Modelling the effects of ionising radiation on a vole population from the Chernobyl Red forest in an ecological context

A novel mathematical model was developed to study the historical effects of ionising radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl accident on a vole population. The model uses an ecosystem approach combining radiation damages and repair, life history and ecological interactions. The influence of reproduction, mortality and factors such as ecosystem resource, spatial heterogeneity and migration are included. Radiation-induced damages are represented by a radiosensitive ‘repairing pool’ mediating between healthy, damaged and radio-adapted animals. The endpoints of the model are repairable radiation damage (morbidity), impairment of reproductive ability and mortality. The focus of the model is the Red Forest, an area some 3 km west of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. We simulated ecosystem effects of both current exposures and historical doses, including transgenerational effects and adaptation. The results highlight the primary role of animal mobility in stabilising the vole population after the accident, the importance of ecosystem recovery, the time evolution of the repairing and fecundity pools and the impact of adaptation on population sustainability. Using this model, we found dose rate tipping points for mortality and morbidity, along with a limiting migration rate for population survival and the limiting size of the most contaminated region not entailing loss of survival. Our ecosystem approach to radioecological modelling enables an exploration of the impact of radiation in an ecological context, consistent with the available observations. Model predictions indicate that population sensitivity in our exposure scenario does not contradict the benchmarks currently considered in risk assessments for wildlife. The model can be used to support advice on the extent to which historical doses and other ecological factors may influence different exposure modelling scenarios. The approach could easily be adapted to accommodate other stressors, thereby contributing to the evaluation of the regulatory benchmarks used in non-radiological risk assessment

Role of rodents in biological migration of 137Cs on fallows

Features of 137Cs accumulation by rodents and it migration in the pasture type food chains, and trophic char-acteristics, spatial distribution, the animals influence on the grass cover of different types biocenoses were stud-ied. The data of the radionuclides biogenic migration intensity are presented. The correlation of gray voles life and 137Cs localization in their colonies are shown

Faunistic complexes as the object of radioecological monitoring

Importance of comprehensive study of the state and functioning faunal complexes for radioecological inves-tigations and related generalizations was demonstrated. The examples of radioecological generalizations using this approach were performed

Radiation adaptation as one of the factors for microevolution processes in animals populations

Study of the main directions of response populations of individual species and faunistic complexes provides opportunity to address the relationship of adaptations of animals to radiation press by raising the level of epige-netic variability and features of a survival strategy. It is suggested to increase the level of microevolutionary processes in conditions of radioactive contamination biocenosis

Phenotype changes of Colorado potato beetle in populations with varying degrees of radiation exposure

Comparative analysis of the structure of drawings elytra of Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) in areas with significant density of 137Cs pollution. Differences between populations, both in structure and in the asymmetry of drawings, that shows the growth of non-hereditary variability of animals in conditions of high radiation press were shown

Bird’s Consortium Ties with Parthenocissus inserta (A. Kern.) Fritsch., 1922 on the Example of Forest Parks and City Phytocenoses in Kyiv City (Ukraine)

Parthenocissus inserta (A. Kern.) Fritsch. adapts to living in the forests of Ukraine. The influence of P. inserta on native species and its consortial ties with representatives of the secondary ranges biota, in particular birds, has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to make an inventory of the consorts’ ornithocomplexes of P. inserta, to give a comparative analysis of topic and trophic consorts as a result of an introduced species’ participation in the transformation of habitat’s conditions. The material was collected from 2019 to 2022 in forest parks and urban green spaces of the Kyiv city. The bird distribution was determined by the standard method of counting birds at points. Exactly 12.2 ha of P. inserta plantations were surveyed. Trophic consortium relationships of P. inserta with 32 bird species and topic ones with six bird species were revealed. The species composition of consorts was higher in forest fragments than in urban plantations (26 and 21 species, respectively). In the ornithocomplexes of P. inserta consorts in forest biotopes, there was a smaller pressure of dominant species and a more evenly ranked distribution of species by abundance than in urbanized ones. The similarity of the consort’s species composition in urbanized and natural biotopes according to the Sorensen index was 0.64, in consorts 1 and 2 of the consortium concentres was 0.32, and in topic and trophic consorts was 0.27. According to the status of stay in the region, trophic consorts of P. inserta were mainly resident birds – 20 species (62.50%), wintering birds – six species (18.75%), and birds migrating through the region – six species of birds (18.75%). Among the topic consorts, there were four species of sedentary species and two species arriving for nesting. Principal component analysis revealed the largest positive relationship between P. inserta planting area and the number of consort bird species nesting (0.999) and feeding (0.889) on girlish vine plants. We predict that in the future, P. inserta will be more strongly woven into the matter cycle of the secondary range ecosystems. The study of consortial relationships between invasive plants and birds, taking into account the knowledge of the ecological characteristics of consort birds, will make it possible to more effectively prevent the spread of plants into natural biotopes

Peculiarities of absorbed dose forming in some wild animals in Chornobyl exclusion zone

Based on field researches conducted in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the years after the accident, the peculiarities are identified of formation of absorbed doses in animals of different taxonomic and ecological groups that live in conditions of radioactive contamination of ecosystems. It was shown importance of consideration of radiation features on wild animals according to their life cycle, conditions and ways of life. Data were displayed about the importance of different types of irradiation according to the period of stay of the animals in the ground, in burrows and nests. The questions were reviewed about value of external and internal radiation in absorbed dose of different types of wildlife. Results of the calculation of the absorbed dose of bird embryos from egg shell were shown

Różnorodność zgrupowań ptaków w Wyhrajiwśkich Daczach w gradiencie transformacji rekreacyjnej lasu

The material was collected in June 2020 in the forest-steppe zone. A total of 42 species of nesting birds have been identifi ed. Their relative abundance averaged 2.1±0.42 pairs/km. 34 species (2.8±0.53) nest in the reserve, 19 (3.4±0.70) in the forest not protected by the conservation status, 21 (7.7±0.88) in the camping area, recreation centre – 33 species (5.5±0.62 pairs/km). All dominants of communities are hemisinanthropes: Fringilla сoelebs, Turdus merula, Phylloscopus collybita, Passer montanus. On the gradient of recreational transformation, the synanthropization index of bird communities and the relative abundance of synanthropes increase. The main factor in the formation of α- and β-diversity of bird communities is the regulation of human activity. The living conditions associated with the culture of human behaviour and the protection of the territory at the recreation centre increase the diversity of nesting stations of birds (nests in buildings and in nest boxes), ensuring protection of birds from ruining nests. There is a redistribution of nesting species in favour of protected forest areas, an increase in the α-diversity of their communities, which results in the similarity of the bird communities of the reserve with the community of the recreation centre, but not with the community of forestry sites

Zmiany ornitokompleksu boru sosnowo-dębowego zawiązane z udziałem wprowadzanej populacji <i>Quercus rubra</i> L.

To date, the issues of the Quercus rubra L. ecological niche formation, adaptation of its introduced populations, competition with populations of native trees in the secondary range forests remain open. Purpose: to conduct an inventory of the pine-oak forests ornithocomplex with the participation of the population of Q. rubra on the territory of the Boyarka Forestry Research Station (Ukraine), to give a comparative analysis of the pine-oak forests ornithocomplexes with Q. rubra and Q. robur as a result of the participation of the introduced species in the conditions transformation of birds habitats. It was revealed that because of the replacement of native Q. robur with adventive Q. rubra in pine-oak plantations, a significant decrease in the species composition (from 24 to 15 species) occurs in ornithocomplexes during the nesting period. The value of the Sorensen index for model ornithocomplexes is 0.62. The average number of birds in both cultural phytocenoses is similar: 2.59 ± 0.50 individuals/km of the account line in subors with Q. robur and 2.51 ± 0.57 individuals/km with Q. rubra. The replacement of Q. robur with Q. rubra does not significantly affect the value of the synanthropization index (0.46 with Q. robur and 0.47 with Q. rubra); does not adversely affect ground-nesting species (L. arborea, A. trivialis, T. troglodytes, Ph. trochilus, Ph. sibilatrix), indicating the presence of nesting stations for vulnerable species. Parus major L., Phylloscopus collybita Vieillot, Ph. sibilatrix species dominate in the forest without introduced trees; with Q. rubra – species Turdus pilaris L., P. major, Anthus trivialis L. predominate. Both types of pineoak plantations provide a full-fledged food resource for birds feeding on invertebrates and mixed feeds. The absence of predator birds, especially hawks, in the forest with Q. rubra is most likely due to the depletion of the food supply due to a smaller species composition and a smaller number of prey. As a result, predators visit subors with Q. rubra less often. The data of all species diversity indices are significantly higher for ornithocomplexes of model pine-oak forests with Q. robur. Dominance indexes data do not include synchrony (Simpson index data are stable, Berger–Parker index is higher in stands with Q. rubra, and McIntosh index – with Q. robur respectively). The data for the indices of species distribution uniformity are close