Visnyk of Dnipropetrovsk University. Biology, ecology

8-14

Authors: N. N. Nazarenko

The article describes the A.L. Belgard system of vascular plant species coenomorphs as indicators of biotopes by using standardized Y.P. Didukh phytometer scales for 12 environmental factors. The classification and ordination of coenomorphs in the phytometer space was performed by using algorithms of discriminant analysis. The analysis is based on 2,186 species of the vascular plant flora of Ukraine. The classification accuracy was around 80% and above, the least homogenous was the petrophyte coenomorph. The validity of identification of ruderal coenomorphs was proved as an indicator of biotopes with increased content of soil nitrogen. Analysis of the a posteriori probability of species attribution to a coenomorph supports the validity of distinguishing transitional coenomorphs. Their number is small and each group contains a small number of species. The principal factors of classifying species by coenomorph are (in descending order of significance): minimum soil moisture, minimum light (shade), impoverishment of salts in the soil solution, high porosity of soil and impoverishment of carbonates of calcium in the soil and maximum values for radiation balance. The analysis of the distribution of coenomorphs in the space of the square of Mahalanobis distances and the ordination in the discriminant functions axis has determined the ranking of coenomorph of biotope and coenotic substitution: soil moisture (first discriminant function), radiation balance and shade (second discriminant function), salt regime and soil aeration (third discriminant function). For the vegetation of Ukraine this ordination of coenomorphs corresponds to the zonal factors of the distribution of biotopes and their limiting factors and the factors determining A.L. Belgard’s typology of natural and artificial forests: soil moisture, salinity of the soil solution, light conditions. The coenomorph optima for the principal factors have been defined in phytometer scales. This allows coenomorphs to be used as biotope phytometers and provides a preliminary assessment of those species whose place in the scales has not yet been determined. Analysis of posterior probabilities enabled us to determine the transitional coenomorphs, which are typical for ecotones between zonal and intrazonal vegetational ecosystems of Ukraine.

26-39

Authors: O. V. Zhukov, O. N. Kunah, V. A. Novikova

We revealed the functional groups of the animals of sod pinewood soils (arena of the river Dnepr in the "Dneprovsko-Orelsky" Nature Reserve) on the basis of cluster analysis of the RLQ-axes received as result of interaction of matrix of community, matrix of edaphic parameters and matrix of ecomorphs of soil animals. The quantitative account of soil mesofauna has allowed us to establish that the community of animals inhabiting sod pinewood soils is represented by 20 species at a density of 68.9 ± 14.6 ind./m2, 8 forms were identified at the level of genus, family or order. Two species were represented by their larval and imago phases (Anatolica eremita (Steven, 1829) and Calathus ambiguus (Paykull, 1790)). A count of animals conducted in an alternative way has allowed us to expand the list to 38 species or forms at species level. The level of abundance and diversity for sod pinewood soils on the arena is not high compared with other types of soils of the arena of the river Dnepr. This result shows that the community has a simplified ecological structure. The prevailing ecological structure of the community can be characterised as steppe, xerophilous, oligotrophocoenomorphic. Anecic animals are absent from the topomorphic structure and saprophagous animals absent from the trophic structure. Only additional collection by alternative methods has allowed us to establish the presence in the community of saprophagous and anecic animals. The latter ecological group is represented by the extremely mobile vertebrate species Pelobates fuscus. The foromorphic structure of the community differs by its great variety. In this structure various strategies of animals’ movement through the soil are proportionately represented. On the one hand, we see various ways of movement of herpetobiont animals, mainly insect imagoes, which as a whole differ in their considerable migratory potential. This circumstance staticizes the historical reasons for the formation of the studied community. On the other hand, in the community there are various strategies of movement in the soil that allow us to assume or determine the reasons or causes of structurization of an ecological niche. Environmental factors are described by two groups of indicators, edaphic properties and values of phytoindicator scales. The mesopedobionts community structure is presented as a classical matrix of species/sampling points. The ecology of communities is principally focused not on taxonomic features but on biological properties (traits) of species. Such features can act on ecomorphs of soil animals. The direct functional analysis of relationship of biological properties of species with variables of environment by means of data on the abundance of species demands association of three matrixes of data. Such problem can be tackled by means of the RLQ-analysis. A key aspect of structurization of communities of soil mesofauna is differentiation in trophic traits. The organisation of a community of soil animals in an ecological space set by axes RLQ can be displayed in the form of a natural variation of RLQ-axes in geographical space. Everything in the RLQ is represented, as follows from the mathematical nature of this generalisation, an independent aspect of the coordinated variation of structure of a community of soil animals, properties of environment and ecomorphic features of mesopedobionts.

50-60

Authors: A. О. Dranga, P. I. Gorlov

The article contains the results of observations on the formation, existence and the dissociation of the collective winter roost of corvids (crow species) in 2014–2015 in Melitopol (Zaporozhye region). A detailed study of the concentration and the dynamics of its functioning during the winter period was carried out. By the method of absolute counting of birds, the estimation of the gathering process on the roost in the night and dispersal from roost in the morning was carried out twice a week (a total of 47 days of observation in the morning and evening). We selected the following essential parameters: time of the beginning and ending of the process of dispersal from the roost in the morning and gathering at the roost in the evening; time – study of birds’ flight activity in these intervals; the number and species composition of birds; directions of flights with their mapping; weather conditions. Within the city of Melitopol during the winter period of 2014–2015, corvids (Rook, Western Jackdaw, Eurasian Magpie and Common Raven) form one central roost. The total number of birds at the roost was typically 18 thousand individuals. The collective roost exists from the beginning of October till the end of March. The analysis of dynamics of the birds’ number during the existence of the collective showed a wide amplitude of fluctuation in the range of 1,000–5,000 individuals during autumn (10 times) and spring (5 times) migration. By the end of November migration ends, the number of birds has stabilized, and the location of the night roost becomes permanent. In winter the gathering is more stable and fluctuations in number lie within the limits of 500 individuals (8 times). The number of birds that roost collectively decreased from mid – March. In this article considerable attention is paid to processes of the birds’ dispersal from the roost site and gathering at the roost at night. The observations showed a high degree of dependence on day length and different intensity of these types of daily activity. During the analysis of the process of morning dispersal of birds from the collective roost, seasonal differences in the time of dispersal were found. In the winter months this period was significantly shorter than in the autumn and spring. The duration of dispersal of birds from the roost (28.4 ± 9 min; lim – 15–45 min) was reliably less than that of gathering at the roost (87.9 ± 14.8 min; lim – 30–115 min); the difference of averages is significant for the highest probability threshold of р ≥ 0.001 for the entire observation period. As a result of research on dispersal and gathering of birds at the roost site, the basic strategies of the birds’ behaviour were revealled. For morning dispersal of birds from the territory of the roost the strategy of “gathering with a pause” (16 registrations; 35.6%) is dominant. The strategy of “the damped wave” is sub dominant (14; 31.1%). The lowest percentage was taken up by the strategy of “three peaks” (1; 2.2%). For the evening gathering of birds at the roost, the strategy of “two peaks” is dominant. The lowest percentage was taken up by the strategy of “gathering with a pause” (2; 4.5%). The overall species diversity within a gathering and on the routes of birds’ flights reached 24 species. The undisputed dominant in numbers was the Rook, and the subdominan was the Jackdaw. Thus, corvids form the basis of the ornithological complex of the forest – park zone of Melitopol in the autumn and spring period.

72-77

Authors: T. B. Segin, S. О. Hnatush, M. B. Gorishniy

The effect of stressors, including heavy metal ions such as Cu2+, promotes activation of free radical processes in the cells of microorganisms, which causes changes in their physiological and biochemical properties and the structure of bacterial membranes. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of copper (II) sulphate on intensity of lipid peroxidation (LPO) of Chlorobium limicola IMV K-8 by measuring the content of primary (conjugated dienes and lipid hydroperoxides) and secondary lipid peroxidation products (TBA-reactive products). Microorganisms were cultivated at a temperature of 28 °C in GSB cultivation medium with exposure to light of wavelength 700–800 nm and intensity 40 lux. A suspension of C. limicola ІМV К-8 cells in the phase of exponential growth was treated for one hour with metal salt solution in concentrations 0.05–0.50 mM for investigation of the influence of copper (II) sulphate on its physiological and biochemical properties. The control samples did not contain any copper (II) sulphate. Biomass was determined by turbidity of diluted cell suspension by application of photoelectric colorimeter KFK-3. A mixture of n-heptane and isopropyl alcohol was added into cell-free extract for conjugated dienes determination. The samples were incubated at room temperature and centrifuged. Water was added into the supernatant and the samples were stirred. Ethanol was added to the heptanes phase and adsorption was measured at 233 nm. The content of lipid hydroperoxides was determined by a method based on protein precipitation by trichloroacetic acid followed by addition of ammonium thiocyanate. The concentration of TBA-reactive products in the cell-free extracts was determined by color reaction with malondialdehyde and thiobarbituric acid exposed to high temperature and acidity of the medium, which causes formation of trimetinic adduct with maximal absorption at 532 nm. It was shown that when CuSO4 was added to the incubation medium the content of conjugated dienes and lipid hydroperoxides increased with the enhancement of salt concentration. However, its value decreased by the seventh and eighth days of cultivation. The content of TBA-reactive products under the influence of copper (II) sulphate varied depending on the duration of cultivation and concentration of the metal. Its highest quantity was observed on the eighth day of cultivation. Thus it was determined that under the influence of CuSO4 the content of conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides and TBA-reactive products increases. This indicates the increased activity of lipid peroxidation processes and the free radical chain reaction damage mechanism to lipids under these conditions.

87-95

Authors: O. M. Moroz, S. O. Hnatush, C. I. Bohoslavets, G. V. Yavorska, N. V. Truchym

The toxicity of metal ions to microorganisms, in particular at high concentrations, is one of the main impediments to their usage in remediation technologies. The purpose of this work is to analyze the possibility of usage by bacteria of the Desulfuromonas genus, isolated by us from Yavorivske Lake, of ferrum (ІІІ) and manganese (IV) ions at concentrations in the medium of 1,74–10,41 mM as electron acceptors of anaerobic respiration to assesss resistance of sulphur reducing bacteria strains to heavy metal compounds. Cells of Desulfuromonas acetoxidans ІМV V-7384, Desulfuromonas sp. Yavor-5 and Desulfuromonas sp. Yavor-7 were cultivated for 10 days at 30 °C under anaerobic conditions in Kravtsov-Sorokin’s medium without sulphate ions, sulphur, with cysteine as the sulphur source (0.2 g/l) and sodium lactate or citrate as the electron donor (17.86 g/l), in which were added sterile 1 M solutions of C6H5O7Fe and C4H4O4 (control) and also weights of MnO2 to their terminal concentrations 1.74, 3.47, 5.21, 6.94, 10.41 mM. Biomass was determined by the turbidimetric method. In the culture liquid the presence of Fe3+ and Mn4+ were qualitatively determined, and the content of Fe2+ in reaction with о-phenanthroline was determined quantitatively. It was established that sulphur reducing bacteria used with different intensity ferrum (ІІІ) and manganese (IV) ions as electron acceptors during the process of anaerobic respiration at concentrations of 1.74–10.41 mM C6H5O7Fe and MnO2 in the medium, which demonstrated the important role of the investigated microorganisms in reductive detoxication of natural and technogenic media from oxidized forms of transitional heavy metals. An insignificant difference in biomass accumulation during usage of 5.21–10.41 mM ferrum (ІІІ) ions and fumarate is caused by toxicity of the metal ions to cells since the high redox potential of the Fe(III)/Fe(ІІ) pair with increase in concentrations of electron acceptors in the medium did not lead to increase in the biomass accumulation level. The greatest biomass of the bacteria accumulated on the 8–10th days in the medium with the lowest concentration of C6H5O7Fe – 1.74 mM (up to 2.77 g/l), and the lowest biomass – with highest concentration – 10.41 mM (up to 2.41 g/l). After 10 days of cultivation the bacteria of all strains had fully used the ferrum (ІІІ) ions present in the medium. A biomass yield almost twice as low was revealed after manganese (IV) oxide was used by bacteria compared with its use of ferrum (ІІІ) citrate and fumarate at all studied concentrations of electron acceptors in the medium. The highest biomass of bacteria accumulated in the medium with the lowest MnO2 content – 1.74 mM (up to 1.35 g/l), and the lowest biomass in the medium with the highest content – 10.41 mM (up to 1.15 g/l). After 10 days of cultivation bacteria of all strains had not fully restored the manganese (IV) ions present in the medium. The greatest biomass compared with other strains after growth in medium with different C6H5O7Fe and MnO2 contents was accumulated by the strain Desulfuromonas sp. Yavor-7. Since sulphur reducing bacteria strains proved to be resistant to Fe3+ and Mn4+ high concentrations (up to10.41 mM) they can be successfully used in technologies of environmenal remediation from sulphur and heavy metal compounds.

103-108

Authors: O. I. Bodnar, H. B. Viniarska, O. V. Vasilenko, V. V. Grubinko

We investigated the content of pigments in Chlorella vulgaris Beij. (Chlorophyta) under the influence of sodium selenite in concentrations based on Se4+ 0.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg/dm3 during one, three and seven days and under the influence of the simultaneous action of selenite in concentrations 10 mg Se4+/dm3 and ions of Zn2+, Mn2+, Co2+,Cu2+, Fe3+ in concentrations 5.00, 0.25, 0.05, 0.008 and 0.002 mg/dm3over seven days. This research was carried out to establish the conditions for obtaining algal lipidis substance enriched with selenium and biogenic metals in the aquaculture. The content of pigments was determined spectrophotometrically, the cellular walls were separatedby centrifuge in the percoll gradient and investigated microscopically. The pigments content in the Ch. vulgaris increased by 1.5–2.5 times in comparison with the control sample under the influence of 10 mg Se4+/dm3 with and without metal ions, in all variants of experimental influence due to binding of SeО32– with proteins and lipids. We found that selenium was included in all lipid fractions (triacylglycerols, dyacylglycerols, phospholipids, nonetherified fatty acids); the maximum amount of selenium-containing lipids wasrecorded in chloroplasts. The increase in the contents of carotenoids caused by the actions of experimental factors played an exceptional role in the mechanism of antioxidant protection that prevents destruction of chlorophyll and, accordingly, increases its amount in cells. Changes in the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus of Ch. vulgaris affect the whole complex of metabolic transformation. Thus, the successful cultivation of chlorella, enriched with selenium and biogenic metals, is possible within seven days under the influence of 10 mg Se4+/dm3 and the above-mentioned concentration of metal ions.

119-123

Authors: G. A. Al-Maali, N. A. Bisko, A. M. Ostapchuk

The aim of our research was to study the influence of citrate and sulfate of copper on the biomass composition of the mycelium of the medicinal mushroom Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd, (1920) cultivated in a liquid medium. The studied strain of Trametes versicolor 353 was obtained from the Culture Collection of Mushrooms (IBK) from M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Copper citrate was obtained from the Institute of Nanobiotechnologies and Resource Conservation of Ukraine, Kyiv. In this study we used glucose-peptone-yeast extract medium. Cu2+ (sulfate or citrate form) was added to the medium in concentration 4 mg/L. Mycelium was grown in a submerged culture on a rotary shaker (120 rpm) at 26 °C in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks, containing 50 ml of liquid media. The biomass was harvested after 9 days of cultivation in the liquid medium, filtered, washed, dried to a constant weight at 105 °C and weighed. Total nitrogen content (Ntotal) in the mycelium determined by the Kjeldahl method, crude protein content was determined as Ntotal x 6.25. The ash was obtained by the standard method. Total lipids were extracted from undried mycelium by a modified method of Bligh and Dyer. Amino acid composition was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography Agilent 1200 (Agilent technologies, USA). The methyl ethers of fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) Agilent 6890N/5973 inert. The results of our research demonstrated that sulfates and citrates of copper increased the amount of crude protein on the mycelium of T. versicolor 353. Also both form of copper increased the amount of ash by a third relative to the control medium. At the same time, both forms of copper reduced the amount of total carbohydrates on mycelial biomass. But copper sulfate reduced the amount of total lipids relative to the control medium and medium with copper citrate. It should be noted, that given the significant growth of biomass in both cases, the yield of the same biomass compounds (gram per liter of medium) was raised relative to the control medium. So the yield of total carbohydrates was increased by 72% (on the medium with copper citrate) and 43% (on the medium with copper sulfate) relative to the control medium. The yield of crude protein was raised by 94% (on the medium with copper citrate) and 63% (on the medium with copper sulfate) relative to the control medium. Assay of amino acid composition showed that the quality of crude protein didn’t change. Thus the yield of essential amino acids was increased in conjunction with the yield of crude protein. The yield of total lipids increased only on the medium with copper citrate (by 57%) and in this case the content of fatty acids was unchanged significantly relative to the control medium. But sulfate of copper decreased the amount of cis-linoleic acids by 7%, in return the amount of oleic acid was increased relative to the control medium without copper.

134-142

Authors: А. A. Khalaim, M. M. Djurtubaev

Sasyk (Kunduk) – estuary in the North-Western Black Sea region, is located 120 kmsouth-west of Odessa. In 1979–1980 Sasyk was separated from the sea by a dam, connected by a canal with the Danube and transformed into a reservoir. The fauna of Sasyk underwent significant changes and continues to adapt to the new conditions. This process is of great theoretical and practical interest. Cumacea – a small order, numbering about 600 species; is represented in the Black Sea-Azov basin by 23 species, 11 of them belong to the Caspian complex. Due to their high quantity indicators, they play a significant role in the diet of many species of fish. Pterocuma pectinata (Sowinski, 1893) is the most abundant species of cumacean not only in the Sasyk Reservoir, but also in many bodies of water in the region. However, the biology and ecology of this group of animals has been very inadequately studied. The material for these studies was provided by 120 benthic samples collected from 41 stations in the Sasyk Reservoir in the vegetation period 2013–2014. In this study we also used the material collected by means of H. Hungerford underwater light traps. In total 4,000 specimens of cumaceans were processed. This article shows the results of the studyof the post-embryonic development, fertility and size-mass characteristic of P. pectinata in Sasyk Reservoir. For both sexes for age stages have been distinguished and described for cumaceans: «manca», youth, prebreeding and breeding. Between breeding cycles, females live through one more preparatory (intermediate) stage; the males die. This article provides a detailed morphological and morphometric description of all the stages of the ontogeny of cumaceans. The ratio of number of cumaceans at different stages of ontogeny varies considerably with the seasons. In the summer sexual development of cumacean occurs earlier than in the less warm seasons. A directly proportional relationship was found between body length and fertility of P. pectinata. With decrease in water temperature fertility increases. The corresponding regression equations were obtained. The maximum number of eggs observed in the spring of 2014 – 160 ind. in a female 8.0 mm in length (including the uropod length – 10.2 mm). Mean fecundity was 22 ± 1 and 21 ± 1 ind. in the summer of 2013 and 2014, 40 ± 2 and 32 ± 2 ind. in the autumn of 2013 and 2014, 72 ± 4 ind. in the spring of 2014; during the vegetation season 2014 – 42 ± 2 ind. The smallest oviparous female cumaceans (4–6 mm) were observed in the summer in both years of research with domination of the size group of 4–5 mm. The largest oviparous females (6.1–9.0 mm) were observed in the spring with domination of 6.1–7.0 mm size group. P. pectinata produces at least two generations per year in Sasyk Reservoir. P. pectinata reproduction occurs from March to the beginning of November. The peak of breeding is in early spring (March – April), which contributes to the restoration of population numbers after hibernation. The second stage of reproduction (October – November) is less intense. The lifespan of P. pectinata in the Sasyk Reservoir is about one year. Dependence of individual weight of the body is directly proportional to the length of P. pectinata and varies with the seasons. This article provides a table of the average "size – weight" of cumaceans. The data in this table can be used in ichthyological studies, namely the calculation of the reconstructed weight of the food item – P. pectinata, by size of its undigested chitin skeleton. The maximal length of P. pectinata in Sasyk is 8.5 mm (including uropod length – 10.7 mm), weight – 5 mg, significantly greater than the values specified for the populations of the upper reaches of the Kuibyshev Reservoir and the Caspian Sea. The results of the study significantly complement the existing knowledge of biology and ecology of P. pectinata, and expands our idea of the state of the ecosystem of the Sasyk Reservoir.

151-156

Authors: N. Bobryk, M. Kryvtsova, V. Nikolajchuk, I. Voloshchuk

Monitoring research on the areas intensively and continuously affected by technogenic loading has remained topical until nowadays. The soil as a basic component of many ecosystems, including the structure of its microbial cenoses, remains an informative index of a system’s overall stability. The areas affected by railway transport have been scarcely studied. Due to the above, the aim of this work has been to establish the transformation regularities of soil microbial cenoses of territories close to railways and to establish the groups of microorganisms that are a sensitive criterion of technogenic vehicular influence. For the purpose of microbiological research, soil samples were taken at different distances from the railway track (0, 25, 50, 100 and250 m) within five monitoring sections of the Tchop – Uzhhorod – Sambor railway (in the territory of Zakarpatska oblast). The number of ecological trophic groups was identified by means of inoculation on nutrient media using the method of serial dilution of soil suspensions. The research showed that in all types of soils that were adjacent to railway tracks, the number of ammonifiers and spore microbiota was high due to the high content of heavy metals (beyond the background levels). Besides, the bacterial microflora on beef-extract agar was characterized by homogeneity with domination of enteric bacteria and spore bacteria. Simultaneously, the numbers of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, micromycetes, oligonitrophils, amylolytic and pedotrophic microflorae were shown to be low compared to the control. Farther from the railway track, pigmental species of bacteria appeared in the soil samples, attesting to the activity of self-purification processes. Correlation analysis of the data showed that the soil microbiota of the railway-side areas was undergoing changes as affected by heightened contents of heavy metals. Existence of medium and close connections was established between the number of microorganisms of ecological trophic groups and the content of acid-soluble lead forms at the levels of 0.72–1.72 maximum permissible concentrations. It was the nitrogen-fixing microorganisms and microscopic fungi that showed a fast response to heavy metals, which was an indication of their possible use as indicators of the ecological state of technogenically transformed soils.

164-172

Authors: T. Y. Markina

An analytical review of existing methods of quality control for cultures of insects for rearing is presented. It is shown that there is a need to search for new approaches to solving this problem. The suggested methods for quality control for insect cultures are based on the rule of taxis intensity dependence on insect viability level. Testing of new methods of control and prediction of biological material viability was carried out on several breeds of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) and a laboratory culture of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.). It was established that the caterpillars of silkworm breeds with high viability show higher chemotaxis intensity. It was found that intensity of taxis manifestation can be considered as a criterion of population condition. Selection of the most promising breeds of silkworm can be carried out at the moment of hatching without expensive rearing. It was shown that testing of neonate caterpillars by chemotaxis intensity provides the control of viability in all stages of insect development. Evaluation of chemotaxis intensity of adult males on female sex pheromone gives the possibility to select the specimens with the highest physiological properties for hybridization as well as to predict viability for progeny. The method of biological material selection by chemotaxis intensity was improved due to decrease the time of selection from 30 to 15 minutes and preliminary starvation of these insects. Positive correlation was evaluated between general viability of silkworm culture and intensity of chemotaxis of neonate larvae to the smell of mulberry leaf during 15 minutes after 12 hours of starvation. A significant increase of viability for silkworm breeds and hybrids was registered using such selection method during the spring and summer rearing. This selection method can be used also for assessment of culture viability. A new express-method of biological material selection for insect cultures establishment has been approbated. It is based on the positive correlation between insect viability parameters and their trophotaxis intensity. It is shown that for establishment of a laboratory culture of gypsy moth it is necessary to obtain the material from populations with the highest chemotaxis intensity. It was experimentally proved that parameters of chemotaxis intensity and insect viability reflect a certain level of population heterozygosity. The higher is the intensity of chemotaxis, the higher is the relative level of population heterozygosity. This fact gives the possibility to determine the level of heterozygosity for artificial insect populations by testing larvae for chemotaxis intensity. This method may be suitable for monitoring of natural populations condition in zones with intensive anthropogenic loading.

182-187

Authors: V. Y. Vishchur, I. I. Saranchuk, B. V. Gutіy

The content of heavy metals, non-etherified and anionic forms of fatty acids, and also fatty acids of common lipids in honeycomb cells, obtained from hives placed in areas with high, medium and low levels of technogenic loading is investigated. The hives were located at the educational apiary of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies named after S.Z. Gzhytskyj (area with very heavy traffic and industrial activity) and in private beekeeping farms in the town Vynnyky and the village Chyzhyky, Pustomyty district, Lviv region (areas with lower intensity of traffic and industrial activity). Our research has shown that the newly-built honeycomb cells obtained from hives placed in the territory with medium and low levels of technogenic loading contain a lower quantity of such heavy metals as iron, zinc, cuprum, chromium, nickel, lead and cadmium. The total amount of non-etherified fatty acids with even and odd number of carbon atoms in the chain, monounsaturated fatty acids of n-7 and n-9 families and polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 and n-6 families was higher in these honeycombs. However, the total concentration of anionic forms of fatty acids with even and odd number of carbon atoms in the chain, monounsaturated fatty acids of n-7 and n-9 families and polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 and n-6 families was lower in these honeycombs. Due to the above-mentioned monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids the amount of fatty acids of common lipids rises. It leads to increase in the antibacterial and antifungal properties of honeycomb cells and reduction of fragility of their walls. The greatest changes in concentration of heavy metals, non-etherified and anionic form of fatty acids, and also fatty acids of common lipids occur in the newly built honeycomb cells in the territory with low technogenic loading on the environment.

193-202

Authors: O. Biriuk, O. Usova, O. Meleshko, D. Shabanov

Pelophylax esculentus is an interspecific hybrid which reproduces hemiclonally by crossing with the parental species (P. ridibundus or P. lessonae). The structure of hemiclonal population systems is of great interest. The majority of investigations into populations of water frogs deal with samples of mature animals, while subadults are less studied. We collected a random sample of 73 small water frogs from three localities in the Siverskyi Donets River floodplain. All frogs were measured, injected with colchicines and killed after anesthesia. We determined the species specifity, sex, age and ploidy of every individual. In addition, we measured testis length and studied the germ cells of all males by means of karyological analysis. We calculated the portion of triploids in the largest subsample from the vicinity of the Biological Station of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University and carried out a meta-analysis of previous publications dealing with composition of green frog samples from this locality. The proportion of triploids in our sample appeared to be approximately the same as 12 years ago. However, this proportion in our sample differed significantly from that obtained in recent samples of green frogs belonging to other age groups (adults and metamorphs) from the same locality. The share of triploids of P. esculentus is the lowest in the sample of metamorphs. This proportion increases in froglets because of early death of representatives of parental species which originated from hybrid-hybrid crossing. Then the number of triploids among adult P. esculentus individuals declines again probably because of their lower viability compared to diploids. We have revealed that subadult diploids have erythrocytes smaller than 28 microns, while triploids’ erythrocytes exceed 27 microns. Therefore, in borderline cases true ploidy could be determined only by the karyological technique. The average ratio between testis length and body length appeared to be larger in the parental species than in both diploid and triploid hybrids. Karyological analysis has revealed that P. esculentus had significantly lower portions of spermatocytes I with normal karyotype (13 bivalents) in the testis in comparison with P. ridibundus, but this value increases in adult hybrids. We suggest that increasing of spermatogenesis stability in adult frogs as opposed to subadults might be the consequence of both selection of germ cell lines in the testis and more frequent survival of individuals with stable gametogenesis.

211-221

Authors: T. Z. Moskalets, V. K. Rybalchenko

On the basis of representatives of the tribe Triticеae (Triticum аestivum L., T. trispecies Shulind, Secale cereale L.) we have developed a conceptual model of management of the vital state of anthropogenically transformed ecosystems by the criteria of adaptation mechanisms, that are important for improving the controls of the vitality of culturivated plant species within certain ecosystems. Morpho-physiological and ontogenetic features of plants are considered as exogenous manifestation of adaptation to certain amplitude of ecological factors. According to preferences of the representatives of the tribe Triticeae for environmental conditions the plants were ranked by hygo-, helio-, trophomorphous affiliation as ecomorphs and subecomorphs. We established that an exogenous manifestation of high levels of adaptability of plant organisms to a variety of stress winter conditions was high photoperiodic sensitivity, which is manifested in morphological and physiological mechanisms, including weak growth in autumn and late spring vegetation restoration. The criteria of frost and winter resistance of plants are the accumulation of high overall sugar content in the node tillering (26–38 mg/g) as cryoprotectants and energy sources and their economical expenditure during the autumn-winter period. In drought resistant ecotypes growing in various habitats we detected smaller length, width and therefore area of flag leaf, however, the high index of leaf lamina, compared to leaves from less drought-prone areas. Expression was manifested of adaptive morphological and physiological changes (high index of leaf, glossy sheen, long duration of green colorin the flag leaf, the presence of awns, significant increase in dry mass for arid conditions caused by presence of alleles of genes of drought-resistant Dreb 1 glutenin Glu-D1, gliadin Gli and high protein in the grain (14.2–18.0%). The more drought-resistant plants have an inherent ability to mobilize their best adaptation mechanisms under adverse abiotic environmental conditions, which manifests itself in lower enzyme activity in flag leaf in the phase of earing-flowering and indicates a lower intensity of oxidative processes , induced rearrangements of the antioxidant protective system.

230-233

Authors: V. G. Kuriata, V. V. Rohach, T. I. Rohach, T. V. Khranovska

The influence of antigibberelin on the growth, development and productivity of eggplant was investigated. It was established that the use of tebuconazole and chlormequat chloride is a highly effective tool for regulation of morphogenesis and productivity of eggplant. We found that retardants slowed the growth of plants, and increased the number of leaves and leaf area and dry substance weight of the whole plant. Under the influence of Esfon ethylene producers the inhibition of the growth process was not accompanied by increase of the number, weight and area of leaves.Antigibberelin agents caused the thickening of chlorenchyma and the growth of the columnar cells and cell sizes of spongy parenchyma. Under the action of agents the thickness of the upper and lower epidermis of the leaf increased. As a result of mesostructural and morphometric changes of leaf structure under the influence of retardants the leaf index and specific leaf surface density increased.The growth inhibitory agents increased the chlorophyll content in leaves and caused the growth of chlorophyll index in crops.Retardants reduced the content of sugar and starch in leaves because of their enhanced outflow to fruits, the amount of which was predicted to be greater. Under the influence of Esfon the flow of carbohydrates to the acceptor areas was slower.The use of retardants of triazole and onium origin positively influenced the formation of productivity elements of the culture, which led to increase in the fruit yield. The use of tebuconazole was found to be the most effective.

240-248

Authors: V. V. Brygadyrenko

The litter in a forest ecosystem acts as a trophic substrate, and at the same time it is the environment for litter invertebrates. But despite this fact, there has been very little research conducted on the influence of litter thickness on the structure of litter macrofauna. The litter of steppe forests contains most types of integrated communities of forest ecosystems. This means that its thickness cannot avoid playing a significant role in the functioning of the ecosystem. Following to the standard methodologies, Invertebrates were collected using pit-fall traps in deciduous forests of Nikolaev, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts, which are characterized by different types of geomorphological profile, different moisture conditions, soil salinity, tree crown and herbaceous vegetation density, soil texture and other factors. The total number of macrofauna increases in conditions where litter thickness exceeds40 mmin comparison with forest ecosystems with fragmented and average capacity litter. The number of litter macrofauna species also increases from 11–23 to 38 species on average when litter thickness increases to more than40 mm. The Shannon and Pielou diversity indexes show no definite tendencies to change in relation to changing degrees of litter thickness. At sites of greater thickness of the litter layer, the corresponding increase in the absolute number of litter mesofauna invertebrates is mostly due to saprophages, and the increase the number of species – due to zoophages. The optimum structure of domination was observed at sites with maximum thickness of litter. The proportion of large species shows no statistically significant change in relation to variations in litter thickness. The qualitative compound of the fauna at sites with thick litter changes mainly due to an increase in the number of Carabidae species.