Academic literature on the topic 'Biomorphological processes'

Abstract The article presents the results of field research in 2019–2020 of plant communities of the abrasive coast of the Taman Peninsula. The biomorphological structure of populations is dominated by annual species, which indicates a high dynamism associated with exogenous processes. Ecologically, the dominant species are xerophytes and xeromesophytes, as well as species with a wide eco-amplitude. The process of unification of the studied flora is low and amounted to 17 %. The generalized floristic list includes 231 plant species from 48 families. In the study area, 7 species of Red Book plants were found, of which 2 species were included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

В коллекции Ботанического сада Адыгейского государственного университета представлены 22 культивара пяти видов Chamaecyparis Spach. различных возрастных групп (от 8 до 34 лет). В статье приведены результаты первичных интродукционных испытаний культиваров рода Chamaecyparis: изучены биоморфологические особенности десяти садовых форм. Установлено, что прирост лидирующих побегов варьирует от 6 до 13 см в год, в неблагоприятный 2019 г. - от 2 до 7 см; прирост боковых побегов - от 4 до 13 см, в 2019 г. - от 1 до 6 см. При соблюдении необходимых мер по уходу (обеспечение полива в засушливый период, своевременные подкормка и обрезка) исследуемые культивары могут быть рекомендованы к широкому использованию в озеленении. The collection of the Botanical Garden of the Adyghe State University includes 22 cultivars of five species of Chamaecyparis Spach. of different age groups (age 8-34). The paper presents the results of primary introduction tests of cultivars of the genus Chamaecyparis: the biomorphological features of ten garden forms are studied. It has been found that the typical rate of growth of leading shoots is 6-13 cm per year, in unfavorable 2019 - from 2 to 7 cm; the rate of growth of lateral shoots is 4-13 cm, in 2019 - from 1 to 6 cm. Our results suggest that if the necessary care measures are observed (watering in the dry period, timely fertilizing and pruning) the studied cultivars can be recommended for widespread use in landscape setting.

Taxonomic, biomorphological and ecological structures of bryophytes, their reproductive strategy and the main mechanisms of tolerance in the conditions of salinization were investigated. Bryophytes are the pioneers that have colonized the territory of a tailing storage that holds liquid waste from potassium-magnesium concentrate production of the Mining and Chemical Enterprise "Polymineral". Due to excess salts, the soil solution in the shore area of the tailing pond acquires high osmotic pressure. Three experimental plots which differed significantly in the level of the substrate salinity were laid at the distance of 3, 6 and 9 m from the reservoir for experimental studies. Water extracts of the substrates from the test sites showed the highest concentrations for sulfates – 10.4–64.6 mg Eq/100 g of soil and chlorides – 7.6–43.3 mg Eq/100 g of soil. It was established that the investigated areas of the tailing storage territory differed in the biochemical activity of the substrate, which was evaluated by its redox potential. On the areas of the uncovered substrate it was the lowest – 230 mV, which indicates anaerobiosis in conditions of very high salinization and moisture. Higher ROP values were determined at the sites of bryophyte cover distribution – 295–330 mV. The aim of the study was to determine the features of taxonomic, biomorphological and ecological structures of bryophytes, their reproductive strategy and to establish the main mechanisms of adaptation to the conditions of salinization on the tailing storage territory. 24 species and 3 varieties of bryophytes, belonging to 12 families and 16 genera were found on the shore of the tailing storage pond. The results of biomorphological and ecological analysis of bryophytes indicate the uneven conditions of the habitats and their considerable ecological plasticity. Among the bryophytes, mesophytes, xeromesophytes and meso-eutrophs, eutrophs with a life-form of low dense and loose turf dominated. In salinization conditions, dioicous acrocarpous mosses prevailed, the fertile turf of which, depending on the influence of abiotic factors, differed significantly in the number of sexual shoots, their ratio and productivity. Bulbils were found only on the tips of Bryum argenteum shoots. Along with Salicornia europaea L., a euhalophyte, the leading role in the initial stage of overgrowth of the tailing storage area most often belonged to Didymodon rigidulus, Bryum argenteum, Funaria hygrometrica and Barbula unguiculata. The process of formation of bryophyte cover occurred along a gradient of decrease in salt concentration at the experimental sites. Adaptation of bryophytes to substrate salinity is due to a change in metabolic processes, which is manifested in an increase of the total content of carbohydrates and an increase of the cation exchange capacity of moss cell walls, which is the primary barrier that reduces the toxic effect of ions under salt stress.

The aim of this work is to generalize the main trends and the research results related to the expansion of invasive plant species. The main hypotheses that explain the success of invasive species are reviewed. The hypotheses are: absence of natural enemies in the secondary area, influence of hybridization and allelopathy on the processes of invasion, the hypothesis of vacant niches, the emergence of new genotypes with expressive adaptive features, the rapid development of genetic traits associated with the pressure of natural selection in new environmental conditions, the importance of bioecological features of invasive species – by morphological and biomorphological plasticity, ecological versatility, ecological-phytocoenic strategies, features of reproduction, etc. Invasion of non-native species is primarily caused by anthropogenic transformation of the natural environment, which is aggravated by climate change. The increasing level of transformation of the environment leads to an increase in the degree of naturalization of non-native species, and as a consequence to modification of types of habitats and to a loss of individual populations of natural species. Processes of naturalization of invasive species are supported by a set of specific various systematic groups of factors. The lack of an effective monitoring system and information tools prevents effective control of invasive non-native species. The necessity to construct models of the behavior of invasive species and to check the predictions of their invasive activity is substantiated.

Karalyk River - the right tributary of the river Big Irgiz. The channel has no permanent watercourse, in summer it occasionally dries up, so along the entire course meet earthen dams, retarding flood flows. The task of this work included a comprehensive assessment of the flora of the river, the characteristics of systematic, ecological and biomorphological composition. Furthermore, the authors investigated the resource value of the riparian-aquatic plants. A study of the flora revealed 53 species of semi-aquatic plants, hydrophytes amount to 11,3%, hygrogelophytes - 7,5%, galofity (15%), hygrophytes - 30,8%, hygromesophyte and mesophytae of 39,6%. The types of plants growing in the bed of the river Karalic and the coast represented by 28 genera from 24 families. The taxa belong to the classes Liliiopsida (11 families) and are represented by a (13 families). The greatest number of species observed for the Asteraceae Salicaceaе, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Lemnaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Polygonaceae, Lamiaceae, and Typhaceae, they contain from 7 to 2 species, the remaining 14 families represented by one species. Analysis of the flora of the river Karalic showed that the aquatic flora contains 18 species or 34% of the total species composition. Low species diversity is due to the high degree of erosion processes, active processes of sedimentation as a result of failure of coastal protection zones. Low water clarity inhibits the development of the typical aquatic plants.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the systematic, biomorphological, geographical and ecological structures of the apophytic and anthropophytic components of the synanthropic fraction of the flora of the town of Dunaivtsi, Khmelnytsky region. Identification of species of the study area was carried out by stationary, semi-stationary, detailed route methods throughout 2016–2019. The research was carried out on natural and anthropogenically altered areas of roadside and forest plantations, abandoned fields, agricultural lands, parks, roadsides, dumps. The summary of the synanthropic fraction of flora in Dunaivtsi includes species of natural flora, as well as those that are mostly cultivated, but for some reason at the time of the study were recorded outside their cultivation: in landfills, roadsides, as weeds in agricultural landscapes or in plantations of different economic purposes. The Floristic list includes 206 species of 147 genera and 45 families, of which 112 species are represented by anthropophytes (54.4 %) and 94 – apophytes (45.6%). Among apophytes at the top there are hemiapophytes (37 species; 39.0 %), followed by evapophytes (33 species; 3 %), then eventapophytes (24 species; 26.0 %). Among anthropophytes, epecophytes predominate in terms of the degree of naturalization – 96 species (86m0 %); significantly fewer agriophytes – 13 species (12.0 %) and ephemerophytes – 3 species (3.0 %). The ratio between the fractions is 1,2:1 in favor of adventitious plants, which indicates the superiority of adventization processes over apophytization processes in the town of Dunaivtsi, Khmelnytsky region. The proportion of the studied flora is 1: 3,3: 4,6, the average number of species in the family is 4.6, the generic coefficient being 1.4. The ten leading families include 138 species (67.0 %) and 97 genera (66.0 %) of the region’s flora. In the biomorphological structure of the synanthropic fraction of flora of Dunaivtsi, according to the classification of I. G. Serebryakov, the vast majority of species (174 species, 85 %) are herbaceous plants, among them the duration of the life cycle is slightly dominated by herbaceous polycarpics (88 species, 43 %) over monocarpics (86 species, 42 %). According to the classification of biological types of K. Raunkier, more than half of the synanthropic fraction of flora are hemicryptophytes (107 species, 52 %); significant in number of species are therophytes – 82 species (40 %), and phanerophytes, hamephytes, cryptophytes and geophytes are represented by 17 species (8.2 %). Geographical analysis of the studied synanthropic fraction of flora showed that the widest represented areological groups are Holarctic – 51 species, group of cosmopolitans – 48, Palearctic – 10, Eurasian – 23, Euro-Mediterranean – 44, Euro-Siberian – 10, North American – 12 species. The ecological structure of the flora in the composition of heliomorphs is dominated by heliophytes (112 species, 54.4 %); in the composition of hygromorphs – xeromesophytes (98 species, 47.6 %). It was found that among the invasive species of the town, the most aggressive growth is characterized by Acer negundo, Galinsoga parviflora, Amaranthus retroflexus, Solidago canadensis.

This article is dedicated to the study of the structure, ways of formation of bone structures that form the basis of locomotor organs, namely the hip joint, the elucidation of mechanisms of their development, because they provide their reliable functioning. The study of the structural features of the skeleton of birds in comparison to other animals makes it possible to understand the phylogeny as an adaptive process that is the basis of evolution at all.Theoretical generalization of structural features of birds’ hip joint that are characterized by different types of biomorphological adaptations, such as the type and speed of ground movement in the habitat, are presented in the article. This new position allows analyzing the processes of differentiation and transformation of muscles and skeletal elements of birds’ hip joint, which are functioning and developing under the influence of various external factors.The summarized results of the original systematic morpho–functional and morpho–ecological study of hip bones as the main unit of bipedal locomotion of the Class Aves, is given. A detailed comparative description of skeletal elements of birds’ hip joint, that accompanied by unique historical overview which covers more than two–thousand–year period, is provided for the first time. The analysis of some significant morphological structures, which gives clues to the reconstruction of adaptive evolution of any group of birds, is given.

Lawns are the most important element of the modern urban landscape. They are made by planting grasses at specially prepared homogeneous plots. The coenoflora of Ufa lawns currently includes 112 species of higher plants from 90 genera and 26 families. The characteristic of coenoflora is given on the basis of the performed geobotanical descriptions. Classical floristical analysis of coenoflora is carried out for various floristic spectra: family-genus, biomorphological, horological, ecological, and phytosociological. An assessment of the economic significance of the species was also given. The adventive component of the coenoflora consisting of 29 species was analyzed individually. It accounts for 25.9 % of the total species composition. It is specified that indexes of adventization of coenoflora are relatively low in Ufa in comparison with many other coenofloras of large cities. It can be connected with nature of habitats (absence of soil cover movement and relatively dense cover of lawn grasses and, consequently, absence of soil areas not occupied by plants. Such conditions prevent growing of adventive species). Particularly aggressive invasive plant species (Erigeron annuus, Hordeum jubatum, Solidago canadensis ) are recorded in the group of adventive species. The research proves that in large cities with great disruption of vegetation cover there is an increasing necessity of arranging high-quality lawn ground covers of different types, based on the correct selection of lawn species, optimal agricultural techniques. Ongoing processes that take place in the lawn plant communities should be considered.

In the last decades, the presence of riparian vegetation on riverbanks and floodplains along rivers was acknowledged not only to improve water quality and heal biological diversity but also to contribute to river evolution processes. When water flow runs over vegetated areas, averaged velocity profile is affected by the presence of stem, branches and leaves, sediment transport changes according to modified turbulence and bed shear stresses and soil shear strength is altered by root binding. As a result, bed scour, bank erosion and accretion, bar migration and width adjustment processes lead to different river morphology evolution. Conversely, flow and sedimentary patterns influence vegetation dynamics, by shaping barebed deposits available for colonisation and by affecting mortality rate, through burying and uprooting processes. However, whereas recruitment, establishment and growth represent the transitional dynamics from barebed to vegetated conditions and are mainly related to species properties, plant removal is intrinsically related to species growth stage, flow magnitude and soil properties. Although vegetation uprooting only recently gathered attention from scientific community, there is a rising awareness that vegetation removal is crucial for species selection and location on exposed deposits and floodplains and carbon production and sequestration, at different spatial and temporal scales. This PhD work examines the uprooting process of both pioneer seedlings and established vegetation driven by flow and bed erosion, whose role is to reduce root anchorage, at various spatial scales ranging from a single plant to a river reach. The main purpose of this research is to illustrate the links between temporal scales regarding the hydro-morphological evolution of fluvial systems, such as bed scour development, flood duration and return period, and those proper of biological components with regards to both growth and decay rates of riparian vegetation. For this aim, various methodologies and approaches are followed. Firstly, an intensive analysis of the state of knowledge is presented and discussed. Secondly, the existence of links between growth rate and hydrological return period of flood events and between decay rate and flood duration are proved and investigated by means of an already available eco-morphodynamic equation, and illustrated according to different vegetation cover. Promising results are obtained when relationships are applied to the case studies of the Maggia River (CH) and the Tagliamento River (IT). Thirdly, the uprooting process of juvenile flexible riparian vegetation is investigated by means of flume experiments, field measurements of root resistance and numerical modelling. A new physical relationship able to predict critical conditions of bed shear stress and bed erosion is derived, validated and applied to the case study of the Ombrone Pistoiese River (IT) with good agreement. Lastly, the proposed relationship is combined to a very recent probabilistic model and a stochastic approach to flood events. A new relationship for uprooting process randomness is proposed and the correlation between vegetation removal and flood return period is evaluated, discussed and applied to the case study of the Santa Maria River, Arizona (USA) with very good results. The results of this PhD research show the existence of cross-related temporal scales between riparian vegetation and river morphodynamics and demonstrate their relationships with flood return period and event duration. The adapted comprehensive approach to study the uprooting process of riparian vegetation highlights that multidisciplinary methodology is essential to understand the mechanisms, correctly model the process and formulate the equations. The application to laboratory experiments and to various case studies proves the validity of the relationships as well as the applicability both to small and large spatial scales. As a final result, this research hints the capability for river to select species and cover according to hydrological regime and biological properties. This is crucial in fluvial environments altered by climate change, where alien species may replace native ones. It also underlines the importance of taking into account riparian vegetation dynamics, effects and interactions to guarantee the reliability of long-term river morphodynamics modelling and the success of river maintenance and restoration strategies.