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The results of a long-term study of the bird population of Central Siberia, including their route surveys with a length of 11.2 thousand km in 685 biotopes, are summarized. It has been established that the population density of birds increases from the Arctic deserts to the southern tundra, decreases markedly in the forest tundra, and then increases sequentially to the forest steppe. The species richness also increases in the southern direction, but reaches its maximum in the middle taiga, where species with a more northern or southern distribution are located on the periphery of their ranges. In the dominant composition of ornithocomplexes, it is characteristic that 1-4 species do not go beyond the boundaries of their “own” zones, and 1-2 species are common to neighboring zones. As a result of changes in the composition and ratio of species, the differences between the ornithocomplexes of the Arctic deserts and tundras, as well as the forest-tundra and taiga zones, become the most significant. Differences in the bird populations of the forest tundra and tundra, as well as the forest-steppe and taiga zones, are poorly expressed due to the distribution of the most widespread species. Altitude-belt changes in the bird population are reduced to a sharp decrease in the number of species and individuals during the transition from each lower to the overlying belt. The bird communities of the high-altitude belts from the foothills to the peaks of the mountains are increasingly different from each other and those of the adjacent lowland zones and subzones, which is determined by the increasing autonomy of their formation.

In the article, based mainly on the materials collected by N. V. Tupikova and contributors of the Data Bank of the Zoological Monitoring Laboratory of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals SB RAS from 1955 to 2014, some methodical and methodological problems are solved, in particular, the research result dependence: 1. on the method of collecting material with crushers - route, one-time or stationary (with three repetitions every two weeks from mid-July to the end of August). 2. on the interpreter, volume and standardization of data during collection. 3. on the joint use of data collected with crushers and ditches, after recalculation per 1 km2. This article is dedicated to these problems.

In the subarctic regions of Krasnoyarsk Krai in 2022-2023, the population of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) was studied at different distances from sources of anthropogenic impact. In the vicinity of Norilsk, the impact of metallurgical enterprises was studied; near Dudinka, the change in the ground beetle population along the urbanization gradient was studied; in the south of the Gydan Peninsula, the impact of gas condensate fields was assessed. The least impact on the ground beetle population was noted in the area of the fields. Urbanogenic impact in the vicinity of Dudinka affected ground beetle communities at a distance of up to 2-3 km. The complex impact of Norilsk facilities (industrial enterprises, urban infrastructure, etc.) on ground beetle communities was traced at a distance of up to 10-15 km. Near sources of anthropogenic impact, the number of ground beetle species in communities, their overall dynamic density, and the density of individual genera and species of ground beetles decrease: especially large-sized representatives (genus Carabus) and specialized arctic species of the subgenus Cryobius from the genus Pterostichus, associated with moss-lichen cover. These parameters can be used as indicators of environmental disturbance.

The population structure of snow sheep groups in the Kodar Ridge is characterized based on trail camera and visual observation data. The population range is isolated and limited to this mountain range. The studies were conducted after the establishment of a national park within a part of the Kodar snow sheep range (in 2018). The main observations were made in the central, most important part of the range in the Sredny Sakukan and Apsat river basins both in the national park and in the adjacent territory. On average, the ratio of adult females/yearlings/last year’s animals/young males/mature males in July-September on summer pastures used by females is 10/9/4/3/1. A significant number of males stay in summer in areas outside the pastures of females and young animals. The fertility of the Kodar sheep during the study period is higher than that noted in the 1990s. For one adult female of 2019-2024 in the first 2-3 months after lambing, there were 0.87 yearlings and 0.44 last year’s lambs. High fertility also confirms the optimal structure of the studied groups of Kodar snow sheep. Information was obtained on the timing and characteristics of the seasonal change of habitats, with the exception of the winter period. On summer pastures, the population is characterized by low herd size: 3.0 for groups of females, 1.3 for males and the same for separated last year’s lambs. Over 6 years of observations after the creation of the national park, the herd size indicator did not change significantly, and changes were observed in the sex and age structure associated with an increase in the proportion of last year’s lambs and young males.

Issues of conservation of rare and endangered animal species are considered one of the main ecological problems of recent decades and are included in the “Ecological Doctrine of the Russian Federation” and “Principles of the State policy in the area of environmental development of the Russian Federation for the period up to the year 2030”. The distribution of terrestrial vertebrates listed in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation in the mountainous regions of Russia has been studied for the first time. A biome approach was used: the division of the territory, according to the similarity of the biota, including the analysis of its latitude, longitude and altitude changes. For each of the 31 mountain biomes identified in the territory of Russia, lists of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians from the Red Data Book are given, and the abundance of these protected objects is quantified. Regions with high diversity of such terrestrial vertebrates have been identified. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians have the greatest similarity in the location of orobiomes with the maximum number of species. The regions of their greatest diversity are confined to the Caucasus. For mammals, this is its eastern part; for reptiles and amphibians - the biomes bordering the Black Sea coast. The maximum diversity of breeding birds is confined to the south of the Far East. Maps with the distribution of the number of such rare species in the mountain biomes of Russia have been prepared. The results obtained make it possible to optimize conservation measures for rare and vulnerable vertebrates.

The study focuses on the activity of proteolytic enzymes and the effect of trematode infestation on the size and mass parameters and activity of these enzymes in three species of mollusks: Lithoglyphus naticoides (C. Pfieffer, 1828), Viviparus viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758). Pepsin-, trypsin-, and chymotrypsin-like activity was found in all mollusks, indicating a wide range of protease activity in these animals. Differences in the levels of protease activity in shellfish are most likely related to the type of diet. Shellfish infection affects the studied parameters in different ways. Thus, in infected Lithoglyphus naticoides, the shell height and mass are greater than in uninfected individuals. In Viviparus viviparus, these parameters do not display significant differences. In Lymnaea stagnalis, the shell height does not differ in uninfected and infected mollusks, and the mass is greater in infected specimens. The activity of a particular group of proteases varies depending on the mollusk species and the parasite development stage. Trematode infection has the greatest effect on protease activity in Lithoglyphus naticoides.

In the studied populations of Rana arvalis Nilsson, 1842 (ranging from the western macroslope of the Middle Urals to the Ishim Plain), ten parasite species were identified, with the nematodes Oswaldocruzia filiformis (Goeze, 1782) and Rhabdias bufonis (Schrank, 1788) being dominant. A two-component (hurdle) model-combining binomial regression (infection probability) and gamma regression (infestation intensity) -provided the best biological and statistical fit for nematode infestation patterns. Both infection probability and intensity increased with host age, peaking at 3-4 years: each unit increase in log₂-transformed age [log₂(Age+1)] raised the odds of infestation 6.2-fold (95 % CI: 4.9-7.8) and intensity 1.4-fold (1.2-1.5). Intensity also increased 2.1-fold (1.8-2.5) per additional nematode species. Geographic trends revealed latitudinal and longitudinal variability: infestation odds decreased 2.1-fold (1.5-2.7) per degree northward, while intensity increased 1.14-fold (1.1-1.2) per degree eastward. Neither host morph (striata/maculata) nor sex significantly influenced nematode infestation parameters.

The results of a long-term study (2006-2024) on the phenology of 25 species of herbaceous plants, represented by 33 accessions from natural populations in the Russian Far East - Primorye, Sakhalin, and the Southern Kurils, under the conditions of the forest-steppe of Western Siberia (Novosibirsk), are presented. The study revealed the features of seasonal rhythms for most accessions: spring growth occurs in early to mid-terms (April - first decade of May), and the onset of flowering is timed to summer periods (June - mid-July), with a phenorhythmotype classified as spring-summer green. Therefore, based on their primary rhythmic characteristics, the Far Eastern accessions correspond to herbaceous perennials of the regional flora. At the same time, a complete and regular seasonal cycle, as an indicator of biological sustainability, is observed in 16 accessions (48 %), while the others are unstable or weakly stable in the new environmental conditions. Using linear phenological trends, the main patterns of phenological shifts were established: a delay in the dates of the vegetation start (6-13 days / 10 years) and an advance in the dates of vegetation end (6-16 days / 10 years). There is also a later start for flowering (up to 6 days / 10 years), and an earlier end for flowering (3 days / 10 years), as well as a significant reduction in the duration of all interphase periods. Significant intraspecific variability of phenological events depending on the provenance of materials was demonstrated. The findings indicate an accelerated seasonal development of Far Eastern perennials when adapting to a continental climate.

The main ore and associated elements contamination level of the tailings dumps substrates of the Altai Mining and Processing Plant (AMPP), soils of their reclaimed surfaces and soils located in the zone of technogenic impact is studied. Heavy metals in the upper horizons of soils and grounds were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Single pollution indices and complex soil contamination indices of the territory are calculated. A comparison with 18-year-old data is made. It is found that the metal content in the upper layers of dumps in areas where at least single plant species grow and in the soils of adjacent landscapes vary widely: Zn - from 164 to 1287 mg/kg, Cd - from 0.50 to 6.97 mg/kg, Cu - from 67 to 1516 mg/kg, Pb - from 69 to 1827 mg/kg and significantly exceed the background values. The highest Zn and Cd content is detected in the substrate on the new dump surface of the near the spontaneous dump of household waste. The highest Cu and Pb concentrations, tens of times exceeding the background contents in the chernozems of the Northwestern Altai, are found in meadow soils of landscapes geochemically associated with the dumps tailings, containing toxic material washed up from the eroded sides of the tailings ponds. Their upper horizons are characterized by extremely hazardous (Z _c = 165) and high (Z _c = 79) levels of total metal contamination. High metal contamination (especially Cd and Pb) is established for the upper horizon of ordinary chernozem at a distance of 2 km from the dumps to the north, in the direction of the southern winds prevailing in the region, which is explained by additional airborne dust saturated with heavy metals brought to this territory from the unreclaimed surfaces of the AMPP dumps. The lowest single pollution indexes of soil and substrate and the smallest proportion of samples with their high values are established for zinc. Pollution of soils and substrates of tailings with lead and copper, judging by single pollution indexes, is the most significant. Compared to 2005, a decrease in the concentration of heavy metals in the substrates of dumps of those areas where plants grow is noted.

This review analyzes key themes from the first volume of “Wittgenstein and Artificial Intelligence.” It addresses the metonymic trap in AI discourse, contrasts Chomsky’s and Brandom’s objections to strong AI, examines neural network opacity, and demonstrates how Wittgenstein’s anti-representationalism offers unique solutions to AI’s philosophical dilemmas.,