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Morphometric indicators of trees' assimilative apparatus, including their reflection and light-absorbing properties, largely determine their physiological processes. Leaf initiation and development depend on chlorophyll resulting from photosynthesis, water absorption, its movement through a tree and evaporation. The aim of the paper is to evaluate leaf optical properties of Tilia cordata Mill. It was found that optical coefficients of leaf blades vary depending on the time of sample collection: at the end of the growing season, the leaf blade absorptance (Ab) ranges from 68.9% to 72.4%. During the intensive formation of Tilia flowers, the Ab coefficient decreases to 59.2%. It starts to rise before the beginning of the Tilia fruit maturation. The transmittance, Tr, is also lower at the period of intense flower development. Estimating NDVI (vegetation index) and LAI (leaf area index) from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery showed that the ratio between these indices (NDVI-LAI) changes during the entire growing season. The NDVI-LAI correlation varied up to the strongest one during the entire phenological cycle.

Heritage speakers (HSs) are known to differ from monolingual speakers in various linguistic domains. The present study focuses on the syntactic properties of monolingual and heritage Russian. Using a corpus of semi-spontaneous spoken and written narratives produced by HSs of Russian residing in the US and Germany, we investigate HSs’ word order patterns and compare them to monolingual speakers of Russian from Saint Petersburg. Our results show that the majority language (ML) of HSs as well as the clause type contribute to observed differences in word order patterns between speaker groups. Specifically, HSs in Germany performed similarly to monolingual speakers of Russian while HSs in the US generally produced more SVO and less OVS orders than the speakers of the latter group. Furthermore, HSs in the US produced more SVO orders than both monolingual speakers and HSs in Germany in embedded clauses, but not in main clauses. The results of the study are discussed with the reference to the differences between main and embedded clauses as well as the differences between the MLs of the HSs., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Projekt DEAL

The aim of the study is to assess the response of plantations in general and individual trees to thinnings of different intensity. The research target is forests located on the forestry fund lands of the Bashkortostan Republic. The research is based on the method of test areas used in complete enumeration and selection of sample trees of Tilia cordata Mill. There was conducted an analysis of variability of morphological characteristics of lime trees after thinnings of different intensity in young stands (from 50 to 75%). After cleaning from 1 to 10 shoots were on mother stumps. The analysis showed that thinnings have a direct impact on formation of trunks and crowns of target trees: low intensity thinning provides a strong variation (the crown length -- 21.2%, the crown projection diameter -- 37.9%), while high intensity cutting brings in less change (the crown length -- 11.7%, the crown projection diameter-- 18.0%). The felling intensity influenced the nature of flowering and distribution of flowers: on the plot with an intensity of 75% and 1 shoot on the stump, there is the highest occurrence of flowering trees -- 20.8%; while on the plot after thinning with 50% intensity and an average number of 10 shoots on the stump, 55.3% of trees didn't bloom. In general, there are 4.2-20.8% trees with very good flowering and uniform arrangement of flowers throughout the crown. Studies have found that thinning of young stands in aspen forests, located close to beekeeping apiaries, makes it possible to restock the plots with nectar plantations of predominantly small-leaved lime trees.

This paper studies the factors influencing the level of climate-related disclosure by Russian companies. It has several distinctive features in comparison to previous works: 1) climate change disclosure by Russian companies is studied for the first time; 2) textual analysis is used to evaluate the level of disclosure, and a new Russian glossary on climate change is compiled; 3) a unique set of indicators is used to assess the impact of factors on climate change disclosure. Legitimacy and signalling theories are used to formulate the hypotheses. The sample consists of 47 Russian companies with the largest market capitalization. Their 235 annual and sustainability reports for 2015-2019 are analysed. Using regression analysis, we show that a company’s absolute amount of greenhouse gas emissions, size, industry affiliation, and CDPrating positively affect its level of disclosure about climate change. In contrast, state ownership and a high debt burden have a negative impact. At the same time, the newness of assets, capital expenditures, interest coverage and company growth opportunities have no effect on climate change disclosure. Empirical results have confirmed the applicability of legitimacy theory to the Russian market. The present study will provide investors and regulators with tools for predicting a company’s impact on climate based on its level of climate change disclosure.

Background The paper provides studies on the structure of planted small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) in the conditions of the Bashkir Cis-Urals. This work aimed to analyze their assortment by diameters and compile appropriate tables. This is the first study of lime for this region. The results of the study are based on data from 69 temporary sample plots. Stands are represented by trees of 11–79 years old, not affected by thinning. They belong to the I–III growth classes and the most common goutweed forests. Results It was found, that small-leaved limes have a specific structure—coefficient of diameter variation in stands decreases with a higher average diameter, reaching 26 and 16% at 28 cm with thin and dense initial planting, respectively. The variability of tree diameters is related to the average stand diameter and is due to the initial density of the grown plantations. Correlations between the coefficients of asymmetry and excess with age and the average diameter was revealed. Conclusions The verification of theoretically calculated frequencies of distribution series to empirically observed frequencies showed a discrepancy in 29 and 19% of the total number, respectively. For the remaining series of distributions, the scale and shape parameters of the Weibull function were modeled using the average, minimum and maximum diameters, standard deviation, coefficients of asymmetry and excess. This made it possible to develop stand tables for small-leaved limes depending on the average diameter.

Tilia cordata Mill. is considered to be the main tree species resistant to urban conditions and it is widely used in the greening of cities. The aim of the study is to assess the patterns of growth and development of small-leaved linden plantations in the urban environment. The research is based on the method of sample areas where continuous enumeration survey has been carried out. The study of urban greening objects was conducted using the methods of landscape assessment and complete enumeration of trees in alley plantings. It was found that Tilia cordata Mill. grows in all districts and zones of the city of Ufa, occupying 34.4% of green areas. During this research it was found that artificially created alley plantings of Tilia cordata Mill. are more well-kept and have well-developed crowns which create a tree shade sometimes 8-10 meters wide (the average crown projection being 7 m). Since alley plantings have repeatedly been pruned, trees in this area are characterized by a large increase in diameter and strong height growth stagnation. Thus, when studying linden plantings of the same age, a sharp difference in the size and shape of trees was observed.

Effective forest management is based on the multipurpose use of existing forest resources and its ecological functions. The principle of multifunctionality is focused on sustainable forest manageme...

This paper examines carbon stocks in the forests of the Ural region forest fund. Carbon deposition in forest biomass, the average, average annual and annual carbon absorption were assessed by age groups and dominant species. The average annual rates of forest destruction were estimated depending on the territory of forest fires and burnt areas. Carbon losses in the biomass pool after continuous logging were estimated according to the methodology "On approving guidance to calculate greenhouse gas emissions” developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. Carbon storage indicators were calculated from the groundwood of coniferous, hard-leaved and soft-leaved forests for all age groups. Changes in carbon stocks are shown for the period 2007-2018. The forests of the study area, the Republic of Bashkortostan, were found to sink carbon in 3,618.9 thousand tons/year. Pinus sylvestris L. forests accumulate the largest amount of carbon, 58,384.3 thousand tons, among coniferous forests. The difference between carbon absorption and its budget was 3,124.4 thousand tons/year. Soft-leaved stands that dominate in the republic accumulate the largest total carbon stock being 195,900.2 thousand tons. However, their average level of carbon stock is lower than that of coniferous and hard-leaved forests. Maintaining the level of carbon dioxide uptake is a strategic task of the republic's forestry sector, with compensatory reforestation being one solution. Keywords: absorption; carbon; coniferous forests; deciduous forests; storage; wood harvesting

The management of beekeeping on forest lands is a vivid manifestation of the multifunctional use of forests, which is based on its target cultivation. The work shows the development of beekeeping, identifies factors affecting the sustainable development of this industry, sets priorities for increasing the efficiency of utilization of forest honey resources of the Southern Urals, including the main melliferous - Tilia cordata Mill. The nature and characteristics of the influence of weather and climatic factors on the growth of bee colonies, their physiological state, composition, age representation of natural melliferous woody plants, the onset dates and the duration of their flowering were determined. It was found that, of the silvicultural and inventory indicators, the composition and age, density and type of forest most strongly influence the yield of honey. The activities of forest care are close to them in terms of importance. A system of organizational measures has been proposed, through which high efficiency of using forest feed resources and sustainable development of beekeeping can be achieved: keeping an optimal number of bee colonies in an apiary - up to 150 hives, based on providing one bee colony of 50-60 thousand individuals with at least 130 kg of nectar; the location of apiaries in the 3-kilometer zone of growth of forest melliferous plants, taking into account the productive emergence of bees in the 2.5-3.0 km; establishing clear nomadic routes based on a geobotanic inventory of forest and agricultural melliferous plants. Increasing the target indicator - the nectar productivity of forests without a gap in their use both in space and in time - can be achieved by growing multi-tiered forests of different age from Tilia cordata Mill.