Ice Age megafauna have long been known to be associated with global cooling during the Pleistocene, and their adaptations to cold environments, such as large body size, long hair, and snow-sweeping structures, are best exemplified by the woolly mammoths and woolly rhinos. These traits were assumed to have evolved as a response to the ice sheet expansion. We report a new Pliocene mammal assembla...

Burrow-dwelling rodents are often considered ecosystem engineer species in arid environments. They create distinct habitat patches by building burrows: they move large amounts of soil, mix soil layers and change properties locally. Our aim was to explore the role Steppe Marmot as an shaping plant composition diversity steppes. First, we made a literature search gather information on engineering...

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is an invasive annual grass that increases wildfire frequency, degrades native ecosystems, and threatens agriculture across vast areas of the Western United States. This research examines how cheatgrass invasion may alter physical and biological properties of soils. Proliferation of very fine roots and high production of low-quality litter by cheatgrass increases...

Two new species of genus Alona Baird, 1843 were found in regions along the south-east border of Asian Russia. Alona irinae sp. nov. was found in a lake in the plain of the Zeya River, a north tributary of the Amur River, and in a lake in the steppe region along the West coast of Baikal. Alona floessneri sp. nov. inhabits saline lake Uvs-Nuur on the border of Russia and West Mongolia, and severa...

In this contribution is presented a phytosociological description of plant communities, recorded in the phytogeographical district of Eastern Mongolia, including parts of the Dornod (Eastern) and the Choybalsan aymags. The whole district is characterized by steppe vegetation. Other vegetation types, like elm (Ulmus pumila) bush vegetation, shrubbery on sandy and rocky sites, Salix miyabeana bus...

Types of burial structures are one the most reliable ethno-differentiating criterion. They commonly due to local natural and economic factors that were accepted by newcomer population along with main characteristics their own ritual.
 As for shape, graves Scythian warriors arbitrarily divided into 11 types options, which in general make up three groups: simple pits more intricate variable ...

The assessment of cattle black-and-white, red steppe, Simmental breeds, differentiated by live weight, was carried out. Three groups were formed: selection, production, and marriage. selection parameters are calculated using the standard deviation. animals breeding weight in full-aged cows black-and-white breed 527–472 kg, steppe-595–514, from Novosibirsk region – 555–447, Republic Khakassia 61...

Lead (Pb) is one of the most hazardous heavy-metal pollutants in environment. However, resistance different soils and ecosystems to Pb pollution varies greatly. In present study, comparative assessment contamination forest, forest-steppe, steppe, mountain-meadow Central Ciscaucasia Caucasus regions was conducted. There were 10 types subtypes objects from which selected for this study. The labor...