BULLETIN OF MOSCOW SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS
Biological series
Volume 106, Part 4
2001
CONTENTS
Fedosenko A.K., Weinberg P.J. The on status of the Pamir argali populations in Tadjikistan and Kirghizstan 3
Tomkovich P.S. Breeding biology of the Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris 13
Orlov A.M. Features of spatial and vertical distribution of representatives of the Oregonian ichthyofauna off the Asian coasts 23
Nikitsky N.B., Semenov V.B. To the knowledge of the beetles (Coleoptera) of the Moscow region 38
Koroleva N.E. Syntaxonomical survey of mountain tundra vegetation of Khibin Mountain 50
Baikova E. V. Structure of trichomes in the genus Salvia (Lamiaceae) 58
Maslov A.A. Dynamics of tree stand and understorey in oligotrophic forested bog near Zvenigorod (Moscow region): a conceptual model of processes on decades time scale . 71
Scientific communications
Prokhorov V.P., Armenskaya N.L. Coprophilous perithecioides ascomycetes from European part of Russia 78
Golubev V.N. Winter blossom of the south coast of Crimea 83
Losses of science
To the memory of Lev Vladimirovich Polejaev 86
THE ON STATUS OF THE PAMIR ARGALI POPULATIONS IN TADJIKISTAN AND KIRGHIZSTAN
A.K. Fedosenko, P.J. Weinberg
Summary
The Pamir argali Ovis ammon polii populations were studied in the eastern Pamir and Inner Tien Shan. It was ascertained that, after a significant decrease in the 1970s, argali numbers have begun growing in the 1990s and even have doubled in certain areas, most probably due to diminishing of livestock numbers within argali distribution. Group size of argali on the whole depends on the population density and therefore is the highest in the south-eastern Pamir, but the proportion of males and lamb:female ratio is higher in the Inner Tien Shan. Competition with the livestock and severe winters are the main natural factors influencing argali populations negatively while the impact of wolves is substantial probably only if combined with particularly harsh weather conditions. Poaching and excessive trophy hunts may damage local argali populations.
BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE GREAT KNOT, CALIDRIS TENUIROSTRIS
P.S. Tomkovich
Summary
According to studies on a spur of Schuchy Range, the upper Anadyr River, inland Cukotka (64ø55' N; 168ø35' E) in 1993-1995 the Great Knot is an alpine and subalpine species. Birds feed, nest and attend young on level mountain tops, plateaux, some broad terraces preferably on lichen tundra with partly unvegetated rock fields and/or stony soil (table 1), often among scattered bushes and larch trees. Breeding density varied between 4,7-10,3 territorial males per 1 sq. km with 13-25% of males being unmated (table 2). Great Knots are among the earliest wader arrivals, and they start nesting in late May (table 3), earlier than any other wader species in the area. Breeding events are rather prolonged: laying of four eggs takes 5 days, incubation - 22,56 days (SD = 0,59; n = 4), development of chicks to Hedging - 20,35 days (SD = 2,07; n = 22), Hatching period covers 17-19 days in late June and early July with median dates felling on late June (figure 1). Replacement clutches are unusual. Numbers of rodents were increasing in 1993-1995, being responsible for rather good nesting success (53,1 + 1,8% SE) and.rising in average 1,4, 0,9-1,0, and 1,4-1,6 fledgelings per a breeding pair, respectively in the years. Such productivity was estimated being with a surplus for positive balance in the population.
FEATURES OF SPATIAL AND VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE OREGONIAN ICHTHYOFAUNA OFF THE ASIAN COASTS
A.M. Orlov
Summary
Zoogeographic status of sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, rougheye rockfish Sebastes aleutianus, northern rockfish Sebastes polyspmis, shortspine thomyhead Sebastolobus alascanus, bigmouth sculpin Uica boUni, blacktail snailfish Careproctus melanurus, Pacific halibut Hippoglossus sfenolepis, arrow-toothed flounder Atheresthes stomlas, deep-sea sole Embassichthys bathybius, and rex sole Glyptocephalus zachirus is discussed. New data on spatial and bathymetric distribution of these species being typical representatives of Oregonian ichthyofauna caught in waters off the northern Kuril Islands, southeastern Kamchatka, and in the western Bering Sea are provided.
TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BEETLES (COLEOPTERA) OF THE MOSCOW REGION
N.B. Nikitsky, V.B. Semenov
Summary
This article is the second addition to the checklist of xylophile and mycetophile (mostly inhabiting tree fungi) beetles of the Moscow region. Though in several cases beetles from some other ecological groups are included, remarkable either for their geographical distribution or their trophic relations. 39 species are for the first time recorded from the Moscow region. "These are marked with a sing*. In the family Staphylinidae - Aleochara signata (J. Sahlberg, 1876) sp. propr. has been proved to be a separate species, not a synonym of A. laevigata Gyllenhal, 1810. A. tertiaria V. Semenov, 1998, syn. nov. = A. signata (J. Sahlberg, 1876). In the family Trogossitidae - Thymalus subtilis Reitter, 1889, of the basis of studying of lectotype of the male, is synonymysed by N. Nikitsky with Th. aubei Leveille, 1877, on the basis of studying the specimens of last species from type locality. Synonymous species-names of Aderidae from the genera Pseudeuglenus Pic, 1897, and Anidorus Mulsant et Rey, 1866, established earlier (Nikitsky et al., 1996) are in the present work for the first time included into an English summary. Two syntypes of Euglenes rossicus A. Semenov, 1899 (both female) have been studied and lectotype is designated by N. Nikitsky in the earlier work (Nikitsky et al., 1996). N. Nikitsky has established E. rossicus A. Semenov, 1899 to be a junior synonym of Pseudeuglenus pentatomus (Thomson, 1864). In the same earlier work N. Nikitsky, examining the holotype of Euglenes nadeshdae A. Semenov, 1899, (male) has showed the name to be a junior synonym of Anidorus nigrinus (Germar, 1831). Also in that work (Nikitsky et al., 1996) the type specimen of the species described from the Far East of Russia as Trixagus major Barowskij, 1933 from the family Throscidae, was studied, and the species was transferred by N. Nikitsky to the genus Aulonothroscus Horn, 1890, as A. major (Barowskij, 1933); A. laticollis (Rybinski, 1897) was found likely to be the senior synonym of A. major (Barowskij, 1933), yet the problem of this synonymy was not finally solved, beause it was impossible to study the type of the former species. Also in the earlier work (Nikitsky et al., 1996) all the new synonyms and combinations of Melandryidae established by N. Nikitsky and D. Pollock.
SYNTAXONOMICAL SURVEY OF MOUNTAIN TUNDRA VEGETATION OF KHIBIN MOUNTAINS
N.E. Koroleva
Summary
Mountain tundra plant communities were studied using Braun-Blanquet approach. And 16 associations were distinguished. DCA-ordination of tundra releves showed that variation of tundra plant cover is explained by topography, that determines snow distribution, and moisture of substrata.
DYNAMICS OF TREE STAND AND UNDERSTOREY IN OLIGOTROPHIC FORESTED BOG NEAR ZVENIGOROD (MOSCOW REGION): A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF PROCESSES ON DECADES TIME SCALE
A.A. Masloy
Summary
Tree stand dynamics and changes in understory were studied during 20 years (1979-1999) in oligotrophic pine bog, near Zvenigorod, Moscow region. Mass decline of Scots pine was caused by 11-years outbreak of pine shoot beetle (Tomkus piniperdd). The number of trees during the outbreak decrease from 1500 to 490 per ha. According to calculations during the beetle outbreak the upper bog soil horizon received ca. 130 kg per ha of N with litter of dead pines. That is 50-80 time more than annual usual amount of N coming with dust and precipitation in background regions (1,6-2,6 kg ha~1 year"1). In result of impactful N and ash elements income (following with decreasing root competition for nutrients) intensive establishment and fast grow of Betula pubescens saplings took place (some Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies saplings also occur). The drastic changes were recorded in the field layer where the nutrients more demanding dwarf shrubs increased their frequency in 2-3 times. To explain middle-term (100-150 years) dynamics in oligotrophic bog pine forest the conceptual model was suggested, according to which Betula saplings will die when N pool will be exhausted.
COPROPHILOUS PERITHECIOIDES ASCOMYCETES FROM EUROPEAN PART OF RUSSIA
V.P. Prokhorov, N.L. Armenskaya
Summary
There is the first investigation on biodiversity of coprophilous perithecioid ascomycetes at Russia. The dung specimens of the cow, elk, horse, rat, hare and hare-tolai , rabbit, mouse, pika, hazel-grouse, capercailye, goose, pigeon, boar, saiga, deer, sheep, goat, roe deer, bison and elephant (from zoological gardens) were incubated in Petri dishes by wet chambers method. The dung specimens were collected from various geographical localities of european part of Russia wich are distributed from Murmansk district to the North Caucasus. Totally 52 species from 14 genera were identificated. The species of 10 genera, i.e. Amium - 2, Cercophora - 2, Hypocopra - 2, Fimitariella - 1, Podospora - 15, SeUnia - 1, Sporormia - 1, Sporormiella - 11, Strattonia - 1, Trichodelitschia - 1 and 43 new species at the first time were registrated at Russia.
WINTER BLOSSOM OF PLANTS ON THE SOUTH COAST OF CRIMEA
V.N. Golubev
Summary
The plants which have even one blossom decade in any winter month (December, January, February) belong to winter-blossom plants. All these plants were divided into actually winter blossom (obligate and optional) early winter blossom, middle-late winter blossom. Different years fluctuation of the content of these groups in the connection with changing of meteorological conditions of different winters has been determined. Facts of winter blossom of many species testily about Medeteranian character of vegetation perspectivity of winter blossom plants from countries Subtropical climate to the South Coast of the Crimea has been motivated.