Permanent Habitats Research Articles

Functional traits driving pollinator and predator responses to newly established grassland strips in agricultural landscapes

Abstract Agricultural biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions are declining at alarming rates due to widespread land use intensification. They can only be maintained through targeted landscape management that supports species with different habitat preferences, dispersal capacities and other functional traits that determine their survival. However, we need better understanding whether short‐term measures can already improve functional diversity in European agroecosystems. We investigated spatio‐temporal responses of bees (solitary bees, bumblebees and honey bees), hoverflies, carabid beetles and spiders to newly established grassland strips in Lower Austria over 3 years, and along a distance gradient to old grasslands. Specifically, we asked if new grasslands, compared to old grasslands and cereal fields, serve as temporal dispersal habitat or corridor, and how species‐specific traits affect dispersal patterns. Using a trait‐based functional diversity approach, we investigated year and distance effects for nine selected key traits per taxon (e.g. body size, feeding guild and habitat preferences). Our results show that the functional diversity of predators and pollinators (i.e. functional richness and evenness), as well as community‐weighted means of selected key traits in new grasslands significantly differed from adjacent cereal fields, but only slowly adjusted to adjacent old grasslands. These effects significantly decreased with increasing distance to old grasslands for carabids and spiders, but not for mobile bees and hoverflies. Synthesis and applications. Over 3 years, newly established grassland strips supported larger sized and actively foraging/hunting species in the agricultural landscape. Adjacent crops likely benefit from such measures through enhanced functional diversity and related ecosystem services. However, our results also suggest that 3‐year period is too short to enhance the occurrence of pollinators and epigeic predators in new grasslands. Agri‐environment measures need to be complemented by the conservation of permanent habitats to effectively maintain species and functional diversity. Our findings should be acknowledged by European policy and agricultural decision makers for the design of more effective agri‐environment schemes, taking into account trait‐dependent species responses to land use change.

Predicting distribution of malaria vector larval habitats in Ethiopia by integrating distributed hydrologic modeling with remotely sensed data

Larval source management has gained renewed interest as a malaria control strategy in Africa but the widespread and transient nature of larval breeding sites poses a challenge to its implementation. To address this problem, we propose combining an integrated high resolution (50 m) distributed hydrological model and remotely sensed data to simulate potential malaria vector aquatic habitats. The novelty of our approach lies in its consideration of irrigation practices and its ability to resolve complex ponding processes that contribute to potential larval habitats. The simulation was performed for the year of 2018 using ParFlow-Common Land Model (CLM) in a sugarcane plantation in the Oromia region, Ethiopia to examine the effects of rainfall and irrigation. The model was calibrated using field observations of larval habitats to successfully predict ponding at all surveyed locations from the validation dataset. Results show that without irrigation, at least half of the area inside the farms had a 40% probability of potential larval habitat occurrence. With irrigation, the probability increased to 56%. Irrigation dampened the seasonality of the potential larval habitats such that the peak larval habitat occurrence window during the rainy season was extended into the dry season. Furthermore, the stability of the habitats was prolonged, with a significant shift from semi-permanent to permanent habitats. Our study provides a hydrological perspective on the impact of environmental modification on malaria vector ecology, which can potentially inform malaria control strategies through better water management.

Temporal and spatial dynamics of arthropod groups in terrestrial subsurface habitats in central Portugal

The mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) can act as a climatic refuge for invertebrates, as a biogeographic corridor to deeper substrates or as a permanent habitat for some species. This study characterizes the seasonal invertebrate diversity and abundance of MSS ecosystems in central Portugal focusing on Diplopoda, Diplura, Orthoptera and Coleoptera during one year. Sampling was performed with standard MSS pitfalls in scree slopes (colluvial MSS) of karst areas and environmental parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, water content, organic carbon, nitrate, phosphate and ammonium) were quantified. Our results show that winter was the season with the highest arthropod abundance and that the MSS acts as a permanent habitat for chordeumatidan millipedes and as a climatic refuge for orthopterans and most beetles. All Diplura collected belong to a single species known previously from surface habitats in the Iberian Peninsula, which does not seem to use the Portuguese MSS as a refuge. MSS habitats in central Portugal, classified as western Mediterranean and thermophile deposits protected by the Natura 2000 network based on plant communities and geology, revealed an abundant and diverse invertebrate community that urges characterization and protection.

Vanishing permanent glaciers: climate change is threatening a European Union habitat (Code 8340) and its poorly known biodiversity

The cryosphere (i.e. glaciers and permafrost) and its related landforms offer a wide range of ecosystem services, thus they have strong relationships with human population. Even if these harsh environments have often been regarded as inhospitable, there is a growing amount of literature on glacial biodiversity, specifically concerning European mountains. Glaciers and permafrost-related landforms (e.g. rock glaciers) host a variety of cold-adapted taxa, from bacteria to vertebrates. They have been included in the Natura 2000 network, specifically in the habitat type: Permanent Glaciers (code 8340), but their biodiversity is still poorly known. Even if local extinctions and population reductions of cold-adapted species due to glacier and permafrost shrinking have been already documented, none of the species living in this habitat type are listed in the Habitat Directive Annexes. With this commentary, we call for urgent actions for an ecological characterization of this habitat type in order to plan monitoring and management of the biodiversity hosted by them. An increased knowledge of this no longer permanent habitat appears particularly urgent, because it is not replaceable and is likely to go extinct in the next decades.

Benefits of wildflower areas as overwintering habitats for ground-dwelling arthropods depend on landscape structural complexity

Wildflower areas are a popular agri-environment scheme to counteract the biodiversity loss in agro-ecosystems. While benefits for flower-visiting and predatory insects during the vegetation period were frequently shown, few studies addressed the suitability of wildflower areas as overwintering habitats. Here, we studied the significance of wildflower areas as overwintering habitats and whether their benefits vary with landscape context, i.e. the proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats such as hedges. We selected ten landscapes that encompassed independent gradients of proportions of permanent semi-natural habitats (e.g. hedgerows, ditches) and transient wildflower areas. The centres of the landscapes were pairs of wildflower areas and arable fields on which we sampled overwintering ground-dwelling arthropods by emergence traps. In total, we recorded 2838 overwintering individuals from 115 species of rove and carabid beetles as well as spiders. Abundance of rove beetle larvae, as well as species richness of adult rove beetles and spiders was significantly higher in wildflower areas than in arable fields. With respect to landscape context, abundance and species richness of adult rove beetles showed a hump-shaped relationship with the proportion of permanent semi-natural habitats. The abundance of adult carabid beetles showed a hump-shaped relationship with the proportion of transient wildflower areas, while the abundance of carabid beetle larvae showed a hump-shaped pattern with permanent semi-natural habitats. For the first time we showed that, similar to the vegetation period, benefits of wildflower areas as overwintering habitats for ground-dwelling arthropods depend on both local habitat characteristics as well as landscape context. Benefits of wildflower areas for overwintering were highest in simple landscapes with an intermediate proportion of either permanent semi-natural habitats or transient wildflower areas. Our results suggest that in order to sustainably maintain the functional guild of ground-dwelling arthropods, agricultural landscapes should provide both sown wildflower areas and permanent semi-natural habitats. Our results also support the general claim that semi-natural habitats should at least contribute 10–15% to agricultural landscapes in order to maintain the characteristic biodiversity in modern agro-ecosystems.

Species composition, spatio-temporal variation and habitat characterization of Anopheline larvae in Bure district, northwestern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, mosquito larva control interventions are given less emphasis due to a number of factors including lack of precise information on potential breeding habitats and complicated vector biology. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the spatio-temporal variation and habitat characterization of Anopheline larvae in Bure district, Northwestern Ethiopia. Longitudinal larval sampling was done in 3 villages (Bukta, Workimdr and Shnebekuma) for a year (July 2015 - June, 2016). Sampling was done one time per month. Documentation of habitat type and environmental characteristics were done in each round of sampling. A total of 3490 Anophelines larvae were collected in a year. Seven larval species were identified morphologically: Anopheles gambiae s.l, An. funestus s.l, An. pharoensis. An. demeilloni, An. coustani, An. squamosus, An. cinereus. Of these, An. demeilloni (1.97 ± 0.03) and An. gambiae s. l (1.79 ± 0.06) were the predominant larvae, whereas An. pharoensis (0.18 ± 0.04) was the least representative (p < 0.01). Anophelines larvae were found in various breading habitats, but the mean density of Anophelines larvae in dam- edge (0.45 ± 0. 19) was relatively smaller than other habitats (p < 0.01). The large densities of An. gambiae s.l and An. funestus s.l larvae were sampled from natural, permanent and temporary aquatic habitats that had clean and standing water, without mats of algae, vegetation’s and plants. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only standing water was found to be the main predictor of the density of An. gambiae s.l density (R2 = 0.457; p < 0.016). In conclusion, the larvae of the two most important malaria vectors of Ethiopia, An. gambiae and An. funestus s.l, were collected through the year.

The evolution of developmental thresholds and reaction norms for age and size at maturity

Developing organisms typically mature earlier and at larger sizes in favorable growth conditions, while in rarer cases, maturity is delayed. The rarer reaction norm is easily accommodated by general life history models, whereas the common pattern is not. Theory suggests that a solution to this paradox lies in the existence of critical size thresholds at which maturation or metamorphosis can commence, and in the evolution of these threshold sizes in response to environmental variation. For example, ephemeral environments might favor the evolution of smaller thresholds, enabling earlier maturation. The threshold model makes two unique and untested predictions. First, reaction norms for age and size should steepen, and even change sign, with decreases in threshold size; second, food reductions at sizes below the threshold should delay maturation, while those occurring after the threshold should accelerate maturation. We test these predictions through food manipulations in five damselfly species that theory suggests should differ in threshold size. The results provide strong support for the threshold model's predictions. In all species, early food reductions delayed maturation, while late reductions accelerated maturation. Reaction norms were steeper, and the effect of food reductions changed from decelerating to accelerating at a much smaller size in species from ephemeral habitats. These results support the view that developmental thresholds can account for the widespread observation of negative correlations between age and size at maturity. Moreover, evolution of the threshold appears to be both predictable and central to the observed diversity of reaction norms for age and size at maturity.

ЗАДОВОЛЕНІСТЬ ЖИТТЯМ ЯК СКЛАДОВА СУБ’ЄКТИВНОГО БЛАГОПОЛУЧЧЯ ОСІБ ІЗ ГОМОСЕКСУАЛЬНОЮ ОРІЄНТАЦІЄЮ

Introduction. Coming cardinally the new future products the newest transformations of society, that by the turn, related to the change of cultural kodas, legitimizacieyu of other subcultures and associations, valued changes, and others like that It all predetermines substantial changes in experiencing of the life, psychological prosperity or neblagopoluchchya a man. The problem of subjective prosperity, his influence, on the different aspects of life of personality acquires the special actuality for persons with a homosexual orientation.Purpose - to expose the features of satisfaction life as a constituent of subjective prosperity of persons with a homosexual orientation.Methods. 177 persons which have a permanent habitat on territory Ukraine took part in research. From them a 91 person – men and 86 persons are women, in age from 18 to 50 years. The main rozmezhovuyuchim criterion of selection is a sexual orientation of respondentiv, namely: 63 persons – geteroseksuali (26 men and 37 women), 114 persons – gomoseksuali (65 men and 49 women).Originality. The table of contents of subjective prosperity is made: satisfaction by life, positive and negative emotions. Satisfaction life is by a variable which represents features and level of subjective perception personality of it own life as happy or not happy.After the criterion of satisfaction life is set such levels: and) low – peculiar for the representatives of both groups in an identical degree (about 10%); bi) middle – incident to majority (2/3) of persons with a homosexual orientation and half of persons with a heterosexual orientation; in) high – peculiar 11% respondentiv with homosexual tastes and 35% respondentiv with heterosexual tastes. Mean value of level of satisfaction for persons with heterosexual tastes makes M=6,98 (n=90) life, and for persons with homosexual tastes – M=5,03 (n=90). Thus, respondenti with heterosexual tastes on the whole have a higher level of satisfaction life.Conclusion. Among all respondentiv, the persons of sex of men characterize the life more optimistically. By comparison to women, men are anymore inclined to consider the life near to the ideal, and to consider circumstances more favourable. After the index of general level of satisfaction by life of meaningful differences between persons from gomo- and heterosexual orientations it is not discovered. Consequently, it is possible to assert that sexual tastes of personality are not determining in relation to its general satisfaction by the life.

Tropical intertidal seagrass beds as fish habitat: Similarities between fish assemblages of intertidal and subtidal seagrass beds in the Philippines

Tropical intertidal seagrass beds have recently been identified as foraging grounds for multiple fish species, although the possible drivers of fish migration to such beds remain unknown. Investigations of fishes occurring in intertidal and subtidal seagrass beds, and comparison of food resources of the dominant trophic groups in the intertidal and subtidal beds, and surrounding bare-sand areas, were conducted at two sites in northern Mindanao, Philippines. Fish species collected in the intertidal and subtidal seagrass beds overlapped by 65%, with species richness and abundance of both residents and visitors between the two habitats not differing substantially (although significantly higher than in intertidal and subtidal bare-sand areas), as many site-attached residents appeared to remain in the intertidal beds during low tide. Benthic-invertebrate feeders, including juveniles of commercially important species, dominated intertidal seagrass beds, comprising >70% of species richness and abundance. Four of them (Halichoeres argus, H. papilionaceous, Lethrinus harak, and Parupeneus barberinus) fed primarily on small crustaceans, such as harpacticoid copepods and amphipods, the densities of such food resources being significantly higher in the intertidal and subtidal seagrass beds than in the surrounding bare-sand areas. The results demonstrated that intertidal seagrass beds function as foraging grounds for many visiting fishes, in addition to providing a permanent habitat for resident species. Recognition of the importance of tropical intertidal seagrass beds as fish habitat has significant implications for the management and protection of coastal fish biodiversity and fishery resources.

Laboratory and microcosm experiments reveal contrasted adaptive responses to ammonia and water mineralisation in aquatic stages of the sibling species Anopheles gambiae (sensu stricto) and Anopheles coluzzii

BackgroundThe sibling species of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae (sensu stricto) and Anopheles coluzzii co-exist in many parts of West Africa and are thought to have recently diverged through a process of ecological speciation with gene flow. Divergent larval ecological adaptations, resulting in Genotype-by-Environment (G × E) interactions, have been proposed as important drivers of speciation in these species. In West Africa, An. coluzzii tends to be associated with permanent man-made larval habitats such as irrigated rice fields, which are typically more eutrophic and mineral and ammonia-rich than the temporary rain pools exploited by An. gambiae (s.s.)MethodsTo highlight G × E interactions at the larval stage and their possible role in ecological speciation of these species, we first investigated the effect of exposure to ammonium hydroxide and water mineralisation on larval developmental success. Mosquito larvae were exposed to two water sources and increasing ammonia concentrations in small containers until adult emergence. In a second experiment, larval developmental success was compared across two contrasted microcosms to highlight G × E interactions under conditions such as those found in the natural environment.ResultsThe first experiment revealed significant G × E interactions in developmental success and phenotypic quality for both species in response to increasing ammonia concentrations and water mineralisation. The An. coluzzii strain outperformed the An. gambiae (s.s.) strain under limited conditions that were closer to more eutrophic habitats. The second experiment revealed divergent crisscrossing reaction norms in the developmental success of the sibling species in the two contrasted larval environments. As expected, An. coluzzii had higher emergence rates in the rice paddy environment with emerging adults of superior phenotypic quality compared to An. gambiae (s.s.), and vice versa, in the rain puddle environment.ConclusionsEvidence for such G × E interactions lends support to the hypothesis that divergent larval adaptations to the environmental conditions found in man-made habitats such as rice fields in An. coluzzii may have been an important driver of its ecological speciation. Graphical

Outer Space, Expansive Sustainable Development, and the Future of the Environmental Humanities

What does it mean to be live sustainably? Work within the environmental humanities assumes that will happen on planet Earth. Sustainability is associated with respecting the limits of the planet, the transition away from fossil fuels, the escape from the growth mindset, and the protection of biodiversity. However, a new wave of space expansion advocates is using in an alternative way. Sustainable is used to refer to self-perpetuating private economic activities off-world. Sustainable is also employed to refer to permanent space habitats that rely on the harvest of local (but unrenewable) space resources. Finally, sustainable is used to describe forms of extra-terrestrial extractivism-e.g., strip-mining asteroids-which would be carried out with the aim of offsetting Earth-side resource deficits. From the point of view of traditional understandings of development, these uses of the term sustainable are perverse. By expanding horizons of the world out beyond the Earth-by becoming post-planetary-expansive sustainability subsumes a whole range of current practicesconsumerism, extensive reliance on unrenewable resources, unending population growth, and even unbridled pollution-within the limits of what is judged sustainable. Post-planetary or expansive sustainability seems to legitimate the sustainability of the unsustainable. Nevertheless, expansive sustainability seems to meet the Brundtland commission's definition of development: development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is in part because expansive sustainability, like Earth-bounded sustainability, takes into account the long-term future: deep time. Yet expansive sustainability differs sharply from traditional sustainability with respect to the location of those future generations. Earth-bound advocates of sustainability have always imagined the future in terms of intensification.

One Health initiative in the Bolivian Altiplano human fascioliasis hyperendemic area: Lymnaeid biology, population dynamics, microecology and climatic factor influences.

Fascioliasis is a freshwater snail-borne zoonotic disease. The Northern Bolivian Altiplano is a very high altitude endemic area where the highest human prevalences and intensities have been reported. Preventive chemotherapy by treatment campaigns is yearly applied. However, liver fluke infection of cattle, sheep, pigs and donkeys assures endemicity and consequent human infection and re-infection risks. A One Health action has therefore been implemented. Activity concerns lymnaeid vectors and environment diversity. Studies included growth, egg-laying and life span in laboratory-reared lymnaeids. Different habitat types and influencing factors were assessed. All populations proved to belong to Galba truncatula by rDNA sequencing. Analyses comprised physico-chemical characteristics and monthly follow-up of water temperature, pH and quantity, and lymnaeid abundance and density. Population dynamics in the transmission foci differed. Mean environmental temperature was lower than fluke development minimum temperature threshold, but water temperature was higher, except during winter. A two generations/year pattern appeared in permanent water habitats, and one generation/year pattern in habitats drying out for months. The multidisciplinary control measures can be extended from one part of the endemic area to another. These studies, made for the first time at very high altitude, constitute a baseline useful for fascioliasis control in other countries.

不同积水生境对河南黄河湿地植物多样性的影响

湿地作为水陆交替的过渡地带，承担着重要的生态服务功能，湿地植物是生态功能作用发挥的基础。不同积水生境与湿地植物物种组成和分布关系密切。黄河流域是国家的重要生态屏障，湿地面积广阔，河南黄河湿地作为黄河湿地的重要组成部分，其积水生境对植物多样性的影响尚不清晰。为研究河南黄河湿地植物的多样性现状以及积水生境对其植物多样性的影响，采用样方和样线相结合的方法对河南省7个黄河湿地自然保护区中的湿地植物进行调查，共设置样方981个。重点分析了不同积水生境湿地植物的主要群系和物种组成，研究了各生境物种多样性和群落多样性特征（α多样性），对比了的不同积水生境植物物种组成相似性和群落间相似程度（β多样性），明确了各生境的植物物种排序和指示种。结果表明：（1）河南黄河湿地植物群系以草本群系为主，共发现188种湿地植物，分属56科，138属；（2）不同积水状况湿地植物物种丰富度大小依次为：季节性积水 > 永久性积水 > 间歇性积水 > 季节性水涝，主要群系总数与物种丰富度趋势表现一致；（3）不同积水生境湿地植物的物种组成存在显著差异，季节性积水和永久性积水生境中植物物种组成相似性和群落间相似程度最高，各积水生境均有明显的优势种和指示种。河南黄河湿地积水生境在不同流段差异显著，不同积水生境下植物多样性和主要植物群系有明显区别，进行湿地生态建设时，建议优先保护季节性积水生境，减少季节性水涝生境的产生，以达到维持物种多样性，发挥湿地最大生态价值的目的。;As a transitional zone between land and water, wetland plays an important role in ecological services. Wetland plants are the basis of ecological function. The composition and distribution of plant species are closely related to different water habitats. The Yellow River basin is an important ecological barrier for the country, and the wetland area is vast. The Yellow River wetland in Henan is an important part of the Yellow River wetland. However, the effects of waterlogged habitats on plant diversity are still unclear. In order to study the plant diversity of the Yellow River wetland in Henan Province and the influence of waterlogging habitats on its plant diversity, we utilized the method of combining quadrat and transect to investigate wetland plants in seven Yellow River wetland nature reserves in Henan Province. In these reserves, a total of 981 quadrats were set for investigation. This research focused on analyzing the composition of main flora and species of wetland plants in different waterlogging habitats. Therefore, we studied the characteristics of species diversity and community diversity (α diversity) in different habitats, and compared the similarity of plant species composition and degree of similarity between communities (β diversity) in different waterlogging habitats. Moreover, the sequence and indicator species of plant species in the seven habitats were also clearly identified. The results show that:(1) Herbaceous flora is the main flora in Henan Yellow River wetland. A total of 188 species of wetland plants, belonging to 138 genera and 56 families, were found. (2) Under different standing water conditions, the plant species richness was in the order of seasonal ponding > permanent ponding > intermittent ponding > seasonal waterlogging. In addtion, the total number of major communities was consistent with the trend of species richness. (3) There are significant differences in plant species composition among different waterlogging habitats. The similarity of plant species composition and communities between seasonal ponding and permanent ponding habitats was the highest. There were obvious dominant species and indicator species in each waterlogging habitat. The hydrological habitats of the Yellow River wetland in Henan province were significantly different in different flow segments. There are obvious differences of plant diversity and main plant groups in different waterlogging habitats in the Yellow River wetland in Henan province. Under the circumstances, we suggest giving priority to the protection of seasonal ponding habitats and reducing the occurrence of seasonal waterlogging habitats during wetland ecological construction, so that we can achieve the purpose of maintaining species diversity and giving full play to the maximum ecological value of wetlands.

ДОПОЛНЕНИЯ К ОРНИТОФАУНЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ЗАПОВЕДНИКА «ОПУКСКИЙ» И СОПРЕДЕЛЬНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

Information about the bird fauna of the reserve and adjacent territories, including their numbers, areas of permanent or temporary habitat, biotopic distribution, seasonal residence, and behavior is of interest in determining and clarifying the current conservation status of these species in a particular region. To do this, it is necessary to conduct faunal research, monitor species in General and compile (clarify) lists of bird species, in particular species of reserves and adjacent territories. State Naturе Reserve «Opukskiy» (further − the reserve) is a protected area that ensures the protection of unique natural complexes of the South of the Kerch Peninsula on the narrow coastal strip from Western tip of Kojashskoe lake to Chebakskaya beams (near Yakovenkovo). The location of the reserve determines its significance for the conservation of bird species that nest, migrate along the black sea coast and winter in the protected water area. The reserve plays an important role in maintaining breeding populations of rare and protected species of birds and are most numerous in the South of the Kerch Peninsula winter waterfowl, a transit district of rest and feeding for migratory birds and breeding areas of some species. Numbers in the last published list of bird fauna of the reserve [13] reflect the reliability of the presence of the species in the described territory. Baseline – 195 bird species in the reserve; 205 – taking into account adjacent areas [13] only in the reserve and adjacent areas was 241 and 263 species of birds, respectively, 46 and 58 species more above baseline. In this article, the author presents additions that provide information about the registration of new species of bird fauna in the reserve and adjacent territories and their status listed in the list. It contains information about 68 species of birds, 39 of which were registered in the reserve for the first time, 17 species of birds were found in neighboring territories, and 7 species were confirmed to be present in the reserve [13]. The State Nature Reserve «Opukskiy» plays an important role in maintaining breeding populations of rare and protected species of birds and are most numerous in the South of the Kerch Peninsula winter waterfowl, a transit district of rest and feeding for migratory birds and breeding areas of some species. Additions to the list of avifauna of the reserve and adjacent territories provide information on the species composition and state of the bird fauna, their current status and seasonal residence periods for the period from 1989 to 2020. 241 species of birds belonging to 132 genera, 53 families and 20 orders were registered on the territory of the reserve between 2011 and 2020, of which only 97 (39 %) nest relatively regularly. Among them – 39 new species for the reserve, and for 22 species – confirmed presence in neighboring territories. The total list of avifauna of the reserve and adjacent territories is 263 species of birds, which is 78 % of the total avifauna of the Crimea. Among the species registered in the reserve – 58 rare (37 species — in the red book of the Russian Federation and 51 species — in the red book of the Crimea). The results obtained are of theoretical and practical value for optimizing measures for the protection of rare birds in the conditions of increasing anthropogenic influence and global climate change.

Perspectives of the legislation on the Red Book of Ukraine development

The principal legislative document regulating the protection of the plants and animal species in Ukraine is the Law of Ukraine “On the Red Book of Ukraine”. However, Ukrainian legislation related to the Red Book of Ukraine (RBU) is not agile. It does not react to the modern challenges and does not operate by new opportunities provided, for example, through the Law “On Environmental Impact Assessment”. Environmental impact assessments (EIA) are required for many management activities, including woodcutting, mining, and melioration, and should protect the environment. On the other side, unfortunately, the section “Impact on flora and fauna” in EIA reports often prepared superficially and formally. This section usually does not contain real research results and does not offer real measures for the protection of endangered species. Since today, there are no known cases when the EIA report was issued considering the real conservation needs of the species listed in the RBU.This letter proposes introducing several amendments to the legislation on the RBU, which are required for its integration into the EIA. First, it is proposed to introduce individual protection requirements for each species included in the RBU, which will allow the implementation of appropriate environmental conditions in the EIA conclusions. Secondly, it is proposed to introduce the responsibility for conserving species for users and owners of sites where coenopopulations, individuals (for plants), or permanent habitats (for animals) of the RBU species are located. Third, it is proposed to introduce a mechanism for documenting the location of the RBU species. These changes would make it possible to identify specific legal entities and individuals for whom species protection obligations and the penalties for disturbance will be imposed.

Территориальные связи, гнездовой консерватизм, дисперсия и филопатрия кукши Perisoreus infaustus (Passeriformes, Aves) в Якутии

Studies were conducted within two species model sites (471 and 1360.3 ha) in the middle taiga light-coniferous forests near the city Yakutsk (62° N, 129° E) in 1975-2015. The Siberian jay inhabits a variety of landscape conditions and is very plastic when choosing a nesting site and a place for the nest. A significant part of breeding birds are characterized by conservatism manifested in the presence of permanent habitats with nesting sites and nesting locations. Individual tagging data indicate that most chicks left the model sites (were died or emigrated). Only a small percentage of young birds stayed within the local population, joining territorial pairs as a third сinertт partner, and later, having acquired a partner and a territory, being included in the reproductive population.

Выявление ценных биотопов на предлагаемых к охране территориях Санкт-Петербурга на основе детального геоботанического картирования

Identification of valuable biotopes was carried out on the example of a small territory —the “Gagarka” forest park, located on the Northern coast of the Gulf of Finland within the borders of St. Petersburg (Fig. 1). Field data on landscapes, vegetation, flora and fauna were collected in 2018 to proof the need to create a specially protected natural territory of regional significance. The study area of 58.7 ha is an accumulative sea terrace with absolute elevations not exceeding 2.5 m above sea level. Despite of small area size, the vegetation is quite diverse and it is represented by the coniferous (spruce and pine) forests, several types of black alder forests, tree and shrub fens, littoral meadows, coastal and aquatic vegetation. Rare species of herbaceous plants and shrubs listed in the Red books of the Russian Federation (Krasnaya…, 2008) and St. Petersburg (Krasnaya…, 2018) are recorded and they often dominate in the plant communities. The preservation of biological diversity may be successful only if the landscapes and the biotopes hosting plant and animal species, including rare ones, are protected. Objects of protection can be both rare and typical ones for the regional biotopes. The environmental value of biotopes of the “Gagarka” forest park was assessed according to the following criteria: ecotopic (areas with rare and specific landforms, soils, hydrochemical regime), geobotanical (the presence of primary plant communities, rare plant communities; widespread, but with a tendency to reduce the area as a result of natural or anthropogenic impacts), floristic (the presence of rare species and species located on the border of their ranges), faunistic (the pre­sence of rare animal species, the species richness of fauna, the presence of permanent habitats of animals and birds, as well as biotopes used in certain seasons: during breeding, nesting, molting and migration). In addition, the compliance of biotopes with the European habitat classification EUNIS (European Nature Information System) was taken into account (Davies et al., 2004, EUNIS, 2018). Plant communities are the main indicator of habitats, and their borders mark the boundaries of habitats. In this regard, the geobotanical map (Fig. 2) is the basis for creating a map of biotopes. In addition to the geobotanical map, the map of actual landscapes, the map of the locations of rare plant species, and faunistic materials were used to create a map of valuable biotopes (Materialy…, 2018). It shows 6 types of habitats, that are particularly important for the conservation of biological and biotopic diversity (Fig. 3). All valuable habitats of the “Gagarka” forest park are located in the littoral zone of the Gulf of Finland and near its coast. They are grouped into 4 categories: black alder forests as a model of natural tree communities of the Littorina terrace and habitats of rare plant and animal species, coastal fens as rare plant communities on the territory of St. Petersburg and habitats of rare plant species, littoral meadows as rare plant communities on the territory of St. Petersburg and habitats of rare plant and animal species, shallow waters of the Gulf of Finland as habitats with highly productive communities of macrophytes, rare plant species, with a large species diversity and a high number of birds, including rare ones. The creation of new protected area “Gagarka” is necessary to preserve the habitats and rare species that grow and live here.

The limiting factors for the snow leopard (&lt;i&gt;Panthera uncia&lt;/i&gt; Shreber, 1776) on the territory of Tuva

The paper presents the influence of limiting factors for the population of the snow leopard on the territory of Tuva (Republic of Tuva, Russia). It describes biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors to irbis. The author examines the role and degree of each factor of this influence. The paper represents literature sources and the authors field research work data for the period 20012019. The study was carried out on the territory of the Chikhacheva, Tsagan-Shibetu, Shapshalskiy Ranges and Sangilen Highlands, that are permanent habitats for the snow leopard. On the studied territories the anthropogenic influence such as hunting, extension of highways, cattle farms and the number of livestock increases in the high mountain ecosystems. All this leads to an increase of disturbance factor, a displacement from traditional habitats of wild animals, especially the irbis food items, so it is forcing the snow leopard to rely more on livestock for food. As a result the cattle breeders sometimes kill snow leopards in retaliation for attacking their livestock. The paper demonstrates data of all known incidents of the snow leopard death and finds of cadavers within the studied region which shows that 74% of all incidents are the fault of people for destroying this rare animal. So it proves that the anthropogenic factor plays a leading role in the death of snow leopard among others.&#x0D; Keywords: irbis; snow leopard; ecology; Tuva; Republic of Tuva; limiting factors; biotic factors; abiotic factors; anthropogenic factors; disturbance factor; causes of death of irbis; diseases of irbis; competitors of irbis; snow leopard attacks on livestock.

Does Conservation Practice and Site Age Influence Vegetation Structure and Avian Abundance in Restored Fields?

ABSTRACTFarmland set‐aside programs provide important habitat for many wildlife species, yet little information exists regarding how vegetation structure and species respond to conservation practice and site age. This information could provide managers with a guide for how to implement, enhance, and maintain wildlife benefits of conservation programs. We describe how vegetation structure and avian species respond to conservation practice and time since restoration at 172 sites enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in Illinois, USA. We surveyed 172 sites enrolled in 4 different conservation practices (CP) within CREP during the breeding seasons of 2012–2015 using avian point counts and vegetation surveys. Vegetation structure and composition varied among CPs, with hardwood tree plantings (CP3A) having the greatest amount of understory vegetation and tree cover. Conversely, permanent wildlife habitat (CP4D) had the greatest grass cover and least tree cover. Many bird species were found in similar numbers across CP types; however, only dickcissel (Spiza americana) density was greater in sites enrolled as permanent wildlife habitat. Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii) and yellow‐billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) were more numerous in hardwood tree plantings. Dickcissel density decreased and field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) density increased as fields aged, but the relationships were not consistent among CP types. Differences among CPs largely resulted from differences in dominance in woody vegetation due to initial habitat management and differential succession rates. Interestingly, many of our focal species had wider successional tolerances than previously suggested. Overall, our results demonstrate that conservation benefits change over time depending on the starting CP, that there can be considerable similarity in vegetation structure and bird communities among what appear to be very different conservation practices. This information can be used to target conservation benefits toward conservation priority species. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Refining the activity level-predation risk paradigm in larval anuran communities

The activity level-predation risk paradigm of community assembly is based on observable trade-offs between activity level and predation risk. Many species that live in ephemeral habitats are relatively more active, grow faster, and metamorphose sooner than those in more permanent habitats, thus enabling them to survive by escaping drying ponds. Species with high activity levels are shown to be superior competitors in temporary ponds, but are at greater risk of predation by visually cued predators. We take a comprehensive approach to testing if the activity-predation paradigm drives community assembly of a four-species guild of larval anurans through field surveys and a series of laboratory experiments quantifying their activity level, anti-predatory responses, swim performance, and escape behavior. Activity level was a good predictor of susceptibility to predation and habitat association for most species in our study, but not all species fit the pattern. Secondary anti-predator mechanisms contributed to differences in susceptibility to predation. Some species were more capable of avoiding predation through swim performance and escape behavior, thus allowing them to occupy a greater range of the water permanency continuum than was predicted by activity level alone. Because performance traits are deeply rooted, evolutionary history plays a major role in determining tadpole performance and life-history traits. Whole-organism performance traits (e.g., swim performance, escape behavior) have not generally been considered in the classic activity-predation paradigm. Our results show that accounting for individual and species-level performance reveals the understudied, yet important role of species-specific performance traits in disentangling the mechanisms driving community assembly.