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The system of higher spatial categories of vegetation cover of the Altai-Sayan mountainous region has been developed and presented on a small-scale geobotanical map at a scale of 1:1 000 000. The study is based on V.B. Sochava’s methodology of the dimensionality of vegetation cover and the hierarchy of leading ecological and geographical factors as well as on results of classification of plant communities using the Brown-Blanquet method. The hierarchy of the map legend reflects four levels of spatial units. The first level represents the main patterns of vegetation of mountainous areas, i. e. altitudinal belts. The second belt includes the largest phytogeographic subdivisions: phytochors (combinations of vegetation classes), dominated by Euro-Siberian and North Asian types and phytochors with a predominance of East Siberian-Central Asian types. The ecological content of these phytochors in the Altai-Sayan mountain region is conditioned by the interaction of orography and the leading climatic processes: westerly moisture transport and the Asian anticyclone, leading to the effects of the “rain barrier” and “rain shadow” as well as the oceanic-continental climate gradient. The latter factor, along with the conditions of humidity-aridity of the climate, determined the allocation of four phytochors of bioclimatic content: vegetation of cyclonic excessively humid, cyclonic humid, anticyclonic insufficiently humid, and anticyclonic dry bioclimatic sectors. Each sector corresponds to a characteristic combination of alliances of different vegetation types: steppe, forest, and highland. The third level of the map legend reflects intra-belt differences within each bioclimatic sector. The fourth level characterizes different regional geographical combinations of units (mesocombinations) of the rank of vegetation associations within each sub-belt. As an example of the implementation of the regularities described above, an abbreviated fragment of the legend (limited to the four highest hierarchical categories) characterizing the forest belt of the Altai mountain system and reflected on the map-scheme (1:1 000 000) of this region is presented.

A map of modern vegetation at a scale of 1:200 000 was created in the ArcGIS program for the territory of the potential habitat of the Saiga tatarica tatarica population with an increase in its number in the North-Western Caspian Sea region. The mapped territory with an area of 220 × 145 km² lies within the steppe and desert zones. The modern cover of the region is characterized by extreme heterogeneity which reflects both the natural complexity caused by the existence of solonetzes and solonchaks, and the dynamics of vegetation on fallows and pastures. In the steppe zone, dwarf semishrub communities occupy large areas along with feather-grasses and firm-bunch grass communities. They are either halophytic variants of steppes or one of the stages of overgrowth of fallows. They give the plains a “desert” view. In the desert zone, vegetation is represented by pastures with varying degrees of grazing intensity. In places on the sands, because of grazing, the feather-grasses create an aspect, and the plains have a “steppe” appearance. The dynamic processes of vegetation in the North-Western Caspian Sea region create great difficulties for mapping. In the map legend, the division of the territory into the steppe and desert zones is shown by the headings of the highest rank. The diversity of formations of steppe and desert vegetation and spatial heterogeneity of vegetation cover are reflected by the following hierarchical units. Five such units (I-V) characterize the steppe zone, and six units (VI-XI) correspond to the desert zone. They are arranged according to the degree of increase in soil salinity and the degree of grazing. Probably, the lowest mapped units of the legend should be considered as transformation series. However, for the series there is not enough data on the time of plowing and its existence, on the degree of pasture load, on the time of fires. Signs out of scale are used to show features that are not expressed at the map scale.

This paper presents new data on vegetation of the key area in the mid-flow of the Northern Dvina River (Arkhangelsk oblast). Studies of floodplain vegetation and mire vegetaion have been conducted since 2009 and 2013, respectively. Original geobotanical data on floodplain and mire vegetation of the currently established Specially Protected Area, “Zvoz Nature Park”, are provided. The protected area is located in the Zvoz karst region known as a unique landscape of the European part of Russia. Gypsum and anhydrites of the Permian geological period emerge on the day surface and various types of karst such as sinkholes, ravines and silk fields occur there. The floodplain and above-floodplain river terraces were studied and mapped. Two large-scale vegetation maps of the key area were compiled: the vegetation map of the Northern Dvina River valley (at a scale of 1:25 000) with a detailed display of floodplain communities (trees, shrubs, meadows) and communities of above-floodplain terraces; and the vegetation map of the mire massif near the village of Zvoz (at a scale of 1:4 000). The legend to the map of the Northern Dvina River valley is based on the landscape and ecological-phytocoenotic methods. The main divisions of the legend correspond to geomorphological elements (“Vegetation of the floodplain”, and “Vegetation of the terraces above the floodplain”). The lower divisions of the legend are identified on the basis of dominant species and by taking into account the indicator groups of species. The legend divisions of floodplain vegetation are built from pioneer to primary plant communities. The mire map and its legend demonstrate the heterogeneity of the horizontal structure of vegetation and its complexity. The relationship between patterns of formation of the vegetation cover structure and modern karst processes is discussed.

An analysis is made of the paleogeographical distribution of Coniopteris ferns in Europe, Central Asia and Siberia over the course of seven ages (from the Gettangian to the Bathonian) of the Early and Middle Jurassic. It has been established that in the Gettangian the Coniopteris had a wide distribution from Europe to Southern Siberia. This may be indicative of its late Triassic origin. It is shown that in the Early Jurassic, the centers of evolution of the genus were located in the Siberian paleofloristic region: in the Hettangian and Sinemurian in the Ural subprovince, and in the Pliensbachian and Toarcian in the Cis-Yenisei subprovince. Particular attention is paid to the distribution of Coniopteris during the Early Toarcian climatic optimum. It has been established that due to climate warming, the center of evolution of the genus had shifted toward the north, i. e. to Western Siberia, and migrants from Europe and Central Asia (Coniopteris burejensis, C. maakiana, and C. murrayana) appeared in the Cis-Yenisei and Angara-Vilyui subprovinces. The main migration route could pass through the Turgai trough which connected Siberia and Central Asia. It was revealed that the C. kirgisika, C. latifolia, C. nerifolia, C. porcina, C. pulcherrima, C. spectabilis and C. zindanensis species first appear in the Pliensbachian in the Cis-Yenisei subprovince and penetrated into Central Asia no earlier than the Aalenian. Thus these ferns cannot be considered as indicators of the Early Toarcian warming in the territory of the Siberian region, and their appearance in the Aalenian in Central Asia should be regarded as evidence of a cooling. It has been established that the most dynamic processes of migration and extinction of Coniopteris species manifested themselves in the north of the Siberian paleofloristic region (Angara-Vilyui subprovince) where climate change had the most dramatic effect.

This paper presents experience of using geoinformation data in the evaluation of vegetation cover restoration in the pine forests of the Badary tract after the fires that occurred in 2010. This study was preceded by a nine-year period of monitoring observations of the specificity of the species composition of the forest stand, shrub layer and living ground cover in burnt areas and in undamaged forests. The correlation of the generated geobotanical database with the vegetation indices NDVI and EVI obtained from processing medium spatial resolution geoinformation material is considered. The features of the dynamics of the NDVI and EVI indicators were identified both in space and in time. In the burnt areas in the period 2009-2019, a fluctuation of the values of vegetation indices was noted in almost every seasonal group, which correlates with geobotanical parameters that show an upward data dynamics. In forests not affected by fires and, hence, in stable ecological conditions, the NDVI and EVI indicators remained stable or showed a small fluctuation throughout the long-term period. It is noted that NDVI is characterized by an overestimation of values, especially at the peak of vegetation, whereas EVI indicators are more reliable. Multi-temporal analysis showed that both field data and NDVI and EVI indicators show the success of reforestation processes. However, the study of the values of the vegetation indices cannot be considered an independent source of information in the assessment of demutation processes.

Presented are the results from studying the spatial structure of vegetation in the foothills of the Malkhan Ridge (Kyakhta district of the Republic of Buryatia). On the basis of long-term field studies in combination with remote sensing methods, a vegetation map of the model site was compiled at a scale of 1:12 500 by highlighting homogeneous and heterogeneous units of landscape-topological level. It was found that the southeastern foothills of the Malkhan Range are characterized by mountainous expositional forest-steppes in which pine forests, shrub thickets and steppe communities of different composition form a complex spatial structure of vegetation. Pine herbaceous forests form macrocombinations with birch spirea-grass forests on shady and semi-shady slopes of spurs. The slopes of southern exposures have a more complex vegetation structure; here, an ecological series of litho-topological genesis is distinguished according to the catena levels. The specificity of the study area is formed by communities of Siberian apricot (Armeniaca sibirica), occupying the warmest habitats in the landscape at transit positions. Homogeneous phytocenoses of sod-grass (and forbs) steppes, and also complexes of rhizomatous-grass (and hard-sedge) steppes were described for the rear parts and the bottom of the creek valley. It is established that the spatial structure of vegetation of the foothills of the Malkhan Ridge reflects its boundary role in the formation of modern habitats of plant species. It is revealed that in the conditions with special microclimate formed on the southern foothills of the Malkhan Ridge, refugial areas with high concentration of Dauro-Manchurian and East Asian plant species have persisted.

We examine the problem of the territorial heterogeneity of bird assemblage in Northern Eurasia within the USSR borders as of 1990. The experience of zoning was discussed as one of the ways to generalize zoogeographic information, a method for its analysis and development of the basis for mapping. Based on cluster analysis results of extensive material, trends in the bird assemblage heterogeneity and the natural-geographical regimes that determine them, that is, the spatial-typological structure and organization of ornithocomplexes, were identified, and the strength and commonality of the relationship between the variability of the environment and bird communities in the first half of summer was assessed. Using a linear qualitative approximation of the similarity matrices (one of the regression analysis methods), the integral information content of the resulting representations was calculated (dispersion of the similarity matrix which is removed by classification and structure, and the multiple coefficient of their correlation). These indicators characterize the significance of the completeness of the explanation of the bird assemblage territorial differences. A bird assemblage map of the study area was compiled. The results of the study are not only of cognitive interest, but also of practical importance. They can be used for environmental purposes and in the process of teaching geographical and biological disciplines. The statistical programs used were developed relatively recently specifically for the analysis of data on the animal assemblage territorial heterogeneity. They have been well tested, showing a high degree of correctness and reliability in the processing of material on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates as well as on lichens, fungi, and flowering plants. The maps, graphs and assessments of their information content were all made for the study area for the first time.

In spite of the fact that the theriofauna of Baikal Siberia has long been studied, there was no work on the conduct of theriogeographic zoning of the territory. The currently available options for zoning the entire country do not take into account the specifics of the regional differentiation of the mammalian population, and the division itself is carried out only at the level of high ranks (regions, provinces, etc.). The basis for the study was provided by accumulated numerous data on the distribution of 101 native species of mammals belonging to six orders, making it possible to identify the features of spatial heterogeneity of the theriofauna of the region. The scheme of the teriogeographic zoning of Baikal Siberia presented in this paper permits a detailed analysis aimed at reflecting the features of differentiation of the regional diversity of fauna and the structure of the mammalian population as well as their genesis, taking into account the landscape-zonal features of the territory. The complexity of zoning such vast territories is due to the fact that the final result is influenced by poor knowledge of remote and hard-to-reach areas, a significant anthropogenic disturbance of old-developed areas, invasions of alien species, changes in the boundaries of native mammal species as well as taxonomic revisions of recent years. By comparing the degree of similarity of mammalian communities by species composition using the Jacquard coefficient, 10 theriogeographical districts of different extent and landscape diversity were identified. The identification of districts is due to the fact that this territory largely differs from the district in its landscape appearance and the specific composition of the theriofauna. A change in the species diversity of mammals clearly shows a decrease in the indicator from the south to the north of the region, which is due to the increased severity of the climate and a decrease in the landscape diversity of the territory. The map is made at a scale of 1:11 000 000 and includes 16 map units in the main layer. Theriogeographical zoning should be considered as a step-by-step generalization in the field of reconstructing faunogenesis and phylogeographical constructions.

The structure of a species’ range (internal structure, and difference in abundance within the range) implies naturally determined changes in the abundance of the species within its range. The optimum of the range is the territory most favorable for the species in ecological terms, with the greatest abundance of animals. The medium of the range is characterized by average numbers. The pessimum is the territory with a low abundance of the species. Maps of the range structure reflect the geographic location of territories with different abundances of animals. Information on the structure of the species range provides a basis for predicting the response of the species to natural and human-induced transformation of the environment. It is also necessary for the spatial assessment of the resource potential of economically valuable species and for developing the conservation strategy for rare and endangered species. Ascertaining spatial patterns of changes in a species’ abundance within its range is essential for identifying ecological relationships of the species and environmental factors that determine the high abundance of the species in the optimum of the range. The typology of structures of species ranges underlies the identification of faunistic complexes, i. e. groups of species associated with certain zonal conditions by the common origin and development. The history (experience) of studying the structure of species ranges with terrestrial mammals as an example is shown. A special significance of the cartographic method in the development of such studies is argued. The structures of the ranges can be mapped if the numbers of local populations in different parts of the species range were estimated with standard methods. The feasibility of using various survey methods for mapping the structure of mammal ranges is evaluated. The role of cadastral reference maps of population census locations for the geographic localization of census results and the subsequent territorial assessment of the quantitative data coverage is shown. Maps of the structure of the ranges of mammals are presented. The reasons that hinder the mapping of the range structures for species of some taxonomic groups of mammals are designated. The scientific and applied significance of studying the structure of species ranges is stated. Results from using maps and the prospects for revealing ecological relations of species in ecological chorology are discussed.

Using as an example the most dangerous nine invasive mammals of Northern Eurasia (Castor canadensis, Ondatra zibethicus, Apodemus agrarius, Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Nyctereutes procyonoides, Procyonlotor and Neogale vison), the patterns of formation of their distribution ranges in new regions are considered. The wide invasive ranges of intentionally introduced species (O. zibethicus, N. vison, and N. procyonoides) have formed over 60-70 years. This was possible due to a wide geographical spread of release sites (primary centers or cores), a huge number of released animals, and the subsequent merger of these cores in the continuous range due to the mammal self-dispersals. Two other North American intentionally introduced species (C. canadensis and P. lotor) are distributed regionally due to a set of factors (biological, natural, competitive relationships). The range of accidentally introduced species (the commensal rodents M. musculus, R. rattus, and R. norvegicus) was formed as humans explored the Earth. The agrophilous rodent A. agrarius in Eastern Europe was spread by itself to the north of the native range as forests were cleared for plowing and to the south for irrigation. The rate of change in the boundaries of the range and the distance of their shift decreased in the following order: intentional introduction, accidental introduction, and self-dispersal. Maps of the movements of the invasive mammal range were created. The informativeness of such maps is determined by available zoological material. They are of interest, because they reveal the habitats of invasive species, the speed of their dispersal, and regions for planning measures to minimize the negative consequences of invasions.