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Leaf litter is an important structurally fucnctional element of forest ecosystem, dynamic processes in which create a connection between phytocenosis and edaphotope. Accumulation of litter material and its decomposition rate characterize intensity of substance circulation in forest ecosystem. The present article deals with the results researching of the peculiarities of the forming and decomposition of soil litter layer in the hornbeam oak in the conditions of Holosiivskyi National Nature Park (Kyiv) were examined. Its considerable sizes on the north slope of ravine coast system (16,4 t/ha in autumn, 4,3 t/ha in the summer) were determed. Analysis of litter supply at the end of abscission showed a lack of significant differences in different sections of the terrain (12,3–16,4 t/ha). During the winter period, litter volumes are significantly reduced due to intensive mineralization processes under the snow cover. Most intensively, these processes take place in areas of the slope. Fractional composition of the litter did not generally depend on the location of the experimental area by relief elements. A dominating faction in autumn and spring was fall (65–69 % of the total mass). In the summer, a portion of dust (38-46 %) increased. The smallest number of branches was observed in autumn and winter, their scope was between 11-22 % in all research areas. The maximum amount of branches was observed at all areas in the summer. Their volume was 27-49 %. The scope of seeds and its residues was insignificant and amounted to 1-3 % during the year. The speed of mineralization of cellulose by an application method with the use of filter paper is determined. The rate of decomposition of cellulose in the conditions of the southern and northern ravine slope turned out to be similar to the maximum in March and July-August.

Although the overall incidence of trauma-induced crush syndrome (CS) is as low as 0.1 per 10,000 of population, which makes it one of the least common traumatic injuries, the hazard of CS lies in the high incidence of hemodynamic and metabolic complications, which call for an early diagnosis of this syndrome. This paper reports the specific features of cell death of neutrophils in rat blood as they changed with time using the model of endogenous toxemia formed in a setting of crush syndrome. To assess apoptosis/necrosis in neutrophils ANNEXIN V FITC assay kit (manufactured by Beckmann Coulter, USA) was used. The results obtained in this study suggest an increase in apoptotic and necrotic processes in a setting of CS from the first day of the experiment through the end of observation. Also we have found a significant impact of reactive oxygen species generation on neutrophils death in a setting of CS. However, other mechanisms to launch apoptosis/necrosis in case of experimental crush syndrome should not be neglected.