Russian Journal of Biological Invasions

2014, issue № 4

CONTENTS

The current distribution of the stripedfield mouse (Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771) within the Eastern Transbaikalia: new findings in the disjunction area - Bazhenov Yu.A., Pavlenko M.V., Korablev V.P., Kardash A.I. - Materials on the new findings of striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) within the Transbaikalia are presented. Earlier, the territory in the basins of the rivers Onon and Ingoda was the area of the species range disjunction. Some possible options for the appearance of striped field mouse in this territory are discussed. We consider the delivery of the species from the Argun River basin with a cargo of agricultural products to the lower reaches of the river Onon or the upper reaches of the river Shilka as the most likely event. Currently, striped field mouse is a common species of floodplain shrub in the lower reaches of the rivers Onon and Ingoda.

Alien species in the flora of the nature reserve fund of the flatland part of Ukraine - Burda R.I., Golivets M.A., Petrovych O.Z. - The current study presents a comparative analysis of the non-native floras of 23 protected areas, including 2 biosphere reserves, 5 nature reserves with 9 segregated units, and 12 national parks located in four natural zones of the flatland part of Ukraine. The taxonomic diversity of the studied floras comprises 484 species from 278 genera and 72 families (about 60% of those recorded in the country). The study reveals a considerable variation in taxonomic and typological structures of the alien floras. The spatial distribution of exotic plant species corresponds to the general biological pattern: the majority of the species occur rarely, less species have an average constancy, and only single species are widely dispersed. This pattern, consequently, determines a low similarity among the non-native floras. However, the cluster analysis shows an almost complete zonal differentiation of the studied floras. The exceptions are the floras of the nature reserve areas with a specific functional-territorial structure. The reference value of the natural reserve fund is questioned.

Factors of morphological variability of craniometrical signs of American mink (Neovison vison) - Korablev N.P., Korablev M.P., Korablev P.N., Tumanov I.L. - We investigated craniometrical variability to assess factors of morphological diversity in populations of American mink Neovison vison Baryshnikov and Abramov, 1997 (Schreber, 1777) (n=441) from nine geographical segregated populations and subpopulations including domestic minks from fur farm. As the main hypothesis of morphological diversity, geographical origination of populations was accepted, as well as possible hybridization between feral and escaped from farms minks. Sexual size dimorphism was eliminated because of application of the methods of multidimensional non-metric scaling. Results of investigations did not revealed significant influence of animals from fur farm on morphological variability of feral minks. The supposition about limiting mechanisms of wide-ranging hybridizations based on morphogenetic differentiation of populations’ groups as a result of different vectors of selections, i.e. the stabilizing selection in feral populations on the one hand and selection processes on the other hand, is suggested. Along with such biases in populations of feral minks, there are patterns of morphological diversity corresponding to well-known biogeography laws and modification variability. Morphological heterogeneity of introduced populations should be viewed accounting the latest history of formation of prapopulations.

Introduced semiaquatic mammals in the Uvs Nuur Hollow (current distribution and ecological vectors of the naturalization) - Saveljev A.P., Shar S., Scopin A.E., Otgonbaatar M., Soloviev V.A., Putincev N.I., Lhamsuren N. - The modern status and population trends of three alien semiaquatic mammals in a transboundary (Mongolia/Russia) ecosystem of the Uvs Nuur Hollow were investigated. The muskrat, American mink and Eurasian beaver (Sino-Mongolian subspecies) have almost equivalent size of "life arenas", but different pop-trends, the different success in naturalization and the impact on native ecosystems. It was concluded that differences of naturalization in these three mammals were defined not by post-introduction history, nor influence of some abiotic factors, but rather than the diversity and abundance of trophic niches in the Uvs Nuur Basin. It was stated that in the conditions of sharply continental climate and a rigid hydroregime the adaptation to a new ecosystem was easier in the herbivorous mammals having richer and stable food resources than in a carnivore. The behavioural adaptive mechanisms promoting naturalization were described. The evolutionary stability of a building instinct in the beaver was very important at setting of new habitats. The utilitarian value of alien species for people population of the given territory was estimated.

Alien macroinveratebrates and fish in the Dnieper River basin - Vitaliy P. Semenchenko, Mikhail O. Son, Roman A. Novitsky, Yuriy V. Kvatch and Vadim E. Panov - The study results on spread, pathways, vectors and ecological impact of alien invertebrate species and fish in Dnieper River basin are presented. The relationship between invasive processes and basin hydrology is analyzed. It is shown that the main factor in spreading of alien species in the central part of basin was the construction of reservoirs. The main reasons to promote the spreading of alien species were “limnesation” of river and introduction of the Ponto-Caspian species into the reservoirs. The differences in pathways and vectors for upstream, middle and downstream parts of the river were established. In the reservoirs in the middle part of the river the main pathway was intentional introduction whereas that for the upstream were shipping and natural spread. The “black list” of invertebrates and fish is presented.

Aracia sp. (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) from the Don River estuary (the Sea of Azov basin) - Syomin V.L., Kovalenko E.P., Savikin A.I. - During the monitoring investigations in the Don River estuary, an alien polychaete species of the family Sabellidae was recorded. Polychaete specimens were collected two times with a month interval, and in the later sample one specimen had eggs in anterior abdominal chaetigers. The description of present specimens is provided. All the specimens match the diagnosis of the genus Aracia Nogueira, Fitzhugh et Rossi, 2010. However, there is an uncertainty at the species level: both A. riwo and A. heterobranchiata characters are present, though the latter seems to be more likely. Probable way of penetration is ballast water tanks, for many tankers use to spill their ballast water in this area.