Measurements of the swimming speeds of motile microorganisms using object tracking and their correlation with water pollution and rheology levels

Self-propelled microscopic organisms are ubiquitous in water. Such organisms’ motility depends on hydrodynamic and physical factors related to the rheology of the surrounding media and biological factors depending on the organisms’ state and well-being. Here we demonstrate that the swimming speed of Paramecium aurelia, a unicellular protozoan, globally found in fresh, brackish, and salt waters, can be used as a measurable frugal indicator of the presence of pollutants in water. This study establishes a significant and consistent relationship between Paramecia’s swimming speed and the presence of five different organic and inorganic contaminants at varying concentrations centered around drinking water thresholds. The large size and ubiquity of the targeted microorganism, the avoidance of reagents or specialized tools for the measurement, and the simple data collection based on an object tracking algorithm enable the automatization of the assessment and real-time results using globally available technology.

Nuevas observaciones sobre la vegetación del sur del Perú. Del Desierto Pacífico al Altiplano.

RESUMEN. Nuevas observaciones sobre la vegetación del Sur del Perú. Del Desierto Pacífico al Altiplano. En este trabajo, aportamos novedades sobre la vegetación del S del Perú desde el Desierto Pacífico a las cumbres del Altiplano. Como resultado se describen 19 asociaciones distribuidas entre diferentes formaciones vegetales: arbustedas y bosques climácicos de la costa [Echinopsio chalaensis-Randietum armatae (arbustedas espinosas termotropicales semiáridas), Caesalpinio spinosae-Myrcianthetum ferreyrae (bosques termotropicales secos)], vegetación herbácea de las lomas costaneras [Nolano spathulatae-Palauetum dissectae (herbazales de suelos arenosos poco estabilizados), Hoffmannseggio mirandae-Palauetum weberbaueri (herbazales de suelos arenosos estabilizados)], vegetación de los saladares de la costa [Cresso truxillensis-Distichlietum spicatae (comunidad de suelos arenosos y salinos), Cypero laevigati-Distichlietum spicatae (vegetación de suelos húmedos salinos), Lippio nodiflorae-Paspaletum vaginati (pastizales de las costa pacífica inundados por aguas salobres), Schoenoplectetum olneyi-americani (juncales de la costa pacífica), Sporobolo virginici- Distichlietum spicatae (pastizales de la costa)], monte ribereño de la costa [Plucheetum absinthioidis (arbustedas halófilas)], comunidades de freatófitos de las quebradas [Acacio macracanthae-Tecometum guarumis (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos del departamento de Ica), Schino mollis-Tecometum arequipensis (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos del SE del departamento de Arequipa y NO del de Moquegua), Schino mollis-Tecometum tanaeciiflorae (asociación termo-mesotropical de freatófitos de las quebradas del río Colca)], comunidades de cactáceas columnares [Armatocereo riomajensis-Euphorbietum apurimacensis (vegetación de cactus y arbustos de Euphorbia, mesotropical semiárida del cañón del Colca en Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Browningietum candelaris (vegetación de cactus, termotropical árida de los valles del Cotahuasi, Colca y Siguas en Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Corryocactetum brevistyli (vegetación de cactus, mesotropical árida-semiárida de los cañones del Cotahuasi y Colca) y Weberbauerocereo torataensis-Corryocactetum brevistyli (vegetación de cactus, mesotropical árida del valle de Torata en Moquegua)], vegetación rupícola [Polyachyro sphaerocephali-Puyetum densiflorae (comunidades rupícolas supratropicales del cañón del Colca en Arequipa)], y pajonal-tolares y puyales [Baccharido tricuneatae-Puyetum raimondii (comunidades con Puya raimondii orotropicales subhúmedas), Diplostephio108A. Galán de Mera et al.tovari-Festucetum orthophyllae (pajonal-tolares orotropicales seco-subhúmedos de valles interandinos)]. Además se describen 4 alianzas y 3 órdenes [Grindelion glutinosae y Citharexylo flexuosi-Crotonetalia alnifolii (arbustedas y bosques de las lomas del S del Perú), Ludwigio octovalvis-Paspalion vaginati y Schoenoplectetalia olneyi-americani (pastizales y juncales del Desierto Pacífico), Plucheion absinthioidis (arbustedas costeras del sector Arequipeño), y Sarcocornio neei-Distichlion spicatae y Sarcocornietalia neei (vegetación de los saladares de la costa pacífica peruana y chilena)], y 1 clase fitosociológica [Carico candicantis- Caesalpinietea spinosae (bosques y arbustedas termo-mesotropicales seco-semiáridos andinas occidentales]. También se presenta un esquema sintaxonómico comentado con todas las unidades fitosociológicas reconocidas hasta el momento en el S del Perú.Palabras clave. Vegetación, sintaxonomía, sur del Perú.ABSTRACT. New observations about the vegetation of Southern Peru. From the Pacific Desert to the high Andean plateau. In this work, we present new reports about the vegetation of southern Peru, from the Pacific Desert to the highland of the Altiplano: As result, 19 new associations distributed in different plant formations are described: coastal shrublands and climax forests [Echinopsio chalaensis-Randietum armatae (semiarid thermotropical spiny schrubs), Caesalpinio spinosae-Myrcianthetum ferreyrae (dry thermotropical forests)], herb communities of the coastal hills [Nolano spathulatae-Palauetum dissectae (herbs on low stabilized sandy soils), Hoffmannseggio mirandae-Palauetum weberbaueri (herbs on stabilized sandy soils)], coastal vegetation on salt soils [Cresso truxillensis-Distichlietum spicatae (plant community on salt and sandy soils), Cypero laevigati-Distichlietum spicatae (vegetation on humid salt soils), Lippio nodiflorae- Paspaletum vaginati (grasslands of the Pacific Coast flooded by salt waters), Schoenoplectetum olneyi- americani (Rushes of the Pacific Coast), Sporobolo virginici-Distichlietum spicatae (coastal grasslands)], coastal riverside shrublands [Plucheetum absinthioidis (halophilous shrub communities)], freatic plant communities of the ravines [Acacio macracanthae-Tecometum guarumis (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of Ica department), Schino mollis-Tecometum arequipensis (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of SE Arequipa and NW Moquegua departments), Schino mollis-Tecometum tanaeciiflorae (freatic thermo-mesotropical association of the affluents of the Colca river in Arequipa)], columnar cactus plant communities [Armatocereo riomajensis-Euphorbietum apurimacensis (semiarid mesotropical cactus and Euphorbia-shrubs vegetation of the Colca canyon in Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Browningietum candelaris (arid thermotropical cactus vegetation of the Cotahuasi, Colca and Siguas valleys in Arequipa), Weberbauerocereo rahuii-Corryocactetum brevistyli (arid-semiarid mesotropical cactus vegetation of the Cotahuasi and Colca canyons in Arequipa) and Weberbauerocereo torataensis-Corryocactetum brevistyli (arid mesotropical cactus vegetation of the Torata valley in Moquegua), rock plant vegetation [Polyachyro sphaerocephali-Puyetum densiflorae (supratropical rock plant communities of the Colca canyon in Arequipa)], and grass-shrublands and Puya plant communities [Baccharido tricuneatae-Puyetum raimondii (subhumid orotropical plant communities with Puya raimondii), Diplostephio tovari-Festucetum orthophyllae (dry- subhumid orotropical grass-shrublands of the interandean valleys). Moreover, 4 alliances and three orders are described [Grindelion glutinosae and Citharexylo flexuosi-Crotonetalia alnifolii (shrublands and forests of the coastal hills of Southern Perú), Ludwigio octovalvis-Paspalion vaginati and Schoenoplectetalia olneyi- americani (grasslands and rushes of the Pacific Desert), Plucheion absinthioidis (coastal shrublands of the Arequipeño sector), and Sarcocornio neei-Distichlion spicatae and Sarcocornietalia neei (salt vegetation of the Peruvian and Chilean pacific coast)], and 1 phytosociological class [Carico candicantis-Caesalpinietea spinosae (dry-semiarid thermo-mesotropical shrublands and forests of the neotropical Pacific Desert and occidental Andean slops].Also, a commented syntaxonomical scheme with the phytosociological units for the Southern Peru vegetation is presented.Key words. Vegetation, syntaxonomy, Southern Peru.

Monitoring of ecosystems in an oil-extracting area

Complex monitoring has been carried out by five institutes of St.Petersburg Scientific Centerin on of the oil-fields, located in boggy landscape in the Western Siberia. The aim ofinvestigations is to estimate the conditions of land and water ecosystems around drilling wellsand in oil-extraction zone. Field work was performed in the surroundings of boring grounds atdifferent technological stages: 1) sand road pads construction, 2) drilling of wells, 3) wellsunder exploitation (oil extraction stage). During the field work the laboratory investigationsand chemical analyses of soil samples have been made. The state of soil and vegetation cover,soil microbial community, entomofauna, hydrobionts, ground vertebrates and birds has beenstudied. Soil microorganisms, plants, animals, hydrobionts have been used as bioindicators.Local changes of the components of environment caused by natural and technogenic factorswere found. Typical changes in ecosystems caused by impact of different technogenicdisturbances (oil spills, salt waters, technical oils, drilling muds, flooding by ground waters)were determined. The results of our investigations showed that the level of changes ofecosystems caused by technogenic impact was determined by three factors: the direction andintensity of impact, its duration and ecological resistance of ecosystem on a whole. Alongwith uniformity of technogenic impact in the different types of ecosystems, differentdeviations in their condition have been observed. In spite of rather pronounced deviations inthe condition of different components of environment the determined changes in the mostcases have the reversible character.

New genetic type of leaching zones in the salts of the verkhnekamskoe salt deposit: hydrochemical, mineralogical and structural indicators

The brine-saturated leaching zone first encountered in the salt rocks of the Verkhnekamskoe Salt Deposit is characterized in detail. It consists of a cavernous nucleus (40×70 m), composed of an aposilvinite syngenite-halite rock with gypsum and kalistroncite, and a recrystallization halo 60–80 m wide, not containing secondary sulfates. Above the leaching zone is a linear zone of weathering and decarbonization of marls above the salt layer. This zone is controlled by the anticlinal crest of the sublatitudinal strike, extending parallel to the Durinsky Trough of the sedimentary-fault nature. The penetration of supra-salt waters into a salt deposit is associated with the manifestation of deformations in the salt mass at its hinge inflection during the formation of the Durinsky deflection in the Early Permian time. The connection of the brines of the investigated leaching zone with infiltration over-salt sulfate-calcium waters was revealed and their place was determined in the general scheme of genetic typification of natural brines and waters circulating in the salt deposit of the Verkhnekamskoe Salt Deposit.

A MAPPING OF SEASONAL VARIABILITY OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SURFACE WATERS OF THE SALT LAKE

Ecological mapping allows to analyzing the ecological situation and its spacio-temporal variability. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to collect, analyze and interpret information on environmental factors affecting human health and ecosystems, as well as to create a geographically correct cartographic representation based on the obtained environmental information. Cartographic research method allows clearly understand ing the degree of contamination of surface water by chemical elements. The object of the study is a salt lake located in Ayagoz district on the border of East Kazakhstan and Almaty regions. Surface water samples were taken at three stations of the reservoir at different times of the year. With the help of cartographic modeling, conclusions were made about the change in the spatio-temporal variability of the content of strontium ions, boron, aluminum and lithium in salt waters.