Russian Journal of Biological Invasions

2013, issue № 3

CONTENTS

Lignyodes bischoffi Blatchley, 1916 (Curculionidae) – a new species of invasive weevils for Russia - Arzanov Yu.G. - The invasive species of American origin Lignyodes bischoffi is found in the south of European Russia. Beetles were collected in Rostov Region (Neklinovsky District, Merzhanovo) and Stavropol Province (Pyatigorsk). This species migrated from Europe, where it penetrated from America in 20th century with transfer of seeds of American Ash.

Elodea canadensis Michx. and characea from Lake Kenon (Zabaikalsky Krai) - Bazarova B.B. - The paper presents the observation results of the communities of the native species of Characeae and the alien species, Elodea canadensis Michx., in the lake Kenon. A comparative analysis of their chemical composition is carried out.

First finding of baikalian amphipod Micruropus possolskii Sowinsky, 1915 (Amphipoda, Crustacea) in Lake Ladoga - Barbashova M.A., Malavin S.A., Kurashov E.A. - The micruropodid amphipod Micruropus possolskii Sowinsky, 1915, endemic of Lake Baikal, was recorded in Lake Ladoga for the first time on August 6, 2012. The species was probably accidentally introduced in several lakes of the Karelian Isthmus during intentional introduction of another baikalian amphipod species Gmelinoides fasciatus. Later on M. possolskii could penetrate into Lake Ladoga via different waterways connecting the lakes. When this have occurred is not definitely clear. It is possible to expect that M. possolskii will be capable to spread in the littoral zone of Lake Ladoga. However, the probability that it will reach mass development is low.

Modeling of invasion and formation of pelagic communities of fouling organisms in the ocean - Iljin I.N., Petrosyan V.G., Bessonov S.A., Dergunova N.N. - The modeling results of the ocean fouling biocenoses origin and development in pelagic zone are presented. The developed models take into account the most important interactions of the main organisms of fouling (the dominants are crustaceans Lepadidae) in typical for invasion regions and depths and at favorable and permanent enough abiotic environmental factors. The interaction of planktonic, settling down to substrate larvae of Lepas and Conchoderma (Lepadidae), biofouling organisms C. virgatum, L. anatifera, L. anserifera, L. hillii, most widespread predators – crabs Planes minutus and fishes is modeled in the form of differential equations. Computing experiments have shown that the rate of the density change in the different age groups of the Lepas и Conchoderma differs markedly. The influence of the predators on the Conchoderma is markedly higher than that on the Lepas. The greatest importance for biofouling organism density dynamics has their attractive influence on cyprids and predators in the water near the substrate. The models have shown that crabs and especially fishes are the strongest modifiers of biocenoses of ocean biofouling, restraining greatly an increase of the fouling organisms’ number. Upon “expulsion” of the fishes in computing experiments the quantity of Conchoderma increases sharply and becomes similar in the value to the quantity of Lepas. Numerical experiments have demonstrated that most important factors limiting ocean fouling are the rate of Lepadidae larvae settling down to the substrate, “attractiveness” of the fouling organisms for predators, eating up of these animals by predators. The models are in good correlation with experimental data of oceanographic buoy polygons.
The use of mathematical models for the forecasting evaluations of biofouling organisms’ invasion and further development of their biocenoses is very promising and can’t be replaced by other methods of research. Analogical models can be developed for other communities and sea areas, for example, for the forecasting of hydrobiont invasions into the sea and freshwater waterbodies of Russia.

Mustela sibirica in the Middle Irtysh zone - Kassal B.Yu. - Since the 1830s, average speaker populates Priirtyshe from east to west in the forest zone, and north to south from the area of the forest-steppe and steppe zones, initially there is a slow increase in the number, then its rise with a 1.5-2-fold biotic excess capacity of the territory, and then decrease in the number and the formation of cyclic changes in the number of double intervals on average 22.5 years, the highest population density of modern column featured in the northern and central forest-less – in the forest area, the lowest – in the southern steppe and steppe. In this regard, the biotic column characterized as neutralism be complemented elements sotrapeznichestva (the badger, weasel, horem steppe, ermine, mink American) antibiosis (amensalizm with marten, fox, Korsakov, raccoon dog, competition with a sable; predation by Wolverine) in a number of habitat relationships with sable and marten are antagonistic, to understand the causes of cyclical changes in the number formed sredneirtyshskoy population column is necessary to conduct additional studies.

Molecular and genetic variability in populations of Syngnathus nigrolineatus Eichwald 1831 and the ways of settling into the Volga River basins on the basis of mitochondrial dna sequence analysis - Kiryukhina N.A. - The samplings from 5 populations of S. nigrolineatus: Kuibyshev Reservoir, Volgograd Reservoir, the Volga delta, the Caspian Sea, and the Black Sea are studied. Ninety two sequences of the gene cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA (507 b.p.) were obtained. The common haplotypes for the populations of the Volga reservoirs, delta of the Volga and the Black Sea are found. The population from the Caspian Sea has no common haplotypes with the other ones. The populations of the Black and Caspian seas represent genetically isolated groups. The populations of the Volga reservoirs are the Black Sea ones in their origin.

Wild boar's (Sus scrofa) role in the vegetation dynamics of water bodies of Oksky state reserve - Pankova N.L. - Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a native inhabitant of the southeastern Meschera lowland. However, as a result of human activity, biotic communities evolved for a long time in the absence this species. When, after a long absence, wild boars reappeared in the Oksky reserve nearly 50 years ago and began to restore a population quickly, the activity of these animals has become a new factor of disturbances. Rooting by wild boar can strongly affect wetland and aquatic vegetation, although the effect of wild boar on freshwater ecosystems has seldom been studied.
We characterized the use of different types of water bodies by wild boars and assessed long-term and short-term changes in vegetation of water reservoirs under the influence of a wild boar at the example of Oksky reserve.
Sagittaria sagittifolia was a species that was most attractive for wild boars of any water and wetland vegetation. A vegetation is most intensively disturbed by the animal at floodplain water bodies without significant muddy sediments and at the Pra and Oka rivers. However, a vegetation dynamics begins to be influenced by wild boar activity only in the waters of the high flood plain that are not regularly flooded by spring waters. This influence is expressed as a reduction and thinning of Sagittaria sagittifolia patches, an increase in heterogeneity and patchiness of vegetation on disturbed plots and a formation of naked sites lacking vegetation (in wallows made by the animals).
Comparison of our data with initial descriptions of vegetation in 10 oxbows of the Pra that were made before wild boar introduction showed an increase in the occurrence of Sagittaria sagittifolia at the plant associations and water bodies. It is probably due to the fact that a violation of dense thickets of coast dominant plants by boars provides favorable conditions for the invasion of the species such as Sagittaria sagittifolia.

Alien species of Ponto-Caspian amphipods (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in the Dnieper River basin (Belarus) - Semenchenko V.P., Vezhnovets V.V., Lipinskaya T.P. - Research results on modern distribution, number and structure of communities of alien Ponto-Caspian amphipods and also their specific role in macrozoobenthos on different alignments of the rivers Dnieper and Pripyat in the territory of Belarus are presented. The most widespread species in the Dnieper basin are Dikerogammarus vilosus and D. haemobaphes, which are found on all studied alignments. Comparative analysis of amphipod community shows that D. haemobaphes is dominating in Dnieper as well as in Pripyat and it is the most successful invader. On different alignments of studied rivers the specific role of Ponto-Caspian amphipods in the total number of macrozoobenthos can reach 15–20%.

New and rare alien plants in the Middle Volga - Senator S.A., Rakov N.S., Saxonov S.V., Vasjukov V.M., Ivanova A.V. - The findings of new and rare invasive species in the flora of the Middle Volga Region (Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, and Tatarstan) are presented. Most of the plants were found on railway embankments, in flower beds and lawns, as well as on the coast of the Kuibyshev and Saratov reservoirs.