Spatial distribution of density anomalies of bird and mammal species in river basins of the south Volga Upland. - Belyachenko A.V. - Peculiarities of the spatial distribution of density anomalies of some bird and mammal species in river basins were investigated. The positive anomalies were found to be concerned with the slopes of the Volga-Don watershed and the Medveditsa river valley while the negative ones were with agrocenoses in the Chardym, Kurdyum and Shirokiy Karamysh rivers' valleys with the use of mapping methods. Rare species of birds and mammals included in the Red Data Book of the Saratov region inhabit the areas of positive anomalies.

Key words: species density, birds and mammals, spatial distribution, river basin, watershed, Volga Upland.

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Centric diatom algae of the Tsimlyansk reservoir. - Genkal S.I. and Golokolenova T.B. - Our phytoplankton study in the Tsimlyansk reservoir has revealed 23 representatives of Centrophyceae, including 16 species and 1 genus new for the flora in this reservoir. Revision of the literature data by specific composition has allowed 7 taxa to be reduced to a synonymy and 8 taxa to be transferred to new genera. The role of centric diatoms in the planktonic algocenoses of the reservoir is shown. A suggestion is made about retaining the status of this highly eutrophic reservoir on the basis of the shift of the size spectrum of Centrophyceae towards small-sized species.

Key words: Tsimlyansk reservoir, phytoplankton, diatoms algae, Centrophyceae, flora.

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Heavy metals and arsenic accumulation by the fruit bodies of mushrooms of various ecologo-trophic and taxonomic groups. - Ivanov A.I., Kostychev A.A., and Skobanev A.V. - Representatives of saprotrophic mushrooms have been found to intensively accumulate lead, zinc, and arsenic while wood decay fungi accumulate metals of variable valency (iron, manganese, and chromium), mycorrhizal fungi accumulate cobalt. Statistically significant differences in the content of heavy metals and arsenic in the fruit bodies of mushrooms of various orders have been determined. Representatives of the Agaricales and Russulales orders accumulate manganese, those of the order Russulales do nickel, representatives of the Boletales order do zinc, representatives of the Agaricales order accumulate lead.

Key words: mushrooms, heavy metals, arsenic, ecologo-trophic group, Penza region.

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On the methodology of tree leaf ecophysiological studies. - Kavelenova L.M., Malykhina E.V., Rozno S.A., and Smirnov Yu.V. - The leaves of higher plants seem to be an important source of ecophysiological information in many aspects, including environmental biomonitoring. Attention should be paid to the influence of dynamic features and biotopic parameters on the leaf composition, which is demonstrated by our data. On the basis of our prolonged studies made in Samara City (the Middle Volga forest-steppe) an optimized scheme of ecophysiological leaf screening with a minimal equipment and shorter duration is proposed.

Key words: leaves, ecophysiological screening, component composition dynamics, biotopic parameter effect.

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Tolerance of wood ground-nesting birds to grass layer characteristics. - Piskunov V.V. and Davidenko T.N. - Peculiarities of the biotopic distribution of ground-nesting birds in the woods of the southern Volga Upland are considered, specific preferences of the grass layer characteristics have been determined. A certain constancy of the quantitative combinations of the structural parameters of the grass layer is observed on the nesting sites of all the ground-nesting birds under study. A narrow range of the projective covering and a constancy of domination of a certain ecological plant group are noted for the majority of species.

Key words: biotopic preferences, abundance, tolerance, habitat structure.

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Dianthus volgicus Juz. (Caryophyllaceae) as an endemic species of the Middle Volga region. - Vasyukov V.M. and Novikova L.A. - Dianthus volgicus Juz. is characterized and a key for species identification of the Plumarioides F. Williams subsection of the Middle Volga and northern Lower Volga regions is given. The locality of distribution and the low abundance of the species provide the basis for inclusion of Dianthus volgicus in the protected plant lists of the region.

Key words: Dianthus volgicus, distribution, Middle and Lower Volga regions.

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Acariform mites (Acariformes) phoresing on capricorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). - Ermilov S.G. and Mokrousov M.V. - The acarofauna of capricorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in the Nizhniy Novgorod region was studied. 18 species, 12 genera, and 5 families of acariform mites (Acariformes) were found. Probonomoia pini, Parawinterschmidtia kneissli, Histiogaster bacchus, and Schwiebea nova appear to be the most numerous ones on the beetles. The selectivity of some species of foretical mites to certain capricorn beetle species has been revealed.

Key words: acariform mites, capricorn beetles, phoresy.

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Distribution features of Tamarisk Jird - Meriones tamariscinus (Pallas, 1773) in the East Pre-Caspian region. - Mitropolsky O.V. - The previously published data on the locations of Tamarisk Jird on the Mangyshlak peninsula and the Ustyurt plateau have been analyzed and a map of the East Pre-Caspian region with the geographical ranges of two of its subspecies (M. t. tamariscinus and M. t. jaxartensis) is made on the basis of the author's observations.

Key words: Meriones tamariscinus, subspecies, pellets of predatory birds, East Pre-Caspian region.

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