Russian Far East Research Articles

From warm to cold: 3.6 million years of paleoclimate history from Lake El’gygytgyn, far-east Russia

From warm to cold: 3.6 million years of paleoclimate history from Lake El’gygytgyn, far-east Russia

Considerable energy crop production potentials in the Russian Far East

High-latitude regions are not traditionally considered for energy crop production due to unfavorable production conditions, e.g., low temperatures and short growing seasons. However, with increasing pressures on land use in warmer regions, rising global food demands, and climate change, shifting energy crop production to cold climate regions has become a desirable alternative. Increasing attempts have been made in recent decades to cultivate cold-tolerant energy crops in high latitudes. This study aims to assess the potential biomass and bioenergy productivities of willow, poplar, and miscanthus over the Russian Far East (RFE) federal district, with a yield-predicting model built on newly published data from high latitude. We evaluated the potentials of energy crop production and greenhouse gas mitigation in RFE under three land use scenarios. Our analysis reveals that the RFE has the potential to produce 1.3 × 109 Mg of biomass per year on 215 Mha of spare land with an average yield of 6 Mg ha−1 under the most extensive land conversion scenario, which can be converted to 24 EJ of bioenergy and thus lead to a net mitigation of 4.1 × 108 Mg CO2e greenhouse gas emissions. The productivity and mitigation potential remain substantial (78 % of the most extensive land conversion scenario) under the scenario that all the RFE's existing croplands and forests are preserved. Our assessment offers valuable insights into the potential of energy crop development in the RFE and other high-latitude regions globally, presenting a novel land-use solution for a low-carbon future.

Occurrence of Isoyake in kelp beds of Saccharina japonica in Primorskii, far-east Russia

A decline in the abundance of the seaweed Saccharina japonica has occurred in Primorskii, far-eastern Russia. Most of the seaweed has disappeared at this location, resulting in a barren coastline known as Isoyake. Field surveys conducted from 1975 to 2015 in Valentin Bay revealed a significant decline in the seaweed population. This decline correlated with fluctuating water temperatures. In the period 1980 to 1990, water temperatures tended to be lower, then increased in the period 2000–2010, and again decreased in temperatures in 2010–2019. Despite lower temperatures after 2010, Isoyake persisted. These findings emphasize the need for continued monitoring and deeper investigation of the environmental and ecological drivers behind Isoyake, with implications for conservation and sustainable management of seaweed resources in far-east Russia.

Факторы роста открытой макрорегиональной и региональной экономики: Дальний Восток и Хабаровский край

The purpose of the study is to assess the factors of growth of the Russian Far East (RFE) and the Khabarovsk Territory in 2000-2021. The article shows that in the long term, the rates of economic growth of the RFE and the Khabarovsk Territory lagged behind as a whole, despite the high rates of capital growth and the significant openness of their economies. The assessment of the production function indicated that in order to maintain growth rates, the RFE’s economy required high rates of capital growth, and the negative growth rates of labor were compensated by other factors. It was determined that capital and neutral technological progress formed the overall positive dynamics of the RFE economy, and trade was its important addition. It was found that the share of trade with foreign countries in the RFE’s economic growth was almost twice as large as trade with the domestic market. Unlike the RFE, to maintain economic growth in the Khabarovsk Territory a smaller increase in capital and labor was needed. At the same time, the economic growth of the Khabarovsk Territory was generated mainly by capital and trade. It was found that the share of trade with foreign countries in the economic growth of the Khabarovsk Territory exceeded the share of trade with the domestic market. It was determined that a large-scale export with low added value had a relatively small impact on the economic growth of the RFE and the Khabarovsk Territory, while import had a noticeable impact on it. It is assumed that with the shift of the country’s economic activity to the East, the role of South regions of the RFE (including the Khabarovsk Territory) as an “intermediary” between domestic and foreign markets may allow them to use their existing advantages to accelerate their economic growth.

Regarding the Impact of the Russian Far East Special Economic Zone on the Development of Northeast China and the Russian Far East

The paper studies how the RFE Special Economic Zone (SEZ), established in 2005, affects the development of Northeast China (NEC) and the Russian Far East (RFE). The paper uses data and interviews to analyze the trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, and environment aspects of the SEZ. The paper shows that the SEZ has positive impacts on the economic and social ties between NEC and RFE, but also faces some challenges and risks. The paper suggests more coordination and cooperation among the relevant actors to ensure the SEZ‘s sustainability and inclusiveness.

Morphometric and morphological analysis of the <i>A. m. mellifera L.</i> spermatozoa in Russia

Honey bees are an important element of the ecological system. Today the state of the gene pool of honey bees is one of the main causes of the beekeeping crisis in the world. The quality of drone sperm is a significant factor for breeding productive bee colonies. Sperm concentration, motility, and viability of spermatozoa are an expression of sperm fertility. However, a full understanding of fertility can be obtained only by studying the morphology of spermatozoa. The purpose of this study was to describe the morphometric parameters and morphological characteristics of sperm heads of the Caucasian honey bee (A. mellifera caucasica), Bashkir honey bee (A. m. mellifera L.), of the Russian Far East honey bee (A. mellifera from far-eastern Russia) and Carnica honey bee (A. mellifera carnica) in order to determine standard features that could be used in further studies. Diff Quick staining was used to study the morphometric parameters of sperm heads. Sperm images were taken on each of the slides from a Canon 1300D digital cameras with an Altami-LUM 1 LED microscope using oil immersion at a magnification of 2000 × . Sperm images and morphometric parameters were studied using Altami Studio software version 3.5. The morphometric dimensions for area nucleus, perimeter nucleus, nucleus length and acrosome length were acquired for 200 images drone spermatozoa for each A. mellifera. Acquiring 200 images assures that a minimum of 150 properly measured sperm heads are analyses after improperly measured sperm heads are deleted from the analysis . The sperm cells were randomly selected for the morphometric analysis. A total of 573 spermatozoa were assessed with morphometric parameters of sperm heads. The results of the morphometric analysis of drone spermatozoa show individual differences between the spermatozoa dimensions in each group. Between the A. mellifera groups the differences are not statistically significant. In this study, the min and max values of the acrosome length 3.14-5.02 µm, and nucleus length 4.02 -5.9 µm, perimeter nucleus 10.4-13.4 µm, and area nucleus 3.4-6.73 µm2, of A. mellifera spermatozoa. The morphological analysis of the drone spermatozoa revealed the presence of various abnormalities of the head (including the acrosome) and flagellum of the spermatozoa.

Migration Pattern, Habitat Use, and Conservation Status of the Eastern Common Crane (Grus grus lilfordi) from Eastern Mongolia.

Studies on the subspecies Eastern common crane Grus grus lilfordi are still scarce, especially in Southeastern Siberia, the far east of Russia, Eastern Mongolia, and Northeastern China. This study explores the migration pattern, habitat use, and conservation status of the Eastern common crane. Using GPS/GSM tracking data, 36 complete migrations of 11 individuals were obtained from 2017 to 2021. The cranes migrated an average of 1581.5 km (±476.5 SD) in autumn and 1446.5 (±742.8 SD) in spring between their breeding site in Eastern Mongolia and the following wintering sites: the Xar Moron River, Chifeng; the Bohai Bay; the Yellow River Delta; Tangshan, Hebei; and Tianjin. During the autumn and spring migrations, the cranes used three critical stopover sites. The subspecies spent 60.3% of their time in rangeland, 18.1% in cropland, and 14.2% in water. The tracking data determined that, of the areas used by cranes, 97-98% of the summering sites were in Russia, 96% of the breeding sites were in Mongolia, and over 70% of the stopover sites and 90% of the wintering sites in China lay outside the current protected area boundaries. Consequently, establishing and expanding protected areas in summering, breeding, stopover, and wintering sites should be a central component of future conservation strategies.

Physically Based and Empirical Ground Motion Prediction Equations for Multiple Intensity Measures (PGA, PGV, Ia, FIV3, CII, and Maximum Fourier Acceleration Spectra) on Sakhalin Island

In the present study, empirical attenuation relations for multiple ground motion intensity measures (PGA, PGV, Ia, FIV3, CII, and MFAS) were developed for Sakhalin Island (in the far east of Russia). A recorded strong motion dataset was used, making GMPEs applicable in active crustal regions with an earthquake magnitude range of 4–6 and a distance range of up to 150 km. The hypocentral distance was used as a basic distance metric. For the first time in the research, an analytical representation of Arias intensity (Ia) was obtained in the framework of a multi-asperity source model. Asperities are considered as sub-sources of high-frequency incoherent radiation. The physical representation of the attenuation model in our study was based on a stress drop on the asperities and the ratio of the total rupture area to the combined area of asperities. The average stress drop on asperities for the examined earthquakes was approximately 13.4 MPa, and the ratio of the total rupture area to the asperity area was 0.22, which is generally close to similar estimates for crustal earthquakes. The coefficients and statistical scattering of the attenuation models were also analyzed. Moreover, a magnitude scale based on a modified Arias intensity is proposed in the present study. The new magnitude scale has an explicit physical meaning and is characterized by its simplicity of measurement. It is associated with the acceleration source spectrum level and can be successfully used in early warning systems.

Mutual Influences in Orthodox Missions among the Nanai People in the Russian Far East

Abstract Among the Nanai in the Russian Far-East, the Russian Orthodox Church has been conducting missions in two villages since 2011. In this article, I analyze the usage of Nanai iconography in the printed Gospel of Luke and of oral myths to tell the Nanai version of the Christian message. A specific Nanai Christianity is thus perceptible, rooted within shamanism, that is, the emic perception of powerful forces at play in the world, with whom humans are in constant negotiations. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Amur region, this analysis will highlight the Indigenous agency in the appropriation of the Christian doctrine.

Traces of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in Northeastern Europe Extend Further Back in History than Expected.

Herbaria are a promising but still poorly applied information source for retrospective microbiological studies. In order to find any evidence of the virulent European origin of ash dieback agent Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and other fungal pathogens, we analyzed 109 leaf samples from three different Estonian botanical herbaria, sampled during 171 years from 20 ash species and cultivars, using a PacBio third-generation sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA region. We identified a large amount of saprotrophic fungi naturally colonizing ash leaves. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus colonized a Fraxinus chinensis subsp. rhynchophylla specimen and a F. chinensis specimen collected from Tallinn Botanic Garden in July 1978 and July 1992, respectively. The samples originated from trees grown in this garden from seeds collected from Shamora, Far-East Russia, in 1961 and from a Beijing botanical garden in eastern China in 1985, respectively. Repeated subsequent DNA extraction, real-time quantitative PCR, and Sanger and Illumina sequencing confirmed our findings of these apparently oldest cases of the ash dieback agent in Europe. These results show that H. fraxineus evidently was present in Estonia 19 years earlier than our previous data from fungal herbaria documented and 14 years before the first visible damage of ash trees was registered in Poland. Because we found no evidence of the saprotrophic H. albidus from earlier mycological and botanical herbarium specimens, the presence of H. albidus in Estonia remains questionable.

Molecular identification and virological characteristics of highly pathogenic avian influenza A/H5N5 virus in wild birds in Egypt.

Multiple incursions of different subtypes of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A/H5NX viruses have caused widely considerable outbreaks in poultry and hundreds of human infections. Extensive reassortment events associated with currently circulating clade 2.3.4.4b of A/H5NX viruses have been widely recorded. Wild migratory birds contribute to the spillover of diverse viruses throughout their migration flyways. During our active surveillance of avian influenza in Egypt, we successfully isolated and fully characterized HPAI A/H5N5 virus of clade 2.3.4.4b that was detected in a healthy purple heron. The Egyptian H5N5 virus is genotypically similar with the same subtype that was detected in the far east of Russia and several European countries. The antigenic analysis showed that the Egyptian H5N5 virus is distinct from HPAI A(H5N8) viruses in Egypt. The virus preferentially binds to avian-like receptors rather than human-like receptors. Our results showed that the virus caused 100% and 60% lethality in chicken and mice respectively. Increasing active surveillance efforts, monitoring the dynamics of emerging AIVs, and risk assessment implementation should be globally applied especially in hot spot regions like Egypt.

Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Diurnal Temperature Range: Russian Far East as a Case Study

Short-term fluctuations in air temperature, called the daily temperature range (DTR), or its daily amplitude, have a strong impact on ecosystems, as well as on the health and well-being of people. The pronounced effect of DTR on mortality from all causes and especially on cardiovascular mortality is well documented in the scientific literature, but little is known about spatial, inter-annual, and inter-seasonal fluctuations of DTR in the Russian Far East (RFE), an area with high annual dynamics of air temperature. Data from 99 weather stations for the period from 2000 to 2019 was used to evaluate spatial and temporal DTR patterns at the RFE. A higher DTR, up to 16 °C in Toko on the border with Sakha (Yakutia) as a mean for the entire period, is typical for continental areas further to the north. Lower values are observed at continental weather stations in the south and in coastal climates (4.7 °C in Mys Alevina, Magadan Region). In general, a distinct seasonal change in DTR was found for continental locations with a significant difference from month to month throughout the year. On the annual cycle, the maximum DTR at the continental northern stations is observed in April and June–July, and at the continental southern areas in February; the minimum DTR is shown in November and December. The DTR ranges as much as from 6 °C in December to 17 °C in April in the continental Korkodon in the far north. Locations with a marine climate are characterized by a smoothed seasonal change in DTR, with obvious peaks in February–March and October, and a minimum in July–August. The downward trend in DTR for the period from 2000 to 2019, up to −0.7 °C in coastal Bolsheretsk, is based on a faster increase in the minimum daily temperature compared to the maximum, which is typical for most weather stations at the RFE and is known worldwide as a diurnal asymmetry of global warming. At the same time, an increase in the daily amplitude of air temperature (up to +0.6 °C in continental Dolinovka) was found for some localities, associated with a higher positive trend of maximum temperatures, which contradicts global patterns.

The Future of Sino-Russian Relations in the Russian Far East: A Stable but Not Impervious Equilibrium

Abstract This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the nature of Sino-Russian relations by applying a multi-vector framework to examine the tenability of the so-called strategic partnership between Russia and China in the Russian Far East (RFE). Addressing a growing body of literature that seeks to move beyond single-factor evaluations of the dyadic relationship, I embrace the principles of analytic eclecticism, borrowing from Voskressenki's (Alexei D. Voskressenski, Russia and China: A Theory of Inter-State Relations [London, 2003]) multifactor framework to advance an argument for intertwining the three dominant international relations research traditions—realism, liberalism, and constructivism—to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of the current equilibrium in the RFE, rather than assuming in advance the most pertinent lens. This in turn allows for more effective application of international relations theory to Sino-Russian studies. To accomplish my aim, I incorporate data pertaining to economic, geopolitical, and ideational factors. From these data, I find that the relationship in the RFE is in a state of stable equilibrium, with the most important vectors contributing to the balance for each side at present, geopolitical considerations for Moscow and ideational concerns for Beijing, being conducive to cooperation. The short-term potential for conflict is thus minimal, but a shock in the form of increasing Chinese nationalist hostility toward Russia or continued territorial belligerence by Russia internationally would severely endanger the status quo. By applying a similar approach to other dimensions of the Sino-Russian relationship, scholars can gain greater traction in assessing the robustness of the continually evolving bilateral partnership between these two large and important neighbors.

Post-Soviet agrarian transformations in the Russian Far East. Does China matter?

ABSTRACT Since the mid-2000s, the Russian Far East (RFE) has seen a revival of agriculture accompanied by rapid agrarian transformation that has taken a unique form because of the area’s proximity to China. However, the existing literature either does not recognize Chinese presence or only studies it in terms of capitalist relationships transplanted directly from China and isolated from local realities. This paper seeks to remedy this oversight by exploring the influence of the multifaceted Chinese presence on RFE agriculture. We use the concept of social topology to demonstrate how different forms of economic life have not evolved as “Russian” or “Chinese,” but instead present a bundle of capitalist and non-capitalist relationships that are continuously changing and rewriting themselves. We also explain the observed effect of China’s simultaneous presence and absence in RFE’s agriculture: Chinese agricultural practices are tightly embedded in local social networks and are loosely tethered to local infrastructure, but the Chinese presence also manifests in perceptions and imaginaries that influence and determine the strategies of the Russian state, agroholdings, and Russian farmers.

An unexpected occurrence: discovery of the genus Cybaeopsis Strand, 1907 in Europe with the description of a new species from Italy (Arachnida, Araneae, Amaurobiidae)

We report on the unexpected finding of a new species of the genus Cybaeopsis Strand, 1907, C. lodoviciisp. nov. from the Northern Apennine Mountains in Italy. This is the first documented record of a Cybaeopsis species in Europe. Other currently known species of this genus have been previously recorded in North America, the Russian Far-East and Japan. The new species is illustrated and described based on both sexes. Another species from Portugal, Cybaeopsis theoblicki (Bosmans, 2021) comb. nov., recently described in the genus Callobius Chamberlin, 1947, is hereby transferred to Cybaeopsis on the basis of morphological characters. An updated key to the European genera of Amaurobiidae is provided.

Demography and evolutionary history of grey wolf populations around the Bering Strait.

Glacial and interglacial periods throughout the Pleistocene have been substantial drivers of change in species distributions. Earlier analyses suggested that modern grey wolves (Canis lupus) trace their origin to a single Late Pleistocene Beringian population that expanded east and westwards, starting c. 25,000 years ago (ya). Here, we examined the demographic and phylogeographic histories of extant populations around the Bering Strait with wolves from two inland regions of the Russian Far East (RFE) and one coastal and two inland regions of North‐western North America (NNA), genotyped for 91,327 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results indicated that RFE and NNA wolves had a common ancestry until c. 34,400 ya, suggesting that these populations started to diverge before the previously proposed expansion out of Beringia. Coastal and inland NNA populations diverged c. 16,000 ya, concordant with the minimum proposed date for the ecological viability of the migration route along the Pacific Northwest coast. Demographic reconstructions for inland RFE and NNA populations reveal spatial and temporal synchrony, with large historical effective population sizes that declined throughout the Pleistocene, possibly reflecting the influence of broadscale climatic changes across continents. In contrast, coastal NNA wolves displayed a consistently lower effective population size than the inland populations. Differences between the demographic history of inland and coastal wolves may have been driven by multiple ecological factors, including historical gene flow patterns, natural landscape fragmentation, and more recent anthropogenic disturbance.

Can Yandex statistics and google trends be used to detect people's interests in berries in the Russian Far East?

Ripening berries are one of nature's important contributions to people in the Russian Far East. We examined the spatiotemporal variability of people's interests in 12 types of berries and their attributes by accessing Yandex statistics (Yandex) and Google Trends (GT) about these topics in the Russian Far East. On Yandex, time-series data for people's interests in many berries for all target regions showed clear seasonal changes, with an annual peak that occurs at the time of ripening. Interest in berries was observed in many cities and regions in the far east of Russia, where indigenous peoples and Sakha traditionally utilize berries for subsistence. The attributes of accessed terms were closely related to terms about berry varieties and edible berries, berry purchases, photographs, and recipes. These results supported the usability of Yandex and GT data to evaluate the spatiotemporal variability of people's interests in berries. Despite systematic biases, such as in the Internet environment and user characteristics as well as limitations of spatial resolution and access period, the integrated use of Yandex and GT should be developed to evaluate the spatiotemporal variability of people's interests in berries, especially in areas that are difficult to access.

Destructive coastal sea level oscillations generated by Typhoon Maysak in the Sea of Japan in September 2020

Typhoon Maysak (Julian in the Philippines) was a powerful tropical cyclone that strongly impacted coastal regions of the Sea of Japan on 2–4 September 2020. Destructive winds, violent storm waves, and intense rainfall occurred in Japan, on the Korean Peninsula, and in Far-Eastern Russia. Devastating coastal floods caused severe damage to coastal infrastructure and to ships and boats anchored in harbours and were responsible for numerous deaths. Our study indicates that the main reason for the destructive floods was the superposition of storm surge, extreme seiches (meteorological tsunamis), and surf beats. At various sites, different types of sea level oscillations prevailed depending on the atmospheric forcing, local topographic properties, and resonant shelf/coastal zone features. The principal forcing factors of these oscillations were atmospheric pressure and wind stress, but the exact generation mechanism of each specific type of oscillation was strongly site dependent. The uniqueness of the sea level response at each site is the main challenge in our understanding of the generation process and to the mitigation of the hazardous consequences of possible future events.

Territories of accelerated development: another case of policy failure in Russia?

ABSTRACT Territories of accelerated development (TORs)1 are special economic zones originally devised to drive transformational economic development in the Russian Far East (RFE). They quickly came to be allowed also in monogoroda (one-company towns) throughout Russia, with reduced transformational expectations. The change in concept and implementation involved a complex and conflicted policy process, the analysis of which allows conclusions to be reached on the nature of the Russian policy process more broadly.

Российская политика в отношении китайских прямых инвестиций на Дальнем Востоке

In recent years, Chinese capital has become a key object of Russia’s foreign investment policy in the Far East. Тhe author of the article conducts a comparative historical analysis of the effectiveness of state regulation of Chinese direct investments, their volume, geographical and sectoral structure in the Russian Far East (RFE). The first part of the article addresses to the process of the formation of Russian policy towards Chinese investments in the RFE, the evolution of its goals and means since the late 1980s until now. The author identifies four main periods in the genesis of Russian policy in this area: 1987–1998; 1999–2005; 2006–2011; 2012–present. The second part of the article examines the actual dynamics of Chinese direct investments in the RFE, the most important changes in their inflow and accumulation, the geographical and sectoral distribution. Comparison of the development trends of Russia’s investment policy and its results shows that the period in the regulation of Chinese investments in the RFE, which began in 2012, can be assessed as the most successful over the past three decades. Nevertheless, the volume of accumulated Chinese capital is not sufficient to replace the reduced budgetary investments in the macroregion and ensure its outstripping growth. The structure of Chinese investment supports the preservation of an economy based on the extraction and export of natural resources. The real dynamics of FDI from China does not correspond to the declared goals of the state policy for the development of the Far East.