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The influences of airborne trace elements in urban dust on element concentrations and functional traits of Tilia cordata were examined. For the present study, the unwashed and washed leaves of T. cordata were collected to assess the concentration of metals in Katowice City, Poland, from sites of different traffic intensity and industry activity. The content of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, C, and N was measured. Additionally, a number of functional traits such as photosynthetic pigment content, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and diseased areas of the leaves were determined to assess the impact of the polluters on the physiology of the trees and their resources acquisition strategy. We hypothesized that the photosynthetic pigments of T. cordata will decrease with the traffic and industry intensity, and the traits related to the resources acquisition and stress resistance will shift into a more conservative strategy. The Principal Component Analysis and the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method helped to identify that the Fe, Zn, Al, and Cr were related mainly to traffic intensification and Pb to industrial activities. The results indicate that Katowice is considerably polluted by Zn (up to 189.6 and 260.2 mg kg−1 in washed and unwashed leaves, respectively), Pb (up to 51.7 and 133.6 mg kg−1), and Cd (up to 2.27 and 2.43 mg kg−1) compared to other cities worldwide. Also, a reduction of approximately 27% in the photosynthetic pigments was observed at the high-traffic and industrial sites. The trees from the mainly affected areas with heavy traffic and industry tend to apply a conservative resources strategy with a decrement in SLA and an increment in LDMC. In contrast, the opposite trend was observed at the less affected sites (high SLA, low LDMC). The study showed that unfavourable urban conditions can trigger a plastic response on multiple levels. Knowledge of the possible paths of adaptation to urban conditions of different plant species is nowadays crucial to appropriate urban greenery planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatoms from two high-altitude creeks in Bosnia and Herzegovina were studied from June 2005 to May 2007. Along with diatoms, water temperature, pH, conductivity and nutrients were also monitored, indicating stable physical and chemical conditions, low organic loading and oligotrophy. A total of 130 diatom taxa (species and subspecies) were recorded. Mostly oligotrophic and oligo-mesotrophic indicators were recorded in the creeks. The most abundant genera were Eunotia (15), Pinnularia (13), Gomphonema (10) and Navicula (9). The following taxa were recorded in all samples: Cymbopleura naviculiformis (Auerswald ex Heiberg) Krammer, Decussiphycus hexagonus (Torka) Guiry & Gandhi, Eunotia arcus Ehrenberg, Frustulia vulgaris (Thwaites) De Toni, Pinnularia borealis Ehrenberg and Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg. Five new diatom taxa for Bosnia and Herzegovina were recorded. According to the German Red List, the largest number of taxa (34 for creek 1 and 27 for creek 2) were identified as declining taxa and 12 taxa as endangered ones (three for creek 1 and nine for creek 2). The high species richness and the presence of diatom taxa included on the German Red List underline the importance of protecting and preserving this important biotope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring soil quality and the use of indicators for its evaluation is a worldwide challenge. In Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (northeastern Spain), different parameters related to oribatid mites as indicators of soil quality were evaluated under different land uses: forest, pasture, and a biennial double-crop rotation of forage crops. In forage crops, previous fertilization management (one based on mineral fertilizers, three on cattle manure, and one using both types) was also evaluated. Three samplings (April, June, and September) were performed over one season. Fifty-four oribatid species belonging to 28 families were identified. Abundance was the lowest in June for all land uses (average of 1184 individuals m−2). In the study period, abundance, diversity (Shannon index, H'), and dominance (Berger–Parker index, d) varied with different land uses, with the highest values of abundance and H' in forests (9287 individuals m−2 and 2.19, respectively) and the lowest dominance in forests (d = 0.29) without differences between the other uses. Additionally, in the studied parameters, no differences were associated with previous fertilization management in forage crops. Hypochthoniella minutissima, Xenillus (X.) tegeocranus characterized the forest system, Epilohmannia cylindrica minima the forage crops, and Tectocepheus sarekensis the pasture. In pasture, the dominance of the parthenogenetic species Tectocepheus sarekensis raises concerns about potential management constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive use, development, and expansion of the road network is expanding the zones of direct impact of road transport on forest ecosystems. Issues related to the mobility of trace elements in forest ecosystems along motorways are very important due to the numerous environmental risks associated with the excessive accumulation of metals, the ability to migrate and accumulate in plants and animals, and the risk of transferring these elements to higher trophic levels. The aim of this article was therefore to determine the impact of road traffic on the basis of contents of trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn and to describe the relationship of these contents in moss gametophytes and blueberry leaves taken in the vicinity of an existing and variously expanded expressway (S7, Poland, Europe). Analyses of transport impacts included the effects of distance and time of pollutant deposition and road transport on habitat and stand conditions. The highest contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in moss tissues were found in fir stands and the contents were, respectively, 0.36 mg·kg−1, 5.91 mg·kg−1, 12.5 mg·kg−1, 3.26 mg·kg−1, 8.82 mg·kg−1, and 55.28 mg·kg−1. Mosses showed the best bioindication capacity of all of the studied ecosystem elements. The Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Ni contents were particularly markedly elevated in moss tissues relative to non-anthropopressured areas and dependent on distance from the emitter (road). Blueberry proved to be a less useful bioindicator, as the contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn found were similar to the data from non-anthropopressured areas and were, respectively, 0.09 mg·kg−1, 0.98 mg·kg−1, 7.12 mg·kg−1, 2.49 mg·kg−1, 1.18 mg·kg−1, and 15.91 mg·kg−1 in fir stands and 0.04 mg·kg−1, 0.47 mg·kg−1, 6.63 mg·kg−1, 1.65 mg·kg−1, 0.72 mg·kg−1, and 17.44 mg·kg−1 in pine stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplains are crucial components of river landscape, essential for the biodiversity and ecological integrity of large rivers. However, they are often overlooked and underestimated when assessing the ecological status of the main river channel.The main objective of this study was to identify the most relevant scheme for assessing the ecological status of side arms in the Danube floodplain (Slovakia) based on benthic invertebrates.The calculation of ecological status for the Danube main channel was adapted to the environmental conditions of the floodplain as a measure of the evaluation accuracy of six taxonomically different floodplain indexes. The study was based on a comprehensive survey of benthic invertebrate diversity conducted at 19 sampling sites, covering eupotamal and parapotamal side arms.Three floodplain indexes that significantly correlated with ecological status were categorised based on predicted values in relation to status class thresholds. The floodplain index based on Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Mysida, Isopoda and Amphipoda (FI_P) showed the best result, aligning closely with the commonly used classification of lateral habitats. Although it divides the eupotamon into two subclasses, a main channel and a side arm, the inclusion of two different eupotamal habitats in the classification supports the geomorphological variability of side arms and their degree of ecological succession.The shortcomings of the assessment based on the lateral habitat classification scheme are discussed, emphasising the importance of applying this method for the assessment of floodplain waters and their conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the ecological and geochemical state of urban areas is important for ensuring their sustainable development, maintaining public health, and protecting the natural environment. In this article, the ecological and geochemical features of the Ufa city were studied by investigating the elemental composition of poplar leaves (Populus balsamifera L.) using instrumental neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and mapping (spatial distribution of geochemical indicators and concentrations of key chemical elements). The main pollutants (As, Br, Cr, Zn, Co, La, Ce, Nd, and Ta) from oil refining, heat power engineering, and machine building industry were identified. Depending on the source of anthropogenic activity, various micro-mineral phases on the surface of poplar leaves were found: rare earth phosphates associated with oil refining and petrochemical industry, native metals (W, Ti) resulting from machine building, and intermetallic compounds linked to the areas with heavy traffic (Cr-Ni, Ni-Cr-Fe).

Protecting rivers and lakes from pollution is crucial for maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems and ensuring the well-being of both wildlife and humans. Present study intends to examine the water quality of the Suna River (Eastern Fennoscandia in the European North of Russia) to assess the ecological risk. Widespread methods for assessing water quality based on macrozoobenthos and phytoperiphoton were applied. It was found that in conditions of ultra-fresh waters with high humus content, biotic indicators may indicate pollution of water bodies that do not actually experience significant anthropogenic impact. Ratings ranging from ‘poor’ to ‘excellent’ were obtained for different stations, reflecting the influence of natural features of different sections of the river. ‘Good’ water quality was noted at the river stones biotopes. In river gravel, sand and silt biotopes, as well as all lake biotopes, ‘mediocre’ water quality was found. The low anthropogenic income on the river catchment allows us to conclude that most indices for assessing water quality significantly underestimate the results in the natural conditions of Eastern Fennoscandia. Biotic indices EPT, BBI and EBI are most accurate for assessing the water quality of rivers and lakes in Eastern Fennoscandia. HIGHLIGHTS An assessment of the ecological state of the freshwater ecosystem in the North of Russia has been carried out.; Macrozoobenthos and periphyton can be indicators of the state of the environment.; The anthropogenic factor is important in the formation of a high-quality aquatic environment.; Water quality is determined by the degree of the impact on the ecosystem.; Very low water mineralization and high humus content make it difficult to determine the ecological status of rivers and lakes.;

We studied the spatial structure of spiders and beetles in 4 types of habitats in the Poloniny National Park. Between the years 2020 and 2021, we recorded 1,597 beetle specimens and 3,765 spider specimens using the pitfall trap method. The most represented beetles were Poecilus versicolor (53.4%), Nebria brevicollis (10.3%), Staphylinus caesareus (4.4%) and Amara familiaris (4.1%). Among the spiders, there were species Pardosa pullata (21.81%), Pachygnatha degeeri (14.21%), Xerolycosa nemoralis (10.28%), Pardosa palustris (7.86%), Trochosa ruricola (6.24%) and Alopecosa pulverulenta (4.38%). We confirmed the occurrence of two European important species of beetles (Carabus zawadzkii, Carabus variolosus) and 3 species of spiders belonging to the vulnerable species according to the IUCN threat status (Gongylidiellum vivum, Palliduphantes milleri and Xysticus lineatus). We also found the spider Micaria micans, which is new to the Slovak fauna and information about its distribution and habitat preferences in Slovakia is presented. Using multivariate analyzes (CCA, RDA) and classification species into bioindicative groups, we found a greater connection of adaptable and eurytopic species of ground beetles to the mesophilic meadow and of spiders to the habitat Nardetum pasture. Based on bioindicative groups of species (adaptable, eurytopic and relict), we found only a small difference in percentile points between spiders and beetles.

Despite the increasing water and sediment pollution in the western part of the Northern Caspian Sea, the quality of its marine environment has never been assessed through bioindication, largely due to methodological issues. In this article, the method of standards, which involves comparing the species composition between the polluted and clean (reference) sites, was used for the bioindication of organic pollutants in the Northern Caspian Sea. The study area was segmented based on isobaths. The segments were determined depending on the range of depths inhabited by zoobenthos species and their ecological valence to oxygen. The depths with a sufficient abundance of oxyphilic zooplankton species (bioindicators) to apply the method of standards were located. The obtained results show that the method of standards is a good and reliable choice to assess the marine environment quality in the Northern Caspian Sea at isobaths of 6–9 m and within depths of 14–18 m for polluted and reference sites. However, the sediments must contain shells, sand, and siltstones. Therefore, while the method of standards has clear merits, it does not suffice for the rest of the Caspian Sea area.

In the work, the relationship (FA) of the leaves of the hanging birch Betula pendula Roth with atmospheric pollution, climatic indicators and soil characteristics was determined. We analyzed data obtained from 10 sites located in the main geographical directions from the city of Ukhta (Komi Republic, Russia). FA was based on 5 morphological parameters (n=100). In the soil, we determined the pH (water and salt extracts), the content of organic matter and mobile forms of metals. Information on air pollution and climate parameters was obtained from open sources. We established high FA of B. pendula at all sites (0.064-0.076). It was shown that this is not related to the geographical location of the birch growing area. There was no excess of standards of pollutants in the air and soil at the sites. Correlation analysis showed that FA increases in response to a decrease in the proportion of organic matter in the soil and an increase in soil acidity (r is -0.49 and -0.42, respectively). Also, the increase in FA is associated with the content of mobile forms of Pb, Mn, Cu (r is 0.6, 0.36, 0.35, respectively). We found no effect of the content of mobile Zn, Fe, Cd in the soil on the FA level of the leaves. Thus, it is shown that soil characteristics affect the asymmetry of the bioindicator plant, including within environmental regulations. This fact should be taken into account when interpreting the results of the assessment of the ecological state of the territories.

The article discusses the application of hemeroby and naturalness indicators for monitoring the state of aquatic macrophytes in protected areas, taking into account the ecological characteristics of plant community syntaxons. Naturalness and hemeroby are considered as potential indicators of the state of aquatic ecosystems and the level of their anthropogenic transformation. Naturalness indicates the proximity of the community to the most natural state, and hemeroby indicates the level of anthropogenic transformation of the ecosystem. The vegetation cover of macrophytic communities of the “Dnipro-Orilskiy" Nature Reserve is represented by eight associations. Their differentiation is due to natural factors and factors caused by anthropogenic impact. The recorded plant communities demonstrate a compact spatial distribution. The Nymphaeo albae-Nupharetum luteae community occurs in the Dnipro riverbed. The Ceratophyllo-Hydrocharitetum associations were typical of the Orilsky Canal water bodies and were also found in Lake Sokilky, which is part of the Mykolaivka ledge system. The association's communities are common in the middle and lower reaches of the Dnipro. They are widespread in non-flowing water bodies with poor water exchange, neutral or slightly alkaline reaction of the environment in habitats protected from the wind, with water depth up to 50 cm, silted bottom sediments with a significant thickness of detritus and water transparency up to 15 cm. They are found in water bodies with excessive anthropogenic eutrophication processes. The Typhetum latifoliae association occurs in the system of the Obukhivka ledge system. The Salvinio-Hydrocharitetum association occurs mainly in the water bodies of the Taromske ledge system. The Hydrocharito-Stratiotetum aloidis association occurs in the water bodies of the Mykolaivka ledge system adjacent to the first floodplain terrace of the Dnipro. The Lemno-Hydrocharitetum morsus-ranae association is found in the streams of the Mykolaivka ledge system. The Myriophylletum spicati association occurs in the bays of the Mykolaivka ledge system, which directly border the Dnipro riverbed. The Trapetum natantis association occurs in the water bodies of the Mykolaivka and Taromske ledge system. The close spatial relationship of macrophyte associations with geomorphic areas of the Dnipro floodplain can help reconstruct the events that led to the current appearance of plant communities. It has been shown that the morphology of water bodies and their water properties largely determine the spatial distribution of aquatic macrophytes. The study has shown that climate continentality is an important differentiating factor that determines the characteristics of the vegetation cover of aquatic macrophytes. The Typhetum latifoliae association differs from others by the dominance of plants with a range that is widespread in Eastern Europe. This association is found in the water bodies of the Obukhivka ledge system, where specific environmental conditions are formed. These include significantly higher water salinity, shallow water that warms up well, and relatively high nutrient supply. It is also worth noting the low naturalness, which can be explained by the high level of coastal erosion, which causes secondary vegetation succession. The decrease in naturalness may be the result of increased secondary succession. The high level of naturalness of the communities indicates the role of the protected area regime in the conservation of biodiversity. However, the protected area regime alone cannot protect the reserve from the impact of a complex of anthropogenic factors. The anthropogenic transformation of plant communities is caused by eutrophication, which depends on both the availability of excessive nutrients and water temperature. Refugia of the rheophilic regime in the Dnipro floodplain form biodiversity centers that are highly natural and have significant conservation value. Indicators of naturalness and hemeroby are sensitive markers of the state of plant communities that can be used in the practice of biological monitoring in protected areas.

The cultivation of bioenergy crops helps produce energy sources for industrial and domestic needs with a zero carbon footprint, which is very attractive in the context of efforts to prevent global climate change. However, this creates certain difficulties in terms of competition for agricultural land with crops used to satisfy human needs and produce food. One potential solution is the use of unproductive abandoned land disturbed by open-pit mining and marginal land contaminated with toxic substances for growing bioenergy crops. The subject of the study was to investigate the influence of soil type on nematode communities and related indicators in the cultivation of bioenergy crops for biofuel production in different geographical areas. A solution to the issue of the role of nematode communities in the hierarchical organisation of bioenergy crop management, which includes tactical and strategic levels, is proposed. A total of 44 nematode genera representing different soil types were found in the studied ecosystems. The lowest abundance of communities was found in Chernozem and Glayic Podzols. The highest abundance was found on Arenosols, Haplic Podzols, and Stagnic Fluvisols. The herbivores were represented by 21 genera. The proportion of herbivorous species usually did not exceed 60% of the total number of nematodes. The representatives of the genus Paratylenchus were found in all the studied soils. The results of multidimensional scaling showed that four dimensions could be identified. Dimension 1 proved to be the most sensitive to changes in the trophic structure of the communities, which is largely due to changes in the role of herbivores in the community. Dimension 2 allowed us to differentiate Arenosols from all other soil types. This difference is explained by functional changes in the structure of the nematode community. The Arenosols community is distinguished by an increase in the enrichment index, which is a consequence of an increase in the proportion of semi-endoparasites. Dimension 3 made it possible to differentiate a group of soils, including Haplich Fluvioglacial, Stagnant Fluvioglacial and Haplic Fluvisols, Stagnic Fluvisols, and Haplic Podzols from Glayic Podzols. Glayic Podzols are characterised by an increased total number of the community, mainly due to parasitic nematodes, as evidenced by the increased level of the plant parasitism index. Dimension 4 was able to capture the specific characteristics of the black soil nematode communities. This soil type is characterised by a higher density of nematode communities, which is explained by a higher proportion of bacteriophages and ectoparasites. Growing bioenergy crops has two different aspects: tactical and strategic. The tactical aspect involves the production of biological energy sources. This aspect includes traditional methods of crop management, including elements of plant disease and pest control, to achieve maximum yield. Thus, the object of tactical management is the plant. In contrast, the strategic aspect is concerned with soil reclamation to restore its functions, thereby paving the way for the possibility of using such soils for food production. The object of strategic management is soil. The tactical aspect involves obtaining direct economic benefits from the extraction of energy raw materials. The strategic aspect involves the restoration of disturbed lands and the creation of preconditions for the restoration of their ecosystem services and their inclusion in food production. Nematode communities can provide information for monitoring processes at both the tactical and strategic levels. The risks of parasitic nematodes and plant diseases should be assessed at the tactical level of management. At the strategic level of management, nematode communities should be used to monitor trophic network assessment and the level of stress in the soil system.

Hemeroby and naturalness are indicators of ecosystem health and can be used to assess the state of aquatic macrophyte communities in floodplain landscapes under anthropogenic pressure. This article verifies the hypothesis that hemeroby and naturalness are distinguished by specific spatial patterns. Hemeroby is sensitive to changes in the level of anthropogenic pressure under conditions of a high level of ecosystem transformation. Naturalness is capable of responding to environmental disturbances of both natural and anthropogenic origin and is sensitive to changes in the state of ecosystems as they approach natural conditions. The variability of the naturalness of aquatic macrophyte communities does not depend on the direction of spatial patterns. Accounting for the directionality of spatial patterns provides a better explanation for the small-scale component of community hemeroby variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern typological structure of vegetation inhabiting the southern Kuril Islands has been identified on the basis of computed Bravais correlation coefficients. This structure is represented by eight pleiades: fir forests with Abies sachalinensis; spruce forests with Picea ajanensis; Sasa senanensis thickets (Shikotan Island); elm–maple forests with Acer ukurunduense and Acer mayrii (Kunashir Island); maple–oak forests with Acer mayrii and Quercus crispula (Iturup Island); Juniperus sargentii thickets (Shikotan Island) and communities with Pinus pumila (Iturup and Kunashir Islands); and alder–birch phytocoenoses, reed–tall-grass and coastal meadows, and ruderal vegetation. The species diversity of plants is determined by local species of East Asian origin. The amphipacific group manifested along the coastline demonstrates the affinity of local species and the North American flora. The proportion of foreign species increases on disturbed sites. Indigenous phytocoenoses are represented by fir and spruce forests, as well as Pinus pumila and Juniperussargentii thickets in the mountains and on the rocks. Under the impact of unfavorable factors, indigenous groups are replaced by birch forests with Betula ermanii and secondary meadows, including ruderal–forb–gramineous coenoses; felling and fire sites are overgrowing with bamboo thickets with Sasa senanensis. Preliminary estimates indicate that the share of disturbed lands on Shikotan reaches 40%, including 30% disturbed by anthropogenic impacts and 10% due to natural factors. On Kunashir, proportions of these lands amount to 16 and 17%, respectively, and, on Iturup, 23 and 16%. It is shown that Sasa senanensis thickets, despite their secondary nature, play a key role in preventing the further degradation of natural complexes, soil erosion, and exogenous geological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from water is routinely used in river biodiversity research, and via metabarcoding eDNA can provide comprehensive taxa lists with little effort and cost. However, eDNA‐based species detection in streams and rivers may be influenced by sampling season and other key factors such as water temperature and discharge. Research linking these factors and also informing on the potential of eDNA metabarcoding to detect shifts in ecological signatures, such as species phenology and functional feeding groups across seasons, is missing. To address this gap, we collected water samples every 2 weeks for 15 months at a long‐term ecological research (LTER) site and at three different positions in the river's cross section, specifically the water surface, riverbed, and riverbank. For these 102 samples, we analyzed macroinvertebrate species and molecular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness and temporal community turnover across seasons based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) metabarcoding data. Using Generalized Additive Models, we found a significant influence of sampling season on species richness. Community turnover followed a cyclic pattern, reflecting the continuous change of the macroinvertebrate community throughout the year ("seasonal clock"). Although water temperature had no influence on the inferred species richness, higher discharge reduced the number of Annelida and Ephemeroptera species detectable with eDNA. Most macroinvertebrate taxa showed the highest species richness in spring, in particular merolimnic species with univoltine life cycles. Further, we detected an increase in the proportion of shredders in winter and parasites in summer. Our results show the usefulness of highly resolved eDNA metabarcoding time series data for ecological research and biodiversity monitoring in streams and rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant interest in the islands in the Russian Arctic has been in terms of available oil reserves, which determine the direction of economic development and associated environmental risks for this sector of the Arctic in the near future. Kotelny Island is the largest island of the New Siberian Islands Archipelago included in the protected zone of the Lena Delta Nature Reserve, which is located at 76° N, washed from the west by the Laptev Sea, washed from the east by the East Siberian Sea in a permafrost zone, and characterized by harsh climatic conditions defined by the northeast winds that prevail in vegetative season. January sees temperatures ranging from −32 to −35 °C, and July from +6 to +8 °C, which causes a short growing season. Samples were taken between August 3 and 8, 2018 in 12 freshwater bodies where 210 taxa were revealed. Aquatic communities were dominated by zygnematophycean and diatom algae, grouped in the basins of two rivers and associated with the position on the island's landscape, which suggests the influence of cold north-east winds, leading to the avoidance of habitats in open and high places, which was revealed by statistical methods and also confirms the high individuality of taxa composition. Bioindication methods showed that water bodies are slightly alkaline, with low ion concentrations, with the presence of sulfides in low-lying habitats, and average saturation with organic matter. The mesotrophic status of the studied water bodies was evaluated through an assessment and the type of nutrition in the communities of algae and cyanobacteria indicates they formed there as true autotrophs, which corresponds to the status of a protected area and can serve as a reference level for monitoring anthropogenic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of cytogenetic homeostasis of indicator animals is of great importance in ecological monitoring. The simplest method of its study is micronucleus analysis. Animals with nuclear erythrocytes are often used as indicator animals. In addition to the micronuclei usually recorded, a wide range of cytological nuclear and cellular abnormalities (cytomic analysis) is encountered when assessing the spontaneous level and under the influence of anthropogenic factors. Spontaneous frequency of cytogenetic disorders in 36 species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds was studied. Ecological monitoring of territories of Kazakhstan with different types of pollution (radiation, petrochemical, pesticide, heavy metals, due to rocket and space activities) was carried out with the help of separate species of animals. The results of the study include comparative descriptions, schematics and microphotographs clearly demonstrating a wide range of cytological anomalies of nuclear erythrocytes of animals of different classes. The greatest spectrum of nuclear anomalies in the studied animals was registered at petrochemical and pesticide contamination of territories. Depending on the tasks and climatic-geographical conditions, all investigated species can be used as bioindicators. Testudo horsfieldii is an exception for desert regions due to high spontaneous micronuclei level in this species. A review of the names of the main nuclear anomalies is carried out and variants of its ordering are proposed.

In the Non-Black Earth Region of the Russian Federation, for more than 14 years, a database of long-term observations of the state of springs has been created as the most valuable element of the unique landscapes of ecotone zones. Long-term studies carried out on the biochemical characteristics of background plant species in spring tracts created the basis for bioindication of the general condition of spring streams based on the activity of the antioxidant system in seven bioindicators. The purpose of the work is to present the biochemical features of the background species of springs and streams for bioindication in the system of prospective biomonitoring of springs. As a result of the use of route, biochemical research methods, it has been proven that for biomonitoring studies it is advisable to use indicators of the activity of oxidoreductases of background species of spring tracts due to individual species resistance. A series of sensitivity of background species of herbaceous plants to significant anthropogenic load, including chemical pollution of spring waters, based on the degree of decrease in polyphenoloxidase activity: Agrostis stolonifera < Scirpus sylvaticus < Rorippa amphibia < Alisma plantago-aquatica < Lycopus europaeus < Leptodictyum riparium < Marchantia polymorpha. A series of plant sensitivity to stress factors according to the degree of increase in catalase (catalase activity): Agrostis stolonifera > Scirpus sylvaticus > Rorippa amphibia > Alisma plantago-aquatica > Lycopus europaeus > Leptodictyum riparium > Marchantia polymorpha. A series of sensitivity to the general anthropogenic load, including chemical water pollution according to the degree of peroxidase reduction: Agrostis stolonifera < Scirpus sylvaticus < Rorippa amphibia < Alisma plantago-aquatica < Lycopus europaeus < Leptodictyum riparium < Marchantia polymorpha.

Paper presents a microscopic studies of activated sludge supported by automatic image analysis based on deep learning neural networks. The organisms classified as Arcella vulgaris were chosen for the research. They frequently occur in the waters containing organic substances as well as WWTPs employing the activated sludge method. Usually, they can be clearly seen and counted using a standard optical microscope, as a result of their distinctive appearance, numerous population and passive behavior. Thus, these organisms constitute a viable object for detection task. Paper refers to the comparison of performance of deep learning networks namely YOLOv4 and YOLOv8, which conduct automatic image analysis of the afore-mentioned organisms. YOLO constitutes a one-stage object detection model that look at the analyzed image once and allow real-time detection without a marked accuracy loss. The training of the applied YOLO models was carried out using sample microscopic images of activated sludge. The relevant training data set was created by manually labeling the digital images of organisms, followed by calculation and comparison of various metrics, including recall, precision, and accuracy. The architecture of the networks built for the detection task was general, which means that the structure of the layers and filters was not affected by the purpose of using the models. Accounting mentioned universal construction of the models, the results of the accuracy and quality of the classification can be considered as very good. This means that the general architecture of the YOLO networks can also be used for specific tasks such as identification of shell amoebas in activated sludge.

The study identified the indicators of functional and morphological diversity of the Dnipro River floodplain water bodies within the Dnipro-Orilsky Nature Reserve. The database of recorded water bodies of the reserve consists of 302 objects. The total area of the floodplain and the water bodies close to it is 24.2 km2, and the area of the water bodies is 6.03 km2. Thus, the water bodies cover 24.9% of the floodplain area. The water bodies of the Dnipro River channel system account for 17.9% of the number of water bodies in the Reserve and 71.4% of the total area of water bodies and the Dnipro River in the projection of the Reserve. The water bodies of the study system are located at a distance of up to 3.2 km from the main channel of the Dnipro River. The average distance is 1.50 ± 0.04 km. The closest water bodies to the main channel of the Dnipro River are those in the Dnipro riverbed, which were formed as a result of the creation of a reservoir in the floodplain. Three factors with eigenvalues greater than unity were extracted as a result of factor analysis of the morphometric features of the water bodies. These three factors explain 85.8% of the cumulative correlation of morphometric features. Factor 1 reflects a latent variable that can be identified as the total size of the ponds. The total size of the water bodies was the largest for the Orilsky Canal, with slightly smaller sizes in the water bodies of the Dnipro River channel. The smallest water bodies were in the Obukhivka system. Factor 2 as a latent variable can be identified as the level of shoreline development. According to this indicator, the water bodies of different systems did not differ. Factor 3 can be identified as the altitude and variability of the relief surrounding the water bodies. The lowest values of this factor were for the water bodies of the Orilsky Canal and the Obukhivka system. The values were slightly higher for the water bodies of the Taromske and Mykolaivka systems. The highest levels of relief and its variability were characteristic of the areas close to the water bodies of the Dnipro channel system. Cluster analysis allowed us to identify seven clusters that are relatively homogeneous in terms of morphometric features. These clusters can be differentiated based on the results of discriminant analysis. An important aspect of differentiation is the size of the water bodies, the development of the shoreline, and the height of the terrain surrounding the water bodies. The identified clusters correspond well to the types of water bodies, which are selected based on their orientation relative to the preferred direction of water flow. The satellite image classification was used to identify 15 types of vegetation cover within the reserve. The water bodies are characterized by specific spectra of the main types of plant communities in their surroundings. The cluster analysis of the water bodies resulted in nine clusters based on the structure of the vegetation complexes surrounding them. Each cluster contains the entire list of vegetation types that have been established for floodplain ecosystems. The peculiarity of the complexes lies in the specific ratio between different vegetation types. The most important structural factors that distinguish the complexes are the projective cover of oaks, floodplain meadows, and shrubs. At the top level of the hierarchy, the complexes are differentiated by the projective cover of floodplain meadows. At a lower level, the differentiation is based on the projective cover of sands or oaks. The clusters identified on the basis of plant complexes and morphometric features, as well as the types of water bodies in terms of orientation with respect to the prevailing water flows, correspond to each other to a certain extent.

Diatoms are commonly used in environmental assessments to detect pollution and eutrophication. The specific pollution sensitivity index (SPI) is one of the most frequently used indices, which assigns scores to diatom taxa based on their sensitivity to pollution. The study analyzed diatom communities in the Duero River basin in Spain to examine the relationship between SPI scores and various limnological variables. A GLM model showed that phosphates, nitrites, and water temperature were the main factors explaining SPI variability. The study also reviews previous results using SPI for water quality monitoring in different world regions, highlighting the role of nutrients in general as major drivers of SPI values worldwide. Overall, the findings reinforce the reliability of SPI as a metric for biological monitoring in various watercourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents a bioindication complex and a technology of the experiment based on a submersible digital holographic camera with advanced monitoring capabilities for the study of plankton and its behavioral characteristics in situ. Additional mechanical and software options expand the capabilities of the digital holographic camera, thus making it possible to adapt the depth of the holographing scene to the parameters of the plankton habitat, perform automatic registration of the "zero" frame and automatic calibration, and carry out natural experiments with plankton photostimulation. The paper considers the results of a long-term digital holographic experiment on the biotesting of the water area in Arctic latitudes. It shows additional possibilities arising during the spectral processing of long time series of plankton parameters obtained during monitoring measurements by a submersible digital holographic camera. In particular, information on the rhythmic components of the ecosystem and behavioral characteristics of plankton, which can be used as a marker of the ecosystem well-being disturbance, is thus obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific features of halotolerant fungi are analyzed to assess their potential for indicating chemical contamination of saline soils and to search for the promising test species for laboratory mycotesting. The listed halophile and halotolerant micromycete genera comprise the representatives suitable as indicators of pollution by heavy metals, oil products, and other toxicants on the background of increased salinity of soil substrates. The moderately halotolerant species of micromycetes are proposed as promising for biotesting of the soils with moderate salinity. Morphological, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of halophilic and halotolerant fungi to an increased salinity of habitats are analyzed. The responses of fungal communities to the combined impact of salinization and toxic substances of different natures are discussed. The methodological aspects of the application of halotolerant fungi for biotesting the degree of disturbance of saline soils are considered, including the composition of media, cultivation conditions, and test responses of fungal cultures optimal for an adequate assessment of the degree of fungal halotolerance and the ecotoxicity of soil samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is dedicated to studying the influence of ash element distribution in the tissues of woody plants" foliar organs on the fluctuating asymmetry of leaf blades in industrial areas. The research goal is a comprehensive study of the trends in the relationship between ash content and fluctuation of morphometric parameters of leaf blades under conditions of increased anthropogenic impact, using Pavlodar as an example. The research hypothesis states that the increase in ash element content in the tissues of leaf blades is directly proportional to significant variations in morphometric parameters within the sample and serves as an indicator of environmental pollution. The research objects are leaves of Populus balsamifera, Betula pendula, Acer negundo. According to the location of industrial emission sources, they were divided into three zones: northern, eastern, and central. The leaves were collected at the end of the 2023 growing season, with subsequent measurements of the length and width of the leaf blade and calculation of the standard deviation. The significance of differences between samples was assessed based on the results of variance analysis. Ash content determination was carried out by the dry ashing method of leaves in a muffle furnace. It was found that the maximum concentration of ash elements is characteristic of Populus balsamifera and Acer negundo, with the highest degree of atmospheric air pollution identified for the Alumina Plant, consistent with the significant results of the range of variation in morphometric indicators within the sample. An increase in mineral accumulation in leaf blades from southeast to northwest within the central and eastern industrial zones (excluding the Alumina plant) was noted. The obtained results confirm a direct proportional relationship between significant fluctuations in morphometric parameters as ash content increases, which can be used as an indicative method of anthropogenic pollution in industrial regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of human activity on freshwater ecosystems and the decline in biodiversity, focusing on the zooplankton communities in Lake Bannoe and Lake Kholmovskoe in Russia. The study compares the ecological characteristics and taxonomic composition of the zooplankton species in these lakes. It finds that Lake Bannoe has a lower species composition and weaker quantitative development compared to Lake Kholmovskoe, which has a higher number of species and diversity indices. Cladoceran crustaceans are the dominant group in both lakes, with a prevalence of filter feeders. Lake Kholmovskoe has higher zooplankton productivity and is considered conditionally clean, while Lake Bannoe is slightly polluted. The study was funded by the Federal Research Center for Integrated Study of the Arctic and the Russian Science Foundation. [Extracted from the article]

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled at 28 sites situated on ten urban streams (Łódź, Poland) representative of a wide range of anthropogenic modifications of water chemistry and bed structure. A total of 5,043 individuals, comprising 121 species belonging to 37 families and 15 orders, were collected. Diptera (35.8 %) and Ephemeroptera (31.8 %) were dominant. The studied sites were grouped into clusters based on separately-analyzed environmental parameters, various levels of taxonomic diversity, and bioassessment variables. All analyses demonstrated similar trends of anthropogenic modification, intensifying concentrically from the suburbs towards the city centre. The first cluster included the upper section of streams; less polluted, richer in ecotone zones and natural stream bed substrate. The second cluster comprised streams demonstrating the influence of moderate human pressure. The third cluster included streams flowing through the city center in concreted beds and which were connected to a combined sewage system in which sewage and rain water are transported through a single canal system and enters the nearest stream. Modification of stream beds was significantly negatively correlated with the number of species, families and orders, but not with total abundance. The number of species, the number of families and the number of orders were highly mutually correlated. Moreover, they were similarly correlated with biodiversity and biotic indices, which are used to assess the ecological status of the aquatic environment. Hence, different levels of taxonomic identification demonstrate similar effectiveness in assessment, i.e. higher taxa of aquatic macroinvertebrates may be suitable for simplified ecological monitoring of urban watercourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diverse anthropogenic load on the transboundary Irtysh River necessitates an assessment of its ecological state, which was the goal of this work. We conducted this research in July 2023 in the upper and lower reaches of the Kazakh part of the Irtysh basin. We determined transparency; temperature; pH; salinity (TDS); oxygen, N-NO3, N-NO2, N-NH4, PO4, Mn, Fe, Si, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Co, and Hg contents; permanganate index; and zooplankton variables at 27 stations. We assessed the ecological state of the river by comparing the contents of pollutants with their maximum permissible concentrations (MPCfw), Classification Scales, and bioindications. An excess of MPCfw was detected for N-NO2, Cu, and Fe and locally for Cr and Zn. According to the Classification Scales, most analysed variables corresponded to slightly polluted waters; N-NO2, Cr, and Zn corresponded to moderately and heavily polluted waters. Zooplankton was represented by 82 species, with an average abundance of 6728 individuals/m3, biomass of 2.81 mg/m3, Shannon index of 1.99–2.08 bit, ∆-Shannon of 0.09, and average individual mass of 0.0019 mg. The spatial distribution of abiotic and biotic variables indicated increased organic and toxic pollution downstream in the Irtysh. Potential sources of pollution of the Irtysh basin are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplain forests are among the most threatened ecosystems in Europe, providing specific conditions for many species. The research in floodplain forests in conditions agrarian landscape and in the Dunajské Luhy Protected Landscape Area (important European territory) was conducted. During the years 2020–2022, 2827 individuals of beetles belonging to 93 species at 6 locations representing two types of habitats (willow–poplar floodplain forest, regenerated poplar forest) were recorded. The beetles were collected using the pitfall traps method. Through spatial modeling (redundancy analysis—RDA), we found a strong preference of species for floodplain forests located in the Dunajská Luhy Protected Landscape Area a European important territory, where there was also a predominance of adaptable and relict species. These species prefer a more stable environment and undisturbed ecosystems with a sufficient food optimum. On the contrary, number of species belonging to the eurytopic group correlated with the conditions of the agrarian landscape were recorded. Moreover, these species inhabit ecosystems disturbed by anthropic activity. We also confirmed a significant difference in the number of individuals and species between the use of the landscape (agrarian landscape, Dunajské Luhy). We confirmed a larger number of individuals and species in the Dunajské Luhy PLA (important European territory). Our results bring new information about the negative impact of the agroeciosystem on floodplain forests. In order to preserve the European important floodplain forests in the Dunajské Luhy Protected Landscape Area, it is necessary to know the ecological niches between beetles and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant assemblages have been used as bioindicators of biodiversity response to different types of anthropogenic disturbances. However, usual diversity metrics (e.g., ant species richness and composition) sometimes seem limited in showing an overall panorama of human impacts. Thus, we checked habitat-use guilds of ants as a complementary predictable parameter, based on the ant fauna reported in thirteen forest fragments and pastures in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, we hypothesized that forest specialist, open-habitat specialist, and generalist ants would have distinct responses to forest-pasture shifting. We expected that forest-pasture shifting would cause a decrease in species richness of forest specialists and an increase in open-habitat specialists, while the generalists would have few changes in their richness because they can live in both habitats. As expected, the species richness of forest specialist ants decreased, and open-habitat ants increased with forest-pasture shifting, while generalists had little change. This indicates that human-induced open habitats (e.g., pastures) are essentially comprised of generalist ants and open-habitat ant specialists, which replace forest specialists. Additionally, considering the plasticity of generalist ants, they can be considered as primary elements of ant assemblages. Therefore, a future step is to quantify the limit of forest-cover clearing in human-induced land uses, which might ensure a higher species richness of forest-specialist ants than other habitat-use guilds. Implications for insect conservation: Habitat-use ant guilds (forest specialists, open-habitat specialists, and generalists) have been used as a complementary parameter on bioindication. Here, we provided a standard protocol to classify the ant fauna in these habitat-use guilds, which allows for objective, reproducible and broad use in monitoring programs that consider ant assemblages as bioindicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper presents a microscopic studies of activated sludge supported by automatic image analysis based on deep learning neural networks. The organisms classified as Arcella vulgaris were chosen for the research. They frequently occur in the waters containing organic substances as well as WWTPs employing the activated sludge method. Usually, they can be clearly seen and counted using a standard optical microscope, as a result of their distinctive appearance, numerous population and passive behavior. Thus, these organisms constitute a viable object for detection task. Paper refers to the comparison of performance of deep learning networks namely YOLOv4 and YOLOv8, which conduct automatic image analysis of the afore-mentioned organisms. YOLO (You Only Look Once) constitutes a one-stage object detection model that look at the analyzed image once and allow real-time detection without a marked accuracy loss. The training of the applied YOLO models was carried out using sample microscopic images of activated sludge. The relevant training data set was created by manually labeling the digital images of organisms, followed by calculation and comparison of various metrics, including recall, precision, and accuracy. The architecture of the networks built for the detection task was general, which means that the structure of the layers and filters was not affected by the purpose of using the models. Accounting mentioned universal construction of the models, the results of the accuracy and quality of the classification can be considered as very good. This means that the general architecture of the YOLO networks can also be used for specific tasks such as identification of shell amoebas in activated sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under conditions of intense anthropogenic impact, the territory of modern Donbass is geochemically contrasting environment. Concentrations of rare earth elements (Sc, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Yb) in the natural ecosystems of the Northern Azov region (Central Donbass) were determined by indicator plants using neutron activation analysis. An open landscape experiment was carried out using moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. which has a high information response in the assessment of technogenic impacts. It allowed to establish the levels of regional contamination with rare earth elements, to identify correlation groups of related processes in the structural and functional features of indicator. The identified localities of geochemical heterogeneities in ecotopes are responsible for the adaptation of plants under stressful conditions. The most informative structural units of plants indicating the contamination with rare earth elements are abnormalities in the structure (terates, teratomorphs), violation of the morphogenesis processes of the embryonic apparatus of plants and areas of vegetative organs. Correlation analysis and principle component analysis were applied to reveal the relationship between the elements and abnormalities in the structure of plants. Relative accumulation factor, contamination factor and enrichment factor were calculated to evaluate the level of environment pollution and to identify the origin of elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-quantitative microscope counts of phytoplankton are often a compromise between time-consuming cell biomass analyses and no phytoplankton data. We demonstrate how semiquantitative data from a monitoring program can be used to study phytoplankton community composition, its annual cycle, and aspects of the ecosystem it inhabits. Semi-quantitative counts from Agmon Wetlands, Israel, collected monthly from 2008 to 2021, were generated by allocating a score from 1 (rare) to 6 (extremely abundant) to each taxon observed in a sample. Five samples could be analyzed at the time it takes to count one sample by the conventional Utermöhl method. Using an exponential regression equation, the scores were transformed to estimated concentrations (algal units/ml), then summed into taxonomic or other groups of species. A strong annual pattern of the sum of scores for each taxonomic group was observed. The method was useful for assessing ecosystem features based on indicator species, and for presenting the contribution of morpho-functional groups to the phytoplankton community. If making a species list is planned, we recommend assigning scores, creating calibration curves, converting the scores to concentration estimates, and using those estimates to achieve higher resolution and better conclusions than possible with a species list alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young-of-the-year fish communities are widely used as bioindicators of various environmental disturbances. This study was conducted from 1997 to 2015 and aims to develop fish trait–based indices of changes in the temperature regime and eutrophication of water bodies in the Dnipro River basin. We identified fish traits that significantly correlate with both temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration optimum: reproduction habitat, oxygen tolerance, and toxicity tolerance. Compared to other ecological groups, lithophilic species exhibited the lowest degree of thermal and eutrophication optimum, indicating this species' greater vulnerability to environmental alteration. Fish species that are intolerant to water quality and low oxygen concentration were the most sensitive to changes in temperature regime and eutrophication level. Salinity preferences and water quality tolerance emerged as reliable predictors of temperature optimum. Freshwater fish had an average temperature optimum that was 4.5% higher than that of freshwater-brackish and freshwater-brackish-marine fish. Species tolerance to the temperature factors and nutrient loads correlated only with rheophily, with rheophilic species having an average 13.8% higher temperature tolerance than other fish species and a 10.4% higher chlorophyll-a concentration tolerance. The fish temperature index increased over time during the study period in all the studied water bodies, consistent with ongoing warming affecting all sites. In contrast, the Fish Eutrophication Index showed greater temporal heterogeneity in studied water bodies, indicating various adaptative potentials of fish communities to eutrophication. These indices can be relevant for assessing disturbed situations caused by changes in climatic and anthropogenic impacts on water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, MoorFutures® were introduced as the first standard for generating credits from peatland rewetting. We developed methodologies to quantify ecosystem services before and after rewetting with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, evaporative cooling and mire-typical biodiversity. Both standard and premium approaches to assess these services were developed, and tested in the rewetted polder Kieve (NE-Germany). The standard approaches are default tier 1 estimation procedures, which require little time and few, mainly vegetation data. Based on the Greenhouse gas Emission Site Type (GEST) approach, emissions decreased from 1,306 t CO2e in the baseline scenario to 532 t CO2e in the project scenario, whereas 5 years after rewetting they were assessed to be 543 t CO2e per year. Nitrate release assessed via Nitrogen Emission Site Types (NEST) was estimated to decrease from 1,088 kg N (baseline) to 359 kg N (project), and appeared to be 309 kg N per year 5 years after rewetting. The heat flux − determined with Evapotranspiration Energy Site Types (EEST) – decreased from 6,691 kW (baseline) to 1,926 kW (project), and was 2,250 kW per year 5 years after rewetting. Mire-specific biodiversity was estimated to increase from very low (baseline) to high (project), but was only low 5 years after rewetting. The premium approaches allow quantifying a particular ecosystem service with higher accuracy by measuring or modelling. The approaches presented here have been elaborated for North-Germany but can be adapted for other regions. We encourage scientists to use our research as a model for assessing peatland ecosystem services including biodiversity in other geographical regions. Using vegetation mapping and indicator values derived from meta-analyses is a cost-efficient and robust approach to inform payment for ecosystem services schemes and to support conservation planning at regional to global scales.

Abstract The primary task of the BERN database is to document reference data on typical site parameters for the occurrence of plant communities in which their diagnostic species are in competitive equilibrium with each other and in homeostatic equilibrium with the site factors. Common approaches for the creation of a site-plant database such as ordination or bioindication based on individual species like PROPS or MultiMOVE model are of limited use because it is not possible to determine the potential occurrence of a plant species on the basis of site factors, since the competitive influences cannot be determined in advance according to current knowledge. Therefore, the BERN database takes into account the structure of plant communities with the abundance and dominance of species in the competitive equilibrium of plant communities as a reference for determining anthropogenically induced changes. Qualitative knowledge on the relationship between site types and vegetation communities is widely available, as can be seen from the extensive phytosociological publications. For this purpose, synoptic tables and their location descriptions of around 50,000 relevés were evaluated. The BERN database includes currently 887 central European plant communities and links to their diagnostically defining species composition. The database defines the niche of 2210 central European plant species for the soil properties pH, base saturation, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and wetness index and the climatic properties continentality, length of vegetation period, solar radiation and climatic water balance. The BERN model recombines the realised species niches that mainly form the competitively homeostatic structure of a plant community in order to determine the fundamental multifactorial niche of this community. The BERN database contains mainly historical recordings of more or less undisturbed sites. The BERN model (Bioindication for Ecosystem Regeneration towards Natural conditions) as an application module of the BERN database was developed to integrate ecological cause-effect relationships into studies on environmental status assessment and forecasting. The BERN database now has been published for the first time. The methodology of creating the BERN database and the BERN model are documented and applications are demonstrated with examples. The freely available database should invite you to supplement and modify it.

Coastal ecosystems located near cities, industrial and agricultural facilities are under significant anthropogenic influence. The complexity of modern anthropogenic impact on coastal ecosystems does not always make it possible to determine the quantitative content of all pollutants. The traditional methods used make it possible to assess physical and chemical indicators, but they do not provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact on the biological system. The use of bioindication methods that reflect the response of aquatic organisms to the complex influence of the environment is extremely relevant. Fish are a large group of vertebrates and inhabit a wide range of ecosystems where they are exposed to many different aquatic pollutants. In bioindication studies, both morphophysiological and biochemical indicators of fish are widely used. The use of morphophysiological indicators makes it possible to assess the impact of environmental factors on the organism, as well as the specifics of its adaptation to environmental changes. Due to the development of biochemistry and molecular biology, such new techniques appear that make it possible to determine the impact of an environmental factor at those stages when changes occur at the cellular, membrane and molecular levels, and do it before this impact leads to irreversible pathological processes. The use of bioindication methods, that reflect the reaction of biota to the entire complex of negative environmental influences, is a relevant and promising method. The review examines in detail modern bioindication methods based on determining the morphophysiological and biochemical parameters of fish, and also assesses the role of the bioindicator approach in a comprehensive assessment of the state of the environment. Key words: bioindication, biomarkers, coastal ecosystem, complex pollution, fish, stress

This research focuses on studying the narrow-clawed crayfish in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The narrow-clawed crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus, is a crucial component of industrial fisheries and plays a significant role in the development of aquatic ecosystems. Within the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region, crayfish inhabit various freshwater bodies, including rivers, lakes, floodplains, and ponds. It is known that water bodies in the Dnipro region undergo substantial anthropogenic impact, leading to alterations in the life cycles and reproductive features of hydrobionts. Investigated areas of reservoirs were characterized by diverse levels and factors of pollution, such as contamination of water with chemical and radioactive substances, oil products, wastewater, and the use of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. These anthropogenic interventions may result in a decrease in populations of aquatic organisms, posing a serious threat to water ecosystems. The sensitivity to environmental changes makes crayfish a valuable bioindicator species. Fertility indicators and morphometric characteristics can be considered as bioindicators. The analysis of linear-weight parameters revealed that crayfish extracted from the Zaporizhzhia Reservoir had a body length 15–18% greater than those from the Kamianske and Samara Bay. Additionally, they exhibited larger cephalothorax dimensions by 18–20%, and their mass was almost 50% higher compared to individuals from other water bodies. Samara Bay demonstrated significantly lower fertility indicators compared to the Zaporizhzhia Reservoir, with crayfish fertility being reliably 63% lower. The established differences in morphometric indicators between crayfish from the Zaporizhzhia Reservoir, Samara Bay and Kamianske Reservoir may indicate heterogeneity in the living conditions within the water bodies of Dnipropetrovsk and might be induced by anthropogenic pressures.

The impact of environmental management on water quality carried out in the Tobias Creek watershed area and that of geological processes occurring in the given geoecosystems have been studied. The survey based on a basin approach was performed at a watercourse located in a mountainous tourist area under recreational pressure, the latter has been significantly increasing recently due to increasing domestic tourism. The types of hazardous exogenous geological processes affecting the natural environment (including water sources) and economic activities have been identified: linear and planar erosion, landslides, creep, and mudflows. The “hotel complex” and “ski slopes combined with hiking tourist routes” had the greatest negative impact on the natural environment out of the eleven types of territorial environmental management identified by experts. The ecosystem components “flora” and “soil” were subject to the greatest anthropogenic impact. The environmental conditions deteriorated gradually from the creek source to its mouth as followed by bioindication and biotesting. A comparison of geological and anthropogenic factors and the processes occurring in the catchment area within the defined ecological zones allowed us to conclude that biological parameters reflecting processes in the aquatic ecosystems may be used as indicators of the state of the natural environment.

During the studies (2021–2022) of the Sodema River (Vologda Oblast), a total of 125 species and forms of phytoplankton, 74 species of zooplankton and 70 species of zoobenthos were identified. Above the city of Vologda, the riverine phytoplankton was not abundant (0.2 mln cells/l, 0.3 g/m3 ); diatoms dominated. Zooplankton and zoobenthos in the upper river reaches were most diverse. Zooplankton number was very high (7.1 thous. ind./m3 , 0.5 g/m3 ). Upstream, the river was assessed as mesotrophic, clean and β-mesosaprobic. Within the city of Vologda, phytoplankton diversity and abundance of cyanobacteria, euglena and cryptophyte algae increased, while species richness of zooplankton and zoobenthos sharply declined. Zooplankton number was low (0.8 thous. ind./ m3 , 10 mg/m3 ). In zoobenthos, oligochaetes developed en masse. Low reaches of the Sodema were characterized as eutrophic, hypereutrophic and β-α-mesosaprobic. River pollution greatly affected zoobenthos because of pollutants accumulation in soil.

Measuring soil quality and the use of indicators for its evaluation is a worldwide challenge. In Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (northeastern Spain), different parameters related to oribatid mites as indicators of soil quality were evaluated under different land uses: forest, pasture, and a biennial double-crop rotation of forage crops. In forage crops, previous fertilization management (one based on mineral fertilizers, three on cattle manure, and one using both types) was also evaluated. Three samplings (April, June, and September) were performed over one season. Fifty-four oribatid species belonging to 28 families were identified. Abundance was the lowest in June for all land uses (average of 1184 individuals m−2). In the study period, abundance, diversity (Shannon index, H’), and dominance (Berger–Parker index, d) varied with different land uses, with the highest values of abundance and H’ in forests (9287 individuals m−2 and 2.19, respectively) and the lowest dominance in forests (d = 0.29) without differences between the other uses. Additionally, in the studied parameters, no differences were associated with previous fertilization management in forage crops. Hypochthoniella minutissima, Xenillus (X.) tegeocranus characterized the forest system, Epilohmannia cylindrica minima the forage crops, and Tectocepheus sarekensis the pasture. In pasture, the dominance of the parthenogenetic species Tectocepheus sarekensis raises concerns about potential management constraints.

The intensive use, development, and expansion of the road network is expanding the zones of direct impact of road transport on forest ecosystems. Issues related to the mobility of trace elements in forest ecosystems along motorways are very important due to the numerous environmental risks associated with the excessive accumulation of metals, the ability to migrate and accumulate in plants and animals, and the risk of transferring these elements to higher trophic levels. The aim of this article was therefore to determine the impact of road traffic on the basis of contents of trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn and to describe the relationship of these contents in moss gametophytes and blueberry leaves taken in the vicinity of an existing and variously expanded expressway (S7, Poland, Europe). Analyses of transport impacts included the effects of distance and time of pollutant deposition and road transport on habitat and stand conditions. The highest contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in moss tissues were found in fir stands and the contents were, respectively, 0.36 mg·kg−1, 5.91 mg·kg−1, 12.5 mg·kg−1, 3.26 mg·kg−1, 8.82 mg·kg−1, and 55.28 mg·kg−1. Mosses showed the best bioindication capacity of all of the studied ecosystem elements. The Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Ni contents were particularly markedly elevated in moss tissues relative to non-anthropopressured areas and dependent on distance from the emitter (road). Blueberry proved to be a less useful bioindicator, as the contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn found were similar to the data from non-anthropopressured areas and were, respectively, 0.09 mg·kg−1, 0.98 mg·kg−1, 7.12 mg·kg−1, 2.49 mg·kg−1, 1.18 mg·kg−1, and 15.91 mg·kg−1 in fir stands and 0.04 mg·kg−1, 0.47 mg·kg−1, 6.63 mg·kg−1, 1.65 mg·kg−1, 0.72 mg·kg−1, and 17.44 mg·kg−1 in pine stands.

The primary task of the BERN database is to document reference data on typical site parameters for the occurrence of plant communities in which their diagnostic species are in competitive equilibrium with each other and in homeostatic equilibrium with the site factors. Common approaches for the creation of a site-plant database such as ordination or bioindication based on individual species like PROPS or MultiMOVE model are of limited use because it is not possible to determine the potential occurrence of a plant species on the basis of site factors, since the competitive influences cannot be determined in advance according to current knowledge. Therefore, the BERN database takes into account the structure of plant communities with the abundance and dominance of species in the competitive equilibrium of plant communities as a reference for determining anthropogenically induced changes. Qualitative knowledge on the relationship between site types and vegetation communities is widely available, as can be seen from the extensive phytosociological publications. For this purpose, synoptic tables and their location descriptions of around 50,000 relevés were evaluated. The BERN database includes currently 887 central European plant communities and links to their diagnostically defining species composition. The database defines the niche of 2210 central European plant species for the soil properties pH, base saturation, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and wetness index and the climatic properties continentality, length of vegetation period, solar radiation and climatic water balance. The BERN model recombines the realised species niches that mainly form the competitively homeostatic structure of a plant community in order to determine the fundamental multifactorial niche of this community. The BERN database contains mainly historical recordings of more or less undisturbed sites. The BERN model (Bioindication for Ecosystem Regeneration towards Natural conditions) as an application module of the BERN database was developed to integrate ecological cause-effect relationships into studies on environmental status assessment and forecasting. The BERN database now has been published for the first time. The methodology of creating the BERN database and the BERN model are documented and applications are demonstrated with examples. The freely available database should invite you to supplement and modify it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research results provided original data on the Rhopalocera species composition, ecological and biological features, and Rhopalocera population structure, of the south-eastern part of the peninsula, which live in some open biocenoses. The role of Rhopalocera representatives in the ecosystem is twofold: representatives of the family act as pests at some stages of development, and as beneficial pollinators of flowering plants at others, which affects the development of the ecosystem as a whole. In the studied territory of the southeastern part of Crimea, 36 species of Lepidoptera were found. The studied fauna of Rhopalocera included 5 species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. One species of the family Lycaenidae is listed in the Red Data Butterflies Book of Europe. Of the studied inpatients the most densely inhabited biotopes a juniper grove, meadows, and a steppe area turned out to be. By the number of species, the largest trophic group among the detected ones was the group of oligophagous. Four phenological groups were distinguished: spring-early summer, summer, late summer, and polyvoltine, of which the richest is the polyvoltine group. The peak of diversity and abundance of species occurred in the middle summer period when almost 90% of Rhopalocera species of the studied area were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals of common nase were sampled from three waterbodies (Kačer river, Zaovine, and Medjuvršje reservoirs) with different characteristics, types, and levels of anthropogenic pressure. The aims of this study were to determine the concentrations of 26 elements in gills, liver, and muscle using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES); determine the concentrations of 17 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in muscle tissue using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC–MS); compare these findings with fish condition (CF); and conduct human health risk and benefit assessments due to consumption of fish meat using target hazard quotient, target carcinogenic risk factor, Se:Hg molar ratio, Na:K and Ca:Mg ratios, and contribution of elements to human diet. Results indicated that in addition to the fact that the type of ecosystem (lentic vs. lotic) plays an important role in the fate and kinetics of pollutants, the degree of anthropogenic pressure is one of the most important factors of environmental pollution — Zaovine and Medjuvršje reservoirs (both lentic ecosystems) had the lowest and the highest levels of pollution, respectively. CF did not reflect the differences in accumulation of all analyzed elements in nase tissues. None of the 17 analyzed OCPs were detected due to the absence of recent use. Fish muscle was the least affected by metal pollution at all studied localities and could be safely used for consumption. We recorded several benefits for human health when using the nase meat in human diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the distribution of rotifers of the genus Polyarthra Ehrenberg, 1834, family Synchaetidae, in the Urals are summarized based on the author's research and an analysis of literature sources. Eight valid species have been detected: Polyarthra dolichoptera Idelson, 1925; P. euryptera Wierzejski, 1891; P. longiremis Carlin, 1943; P. luminosa Kutikova, 1962; P.major Burckhardt, 1900; P. minor Voigt, 1904; P. remata Skorikov, 1896; and P. vulgaris Carlin, 1943. The ninth of the recorded species, P. dissimulans Nipkow, 1952, may be referred to as a species inquirendum (Nogrady and Segers, 2002). Data on their localities, biology, bioindication, and quantitative development in the waters of the Urals are given. P. dolichoptera and P. vulgaris are most common and abundant in water bodies of the Urals. Low water temperatures probably limit the geographical distribution of the mainly thermophilic Polyarthra species to northern latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown semi-desert soils of the Republic of Kalmykia are subject to high levels of oil pollution. To assess the ecological state of soils, it is necessary to analyze not only the residual oil content, but also the biological indicators of soils. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of bioremediation of the oil-contaminated brown semi-desert soil of the Republic using physicochemical and biological indicators. Biochar, nitroammophos, sodium humate, and Baikal EM-1 were added to oil-contaminated soil (5% of the soil mass). To assess the effectiveness of remediation of brown semi-desert soil after 30 days, the residual oil content, the activity of catalase and dehydrogenases, the number of bacteria, the length of the roots, and the germination of radish were studied. It has been established that the introduction of biochar and Baikal EM-1 reduces the residual oil content in brown semi-desert soil. Biochar and nitroammophos affect the contents of easily soluble salts, and Baikal EM-1, the redox potential. Sodium humate stimulates catalase activity (r = –0.48), shoot length (r = –0.54), roots (r = –0.54), and radish germination (r = –0.64). Nitroammophos stimulates the number of bacteria (r = –0.56), the activity of catalase (r = –0.63), and dehydrogenases (r = –0.84), but inhibits the length of radish shoots and roots (Raphanus sativus L.). The application of Baikal EM-1 stimulates the number of soil bacteria (r = –0.83), the activity of dehydrogenases (r = –0.89) and inhibits the length of roots, shoots and germination. It is advisable to use the results of the study in biomonitoring and diagnosing the state of oil-contaminated brown semi-desert soils of the Republic of Kalmykia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the potential of Populus alba L. for bioindication and phytoremediation of the contaminated lower part of the Sava River. The main objectives are to assess soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs: As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn), evaluate their availability, and assess the phytoremediation and bioindication potential of Populus alba. Quantification of the PTE contents was performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), while bioindication and phytoremediation potential were evaluated using accumulation indices. The study revealed phytotoxic contents of Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn in the riparian soils of the lower Sava River. The percentage of available Cd was high, but due to its low total content, its phytotoxic potential is limited. According the metal accumulation index, Populus alba exhibits significant potential to accumulate the PTEs studied (with accumulated toxic contents of B, Cr, Li, Sr, and Zn). The ability of Populus alba to accumulate and bioindicate Cd, Cr, and Ni is promising, as is its ability to potentially remediate B, Cd, and Zn. Copper deficiency in leaves resulted in a reduction in photosynthetic performance, but without visible morphological symptoms. The reduced photosynthetic capacity serves as an adaptive strategy for this species in response to toxic levels of PTEs. Since Populus alba is widely distributed in European riparian forests, it is a good candidate to address soil contamination through phytoremediation and bioindication techniques.