Первые сведения о полужесткокрылых (Insecta, Heteroptera) Северного Тимана: среднее течение р. Тобыш

Впервые представлен список видов клопов (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) Северного Тимана. Выявлено 28 видов из 21 рода и 8 семейст

Aapa mire on the southern limit: A case study in Vologda Region (north-western Russia)

The aim of the research was to carry out a multidisciplinary study of a mire possessing a ribbed pattern typical for aapa mires and yet situated in the Vologda Region of Russia, which is farther south than the supposed southern limit of aapa mire distribution. The study shows that the mire lies in its own basin while being part of a complex mire system. Its microtopography is represented by three well-defined elements, namely strings, lawns and flarks, which condition the mosaic structure of the vegetative cover. In terms of flora and vegetation composition, this mire is very similar to Fennoscandian rich aapa mires although it lacks a number of typical western species. Dense, well-developed tree stands on strings are prominent features of this mire. The peat deposit is of fen (predominantly swamp) type. The stratigraphy of the peat deposit demonstrates its secondary nature and the young age of the strings. Dendrochronology showed that the phase of active development of the tree stand began about 200 years ago. Thus, the mire fully corresponds to the concept of an aapa mire, on the basis of (1) characteristic topography; (2) heterotrophic vegetation typical of aapa mires; and (3) secondary nature of the strings and their young age. The studied mire provides habitat for several rare species of vascular plants and mosses, and thus requires protection

The flora and vegetation of Sosnovets Island, the White Sea

The flora and vegetation of Sosnovets Island (White Sea Throat, Murmansk Region, Russia) has been studied and described in detail. This is a small island situated within the tundra zone, largely covered by a permafrost peatland with the presence of flarks, a palsa mire, and rock outcrops. Vascular plants of Sosnovets Island include 167 species and subspecies, of which 134 species and subspecies are considered native and 33 species are alien. The number of tundra species is higher and that of boreal species is lower than on the other White Sea islands; a few species with eastern distributions in East Europe are present; 6 protected species are recorded. Alien species were mostly transported from Arkhangelsk Region but partly from Central Russia; main pathways were forage, construction and gardens; one species (Alchemilla cymatophylla) was likely introduced as a polemochore. The vegetation of Sosnovets Island is represented by a complex of lichen, dwarfshrub, cottongrass-sphagnous and sedge-sphagnous communities of the peatland, which covers the major part of the island, as well as dwarf-shrub and lichen tundras, coastal vegetation, willow thickets, dwarf cornel (Cornus suecica) and secondary anthropogenic meadows and grasslands. A palsa mire, marshes with Calamagrostis deschampsioides, highly dissected peatlands with cloudberry-crowberry-lichen communities on elevated sites and cottongrass-sphagnous communities in depressions are the unique features of the island’s vegetation.Peer reviewe

Hydrometeorological Database (HMDB) for Practical Research in Ecology

The regional HydroMeteorological DataBase (HMDB) was designed for easy access to climate data via the Internet. It contains data on various climatic parameters (temperature, precipitation, pressure, humidity, and wind strength and direction) from 190 meteorological stations in Russia and bordering countries for a period of instrumental observations of over 100 years. Open sources were used to ingest data into HMDB. An analytical block was also developed to perform the most common statistical analysis techniques