Visnyk of Dnipropetrovsk University. Biology, ecology

10-14

Authors: T. I. Iusypiva, T. S. Korostylova

This paper addresses the problem of technogenic pollution which is a dramatic stress-factor for plants effectively acting as a green filter for cleaning air, water, and soil. It results in their growth rate changes, seasonal development speed deviations and plant appearance variations. Green belt to consume industrial emissions and to create the esthetic look seems to be an urgent matter to deal with technogenic pollution. Lime tree decorative characteristics depend significantly on the state of their reproductive organs (flower, inflorescence and fruit). On the other hand, biometric indices of woody plant reproductive organs are sensitive parameters characterizing the plant response to pollutants. The study discusses complex environmental pollution impact caused by sulfur (IV) and nitrogen (IV) oxides as well as heavy metals on physiological and cytogenetic characteristics of reproductive organs of Tіlia L. genus representatives in conditions of steppe Prydniprovye. The research objectives were T. amurensis L. аnd T. cordаta Mill. Samples were collected in May and June 2014 on two sample areas. The research area borders with both heavy traffic road and Interpipe NTRP CJSC, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, that features such pollutants as SO2, NO2, iron, manganese, zinc, mercury, chrome. The control area is located in the Botanical garden of Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University. The research proved that biometric and cytogenetic parameters of generic organo of Tilia genus representatives were dramatically sensitive to the impact of pollutants. Moreover, T. cordаta was the most sensitive among species under study to multicomponent environmental pollution when assessed by criteria of suppression of woody plant reproductive capacity formation. The other benefit of this study consisted in monitoring of the blossom rate of both species that appeared to scale down substantially in the technogenic environment. Man-induced stress factors caused lower rates of a range of lime generic parameters, for example, petal length and number of a model flowers. Besides, T. cordаta model flower had also the shorter stamen. The results obtained proved that technogenic environment undermined fertile ability of pollen grains of both research objects, though the most affected species was T. cordаta. The paper offers practical applications to complete environment phyto-indication and monitoring of condition of Tіlia genus plants with the help of the suggested test parameters (blossom rate and pollen-grain fertility (test object T. cordаta) under conditions of constant influence of SO2, NO2 and heavy metals.

21–27

Authors: O. V. Zhukov, P. V. Pisarenko, O. М. Kunah, O. J. Dichenko

Indicators of landscape-ecological diversity of territory of the Poltava region according to remote sensing of the Earth have been established, and its role in determination of dynamics of abundance of sugar beet pests has been found. The greatest landscape-ecological diversity has been calculated to be characteristic for the east and central areas of the Poltava region. The greatest landscape diversity has been revealed for Reshetilovsky (by the average Shannon index it is equal to 1,07 bit/pixel) and Velikobagachansky (1,06 bit/pixel) districts which are in the center of the Poltava region. The least landscape diversity is characteristic for Chernuhinsky, Semenovsky, Globinsky and Kobeljansky districts. General level of the landscape-ecological diversity and its dynamics has its effect on the condition and dynamics of sugar beet pests’ abundance within the Poltava region. Landscape diversity defines the conditions where sharp growth of abundance of sugar beet pests may occur with the highest probability. Low level of landscape diversity displays ecological conditions at which risks of high infestations of sugar beet pest insects are the greatest. Level of landscape diversity in the conditions of the Poltava region, first of all, is defined by the relation of agro ecosystems to the landscape complexes of other types. Large unvaried territories which are occupied by agricultural lands create the conditions for high infestations of sugar beet pest insects.

33–38

Authors: S. V. Kuzmishyna, S. O. Hnatush, A. A. Halushka

The aim of this work was to determine the impact of addition of coal ash from Dobrotvir TPP to waste heaps gangue (Chervonograd Mining Region) on the number of different groups of microorganisms. 20 samples from three waste heaps, from the black and red gangue, under the mosses and from bare substrate and also from terrace, top and base of each waste heap, were selected. Waste heaps gangues with coal ash from Dobrotir TPP were mixed in vitro and left for 10 days. We used proportion of coal ash to gangue as 1 to 5. Microorganisms were grown in Petri dishes containing 20–30 ml agar medium and in 22 ml tubes at temperature of 28 °C. Microscopic fungi were revealed on Mash-agar; oligonitrophilic bacteria – on Ashby medium; actinomycetes – on Chapek’s medium; cellulose decomposing aerobic bacteria – on Hetchenson medium; colorless sulfur oxidizing bacteria: neutrophilic – on Beyerinck medium, acidophilic – on Silverman and Lundgren 9К medium. The acidity value of waste heaps gangue samples was determined by рН meter рН-150М. We observed that samples collected under the mosses had lower acidity compared to samples from the bare substrate. We also revealed lower acidity of the overburn red gangue than the acidity of freshly deposited black gangue. To sum up, application of coal ash resulted in lowering of acidity value among all samples under study. Coal ash addition led to increase in number of microscopic fungi cells compared to the appropriate control samples. The highest quantity of microscopic fungi (16.2 ± 0.79) х 105 CFU/g of gangue) was revealed in sample from red rock of the main waste heap of Central Enrichment Plant (CEP). At the same time, we observed the highest cell number in the control sample under the mosses of “Nadija” coal pit waste heap, (6.1 ± 0.3) х 105 CFU/g of gangue. After coal ash addition, most samples featured 2–3 times higher quantities of colorless sulfur-oxidizing neutrophilic bacteria cells. The highest cell number of these microorganisms was observed in sample under the mosses of “Vizejska” coal pit waste heap. The same dominance of oligonitrophilic bacteria cell number in experimental samples over control samples was indicated. The highest cell quantity was recorded for the sample under the moss from terrace of waste heap of “Nadija” coal pit (25.6 ± 1.3) х 104 CFU/g of gangue and in sample from red rock of CEP main waste heap (21.1 ± 1.1) х 104 CFU/g of gangue, being 43.3 and 31.7 times higher than the appropriate controls. Meanwhile, the number of colorless sulfur-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria in control samples was higher than that after coal ash addition, particularly, on the bare substrate samples from the base and terrace of waste heap of “Nadija” coal pit. Higher cell number in control samples without coal ash was typical for actinomycetes with the greatest difference (8.6 times) before and after coal ash addition in a sample from red rock of CEP main waste heap. We detected 2 times lower number of cellulose-decomposing aerobic bacteria in the majority of experimental samples compared to appropriate control samples under study. In that way, we noticed that addition of coal ash from Dobrotvir TPP to waste heaps gangue (in proportion of coal ash to gangue as 1 to 5) caused reduction of substrate acidity value. Under these conditions the number of colorless sulfur-oxidizing neutrophilic bacteria, oligonitrophilic bacteria and microscopic fungi cells increased. But on the other hand, coal ash addition resulted in lowering of the number of colorless sulfur-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria, actinomycetes, and cellulose-decomposing aerobic bacteria cells.

44–49

Authors: S. N. Kabuzenko, A. V. Omelchenko, L. N. Mikhalskaya, V. V. Schwartau

The quantitative content and distribution in organs and tissue compartments of Na+ ions in halophytes Suaeda prostrata Pall., Salicornia perennans Willd., Artemisia santonica L. growing in the areas with chloride-sulfate type of salinization of soil in the vicinity of the Sasyk salt lake (Northwest Crimea) has been determined. It was found that for S. perennans and S. prostrata euhalophytes the strategy of translocation of Na+ ions to the organs of the aerial part with increasing NaCl concentration in the medium was typical. In this case, the content of Na+ ions in the cell sap of the above-ground parts of plants significantly increases which is more pronounced in S. perennans. Increasing concentrations of NaCl in the medium contribute to 0.50–0.75% improvement in plant growth indicators and protein content increase in vegetative organs. A positive correlation between the content of Na+ and biomass accumulation in organs of euhalophytes is shown. Glycohalophyte A. santonica is characterized by localization of Na+ ions predominantly in the root tissues. The highest content of Na+ ions in the above-ground organs of euhalophytes growing in natural conditions was observed in the phase of active vegetative growth and budding, therefore, it is recommended to mow their aerial organs at these stages of ontogenesis for the purpose of soil desalinization. It is concluded that absorption of Na+, as a strategy of adaptation of halophytes to salinity, not only helps to reduce water potential in cells and plants in general, but also activates anabolism, which directly correlates with their salt tolerance.

66–73

Authors: O. V. Zhukov, N. L. Gubanova

High emphasis is placed on amphibian importance as a buffer system, which has inhibiting effect on technogenic transformation of biogeocoenoses. Issues of the animals’ use in biological restoration, ecological rehabilitation of technogenic landscapes and in bioindication of environmental conditions are covered. Сhange in any component of the ecosystem leads to changing of the whole ecosystem. Anuran amphibians are extremely vulnerable to harmful effects of many factors of natural and anthropogenic origin. That is why, the destruction of forests, draining of wetlands, global climate change, global and local environmental pollution lead to complete disappearance or drastic decrease in numbers of many species of amphibians, reduction and fragmentation of their habitats, increased diversity and overall proportion of morphological anomalies in the natural populations of this group of animals. Recent studies of morphological changes in amphibians are increasingly being used to assess the state of the natural state of their populations and quality of their environment. In the biogeocenoses which are in the conditions of transformation amphibians have a number of advantages relative to their activity, the rate of reproduction, and euribiont character. Practical recommendations on protection and enrichment of the regional herpetofauna are given. The impact of the number and species diversity of amphibians on forest ecosystems of the steppe Dnieperin various conditions is assessed. Parametric entropy factors, the coefficient of biodiversity helped to identify the dominant species of amphibians. Taking into account the influence of predictors, there is the possibility to determine the number and species diversity of amphibians in the conditions of floodplain lime-ash forest. As a result of recording, the following species were caught: Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768), Rana arvalis Nilsson, 1842, Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758), Bombina bombina (Linnaeus, 1758). In the number of amphibians there have been changes. Invariant ratio of the communities is the characteristic feature of the dynamics of amphibians, and the order of dominance. General diversity state of metagroup is 3.76. Diversity at the site level is 3.52, accordingly.