Forest Zone Research Articles

Modeling future sediment retention service in the Bagh-e-Shadi Forest protected area using InVEST and the ACCESS-ESM1-5 climate model

Assessing the impact of climate change on water-related ecosystem services (ES) in Protected Areas (PAs) is essential for developing soil and water conservation strategies that promote sustainability and restore ES. However, the application of ES research in Protected Area (PA) management remains ambiguous and has notable shortcomings. This study primarily aimed to assess the SDR-InVEST (Sediment Delivery Ratio-Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) model for estimating ES, including soil loss, sediment export, and sediment retention, under various climate change scenarios from 1997 to 2100 in the data-scarce region of the Bagh-e-Shadi Forest PA. Bagh-e-Shadi Forest PA, a forest zone in Yazd Province, Iran, has the highest incidence of fire occurrences, leading to accelerated soil erosion and degradation. Our study is pioneering in the Bagh-e-Shadi Forest for employing the InVEST model, particularly the SDR model, to investigate the effects of climate change on sediment load, soil loss, and sediment retention. Additionally, this study focused on sensitivity analysis to individually assess model parameter uncertainties and highlighted the calibration process. By incorporating the latest IPCC emission scenarios, it addresses a critical research gap in the study area. Sensitivity analyses identified Borselli IC0, forest cover factor, and Borselli k (Kb) as the most influential parameters for sediment export. IC0 and kb are calibration factors that shape the sigmoid function in the SDR–IC relationship. From 1997 to 2021, our findings indicated that the study area experienced an average annual soil loss of 77.1 t ha−1 year−1. Additionally, the average sediment export was 0.08 t ha−1 year−1, while sediment retention averaged 2.2 t ha−1 year−1. The results indicated an increasing impact on ES due to climate change, primarily driven by projected increases in precipitation. Our findings showed that sediment yield export is projected to increase the most under the SSP585 scenario during the period 2041–2060, with a rise of 148.02% compared to baseline conditions. Sediment retention is expected to increase from 25,436.25 t year−1 in the baseline scenario to 63,128.63 t year−1 under SSP585 during the same period. The minimum increase in soil loss is projected to be 40.6% under the SSP126 scenario during the period 2021–2040. The quantified changes in ES provisioning will enhance future land use planning, especially for managing the Bagh-e-Shadi Forest.

Population structure, floral diversity, habitat geography, and conservation status of Himalayan horse chestnut (Aesculus indica) in western Himalayan moist temperate forest ecosystems of Kashmir region

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the population structure, floral diversity, habitat geography, phytosociology, threats, and conservation status of Aesculus indica in the western Himalayan region of Kashmir. This study was designed to investigate distribution patterns, community structure, floristic diversity, and phytosociological attributes of A. indica forests, as well as evaluate the habitat geography of species by using GIS analysis. Primary vegetation data and geographic features were collected via systematic quadrat-based sampling from 14 sites in the moist temperate ecosystem of Kashmir, ranging in elevation from 1,400 to 2,800 m. Population structure analysis revealed an average density of 435.85 stems/ha for A. indica, with a significant variation ranging from 220 to 1,100 stems/ha. The species exhibited a high basal cover of 356.33 cm, emphasizing its significant role in the canopy structure of Himalayan forests. The study identified A. indica as a keystone species supporting a diverse floral community comprised of 168 plant species from 51 families. Dominant families, including Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Poaceae, and Polygonaceae, contributed to more than 50% of the total recorded plant species. Phytosociological investigations revealed A. indica to be the dominant species with the highest importance value index (IVI) of 48.81, indicating its ecological significance in temperate forest ecosystems. The species exhibited a preference for north-facing aspects and an altitudinal range of 1,400–2,800 m, which constitute the most suitable habitats for A. indica. However, the study identified significant anthropogenic disturbances, including deforestation, overgrazing, and forest land encroachment, as major threats to A. indica populations in the study area. The deforestation intensity averaged 135 stumps/ha, with some sites exceeding 300 stumps/ha, indicating unsustainable fuelwood consumption patterns and habitat degradation. Overgrazing and trampling were also found to be major threats to A. indica seedlings, affecting the species’ regeneration potential. Conservation strategies should prioritize the protection and restoration of A. indica habitats, especially the upper temperate forest zones with north-facing slopes, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the species. It is recommended to formulate effective conservation measures such as promoting sustainable forest practices, controlling invasive species, restoring degraded habitats, controlled grazing practices, community-based conservation initiatives, sustainable harvesting policies, educating local communities, and promoting alternative livelihoods that support local communities to ensure the preservation of A. indica populations as well as ecosystem health. The study emphasizes the urgent need for effective conservation measures to safeguard A. indica and its associated floral diversity in the western Himalayan region.

Modelling age at death reveals Nordic Corded Ware paleodemography

Drawing on modelling of age at death in skeletal remains, this article unveils hitherto unrecognized demographic patterns in the Nordic Corded Ware complex. This population formed part of the European Corded Ware complex that has been linked to disruption observed in the archaeological and genetic record. The newly developed methods of transition analysis 3 (TA3) and death rate ratio (DRR) were used to process skeletal data from 67 individuals deriving from single, double, and multiple graves in Scandinavia. The results disclose a high proportion of immature individuals aged less than twenty years. Attrition, however, complies with a demography with high age-nonspecific mortality, and this may connect to stressors such as epidemic diseases and endemic warfare. Compared to the partly contemporaneous Pitted Ware complex and the succeeding Late Neolithic–earliest Bronze Age period, the Nordic Corded Ware burials overall point to robust population growth, especially in the later period. This in turn aligns with a sedentary lifestyle rather than a mobile pastoral economy. Short-distance seasonal movements could fit in but cannot yet be measured. Recent genetics have demonstrated biological input in the female line from populations such as Funnel Beaker, Pitted Ware, and herders of the steppe forest zone: the remarkable tallness of Nordic Corded Ware individuals may well be an effect of such admixture. The burials moreover evidence a distinct adult male sex bias, which diminishes over time along with the growth in the number of buried females and young individuals. Judging from investment in graves and grave goods, immatures were highly valued. The scale of social status operates independently of age. Alongside the revealed Nordic Corded Ware demography and the burial and material record more broadly, this could indicate social inequality based on kinship and warrior values.

Climate and Soil Properties Drive the Distribution of Minor and Trace Elements in Forest Soils of the Winter Olympic Core Area.

Minor and trace elements in soil play a crucial role in regulating ecological processes that sustain the functionality of forest ecosystems. In this study, we have selected three conifer forests (Pinus sylvestris, Picea asperata, Larix principis-rupprechtii), one broadleaf forest (Betula Platyfilla) and one mixed forest of Betula Platyfilla and Larix principis-rupprechtii in the Winter Olympic core area and determined the pattern of 12 typical elements (B, Fe, V, Cr, Ni, Co, Mn, As, Cu, Zn, Sn and Se) in soils and their main drivers in the three different soil layers (A, B and C horizon) in each soil profile. Our results showed that the concentrations of B, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni and Sn were mainly enriched in the broadleaf forest and mixed broadleaf-conifer forest zones, and the average concentrations of Co, Mn, V, Zn, As and Se were mainly enriched in coniferous forest zones in contrast. We have observed that the mean concentrations of Fe, Cr, Ni, Zn, As, Sn and Co increase with soil depth in the BP forest. The concentrations of Se and Cu were higher in the A layer than the C layer. The piecewise structural equation modeling (piecewiseSEM) results visualized a direct and negative effect on B, Fe, V, Cr and Ni concentrations due to soil temperature, while the concentrations of Se is mainly influenced by soil temperature and soil properties.

Root productivity contributes to carbon storage and surface elevation adjustments in coastal wetlands

Abstract Background and aims Organic matter additions in coastal wetlands contribute to blue carbon sequestration and adjustment to sea-level rise through vertical substrate growth, with accurate modelling of these dynamics requiring information of root mass and volume additions across tidal gradients. This study aims to characterise the influence of vegetation zonation and tidal position on root mass and volume dynamics within substrates. Methods The root ingrowth technique was coupled with sediment cores to quantify below-ground root mass and volume production, standing stocks and turnover across two years to 90 cm depth at Kooweerup, Victoria, Australia. Results We indicate a complex non-linear relationship between fine root mass production and tidal position, influenced by variable vegetation structures across mangrove (442–3427 g m−2 yr−1), saltmarsh (540–860 g m−2 yr−1) and supratidal forest (599 g m−2 yr−1) zones. Fine root volume additions ranged from 274 to 4055 cm3 m−2 yr−1 across sampling locations. Root production was greatest for older mangroves and tidally defined optimal zones of production were evident for mangrove and saltmarsh. Live roots extended deeper than typically studied, reaching depths of 1.0 m in forested zones. Conclusion This information of root mass and volume additions across wetland live rooting zones can be used to improve highly parameterised models accounting for carbon sequestration and substrate vertical adjustment along intertidal gradients. We recommend that future studies measure root production across the entire active rooting zone or to 1 m depth to align with standard carbon accounting measurement depths.

Multiple Anthropogenic and Climatic Factors Drive Tree Species Attributes in Ecologically Distinct Sacred Groves in Ghana

Sacred groves are rich biodiversity hotspots serving as an important habitat for conserving species and providing ecosystem goods and services to meet societal needs. Despite the benefits these sacred groves offer, they are threatened by anthropogenic stressors coupled with climate change impacts, thereby limiting their maximum ability to offer essential ecological and cultural services. On a climatic gradient, we have explored differences in tree attributes (diversity and composition) and how they are shaped by multiple drivers of land‐use change and climatic factors (rainfall and temperature) which drive underlying soil conditions in different sacred groves. These sacred grooves studied are the Mintimrim Kwaye, Antobia, Boako, Nsoatre Botene and Pimpimgyae sacred groves. Tree species diversity and composition differed between the sacred groves with those located in the forest zones more diverse than those located in the dry semideciduous or the savannah zones. These differences in tree attributes were mainly driven by the various degrees of anthropogenic stressors (mining, agricultural activities, logging and wildfire) coupled with variations in climatic factors driving underlying soil conditions. It is quite evident the role climate plays which highlights how tree species react in terms of distribution and composition in this era of climate uncertainty. This therefore calls for the need for conservation efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change impacts on biodiversity and human societies.

Genotype x environment interaction effect on grain yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) in Deciduous forest and Sudan savanna ecologies of Ghana.

Cowpea is deemed as a food security crop due to its ability to produce significant yields under conditions where other staples fail. Its resilience in harsh environments; such as drought, heat and marginal soils; along with its nitrogen-fixing capabilities and suitability as livestock feed make cowpea a preferred choice in many farming systems across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite its importance, Cowpea yields in farmers' fields remain suboptimal, primarily due to biotic and abiotic factors and the use of either unimproved varieties or improved varieties that are not well-suited to local conditions. Multi environment testing of genotypes is essential for recommending varieties suited for either specific or for wide cultivation. This study aimed, to identify and recommend cowpea breeding lines for wide or specific cultivation in the Sudan Savanna and Deciduous Forest zones of Ghana. The research utilized twenty early-maturing advance cowpea breeding lines and three check varieties (released varieties). The experiment was conducted in two locations: Bunso in the Deciduous Forest zone and Manga in the Sudan Savanna zone over 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 cropping seasons. Combined analysis of variance revealed a significant genotype-environment interaction (GEI) which accounted for 35.12% of the variation in yield. The environments were classified into three mega environments, with Bunso_2021 identified as the near-ideal environment where the genotypes exhibited their maximum genetic potentials. In terms of adaption, genotype UG_04 demonstrated broad adaption, showing high yield and stability across all test environments. Genotypes UG_01 and UG_02 performed particularly well in Bunso_2021 and Bunso_2022, while UG_04 and UG_14 excelled in Manga_2021. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting cowpea varieties that can enhance productivity and stability in diverse agro-ecological zones.

Biodiversity of micromycetes isolated from the rhizosphere of halophytic plants of Kazakhstan

This paper presents the results of a study of the biodiversity of soil microscopic fungi isolated in the autumn-summer period from the rhizosphere of halophytic plants growing in the Akmola, Almaty and Turkestan regions (Kazakhstan). To create biopreparations that stimulate growth and protect planting material in forest park zones and horticultural farms, we isolated and identified 352 cultivated microorganisms belonging to the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Curtobacterium, Erwinia and others. In total, we studied 8 microscopic fungi. Isolation and cultivation of fungi were carried out on Czapek medium at 28 °С ± 2 °С for 10 days. In addition to using methods for studying the cultural and morphological features of fungi, molecular genetic methods were also used. Identification using the method of comparing nucleotide sequences encoding the 18SрRNA gene of the cultures we isolated showed that their diversity is limited to representatives of only three genera: Fusarium, Alternaria, Penicillium, with the latter two dominating.

Use of Bluetooth low energy and ultra-wideband sensor systems to detect people in forest operations danger zones

ABSTRACT Forests are challenging workplace environments with rugged and steep terrains and large danger zones obscured by dense forest stands. Additionally, there are often restrictions on mobile communication networks, the Internet, or on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) reception. Therefore, technologies supporting the detection of people in danger zones have not been broadly applied in forestry. During the field test, two prototypes enabling people detection via ultra-wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) were evaluated. The precision, accuracy, detection distance, and detection rates of the prototypes were determined. Furthermore, the influence of the line of sight, that is, the visual path between two points, was considered. With an overall Distance Bias of 0.44 m and overall RMSE of 1.52 m, the UWB sensor allowed precise detection within the danger zones, 30 m (mean detection distance, 28.4 m; 90% CI: 22.33–30.00 m) and 50 m (mean detection distance, 43.9 m; 90% CI: 36.81–49.63 m); therefore, it is well suited for use during felling with a chainsaw. The BLE sensor allowed presence detection even at greater distances (mean detection distance, 83.66 m; 90% CI: 62.45–103.05 m) and would be suitable for fully mechanized timber harvesting. However, BLE sensors still lack the ability to determine detection distances.

Can triad forestry reconcile Europe's biodiversity and forestry strategies? A critical evaluation of forest zoning.

Balancing increasing demand for wood products while also maintaining forest biodiversity is a paramount challenge. Europe's Biodiversity and Forest Strategies for 2030 attempt to address this challenge. Together, they call for strict protection of 10% of land area, including all primary and old growth forests, increasing use of ecological forestry, and less reliance on monocultural plantations. Using data on country wide silvicultural practices and a new database on strict forest reserves across Europe, we assess how triad forest zoning could help meet these goals. Our analysis reveals that zoning in Europe is overwhelmingly focused on wood production, while there has been little concomitant protection of forests in strict reserves. Moreover, most strict forest reserves are < 50ha in size, likely too small to capture the minimum dynamic area necessary to sustain many taxa. We outline research priorities to meet future demands for timber while minimizing the impact on native biodiversity.

Материалы к распространению гребенчатого тритона Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) в Тульской области

Over the entire observation history (up to and including 2023), the great crested newt Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) was found in 39 localities within 12 out of 23 administrative districts of the Tula region, with 23 locations (59%) discovered in the last 4 years (2020–2023). The vast majority of the find points (92.3%) belong to the zones of coniferous-broadleaved and broadleaved forests. The species is less common in the forest-steppe zone, although in general its distribution here is insufficiently studied. In the Tula region, the great crested newt spends its aquatic phase of life predominantly in artificial water bodies (71.4% of 28 cases), which is associated with a shortage of natural stagnant and semi-flowing water bodies due to the region's location on the Central Russian Upland. The abundance of T. cristatus in the populations identified in recent years is extremely low (the number of adult individuals counted in a specific water body has never exceeded several dozen). The article discusses species-specific limiting factors, among which, in recent decades, the colonization of small water bodies in the Tula region by the amur sleeper Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877, has had a particularly strong influence on the distribution and abundance of the great crested newt.

Plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services in rainforest, traditional and industrial oil palm cultivation systems in Liberia, West Africa

Societal Impact StatementOil palm is native to the west African forest, where industrial production is expanding. We assessed differences in plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services across 54 forest, community agriculture and oil palm plots in Sinoe County, Liberia. Traditional cultivation systems have lower ecological impacts in terms of species richness, composition, canopy height and structural complexity compared with industrial production, though yields per hectare are likely to be lower. Traditional systems can inspire improved management of industrial plantations, including choice of cover crop, intercropping with locally valued species and reduced clearance and pesticide regimes, increasing biodiversity and local food security.Summary Tropical agriculture contributes to national and global food security, but the conversion of natural habitats to agriculture has severe consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and society. Significant research efforts have focussed on improving the sustainability of palm oil production in Asia, but less research has been conducted in the African forest zone, where oil palm is native and production is expanding. Working within the Sustainable Oil Palm in West Africa (SOPWA) Project (Sinoe County, Liberia), we surveyed canopy trees and understorey plants in 54 plots distributed equally across three ecological systems ‐ rainforest, traditionally‐cultivated oil palm (“country palm”) and industrially‐managed oil palm ‐ to assess differences in plant biodiversity, vegetation structure and provisioning services. Traditionally‐cultivated oil palm systems had intermediate plant biodiversity (species richness, weighted endemism) and structure (canopy height, complexity) compared with industrial production or rainforest. Provisioning services (proportion of species supplying non‐timber forest products) did not differ by the system on average, though the absolute number of useful species recorded was highest for the forest. Of surveyed plant species, 81% had a local name (Sapo or Kru); a smaller proportion of forest species were named compared with either traditional or industrial oil palm systems. Our study emphasises the higher ecological value per hectare of traditional oil palm production compared with industrial production methods, though yields are likely to be lower, leading to implications for industrial management such as growing alternative cover crop species, intercropping with non‐timber forest products or locally valued crops and implementing reduced clearance and pesticide regimes.

Biotic Factors Affecting Elm Health in Ukraine

Elms (Ulmus spp.) are widely spread in the forest, shelter belts, and urban landscaping. This research aimed to reveal the trends of Ulmus sp. health in Ukraine under biotic damage. The tasks included: (i) analyzing the presence of Ulmus sp. in the forests; (ii) studying the dynamics of Ulmus sp. health for 2001–2015 in the monitoring plots in the frame of the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP-Forests); (iii) assessing the prevalence of the dominant biotic factors affecting elm health and the probability of tree death or recovery. As a result of research, elms were found in 3.58% of the area in the stands with other main forest-forming species in the forests subordinated to the State Specialized Forest Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine». Four elm species are present in the forests of all regions of Ukraine. In the Forest zone, U. minor predominates, U. glabra is more common in the western part of the country, and U. pumila in the southern and eastern regions. In the ICP-Forests monitoring plots for 2001–2015, a trend of elm deterioration in 2007–2012 was found. The highest incidence of trees with disease symptoms was recorded for U. pumila. In the sample plots for 2023–2024, the health of three elm species tended to deteriorate. In 2024, mortality occurred among all elm species with symptoms of Dutch elm disease (DED) and among U. pumila trees with symptoms of wetwood. However, several trees have recovered. The results show the gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled, particularly in identifying resistant individuals and using their progeny to create resistant stands.

Impacts of Different Vegetation Types on Soil Aggregate Stability in the Key Ecological Rehabilitation Area of the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China

Disentangling the responses of total soil organic carbon (SOC), organic carbon fractions and soil aggregate stability to various vegetation types is essential for better understanding the carbon cycling process in terrestrial ecosystems, maintaining soil quality and mitigating global warming. To study the effects of vegetation types on soil aggregates in a specific area, the desert riverbanks of arid regions were studied. We set up experiments using three typical vegetation types in the arid zone of the Tarim River Basin (TRB), including Forestland, Shrubland, and Grassland. The total SOC content in the bulk soil and different soil aggregates was determined by oxidation with K2Cr2O7 and H2SO4, and three carbon fractions (F1, very labile; F2, inert; F3, oxidizable resistant) were classified according to the degree of oxidation using the modified Walkley-Black method. The total SOC and three carbon fractions in the soil were significantly greater in the Forestland than in the other vegetation types, and the effect was more pronounced in macro-aggregate (MA) than in the other aggregates. In the bulk soil and soil aggregates, the percentages of F1, F2 and F3 in the total SOC with mean values of 0.36%, 0.28% and 0.36%, respectively, at soil depths of 0–20 cm, indicated that stabilizing carbon is the major carbon fraction of the SOC. The stability of the SOC in the aggregates across each vegetation type was greater in the lower layer (10–20 cm) than in the topsoil layer (0–10 cm). The SOC stability and MA content were positively related to the SOC in the soil aggregates and its F2 and F3 fractions (p &lt; 0.05). In summary, the Forestland significantly increased the SOC content and enhanced SOC stability. Conservation measures for poplar forests in vulnerable arid zones can sustainably accumulate SOC sequestration.

ОБИЛИЕ РЕДКИХ ВИДОВ РЫБ РЕКИ ЮЖНЫЙ УЗЯН БАШКИРСКОГО ЗАПОВЕДНИКА

Climatic factors inherent in the period from 2008 to the present have directly influenced the behavior and dy- namics of the ichthyofauna of the Bashkir Reserve. Migrations and altitude preferences, trends in the abundance of groupings are an additional characteristic of the habitat of groups of rare fish species and explain the strategy of their survival in the period of unfavorable conditions. Studies of the state of the number and preference of habitats by alti- tude of rare species of the main watercourse of the Bashkir Reserve – the Yuzhny Uzyan River in 2013–2017 re- vealed that there is a movement of herds by altitude level. Thymallus thymallus in the conditions of the mountain- forest zone has a positive tendency in abundance, and in the Cottus gobio, on the contrary, a negative one.

МОНИТОРИНГ БИОРАЗНООБРАЗИЯ ЕЛЬНИКОВ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЙ ЧАСТИ РОССИИ ПОСЛЕ ПРИРОДНЫХ И АНТРОПОГЕННЫХ «КАТАСТРОФ»

We analyzed the main trends of the change in the species richness of plant communities after catastrophic natural (catastrophicwindthrow, fires, large bark beetle outbreaks) and anthropogenic (clear felling) disturbances. The main factor determining the increase in species richness was the intensity of ecosystem disturbance after ca- tastrophes. The greatest disturbance was caused by clear-cut logging, when all timber was removed from the felling area by tractors. Fires also could totally destroy stands and all components of the forest ecosystem. Large- scale wind damage affected only the trees of the upper layer, while all other components of the plant communities were slightly damaged. The bark beetle outbreaks cause the death only of upper layer spruce trees, while the whole forest ecosystem remains unchanged. The degree of disturbance of stands, undergrowth, herb-dwarf scrubs layer, moss cover, litter and soil during the dieback of spruce forests as a result of ‘catastrophes’ determines the degree of vegetation recovery in disturbed areas. We studied the spruce forest in the zone of coniferous-broadleaved forests of the Moscow region, affected by an outbreak of typograph bark beetle.Dynamics of understory plant species richness was fundamentally different after stand salvage logging following beetle outbreaks and in unlogged standswith preserved deadwood. Monitor- ing observations of plant communities during 10 years on permanent sample plots revealed the main feature of the plant species succession after clear felling. For the first six years succession passed through the herb and the shrub stages with a sharp increase in species and structural diversity of plant communities. Only in the forest stage the species composition characteristic of the forest was restored. In the deadwood stand the forest communities was preserved and no differences in the dynamics of species richness of the original undisturbed forest were detected. Only dominance of species in the stand and herb-shrub layer changed. If man don't clear cut dead and wind- damaged areas of spruce forests, it will result in development of mixed forests with increased resistance to pests and forest diseases. Monocultures of spruce forests may be replaced by mixed forests, increasing the diversity of forests.

First data on total and carbon cycling microbial diversity of the key reference soils of the “Ladoga” carbon measurement supersite

The “Ladoga” carbon supersite is part of the All-Russian carbon monitoring national system, it is located in the Boreal coniferous forest zone, and work is underway here to implement measures to control the emission of greenhouse gases. This study reports data on the total and carbon-associated diversity of the soil microbes of reference soils. We obtained 729 amplicon sequence variants from 35 soil samples. Total diversity is represented by 11 phyla of bacteria and 1 phylum of methanogenic archaea (for Histosol). Carbon-cycling bacteria diversity is represented by six phyla (Actinobacteriota; Proteobacteria; Acidobacteriota; Bacteroiodota; Firmicutes; and Verrucomicrobiota). The dominant carbon-cycling bacteria in the studied soils are Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria. The analysis of α- and β-diversity allowed us to identify three clusters of microbiota different in taxonomic composition — these are topsoil of Podzol and subsoil of Podzol (statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05) differences in abundance for Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobiota were revealed). Histosol is distinguished in a separate cluster of microbial diversity; it differs from Podzol in the abundance of carbon-cycling bacteria by Proteobacteria and Bacteroiodota (p &lt; 0.0001). Further studies of the soil microbiome of the “Ladoga” carbon supersite should be focused on the study of functionally specialized groups of carbon and nitrogen cycle microbes and their ecosystem functions.

Water Discharge Change in the Rivers of the South of the Boreal Forest Zone of Eastern European Russia at the End of the Late Holocene and in the Anthropocene: The Vyatka River

Based on long-term observations of the water discharge (WD) from 1878 to 2018, the main trends and patterns of its change in the basin of one of the largest rivers in the east of the East European Plain, the Vyatka River, were revealed using a set of standard statistical procedures and a graphical analysis of the WD probability curves. Three main phases of the annual river WD were identified, corresponding to the periods 1878–1929, 1930–1977, and 1978–2018. The first and third periods were characterized by increased WD (by 22–23%) relative to the medium period, and the differences in the average annual WD characteristics between these periods were statistically significant. It is also noteworthy that the difference in the average annual WD between the first and last periods of increased WD was very small and statistically insignificant. A gradual increase in the share of the so-called normal annual WD and a decrease in the abnormal (including extreme) annual WD were noted from 1878–1929 to 1978–2018 in the predominantly northern half of the river basin. At the same time, in the predominantly southern half of the basin, according to the analysis of only the periods 1930–1977 and 1978–2018, the so-called normal and abnormal WD remained almost unchanged; only a slight increase in positive anomalies of the WD was noted. Increased intra-annual variability in the WD was characteristic of the period of its reduced average annual value. Between the three identified periods, a gradual reduction in the water runoff coefficient was observed during the warm (mainly summer) season in the Vyatka River basin. The specified long-term variability in the water discharge of the Vyatka River was chiefly due to long-term changes in climatic factors, primarily the ratio of the air temperature and precipitation, expressed as the De Martonne aridity index. The duration of the principal cycle of these changes was 82 years. An additional contribution could also have been made by the widespread reduction in cropland in the study region in recent decades. The obtained results can be preliminarily considered representative of the entire southern sector of the boreal forest zone (taiga zone) of the east of the East European Plain.

Кормопроизводство в крестьянско-фермерских хозяйствах Нечерноземной зоны: научное обеспечение

The soil, climate and plant resources of the forest zone of the Russian Federation are most favorable for intensive dairy and meat farming. The total area of agricultural land in the zone is about 43914 thousand hectares, including arable land 28669, hayfields 5692 and pastures 7701. With a total population of 61.5 million, there are 0.71 hectares of agricultural land per person. Such an amount of land resources makes it possible to fully provide the population, including the megacities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg with livestock and poultry products, to develop the export potential of the territories. To provide the population of the zone with food standards, it is necessary to produce more than 20 million tons of milk, 4.3 million tons of meat, 16 billion eggs. In solving this problem, an important role belongs to peasant farms, individual entrepreneurs and households of the population [1–5].

Expansion of Pleioblastus amarus in tea plantations significantly enhances the appearance and nutritional composition of bamboo shoots but adversely affects palatability

The expansion of Pleioblastus amarus into tea plantations introduces environmental heterogeneity, significantly influencing the growth and quality of bamboo shoots. This study examined the effects of bamboo expansion on the appearance, nutrition, and palatability of bamboo shoots, utilizing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to identify key influencing factors. Results revealed that bamboo expansion increased shoot diameter, length, and fresh weight, enhancing overall size and edibility, particularly in the tea-bamboo mixed forest center zone (TBC), where appearance quality peaked. Nutritional analysis revealed substantial increases in protein, fat, starch, and vitamin C content after bamboo expansion, along with the improvements in amino acid score (AAS), essential amino acid index (EAAI), and nutritional index (NI), indicating elevated nutritional value. However, despite the rise in soluble sugars and flavor-enhancing amino acids, higher levels of total acids, oxalic acid, tannins, and cellulose diminished the palatability, notably in TBC site. PLS-SEM further indicated that while bamboo expansion positively influenced shoot appearance and nutrition, soil factors predominantly drove these changes and concurrently detracted from overall palatability. These findings provide a framework for enhancing bamboo shoot quality and optimizing management practices in tea plantation ecosystems.