Russian Journal of Biological Invasions

2012, issue № 2

CONTENTS

Relative competitive capacity of adventive plants in herbaceous phytocenosis of the Western Caucasus - Akatov V.V., Akatova T.V., Eskina T.G., Zagurnaja J.S. - Relative competitive capacity of adventive vascular plants in herbaceous phytocenosis of the Western Caucasus is analyzed. The simple mathematical model is used for this purpose: S_a = N_a(S/N), where N is the number of species of vascular plants per site of 15 м²; S is the mean number of species of vascular plants per plot of 0.5 м² within the sites; N_a is the number of species of adventive plants per site of 15 м²; S_a is the mean number of adventive species per plot of 0.5 м². This model is based on the assumptions that (a) all species constituting the species pool have the same capacity for dispersal and survival in colonized areas and (b) both immigration and extinction of the species are stochastic. If adventive species in community are characterized at average by higher or, on the contrary, by lower competitive capacity, in contrast to aboriginal species, so it should expect the higher or lower actual number of adventive species per plot of 0.5 м² in contrast with accounted ones from the model. The objects of the study are open communities (groups) on shoals along low and mid mountain rivers; communities of mid mountain forest glades and low mountain steppificated meadows; communities of annual crop fields (wheat, corn, sunflower and soybean) and fallow lands; herb layer of low mountain forest communities. The results show different relative competitive capacity of adventive plants in different herbaceous communities of the Western Caucasus.

Biological peculiarities of two copepod species (Crustacea, Copepoda, Calanoida) as possible causes of changes of their ranges - Vezhnovets V.V., Zaidykov I.Yu., Naumova E.Yu., Sysova E.A. - A comparative analysis of the habitat characteristics, the gut content and the elemental composition of the cutting edge of the mandibles has been provided for two species of crustaceans (Copepoda, Calanoida), Eurytemora velox (Lilljeborg, 1853) and Eurytemora lacustris (Poppe, 1887). These representatives of the brackish and marine fauna inhabit the Belarusian freshwaters. The paper represents the generalized data on recent state and changes of species' ranges. The differences in the silicification of mandibles of species may reflect the different nutrition strategies and habitat selection.

About flowering biology of alien species. 1. Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. - Vinogradova Yu.K., Тkaсheva E.V., Mayorov S.R. - Morphological characters of floral element of Lupinus polyphyllus at different stages of development are retraced. It is revealed that a blossom dust is emited twice. The garden form practically doesn't differ from invasive populations, except, unless, hardly larger size. The size and the form of pollen grains correlate with the color of florets. The pollen fertility of pink florets is depended of its position in an inflorescence – the main or lateral parts. L. polyphyllus has the competitive superiority over closely related L. angustifolius in more number of florets in an inflorescence and specificity of androecium which allows each flower emits a blossom dust twice.

On the state of inventory of the bryozoan fauna of Peter the Great Gulf of the Sea of Japan in light of detection of the cheilostome bryozoans Callopora sarae and Microporella trigonellata - Grisсhenko A.V., Zvyagintsev A.Yu. - In a course of taxonomic study of the fouling community collected from the petrol wharf in Amurskiy Bay (Peter the Geat Gulf, the Sea of Japan) two cheilostome bryozoan species (Callopora sarae Grischenko, Dick et Mawatari, 2007, and Microporella trigonellata Suwa et Mawatari, 1998) were encountered. These species were never reported from either the Sea of Japan or the Far Eastern seas before. We analyzed the extent and reliability of the previous inventory of the bryozoan fauna in the Peter the Great Gulf to clarify the status of these species as introduced elements and to exclude the possibility of their incorrect determination. We demonstrate that the degree of inventory of the bryozoan fauna in the Peter the Great Gulf to date is insufficient to exclude the autochthonic distribution of C. sarae and M. trigonellata in this region, and thus is insufficient to unequivocally interpret their status.

Composition and species richness of fallow plant communities with predominance of adventive species (the Belaya River basin, Western Caucasus) - Eskina T.G., Akatov V.V., Akatova T.V. - The influence of adventive dominants (Erigeron annuus, Solidago canadensis, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Asclepias syriaca etc.) on composition and species richness of fallow plant communities (the Belaya River basin, the Western Caucasus) are analyzed. The results show that 1) adventive dominants influence poorly on composition of fallow communities; 2) communities with more abundant adventive dominants are characterized by the lower community species richness on the plots of 0.5 м² and 16 м² as a whole, and lesser number of native species and the higher number of adventive ones; 3) communities with the more abundant adventive dominants are characterized by the lower average frequency of native and adventive species on the plots of 0.5 м². However, relations between all these characteristics are poor.

Mycological study of ballast waters and sediments of commercial ships in Vladivostok port - Zvereva L.V., Zvyagintsev A.Yu., Ivin V.V. - The mycological study of ballast waters and sediments of commercial ships, which ply in the Russian- Japanese and Russian-Chinese lines, is carried out in the port of Vladivostok for the first time. Fourty three taxa of mycelial fungi of 11 genus of anamorphic fungi and zygomycetes are discovered in the ballast waters and in the sediments, among which the species from the genera Aspergillus (14) and Penicillium (9) prevail. The mycelial fungi Aspergillus japonicus and A. sclerotiorum from the ballast waters were not encountered in the marine localities (sea water, benthic sedimentations) in the coastal areas of Peter the Great Bay (the Sea of Japan). The taxonomic composition of mycelial fungi and the ecological-biological characteristic of the discovered species in the ballast waters and the sediments testify to the significant anthropogenic impact on the coastal ecosystems in the region of the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea and Yangtze River. These data determine the nature of ecological risk with bioinvasions of fungi into the Far-Eastern seas of Russia.

Invasive amphipods as a factor of Ladoga Lake ecosystem transformation - Kurashov E.A., Barbashova M.A., Barkov D.V., Rusanov A.G., Lavrova M.S. - The role of invasive amphipods (Baikalian Gmelinoides fasciatus (Stebbing, 1899) and Ponto-Caspian Pontogammarus robustoides G.O. Sars, 1894 and Chelicorophium curvispinum (G.O. Sars, 1895)) in transformation of Lake Ladoga ecosystem is estimated. It is shown, that G. fasciatus plays the main role at the present time. Invasion of G. fasciatus into Lake Ladoga has led to an increase of productivity of littoral benthic communities and more effective utilization of the energy inflowing into the littoral zone. Naturalization of P. robustoides and C. curvispinum in the lake is confirmed. The zone of their dwelling can extend, and the role in the littoral habitats may increase. The analysis of an ecological state of lake with new indexes of the concept of assessing the risks of aquatic species invasions has shown a high degree of transformation of Lake Ladoga ecosystem.

Communities of neophytes in Bryansk Region - Panasenko N.N., Ivenkova I.M., Eliseenko E.P. - On the basis of the deductive approach 5 derivative communities formed by adventive species Solidago gigantea, Asclepias syriaca, Aster × salignus, Sorbaria sorbifolia, and Spiraea alba are established. The ecological and floristic characteristics of communities are given.

Invasion of the north american clam of Rangia cuneata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1831) (Bivalvia: Mactridae) in the Vistula Lagoon of the Baltic Sea - Rudinskaya L.V., Gusev A.A. - North American brackish water bivalve of Rangia cuneata (G.B. Sowerby I, 1831) was first recorded in the Vistula Lagoon of the Baltic Sea in September 2010. Based on the features of its biology, we can assume that the invasion in the Vistula Lagoon was at least 2-3 years earlier, in 2007-2008. In 2010-2011 R. cuneata colonized and occupied sufficiently large area of the lagoon. The maximum abundance (up to 4040 ind/m²) was observed in adjacent areas to the Kaliningrad sea channel. The most likely invasion way of R. cuneata in the Vistula Lagoon is connected with the ballast water of ships, including dredging ships, which came from areas where the clams are already naturalized. The naturalization of R. cuneata creates a threat of new serious transformations in the ecosystem of the Vistula Lagoon, which requires increased monitoring of its benthic ecosystems.

The role of invasions in evolution of commensal taxa of Mus musculus sensu lato species group - Kotenkova E.V., Maltzev A.N. - One of most important evolutionary consequences of commensalisms and invasions in house mice is formation of hybrid zones of different kinds: a narrow 16-50 km wide zone of introgressive hybridization between M. musculus and M. domesticus in Central Europe, a well-studied “tension zone” of secondary contact; large complex hybrid zone in Trans-Caucasus – presumably hybrid events can occur here at different times and were “superposed” on gene pool of ancient autochtonous population; large zones of gene introgression in Asia between M. castaneus, M. domesticus and various subspecies of M. musculus; hybridization of different commensal taxa in large cities. Formation of these hybrid zones were consequence of invasions of commensal taxa of house mice and colonization of new territories by human agency. These zones are absolutely different in term of time and history of their formation and role of humans. It is possible to predict different ways of evolution in hybrid populations: (i) stabilization of hybrid genome, (ii) formation of premating reproductive isolation arise between parental taxa and hybrid population because of reinforcement and (iii) “dediffirentitiation” of closely related taxa. The analysis of different kinds of hybridization supports the hypothesis of “dediffirentitiation”.