The Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbass) is the largest Russian region specializing in mining. Most mining operations in the region are carried out by the open method, which is the safest and most effective, but contributes to the formation of a significant amount of technogenically disturbed land. To form a fertile soil layer and vegetation cover, it is rational to use microorganisms together with plants. Microorganisms are known to be able to intensify plant growth by improving their nutrition, synthesis of growth-stimulating substances, and protection from phytopathogens. The greatest growth-stimulating properties were noted for representatives of the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus. In turn, some plants, in particular the granary (Agropyron cristatum L.), form stable herbage and participate in the formation of the surface horizon of soils (sod). The purpose of the work was to study the prospects for the joint use of Pseudomonas fluorescens B-4252, Bacillus megaterium B-3778, Pseudomonas putida B-2950, and granary to increase fertility and form a stable vegetation cover in the technogenically disturbed territories of the Kuznetsk Basin. It has been established that the studied strains are capable of producing prussic acid, phytohormones, as well as phosphorus solubilization and nitrogen fixation. These strains and consortia based thereon improve the growth of the granary in laboratory conditions. Seed treatment with the above microorganisms contributes to an increase in germination and the growth rate of the granary. E.g., the germination of seeds during processing by consortium No. 2 was 94%, which was 12% more compared to the control (without treatment). The average length of the sprouts in this treatment option was 56 mm, which was more than 17 mm for the control. Due to the described qualities, the consortium could become an effective agent to accelerate the restoration of the Kuzbass technozems. 

Multispecies cyanobacterial communities (biofilms, the “blooming” phenomenon) may constantly develop and vegetate for a long time on various dense media, including soil and stony substrates. These communities are of interest both theoretically and practically. Some specific features of such biofilms are due to the fact that in addition to phototrophs (algae and cyanobacteria), they include heterotrophic bacteria, micromycetes, protozoa, rotifers. I.e., a classical trophic network is observed in such microbial cenoses, which makes it possible for such consortia to exist for a long time, primarily due to the ability of cyanobacteria to autotrophic nutrition in terms of carbon (photosynthesis) and nitrogen (nitrogen fixation), which ensures their stability not only in stable environmental conditions, but also in stressful situations. From a practical viewpoint, cyanobacterial biofilms could find application in biotechnology in such areas as biosorption and the synthesis of exometabolites of various directions. In addition, they could be useful in connection with the operation of various buildings made of a material similar to that which served as a substrate for the growth of these microorganisms in our experiment. The studied biofilms were maintained for 15 years in a model experiment on a stony substrate. Our analyzes carried out to determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of the phototrophic component of these biofilms, their antifusarium activity, the content of pigments and the concentration of heavy metals showed that the growths were characterized not only by morphological differences, but also by significant differences in the determined indicators depending on the nature of growth. Within this stony substrate, three different types of biofilms and specific growths on the walls of the container which the cultivation took place in were identified. 

Spiders are the most important entomophages in ecosystems. They are the most numerous poisonous animals on the planet, indispensable regulators of populations’ numbers by killing mainly insects and other small arthropods. Spiders are an integral part of the food chain; they produce venom serving to immobilize the prey. Spider venoms are a “natural combinatorial library” of biologically active substances, with varying effectiveness and specificity. A feature of the biological effect of spider’s venom is a unique combination of the low toxicity of the whole venom, for both animals and humans, with high selectivity of the interaction of the neurotoxins, which are part of the venom, with the molecular structures of ion channels and synaptic receptors of the nervous system. The present review introduces the reader to new fundamental facts, ideas and perspective of the practical application of spider’s venoms in biomedical research and drug design. The current state of research on a unique set of polypeptide toxins which serve as chemical factors (allomons) of the interspecific (allelochemical) interactions of spiders of the family Thetaphosidae is considered. Modern information on the structure of spiders’ venom toxins is analyzed using the UniProt database. The latest bioecological and toxicological characteristics of tarantulas are presented. The chemical nature and mechanism of action of some unique toxins selectively acting on key processes in the nervous system are considered. The toxins act upon synaptic transmission and the functioning ion channels, which allow spiders not only to interact with various molecular targets of the prey or predator, but also to implement various life strategies, gaining an evolutionary advantage. 

Freshwater phytoplankton is sensitive to environmental changes; therefore its monitoring is a crucial aspect of ecological, recreational and economic importance. Examination of the multi-year alterations in phytoplankton populations is of paramount importance, as it enables to elucidate the underlying drivers of the change and to formulate projections for future scenarios. The present work studies the dynamics of the dominant species of summer phytoplankton in the Velikaya River delta from 2016 to 2021, including the relationship between the species composition and the quantitative characteristics of phytoplankton with changes in pH and water temperature. In general, there was a tendency of decreasing the species diversity and the quantity of phytoplankton in the delta of the Velikaya River during the study period. In 2020 and 2021, there was a sharp decline in the number/biomass of the phytoplankton species that usually dominated in the river. These changes first affected green microalgae and cyanobacteria (2020), and then diatoms (2021). During the same period (2020–2021), the largest decrease in cell numbers was observed in the cyanobacterium Aphanocapsa delicatissima, which allows us to use this species as an indicator of the status of the phytoplankton in the Velikaya River delta. Water temperature and pH significantly influenced the numbers of cells of the dominant phyla (Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Cyanobacteria) and correlated weakly with the species composition. In particular, water temperature and pH influenced the numbers of cyanobacterial cells, indicating the importance of these factors in the initiation of blooms in water bodies and suggesting that the effect is enhanced by their simultaneous action. 

The present paper is devoted to the improvement of a method for assessing the replenishing potentials of wildlife populations using dynamic series of their abundance. The essence of the method consists in the fact that if a dynamic abundance series contains a well-defined, sufficiently extended section of the population transition from a smaller to a larger population size, it can be approximated by a logistic curve and the values of the lower and upper stationary states of the population can be determined. For this purpose, it is necessary to choose the longest time period suitable for the corresponding approximation. After that, it is necessary to determine the time period within the dynamic abundance series, in which the population grew most rapidly, and to estimate the value of the actual maximum annual growth of the population with the help of straight-line approximation. The replenishing potential of the population can then be calculated as the ratio of four times the actual maximum annual population growth rate to the difference be-tween the upper and lower stationary states of the population. In the case when animal migrations in the studied population are insignificant or their magnitudes are small compared to internal reproduction, we can speak about the identity of the replenishable potential to the biotic one. We have found that the hereditary reproductive potential of moose in all the populations studied by us is approximately the same regardless of their habitats and is close to r_m = 0.5. Analysis of the actually observed maximum growth rate of the considered moose populations has shown that the intensity of their extraction at present can be increased at least two or three times without any negative consequences. 

The article presents the results of our study of the dynamics of a forest ecosystem type typical for the central part of the Volga Upland, namely, a wet sudubrava (C₃). The studies were conducted on the territory of the Upper Sura section of the Privolzhskaya Lesostepye Nature Reserve. The process course was studied in an age series identified in homogeneous forest growth conditions based on the principles of dynamic classification of forest types. As a result of processing the forest taxation data, average values of some taxation indicators of tree stands were obtained for each age class. At the same time, changes in all components of the stands were analyzed. Based on this analysis, the age series was divided into separate periods and phases. Trends in the change in the share of each forest-forming species in the composition of the tree stand at several age stages are described by nonlinear equations. The study showed that the obtained age series is that of forest community transformations. Disruption of the forest formation process has led to a large-scale replacement of native stands with their derivatives. After the start of clearcutting, the area occupied by deciduous trees has been constantly growing. The formation of sparse pine stands was a consequence of the large-scale use of intermediate felling, sanitary and voluntary-selective felling. At the same time, transformation of the lower tiers of the communities occurred. These factors have caused deterioration in the conditions for the natural regeneration of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). As a result, the possibility of forming pine stands by natural regeneration is now almost completely excluded.

The results of our study of the ontogenetic structure of cenopopulations of woody plants on 16 permanent sample plots in mature pine forests located in Moscow are presented. For the first time, a cenopopulation approach was used to assess the regenerative capacity of tree species in mature pine dendrocenoses in the conditions of the Moscow region. The study examined areas of mature pine stands which are representative of the Moscow region. The ontogenetic spectra of cenopopulations are considered, namely: Pinus sylvestris L., Acer platonoides L., Tilia cordata Mill., Ulmus laevis Pall., Corulys avellana L. Analysis of the number of trees and shrubs in the lower tiers of stands (undergrowth and understory) and their occurrence in sample plots was carried out. The cenopopulation of P. sylvestris has a right-sided age spectrum with predominance of individuals of the generative age state and is regressive under these conditions, since pregenerative individuals are completely absent. The cenopopulations of A. platonoides, U. laevis and C. avellana are characterized as effectively self-sustaining, while T. cordata is moderately selfsustaining. Based on the results of our study, the ontogenetic spectra of most populations of the studied species were established to be incomplete due to the absence of certain ontogenetic states in plants. A significant part of the cenopopulations of the species have a bimodal ontogenetic spectrum. The ontogenetic state and the formation of generation cycles of broad-leaved species are explained by the presence of a sufficient number of open areas – “gaps”. It is noted that young trees have a fairly significant mortality rate before they reach a generative ontogenetic state under the influence of external and intracoenotic factors. Analysis of the species composition of the undergrowth and understory showed that the set of tree and shrub vegetation included 12 species. 

Hybridization is an important component of plant evolution and speciation. Interspecific and intraspecific crossings may lead to changes in the genome, thereby affecting the morphology, adaptation, growth and development of new plant species. The hybridogenic species Echinops saksonovii Vasjukov originates from the introgressive hybridization of E. ruthenicus M. Bieb. and E. sphaerocephalus L. At the morphological level, E. saksonovii differed from its parent species in smaller linear dimensions of the leaves and a longer length of the stomata. The content of green pigments and carotenoids in the leaves of the hybridogenic species was 2.0 and 2.5 times higher, respectively. However, in terms of the ratio of pigments, E. saksonovii is closer to its parent species E. ruthenicus. An increased content of lipids responsible for the formation of thylakoid and non-plastid membranes was found in the lipid complex of E. saksonovii. Among secondary compounds, E. saksonovii leaves accumulated more flavonoids and proline. In terms of the quantitative content of phenolic compounds and peroxidation products, E. saksonovii is closer to its parent shade-tolerant species E. sphaerocephalus. Thus, some features of the structural and functional organization and cellular metabolism in the leaves of the hybridogenic species E. saksonovii in comparison with its parent species have been revealed, which may contribute to better adaptability and viability of E. saksonovii and, as a consequence, to greater competitiveness. 

Our composition analysis of bark-and-wood waste from a warehouse in the Syktyvkar city revealed a high nutrient content, no toxicity, and the potential for using xylotrophic basidiomycetes for solid state fermentation. Three strains of xylotrophic basidiomycetes (Trametes hirsuta, Fomitopsis pinicola, and Laetiporus sulphureus) were evaluated for their growth rate, growth index, yield of hardly hydrolysable polysaccharides, and cellulase yield when cultivated on the bark-wood waste. The results showed that T. hirsuta exhibited the highest growth rate (4.95– 6.2 mm/day), growth factor (60–77), and the maximum yield of hardly hydrolysable polysaccharides (30.7%) in 30 days. Furthermore, the maximum cellulase yield was 1330 unit/g.