Search

This article addresses some problems connected with the assessment of biodiversity in the area of Olimpiada Mining and Processing Plant, Polyus Krasnoyarsk. The outcome of two years-long (2018–2019) integrated monitoring of natural and manmade eco-systems is presented. The main landscape types are identified using satellite images and route observation data. The structure of habitat on the natural landscape and in the disturbed areas is estimated, with identification of: the sites with pronounced environmental impact of mining (overburden and waste rock dumps and slopes, manmade water reservoirs and banks); abandoned or reclaimed manmade objects; urban territory of the miners settlement; control (baseline) sites (pyrogenic-nature and primary forest, valley and flood-plain planting). It is emphasized that the soil cover and the thermal background in the test territory has been essentially transformed, which can greatly affect local biodiversity. Inspection of the natural and manmade eco-systems in the area of Olimpiada MPP has revealed 177 species of plants, including 153 species of higher vascular plants, 14 species of mosses and 10 species of lichens. The flora of vascular plants represents 46 families and 112 kinds. The species resistant to anthropogenic transformation are identified. The fauna biodiversity is represented by 34 species of mammals (Mammalia) from 5 orders (insect-eating, rodents, carnivores, cloven-footed and wing-handed animals) as well as by 110 species of birds Aves). The marker species are specified for monitoring of small mammals and birds in the test region. The research findings point at the required monitoring of biodiversity both in the territory of the mining and processing plant and in the adjacent undisturbed baseline area.

We investigated changes in the temperature regime of post-fire and post-technogenic cryogenic soils of Central Siberia using remote sensing data and results of numerical simulation. We have selected the time series of satellite data for two variants of plots with disturbed vegetation and on-ground cover: natural ecosystems of post-fire plots and post-technogenic plots with reclamation as well as dumps without reclamation. Surface thermal anomalies and temperature in soil horizons were evaluated from remote data and numerical simulation and compared with summarized experimental data. We estimated the influence of soil profile disturbances on the temperature anomalies forming on the surface and in soil horizons based on the results of heat transfer modeling in the soil profile. According to remote sensing data, within 20 years, the thermal insulation properties of the vegetation cover restore in the post-fire areas, and the relative temperature anomaly reaches the level of background values. In post-technogenic plots, conditions are more “contrast” comparing to the background, and the process of the thermal regime restoration takes a longer time (&gt, 60 years). Forming “neo-technogenic ecosystems” are distinct in special thermal regimes of soils that differ from the background ones both in reclamated and in non-reclamated plots. An assumption was made of the changes in the moisture content regime as the main factor causing the long-term existence of thermal anomalies in the upper soil horizons of disturbed plots. In addition, we discussed the formation of transition zones (“ecotones”) along the periphery of the disturbed plots due to horizontal heat transfer.

We examined and simulated the consequences of the degradation of the litter and the moss&ndash, lichen layer after fire impact, which could affect the seasonal temperature of the soil and the depth of the seasonally thawed layer (STL) in the permafrost zone. According to the analysis of satellite imagery for 2000 to 2019, the fire-disturbed area in the region of interest amounted to 20%. The main aims of the study included quantitative evaluation of the variation range of summer temperature anomalies at fire-damaged plots, summarizing the statistical norm of the STL depending on natural conditions, and numerical simulation of the response of the STL. Using Terra and Aqua/MODIS imagery, we analyzed surface temperature (in bands of &lambda, = 10.780&ndash, 11.280 and 11.770&ndash, 12.270 &mu, m) coupled with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for non-disturbed and fire-damaged sites under the same natural conditions of larch forests in Central Siberia. Heat transfer, freezing and thawing processes were numerically simulated for two extreme cases of soil conditions: dry soil and water-saturated soil. The model was also applied to soil with non-homogeneous water content. As input parameters, we used data on the properties of cryogenic soils collected in larch forests (Larix gmelinii) in the flat-mountainous taiga region of the Evenkia (Central Siberia). For post-fire plots, surface temperature anomalies observed during summer months remained significant for more than 15&ndash, 20 years after fire impact, while the NDVI values were restored to the statistical norm within 7&ndash, 10 years of the fire. According to the results of numerical simulation, the thickness of the STL could show a 30&ndash, 50% increase compared to the statistical norm. In the first approximation, we showed the annual soil temperature dynamics at various depths in disturbed and non-disturbed plots.

Subregional occurrence of fires in Siberian forests and seasonal variations in heat and moisture supply are analyzed. Instrumental data on wildfires registered through satellite monitoring data for the period of 1996–2016 are used. The dynamics of the weather fire danger index (PV-1) and intraseasonal anomalies of the Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) defining fire occurrence variation are revealed using meteorological data series for the Siberian subregions. The statistical regularities of the dynamics of the weather fire danger index are summarized for subregions. The separated scenarios are formalized by model functions. The projections of the probability of the scenarios’ implementation, the fire return period, and the respective relative burned area are determined.

This article contains data on the dynamics of thermal fields in postfire areas obtained using remote satellite imagery. It is found that postfire areas of the permafrost zone have a background thermal field in the range of 10.780–11.280 μm, which is caused by changes in the parameters of the stand, the ground cover, and the litter. The average surface temperature of postfire areas in larch forests is characterized by increasing up to ΔT = 7.2 ± 1.3°С relative to the control values in summer, which is 20–40% higher than the temperature of the control undisturbed areas. Temperature anomalies last for more than 10 years under conditions of the natural restoration of the ground cover. It is found that the rate of recovery of temperature anomalies is 2.5 times lower than the dynamics of the NDVI vegetative index. It is numerically evaluated that temperature anomalies on the soil surface could lead to an increase in the thawing depth of the soil layer by up to 20% more than the average statistical rate.

Changes in soil microbial processes and phytocenotic parameters were studied in clearings made for power transmission lines in the subtaiga and southern taiga of Central Siberia. In these clearings, secondary meadow communities play the main environmental role. The substitution of meadow vegetation for forest vegetation, the increase in the phytomass by 40–120%, and the transformation of the hydrothermic regime in the clearings led to the intensification of the humus-accumulative process, growth of the humus content, reduction in acidity and oligotrophy of the upper horizons in the gray soils of the meadow communities, and more active microbial mineralization of organic matter. In the humus horizon of the soils under meadows, the microbial biomass (Cmicr) increased by 20–90%, and the intensity of basal respiration became higher by 60–90%. The values of the microbial metabolic quotient were also higher in these soils than in the soils under the native forests. In the 0- to 50-cm layer of the gray soils under the meadows, the total Cmicr reserves were 35–45% greater and amounted to 230–320 g/m3; the total microbial production of CO2 was 1.5–2 times higher than that in the soil of the adjacent forest and reached 770–840 mg CO2-C/m3 h. The predominance of mineralization processes in the soils under meadows in the clearings reflected changes in edaphic and trophic conditions of the soils and testified to an active inclusion of the herb falloff into the biological cycle.

The increasing trend of larch forests burning in the permafrost zone (60–65° N, 95–105° E) is observed in Siberia. Up to 10–15% of entire larch forests were damaged by wildfire during the last two decades. Current research analysed the reflectance and thermal anomalies of the post-pyrogenic sites under the conditions of permafrost. Studies are based on a long-term Terra and Aqua/MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) survey for 2006–2018. We used IR thermal range data of 10.780–11.280 microns (MOD11A1 product) and we evaluated the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from MOD09GQ product as well. The averaged temperature and NDVI dynamics were investigated in total for 50 post-fire plots under different stages of succession (1, 2, 5 and 10 years after burning) in comparison with non-disturbed vegetation cover sites under the same conditions. We recorded higher temperatures (20–47% higher than average background value) and lower NDVI values (9–63% lower than non-disturbed vegetation cover) persisting for the first 10 years after the fire. Under conditions of natural restoration, thermal anomalies of the ground cover remained significant for more than 15 years, which was reflected in long-term satellite data and confirmed by ground-based measurements. To estimate the impact of thermal anomalies on soil temperature and thawed layer depth we used the Stefan’s solution for the thermal conductivity equation. According to the results of numerical simulation, depth of the seasonal thawed layer could increase more than 20% in comparison with the average statistical norm under the conditions of excessive heating of the underlying layers. This is a significant factor in the stability of Siberian permafrost ecosystems requiring long-term monitoring.

The objective of this work was to perform a quantitative analysis of the correlation between the forest burning index and abnormal decrease in river discharge under conditions of the cryolithozone of Siberia. We analyzed the long-term and seasonal variation of river discharge in Central Siberia (Nizhnyaya Tunguska and Podkamennaya Tunguska rivers) and in Eastern Siberia (Aldan, Viluy rivers) together with the forest burning dynamics within the river basins. The data on river discharge were obtained from the archive of The Global Runoff Data Centre for 1939–2015. The relative burned area (RBA) index was calculated from wildfire databases collected using satellite technique for 1996–2017. RBA was evaluated as the ratio of the annual burned area within the river basin to the total area of the river basin. RBA values of 2.5–6.1% per year were considered as extremely high. The analysis of available chronologies of extreme fire events in Central and Eastern Siberia showed high correlation (r > −0.55) with long-term data on the runoff minima. Abnormally low levels of discharge were 68–78% of the averaged annual rate. The most significant response of river discharge to the wildfire effect was shown for the summer–autumn period of the season after extreme burning in mid-summer.

Smoke from wildfires in Siberia often affects air quality over vast territories of the Northern hemisphere during the summer. Increasing fire emissions also affect regional and global carbon balance. To estimate annual carbon emissions from wildfires in Siberia from 2002–2020, we categorized levels of fire intensity for individual active fire pixels based on fire radiative power data from the standard MODIS product (MOD14/MYD14). For the last two decades, estimated annual direct carbon emissions from wildfires varied greatly, ranging from 20–220 Tg C per year. Sporadic maxima were observed in 2003 (&gt, 150 Tg C/year), in 2012 (&gt, 220 Tg C/year), in 2019 (~180 Tg C/year). However, the 2020 fire season was extraordinary in terms of fire emissions (~350 Tg C/year). The estimated average annual level of fire emissions was 80 ± 20 Tg C/year when extreme years were excluded from the analysis. For the next decade the average level of fire emissions might increase to 250 ± 30 Tg C/year for extreme fire seasons, and to 110 ± 20 Tg C/year for moderate fire seasons. However, under the extreme IPCC RPC 8.5 scenario for Siberia, wildfire emissions might increase to 1200–1500 Tg C/year by 2050 if there were no significant changes in patterns of vegetation distribution and fuel loadings.

The applicability of radiometric survey of soil profiles in the infrared range for the analysis of soil physical properties was studied. Radiometric data were obtained for different dates of the growing season for a number of soil profiles. The specificity of temperature profiles of texture-differentiated soils (Luvisols and Retisols) as related to weather conditions of the growing season was examined. The correlation analysis showed a close relationship between the air and surface soil temperatures and between the radiometric and thermodynamic soil temperatures in the upper 10 cm. In the studied profiles, the gradient of radiometric temperatures reached 0.5–0.8°C/cm in the humus horizons and sharply decreased at the depth of more than 15–20 cm. The gradient analysis of radiometric images made it possible to outline the boundaries of soil horizons. For the texture-differentiated soils, the most distinct boundaries were established between the gray-humus AY horizon and the underlying eluvial EL horizon in podzolic soils and between the AY horizon and the underlying humus-eluvial AEL horizon in gray soils.

The authors considered the possibility of expanding the assortment of fermented beverages in small beer production enterprises. As a new type of product, the production of kvass with plant extracts is proposed: pot marjoram, clary sage, lemongrass, Schisandra chinensis. Investigations of their physicochemical properties, aroma and antioxidant activity were carried out. It was noted that the highest content of antioxidants in the extracts of pot marjoram and Schisandra chinensis was 18.34 and 12.36 mg/dm 3. Fermentation of kvass wort was carried out with yeast Sacharomyces cerevisiae of strains ICV D 254, EC-1118, 71B- 1122, V 116 at a temperature of 28 ° C within 9 hours. The result of the analysis of solids wort’s and acidity dynamics during the fermentation process is a recommendation the EC-1118 strain. Four kvass recipes with different functional orientations have been developed. During the research, the method of mathematical planning and statistical processing of the results was used. When optimizing the parameters, the influence of the fermentation temperature, the dosage of plant extracts and the dosage of yeast on the acidity of the wort is considered. It has been established that the dosage of plant extract has the greatest effect on the acidity of kvass.

This study was carried out for Siberia using Terra/Modis satellite data (2002–2016), data of ground surveys on burned areas of different ages, long-term meteorological information, and numerical simulation results. On the basis of meteorological and wildfire databases, we evaluated the probability (~18%) of an extreme fire danger scenario that was found to occur every 8 ± 3 years in different parts of the region. Next, we used Fire Radiative Power (FRP) measurements to classify the varieties of burning conditions for each wildfire in the database. The classification of the annually burned forest area was obtained in accordance with the assessments of burning intensity ranges categorized by FRP. Depending on the fire danger scenario in Siberia, 47.04 ± 13.6% of the total wildfire areas were classified as low-intensity burning, 42.46 ± 10.50% as medium-intensity fire areas, and 10.50 ± 6.90% as high-intensity. Next, we calculated the amount of combusted biomass and the direct emissions for each wildfire, taking into account the variable intensity of burning within the fire polygons. The total annual emissions were also calculated for Siberia for the last 15 years, from 2002 to 2016. The average estimate of direct carbon emission was 83 ± 21 Tg/year, which is lower than the result (112 ± 25 Tg/year) we obtained using the standard procedure.

An analysis of the ecological and functional state of soils within the zone of air pollution of Norilsk industrial plants has been made. The criteria used for estimation are the content of heavy metals (HMs) and sulfur, as well as the microbiological activity of the soil. The basic polluting elements are distinguished. It is determined that the areas of extreme concentration of HMs in soils near the sources of emission are located along the directions of the prevailing winds. Structural and functional abnormalities in the microbial complex of the soil are marked out in the case of a strong disturbance of vegetation.

This study demonstrates the dependence between the forest burning rates and abnormal decrease in Siberian river discharges under the conditions of the permafrost zone. Our study area is in Central Siberia and Eastern Siberia/Yakutia. Four rivers (Podkamennaya Tunguska, Lower Tunguska, Aldan, and Viluy) were selected for the study. We analyzed the long-term and seasonal variation of river discharges (archive of The Global Runoff Data Centre for 1939&ndash, 2015) together with the forest burning dynamics within the river basins (archive of Sukachev Institute of Forest for 1996&ndash, 2015). We compared the discharges per year with the 77-year average value. Abnormally low levels of discharge constituted 58&ndash, 78% of the averaged annual rate. An analysis of available chronologies of extreme fire events and relative burned areas (RBAs) showed a high correlation with intra-seasonal data on the runoff minima. The most significant response of river discharges to the wildfire effect was shown for the late summer/autumn season after extreme wildfires during the summer period. The deficit of the runoff was not explained by a low precipitation. Late summer and autumn anomalies of discharge were typical (r = &minus, 0.57&hellip, &minus, 0.77, p &lt, 0.05) for rivers of Central Siberia in seasons of extreme forest burning. The correlation was lower for rivers of Eastern Siberia/Yakutia.

The quantitative and functional responses of soil microbial cenoses in the forest-tundra zone to pollution have been studied in the area exposed to emissions from the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Works. The strongest structural and functional disturbances of the soil biota have been recorded on the plots with completely destroyed vegetation. A decrease in the content of microbial carbon and an elevated respiration rate in the technogenically transformed soils provide evidence for the functioning of the microbial communities under stress caused by the continuous input of aggressive pollutants. The degree of transformation and the contents of technogenic elements (Ni, Cu, Co, Pb, and S) in the organic horizons of the forest-tundra soils are the major factors affecting the development and functioning of the soil microbial cenoses.

First attempt to analyse radiation modifying action of 52 compounds--derivatives of 1,4-dihydropyridine is presented. Many of these compounds have electrodonating and antioxidative activities. Local radioprotective effects of the substances has been studied using experimental model with partial beta- and X-rays exposure of sole skin in rats to doses of 40 and 30 Gy. Comparison of drug effectiveness and chemical structure revealed the changes of activity dependence due to modification of peripheral radicals of 1,4-dihydropyridine ring. Radioprotective and radiosensitizing compounds with general low toxicity have been found. It is suggested to use the most active compounds for the development of medicinal forms for prevention of local skin and mucosal radiation injuries. Positive results have been obtained with dieton a radioprotective compound of the same type, in radiotherapy.

In experiments on rats (290 animals) exposed to chronic gamma-radiation with the total dose of 10.0 Gy it was detected that prescription of synthetic pharmaceutical of the dihydropyridine class--glutapyrone--together with drinking water during 6 months reduced the rate of malignant neoplasms from 26.5% in the control group to 13% in the treated animals. In radiation-exposed rats that received glutapyrone there was a narrowing of spectrum of the emerged neoplasms (connectively-tissual tumors only) as compared to the animals of the radiated control group, where blastomas of epithelium and lymphoid origin were also revealed. Low toxicity of glutapyrone and its anticarcinogenic action show the potential for this preparation to be used in practice.

A method was developed for determining the thermal-shock resistance of steel casting plugs from the frequency of the mechanical oscillations using the sonic method without breaking the products.

A comparative study of the factors of non-specific protection and specific immunity, allergic and autoallergic reactivity during prolonged introduction into the organism of experimental animals of 6 different radioactive and 7 harmful chemical substances was carried out. Qualitative and quantitative peculiarities were found in the changes in immunological reactivity during exposure of the organism to radionuclides and stable chemical compounds. Impairment of immunity plays a substantial role in the course and outcome of affections provoked by chronic effect of the substances examined.

The preliminary immunization with heated Proteus vulgaris culture introduced in a single injection was found to have a positive influence on the resistance of white mice to radiation emitted by incorporated 90Sr. This effect was manifested by an increase in the survival rate and the mean survival time of the animals, as well as by their increased physical endurance, and the stimulation of recovery process in the spleen.

Dynamical changes in the spleen of mice and rats were studied morphometrically and electron microscopically when the animals were given in drinking water radionucleotides in small concentrations (137Cs, 226Ra, 89Sr, 65Zn, Pb(NO3)2, BeCl2, hexamethyleniamine, methylmercurchloride) for 1-2 years. Total doses obtained for a year were 0.3-100 rad. Reactive reconstruction of the organ under radioactive and chemical effects was stated to proceed in three directions: a) hyperplasy of lymphoid tissue; b) enhanced plasmocytogenesis; c) hyperplasy of extramedullar hemopoiesis. Sequence in the appearance of these reactions and doses which produced them were different for every compound. In 1-2 years at large doses (160-200 rad) atrophy, amyloid degeneration of the spleen or signs of leukemia were observed. Disturbance of intercellular contacts and of intracellular regeneration was demonstrated electron microscopically.

The purpose of research was to study and give a comparative evaluation of cystamine, mexamine, ionol, dimethyl--sulfoxide, eugenic acid, castor oil and cholesterol as skin local radioprotectors. Experiments were made on random-bred albino rats. Skin areas 25 mm2 in size on each paw were irradiated. The exposure dose rate was 5 X 10(-3) A/kg (1160 p/min.), the surface dose 6.5 X 10(-1) and 7.7 X 10(-1) Q/kg (2500 and 3000 P respectively). The time period (in days) of weak and severe erythema, dry and moist desquamations was assessed. The most sensitive "critical" components of radiation response which are open to modification with the help of radioprotectors--severe erythema and moist desquamation were revealed. Mexamine, cystamine and ionol produce the most marked effect. The value of their protective effect is 48.3; 40.1 and 32.3 units respectively. Skin radioprotectors possessing not less than 50% efficacy can be introduced into practice. A search for new radioprotectors should be aimed at the investigation of agents with the efficacy of a reduction of radiation injuries by 70% and more.

By means of light and electron microscopy, intracellular reparation has been studied after a local x-ray radiation of the rat paws (7.74 X 10(-1) Ci/kg) using radioprotectors (mexamin, cysteamin, ionol) and other chemical compounds (including membranoprotective ones). Restoration of the intracellular structures after x-ray burns proceeds more slowly and more complexly than reparation of the epidermis as a tissue system. To the slowly repairing intracellular formations belong mitochondria and, especially, internal mitochondrial membrane, as well as intercellular contacts. Under radiation mitochondria increase their volume at the expense of their three-fold swelling. Preliminary treatment of the skin with some of the compounds mentioned above decreases or completely prevents these changes. By means of the membranoactive chemical compounds, as well as by means of the known radioprotectors it is possible essentially to normalize the process of intracellular reparation and physiological regeneration of the ultrastructures, and in some cases, to stimulate reparative processes in them.

This paper is an attempt to unify various approaches to the assessment of acute radiation injury of the organ of vision. The development of cataracts was studied on mice subjected to local irradiation of the head at doses: 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 Gy. A clinical picture of radiation injury of the eye at different x-ray doses at different stages was established during ophthalmological examination using a manual electro-ophthalmoscope (X5). A method of the quantitative assessment of radiation injury of the mouse eye at different radiation doses was proposed using the light transmission factor tau; its experimental value was obtained, values for different clinical stages of cataracts were established. The time course of the development of radiation cataracts in mice subjected to x-ray irradiation in a wide spectrum of doses, was observed; clinical features of the process were revealed. Dose fractionation under the above conditions did not make a protective effect on the lens. Dependence of a degree of lens injury on irradiation dose obtained owing to the use of the light transmission factor tau, was described with the following equation: (formula; see text)