Academic literature on the topic '060806 Animal Physiological Ecology'

A review of the major advances made in the field of the physiological ecology of talitrid amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) over the past decade is presented. The following subjects are reviewed and their implications for the invasion of land by this group discussed: water relations, the role of exosomatic water, osmotic and ionic regulation, developmental ecophysiology, trace metals, nitrogenous excretion, gas exchange and transport, and thermal relations. It is concluded that an in-depth study of physiological "services" provided by the ventral groove is needed, and that at present, our understanding of talitrid physiological ecology is still heavily dependent on semiterrestrial species. We urgently require more studies on the physiology of palustral beachfleas and euterrestrial amphipods, particularly group IV:2 species (an evolutionarily more recent group that evolved from beachflea-type progenitors), in order to redress the current imbalance.

There is great biological interest in the birds and marine mammals of Antarctica. They are numerous, obvious and apparently well adapted to an extreme and highly seasonal environment. What specific ecological and physiological adaptations have made them so successful? In pursuit of the answers to this biologists, over many decades, have undertaken a wide variety of experiments on seals and birds—especially penguins.

Migration timing is a conserved life-history trait. To address the hypothesis that reproductive hormones are principal determinants of migration timing, I physiologically biopsied over 1000 sockeye salmon and monitored their subsequent behaviour with acoustic and radio telemetry as they migrated from the Pacific Ocean toward and into the Fraser River, and then onward to distant spawning areas. Links between physiology, behaviour, and survival were examined. Circulating testosterone was found to be positively correlated with the rates of river entry in Late-run females but not in males, despite having concentrations that were equal if not higher than those of females. The notion of protandrous migration, in which males synchronize their activities to the reproductive and migratory schedules of females, was postulated as the basis for this difference. Once in river however, successful males and females were those that (1) took longest to enter the river, and (2) had high somatic energy, low testosterone, and low gill Na+,K+-ATPase activities. An experimental test of the effect of reproductive hormones on the regulation of migration timing proved inconclusive. Relative to controls, GnRH and (or) testosterone treatment did not influence rates of ocean travel by males. Unfortunately, no females were examined. Nevertheless, significant, positive correlations between initial testosterone and travel times were found irrespective of hormonal treatment, which was unexpected but consistent with the previous studies. In an experimental simulation of an ‘early’ migration, normally timed Late-run sockeye exposed to typical 10 ºC river temperatures and then released to complete migration were 68% successful. In contrast, salmon held at 18 °C and released were half as successful. The expression of a kidney parasite was near maximal in the 18 °C fish and undetectable in the 10 °C fish. Only gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity differed between groups, with a drop in the 18 °C fish. Though no clear stress, reproductive, or energetic differences were observed between groups, the ultimate effect of high temperature treatment was high disease expression, slowed migration speeds, and high migration mortality. Changes in reproductive schedules, due to changes in latitudinal ocean distributions, are discussed as potential causes of early migration by Late-run sockeye.

Doutoramento em Biologia
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is currently one of the most widespread and abundant wild ungulates in the Iberian Peninsula and is extremely important both ecologically, as a key species for the functioning of the ecosystems, and economically, as a major game species. In Iberia, red deer populations are subjected to different management systems that may affect the physical condition of the individuals, with further consequences for population dynamics. Studies investigating the effects of management practices and environmental conditions on the performance of red deer are still rare regarding Mediterranean ecosystems. Much of the knowledge concerning the ecology of red deer and the impact of management on its physical condition is based on studies conducted in northern and central regions of Europe, where climatological features and management practices differ from those observed in the Mediterranean areas of Iberia. Studies on a biogeographical scale can provide important insights into the relationships between species and a particular environment and contribute to the development of more targeted and appropriate management practices. The optimisation of sampling procedures and the fine-tuning of pre-existing analytical techniques are also fundamental to a more cost-effective monitoring and, therefore, are of enormous value to wildlife managers. In this context, the main aims of this thesis were: 1) to optimise the procedures used to assess the physical condition of red deer; and 2) to identify relevant management and environmental factors affecting the nutritional condition and stress physiology of red deer in the Mediterranean ecosystems of Iberia, as well as any potential interactions between those factors. Two studies with a methodological focus, presented in the first part of the thesis, demonstrated that the physical condition of red deer can be evaluated more simply, using more cost- and time-effective procedures than those traditionally used: i) it was shown that only one kidney and its associated fat is enough to assess nutritional condition in red deer; and ii) the feasibility of using near infrared spectroscopy to predict the concentrations of stress hormone metabolites was demonstrated using faeces of red deer for the first time. Subsequently, two large-scale observational studies, conducted in representative red deer populations found in Mediterranean Iberia, highlighted the importance of considering seasonal environmental variations and variables related to hunting management practices to better understand the nutritional and physiological ecology of red deer. High population densities had adverse effects on the nutritional condition of the deer and were associated with increased stress levels in natural populations without supplementary feeding. Massive hunting events involving the use of hounds were also identified as a potential source of chronic stress in red deer. The research presented in this thesis has clear implications regarding the management and monitoring of red deer populations in Mediterranean environments and is intended to help wildlife managers to implement more effective monitoring programmes and sustainable management practices.
O veado (Cervus elaphus) é, atualmente, uma das espécies de ungulados silvestres mais abundantes na Península Ibérica. É também uma espécie extremamente importante em termos ecológicos, por ser um elemento chave para o funcionamento dos ecossistemas, e socioeconómicos, por ser uma espécie de caça maior emblemática e altamente valorizada. Na Ibéria, as populações de veados estão sujeitas a diferentes práticas de gestão que podem afetar a condição física dos indivíduos de diferentes formas e, por conseguinte, determinar a sua dinâmica. Apesar da importância desta espécie, os estudos sobre os efeitos da gestão cinegética e das condições ambientais nos indicadores da sua condição física são ainda escassos nos ecossistemas mediterrânicos. Grande parte do conhecimento sobre a ecologia do veado e sobre o impacto da sua gestão cinegética é baseado em estudos realizados em regiões do norte e centro da Europa, onde as características climáticas e os sistemas de gestão diferem daqueles existentes nos ambientes mediterrânicos da Península Ibéria. Os estudos realizados a uma escala biogeográfica podem ser bastante úteis para compreender as relações das espécies com o ambiente, e podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento de práticas de gestão mais específicas e adequadas às necessidades de gestão. A otimização de procedimentos de amostragem e do uso de técnicas analíticas é também essencial para uma monitorização mais eficaz das populações silvestres em termos de tempo e custos associados e, portanto, é uma tema de grande interesse para gestores de fauna selvagem. Neste contexto, os principais objetivos desta tese foram: 1) otimizar os métodos usados para avaliar a condição física do veado; e 2) identificar os fatores de gestão cinegética e ambientais que afetam o estado nutricional e a fisiologia do stress do veado nos ecossistemas mediterrânicos da Ibéria, assim como investigar possíveis interações entre esses fatores. Dois estudos de cariz metodológico, apresentados na primeira parte desta tese, demonstraram que a condição física do veado pode ser avaliada usando procedimentos mais simples e rentáveis do que aqueles normalmente utilizados: i) demonstrou-se que o estado nutricional do veado pode ser avaliado usando apenas um rim e a sua gordura perirrenal; ii) provou-se, pela primeira vez, a viabilidade da espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo para estimar concentrações de metabólitos de hormonas de stress usando fezes de veado. Posteriormente, dois estudos observacionais, realizados em diferentes populações de veados representativas da região mediterrânica ibérica, evidenciaram a importância de considerar as variações ambientais sazonais e as variáveis de gestão cinegética para compreender a ecofisiologia e a ecologia nutricional do veado. Observou-se que as densidades populacionais elevadas afetaram de forma negativa o estado nutricional dos veados e estiveram também associadas a níveis de stress mais elevados em populações naturais sem alimentação suplementar. Para além disto, verificou-se que a realização de eventos de caça massivos com matilhas pode ser um fator de stress crónico nas populações de veados. Os resultados obtidos no âmbito desta tese têm diversas implicações no que diz respeito à monitorização e gestão das populações de veados nos ambientes mediterrânicos. Espera-se que os estudos aqui apresentados ajudem os gestores de fauna silvestre a implementar programas de monitorização populacional mais eficazes e práticas de gestão mais sustentáveis.
El ciervo rojo (Cervus elaphus) es actualmente uno de los ungulados silvestres más abundantes de la Península Ibérica. Es una especie con una elevada importancia ecológica, siendo un elemento clave en la dinámica de los ecosistemas mediterráneos, y presenta un gran valor socioeconómico, al ser una especie de caza mayor emblemática y muy apreciada. En el territorio peninsular, las poblaciones de ciervos están sometidas a diferentes sistemas de manejo que pueden modular la condición física de los individuos y, consecuentemente, determinar la dinámica de sus poblaciones. Pese a la relevancia de esta especie, aun son escasos los estudios sobre los efectos de la gestión cinegética y de las condiciones ambientales en los indicadores de su condición en los ecosistemas mediterráneos. La mayor parte del conocimiento sobre la ecología de esta especie y sobre el impacto de su gestión cinegética se basa en estudios realizados en regiones del norte y centro de Europa, donde las características climáticas y sistemas de manejo son diferentes a los presentes en los ambientes mediterráneos de la Península Ibérica. Los estudios realizados a una escala biogeográfica pueden ser muy útiles para comprender las relaciones de las especies con el ambiente, y pueden contribuir al desarrollo de prácticas de manejo más especificas y adecuadas a las necesidades de gestión. La optimización de procedimientos de muestreo y la puesta a punto de técnicas analíticas son también de gran importancia para una monitorización más eficaz de las poblaciones silvestres en términos de tiempo y costes asociados y, por consiguiente, son temas de gran interés para los gestores de la fauna silvestre. En este contexto, los objetivos principales de esta tesis doctoral fueron: 1) optimizar los métodos usados para evaluar la condición física del ciervo; y 2) identificar los factores de manejo y ambientales que afectan el estado nutricional y la fisiología del estrés del ciervo en los ecosistemas de la Iberia mediterránea, así como estudiar las posibles interacciones entre dichos factores. Dos estudios con un enfoque metodológico, presentados en la primera parte de esta tesis, demostraron que la condición física del ciervo se puede valorar usando procedimientos más sencillos y rentables que los usados tradicionalmente: i) se ha demostrado que el estado nutricional del ciervo se puede evaluar usando solamente un riñón y su grasa perirrenal; y ii) se comprobó, por primera vez, la viabilidad de la espectroscopia en el infrarrojo cercano para estimar las concentraciones de metabolitos de hormonas de estrés usando heces de ciervo. Posteriormente, dos estudios observacionales basados en poblaciones de ciervo representativas de la Iberia mediterránea evidenciaron la importancia de considerar las variaciones ambientales estacionales y las variables de manejo cinegético para comprender la ecofisiología y la ecología nutricional del ciervo. Se observó que las densidades poblacionales elevadas afectan de forma negativa al estado nutricional de los ciervos y éstas se asociaron con niveles de estrés más elevados en poblaciones naturales sin suplementación alimentaria. Además, se verificó que los eventos de caza masivos con rehalas pueden representar un factor de estrés crónico en las poblaciones de ciervos. Los resultados obtenidos en esta tesis tienen implicaciones en lo que respecta a la monitorización y gestión de las poblaciones de ciervos en ambientes mediterráneos, y se espera que los estudios aquí presentados ayuden a los gestores de fauna silvestre a implementar programas de monitorización más eficaces y prácticas de gestión más sostenibles.

In social insect colonies workers realize their reproductive potential through rearing the queen's brood. In the primitively eusocial wasp Polistes exclamans (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) castes are not morphologically distinct. This species has an annual colony cycle that begins when mated, hibernated females start colonies in the spring. One foundress becomes the queen while the rest become workers. The worker population grows throughout the year until the appearance of gynes, females that do not work but become foundresses the following spring. Males are also produced by the end of the season, but they die in winter with the workers. While morphological caste differences are absent, caste can be identified using behavioral and physiological parameters. In contrast with other social insects, female caste remains undetermined until adulthood, and even then females switch between castes under the appropriate circumstances. This can be advantageous since high nest predation rates and unpredictable environmental variation, accompanied by frequent queen supersedure are typical. I studied three aspects of the P. exclamans caste system: (i) morphology and physiology in gynes and workers; (ii) seasonal resource allocation into brood and (iii) effects of brood loss on caste determination. Physiological indicators were derived from qualitative and quantitative studies of biochemical components, and from measurements of metabolic rates. I show that differences between castes are mostly quantitative, rather than qualitative. I suggest that lack of physical and qualitative differentiation is what allows caste transitions. Seasonal resource allocation on brood shows that while young, adult females produced throughout the season increase in weight and size, energy reserves lipids peak in May and June. I suggest that this peak in reserves is related to high predation experienced by colonies during that time and that it allows females to reconstruct their nests more efficiently. Finally, I examine effects of loss of brood in late summer and early fall colonies showing that females that do not have the opportunity to care for brood develop gyne-like characters, but that females that have develop worker-like characters. These results show that caste in P. exclamans is plastic, behaviorally and physiologically, allowing individuals to respond to varying environmental and social conditions.

Modern economic activities, like industry and agriculture, as well as household activities, generate an important amount of refuse. The way we collect, transport, and dispose it will determine the level of environmental contamination. May animals exploit refuse as a food source (i.e., anthropogenic food subsidy) and gulls are the most important group. Refuse subsidizes energetically gull populations, which impacts on their acquisition and allocation of resources, as well as on the environment, with ecological and evolutionary consequences are not well understood. In this dissertation we evaluated potential impacts of refuse on gulls by doing a literature review as well as empirical research on the Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) in the Rio de la Plata Estuary in South America. Direct and indirect impacts of refuse on gull species and the environment have been observed during the review process. We have detected positive impacts of refuse on body size, chick growth, fecundity, reproductive success, and population dynamics. However, negative impacts were also found focusing on fecundity, reproductive success, and population dynamics. Indirect negative impacts on other species, water bodies, and airport security were also found. Refuse produces numerous impacts on gulls at the individual, population, and species levels, with indirect negative consequences on ecosystems. There is a need to reduce the access of gulls to sources of refuse to mitigate the existing and potential conflicts with human activities and other species, especially those that are threatened and endangered. During our empirical research we found that refuse was ingested and assimilated by Kelp Gull chicks during the chick rearing period and that the ecological niche width increased with the age of the chick. We propose that parents incorporate isotopically unique food sources to nestling’s diet during their growth, increasing isotopic diversity of nestlings. Additionally, we found that refuse could affect foraging decisions of females during the pre-incubation period, which could positively affect future fecundity and negatively impact reproductive success. We found also that refuse consumption on fecundity and reproductive success of gulls is generally studied at the colony level, using conventional diet techniques, but not much has been done using stable isotopes at the individual level, making comparisons among studies and conclusions difficult to address. We encourage other researchers to continue incorporating the isotopic ecology perspective to study the effect of food subsidies on gulls. Additionally, we found that Kelp Gull on the coast of the Rio de la Plata Estuary ingest plastic debris. We conclude that plastic bags and plastic films might be the most important source of contaminants for the Kelp Gull on the coast of the estuary. Main findings of this dissertation suggests the need for an improvement of waste management practices and a regulation of plastic production and use in Uruguay to reduce plastic ingestion by gulls. Finally, next steps for research are provided in this important area of environmental science and natural resource management.

As ectothermic marine megafauna, sea turtle physiology and ecology are tightly intertwined with temperature, seasonality, and oceanography. Identifying how turtles respond when exposed to cold water, how they adapt to cold environments when they need to explore cold environments in order to forage, and what foraging resources are exploited by sea turtles are all components central to their conservation. Cold-stunning is a well-documented phenomenon that occurs when water induced decreases in sea turtle body temperature cause turtles to become immobilized and wash ashore. While most cold-stunned turtles are rescued and rehabilitated, we do not know whether cold-stunning is an acute transient occurrence, or a symptom of a bigger environmental problem. Further, while in some environments avoiding cold water is preferential, in other habitats, sea turtles need to inhabit cold environments in order to forage. Along the Eastern Pacific Rim, discrete upwelling locations are characterized by high primary productivity and unusually cold water. In these environments, avoidance is not possible and sea turtles require physiological adaptions to mitigate body temperature decreases in cold water. Little is known about how turtles handle upwelling environments, despite the fact that sea turtles remain in these habitats regardless of water temperature fluctuations. Because upwelling habitats provide increased nutrient presence, and sea turtles are opportunistic foragers, quantification of diet composition will further our understanding of why sea turtles remain in cold water environments year-round. Diet composition in multiple populations of cohabitating sea turtles revealed partitioning that results in reduced inter-specific competition. Further, flexibility in diets provides a wide range of ecosystem services central to habitat resiliency. Therefore, conservation of endangered sea turtles requires complete ecosystem conservation, and complete understanding of the interconnectivity of sea turtles and their environments is crucial.

The prevalence of hypoxia in aquatic systems has increased in recent decades and climate change is expected to worsen the extent and severity of hypoxic phenomena worldwide. Moreover, aquatic hypoxia has produced adverse ecological consequences and stimulated research interest within the Laurentian Great Lakes. The physiological stress imposed by hypoxia reduces habitat quality for most aquatic biota and causes changes in patterns of resource use and food web dynamics. We conducted a review of the primary literature to identify trends in prevalence of Great Lakes hypoxia research and broadly classify the unique hypoxic conditions afflicting Great Lakes ecosystems. We found that the majority of research effort toward Great Lakes hypoxia is focused on the Lake Erie central basin. Our review further revealed that this does not characterize the breadth of hypoxic phenomena that occur throughout the Great Lakes region. We then utilized a long-term monitoring dataset provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office to quantify the impact of Lake Erie central basin hypoxia on habitat quality of several fish species. We found that bioenergetics-based growth-rate potential models have a potential application as the framework for the development of biological endpoints that measure the effects of hypoxia on aquatic biota. Finally, we utilized stable isotope analysis to look for broad spatial and temporal trends in resource utilization within distinct regions of the Lake Erie central basin, with hypoxia and large-scale hydrodynamic patterns serving as potential driving patterns for spatial differences.

Abstract Parasites drive the evolution of numerous defense mechanisms in their hosts, including the complex physiological immune system. Growing evidence across animal species highlights the importance of the “behavioral immune system” because behaviors may act as first lines of defense against parasites. This chapter describes recent contributions to this field. In the first section reviews different adaptive avoidance strategies observed throughout the animal kingdom and places them into a cost-benefit framework, emphasizing close relationships between the ecology of host–parasite systems, and associated host behavioral responses. The chapter also synthesizes recent evidence on individual flexibility in the expression of avoidance behaviors and proposes hypotheses to explain such variation. The second section shows that behavioral responses to parasites are possibly as efficient as physiological defenses in mitigating disease risk, and it discusses the epidemiological, ecological, and evolutionary consequences of parasite avoidance. Understanding how individuals minimize parasite exposure depending on their life-history traits and ecological environment will improve our ability to model disease spread and provide researchers with a new framework for studying host–parasite interactions.

Physiological and biochemical traits hold great promise for demographic research as potential proxies (biomarkers) of various biotic and environmental variables that determine individual fitness and ultimately demographic rates. Integrating such biomarkers into demographic models can thus provide insights into drivers of population dynamics or increase predictive power of the models by refining estimation of vital rates. Biomarkers also represent promising means to characterise population structure and dynamics on much shorter time-scales compared to classical demographic approaches. Functional traits further emerge as direct targets of conservation efforts directed towards conserving functional diversity. Yet, biomarkers and functional traits remain underutilised in demography and population ecology, indicating that their benefits still await wider recognition. This chapter briefly reviews the most prominent physiological and biochemical traits (e.g. metabolic rates, hormones, oxidative stress markers, telomeres) that may be of interest in animal and plant demographic research, including the methods for collection, storage, and analysis, and the criteria to be met before the trait is validated as a biomarker. Hopefully, this effort will stimulate further integration of physiological and biochemical data into demographic framework.

Abstract Long-distance animal migrations are spectacular, widespread, and ecologically important. Seasonal movements that allow animals to track favorable conditions over space and time can be energetically demanding and require behavioral and physiological changes over the annual cycle. Resulting changes in animal aggregation, condition, immunity, and location can often drive changes in exposure and susceptibility to parasite infection. Infection in turn can influence individual hosts’ movement behavior, and potentially impose selection pressure on the propensity and extent of movement. This chapter surveys the ecology and evolution of host–parasite interactions in migratory animals, and proposes a novel framework for understanding observed host–parasite dynamics in the context of feedbacks between migration and parasite infection at the individual host and population levels. We apply this framework to predict the consequences of global climate and habitat disruptions for host–pathogen dynamics, with a particular view towards migratory species conservation and public health. Finally, we identify three research frontiers—migration–parasitism feedbacks, the role of individual variation, and responses to global change—that represent promising future directions for advancing the integrated study of migration and parasitism.

Abstract Behavioral feedbacks in host–parasite interactions have received growing attention in recent years, emphasizing how host behavior (e.g., movement and social connections) is simultaneously affecting—and affected by—parasite transmission and infection. This conceptual development highlights the need to obtain longitudinal data on individuals, their movements, and their social interactions. Conveniently, parallel developments in collecting and analyzing animal tracking data offer an opportunity to better integrate movement ecology into host–parasite dynamics. Tracking devices like miniaturized Global Positioning System (GPS) tags and complementary sensors such as accelerometers provide data on the effects of host movement on their potential to transmit parasites (e.g., how far, when, where, and to whom can parasites be transmitted). Tracking can also demonstrate the influence of parasites on host behavior and movement (e.g., via indirect physiological illness effects, or through direct manipulation of the hosts internal state). This chapter discusses the potential of movement data to bridge knowledge gaps in behavioral feedbacks of host–parasite dynamics and to account for the variation among individual hosts and across heterogeneous environments. It outlines the diverse pathways of mutual influence between host movement and parasite dynamics and the insights that can be gained from collecting movement data. It also provides basic guidance on the relevant tracking methods required for achieving these goals, and for parameterizing modern modeling approaches that include social network analyses and individual-based models.

Vertebrates of alpine tundra are near the limits of their genetic tolerance, and thus the alpine provides a natural laboratory for the study of the ecology of these organisms in a climatically stressful environment. The alpine supports a greater species richness of vertebrate herbivores than does arctic tundra (Halfpenny and Southwick 1982). Hoffmann (1974) provided an extensive review of terrestrial vertebrates of arctic and alpine ecosystems, emphasizing circumpolar patterns. For a variety of reasons, however, vertebrates of alpine tundra are considerably less studied than are those of the Arctic, and much remains to be learned about the physiological and behavioral adaptations of vertebrates that allow this group to exist in this extreme and variable ecosystem. May (1980) offered some generalizations about the state of knowledge of alpine animals. Terrestrial systems are better known than aquatic systems; the magnitude of environmental variability is better known than its predictability and significance to populations of animals; life histories of animals are better known than their roles and functions; dynamics of single species are better known than interactions between and among species; habitat selection by animals is more often defined in terms of the perception of the investigator than in terms of the perception of the organism; the response of animals to patterns of vegetation is better known than the influence animals have in creating and maintaining those patterns; and densities of animals are better known than are patterns of dispersion and their causes. Those generalizations remain broadly accurate. The purpose of this chapter is to develop a perspective on the structure and function of the vertebrate fauna of alpine environments of the Southern Rocky Mountains, with an emphasis on the fauna found on Niwot Ridge. It considers the origin and ongoing development of the fauna and its biogeographic and ecological relationships. A pattern of distributions is described that is dynamic in space and time. A principal focus is the role of vertebrates to the structure and function of the tundra ecosystem, including both the biotic and physical impacts of vertebrate populations. Some attention is paid to vertebrate trophic guilds, but plant-animal interactions are detailed in this volume by Dearing (chapter 14).

The formation of artificial linear plantations with the participation of pedunculate oak is predetermined by agrotechnical and silvicultural methods of cultivation. Its share among the used other breeds is about 25%. At the age of 33, with the placement of planting places 5.0 x 3.0 m, the pedunculate oak has a high preservation (by 33.9%) in a three-row plantation, in relation to crops from four rows. The protective height in a narrower artificial linear plantation is 10.2 m, which is 1.24 times higher with a width of 20.0 m. In mixed oak-ash crops at the age of 45 years, the best growth and preservation of pedunculate oak is noted in relation to oak plantations pure in composition. For birch-oak crops, the influence of a fast-growing breed is characteristic. At the age of 54, the safety of pedunculate oak is 23.1%, the wind protection height is 19.1 m. Differences in the growth of species are one class of bonitet. In the central rows of pedunculate oak at the age of 30-49 years, the average height has a greater value and a smaller diameter in relation to the indicators of the edging rows (by 7.5-19.9%). A convex transverse profile of the plantation is formed, which is predetermined by the physiological characteristics of the development of the tree species.