Search

The study of “double peripheries” is a new area of center-periphery research, the development of which is currently hampered by several methodological difficulties, including the problems of conceptualization and empirical interpretation of the “double periphery“ as a scientific concept. Citing Russian Far East as an example, the article attempts to provide methodologically founded identification of a specific double periphery. Drawing on the results of contemporary center-periphery studies, the paper advances a working definition of a double periphery. This allows for identifying statistical indicators that are necessary to assess whether a socio-geographical object belongs to the peripheries of the named type. After that the author conducts a comparative historical analysis of quantitative data on the societal potential of the Russian Far East in 1990–2020 and the dynamics of its trade, investment and migration ties. The analysis concludes that the macroregion represents a double periphery which has developed in the post-Soviet period in relation to the NEA-3 countries (China, Japan, the Republic of Korea) and Russia. Today it is most clearly manifested in the export of goods and outbound tourism. Finally, the article outlines possible ways to stimulate development of the Far Eastern macroregion under the objective constraints imposed by its peripheral position. The implication to be made is that it is necessary to move from the selective policy of local preferences, which has been carried out since the beginning of the 2010s, to the areal planned development of the Russian Far East based on the introduction of a special administrative regime on the its territory.

Demographic development is one of the important elements of sustainable socio-economic development of the state (and its individual subjects) and at the same time a factor of its national security. The development of the Far East is a strategic priority for Russia in the 21st century, the main resource for which is human potential. Demographic policy in the Far East is aimed at stabilizing and increasing the population. The Far East is the most sparsely populated region of the Russian Federation. The average population density is 1.2 people per 1 sq. km. The region’s population is extremely uneven, partly due to the diff in climate in the north and south of the region. The highest density is more than 12 people per 1 sq. km in Primorsky Krai. The southern part of Sakhalin is quite densely populated. At the same time, in the Republic of Sakha, Magadan and Kamchatka regions, the population density is only 0.3…0.8 people per 1 sq. m. This study is aimed at analyzing the demographic development of the Far East. The importance of demographic processes is on a par with ensuring the necessary rates of economic growth and, on this basis, raising the living standards of the population, and ensuring security-related issues. The demographic situation in the Russian Far East continues to be determined by: low birth rate, high mortality, natural population decline, rapid aging of the population, shorter life expectancy than in Russia as a whole, and a steady outfl of the population to the western regions of the country and abroad. One of the demographic components that infl the reproduction of the population in the macroregion and its dynamics is migration as a process of territorial movement of the population. The demographic situation in the Far East has always been largely determined by migration processes, which previously were the source of formation of the size and composition of its population.

Long-term (from 2007 to 2022) observations of the dynamics of acidity, mineralization and ionic composition of snow cover in remote mountainous and lowland landscapes of Northern Asia were carried out. As a result, spatiotemporal changes in the molar concentration of basic (Ca2+, Mg2+,HCO3-, Cl- and SO42-) and nitrogen-containing (NH4+, NO3- and NO2-) ions were analyzed. It turned out that during the entire observation period, bicarbonate ions prevailed in all monitoring regions, even near the sea coasts, where there is an intensive intake of sulfate and chloride ions into the atmosphere. Until 2012, the molar concentration of these three anions was characterized by higher values, which decreased 3–8 times in subsequent years, this is especially noticeable for bicarbonate ions and to a lesser extent for chloride ions. The molar concentration of nitrogen-containing ions in the snow cover of Northern Asia was at a low level (especially nitrite ions). Ammonium ions were predominant throughout the observation period (especially in mountainous landscapes) and only in some years – nitrate ions.

The article is devoted to the specifics of the forms and methods of trade on the Far Eastern frontier in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries. At the initial stage of colonization of the region, trade was distinguished by a number of features characteristic of frontier zones: the predominance of import trade, distribution trade carried out along the rivers from barges, fairs and mixed stationary trade. One of the main features of trade on the Far Eastern frontier was significant foreign influence. The competitive advantages of entrepreneurs from the USA and European countries were formed at the first stage of colonization from the delivery of goods by sea, the presence of established connections with suppliers of goods in the homeland, the possibility of obtaining a loan or the availability of working capital, the attraction of qualified compatriot employees, high quality of service and a comfortable environment in stores, and at the beginning of the 20th century – due to the export of technical innovations, further improvement of the quality of service, and the introduction of new standards of retail premises. We can speak of the perception of some of these practices by Russian merchants and positive changes in the organization of their trade business only in relation to the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century. It is difficult to judge, given the lack of memoirs of regional entrepreneurs, whether this occurred under the influence of European entrepreneurs or it was a consequence of business development and the increased level of education of local merchants. The main reasons for the success of the Chinese traders were solidarity, the ability to please the customer, mutual lending, minimizing expenses on advertising, insurance, furnishings of retail premises, heating, lighting and wages of employees, as well as the use of illegal and legal, but morally dubious methods of enrichment - the sale of low-quality or spoiled goods, non-payment of taxes, smuggling, fraud. Russian and European entrepreneurs estimated the methods and practices of Chinese entrepreneurs negatively, and perceived them as dangerous competitors. The Asian influence on Russian entrepreneurial culture was complicated not only by the existence of a religious and cultural boundary between the Chinese and Russians, but also by the European idea of civilizational superiority and the civilizing mission of Europe, which was accepted by the educated society of the Russian Empire and formed the basis for the attitude not only towards aborigine, but also towards Chinese migrants.

The purpose of the article is to summarize theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of such a phenomenon as inversions and inversion processes in socio-economic sciences and to identify the features of the application of these approaches in research in the field of spatial economics, as well as their use in assessing the development of the border North Arctic territories of the Far East both at the national and international levels. The analysis of existing research approaches to understanding the essence, characteristics and tools for studying inversion processes in scientific areas in the socio-economic field allows us to interpret them in relation to spatial-economic research and identify specific methods of their application that are related to spatial economics. The identified research methods are used to study the Far Eastern North Arctic territories, which are currently undergoing deep qualitative transformations in their production specialization, auxiliary cycles and chains, as well as in the infrastructure that provided these processes. On the basis of both previous and current author’s studies, it is stated that in the regulation of inversion processes both in the spatial economy as a whole and in the conduct of specific studies on the development of the North Arctic territories, the leading role is played by the balance of opposing endogenous and exogenous elements of the infrastructure of spatial- economic formations at all their hierarchical levels. In conclusion, the article presents the generalizing results of the research in all its directions

The results of parasitological studies on marine and freshwater fish captured in the waters of the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in 2019 to 2021 are presented. As a result of original research, ten species of spiny-headed worms from 29 species of fish are recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological patterns of the formation of the avifauna and bird populations on Iturup Island have been analyzed. Route censuses were used along transects with unlimited width. As many as 116 bird species have been registered; 36% of them are ubiquitous, 34% are local, and the other 26% are highly local. Seventy-one species were shown to nest. The taxonomic structure of the avifauna, represented by species from 15 orders, corresponded to the zonal and landscape features of the island areas located at the eastern margins of northern Eurasia. Passeriformes (37%), Charadriiformes (22%), Anseriformes (9%), and Procellariiformes (8%) prevailed. The zoogeographic peculiarity of the local avifauna was the combination of elements of the Far East island, Pacific, Siberian, and Chinese faunal complexes, some Siberian–American and widespread species, and Japanese island endemics. The avifauna around Iturup Island, formed by a system of general zonal-landscape and altitudinal-belt patterns, combines the ecological groups of marine and terrestrial species, including mountain ones (n = 9). The local avifauna includes 41 species in coastal marine habitats vs. 55 species in forests, 37 species in light forests, and 46 species in tall grasses, with the population density being 607, 785, 968, and 518 individuals/km2, respectively. The similarity coefficients were 19–48% for the populations of forest habitats vs. 22% for light forests and 20–37% for tall grasses, while they were 21–52% for the sea coast and adjacent water areas. The populations of terrestrial habitats are dominated by the oriental turtle-dove, Pacific swift, Siberian rubythroat, Japanese bush-warbler, marsh tit, coal tit, Eurasian nutcracker, oriental greenfinch, Eurasian siskin, long-tailed rosefinch, masked bunting, and gray bunting. The populations of the coast and adjacent sea area are dominated by Temminck's cormorant, the rufous-necked stint, slaty-backed gull, black-tailed gull, and black-backed wagtail. In open sea areas, the most common species are the white-winged scoter, black-footed and Laysan albatrosses, northern fulmar, and short-tailed shearwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liverwort flora in Zov Tigra National Park in southern Sikhote-Alin (Primorye Territory, south of the Russian Far East), which has one of the richest regional floras, was studied to assess its taxonomic diversity, and analyzed using a new approach to determine altitudinal distribution patterns. This new approach is based on probabilistic models of the altitudinal distribution of individual taxa proposed for identifying altitudinal groups of species. This method can be used to analyze patterns of the distribution of species of various taxonomic groups in cases where a sufficiently representative dataset is available and may be especially relevant in regions where altitudinal zonation is not obvious or changes in the altitudinal fractions of the dominant vegetation are too continuous. The proposed method revealed three altitudinal groups that were more clearly differentiated than groups of taxa based on altitudinal vegetation belts. Based on the obtained results, the most important bioclimatic indices correlated with the altitudinal distribution of liverworts were identified: annual mean temperature (BIO1), annual precipitation (BIO12), isothermality (BIO3), and factors associated with the temperature and amount of precipitation during the warmest period of the year, including the maximum temperature of the warmest month (BIO5), the mean temperature of the wettest quarter (BIO8), the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (BIO10), precipitation during the wettest month (BIO13), precipitation during the wettest quarter (BIO16), and precipitation during the warmest quarter (BIO18). This study reports 130 species, 1 variety, and 1 subspecies. Pseudolophozia debiliformis and Scapania praetervisa are newly recorded for Sikhote-Alin and the Primorye Territory. Diplophyllum albicans and Cephaloziella rubella are newly reported for the Primorye Territory. The national park liverwort flora can be classified as boreal–temperate circumpolar–East Asian. Given the high taxonomic diversity and coverage of all altitudinal zones represented in the region, the liverwort flora in Zov Tigra National Park can serve as a model for all liverwort floras in southern Sikhote-Alin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of the application of modern cartographic works and analysis of land management, special and thematic maps made in earlier periods in the practice of activities and in the process of optimizing the functioning of specially protected natural areas. The development of a series of thematic atlases of specially protected natural areas of the Russian Asian part made it possible for the first time to build individual landscape maps for most of these objects. This, in turn, helped to determine the representativeness of existing territorial environmental protection systems and identify types of landscapes that are not included in the boundaries of protected natural areas. The practical application of the completed maps reflecting the situation in territorial nature protection revealed: the controversial issue of poaching in the refuge (zakaznik) in Tyva, the territorial overlap of natural parks and refuges in Kamchatka and Khabarovsk regions, mistakes made and then corrected during the trial when approving the boundaries of a natural monument in the Irkutsk region, as well as to develop recommendations on the formation of an ecological or green framework for large cities (Ulaanbaatar, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude), about which scientific articles have already been published. The latest example of the formulation of a master plan for the development of the Ust-Kut small city, related to the regions of the far north, is presented in more detail. This city is the center of the administrative district of the same name in the Irkutsk region, an important transport hub, and the most economically developing territory of the region. The project uses cartographic materials specially created for Ust-Kut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epigean and subterranean spiders of the genus Cybaeus L. Koch, 1868 are distributed in the Holarctic, and are highly diversified in western North America and Japan. More than 100 species have been described from the Japanese Archipelago and several species assemblages have also been recognised among the Japanese Cybaeus based on their morphological similarities. However, their phylogenetic backbone remains unclear. Moreover, genus-level classification of several of the Japanese species appear to be questionable. In this study we performed extensive molecular analyses of the family Cybaeidae in East Asia, mainly the Japanese Archipelago, to clarify their fundamental phylogenetic relationships. We also conducted a divergence time estimation to provide insights into their historical biogeography and evolutionary history. Our divergence dating results indicate that the diversification of the major lineages of the East Asian cybaeid spiders might be related to the opening of the Sea of Japan c. 20 million years ago. On the basis of the morphological evaluation and obtained phylogenies, some East Asian species formerly placed in Cybaeus are transferred to the cybaeid genera Allocybaeina Bennett, 2020, Sincybaeus Wang & Zhang, 2022 and Cybaeina Chamberlin & Ivie, 1932, i.e. Allocybaeina petegarina (Yaginuma, 1972), comb. nov., Sincybaeus monticola (Kobayashi, 2006), comb. nov., Sincybaeus rarispinosus (Yaginuma, 1970), comb. nov., Sincybaeus yoshiakii (Yaginuma, 1968), comb. nov., and Cybaeina whanseunensis (Paik & Namkung, 1967), comb. nov. Our results clarify the genus-level richness of cybaeids in the Japanese Archipelago for the first time, and reveal the fine-scale phylogenetic relationships of Cybaeus species endemic to the Japanese Archipelago and adjacent regions. ZooBank: The epigean and subterranean spider genus Cybaeus is highly species rich in the Japanese Archipelago. The Japanese Cybaeus spiders are classified into ~100 species, but their phylogeny is unclear. We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimation based on 73 species and demonstrated that several Cybaeus species should be classified into other genera. Divergence dating suggested that the opening of the Sea of Japan c. 20 million years ago may have promoted diversification and speciation of Japanese cybaeids. (Image credit: Yoh Ihara and Takafumi Nakano.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines patterns of sediment transport in Far Eastern rivers of Russia affected by open-cast placer mining—mostly for gold, rarely for silver, and in a few cases for platinum and diamonds. Long-term monitoring and remote-sensing data are used to determine the location of mining landscapes and to detect sediment concentrations and plumes originating from the mining sites. The current study suggests that catchments of the Amur, Kolyma, and Lena rivers are global mining hot spots accommodating up to 1.1%–3.8% of total mining-related vegetation losses. Here, ∼20,100 km of river valleys (0.48% of the river network length) are currently disturbed by mining, with the maximum density of disturbed river valleys being up to 200–300 m/km2 in the basins of the tributaries of the Upper Kolyma and Zeya rivers. To explore the potential mining impact on sediment load, these data were linked with the long-term sediment trends. Concentrations and discharges of mean annual, monthly, and daily suspended sediment decreased from the 1970s and 1980s to the present day at more than 40% of the 40 stream gauge sites assessed across the contiguous Far East. Increasing sediment trends were widespread across 20% of the sites localized in the cluster of greatest mining-related land disturbances. Up to 30% of the sites are characterized by sediment load growth up to the end of the 1980s and a subsequent decline due to the recent abandonment of mining activities. The current study highlights the non-linear relations between mining-related vegetation losses and sediment release into the river network, which is explained by diverse sources of sediment generation within mining areas and other drivers of sediment transport that interact and may attenuate or intensify the signal of mining impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organization of the lichen herbarium in the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics of the FEB RAS was initiated in 2014 after a number of integrated expeditions in the Sakhalin Region. The herbarium is based on the collections of Aleksander K. Ezhkin and Vladimir V. Kaganov. A significant amount of lichen samples was collected in protected areas of the Sakhalin Region, in wild remote sites, and in areas of volcanic activity. Currently, a part of the collection (1178 samples, 307 species) is mounted and stored in the Laboratory of plant ecology and geoecology, which is about 1/8 of all herbarium material of lichens stored in the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics of the FEB RAS.

A new species of Callophyllis from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan, Russia, is recognized based on the morphological and molecular analyses of rbcL and nrLSU sequences. We name this new species C. eduardii sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that C. eduardii is distinct from other Callophyllis species and sister to a diverse group that includes monocarpogonial species from the northeastern Pacific and species from the Russian Pacific coast. Callophyllis eduardii is characterized by diminutive thalli, narrow anastomosing branches with acute apices and smooth margins and cystocarps, without an ostiole, scattered over the blade and at the margins in the middle and upper part of the thallus. This is the ninth species of the genus found in Russian waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candelariella ahtii Yakovchenko sp. nov. is described based on phenotypic and ITS nrDNA sequence data. The species, occurring on soil in the crevices and cracks of siliceous rocks, is characterized by its squamulose cushion-forming thallus of imbricate, rounded to weakly incised granules/squamules with a greenish yellow to pale yellow pulverulent upper surface, lecanorine apothecia with a plane to somewhat convex ochre-yellow disc and a permanent thick thalline margin, 8-spored asci and ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid ascospores with rounded ends, as well as a distribution in Central and North-East Asia. It is similar to Candelariella citrina but differs in having ascospores without attenuated ends and smaller squamules. Candelariella citrina is excluded from the lichen flora of Russia. A worldwide key to all known Candelariella species with 8-spored asci, including 41 names, is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present an integrative revision of the Lymnaeidae from the northeastern margin of Asia (Far East Russia, Japan, and Korea) and Alaska. According to our results, 14 native species inhabit this region, belonging to eight genera in two subfamilies (Lymnaeinae: Dallirhytis , Galba , Walhiana , Ladislavella , and Lymnaea ; and Amphipepleinae: Kamtschaticana , Orientogalba , and Radix). Four of these species are new to science and three of them are described in this paper. Additionally, three established alien species are recorded from Japan (Pseudosuccinea columella , Galba schirazensis , and Galba humilis). The Japanese Archipelago represents an evolutionary hotspot of pond snail diversity, encompassing seven native species, three of which are endemic. The faunal connections between North America and northeastern Asia are discussed in the context of historical biotic interchange across the Beringian Land Bridge. Two cold-tolerant pond snails share high-latitude but localized ranges, being endemic to the Beringian Arctic: Dallirhytis atkaensis (Chukchi Peninsula, Alaska, and Aleutian Islands) and Walhiana arctica comb. nov. (Alaska). Our findings indicate that the Beringian Land Bridge has played a role in freshwater faunal exchanges between northeastern Asia and western North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphostructural analysis of the stream network in the southern part of the Far East has been carried out. It has been established that the latest vertical movements in the region were manifested against the background of an older, partially eroded relief. Three stages of relief development are identified, reflecting neotectonic activity in the region: (a) pre–Oligocene, characterized by a more intense uplift of the Bureya Ridge, and less intense, the Sikhote-Alin Ridge; (b) Oligocene–Pliocene, characterized by the most intense vertical movements in the region during the period from the Late Eocene to the Holocene; and (c) the Pleistocene and the Holocene, during which a modern erosion-denudation relief was formed and no vertical movements of significant amplitude occurred. A map of the total amplitude of vertical neotectonic movements is constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new material of Dolichopodidae has been recently collected from the central part of the Khabarovsk Krai and includes 38 species. Sixteen species are recorded from this territory for the first time, including Gymnopternus klowdeni (Olejníček, 2002), which is new for Russia. Twelve species are known at present only from the easternmost Palaearctic Region: Argyra flavida Negrobov, 1973, A. shamshevi Selivanova et Negrobov 2007, Dolichopus soldatovi Negrobov, Selivanova et Maslova, 2013, D. xanthopyga Stackelberg, 1930, Gymnopternus daubichensis (Stackelberg, 1933), Gymnopternus nemorum (Smirnov et Negrobov, 1977), G. rohdendorfi (Stackelberg, 1933), G. ussurianus (Stackelberg, 1933), Rhaphium curvitarsus Negrobov, Maslova et Selivanova, 2020, R. firsovi Stackelberg et Negrobov, 1976, R. flavilabre Negrobov, 1979, and Syntormon violovitshi Negrobov, 1975. This paper also provides distribution patterns for each collected species. In total, 104 species are reported from this Region that apparently makes up 50–60% of actual Dolichopodidae regional fauna.

This article aims to analyze Russia’s efforts, both domestically and internationally, to combat illicit crab harvesting and safeguard its marine resources. A comparison of total crab imports and allowable catch in Russian waters from 1990 to 2022 indicates a peak in shadow activities during the mid-2000s, with a cessation of large-scale illegal fishing observed since 2013. A narrative analysis of institutional shifts reveals that the bolstering of internal oversight, heightened accountability for harvesters, and enhanced global cooperation have been pivotal in fostering these positive dynamics. Concerning trends, however, emerged towards the beginning of the current decade, indicating potential instability within the legal framework of the crab industry. Persistent statistical discrepancies in trade with South Korea, diminishing institutional capacities within Russia to combat shadow activities, and heightened media scrutiny of illicit crab harvesting underscore the need for sustained vigilance in addressing both internal and external dimensions of this multifaceted problem.

The formation of sustainable tree stands during timber harvesting in mature and overmature stands is largely determined by logging methods used and the technological methods for their implementation. In clear-cutting, this, first of all, depends on the degree of preservation of undergrowth, small size trees and trees that are not subject to felling, ensuring accelerated reproduction of stands in cleared areas. Among logging technologies, this is facilitated by narrow felling technological schemes with logging widths of 15–30 m, which allow maintaining undergrowth and undergrowth of over 60 %. In selective felling, the main emphasis is on the formation of valuable stands of a certain density, age and structure due to the intensity and uniformity of the selection of tree species, the preservation of forest growing environment and the growing conditions of the main forest-forming species. Here technologies can be used that allow for a uniform selection of trees over an area while maintaining post-harvesting density of at least 0.5. The goal of the study was to identify optimal techniques and methods of felling during timber harvesting, ensuring the formation of sustainable post-logging tree stands for the main forest formations of the Russian Far East.

Reanalysis datasets provide a continuous picture of the past climate for every point on Earth. They are especially useful in areas with few direct observations, such as Siberia. However, to ensure these datasets are sufficiently accurate they need to be validated against readings from meteorological stations. Here, we analyse how values of six climate variables—the minimum, mean and maximum 2‐metre air temperature, snow depth (SD), total precipitation and wind speed (WSP)—from three reanalysis datasets—ERA‐Interim, ERA5 and ERA5‐Land—compare against observations from 29 meteorological stations across Siberia and the Russian Far East on a daily timescale from 1979 to 2019. All three reanalyses produce values of the mean and maximum daily 2‐metre air temperature that are close to those observed, with the average absolute bias not exceeding 1.54°C. However, care should be taken for the minimum 2‐metre air temperature during the summer months—there are nine stations where correlation values are <0.60 due to inadequate night‐time cooling. The reanalysis values of SD are generally close to those observed after 1992, especially ERA5, when data from some of the meteorological stations began to be assimilated, but the reanalysis SD should be used with caution (if at all) before 1992 as the lack of assimilation leads to large overestimations. For low daily precipitation values the reanalyses provide good approximations, however they struggle to attain the extreme high values. Similarly, for the 10‐metre WSP; the reanalyses perform well with speeds up to 2.5 ms−1 but struggle with those above 5.0 ms−1. For these variables, we recommend using ERA5 over ERA‐Interim and ERA5‐Land in future research. ERA5 shows minor improvements over ERA‐Interim, and, despite an increased spatial resolution, there is no advantage to using ERA5‐Land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze Russia's efforts, both domestically and internationally, to combat illicit crab harvesting and safeguard its marine resources. A comparison of total crab imports and allowable catch in Russian waters from 1990 to 2022 indicates a peak in shadow activities during the mid-2000s, with a cessation of large-scale illegal fishing observed since 2013. A narrative analysis of institutional shifts reveals that the bolstering of internal oversight, heightened accountability for harvesters, and enhanced global cooperation have been pivotal in fostering these positive dynamics. Concerning trends, however, emerged towards the beginning of the current decade, indicating potential instability within the legal framework of the crab industry. Persistent statistical discrepancies in trade with South Korea, diminishing institutional capacities within Russia to combat shadow activities, and heightened media scrutiny of illicit crab harvesting underscore the need for sustained vigilance in addressing both internal and external dimensions of this multifaceted problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data on the distribution of alien species in the south of Primorsky krai are presented. For the first time, Digitalis grandiflora Mill. is indicated in the composition of an alien flora—a species that has escaped from culture, currently occupying a significant area in the arboretum of the Gornotaezhnaya station of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ussuriysk city district, Primorsky krai). This species is a new alien to the entire territory of the Far East. In an anthropogenically transformed territory, Digitalis grandiflora is an epecophyte according to the degree of naturalization. It was revealed that Pilosella floribunda (Wimm. et Grab.) Fr. is actively being introduced to the exposition areas of the arboretum of the Gornotaezhnaya station, forming extensive loci with a projective coverage of up to 70%. It has been established that a new alien species for the flora of the Ussurisky Reserve is Carduus acanthoides L., found at a considerable distance from previously found places of growth outside the protected area. The information on new habitats of other species of alien plants in the territory of Primorsky krai identified by us in the period from 2019 to 2023 is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During excavations at Koridornaya Cave (Pompeevskiy Ridge, Russian Far East) in 2017–2018 numerous skeletal elements of late Quaternary mammals were recovered for the first time in Priamurye. The aim of this work is to determine the shrew (Soricidae) species and to estimate their abundance. In the deposits of Koridornaya Cave, 890 cranial remains of shrews were found belonging to 10 species from genera: Sorex, Neomys, Beremendia, and Crocidura. The formation period of the deposits is determined as the Last Glacial Interstadial (MIS 3), and the upper part of the deposits contains also Holocene (MIS 1) components. The studied Late Pleistocene communities of shrews of the Pompeevskiy Ridge included modern inhabitants of this territory (S. caecutiens, S. isodon, S. unguiculatus, S. daphaenodon, S. roboratus, S. minutissimus, N. fodiens, and C. lasiura) and S. tundrensis; C. ex gr. suaveolens appeared in the Holocene. Sorex gracillimus, which currently lives here, was not recorded either because it was absent during the time of deposition of the fauna or it was extremely rare. Because of remaining uncertainties, within the framework of this study, B. minor is not considered a part of the Late Pleistocene fauna of Far Eastern shrews. The dominant species in the shrew communities in the Last Glacial Interstadial at the Pompeevskiy Ridge was S. caecutiens, just as in the shrew communities during Late Pleistocene to Holocene in the southern Sikhote-Alin Mountains and in most of modern shrew communities in the south of the Russian Far East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the ecological and anatomical study of plants in the coastal shallows of rivers and lakes of the Lower Amur region are presented to identify their resistance and adaptability to the habitat conditions. Seven stenotopic species have been studied. It is revealed that the vegetative organs of plants are characterized by a combination of typical hydromorphic and specific adaptive features. The species are adapted to sandy-clay shallow habitats due to histological transformations of the main tissues. The narrow specialization of species does not affect the typical structure of plant organs and does not cause a simplification of their internal structure. The studied species are to a greater extent characterized by evidences of terrestrial micromorphology (sclerification, suberinization, and cutinization of tissues) rather than of hydrophytic one. It is assumed that a specific complex of flora of shallows is mainly formed by terrestrial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought urgency to Russia's reorienting of its key international trade corridors. Shifts in trade flows had been developing for some time before the invasion, in particular the 'turn to the East' of 2012. But they have been more dramatic since the invasion. The article describes these new developments, covering trade in all directions: the ports of the north-west, in circumstances of a dramatic decline in trade with Europe; the Northern Sea Route; the overtaxed East, including the Eastern rail network (the polygon), the ports of the Russian Far East, and the land border with China; and southern routes, through Turkey and Iran, that have suddenly received new importance. Although not a full-blown policy analysis, the article makes some points relevant to our understanding of the Russian policy process, in particular the relevance of commercial considerations in a policy area with national security implications, the role of Putin as alternatively a decisive and diffident leader, and the place of bureaucratic politics, including the role within it of official and business champions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the status of two natural populations of the rare, endemic medicinal species Alangium platanifolium known from the Russian Federation is provided in this article. Information about one of them is reported for the first time. Geobotanical descriptions of the phytocenoses are presented. In southern Primorskii krai, A. platanifolium has been noted to grow in the shrub layer of coniferous/broad-leaved forest with Pinus koraiensis and Abies holophylla. It has also been found that the area of the population discovered 20 years ago has expanded tenfold and now amounts to 10 ha. The new locality of A. platanifolium covers an area of 0.25 ha. The total number of A. platanifolium is more than 700 of various-age plants. The data obtained extends the current knowledge of the distribution and life state of A. platanifolium and indicates the fact of the growth of subtropical elements in phytocenoses of the Russian Federation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese cattail (Typha japonica Miq., section Ebracteolatae) has been restored to its valid taxonomic status and listed as one of the floras of the outmost southern Sakhalin and Kuril Islands for the first time. These are the first records of T. japonica in Russia. With the unique geography and current molecular data (rpl32-trnL intergenic spacer), the latter cattail's combination of morphological characters clearly distinguishes it from all other species of sect. Ebracteolatae (including T. caspica Pobed., T. elata Boreau, and T. tzvelevii Mavrodiev), and also from all currently known bract-less species of Typha, including the Eastern cattail (T. orientalis C.Presl.), with which T. japonica was arbitrarily synonymized previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents new records of six species of moths and butterflies from Kunashir Island. We report on the first records of Nymphalis (Kaniska) canace (Linnaeus, 1763), Araschnia levana (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae), Archiearis parthenias (Linnaeus, 1761) (Geometridae), Bastilla maturata (Walker, 1858) (Erebidae), Xylena (Lithomoia) solidaginis (Hübner, 1803), and Orthosia aoyamensis (Matsumura, 1926) (Noctuidae) from Kunashir Island.

For the first time, the distribution of rare earth elements (REE) has been studied in detail for a number of coal facilities (30 deposits, 650 samples of coal and 210 samples of carbonaceous rocks). The ubiquitous presence of elevated concentrations of REE in coals has been noted. The REE mineral cluster in coals includes the association: ash content of coals – SiO2 – K2O – Al2o3 – TiO2 – Sc – Y – Dy – Ho – Er – Tm – Yb – Lu, and the association La – Ce – Pr – Nd – Sm – Eu – Gd – Tb. The presence of these elements of the mineral part of the coals is preferably in the composition of phosphate minerals – monazite and apatite (according to electron microscopy with microanalysis, the correlation of REE with P2o5). The content of individual REE in humic acids isolated from coals and fractions of coals of different densities has been studied. The specific role of organic matter(s) in the concentration of REE, their presence in the humus component of S and in low-ash coals is shown. Selective accumulation (fractionation) of heavy REE by organic matter has been experimentally established for the first time. Two genetic types of REE mineralization have been identified in coals: mainly terrigenous (hydrogenic) and tufogenic. The increased concentrations of REE in coals are due to the influence of the petrofund. The deposits were ranked according to the degree of prospects for REE based on an assessment of the resource potential of associated REE in the coals of the studied brown coal deposits. REE raw materials (lanthanides in coal ash) differ significantly from traditional types of rare earths ores by an incomparably large relative amount of heavy REE (on average 3–4 times), sometimes reaching 46% of the total REE content. Thus, coal ash is a unique non–traditional source of heavy lanthanides – more rare, valuable and expensive. The coals of the studied deposits should be considered as associated raw materials for rare earths.

This article analyses the distribution patterns of macrozoobenthos in watercourses of the basins of the River Bajal and River Anyuy (Khabarovsky Krai, Russia) on the territories of the Bajal Sanctuary and Anyuy National Park. The distance-based linear models (DistLM) method was used to estimate the proportion of distribution of macroinvertebrates explained by the factors considered in the study (river basin, current velocity, substrate, channel width, temperature, pH). All of these factors contributed significantly, together explaining about one-third of the variability of macroinvertebrate distribution. The main explanatory factors were river basin and substrate (9.3% and 10.5%, respectively), as well as the current velocity (5.7%). Based on the cluster analysis, eight statistically significant groups of samples on the basis of similarity of taxonomic composition were identified. A set of indicator taxa was determined for each group and their indicator values were found. Using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis, the environmental factors significantly differing between the obtained groups and subgroups were singled out. There are well-defined patterns in the confinement of taxonomic complexes to certain habitats. Local environmental factors are the strong filter influencing the formation of taxonomic communities. The factor of belonging to the river basin also plays a significant role in the formation of invertebrate communities, which should be considered in the planning of monitoring studies on a large spatial scale. However, the distinguished groups and subgroups are characterised by a low level of internal similarity. Only about a quarter of the total species number belongs to indicator taxa, and samples do not form discrete clusters with obvious hiatus on the ordination diagram. The longitudinal distribution of macroinvertebrates for each river can be characterised as a punctuated gradient.

A comprehensive overview of the state of knowledge on the ChilopodaGeophilomorpha of the Asian part of Russia is presented, based on the critical revision of all published morphological descriptions and all geographical records. Revised diagnoses for all the 38 nominal species so far reported from Asian Russia are given, with comments on their validity. Among them a total of 18 species are recorded only from this region and many of them from a single locality only. The species belong to Geophilidae s. l., (in the genera Arctogeophilus, Geophilus, Pachymerium, and Strigamia), Schendylidae (Escaryus), and Mecistocephalidae (Agnostrup, Arrup, and Tygarrup). At least two species have been introduced, namely Geophilus flavus and Tygarrup javanicus. The history of studies on the Geophilomorpha in the Asian part of Russia are also summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven species of Callophyllis have been known off the Pacific coast of Russia; hovewer, molecular data have been obtained only for three species. In this study we re-examined the genus along the Russian Pacific coast using a comparative morphological study and molecular analyses based on rbcL and nrLSU. Five genetic species were identified on the Russian coast based on phylogenetics and species delimitation (ASAP and p-distance) analyses; while C. beringensis, C. papulosa and C. platyna were outscore of the analyses. The results of the molecular analyses uncovered one undescribed species, which we named C. selivanovae sp. nov. The divergence between this species and other species of the genus varied from 1.16% to 5.66%, while intraspecific divergence in the genus was in a range of 0.00%–0.22%. In phylogenetic trees C. selivanovae was recognized as sister to a diverse clade including C. thompsonii, C. beringensis, C. violacea, C. flabellulata and C. variegata from the Pacific coast of Canada. Callophyllis selivanovae from the southeastern coast of Kamchatka is morphologically close to C. beringensis, described from St. Paul Island (Bering Sea); the two species differ in features of branching, shape and size of the terminal branches. We propose a new name, C. perestenkoae sp. nov., for the algae previously listed in the Russian flora as 'C. flabellata'. Pacific specimens assigned to C. perestenkoae differ from C. flabellata from the type locality (Atlantic, France) in having irregular branching, thicker apical branches, and smaller cystocarps. We also filled in the gaps in the description of C. radula for which procarp and tetrasporangia are described herein for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stratigraphic distribution of early Olenekian ammonoids of the genus Churkites (family Arctoceratidae Arthaber, 1911) from a new locality in South Primorye (Artyomovka River basin, Shtykovskie Prudy) is studied. The new species of Churkites (Ch. ungunensis sp. nov. and Ch. subungunensis sp. nov.) are described based on the material from the lower Olenekian zones of the Khabarovsk Region (T.M. Okuneva's collection) and South Primorye. The composition of the type species of the genus Churkites (Ch. egregius Zharnikova et Okuneva, 1990) is re-defined. It is proposed to distinguish three phylogenetic lineages within the genera Arctoceras (A. tuberculatum) and Churkites (six species): (I) Arctoceras tuberculatum–Churkites noblei–Ch. egregius, (II) Ch. egregius–Ch. syaskoi and (III) Ch. syaskoi–Ch. subungunensis–Ch. ungunensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a unique ecosystem with peculiar biodiversity that includes cyanobacteria and algae. Traditionally, cyanobacterial and algal cenoses were described mainly using the dominance approach, rarely based on the Braun-Blanquet method (floristic classification). More importantly, in both cases, the species of cyanobacteria and algae in communities were identified using classical methods (light microscopy) only. In this study, we present results of soil algal cenoses classification using the Braun-Blanquet approach based on species composition data obtained via an integrative approach. Characteristic tables include 19 out of 108 samples collected in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Primorsky Territory, and Sakhalin Region (Iturup Island) in 2018 and in 2020–2021. Twenty-five species of algae from four classes were identified in these sites. We described three new associations of algal communities—Coelastrelletum aeroterrestricae ass. nova, Vischerietum magnae ass. nova, Bracteacoccetum bullati ass. nova. PCA analysis corroborated the results of syntaxonomic analysis and revealed that Coelastrelletum aeroterrestricae inhabit soils with a high value of P; Vischerietum magnae inhabit soils with high value of soil organic carbon (SOC), N, and higher humidity; and Bracteacoccetum bullati inhabit soils with high K values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kamchatka is a remote volcanic peninsula in the sub-arctic Far East of Russia. Its myrmecofauna has been scientifically addressed several times. However, previous species lists are contradictory in part and a modern study seems to be lacking. Based on literature review, I conclude that 12 species and 4 genera (Camponotus, Formica, Leptothorax and Myrmica) of ants may be native to Kamchatka. Of those, 9 were found in the field, 3 having a Holarctic, 3 a trans-Palearctic and 3 an East Palearctic distribution. Most species diversity was found at mid-elevations, in pine shrubs and mixed forests, while deciduous forests and open habitats at lower altitudes were surprisingly species poor. DNA-barcoding was performed for 57 specimens/9 species. Genetic diversity (COI) was low for 8/9 species, with the exception of Leptothorax acervorum, for which all samples were of a different haplotype and 2 haplogroups were identified. For the encountered Holarctic and trans-Palearctic species, closely related haplotypes (<0.7% raw distance) occur in Europe and/or North America. Some Formica ants were morphologically atypical, with workers partially resembling those of F. fusca, while gynes identified as F. lemani. Morphometric analysis and DNA-barcoding suggested that all these specimens belong to a single species, F. lemani. Standard images for all specimens and an illustrated key to the worker caste are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Enchytraeids, or potworms, are tiny oligochaetes that are distributed worldwide in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Despite their key role in the functioning of ecosystems, the diversity and abundance of Enchytraeidae are rarely studied due to the laborious process of species identification. The present study addresses this gap and sheds some light on the distribution and abundance of enchytraeids in the lands of the Northern Palearctic. The provided dataset constitutes the latest and comprehensive field sampling of enchytraeid assemblages across the Asiatic part of the Northern Palearctic, encompassing an original set of soil samples systematically collected throughout the region from 2019 to 2022. New information The dataset includes occurrences from 131 georeferenced sites, encompassing 39 species and 7,074 records. This represents the first dataset providing species-specific information about the distribution and abundance of terrestrial enchytraeids across an extensive geographic area covering the Asian sector of the Northern Palaearctic. The compiled dataset is the key for exploring and understanding local and regional enchytraeid diversity. It may also serve as a valuable resource for monitoring and conserving the entire soil biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The Amur leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura Elliot 1871) in the southern part of the Russian Far East mainly lives in flat and foothill landscapes, which have now been mostly transformed by man. The data were collected in the period 1987–2022 in southern Amur oblast (the left bank of the Amur River in the southern part of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO) and the right bank of the Amur River (the right bank of the estuary of the Ussuri River), Khabarovsk krai). Tracks of cats and dead animals were recorded, and camera traps were used. The data of 4560 diaries of employees of the Department of Protection of the Bolshekhekhtsirskii Reserve, located in the research area, for the period 1964–2009 were used. At present on the left bank of the Amur River in the southern part of the JAO, the Amur leopard cat lives constantly, although in the 2010s it was believed that it rarely entered this territory. The number of sightings of cat tracks in the study area on the right bank of the Amur in the years 2011–2021 compared to the period 2000–2010 increased about two times. It has populated areas within the range where it had never been noted previously. The increase in the number and the process of settlement of the Amur leopard cat, both on the left bank and on the right bank of the Amur River began in the 2000s, and since the beginning of the 2010s it has been observed constantly. Currently, the cat lives in a sedentary manner in southern Amur oblast, which is confirmed by the findings of its broods. The cat mainly lives on agricultural land, which is due to its ability to adapt well to anthropogenic changes in the habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on comparative morphometrics and molecular genetic analyses for two key regions of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase), a bat captured in the southern part of Primorskii krai, Russian Far East, was identified as belonging to a species new to Russia: Eptesicus pachyomus, which ranges from Iran to Korea. According to genetic data, the bat is allocated to a separate branch within the species, whereas morphometry showed it to be closer to the subspecies pallens. A detailed phylogeographic study within the species E. pachyomus is required to determine the subspecies reliably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal diet of the sable (Martes zibellina L. 1758) was studied based on material collected in the years 1987–1996, 1998–2002, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014, mainly in the Bolʼshekhekhtsirskii Nature Reserve. The sable population of the Khekhtsir Mountain Ridge, the western part of which is occupied by the nature reserve, was artificially restored, and it presently lives in isolation from the species' main distribution area in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. The main food items of the sable at any time of the year are mammals (frequency of occurrence (fo) = 94.1%, feed ratio (F) = 84.8%), voles in particular. It chases voles a little more often in winter (December to February) (fo = 84.9%, F = 80.9%) and spring (March to May) (fo = 82.0%, F = 80.0%) than in summer (June to August) (fo = 81.6%, F = 71.3%) or autumn (September to November) (fo = 90.6%, F = 74.8%). Plants are the next most important food in the diet of the sable following mammals: (fo = 26%, F = 12.4%). Sables eat seeds and fruits of ten plant species in all seasons of the year, but those of only three plants are decisive: the Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), the Actinidia kolomikta (Actinidia kolomikta), and the Korean mistletoe (Viscum coloratum). At the same time, actinidia fruits are the main vegetable food for the sable in summer (fo = 18.4%, F = 12.2%); Korean pine seeds, in autumn (fo = 25.2%, F = 11.1%); and mistletoe fruits, in winter (fo = 8.5%, F = 7.5%). Birds are only minor among sable prey (fo = 1.5%, F = 0.9%). The proportion of birds in the diet of the sable is slightly increased in summer. Insects, mollusks, and honey are the only additional food items in the sable diet, all being seasonal. Only insects (ground beetles, carrion beetles) play significant roles in the diet in summer. Small shares of mollusks are recorded in the sable diet in summer, and some honey in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron and iron–manganese deposits form three closely spaced clusters within the Lesser Khingan Range of the Russian Far East. Fe-Mn mineralization is hosted in Vendian–Cambrian carbonates and composed of magnetite, hematite, braunite, haussmanite, rhodochrosite and pyrolusite. The iron–manganese ores are closely associated with explosive intermediate–felsic breccias, magnetite-rich lavas, dolerites and mineralized lithocrystalloclastic tuffs. Magmatic rocks display both concordant and discordant relationships with Fe-Mn mineralization and contain abundant xenoliths of host carbonates. Both magmatic rocks (with the exception of Nb-enriched dolerites) and Fe-Mn ores are characterized by variable enrichments in large-ion lithophile and light rare earth elements and strong depletions in high-field strength elements compatible with the broad subduction setting for explosive volcanism and associated hydrothermal Fe-Mn ore mineralization. Nd-Sr isotope systematics suggest contamination by both ancient and juvenile continental crust and the involvement of recycled pelagic sediment in the formation of Fe-Mn deposits in the Lesser Khingan Range of the Russian Far East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula is one of the least studied species within the genus Martes and there is contradictory information regarding its daily activity, spanning from diurnal to nocturnal or cathemeral. Our long-term studies of the daily and seasonal activity of the Yellow-throated marten were carried out in five protected areas of Primorsky Krai (Russian Far East) using a large-scale network of camera traps from 2010 to 2021. The aim of the study was to find out the pattern of daily activity of the species, its changes over the seasons and in different territories of the region. We found that the Yellow-throated marten had a pronounced diurnal activity pattern, including one or two detection peaks per day. The species is less active at dusk and almost inactive at night in this part of its range. Two clusters with different patterns of marten activity were identified in the protected areas of Primorsky Krai: with one pronounced peak around noon in the continental part with a more severe climate and smoothed activity in coastal areas with milder climatic conditions. Seasonal detection has two peaks in April-May and October, which corresponds to species biological requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional morphology-based investigations of the red algal genera Devaleraea and Palmaria (Palmariaceae, Rhodophyta) fail to provide accurate accounts of diversity and distribution for species from the Russian coast of the north-western Pacific. Consequently, there is much disagreement and taxonomic uncertainty regarding several species. To resolve these issues we conducted a molecular-assisted investigation that included a DNA barcode survey (COI-5') and multilocus (COI-5', cob, psaA, ITS) phylogenetic analyses. Our analyses indicate that diversity was previously underestimated for the Devaleraea/Palmaria complex. We describe three additional species of Devaleraea: D. sakhalinensis sp. nov., D. kussakinii sp. nov. and D. urupiana sp. nov. We consider D. titlyanoviorum to be an alga with abundant proliferations from the margins, branching to several orders, that is known only from Kunashir Island. Algae from Sakhalin Island and the mainland coast of the Sea of Japan previously identified as D. titlyanoviorum are described here as D. sakhalinensis. We confirmed that the genus Palmaria is not monotypic. It includes at least two species: P. palmata in the North Atlantic and P. moniliformis in the north-western Pacific. We expand the known ranges of D. callophylloides, D. mollis and P. hecatensis in the north-western Pacific southwards and find that D. stenogona is confined to the northern part of the Sea of Japan. The distribution patterns of species of the genera Devaleraea and Palmaria are discussed in relation to the oceanography of the north-western Pacific. Three new species of the genus Devaleraea are proposed. The genus Palmaria is not monotypic and includes at least two species, P. moniliformis and P. palmata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Far Eastern trematodes of the genus Echinochasmus were studied. As the analysis of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene sequence showed, the examined Far Eastern individuals did not belong to the species E. beleocephalus despite their morphological similarities and represented a new species, Echinochasmus pseudobeleocephalus n. sp. An analysis of phylogenetic relationships in Echinochasmidae supported their status as an independent species. The subdivision of individuals of the genus Echinochasmus into two groups was also confirmed on the basis of the number of head-collar spines and the tail length in cercariae. Adult individuals of Echinochasmus pseudobeleocephalus n. sp. were obtained during an experimental study on trematodes' life cycle. An analysis of the morphometric characteristics of the developmental stages and involvement of first intermediate hosts, snails of the genus Boreoelona, in their life cycle, revealed the identity of the obtained trematodes to the European species Echinochasmus beleocephalus previously discovered in the south of the Russian Far East. However, an analysis of molecular data, in particular sequences of the 28S rRNA gene, showed that the Far Eastern trematodes examined do not belong to European E. beleocephalus despite their morphological similarities. An analysis of phylogenetic relationships within the family Echinochasmidae supported the status of E. pseudobeleocephalus n. sp. as an independent species. Our new data confirmed that the individuals attributed to Echinochasmus can be subdivided into two groups on the basis of the number of head-collar spines and the tail length in cercariae on an intergeneric level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The rare relict species Paracyphoderris erebeus is endemic to the Russian Far East. The primary objectives of this study were (1) to provide the unpublished data on habitat, behaviour and biology of the Amurian grig, (2) to discuss some issues arising from long-term studies of distribution, and (3) to produce ecologo-geographic models of the species distribution over the Far East as the basis to forecast some possible shifts in its distribution. Ecologo-geographic modelling of the P. erebeus distribution in 2021–2060 shows that the species range will be relatively stable. New data on distribution, ecology and biology of the rare extant species Paracyphoderris erebeus of the almost completely ancient family Prophalangopsidae (Orthoptera) are given. This montane species prefers humid areas with relatively low summer temperatures. Habits, mating behaviour and life history of P. erebeus are extremely similar to those of the North American representatives of the genus Cyphoderris. Nowadays, the Amurian grig is known from the Myaochan, Badzhalsky, Dusse-Alin, Bureinsky and Aezop ridges in the Khabarovsk Territory (north of the Amur River) and Bydyr Mountain in the Jewish Autonomous Region of Russia only. The analysis of the predicted distribution of P. erebeus based on the occurrence data reveals that the populations of the species may be more widely distributed over the southern part of the Russian Far East, at least up to 56° N. The ecologo-geographic model of the species distribution over its range is generated using the Maxent 3.4.4 software for the first time. Modelling of the P. erebeus distribution for 2021–2040 and 2041–2060 shows that the position of the species range appears to be relatively stable but a weak decline in the foretold suitability during climate warming may result in a reduction in population sizes and the subsequent fragmentation of the species population system. In this case, the Amurian grig will become a prospective to be included on the IUCN Red List. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the results of the mineralogical and chemical study of sandstones and U–Pb isotope dating of detrital zircons from the Paleozoic–Early Mesozoic deposits of the Laoeling–Grodekovo terrane in western Primorye. It is shown that the sandstones of different age of the terrane differ markedly in their mineralogical and geochemical parameters and, hence, were derived from different sources. The sandstones of the Kordonka Formation are made up of fragments of basic and intermediate volcanic rocks of the oceanic island arc, as well as igneous and sedimentary rock associations of the oceanic island-arc basement. Eroded stable cratons and uplifted blocks representing crystalline basement inliers that are either flanked by rift zones or occurring along transform faults exerted a strong effect on the accumulation of sandstones of the Reshetnikovka, Barabash and Mangugai formations. The main suppliers of detritus were felsic igneous rocks with minor input from ancient sedimentary rocks. The rift margins and the eroded ensialic arc provided clastic material for the rocks of the Talmi Formation. The U–Pb geochronological studies of detrital zircons made it possible to constrain the age and possible position of igneous complexes that supplied clastic material to the sedimentary basins of the terrane. The sandstones were found to contain detrital zircons with concordant ages from 2553 to 205 Ma, which are dominated by Paleozoic zircons divided into several age groups. The zircons of Precambrian and Triassic ages are far fewer. In general, the revealed age ranges of detrital zircons from sandstones of the Laoeling–Grodekovo terrane agree fairly well with the known stages of granitoid magmatism in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epigeic spider assemblages of oak forests were studied in the Leopard Land National Park and the Kedrovaya Pad’ Nature Reserve in Russia. The material was collected from four sites in 2018–2020. Overall, the field work covered the period from 23 May to September 2. In the oak forests studied, 956 adult spider individuals, representing 51 species, 40 genera, and 15 families, were collected. Two species, Zelotes kimwha (Gnaphosidae) and Lasaeola yoshidai (Theridiidae), are new for the Russian fauna. The family Lycosidae was the most abundant worldwide. The most numerous species was the wolf spider, Alopecosa virgata. Diversity indices showed higher values at the end of the activity time when the abundance of the dominant species sharply decreased and the structure of the assemblages became more even. A more or less stable, albeit low activity was recorded only for Alloclubionoides paiki (Agelenidae). The results of the multivariate analysis of variance showed that the studied spider assemblages in the four oak forest plots differed significantly with respect to “site” and “season”. However, the contribution of the “season” parameter to the differentiation of assemblages was the greatest. The peak of spider activity occurs in the first decade of June in the mixed shrub-oak forest.

The article deals with the Japanese medical presence in the Russian Far East in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. It has been found that, during the Meiji period (1868–1912), as a part of the modernization in Japan, there was an active development and introduction of Western dental technologies into everyday life. Following global trends, the Japanese government set a course on the standard-setting regulation of the training and professional activities of specialists in the field of dentistry. The authors believe that dentistry in Japan has passed the way from traditional healing practices to medical science and medical specialty in a short period of time due to the borrowing of Western technologies. The article reveals the causes and features of labor migration of Japanese dentists to Russia. Russian authorities did not interfere in labor migration. However, the law did not provide for private dental practice by foreigners without passing an exam at a university medical faculty. Nevertheless, many Japanese specialists were able to legalize their activities. Using the example of the identified historical characters and their activities, a picture of the organization and provision of dental care to the population by Japanese migrants is being described. The authors argue that Japanese dentists were acting within the framework of Russian legislation and were limited in their professional work. They also applied Western technologies of treatment and prosthetics. Flexible pricing policy, a wide range of materials and technologies, relevant skills and personal qualities made it possible for Japanese dentists to earn the trust of patients and provided them with high material well-being. The researchers were unable to find examples of scientific, practical, or educational interaction between Russian and Japanese specialists in the field of dentistry during the studied period. The Japanese living in the Russian Far East did not aspire to legalize their activities completely by passing exams at Russian universities. The authors suppose that it was due to insufficient knowledge of the Russian language, high financial and time costs, geographic remoteness of the region from educational and scientific centers, and lack of plans for a permanent stay in Russia.

The purpose of the research is the morphological and molecular identification of trematodes found in the intestines of migratory waterfowl with subsequent taxonomic evaluation.Materials and methods. Mature specimens of trematodes were collected from the intestines of waterfowl (Fulica atra and Aythya ferina) shot during the ecological-faunistic monitoring in the southern part of the Primorsky krai. Preliminary morphological analyze revealed that trematodes belong to the Echinostomatidae family. The whole-mounts of worms from F. atra were prepared using standard methods with alum carmine. Divergent domains of 28S ribosomal RNA gene were sequenced and used to determine systematic position and relationships of discovered species of echinostome by reconstructing Bayesian and Maximum likelihood trees.Results and discussion. Trematodes found in the coots' intestine, should be described as Neomoliniella longicorpa in the new genus Neomoliniella gen. et sp. nov., which is reliably confirmed by morphological and genetics data. Another cryptic echinostomatid species sister to Neomoliniella gen. nov., and probably representing the separate unknown genus, was demonstrated only on the phylogenetic reconstructions and confirmed by large genetic distances. Currently, this taxon is indicated as Echinostomatidae gen. sp. and more evidence is needed for its validation. We also report about the first detection of Echinostoma paraulum from A. ferina in the south of the Russian Far East. The biology, morphology of each life cycle stage of newly described species of worms should be investigated to test not only their scientific but also medical significance. For the first time in the history of the group, dichotomous keys for eight families of the superfamilyEchinostomatoidea and, to date, the largest of all previously known for the family Echinostomatidae identification chart – dichotomous keys for the identification of 27 Palearctic genera were compiled.

The article examines Japanese medical practice in the territory of the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER or KVZhD) during its construction and operation. The archival material made it possible to find that the Japanese community was eager to take responsibility for providing medical care to its subjects independently. They achieved this by attracting national physicians whose activities were built on the principles of private medical practice. The provision of medical care followed the principles of Western medicine, although traditional medicine methods were not excluded. The Russian authorities allowed Japanese doctors to maintain their practice in the Russian-controlled territories, but medical care was provided only to their compatriots, as well as to the Chinese and Korean population. However, the activities of Japanese doctors were treated with distrust and wariness in Russian society, both due to the migrants’ low level of education and due to the existing narrative about the so-called “Yellow Peril.” Another aspect of the activities of Japanese physicians in Manchuria was the familiarization of the local population with European medicine methods. To achieve this, private, public, and charitable Japanese medical institutions were established. The difficult epidemiological situation in Manchuria, sanitary problems, socio-economic problems, requirements of Russian legislation, inter-faith divisions, and language barriers raised issues for the territorial communities’ leaders on increasing the availability and quality of health care for their compatriots. The initiatives and proposals of the Japanese community to open public hospitals in Manchuria, centralized medical examinations, strict sanitary procedures, and quarantine measures were supported by the Japanese central authorities. They were considered not only as elements of civilization and colonial ambitions but also as a means of social control not only over Japanese subjects.