Russian Journal of Biological Invasions

2011, issue № 3

CONTENTS

Starry goby Benthophilus stellatus (Sauvage, 1874) in the Cheboksary reservoir - Kasyanov A.N., Klevakin A.A. - Some meristic characters of the starry goby from the Cheboksary reservoir are reported for the first time. All the specimens eхamined were found to be mature females at the age of 1+. In autumn the starry goby consumes only mollusks (percentage of occurrence): Lithoglyphus naticoides (85%), Dreissena sp. (6%), Valvata sp. (6%) and Bithynia sp. (3%).

Role of invasions in formation of house mice population in Ishim town and their taxonomic evaluation - Maltsev A.N. - The evaluation of phenotype traits of the house mice populations in the town of Ishim was carried out. In populations under study the morphological traits inherent both to Mus musculus, and Mus domesticus were found. Reproduction parameters of different populations in laboratory breeding and results of laboratory crosses between different populations of M. musculus evidence the low reproductive success and fertility in males of Ishim population of M. musculus. Based on the data received the house mice populations in Ishim are assumed to arise by random invasions of the commensal taxa of the house mice M. musculus and M. domesticus with the help of humans.

Alien species of the flora in the Sura river basin - Silaeva T.B. - The data on species composition of alien flora, the groups of adventive species according the time, way of transfer and naturalization degree are given. The rare and newly revealed species are marked. An evaluation of flora adventization degree of protected natural territories and urbanofloras is made. The basin plants included into the list of quarantine species and the Black book of the flora of Middle Russia are marked out.

Co-existence of non-native and the Black Sea phytoplankton species. Invasion hypotheses discussion - Silkin V.A., Abakumov A.I., Pautova L.A., Mikaelyan A.S., Chasovnikov V.K., Lukashova T.A. - In spring 2005 a new Mediterranean diatom species, Chaetoceros trondsenii, was marked in phytoplankton of the northeastern Black Sea. The parameters of created phytoplankton species dynamics model were determined in experiments with nitrogen and phosphorus supply. The computing experiments with the model have given the following results: for Chaetoceros trondsenii establishment in ecosystem an elevated stability of water column (water rate exchange in the upper mixed layer should be lower than 0.1 day^-1), relatively high initial number of this species and low values of nitrogen and phosphorus concentration on the boundary of seasonal thermocline are necessary. The hypothesis of the species introduction into the Black Sea by the raised intrusion of Mediterranean water in winter is more preferable than the hypothesis of the species releases with the ballast water.

Alien flora of protected territories (by the example Voronezh Biosphere Reserve) - Starodubtseva E.A. - The problems of alien plant species invasions into protected nature territories are discussed by the example of the Voronezh Biosphere Reserve. The measures on nature flora and vegetation protection from biological pollution are pointed out for the Russian system of protected territories.

Variability of morphometrical characteristics of Galega orientalis Lam. in some populations of natural and secondary ranges - Tkacheva E.V., Vinogradova Yu.K., Pavlova I.V. - It is shown that in the invasion process G. orientalis phenotype has changed and differs from the natural one. Invasion phenotype is more "mighty": total biomass of the top plant organs, the length of inflorescences, the number of flowers, and also seed productivity are increasing. A tendency to augmentation of some morphometrical features under increase in duration of naturalization process is marked. The data obtained point out an increase of competitive ability of G. orientalis in the secondary range and support the EICA hypothesis (Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability).

Microevolution and invasiveness of Oenothera L. species (subsect. Oenothera, Onagraceae) in Europe - Tokhtar V.K., Vinogradova Yu.К., Groshenko A.S. - The comparative analysis of Oenothera's hybrid species has been carried out. The genus Oenothera L. (subsect. Oenothera, Onagraceae) is one of the most widespread American genera in Europe. These species possess a special breeding system (permanent translocation heterozygosity) which promotes the hybridization (also introgressive one) among any species resulting to formation of a hybrid with a constant complex of morphological characteristics.

The analysis of hybrid species distribution in Europe using literary and own original data proved to the existence of groups with different degree of invasiveness. Positive correlation between degree of invasiveness of the parental species and invasiveness of hybrid ones is shown. As a rule, the aggressive hybrids have been originated from the aggressive parents. The most aggressive hybrids were formed after a crossing of North American with European species; such hybridization leads to the heterosis effect among normally isolated genes. The invasiveness of morphological similar hybrids correlates both with their genetic features and abundance of the parental species. New evolution branch of ring-forming species of Evening primroses differs by high invasiveness in comparison with bivalent species. The invasiveness of the model species depends on plant cytotypes.

Invasive potential of alien plants in the Middle Ural - Tretyakova A.S. - Adventive fraction in the flora of the Middle Ural is presented by 328 species of vascular plants from 198 genera and 51 families. Most adventive plants are not aggressive and compose the group of epecophytes (41%), and all of them have penetrated to the Middle Ural accidentally (xenophytes). Ephemerophytes take the second place in number (27%). More than a half of them are ergasiophytes (60%). Maximal variety of ephemerophytes is noticed in the urban flora (26%) and along railways (23%). Similar in volume group is composed by colonophytes (26%), and most of these species are introduction plants.

The agriophytes behave most aggressively (18 species or 6%). Among them, 78% belong to xenophytes and 22% are ergasiophytes. 13 species of agriophytes are invasive plants: Heracleum sosnowskyi, Artemisia absinthium, Conyza canadensis, Impatiens grandulifera, Bunias orientalis, Chenopodium album, Convolvulus arvensis, Echinocystis lobata, Hippophae rhamnoides, Elodea canadensis, Epilobium adenocaulon, Epilobium pseudorubescens, Amelanchier spicata. So, at the Middle Ural invasive plants are a minor component of the adventive flora – 4%.

An invader species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) in the waterbodies of Kaliningrad region - Philippenko D.P. - An influence of the invader species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) on malacofauna of four waterbodies is considered. It is shown that the species composition of gasteropods includes 29 species. It is determined that P. antipodarum is a dominant species with a high occurrence rate in all waterbodies (up to 88%). In the litoral zone of lakes the mollusk inhabits mainly sandy, pebble, sandy-pebble, stony grounds, at the lesser degree – sandy-vegetal ones, allochthonous material, filamentous algae. In the fluvial waterbodies the mollusks form settlements predominantly on macrophytes. Due to the influence of the invader species the lowering of the species diversity of mollusks in waterbodies takes place that can be viewed as a biological pollution of the waterbodies.

Diversity of alien mammalian species in different regions of Russia - Khlyap L.A., Warshavskiy A.A., Bobrov V.V. - The map on diversity of alien mammalian species for the Russian territory has been created. It shows that the fauna of mammals of the majority of Russian regions in the second half of the XXth century has been changed because of deliberate or casual delivery of various species of mammals by people, and also as a result of independent expansion of their geographical ranges. In regional aspect, the maximum quantity of alien mammal species is noted in the south of the European territory of Russia (27 species); Kamchatka takes the second place (10 species).

On possibilities of determination of invasion threat delay degree of alien plant species - Khoroon L.V. - The data analysis results allowing revelation the degree of invasion threat delay of alien plant species by their presence in drift floras of world regions and historical dynamics of naturalization degree of these species are given.

Impact of Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis on zoobenthos structure in the upper reaches of the Kuybyshev Water Reservoir, Russia - Yakovleva A.V., Yakovlev V.A. - Two dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena bugensis) are the most mass benthic species in the Kuybyshev Water Reservoir. Based on results of research (1998–2008) of zoobenthos of the upper reaches of the reservoir, the comparative analysis of the structure and quantity indices of benthic communities depending on their contribution to the total biomass is given. It is shown that the total number of invertebrate taxa decreases following the increase of dreissenid mussel biomass, especially in consortiums of D. bugensis. However, the maximal value of the species average number per one grab sample, and Schannon's diversity index were revealed in communities where the both species of dreissenids were present. The species preferring or avoiding these consortiums are specified. Compared to D. bugensis consortiums of D. polymorpha are more favorable for other invertebrates.