Geochemical features of humic acids extracted from sediments of urban lakes of the Arctic.

The study focuses on the comprehensive research of geochemical and environmental roles of humic acids isolated from sediments of the urbanized lakes of Kola Peninsula, the Arctic. The sediments were collected from 5 water bodies located in the different parts of Murmansk city. The elemental analysis (C, H, N, and O percentage) of the samples was conducted. The molecular structure of the acids was investigated using solid-state CP/MAS 13C-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy methods. The findings revealed the specific geochemical and environmental features of the sediment humic acids in the urbanized aquatic ecosystems of the Arctic region. The process of humification in the studied lakes is slowed down due to cold climatic conditions and the high level of the pollution of the water bodies. The molecules of the humic acids are immature and high-oxygen. Therefore, on the one hand, they can actively leach the toxic metals from the components of the sediments. On the other hand, despite the relatively low content of chelate-forming groups in the structure of the humic acids, the stable organometallic compounds form due to high percentage of dispersed organic matter in the sediments and structural flexibility of the molecules of the acids. Furthermore, the geochemical composition of the sediments and their enrichment by the trace elements and hydrocarbons significantly influence on the character of the interaction between metals and humic acids.

The relative strengths of rapid and delayed density dependence acting on a terrestrial herbivore change along a pollution gradient.

Animal populations vary in response to a combination of density-dependent and density-independent forces, which interact to drive their population dynamics. Understanding how abiotic forces mediate the form and strength of density-dependent processes remains a central goal of ecology, and is of increasing urgency in a rapidly changing world. Here, we report for the first time that industrial pollution determines the relative strength of rapid and delayed density dependence operating on an animal population. We explored the impacts of pollution and climate on the population dynamics of an eruptive leafmining moth, Phyllonorycter strigulatella, around a coal-fired power plant near Apatity, north-western Russia. Populations were monitored at 14 sites over 26 years. The relative strengths of rapid and delayed density dependence varied with distance from the power plant. Specifically, the strength of rapid density dependence increased while the strength of delayed density dependence decreased with increasing distance from the pollution source. Paralleling the increasing strength of rapid density dependence, we observed declines in the densities of P. strigulatella, increases in predation pressure from birds and ants, and declines in an unknown source of mortality (perhaps plant antibiosis) with increasing distance from the power plant. In contrast to the associations with pollution, associations between climate change and leafminer population densities were negligible. Our results may help to explain the outbreaks of insect herbivores that are frequently observed in polluted environments. We show that they can result from the weakening of rapid (stabilizing) density dependence relative to the effects of destabilizing delayed density dependence. Moreover, our results may explain some of the variation reported in published studies of animal populations in polluted habitats. Variable results may emerge in part because of the location of the study sites on different parts of pollution gradients. Finally, in a rapidly changing world, effects of anthropogenic pollution may be as, or more, important than are effects of climate change on the future dynamics of animal populations.

Microbiota of the ground air layers in natural and industrial zones of the Kola Arctic.

The fungi and bacteria number, as well as the species composition of the fungi in the ground air layer in the European Arctic region of Russia, primarily in the tundra (the Rybachy Peninsula), in the subzone of the northern taiga (the Pasvik State Nature Reserve) and in the industrial areas (the Copper-Nickel Plant "Pechenganickel," the Kandalaksha Aluminum Plant) have been studied. One hundred and ninety-two atmosphere air samples of various ecosystems have been analyzed. The sample collection took place in the summer-autumn period (June, July, September, in 2012-2015) with the aspirator, precipitating microorganisms on the surface of media. The number of microorganisms per 1 m3 of air was calculated. The portion of the airborne fungi in the ground air layer both in the tundra and in the taiga was higher in comparison with the bacteria, and amounted to 60-77% of the total number colony forming units (CFU). The least number of microorganisms in the investigated period was registered in the Barents Sea coastal atmospheric air, only 11-15 microbial CFU per 1 m3. The airborne fungi diversity in the taiga zone was richer than in the tundra. The fungi of the g. Penicillium predominated in both zones air. Bacteria gram-positive (the division Fermicutes) predominated within the bacterial biota. The species Penicillium decumbens, P. raistrickii prevailed in the air of the background tundra zone regions. The representatives of the genus Torula and Sterilia mycelia, P. raistrickii predominated in the taiga zone. Close by the Copper-Nickel Plant (about 3 km), the air bacterial contamination (100-600 CFU per 1 m3) was revealed, with prevailing bacteria gram-negative (the division Gracilicutes). The species Cladosporium oxysporum predominated in the air to the greatest possible extent of the contaminated region due to the emissions of the Kandalaksha Aluminum Plant. The species Gongronella butleri were uppermost due to the emissions of the Copper-Nickel Plant «Pechenganickel¼. The quantity of the dark-pigmented fungi in the air for both zones amounted to 25% of the total amount within the emphasized species. The composition of the air industrial emissions stimulated the development of specific airborne fungi which are essentially different from those of the background regions.

Features in the Lipid Status of Two Generations of Fingerlings (0+) of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Inhabiting the Arenga River (Kola Peninsula).

The present research focused on determining the lipid status of salmon fingerlings (0+) in early development after dispersal form groups of spawning nests in biotopes of different hydrological conditions. The revealed qualitative and quantitative differences in the levels of phospholipids and fatty acids among two generations of Atlantic salmon fingerlings (0+) living in different biotopes of the Arenga River (a tributary of the Varzuga River) may be associated with the peculiarities of their genetically determined processes of the biosynthesis and modification of individual lipid classes and trophoecological factors (food spectrum, quality and availability of food objects, and hydrological regime). The research was organized to observe the dynamics of these developmental changes from ages 0+ to 2+.

Industrial Vestiges: Legacies of Ancillary Impacts of Resource Development.

This article offers a different way to understand the heritage of extractive industries by exploring the material afterlives of what has been termed the "ancillary impacts of resource development"-a variety of quarries, forest cuts, transportation corridors, and power lines that surround industrial operations, especially those created in areas distant from established industrial population centers. To study this, the article expands upon the concept of "vestige" to explore the landscapes around two single-industry mining towns in Kola Peninsula, Russia, and in Labrador, Canada, by specifically focusing on two abandoned quarries located in each. The results highlight the need to explore developments that trail behind industrial settlement of colonial hinterlands. By focusing specifically on the afterlives of such developments, the article demonstrates how chronological and geographical boundaries of resource extraction are blurred over time, creating a deep, unruly, self-perpetuating set of legacies.

Este artículo ofrece una manera diferente de comprender el patrimonio de las industrias extractivas mediante la exploración de las vidas materiales posteriores a lo que se ha denominado los "impactos secundarios del desarrollo de recursos": una variedad de canteras, cortes de bosques, corredores de transporte y líneas eléctricas que rodean las operaciones industriales, especialmente aquellas creadas en áreas distantes de los centros de población industrial establecidos. Para estudiar esto, el artículo amplía el concepto de "vestigio" para explorar los paisajes alrededor de dos pueblos mineros de una sola industria en la península de Kola, Rusia, y en Labrador, Canadá, centrándose específicamente en dos canteras abandonadas ubicadas en cada uno. Los resultados resaltan la necesidad de explorar los desarrollos que vienen después de los asentamientos industriales del interior colonial. Al centrarse específicamente en las vidas posteriores de tales desarrollos, el artículo demuestra cómo los límites cronológicos y geográficos de la extracción de recursos se desdibujan con el tiempo, creando un conjunto de legados profundos, rebeldes y que se perpetúan a sí mismos.

Cet article propose une manière différente de comprendre le patrimoine des industries d'extraction par l'étude des vies postérieures matérielles de ce qui est désigné sous le terme d'« impacts accessoires du développement de ressources ¼­plusieurs carrières, abattages de forêts, corridors de transport et lignes électriques entourant les exploitations industrielles, en particulier ceux créés dans des zones distantes des centres établis de population industrielle. Aux fins de cette étude, cet article expose en détail le concept de « vestige ¼ pour explorer les paysages environnant deux villes minières à industrie unique dans la Péninsule de Kola en Russie et dans le Labrador au Canada, et s'intéresse tout particulièrement à deux carrières abandonnées dans chacune d'entre elles. Les résultats soulignent la nécessité d'une étude des développements faisant suite à l'implantation industrielle des arrières-pays coloniaux. En s'intéressant plus particulièrement aux vies postérieures de ces développements, l'article démontre comment les limites chronologiques et géographiques de l'extraction de ressources deviennent floues au cours du temps, créant de ce fait un ensemble enraciné, chaotique et se répétant sans cesse de transmissions.

Taxonomic revision of the Erigeronacris group (Asteraceae) in Murmansk Region, Russia, reveals a complex pattern of native and alien taxa.

Based on the evidence of morphology and a comprehensive revision of herbarium collections and field records, the taxonomy of the Erigeronacris group in Murmansk Region, European Russia, is completely revised. Its accepted diversity is increased from 2 to 8 taxa, including putative hybrids. The only native species, E.politus, is distributed in mountainous regions, along sea coasts and in the Kutsa River basin. Five species are alien: E.rigidus (previously confused with E.acris s.str.), E.acris s.str. (first recorded in the narrow taxonomic definition), E.brachycephalus (previously unrecorded), E.droebachiensis and E.uralensis (previously reported in error). Two major waves of the introduction of alien taxa are discovered, with different occurrences and species compositions. Regional and local dispersal by pomors (historical Russian settlers) occurred during their colonisation and traditional activities since the 12th century (archaeophytes or early neophytes); such alien taxa (E.rigidus, E.brachycephalus, and partly E.acris) are particularly common within the territory traditionally settled by Russian colonists but also found elsewhere along historical trade routes. Other alien species of the E.acris group (E.droebachiensis, E.uralensis, and partly E.acris and E.brachycephalus) colonised industrial areas in the 1960s-1990s as seed contaminants introduced during revegetation of slag dumps, stockyards, dams and channels. Putative hybrids between E.politus (native), E.rigidus and E.acris (aliens) are found in the places of co-occurrence. Updated nomenclature, synonymy and descriptions are provided for all accepted taxa.

Evaluation of current natural and anthropogenic radionuclide activity in coastal area bottom sediments of the Barents Sea (North of the Kola Peninsula).

This article is devoted to the study of the activity of technogenic 137Cs and 90Sr, as well as natural radionuclides 40K, 232Th and 226Ra in bottom sediments of the Kola coast of the Barents Sea, where a significant number of radiation objects are concentrated. In order to characterize and assess the accumulation of radioactivity in the bottom sediments, we studied the particle size distribution and some physicochemical parameters, such as the content of organic matter, carbonates and ash components. The average activities of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were 325.0, 25.1 and 466.7 Bq·kg-1, respectively. Levels of natural radionuclides in the coastal zone of the Kola Peninsula are within the range of marine sediments worldwide. Still, they are slightly higher than those observed in the central areas of the Barents Sea, most likely due to the formation of coastal bottom sediments as a result of the destruction of the natural radionuclide-enriched crystalline basement rocks that make up the Kola coast. The average activities of technogenic 90Sr and 137Cs in the bottom sediments of the Kola coast of the Barents Sea are 3.5 and 5.5 Bq·kg-1, respectively. The highest activities of 90Sr and 137Cs were found in the bays of the Kola coast, while they remain below detection limits in the open parts of the Barents Sea. Despite the presence of potential sources of radiation pollution in the coastal zone of the Barents Sea, we did not find any short-lived radionuclides in the bottom sediments, which indicates the absence of a significant influence of local sources on the transformation of the technogenic radiation background. The study of particle size distribution and physicochemical parameters showed that the accumulation of natural radionuclides is largely related to the content of organic matter and carbonates, while the accumulation of technogenic isotopes occurs in the composition of organic matter and the smallest fractions of bottom sediments.

Foliar stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in boreal forest plants exposed to long-term pollution from the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, Russia.

Long-term exposure to primary air pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), alters the structure and functions of forest ecosystems. Many biochemical and biogeochemical processes discriminate against the heavier isotopes in a mixture; thus, the values of δ13C and δ15N (i.e. the ratio of stable isotopes 13C to 12C and that of 15 N to 14 N, respectively) may give insights into changes in ecosystem processes and identify the immediate drivers of these changes. We studied sources of variation in the δ13C and δ15N values in the foliage of eight boreal forest C3 plants at 10 sites located at the distance of 1-40 km from the Monchegorsk nickel-copper smelter in Russia. From 1939‒2019, this smelter emitted over 14,000,000 metric tons (t) of SO2, 250,000 t of metals, primarily nickel and copper, and 140,000 t of NOx. The δ13C value in evergreen plants and the δ15N value in all plants increased near the smelter independently of the plant mycorrhizal type. We attribute the pollution-related increase in the foliar δ13C values of evergreen species mainly to direct effects of SO2 on stomatal conductance, in combination with pollution-related water stress, which jointly override the potential opposite effect of increasing ambient CO2 concentration on δ13C values. Stomatal uptake of NOx and root uptake of 15N-enriched organic N compounds and NH4+ may explain the increased foliar δ15N values and elevated foliar N concentrations, especially in the evergreen trees (Pinus sylvestris), close to Monchegorsk, where the soil inorganic N supply is reduced due to the impact of long-term SO2 and heavy metal emissions on plant biomass. We conclude that, despite the uncertainties in interpreting δ13C and δ15N responses to pollution, the Monchegorsk smelter has imposed and still imposes a great impact on C and N cycling in the surrounding N-limited subarctic forest ecosystems.

Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of Soil Microbiome of Barents Sea Coast, Kola Peninsula.

The soil microbiome of the Barents Sea coast of the Kola Peninsula is here characterized for the first time. The content of copies of ribosomal genes of archaea, bacteria, and fungi was determined by real-time PCR. Reserves and structure of biomass of soil microorganisms such as total biomass of fungi and prokaryotes, length and diameter of mycelium of fungi and actinomycetes, proportion of mycelium in biomass, number of spores and prokaryotic cells, proportion of small and large fungal propagules, and morphology of mycobiota spores were determined. The largest number of ribosomal gene copies was found for bacteria (from 6.47 × 109 to 3.02 × 1011 per g soil). The number of copies of ribosomal genes of fungi and archaea varied within 107-109 copies of genes/g soil. The biomass of microorganisms (prokaryotes and fungi in total) varied from 0.023 to 0.840 mg/g soil. The share of mycobiota in the microbial biomass ranged from 90% to 97%. The number of prokaryotes was not large and varied from 1.87 × 108 to 1.40 × 109 cells/g of soil, while the biomass of fungi was very significant and varied from 0.021 to 0.715 mg/g of soil. The length of actinomycete mycelium was small-from 0.77 to 88.18 m/g of soil, as was the length of fungal hyphae-an order of magnitude higher (up to 504.22 m/g of soil). The proportion of fungal mycelium, an active component of fungal biomass, varied from 25% to 89%. Most (from 65% to 100%) of mycobiota propagules were represented by specimens of small sizes, 2-3 microns. Thus, it is shown that, despite the extreme position on the mainland land of Fennoscandia, local soils had a significant number of microorganisms, on which the productivity of ecosystems largely depends.

Decline of Eulia ministrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in polluted habitats is not accompanied by phenotypic stress responses.

Environmental pollution is currently identified as one of the major drivers of rapid decline of insect populations, and this finding has revitalized interest in insect responses to pollution. We tested the hypothesis that the pollution-induced decline of insect populations can be predicted from phenotypic stress responses expressed as morphological differences between populations inhabiting polluted and unpolluted sites. We explored populations of the brassy tortrix Eulia ministrana in subarctic forests along an environmental disturbance gradient created by long-lasting severe impacts of aerial emissions of the copper-nickel smelter in Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia. We used pheromone traps to measure the population densities of this leafrolling moth and to collect specimens for assessment of three morphological stress indices: size, forewing melanization, and fluctuating asymmetry in wing venation. Wing length of E. ministrana increased by 10%, and neither forewing melanization nor fluctuating asymmetry changed from the unpolluted forest to the heavily polluted industrial barren. However, the population density of E. ministrana decreased 5 to 10 fold in the same pollution gradient. Thus, none of the studied potential morphological stress indicators signaled vulnerability of E. ministrana to environmental pollution and/or to pollution-induced environmental disturbance. We conclude that insect populations can decline without any visible signs of stress. The use of morphological proxies of insect fitness to predict the consequences of human impact on insect populations is therefore risky until causal relationships between these proxies and insect abundance are deciphered.

Mobilisation of distributional data for vascular plants of Murmansk Region, Russia: Digital representation of the Flora of Murmansk Region.

BACKGROUND: The present-day demand for digital availability of distributional data in biodiversity studies requires a special effort in assembling and editing the data otherwise scattered in paper literature and herbarium collections, which can be poorly accessible or little understood to present-day users and especially automatic data processors. Although the vascular plants of Murmansk Region (northern part of European Russia) are well studied and represented in publications, the accessibility of this knowledge is highly insufficient. The most widely known source is the Flora of Murmansk Region (published in 1953-1966), which remains in use because of its high original quality, detailed elaboration and completeness. We consider digitising this source to be of primary importance in biodiversity studies in the Arctic Region because of its point occurrence maps, which were based on the comprehensive inventory of contemporary herbarium collections. NEW INFORMATION: We have compiled a dataset based on 554 printed point occurrence maps of species distributions published in the Flora of Murmansk Region, which includes 25,555 records of georeferenced plant occurrences that belong to 1,073 species and 5 hybrids. The occurrences are ultimately based on herbarium specimens kept at KPABG and LE, which were collected during 1837-1965. We estimate that these specimens represent ca. 60% of the current global herbarium holdings originated from Murmansk Region; this means that the dataset gives a fair representation of the regional flora.

Vascular Plant Herbarium at the Kandalaksha Strict Nature Reserve (KAND), Russia.

BACKGROUND: The present-day demand for digital availability of distributional data in biodiversity studies requires a special effort in assembling and editing the data otherwise scattered in paper literature and herbarium collections, which can be poorly accessible or little understood to present-day users and especially automatic data processors. Our project on developing the information resource for the vascular plant flora of Murmansk Region, Russia, includes processing and making digitally available all the data on the taxonomy and distribution of this flora. So far, published distribution maps are limited to the old set in the Flora of Murmansk Region (published in 1953-1966) and the Red Data Book of Murmansk Region (ed. 2, published in 2014). These publications did not take into account the main part of the herbarium collections kept at the Kandalaksha Strict Nature Reserve, which are the basis for numerous local publications that appear scattered and, therefore, little accessible nowadays. NEW INFORMATION: We present a complete dataset of all holdings of vascular plants in the Herbarium of the Kandalaksha Strict Nature Reserve, totalling 10,218 specimens collected during 1947-2019, which are referable to 764 species and 19 subspecies. All specimens were georeferenced with the utmost precision available. This dataset offers a complete and dense coverage of the Nature Reserve's territory (islands and adjacent mainland coastal areas of the Barents and White Seas, Murmansk Region and Republic of Karelia, Russia); these data are little represented in herbarium collections elsewhere.

Climate warming leads to decline in frequencies of melanic individuals in subarctic leaf beetle populations.

Intraspecific diversity buffers populations from deleterious impacts of environmental change. Nevertheless, the consequences of climate warming for phenotypic and genetic diversity within populations and species remain poorly understood. The goal of our study was to explore among-year variations in the phenotypic structure of populations and their relationships with climate variability and population dynamics. We analysed multiyear (1992-2018) data on colour morph frequencies within populations of the leaf beetle, Chrysomela lapponica, from multiple sites in the Kola Peninsula (northwestern Russia). We observed a strong decline in the proportion of dark (melanic) morphs among overwintered beetles during the study period; this decline was consistent across all study sites. Using model selection procedures, we explained declines in the dark morph of overwintered beetles by increases in minimum spring (May-June) daily temperatures. Other climatic characteristics, pollution load, and beetle population density were unrelated to variation in colour morph frequencies. Among newly emerged beetles (August), dark morph frequencies also decreased with an increase in average spring temperatures, but were unrelated to mean temperatures during the larval development period (July). These results suggest that the two-fold decline in dark morph frequencies during the past 26 years has been driven by the 2.5 °C increase in spring temperatures, most likely because dark males lose the mating advantages over light males that they obtain during cold springs. The continued loss of dark morphs and related decrease in within-population diversity may render leaf beetle populations more vulnerable to future environmental changes, in particular to those expressed in extreme weather fluctuations. Our study demonstrates that declines in within-population diversity are already underway in subarctic areas, and that these declines are likely driven by climate warming.

The aphid fauna (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aphidomorpha) of Murmansk province (Russia), with description of Aphis khrulevi sp. nov. and Dysaphis karyakini sp. nov. and males of Chaitophorus nigricantis Pintera, 1987.

An updated aphid (Hemiptera, Aphidomorpha) check-list of Murmansk province (European Russia) is presented, it includes 162 species. Chaitophorus nigricantis Pintera, 1987, Schizaphis nigerrima (Hille Ris Lambers), Hyperomyzus (Neonasonovia) zirnitsi Hille Ris Lambers, Nasonovia (Kakimia) vannesii Stenseth, Plocamaphis flocculosa goernitzi Börner and Schizaphis graminum gigjai Stroyan are recorded for the first time from Russia. Both apterous and alate males of Chaitophorus nigricantis nigricantis Pintera are described. Two new aphid species are described: Aphis khrulevi sp. nov. from fundatrices and  apterous viviparous females, living on Veronica longifolia and Dysaphis karyakini sp. nov. from apterous and alate viviparous females, oviparous females and males, living on Cenolophium denudatum. Comments about the distribution and biology of aphids in this Northern part of Europe, and on the completeness of the list are given.

The Impact of a Nickel-Copper Smelter on Concentrations of Toxic Elements in Local Wild Food from the Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian Border Regions.

Toxic elements emitted from the Pechenganickel complex on the Kola Peninsula have caused concern about potential effects on local wild food in the border regions between Norway, Finland and Russia. The aim of this study was to assess Ni, Cu, Co, As, Pb, Cd, and Hg concentrations in local wild foods from these border regions. During 2013-2014, we collected samples of different berry, mushroom, fish, and game species from sites at varying distances from the Ni-Cu smelter in all three border regions. Our results indicate that the Ni-Cu smelter is the main source of Ni, Co, and As in local wild foods, whereas the sources of Pb and Cd are more complex. We observed no consistent trends for Cu, one of the main toxic elements emitted by the Ni-Cu smelter; nor did we find any trend for Hg in wild food. Concentrations of all investigated toxic elements were highest in mushrooms, except for Hg, which was highest in fish. EU maximum levels of Pb, Cd, and Hg were exceeded in some samples, but most had levels considered safe for human consumption. No international thresholds exist for the other elements under study.

Combined effects of environmental disturbance and climate warming on insect herbivory in mountain birch in subarctic forests: Results of 26-year monitoring.

Both pollution and climate affect insect-plant interactions, but the combined effects of these two abiotic drivers of global change on insect herbivory remain almost unexplored. From 1991 to 2016, we monitored the population densities of 25 species or species groups of insects feeding on mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) in 29 sites and recorded leaf damage by insects in 21 sites in subarctic forests around the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, north-western Russia. The leaf-eating insects demonstrated variable, and sometimes opposite, responses to pollution-induced forest disturbance and to climate variations. Consequently, we did not discover any general trend in herbivory along the disturbance gradient. Densities of eight species/species groups correlated with environmental disturbance, but these correlations weakened from 1991 to 2016, presumably due to the fivefold decrease in emissions of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals from the smelter. The densities of externally feeding defoliators decreased from 1991 to 2016 and the densities of leafminers increased, while the leaf roller densities remained unchanged. Consequently, no overall temporal trend in the abundance of birch-feeding insects emerged despite a 2-3°C elevation in spring temperatures. Damage to birch leaves by insects decreased during the observation period in heavily disturbed forests, did not change in moderately disturbed forests and tended to increase in pristine forests. The temporal stability of insect-plant interactions, quantified by the inverse of the coefficient of among-year variations of herbivore population densities and of birch foliar damage, showed a negative correlation with forest disturbance. We conclude that climate differently affects insect herbivory in heavily stressed versus pristine forests, and that herbivorous insects demonstrate diverse responses to environmental disturbance and climate variations. This diversity of responses, in combination with the decreased stability of insect-plant interactions, increases the uncertainty in predictions on the impacts of global change on forest damage by insects.

Factors affecting population dynamics of leaf beetles in a subarctic region: The interplay between climate warming and pollution decline.

Understanding the mechanisms by which abiotic drivers, such as climate and pollution, influence population dynamics of animals is important for our ability to predict the population trajectories of individual species under different global change scenarios. We monitored four leaf beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feeding on willows (Salix spp.) in 13 sites along a pollution gradient in subarctic forests of north-western Russia from 1993 to 2014. During a subset of years, we also measured the impacts of natural enemies and host plant quality on the performance of one of these species, Chrysomela lapponica. Spring and fall temperatures increased by 2.5-3°C during the 21-year observation period, while emissions of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals from the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk decreased fivefold. However, contrary to predictions of increasing herbivory with climate warming, and in spite of discovered increase in host plant quality with increase in temperatures, none of the beetle species became more abundant during the past 20years. No directional trends were observed in densities of either Phratora vitellinae or Plagiodera versicolora, whereas densities of both C. lapponica and Gonioctena pallida showed a simultaneous rapid 20-fold decline in the early 2000s, remaining at very low levels thereafter. Time series analysis and model selection indicated that these abrupt population declines were associated with decreases in aerial emissions from the smelter. Observed declines in the population densities of C. lapponica can be explained by increases in mortality from natural enemies due to the combined action of climate warming and declining pollution. This pattern suggests that at least in some tri-trophic systems, top-down factors override bottom-up effects and govern the impacts of environmental changes on insect herbivores.

A vibrational spectroscopic study of the silicate mineral lomonosovite Na5Ti2(Si2O7)(PO4)O2.

The mineral lomonosovite has been studied using a combination of scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and vibrational spectroscopy. Qualitative chemical analysis gave Si, P, Na and Ti as the as major elements with small amounts of Mn, Ca, Fe and Al. The mineral lomonosovite has a formula Na5Ti2(Si2O7)(PO4)O2. Raman bands observed at 909, 925 and 939 cm(-1) are associated with phosphate units. Raman bands found at 975, 999, 1070, 1080 and 1084 cm(-1) are attributed to siloxane stretching vibrations. The observation of multiple bands in both the phosphate stretching and bending regions supports the concept that the symmetry of the phosphate anion in the structure of lomonosovite is significantly reduced. Infrared spectroscopy identifies bands in the water stretching and bending regions, thus suggesting that water is involved with the structure of lomonosovite either through adsorption on the surface or by bonding to the phosphate units.

A vibrational spectroscopic study of the phosphate mineral rimkorolgite (Mg,Mn2+)5(Ba, Sr)(PO4)4·8H2O from Kovdor massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

We have studied aspect of the molecular structure of the phosphate mineral rimkorolgite from Zheleznyi iron mine, Kovdor massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia, using SEM with EDX and vibrational spectroscopy. Qualitative chemical analysis shows a homogeneous phase, composed by P, Mg, Ba, Mn and Ca. Small amounts of Si were also observed. An intense Raman peak at 975 cm(-1) is assigned to the PO4(3-) ν1 symmetric stretching mode. The Raman band at 964 cm(-1) is attributed to the HPO4(2-) ν1 symmetric stretching vibration. Raman bands observed at 1016, 1035, 1052, 1073, 1105 and 1135 cm(-1) are attributed to the ν3 antisymmetric stretching vibrations of the HPO4(2-) and PO4(3-) units. Complexity in the spectra of the phosphate bending region is observed. The broad Raman band at 3272 cm(-1) is assigned to the water stretching vibration. Vibrational spectroscopy enables aspects on the molecular structure of rimkorolgite to be undertaken.

An unusually rich scuttle fly fauna (Diptera, Phoridae) from north of the Arctic Circle in the Kola Peninsula, N. W. Russia.

64 species of Phoridae, in 6 genera, are reported from the Kola Peninsula, north of the Arctic Circle. The new species Megaselia elenae and Megaselia kozlovi are described. 33 species of Megaselia, only known from females, are given code numbers. Keys to the species of all the females of Megaselia and Phora are provided; and also a key to the males European Megaselia species with a notopleural cleft.