains. The communities of the ass. Caricetum gracilis are located at all levels of the floodplainons; these of Agrostio stoloniferae–Equisetetum arvensis — on the highest ones; Equisetetum fluviatilis — on the lowest part of the floodplains in the riparian zone. The described communities are located on the soils with various ecological indi­cators. The distinguished associations are differentiated by the levels of humidification (65.9–89.9), mean figures — 70.3–86.3. The communities of the ass. Agrostio stoloniferae–Equisetetum arvensis occupy the driest sites (65.9–72.9); these of associations ­Equisetetum fluviatilis and Nardosmietum laevigatae — the wettest ones (80.7–87.8). The ass. Caricetum aquatilis has a wide range of humidification (72.7–89.9). The variability of humidification varies from alternating to high values (6.4–12.0). The ­greatest differences in humidification are experienced by the communities of the ass. Caricetum gracilis (5.5–12.0). Тhe communities of the ass. Agrostio stoloniferae–Equisetetum arvensis occupy the richest (10.5–15.0) and alluvial soils (4.0–5.0). They are located on the low level in the riverine and middle zone of the floodplain and are formed by annual flooding on alluvial deposits. The distinguished associations are differentiated by pH (3.0–8.0), mean figures — 4.5–7.0. The communities of the associations Caricetum juncellae, Caricetum gracilis and Caricetum acutae–rostratae are located on the most acidic soil; these of the ass. Equisetetum fluviatilis — on the neutral ones. The associations are distributed by the scale of pasture digression in range 2.5–4.5, mean figures — 3.0–3.9. The communities are used for hay-making. The question of the boundary between the meadow vegetation, lowland swamp and semi-aquatic vegetation remains unsolved. The communities of the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea described in this paper belongs to meadows. Ass. Nardosmietum laevigatae (previously referred to the class Galio-Urticetea Pass. 1967) is included into the order Phragmitetalia W. Koch 1926. The communities of the ass. Agrostio stoloniferae–Equisetetum arvensis have a mesophilic species composition and low moisture values, so they represent a transition between the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea order Molinietalia and class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea. A comparison of species composition of the syntaxa in Komi Republic and that in other regions of the Eastern Europe and the Asian part of Russia showed that the semiaquatic communities of the Komi Republic have low species diversity. It is less than 16 species on sample plot. The richest are communities of the associations Caricetum gracilis and Carici acutae–Phalaroidetum arundinaceae. 101 vascular plant species are recorded in 268 geobotanical relevés of the class Phragmito–Magno-Caricetea. The aboveground phytomass varies from 30–80 g/m2 (Agrostio stoloniferae–Equisetetum arvensis) to 420 г/м2 (Phalaroidetum arundinaceae).

Chironomid Fauna of the Lakes from the Pechora River Basin (Bolshezemelskaia Tundra, Northern Russia): Ecology and Reconstruction of Recent Ecological Changes in the Region

Chironomid Fauna of the Lakes from the Pechora River Basin (Bolshezemelskaia Tundra, Northern Russia): Ecology and Reconstruction of Recent Ecological Changes in the Region

Hydrological hazards at mouths of the Northern Dvina and the Pechora rivers, Russian Federation

The article presents results of long-term monitoring, detailed studies and numerical simulation of hydrological hazards at the mouths of the Northern Dvina and the Pechora rivers. The Northern Dvina River discharges into the White Sea and the Pechora River flows into the Barents Sea. They are major rivers in northern European Russia. The main hydrological hazards at the mouths of these rivers include dangerous ice phenomena, inundations from both pure maximum stream flow and peak discharges with ice jams, surge-induced flooding, wind-induced down-surges, low-water periods and seawater intrusion into the delta branches. These hazards repeatedly caused significant socioeconomic loss and environmental damage to the riparian areas. Causes and characteristics of hydrological hazards have been evaluated and considered with respect to features, pattern and factors of their long-term, seasonal and spatial variability using statistic methods, remote sensing data and numerical simulation. Furthermore, the impact of regional climate change and economic activities is discussed. As a result, detailed information about the Northern Dvina river mouth is presented. It included the structure and the efficiency of measure for preventing ice jam formation and protecting from river discharge, ice jam and surge-induced inundations. The article also included fundamental and updated data on the structure, parameters and hydrological regime of the Northern Dvina and the Pechora river mouths and specifics of their changes in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Минеральный состав красок икон нижней Печоры

Минеральный состав красок икон нижней Печоры

Genetic differentiation of coregonid fishes in pechora river

A population–genetic study of five coregonid fish species has been carried out using 30 enzyme loci. The species under study included whitefish, a natural hybrid of vendace and least cisco, inconnu, peled, and Arctic cisco. The investigation revealed a low intraspecific genetic differentiation of the abovementioned species from Lower Pechora River and Usa River, which is the main tributary in the Pechora River basin, where coregonid fishes migrate to spawn. Presumably, whitefish, vendace, and inconnu inhabiting the main channels of Lower Pechora and Usa rivers are represented here by introgressive populations of species formed by a mix of discrete evolutionary lineages originating from geographically separated Late Quaternary refugia. Some lineages of whitefish, vendace, and inconnu from the West Siberian periglacial lake came to Eastern Europe together with the last migration wave of Siberian species to the west, including peled, broad whitefish, and Arctic cisco, during the Middle Weichselian glaciation (60000–50000 years ago), while in the Eastern European Periglacial refugium (Lake Komi), local lineages of these species had survived. The periglacial Lake Komi has probably been located on the Pechora Plain since early Weichselian glaciation (90000–80000 years ago), and the studied whitefish specimens from Upper Pechora River are probably the purest descendants of the periglacial race of whitefish from Lake Komi. This assumption is supported by the data on the high level of genetic differentiation between the whitefish of Upper Pechora and Lower Pechora (DN = 0.005), as well as by the pattern of allele distribution in some polymorphic loci. In our opinion, the ecologic and genetic differentiation of vendace in the Pechora River basin is also connected with the interaction between two evolutionary lineages that originated from independent periglacial refugia.

Генетическая дифференциация сиговых рыб в реке Печоре

Генетическая дифференциация сиговых рыб в реке Печоре