Vol 103, No 4 (2024)

The study was conducted as part of the Joint Vietnam–Russia Tropical Science and Technology Research Center’s project on indicator organisms in the marine environment of south-central Vietnam. The research focused on coastal areas with significant anthropogenic impacts, revealing that biological resources directly affect the livelihood and activities of coastal populations. These resources are dynamic and subject to both human and natural factors. The material from the soft-bottom zone was collected using a grab rake with a mesh bag at the end. Scuba diving equipment was used in areas with a hard substrate and mudflats. In addition, during sample collection, several mollusc specimens were acquired from fishermen who cought marine organisms in that lagoon. Comparing the results with previous studies on bivalve resources in the area, the Nha Phu Lagoon was found to harbour a wide range of economically valuable bivalve species. A total of twenty-seven bivalve species from thirteen families were identified, with the family Veneridae having the highest number of species (eight). The most abundant catches were from the families Ostreidae and Mytilidae, primarily consisting of Magallana gigas (Thunberg 1793) and Perna viridis (Linnaeus 1758), both cultured in the lagoon. Apart from their economic value, these two species also play crucial roles in the ecosystem by filtering water and retaining organic debris in the environment.

Female and male specimens of the Palearctic species, Canthocamptus (Canthocamptus) microstaphylinus Wolf 1905, were found in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal, Siberia. This was the first record of the species in Lake Baikal and the Baikal region. A general description and brief morphological characteristics were made using scanning electron microscopy. The authors compared the principal diagnostic morphological traits of C. (C.) microstaphylinus from Lake Baikal and some water bodies from the European part of Russia (within the Syktyvkar City, Republic of Komi). As a result, specimens from Lake Baikal and the Syktyvkar area were shown to be similar in the structure of their thoracic appendages and caudal rami.

Widespread species of small soil arthropods are being traditionally used in the biological monitoring of the environment. A promising development in this direction could be the usage of genetic methods, namely the composition of genetic lineages in populations of polytypic species. These species include the widespread springtail, Parisotoma notabilis sensu lato, which is especially abundant in Europe. At present, six lineages of this complex are known, the genetic distances between which are sufficiently close to the species. Previously, we showed the differentiation of genetic lineages in an urbanization gradient (natural forest – forest park – urban lawn) using the Moscow region as an example. In this work, the divergence of genetic lineages in these habitats was confirmed for various natural zones. The least disturbed habitats are marked by lineages L2, L4-Hebert and L0, the most disturbed ones by L1. Monitoring changes in the soil layer of ecosystems is possible only in zones of sympatry of different P. notabilis genetic lineages, i.e. the areas where they co-occur. Such areas seem to include the entire European part of Russia.

The assemblage of hymenopteran parasitoids associated with the invasive lime leaf miner, Phyllonorycter issikii (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) developing on the lime (Tilia cordata) was studied in the Perm Region and in the Republic of Bashkortostan during 2019. Sixteen species of parasitoids of Ph. issikii were recognized: Diglyphus isaea, Elachertus fenestratus, Hyssopus geniculatus, Pnigalio agraules, P. mediterraneus, Sympiesis dolichogaster, S. gordius, S. sericeicornis, Chrysocharis laomedon, Ch. nephereus, Ch. pentheus, Ch. pubens, Ch. pubicornis, Ch. submutica, Minotetrastichus frontalis (Eulophidae) and Pholetesor circumscriptus (Braconidae). Three species, Diglyphus isaea, Chrysocharis pubens and Ch. submutica (Eulophidae), were reported as parasitoids of the lime leaf miner for the first time. The roles the complex of parasitoids played in the mortality of the miner were negligible. The mortality ranged from 1.3±0.3 (Perm) to 23.7±3.3% (Tolbazy village).

The grazing ecosystems of Kalmykia are extremely dynamic, this being associated with the high variability of grazing pressure in the region: a drastic reduction in the number of livestock in the 1990’s led to the restoration of pastures and the transition of their functioning from the “desert” to the “steppe” regime. Since the late 2000’s, new desertification processes have been gaining momentum, these being caused by increased grazing pressure and droughts. The vegetation cover of pastures quite quickly began to respond to the increase in livestock numbers by reducing the projective cover, while the species composition of plants sharply changed to “desert” only a few years later. Against the background of increasing desertification, the rodent community first collapsed and then recovered. Apparently, the collapse is a belated reaction to the steppefication of pastures that preceded desertification, this leading to a reduced number of desert species and an impoverished community, thereby slowing down its revival during a new cycle of desertification. Thus, both vegetation cover and rodent community demonstrated non-stationary dynamics with changing the regimes and a delayed response (inertia) in response to landscape desertification.

Since the advent and wide use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they have been increasingly useful in monitoring the abundance, distribution and behaviour of terrestrial and aquatic animals. At present, this technique is actively applied to mammal research. The diversity and relative availability of drones allows for a variety of research tasks to be achieved. The use of UAVs has its advantages and disadvantages, these being discussed in the present review. The study examines the advantages of using UAVs in comparison to other methods, identifies new research opportunities opened up by drones, and emphasizes the advantages of modern analytical tools. The technical limitations of UAVs and the problem of the negative impact of this technique on mammals are discussed. The need to minimize the disturbance of animals during such research is emphasized. In addition, the work summarizes the experience of using UAVs in the studies on Russia’s theriofauna.