Natural and medical sciences

2010 Issue №7

The eco-geochemical assessment of the zone of dumped waste from the Tuvacobalt industrial complex in the Republic of Tuva

Abstract

The dumped waste from the industrial complex still threatens the biosphere. The solution to the problem lies in integrated research and the resumption of plant operation accompanied by complete waste utilization and extraction of all commercial components.

Download the article

The ethological ideas of Konrad Lorentz and research on mammal ecology by means of footprint tracking

Abstract

The specific features of mammals' behaviour in response to external information is determined by innate mechanisms and experience acquired through ontogenesis. The author genetically defines the unstable boundaries of behavioural responses and offers a methodology of research on quantitative animal-habitat interaction. The article emphasises the variability of behavioural
parameters in the course of the adaptation of the carnivorous to anthropogenic conditions.

Download the article

The impact of environmental factors on the distribution of Macoma balthica (Linnaeus 1758) and Mytilus edulis (Linnaeus 1758) in the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

This article offers the results of research on the influence of environmental factors on the distribution of two abundant bivalve species – Macoma balthica and Mytilus eduli – in the south-east of the Baltic Sea. First of all, the distribution of species was determined by the types of soils. The distribution of molluscs in deep-water sectors was limited by oxygen deficiency in near-bottom waters.

Download the article

The geoecological factors of biodiversity in marine invertebrates

Abstract

This article addresses the physical, biogeochemical and physiological factors in the framework of marine invertebrate biodiversity problem. The comparison of the biodiversity indicators of fossils and modern organisms is considered as the crucial method of the reconstruction of alterations in populations and ecosystems.

Download the article

The response of free living hydrobionts to biologically active substances of natural and anthropogenic origin

Abstract

This article considers the response of hydrobionts to exogenous biologically active substances of natural (BASn) and anthropogenic (BASa) origin, the peculiarities of BASn functional spectrum in eukaryotes of different taxons, and the damaging impact of BASa both at an organism and an ecosystem level.

Download the article

The estimation of petrochemical wastewater toxicity

Abstract

This article considers the applicability of biotesting methods to the analysis of wastewater toxicity through the example of Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant. The offered biotesting method helps estimate total wastewater toxicity. The estimation of phytotoxicity was based on the following parameters of the watercress (Lepidum sativum (L.)): sprout growth, biomass accumulation, and seed sprouting.

Download the article

The population structure and the growth of the bivalve mollusc Ruditapes philippinarum in Amur bay (the Sea of Japan)

Abstract

The maximum individual age of the Japanese littleneck clam is 7 years. The maximum shell length is 5.2 mm. The sex ratio is almost 1 to 1. There are registered cases of hermaphroditism and parasitic castration. The rate of linear growth has increased to three years. The molluscs reach the harvestable size in three years.

Download the article

The species composition and environmental characteristics of chironomidae (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Kaliningrad water bodies .

Abstract

This article offers data on chironomid fauna in two lakes in the city of Kaliningrad: Lake Penkovoye and Lake Isakovskoye.
The authors analyse the species composition as well as ecological characteristics of populations and estimate the condition of
water ecosystems of the waterbodies under consideration on the basis of the data on quantitative characteristics and species
diversity of chironomidae.

Download the article

The assessment of the antioxidative status of plants of different ecological groups growing on the Curonian spit

Abstract

This article analyses the endogenous level of antioxidants in the plants growing on the Curonian spit. The authors distinguished two groups of plants with the highest content of anthocyans and the water-soluble antioxidants in plant tissues and determined a positive correlation dependency between the anthocyan content and the level of carotenoids and a negative correlation dependency between the anthocyans and АОА content in the leaves of plants under consideration regardless of environmental conditions.

Download the article