Juniperus communis L. at the southern limit of its distribution in Eastern Polesie

The authors investigated the occurrence of Juniperus communis in different vegetation syntaxa at the southern limit of its distribution in Eastern Polesie: pine forest communities representing the associations Peucedano-Pinetum W. Mat. (1962) 1973, Cladonio-Pinetum Juraszek 1927, Veronico incanae-Pinetum Bulokhov et Solomeshch and oak-pine forests – the Querco-Pinetum association (W. Matuszkiewicz 1981) J. Matuszkiewicz 1988.New localities of J. communis were found for the first time in Eastern Polesie. The largest populations of the species (in terms of area covered and the number of individuals) in Eastern Polesie occur in the territory of Ukraine (Pridesnyansky physical-geographic region) and Russia (Nerusso-Desnyansky and Snovsky physical-geographic regions). In Eastern Polesie, the population of the spe- cies occupies the largest area (22 ha) in the Klimovo forest district (Bryansk region, Russia), and is characterised by the dynamic equilibrium between the death and replacement of individuals.The southern limit (in Eastern Polesie) of the distribution of communities with J. communis codominance was established in the course of the study. It passes through the villages Brahlov–Razlyoty–Ochkino–Navlya. J. communis occurs sporadically south of the distribution limit and shows signs of climate impact: seedlings and juvenile plants are absent, while reproductive individuals are characterised by very low seed productio

Dynamics of riverbank ephemeral plant communities in the Stryzhen’ river estuary (Chernihiv, Ukraine)

The authors investigated the dynamics of ephemeral plant communities in the Stryzhen’ river estuary (N51°29’17’’, E31°18’57’’; Chernihiv, Ukraine; Eastern Polesia) after exposure to stress factors. The study of plant communities was carried out with generally accepted geobotanical methods. Samples of soil and water were analysed (in laboratory) using colorimetric methods and stripping voltammetry. The research shows that edaphic and hydrological conditions in the riverside alluvial sediment near the Stryzhen’ river estuary have changed under the influence of meteorological factors (mainly rainfalls). These changes have induced vegetation succession. In the monitored area, we observed a decrease in the concentration of nitrate, an increase in ammonia nitrogen content, the accumulation of sulphates, phosphates and salts of Zn2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, which came from rainfall and melt water. The accumulation of heavy metal salts did not reduce the formation of plant communities. The prognosis of further vegetation changes in the monitored alluvial area has been made. An increase in the area of communities on rich, low salified soils (order Agrostietalia stoloniferae Oberdorfer in Oberdorfer et al. 1967) is anticipated. Locations of Crypsis schoenoides (L.) Lam. and Dichostylis micheliana (L.) Nees. were identified for the first time in the Chernihiv region. Diaspora of these plants arrived in the Stryzhen’ river estuary through hydrochory along the northwest migratory route and the upper river that originates near the border of Ukraine and Belarus

Prediction on the content of radionuclides and heavy metals of the Solidago canadensis L. use as a honey resource in Polesie

In the context of the problem of the rational use of the meadow ecosystems of Polesie, which have been exposed to radioactive effect and have not been used economically for a long time, the indicators of radionuclides and heavy metals in soil and plants predict the possibility of using Solidago canadensis L. as a honey resource in summer and autumn periods. The article presents new research results in the direction of studying the species specificity of plants for the accumulation of radionuclides and heavy metals, which are aimed at solving the problem of obtaining the environmentally friendly bee-keeping products from non-traditional honey resources. The habitats of Solidago canadensis were studied in the floodplain of the Dnieper river, its tributaries of various orders and loess “islands” in Polesie – the transformed meadow ecosystems, phytocenoses of which belong to the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea R.Tx. 1937 class, and the ruderal Artemisietea vulgaris Lohmeyer et al. in Tx. ex von Rochow 1951 communities. The content of the radionuclides (137Cs та 90Sr) and heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu) in the soil and inflorescences of Solidago canadensis of 18 sites were analyzed. 11 sites of them, that were not contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster, were analyzed for honey samples. The linear regression equations for honey-plant and honey-soil systems, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), significance level (p) and the determination coefficient (r2) for predicting (by indicators of radionuclides and heavy metals in soil and plant) the possibility of honey gathering have been determined. According to the predicted indicators of the heavy metal content and specific activity of radionuclides, it was found that only the meadow ecosystems in the floodplain of the Iput river (the Zalissia village, Dobruskyi district, Gomel region, Belarus) out of 7 studied sites, which were exposed to radioactive contamination in 1986, are suitable for gathering goldenrod honey. In the case of honey gathering on the infested with the Canadian goldenrod meadows in the floodplains of the Dnieper, Sozh and Pakulka rivers, the maximum permissible concentration of cadmium or radionuclides in the products may exceed. It is emphasized that to assess the possibility of obtaining the environmentally friendly goldenrod honey, it is advisable to predict the content of radionuclides and heavy metals in both plants and soil. To do this, it is also necessary to take into account the calculated values ​​of the highest content of heavy metals and the specific activity of radionuclides in soil and plants, at which the metal content in honey will be at the level of the maximum permissible concentration (MPC)

Impact of climate change on productivity of ecosystems of the Polissya zone of the Ukraine

Results of the analysis proved that the net primary productivity has a strong connection with the solar insolation. The length of daylight and the level of solar radiation are the driving forces behind changes in growth of primary products, as floral forms are among the first indicators of changes in ecosystems due to global warming. The group of climatic components that have a moderate connection with the bioproductivity of ecosystems of the Polissya are derivatives of bioclimatic indicators related to air temperature, including annual temperature, seasonality, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and the average temperature of the coldest quarter. Seasonality and the annual variation of temperature affect bioproductive processes inversely: the productivity decreases with the increased temperature range between the warmest and the coldest periods of the year and in the middle of quarters

Pedagogical Conditions for the Formation of the Future Geography Teachers’ Toponymic Competence in Conditions of a Context Education

У статті проаналізовано педагогічні умови формування топонімічних компетентностей у майбутніх учителів географії. Наголошено, що головною метою майбутнього вчителя географії в професійній діяльності є необхідність правильно використовувати топоніми в своїй майбутній професії, що є результатом компетентнісно-культурологічного підходу в географічній освіті. Установлено, що технологія формування топонімічної компетентності має циклічний алгоритм формування. Автором спроєктована технологічна модель формування топонімічної компетентності майбутніх учителів географії, яка заснована на інтеграції компетентнісного та культурологічного підходів в умовах контекстної освіти.The pedagogical conditions for the formation of the future geography teachers’ toponymic competence are analyzed in the article. It is emphasized that the main goal of the future teacher of geography in professional activities is the need to properly use place names in their future profession, which is the result of competence and cultural approach in geographical education. The concept of “pedagogical conditions” includes elements of all components of the educational process, including goals, content, methods, forms and means of teaching. The special educational technology is needed to achieve a positive result: the future geography teacher knows the geographical names language at a professional level and is able to teach others this language. The methodological system aimed at forming a geographical picture of the world should be the basis of training in the competence and cultural approach, because the volume of geographical nomenclature in geographical education increases rather than decreases, and the time to study it is significantly reduced. It is noted that toponymic competence is formed in future teachers of geography not only in the study of special disciplines and in the process of pedagogical practice, but also in the process of extracurricular activities and professionally oriented form of the future specialist education. A model for the formation of the future geography teachers topographic competence was proposed. The model is based on the integration of competence and cultural approach in the context of contextual education. The problem of formation of toponymic competences in future teachers of geography can be solved only on the basis of the concept of their special professional training. It was found that the technology of toponymic competence formation has a cyclic algorithm. This technology is structurally implemented in the following basic courses: “General Geology”, “Physical Geography of Continents and Oceans”, “Physical Geography of Ukraine”, “Economic and Social Geography of Ukraine”, “Local History”, “Recreational Geography”, “Geography of Chernihiv Region”. All the necessary pedagogical conditions for the formation of components of toponymic competence must be implemented in the process of studying these disciplines. All activities with a significant predominance of geographical components must be implemented

Effects of melatonin on low dose lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress in the mouse liver, muscle and kidney

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in an in vivo experimental mice model causes oxidative damage in the liver, muscle, and kidney. We aimed to determine specific mechanisms underlying melatonin’s antioxidant protective role. Assays were carried out in quadruplicate in the control, melatonin (10 mg/kg, 10 days), acute LPS administration (once 150 μg), and LPS + melatonin groups. LPS stimulated lipid peroxidation processes (dienes and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant enzyme concentrations (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) were assessed in all investigated tissues. Protein oxidation processes (measured as aldehyde and kenotic carbonyl protein derivatives) were enhanced by LPS in the kidney and liver but not in muscle. Melatonin reversed LPS-induced changes, with the exception of muscle protein oxidation. LPS-induced oxidative stress resulted in augmented early-stage diene conjugated and end-stage malondialdehyde lipid peroxidation processes and affected antioxidant activity in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues. LPS activated protein oxidation processes in the kidney and liver. Melatonin ameliorated oxidative damage in the liver, kidney, and partially in the muscle. Melatonin modulates oxidative stress-induced states. Potential synergism between melatonin and systemic inflammation in terms of oxidative modification of muscle proteins needs to be clarified in further studies.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author