The woodlouse (Isopoda: Oniscidea) fauna of steppe habitats in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan

This paper presents first materials on the fauna and distribution of the terrestrial isopods - woodlice (Oniscidea) inhabiting the central and southern parts of Kostanay Region (Kazakhstan, Northern and Southern Turgai), located in the steppe zone. Most of the specimens of woodlice were collected in the territory of the National Nature Reserve “Altyn Dala”, a new protected area (established in 2012) and in the area of the Naurzum National Nature Reserve (established in 1931, World Heritage Site of UNESCO), on the Stipa lessingiana dry steppe. The list of woodlice includes six species (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), belonging to five genera and three families in the study area. Four species are recorded for the first time in Kazakhstan - Desertoniscus subterraneus Verhoeff, 1930, Parcylisticus dentifrons (Budde-Lund 1885), Porcellio scaber Latreille, 1804, and Protracheoniscus major (Dollfus 1903). Distribution characteristics are provided for all of those species recorded in the study area. For the territory of Kazakhstan, according to a literature data, currently 16 species of terrestrial isopods have been recorded

Eurasian Kurgan Database – a citizen science tool for conserving grasslands on historical sites

Eurasian steppes have an essential role in conserving biodiversity, but due to the huge habitat loss in the past centuries they are often preserved only in small refuges. Among such refuges are the ancient steppic burial mounds (the so called ‘kurgans’) which have a high cultural and historical importance and are also essential sites of nature conservation. Despite their high number (approximately half million) and conservational importance there is a huge lack of knowledge on the locality and conservational state of the kurgans in most regions of Eurasia. To fill this knowledge gap, we built a public database which allows to record and query basic information on their cultural values and factors (such as land cover type, threatening factors, cover of woody species) that might serve as a basis for their effective conservation. The database provides a transparent, public and easy-to-use source for conservation managers and landscape planners focussed on grassland conservation. In addition, it also provides background information for other associate disciplines and public agencies dealing with the protection of cultural heritage

Eurasian Kurgan Database – a citizen science tool for conserving grasslands on historical sites

Eurasian steppes have an essential role in conserving biodiversity, but due to the huge habitat loss in the past centuries they are often preserved only in small refuges. Among such refuges are the ancient steppic burial mounds (the so called ‘kurgans’) which have a high cultural and historical importance and are also essential sites of nature conservation. Despite their high number (approximately half million) and conservational importance there is a huge lack of knowledge on the locality and conservational state of the kurgans in most regions of Eurasia. To fill this knowledge gap, we built a public database which allows to record and query basic information on their cultural values and factors (such as land cover type, threatening factors, cover of woody species) that might serve as a basis for their effective conservation. The database provides a transparent, public and easy-to-use source for conservation managers and landscape planners focussed on grassland conservation. In addition, it also provides background information for other associate disciplines and public agencies dealing with the protection of cultural heritage

Tree–herb co-existence and community assembly in natural forest-steppe transitions

Background: The effects of trees on understorey communities is a major driver of vegetation composition. However, we have little understanding on how isolated forest patches of the forest-steppe transition affect their herb layer as compared to adjacent grasslands. Aims: Our aim was to test whether trees had a protective effect on understorey herbaceous communities in the most arid regions of the forest-steppe transition, where the stress gradient hypothesis predicts positive net effects. Methods: We surveyed herbaceous cover and species composition in 135 forest-steppe sites and recorded soil moisture, microclimate and canopy cover in northern Kazakhstan. Results: Total cover and species richness were lower in the herb layer of groves than in the steppe stands and the soil of the groves was not moister than that of the steppes. Groves were dominated by grassland specialist plants, while forest specialist species remained scarce. However, these grassland species were different from the ones inhabiting the steppes, leading to little nestedness between groves and steppes. Conclusions: Although the presence of groves greatly increase the landscape level diversity of Middle-Asian forest-steppes, trees in the southern edge of the zone seem to have net negative effect on the understorey vegetation, seemingly contradicting the stress gradient hypothesis

Eurasian Kurgan Database – a citizen science tool for conserving grasslands on historical sites

Eurasian steppes have an essential role in conserving biodiversity, but due to the huge habitat loss in the past centuries they are often preserved only in small refuges. Among such refuges are the ancient steppic burial mounds (the so called ‘kurgans’) which have a high cultural and historical importance and are also essential sites of nature conservation. Despite their high number (approximately half million) and conservational importance there is a huge lack of knowledge on the locality and conservational state of the kurgans in most regions of Eurasia. To fill this knowledge gap, we built a public database which allows to record and query basic information on their cultural values and factors (such as land cover type, threatening factors, cover of woody species) that might serve as a basis for their effective conservation. The database provides a transparent, public and easy-to-use source for conservation managers and landscape planners focussed on grassland conservation. In addition, it also provides background information for other associate disciplines and public agencies dealing with the protection of cultural heritage

The effects of micro-habitats and grazing intensity on the vegetation of burial mounds in the Kazakh steppes

Background: Burial mounds (kurgans) of Eurasian steppes are man-made habitat islands that have the potential to harbour rich plant diversity due to micro-habitats associated with their topography. Aims: We assessed whether kurgan micro-habitats harboured different species pools and functional groups from those found on the surrounding steppes. In addition, we asked if these mounds were affected by different grazing intensities from those on the surrounding vegetation. Methods: We surveyed kurgan micro-habitats (northern and southern slopes, surrounding ditch) and adjacent steppe plains in non-grazed, moderately grazed and heavily grazed sites in northern Kazakhstan. We analysed differences in species composition of four habitats under three grazing regimes using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, PCA ordination and indicator species analysis. Results: Kurgan micro-habitats had diverse vegetation and supported the co-existence of plant species with different environmental needs. We identified 16 steppe specialists confined to kurgan micro-habitats. Steppe vegetation was welladapted to extensive grazing, although heavy grazing supported ruderals and a decline in steppe specialists. There was a significant interaction between grazing intensity and habitat type: heavy grazing supported ruderals and suppressed steppe specialists especially on the slopes. Conclusions: We highlighted that kurgans play an important role as maintaining high plant diversity locally in extensive steppe plains in Central-Asia by increasing environmental heterogeneity and supporting specialist species confined to these micro-habitats

The effects of micro-habitats and grazing intensity on the vegetation of burial mounds in the Kazakh steppes

L