Southern Urals Research Articles

Flourishing in Darkness: Protist Communities of Water Sites in Shulgan-Tash Cave (Southern Urals, Russia)

Karst caves, formed by the erosion of soluble carbonate rocks, provide unique ecosystems characterized by stable temperatures and high humidity. These conditions support diverse microbial communities, including wall microbial fouling, aquatic biofilms, and planktonic communities. This study discloses the taxonomic diversity of protists in aquatic biotopes of Shulgan-Tash Cave, a culturally significant site and popular tourist destination, by 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding. Our findings reveal the rich protist communities in the cave’s aquatic biotopes, with the highest diversity observed in Blue Lake at the cave entrance. In contrast, Distant Lake in the depth of the cave was inhabited by specific communities of plankton, mats, and pool fingers, which exhibited lower richness and evenness, and were adapted to extreme conditions (cold, darkness, and limited nutrients). High-rank taxa including Opisthokonta, Stramenopiles, and Rhizaria dominated all biotopes, aligning with observations from other subterranean environments. Specific communities of biotopes inside the cave featured distinct dominant taxa: amoeboid stramenopile (Synchromophyceae) and flagellates (Choanoflagellatea and Sandona) in mats; flagellates (Choanoflagellatea, Bicoecaceae, Ancyromonadida) and amoeboid protists (Filasterea) in pool fingers; flagellates (Ochromonadales, Glissomonadida, Synchromophyceae), fungi-like protists (Peronosporomycetes), and fungi (Ustilaginomycotina) in plankton. The specificity of the communities was supported by LEfSe analysis, which revealed enriched or differentially abundant protist taxa in each type of biotope. The predominance of Choanoflagellatea in the communities of cave mats and pool fingers, as well as the predominance of Synchromophyceae in the cave mats, appears to be a unique feature of Shulgan-Tash Cave. The cold-tolerant yeast Malassezia recorded in other caves was present in both plankton and biofilm communities, suggesting its resilience to low temperatures. However, no potentially harmful fungi were detected, positioning this research as a baseline for future monitoring. Our results emphasize the need for ongoing surveillance and conservation efforts to protect the fragile ecosystems of Shulgan-Tash Cave from human-induced disturbances and microbial invasions.

SITES OF THE GAMAYUN CULTURE OF THE MOUNTAIN STEPPES OF THE SOUTHERN TRANS-URALS (SITES TELYASHEVO-4 AND ELIMBETOVO-7)

The regional peculiarities of archaeological research in the second half of the 20th century led to the fact that the boundaries of the Gamayun culture of the forest and mountain-forest Trans-Urals (X-IV centuries BC) allocated at that time did not extend to the territory of the Southern Urals within modern Bashkortostan. New studies in the mountain-forest (upper course of the Belaya River) and mountain-steppe (eastern foothills of the Irendyk-Krykty mountain range) zones show that both sites of the Gamayun and related Iset cultures of the Early Iron Age are present in these territories. The materials of the Telyashevo-4 and Elimbetovo-7 sites, identified and studied in 2020-2022 in the Bashkir Trans-Urals (modern Abzelilovsky district of the Republic Bashkortostan) show the presence in the mountain-steppe zone not only heterogeneous Isetian, but also pure Gamayun ceramic complexes with traditional cross-stamped ornamentation. According to available data, the time of penetration from the north into the mountainous steppes of the Trans-Urals and the existence of the Gamayun population in this territory may be limited to the end of the first half - the middle of the I millennium BC. The published materials also make it possible to draw the southern border of the Gamayun area in the Trans-Urals at the latitude of Magnitogorsk, i.e. 200 km south of the previously established border.

Indicators of woody plants and soil in the urbanised environment of the Southern Urals (green zone of Ufa, Russia)

ABSTRACT The study investigates biometric indicators of assimilation and reproductive organs of coniferous and deciduous trees in urban environments: leaf area, inflorescence flower count, stipule length of Tilia cordata Mill. and needle length and weight of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Samples of wood, needles, leaves and soil from the planting sites were analysed for 17 chemical elements, including Hazard Class I elements (Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Selenium) and Hazard Class II elements (Chromium, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, Molybdenum, Antimony). Tree plantations decreased airborne dust by 30–40% compared to open areas. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particles showed a direct correlation with busy roads (p < 0.05). In instances of environmental degradation, healthy trees exhibited in needle an increase in biomass and a reduction in weight and length. Consequently, forestry measurements and the impact of the urban environment require specific and individual monitoring of trees, rather than a general assessment of plantations.

Phytosociological Analysis of the Boreal Oligotrophic Pine Forests in the Southern Ural Region (Russia)

Phytosociological Analysis of the Boreal Oligotrophic Pine Forests in the Southern Ural Region (Russia)

Effect of Prolonged Action of Mineral Fertilizers under Conditions of Temperature Stress on Silage Maize Yield in the Steppe Zone of the Southern Urals

In modern agriculture in the Southern Urals, an important agronomic technique is to counteract drought. Of particular importance in increasing the feed base is the cultivation of maize for silage, which ensures maximum yields in extreme conditions. The aim of the study was to determine the potential possibilities of increasing the yield of green mass of maize for silage under the influence of temperature stress in conjunction with the prolonged action of mineral fertilizers and precursors in arid conditions. The study was carried out in the central zone of the Orenburg region from 1993 to 2022 on a stationary site with the southern carbonate heavy loamy chernozem soils with a humus content of 3.2–4.0%. The experiment was carried out with and without mineral fertilizers. The content of nitrate nitrogen in the soil was determined by the ionometric method of Tyurin, mobile phosphorus – by Machigin, exchangeable potassium – by Maslova. A thermostatic-weight method was used to determine soil moisture. On average, over 30 years of research, when cultivating maize for silage in a 6-field crop rotation, an increase in yield was noted with the use of mineral fertilizers from 0.23 to 0.84 t/ha. The annual application of mineral fertilizers in permanent sowing of maize provided an increase in the yield of green mass of 2.51 t/ha. In years with severe aridity, the yield of leaf-stem mass on a fertilized background decreased by an average of 1.61 t/ha. In very dry years, maize plants consumed less nitrate nitrogen (by 2 or more times) than in years with different humidity, but at the same time, potassium consumption increased.

Преимущества сортов груши с хорошей восстановительной способностью после подмерзания в условиях Южного Урала

Abstract. A long period of consumer maturity and the keeping quality of pear fruits are qualities that, when crossed with wild, highly hardy species, are poorly manifested in hybrid offspring. The purpose of the work is to evaluate the quality of fruits and yields on pear varieties with different levels of winter hardiness in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the Chelyabinsk region. Methods. The study was conducted at the Chelyabinsk State Variety testing site for fruit and berry crops. The 2009 bookmark experience included 68 varieties and promising numbers, some of which were excluded from the discussion due to very low yields. Scientific novelty. With good regenerative ability, less hardy varieties with high fruit qualities are not inferior in yield to hardy varieties. Results. In the group of hardy varieties (with the highest freezing score of 2), fruits are often characterized by low fruit qualities, medium-sized, high content of stony cells and other disadvantages. In the group of insufficiently hardy varieties, there are significantly more varieties with high fruit qualities. In the group of hardy varieties, the average annual yield ranges from 29.3 c/ha (Lel’) to 171.6 c/ha (Kuyumskaya). In the group of slightly hardy varieties – from 23.6 c/ha (Zabava) to 100.1 c/ha (Zolotoy shar). With a difference in the average yield values for varieties (84.3 c/ha for hardy and 46.3 c/ha for weakly hardy), statistical processing did not reveal significant differences between the groups in the degree of winter hardiness. In the conditions of the Southern Urals, some varieties bred in northern latitudes are prone to maceration of the pulp at the time of maturation.

Diversity of Stomatocysts of Golden Algae (Chrysophyceae) from the Plankton of Reservoirs of the Mountain Forest Zone of the Southern Urals

Diversity of Stomatocysts of Golden Algae (Chrysophyceae) from the Plankton of Reservoirs of the Mountain Forest Zone of the Southern Urals

Mosasaurs (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Southern Urals

Mosasaurs (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Southern Urals

Long shared haplotypes identify the Southern Urals as a primary source for the 10th century Hungarians.

During the Hungarian Conquest in the 10th century CE, the early medieval Magyars, a group of mounted warriors from Eastern Europe, settled in the Carpathian Basin. They likely introduced the Hungarian language to this new settlement area, during an event documented by both written sources and archaeological evidence. Previous archaeogenetic research identified the newcomers as migrants from the Eurasian steppe. However, genome-wide ancient DNA from putative source populations has not been available to test alternative theories of their precise source. We generated genome-wide ancient DNA data for 131 individuals from candidate archaeological contexts in the Circum-Uralic region in present-day Russia. Our results tightly link the Magyars to people of the Early Medieval Karayakupovo archaeological horizon on both the European and Asian sides of the southern Urals. Our analyes show that ancestors of the people of the Karayakupovo archaeological horizon were established in the Southern Urals by the Iron Age and that their descendants persisted locally in the Volga-Kama region until at least the 14th century.

First dates about hypergene mineralization of black shales of Zigaza-Komarovo Formation of Kagarmanovo section (Southern Urals)

First dates about hypergene mineralization of black shales of Zigaza-Komarovo Formation of Kagarmanovo section (Southern Urals)

Holocene amphibians, reptiles and small mammals from the Grebnevaya Cave locality (Yuryuzan River, Southern Urals)

Holocene amphibians, reptiles and small mammals from the Grebnevaya Cave locality (Yuryuzan River, Southern Urals)

Geology, geodynamics and structural features of the Sakmar zone (Southern Urals)

Geology, geodynamics and structural features of the Sakmar zone (Southern Urals)

Different-age ravine placers Yaratovskaya and Vorontsovskiy Log: morphogenetic features of gold and its sources (Southern Urals)

Different-age ravine placers Yaratovskaya and Vorontsovskiy Log: morphogenetic features of gold and its sources (Southern Urals)

Some issues of lithium geochemistry and its distribution in Rifhean rocks of the Southern Urals

Some issues of lithium geochemistry and its distribution in Rifhean rocks of the Southern Urals

Ordovician ichnofossils from western slope of Southern Urals

Ordovician ichnofossils from western slope of Southern Urals

MOSCOVIAN FUSULINIDS (FORAMINIFERA) FROM SE TUNISIA: THE CASE OF KR-1 KIRCHAOU BOREHOLE (TATAOUINE AREA)

Moscovian (Middle Pennsylvanian) deposits with mixed oolitic and fossil-rich carbonates have long been known from the Kirchaou KR-1 borehole in SE Tunisia. However, its biostratigraphy has never been investigated in detail. This study is mainly dedicated to reviewing the late Bashkirian and Moscovian successions, and characterizing the late Moscovian-early Kasimovian boundary interval. The important fusulinoid faunas of the Middle Pennsylvanian interval within the 315.5-meter-thick KR-1 borehole mainly include staffellines, eostaffellines, millerellines, pseudostaffellines, and Fusulinoidea, which are first illustrated here. The distribution of the main index taxa allows us to distinguish four foraminiferal biozones: (1) the Tikhonovichiella tikhonovichi - Profusulinella Zone of the Melekessian-Vereian (latest Bashkirian-earliest Moscovian), (2) the Beedeina – Citronites Zone of the Kashirian (late early Moscovian), (3) the Taitzehoella prolibrovichi – Fusulina of the Podolskian (early late Moscovian), (4) the Protriticites - Quasifusulinoides Zone of the Myachkovian - Krevyakinian (late late Moscovian – early Kasimovian). The Moscovian - Kasimovian transition is mainly characterized by Protriticites, Quasifusulinoides, Montiparus, Topilinia, Beedeina, Fusiella, Profusulinella, and Fusulinella taxa. The study of fusulinoid assemblages allows reliable correlations with coeval associations from the Russian Platform, Southern Urals, Western Europe, Spain, and Donbas (Ukraine)

Assessment of sustainability of natural complexes of the Minyarsky physiographic region of the Western slope of the Southern Urals

The article considers the evaluation of sustainability of natural complexes of low-mountain sections of the western slope of the Southern Urals (Minyarsk physical and geographical area) on the basis of analysis of landscape profiles on the indicator of sustainability of natural complexes. Peculiarities of the study area are highlighted: specific climatic conditions, complex geological and geomorphological conditions with ongoing industrial development, as well as a variety of soil and hydrological conditions combined with anthropogenic transformation of the territory. In the course of landscape profiling, as well as the application of methods of assessment of anthropogenic transformation of landscapes (at the level of the terrain), a decrease of diversity in natural complexes on the studied slopes was established, Replacement of typical plant communities by secondary successional communities in lowland areas dominated by horsetail. It has also been established that the aggregate of conditions in natural complexes indicates anthropogenic transformation of slope landscapes, the aggregate leading factor of which is the geochemical position on the element of the slope, Low resistance to external influence of the soil with a rinsing type of water regime defining plant associations. The obtained materials can be used as a basis for analysis of ecological condition of landscapes of the western slope of the Southern Urals, as well as characteristics of slope types of locations. Materials allow to further assess the recreational attractiveness of landscapes and the choice of ways of natural use of the studied area.

The Kraka lherzolite massifs (Southern Urals): geochemistry, geochronology, genesis, geodynamics

The Kraka lherzolite massifs (Southern Urals): geochemistry, geochronology, genesis, geodynamics

Productivity of forage crops in the system crop rotation and permanent cultivation in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals

Productivity of forage crops in the system crop rotation and permanent cultivation in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals

Carbonate-siliciclastic deposits of the Lower Uk Subformation (Neoproterozoic) in the stratotype section and its correlation within Bashkirian Mega-Anticlinorium of the Southern Urals

Research subject. Carbonate-siliciclastic deposits of the Lower Uk Subformation were thoroughly studied in the section along the Yuryuzan river (near Ust-Katav town, Chelyabinsk region) and correlated with subformation sections along the Basu, Zilim and Bolshoy Inzer rivers. Material and methods. A detailed description of the stratotype section was carried out; sandstones, siltstones and limestones were studied in thin sections. The sections were correlated with each other. Results. Relationships between the Lower Uk Subformation and the underlying deposits are studied. The petrographic characteristics of rocks are presented. The Lower Uk Subformation sequences are traced between sections of various structural-tectonic zones of the Bashkirian Mega-anticlinorium (BMA). Conclusions. The set of features supports the idea about the presence of a sedimentary hiatus at the base of the formation, even in the most complete sequences (which contain the locally developed Shubino Member of the Minyar Formation). In the stratotype and in other reference sections, the Lower Uk Subformation has a pronounced three-membered structure; it is subdivided into the lower (siliciclastic) Yamashta, middle (substantially carbonate) Akkostyak, and upper (siliciclastic-carbonate) Avdyrdak members. The lithofacies analysis results suggest a change in environments from coastal-marine siliciclastic to shallow-marine siliciclastic-carbonate (middle and inner ramps) due to fluctuations in the relative sea level and, probably, climate change. It was established that the area of the Suleimanovo anticline at latest Riphean corresponded to the distal sedimentary environments in comparison with the southern and western zones (Alatau anticlinorium) of the BMA.