Gradimir Gruychev

Wildlife Management Department, University of Forestry, 10 St. K. Ohridsky Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: gradi.val@gmail.com
 

The study area is a low mountain; nevertheless it has substantial biodiversity, due to its specific location, xerothermic vegetation and positive average monthly temperatures. The study was conducted in the period 2014-2020. It determinates 35 percent of the avifauna and 58 percent of the breeding birds of Sakar Mountain. This study reports two new species for the area. It informs about 89 species assigned to a specific breeding category. Seven species assigned to a breeding category are new to the quadrant and have not been reported by previous studies. The breeding density of 13 bird species was established. The density decreases in two common birds in study area.

Maxim Maydanov(1), Alexey Andreychev(1)*, Ekaterina Boyarova(2), Vyacheslav Kuznetsov(1), and Ekaterina Ilykaeva(1)
 

1. Department of Zoology, National Research Mordovia State University, Saransk 430005, Russia.
*E-mail: andreychev1@rambler.ru
2. Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Mordovia, Saransk 430030,
1a Dal’naya Str., Russia.
 

Small mammals are important reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens that cause significant morbidity in humans. Of these, tularemia and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) are among of the most widespread zoonotic diseases worldwide. Despite the fact that both pathogens have great epidemiological significance in Russia, epizootological data for urbanized areas are still scarce. This study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and prevalence of tularemia and hantaviruses in small mammals living in close proximity to humans. Altogether, 425 small mammals (278 from urban environment and 147 from natural environment) representing nine species (Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Cricetus cricetus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus uralensis, Mus musculus, Sorex araneus and Neomys fodiens) were captured in the Russian Republic of Mordovia and screened for pathogens using different serological and bacteriological methods. Red bank vole (M. glareolus) and yellow-necked wood mouse (A. flavicollis) are among species in the forest zone of the city of Saransk and are the source of a number of zoonotic diseases. In the non-urban environment, the main role as carriers of zoonotic diseases was played by house (M. musculus) and striped field (A. agrarius) mice. A total of 23 % of the small mammals sampled in Saransk were positive for tularemia, whereas 9.7 % were positive for HFRS. Furthermore, dual infections with both tularemia and hantaviruses were shown in 1.4 % of animals, suggesting that the same small mammal host can be infected with several pathogens at the same time, therefore representing a serious threat to public health. Small mammal ecology is a primary determinant of zoonotic pathogens dynamics in rodent populations and the risk of pathogen transmission to people.

Panagiotis Michopoulos* and Alexandra Solomou

HAO-DEMETER - Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Terma Alkmanos, Athens 115
28, Greece. *E-mail: mipa@fria.gr
 

The relations and the statistical comparisons of the available micronutrients Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe (DTPA extractable) were examined in alkaline soils of three forest ecosystems, i.e. pine, fir and maquis forest. Through a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) it was found that Mn and Zn had identical dependence on soil parameters. Both concentrations of these metals had negative relationship with pH, percentage of CaCO3 and positive one with the concentrations of organic C, N and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) values. With the exception of CaCO3, Fe had the same dependence. Copper had a negative relation with CaCO3 and a positive one only with clay content and not with the organic carbon as would be expected. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that the soil under fir had the highest concentrations of Mn probably due to the lowest pH values and CaCO3 percentages. The soil in the maquis plot had the lowest concentrations of Zn and Fe because of the highest pH and lowest amount of organic C. Despite the lowest amount of organic C, the soil in the maquis plot had the highest concentration of Cu because of the nature of parent material.

Ludmila Malinova, Kameliya Petrova*, and Bilyana Grigorova-Pesheva

Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria.
*E-mail: kpetrova@ltu.bg
 

Litterfall is an essential part of forest ecosystems. We assessed obtained data about aboveground litterfall (as input for nutrients in the ecosystem) and chemical composition of soil waters (as an output of the ecosystem). In addition, total microbial number of heterotrophic microflora and the structure of microbial communities were investigated. The aboveground litterfall had an average pHH2O value 4.2. Concentrations of Ca, Mg and P were high in the foliar fraction. The C/N ratio in the Litter fraction was high - 65 and in the Wood fraction - 60. In contrast to the L layer, FH layer showed an increase in microorganisms’ activity. The total microbial number decreased in the A horizon compared to that in the foliar litter. The total microbial number for layer L was 1.2x10 7 cfu/g DsM (dry soil mass), increased in the fragmented FH layer to 1.4x10 7 cfu/g DsM and sharply decreased to 9.0x10 5 cfu/g DsM in A horizon. The dominance of non-sporeforming bacteria was established in the litter and A horizon of the soil profile. Actinomycetes increased significantly in the soil depth. In the L layer they were only 1 % and in A horizon - they reached 16 %. The percentage of micromycetes was 1 % and increased up to 3 % in A horizon. The group of Spore-forming bacteria was 9 % of the total microflora. The reaction of soil solution sampled by tension lysimeters was assessed as slightly acidic to neutral. The electrical conductivity varied between 21 and 140 мS/cm, which characterized waters as slightly mineralized. From 2011 to 2019, there was a balanced ratio of cations with basic and acidic functions. There was a slight tendency for the removal of basic cations outside the soil profile and this process should be observed over time.

Anzhela Dzyba

Department of Landscape Architecture and phytodesign, Education and Research Institute
of Forestry and Landscape-Park Management, National University of Life and Environmental
Sciences of Ukraine, 19 General Rodimtsev Str., 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: orhideya_oncydium@ukr.net
 

The paper considers the introduction of Pinus strobus L. to the Ukrainian Polissya for 200 years. The purpose of the study was to conduct an inventory of P. strobus in protected territories of the Ukrainian Polissya and to analyze its distribution, stand age structure, regeneration patterns, and application in different types of plantings. The study covers 26 protected man-made objects and natural areas and objects (botanical garden, 3 dendrological parks, 6 parks-monuments of landscape art, 8 natural monuments, 3 national natural parks, regional landscape park, 3 reserves, protected tract) in Ukrainian Polissya (Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Khmelnytsky regions). The age of Pinus strobus ranges from 35 to more than 200 years. In the protected areas grow 120- to 200-year-old ancient Pinus strobus trees, with a number of its specimens ranging from 1 to 16. In 80 % of protected entities, Pinus strobus was represented by one specimen as a solitary or in groups mainly mixed with Pinus sylvestris L.; in 5 objects Pinus strobus grows in pure and mixed plantations of natural monuments. The condition of plants in 19 objects is good, in 5 - satisfactory, in two - unsatisfactory (harmed by the pest Pineus strobi Htg.). By self-seeding, P. strobus regenerated on 24 % of the territories of nature-protection entities; in one entity it has naturalized. It is proposed to use the best specimens of Pinus strobus as genetic material for further application in forestry and park gardening.