2015 Issue №7

This article presents data on the taxonomy of birds in the Kaliningrad re¬gion as compared to the taxonomic reviews of birds of Belarus, the Baltic States, Poland, and other European territories. This is the final part a study into the subspecies affiliation of some nesting species of the order Passeriformes. Studying ample data collections and analysing publications made it possible to present a review of the subspecies affiliation of ten nesting bird species.

In comparison with the Blackbird and the Fieldfare having specialised urban populations in Kaliningrad, the Song thrush does not show signs of urbanisation. This article analyses the causes of this phenomenon and examines the results of urbanisation of the closely related species and fundamental differences between them

This article analyses the post-harvest agroclimatic resources based on the buckwheat productivity in Ukraine in changing climate conditions. The au¬thor performed calculations to obtain information on the agroclimatic conditions of the formation of four agroecological productivity categories for long-term annual average data (1986—2005) based on a climate change scenario for 2011—2030. The calculations made it possible to identify the areas of possible and economically feasible cultivation of buckwheat in Ukraine.

This article studies the Coot and Moorhen breeding in urban conditions. Seven years’ (1999—2003, 2006 -2007) field studies resulted in the compilation of an atlas of the Kaliningrad region’s nesting birds. The city territory was divided into 206 plots of an area of 1 km2. The urbanisation rate was estimated on a scale of 1 to 5. Kaliningrad is home to 208 breeding pairs of coots and 56 of moorhens. The Coot is more widespread (present in 25.2 % of the plots) than the Moorhen (13.6 %). The population density of the Coot reaches 10—15 pairs per km2 in the most suitable habitats with an average density of only 4.0 pairs per km2. The population density of the Moorhen reaches 5 pairs per km2 in optimal habitats with an average density of 2.0 pairs per km2. A negative correlation between the number of birds and the urbanisation rate of the city territory is observed in the Moorhen (r s = — 0.44; P <0.05). The breeding area of the Moorhen has increased over the last decades. The Coot breeding area has not changed significantly, whereas the population density has increased.

This article studies the species composition and history of introduction of Siberian Introduction Centre’s woody plants in the Kaliningrad region. The authors analyse the seasonal rhythm of plant developed in 2002-2014. The resilience and acclimatisation of the woody species of the Siberian Introduction Centre in the Kaliningrad region are assessed.

This article analyses long-term meteorological and climatic data for Bela¬ru¬sian Polesia, namely, the Gantsevichi district of the Brest region. The authors have established significant thermal regime changes towards warming, which makes it possible to forecast the long-term possibility of cultivating more heat-loving varieties of the Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) in Belarussian Polesia.