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Aims: The degradation and transformation of soil organic nitrogen (SON) in semi-arid steppe are regulated by a series of enzymes involved in nitrogen(N) hydrolysis, the influence of N and carbon (C) additions on the soil N reserves, activities of N-hydrolyzing enzymes, and their relationships remain unclear. Methods: In the Inner Mongolia prairie of China, a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of N (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and C (0, 250, 500 kg C ha−1 yr−1) additions on SON fractions and their relationships with N-hydrolyzing enzymes. Results: Our results indicated that N addition significantly increased active-SON and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities and decreased urease activities. C addition significantly increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), NAG, and urease activities, and decreased protease activity and hydrolyzable unknown-N. N and C additions interacted affected the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), MBC: MBN, protease, and amidase activities. Structural equation modeling suggested that N addition had a direct positive effect on hydrolyzable NH4+-N and amino acid-N. Furthermore, N addition indirectly affected amino sugar-N through MBN and the activities of NAG and protease. C addition directly affected urease activity. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that active-SON responded significantly to N addition, whereas stable-SON did not. Moreover, N-hydrolysis enzymes, especially NAG and proteases, play a fundamental role in the N turnover under N and C additions in semi-arid steppe soils. As such, our work provides useful information for the development of sustainable steppe farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ex situ and in situ conservation are the two most important methods for preserving and sustaining natural species. However, studies that combine in situ and ex situ studies are rather scarce. Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, is a rich biodiversity hotspot with 2353 plant species, 398 of which are endemic. Due to the rapidly growing population, agricultural areas, hobby gardens, and the urban areas of the city center, many plant species, especially local endemics, are at a high risk of extinction in the immediate vicinity of the Ankara city center. Therefore, we aimed to establish a plant protection area with both ex situ and in situ conservation approaches jointly in the Kazan Soda license area in the Kahramankazan county of Ankara. In total, 185 plant taxa belonging to 43 families, 29 of which are local or regional endemic, or rare, have been protected in the area. Although most of the taxa in the protected area grow there naturally, reproductive organs or whole plants of 11 taxa have been translocated from the immediate surroundings and habitat. Detailed information about the flora of the protected area and the license area is given. We also work in the protected area to raise awareness about biodiversity and nature conservation for local people and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study has been to determine the condition of Quercus robur L. and Juglans rupestris Engelm. and their influence on the properties of segregated chernozems. The study was conducted in 2020–2021 in the steppe Crimea. The control has been a perennial grass fallow. To characterize the general condition of the trees, a 4-point scale for assessing the condition of the introduced species has been used. Standard methods have been used for soil analysis. A better preservation and a greater number of 50-year old plants in excellent and good condition have been established for Q. robur (67 и 56 %, respectively) compared to J. rupestris (48 и 42 %, respectively) in these environmental conditions, which is explained by the greater adaptive capabilities of oak as an indegenous species. Both tree crops have influenced soil properties. In their phytocenoses, a litter has been formed, more significant under J. rupestris. The dark humus horizon has also turned out to be thicker under the J. rupestris plantation (80 cm) than under the Q. robur plantation and the fallow (72 and 70 cm, respectively). Under Q. robur the soil density has been lower than under J. rupestris by 0.02–0.18 g/cm3. Under the woody plants, the soil structure has improved: the number of lumpy aggregates has decreased, and the number of agronomically valuable and granular particles has increased. The maximum coefficient of structure has been in the soil under the oaks (4.4–6.6), which exceeded the control by 2.5–4.9 times. Under the woody plants, carbonates have been significantly washed out of the soil profile, especially under J. rupestris. The pHH2O value of the alkaline soil under the woody plants has decreased by 0.2–0.4 and has been closely related to carbonate content (r = 0.83–0.91). The humus content under both species has been significantly higher than under the fallow – by 0.30–0.86 %. Afforestation has resulted in the accumulation of total forms of nutrients, to a greater extent under J. rupestris, and the C:N ratio has decreased. Tree species have stored more labile forms of nutrients in the soil. Soil desalination has been noted in the tree cenoses. Thus, J. rupestris and Q. robur are ecologically stable in the conditions of the central steppe of Crimea and can be used to increase forest cover in steppe areas. This will help improve soil fertility.

Mountains play a crucial role in shaping the climate of an area and subsequently, the environments and species that are suited to those particular conditions. Understanding the relationships between environmental conditions and their influence on the occurrence of a species is necessary to make informed decisions when conserving relevant habitats. This study evaluated and compared the potential for different interactions between climatic variables to describe the environmental preferences and the range of the Ladakh urial, a narrowly distributed sub‐species of Ovis vignei, in the arid Himalayas. Species distribution models were created from spatially thinned presence‐only occurrence data of 50 locations using a Maximum Entropy (Maxent) model. For this, we subdivided the modeled distribution into environmental categories with varying degrees of suitability. We identified a high cold precipitation to annual precipitation ratio typical of cold desert climates well suited to describe the highest quality environments for urial. The inverse, low warm precipitation to annual precipitation ratio was found to better describe the urial's range at the lower end of potential habitat. In this comparison, we observed that with the exclusion of unsuitable cold steppe habitat with a higher warm precipitation to annual precipitation ratio, we were able to refine the extent of this species range but at a trade‐off to the accurate description of high‐quality environments. This study demonstrated the strong potential of cold arid climatic conditions to describe the distribution of urial in India, which have implications for identifying important areas for the conservation and management of the species in the high altitude rangelands of Ladakh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to illustrate the current state of steppe rangelands based on three plant formations: Stipa tenacissima, Lygeum spartum and Stipagrostis pengens, and to describe the different floristic processions linked to these species in Nâama region with an arid climate. The phytoecological study is based on qualitative and quantitative analyses through 150 floristic surveys carried out during the spring period of the year 2022 in Nâama region. The floristic analysis enabled the identification of 62 taxa belonging to 23 families and 53 genera. The floristic procession is very rich and diverse in the three plant formations according to the Shannon indices (between 2.85 and 3.59) and equitability (0.68 and 0.86), where Asteraceae and Poaceae dominate the herbaceous layer in the study area. The three plant formations have great ecological plasticity and occupy an important place in the steppe rangelands of Naama. They tolerate extreme environmental conditions (drought, aridity, sandy substrates) well through adaptations using various strategies for occupying these specialized environments. The floristic evaluation of the steppe rangelands is necessary, even mandatory; in order to assess the pastoral potential and to identify solutions for the restoration and rehabilitation of these degraded steppe areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated surveys of vegetation plots offer a viable tool to detect fine‐scale responses of vegetation to environmental changes. In this study, our aim was to explore how the species composition and species richness of dry grasslands changed over a period of 17 years, how these changes relate to environmental changes and how the presence of spring ephemerals, which may react to short‐term weather fluctuations rather than long‐term climatic trends, may influence the results. A total of 95 plots was surveyed in 2005 and resurveyed in 2022 in dry grasslands of the Kiskunság Sand Ridge (Hungary, Eastern Central Europe), where there has been a significant increase in mean annual temperature during the last decades, while no trends in precipitation can be identified. Db‐RDA was performed to reveal compositional changes. The changes in environmental conditions and naturalness state were assessed using ecological and naturalness indicator values. We also compared per‐plot richness of all species, native species and non‐native species of the old and the new relevés. All analyses were repeated after removing all spring ephemerals. We found clear temporal changes in species composition. Mean temperature indicator values increased, while mean soil moisture indicator values decreased during the 17 years. Also, decreasing per‐plot richness was detected both for all species and for native species, while mean naturalness increased. After the removal of spring ephemerals, the compositional changes were less obvious although still significant. The increase in the temperature indicator values remained significant even without the spring ephemerals. However, the decrease in the moisture indicator values, the decrease in the number of all species and native species, as well as the increase in naturalness indicator values disappeared when spring ephemerals were excluded from the analyses. Our study demonstrates that between‐year weather differences and long‐term environmental trends both contribute to observed vegetation changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period known as the Karasuk culture was identified following the discovery of the first artifacts around the Karasuk River from around 1200 BCE, marking the beginning of the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, after the Afanasyevo, Okunevo, and Andronovo cultures in the Southern Siberia region. Chronologically, it is divided into two phases: Classic Karasuk and finding after Kammenni Log, later it was classified as Late Karasuk. The material culture elements of the Karasuk culture period, found near the Karasuk River, Altai-Sayan region of Southern Siberia, and the territories of Kazakhstan, bear a significant resemblance to those of the Andronovo culture. Consequently, there are theories connecting them to the Andronovo culture in terms of origin. However, some opinions suggest that they emerged as a result of a mixture between the Andronovo society and groups coming from the north of China. Numerous settlements, mines, and foundry remains have been discovered in significant locations such as Kamenka and Tepsey. Products such as bronze knives and axes from the Karasuk culture period have been obtained in a vast area extending to the territory of Kazakhstan. The graves are square or rectangular in shape, surrounded by flat plates, and the top of the burial casket is covered with logs or stone slabs. The graves of individuals believed to be relatives are enclosed in circular or squareshaped enclosures, with the enclosures of graves thought to belong to related individuals being interconnected. With this study, we aim to explore the characteristic features of the material culture remnants left by the Karasuk culture in the geographically widespread area during its chronological spread. We will delve into the interactions with the communities and cultures they engaged with, as well as their exchanges and influences, to shed light on their connections with the Turks and present a perspective on the Karasuk culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bylye Gody is the property of Cherkas Global University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bylye Gody is the property of Cherkas Global University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The spatial and intraprofile variations of soil δ13C values are assessed along with the corresponding environmental and edaphic factors in the Baikal region, a vast territory in the south of Eastern Siberia, which is highly heterogeneous in terms of physiographic conditions. The studied sites are located in the altitudinal range of 403–2315 m a.s.l., which defines a strong landscape and climatic gradient comprising mountainous tundra, subalpine grasslands, mountainous taiga, subtaiga, and steppe landscapes. The soil organic matter there considerably varies in the 13C/12C isotopic ratio corresponding to δ13C values characteristic of the plants with C3 photosynthesis. The δ13C values in topsoil organic matter vary from –29.50 to –22.98‰. The changes in δ13C values in the altitudinal profile correlate well with the changes in landscapes. The highest δ13C values are characteristic of the soils in mountainous tundra and steppe landscapes. Organic matter of taiga soils is depleted in 13C. A lower carbon turnover rate is observed in the steppe and mountainous tundra soils, which is explained by limited moisture and heat supply, respectively. The soils formed in taiga landscapes with their more favorable balance of temperatures and precipitation display a more intensive carbon turnover (β). The β values in forest soils correlate with the changes in pH, C and N contents, and the variations in C/N ratio in soil organic matter, thereby suggesting a considerable effect of the plant litter quality and microbiological activity on the carbon turnover in the regional soils formed under more favorable climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the importance of conserving and restoring European grassland ecosystems in the Anthropocene era. It highlights the threats faced by these ecosystems due to urbanization, intensification, and abandonment of traditional land use practices. The editorial emphasizes the need for innovative conservation and restoration strategies to safeguard the biodiversity and cultural heritage of European grasslands. Various studies presented in the editorial underscore the importance of landscape complexity, livestock grazing, and socio-environmental factors in grassland restoration success. Additionally, the editorial explores the role of urban green spaces, green roofs, and solar parks in enhancing biodiversity and ecological networks. [Extracted from the article]

Sheep farming represents a very important activity in the Algerian steppe, unfortunately it is in a critical situation following climate changes, decreases in rangelands and the rise in the prices of livestock feed, this has created conflicting situations between breeders. The competition for access to steppe spaces and the use of natural resources are at the origin of several conflicts between the actors of the steppe. In this article, we tried to present in a brief way the nature and rate of existing conflicts between pastoralists, and compliance with current legislation which aims to protect the plant cover and soil. The approach taken to carry out this analysis is based on a field survey whose target population is the holders of the herd. The sample size exceeds 364 surveyed spread across the 12 municipalities in our study area. Our work shows that one-fifth of respondents suffer from conflectual situations, either against a legal person or natural persons, while four-fifths endure no strife. In addition, the comparison between two periods (2010 - 2014 and 2015 – 2019) shows that the average number of established and trained offence report by forest administration concerning “illicit grazing” had doubled. The solution consists in cleaning up the steppe against illegal monopolies, accompanied by awareness-raising activities for a better awareness of residents to change their bad behavior. Finally, the competent authorities are required to find alternatives to enable farmers to carry out their activities properly.

With an average annual rainfall below 150 mm, the steppe with Hammada scoparia emerges, constituting the transition between the arid steppes and the Saharan vegetation. The distribution of the vegetation is very irregular, which depends on the nature and structure of the soils. A soil study, based on observations and the sampling of 42 profiles, was carried out within a range of species located in the southern part of Naâma. The principal component analysis enables the identification of relationships between the different soil profiles and the species studied. The results obtained show that the woody steppe with H. scoparia occupies habitats characterized by a sandy-loamy to sandy and stony texture on the surface of carbonate crusts, often in the form of slabs with a variable carbonate content of 1.22 to 12.7% in certain types of soil; this element tends to be carried to a depth of 40 to 60 cm. In other types of soil, on the contrary, it remains distributed throughout the entire profile. Colonized soils are generally shallow and poor in organic matter, varying from 2 to 3.65%, with an alkaline pH ranging between 6.7 and 8.8. The measured electrical conductivity varies between 0.1 and 0.7 mS/cm. This variation largely depends on the texture of the soil, the bioclimate and the steppe vegetation. The results obtained enable the valorization of this species, which has a socio-economic and ecological role, as it practically adapts to the different types of soil of the steppe space.

Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) is a small, solitary, terrestrial felid commonly called the Manul and is the sole species of its genus. It occurs in Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, China, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan. Otocolobus manul might still occur in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan but might be extinct in Azerbaijan. As assessed in 2020, O. manul is listed as "Least Concern" (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimate of 58,000 adults, although the population might be decreasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of History / Habaršy Tarihi Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mongolian herder households maintain the health and condition of their livestock by adapting to the characteristics of the local vegetation distribution. Thus, predicting future vegetation changes is important for stable livestock grazing and sustainable rangeland use. We predicted the distributional extent of rangeland vegetation, specifically desert steppe, steppe and meadow steppe communities, for the period 2081–2100, based on vegetation data obtained from a previous study. Rangeland vegetation data collected in Mongolia (43–50° N, 87–119° E) between 2012 and 2016 (278 plots) were classified into community types. Species distribution modeling was conducted using a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model. Distribution data for desert steppe, steppe and meadow steppe communities were used as objective variables, and bioclimatic data obtained from WorldClim were used as explanatory variables. CMIP6-downscaled future climate projections provided by WorldClim were used for future prediction. The area under the curve values for the desert steppe, steppe and meadow steppe models were 0.850, 0.847 and 0.873, respectively. Suitable habitat was projected to shrink under all scenarios and for all communities with climate change. The extent of reduction in potential suitable areas was greatest for meadow steppe communities. Our results indicate that meadow steppe communities will transition to steppe communities with future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the relationship between biodiversity patterns and processes in vegetation has been at the centre of interest in vegetation ecology for several decades. By studying the biomass of loess and alkaline grasslands along a water and salinity gradient, we aimed to analyse species diversity and Grime’s competitor-stress tolerator-ruderal (CSR) functional strategy patterns. We aimed to test the following hypotheses: i) The biomass and species richness scores and the species composition are significantly different between the sampled grassland community types. ii) The sampled communities are well separated based on the CSR strategy spectrum. iii) The amount of green biomass and litter are positively correlated with competitiveness and negatively with stress tolerance. The biomass and species richness scores and the species composition of the sampled communities along the sampled gradients were significantly different; the highest species richness, evenness and Shannon diversity values were found in loess grasslands. The highest level of litter accumulation was found in alkaline meadows. The communities were well separated in the ordinations but surprisingly, calculation of coordinates for CSR strategy types have not shown clear separation of the grassland community types. All the communities were proven to be characterised by a high level of stress (located in the right corner of the CSR ternary diagram), but they markedly differed in the magnitude of competition and levels of disturbance expressed in the differences of ruderality. These results might suggest that even in highly stressed communities the community composition is strongly dependent on the differences in disturbance intensity (e.g., intensity and duration of grazing) and it is also strongly influenced by the competitive ability of constituting species.

Abstract Repeated surveys of vegetation plots offer a viable tool to detect fine‐scale responses of vegetation to environmental changes. In this study, our aim was to explore how the species composition and species richness of dry grasslands changed over a period of 17 years, how these changes relate to environmental changes and how the presence of spring ephemerals, which may react to short‐term weather fluctuations rather than long‐term climatic trends, may influence the results. A total of 95 plots was surveyed in 2005 and resurveyed in 2022 in dry grasslands of the Kiskunság Sand Ridge (Hungary, Eastern Central Europe), where there has been a significant increase in mean annual temperature during the last decades, while no trends in precipitation can be identified. Db‐RDA was performed to reveal compositional changes. The changes in environmental conditions and naturalness state were assessed using ecological and naturalness indicator values. We also compared per‐plot richness of all species, native species and non‐native species of the old and the new relevés. All analyses were repeated after removing all spring ephemerals. We found clear temporal changes in species composition. Mean temperature indicator values increased, while mean soil moisture indicator values decreased during the 17 years. Also, decreasing per‐plot richness was detected both for all species and for native species, while mean naturalness increased. After the removal of spring ephemerals, the compositional changes were less obvious although still significant. The increase in the temperature indicator values remained significant even without the spring ephemerals. However, the decrease in the moisture indicator values, the decrease in the number of all species and native species, as well as the increase in naturalness indicator values disappeared when spring ephemerals were excluded from the analyses. Our study demonstrates that between‐year weather differences and long‐term environmental trends both contribute to observed vegetation changes.

This article examines the movement patterns of snow leopards in the Altai mountains of Mongolia. Researchers used GPS collars to track the movements of three subadult snow leopards and discovered that they were capable of traveling long distances across flat areas of the steppe. The snow leopards seemed to be heading towards distant mountains that were visible from their starting points. The study suggests that while snow leopards do not establish home ranges in flat areas, they are able to traverse large stretches of steppe landscapes, indicating that these areas may offer less resistance than previously believed. The article also provides information on the ownership and availability of GPS-collar data for snow leopards, which is owned by the Snow Leopard Trust and can be accessed by qualified researchers. Researchers can request GPS locations for specific snow leopards by contacting the Snow Leopard Trust. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Bulletin of Ablai Khan KazUIRandWL: Series 'Philological sciences' is the property of Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations & World Languages and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Zooarchaeological data that may indicate the penetration of steppe landscapes into the territory of the present Tver region in the Middle Ages are presented in the article. The reasons for the penetration are analyzed using zooarchaeological, chronicle and faunistic studies. It was established that a number of forest steppe and steppe species penetrated into the territory of the present Tver region in the XIV–XV centuries. This penetration was caused, on the one hand, bу climate changes (transgression of the steppes to the north), and, on the other hand, by human activities (expansion of agricultural lands).

In Algeria, there is an increasing extension of olive grove cultivation, it is essential to identify the key factors that contribute that drive olive grove yields in drought-prone regions, such as steppe. This necessity is becoming imperative for policymakers within the agricultural sector, as it will enable them to make informed decisions regarding more effective strategies for expanding olive tree plantations across the country. This paper focuses on analysing the olive tree production systems in two provinces in the Algerian steppes: Djelfa and M'sila. These provinces represent new areas for olive cultivation and demonstrate successful agricultural programs in Algeria. The paper proceeds to address the question: what are the primary factors influencing olive grove yields? This inquiry is pursued by investigating a total of 20 olive growers, ten from each province. The findings from our research indicate that olive groves situated at higher altitudes (above 600 meters above sea level), on gently sloping terrain (ranging from 0 to 0.03), and managed through the application of technical itineraries and effective management practices by well-educated and younger farmers, tend to yield better results in terms of olive production. Furthermore, the impact of governmental subsidies and policies related to land tenure regularization also exerts a significant effect on enhancing production and yielding improved outcomes.

We analyzed changes in the composition of the community of birds of prey and corvids in a rainfed agrosystem after the transformation of 37.2 % of the sampled area into irrigated land between 2005 and 2020. We sampled 57 transects (372 km per year) and fitted generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to study changes in species occurrence. Our results showed that specific richness and the Shannon index did not vary significantly between rainfed and irrigated transects, but there was a certain positive trend when comparing the years 2005 and 2020. Regarding the differences detected for each species, the occurrence of Montagu’s harrier Circus pygargus, hen harrier Circus cyaneus, Eurasian short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus, griffon vulture Gyps fulvus and carrion crow Corvus corone was significantly lower in irrigated land than in rainfed land, while magpie Pica pica, Western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, common kestrel Falco tinnunculus and black kite Milvus migrans showed a significantly higher occurrence in the irrigated transects. In addition, our findings confirm a significant decrease in occurrence between 2005 and 2020 both in rainfed and irrigated areas for Montagu’s harrier, hen harrier and magpie, while Western marsh harrier, golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, common buzzard Buteo buteo, red kite Milvus milvus, griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, red-billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and Western jackdaw Coloeus monedula were detected significantly more frequently in 2020 than in 2005. These results suggest that assessment of the impact of a new irrigation system should focus on the most characteristic species of rainfed agrosystems because the apparently positive effect on other species, equally protected but more generalist, may mask the real effect on conservation.

The Avars were a nomadic people who dominated a large region in Europe between the 6th and 8th centuries. With their dominance in Central Europe, they controlled a large region and thus played a major role in shaping the political map of Europe. So much so that they not only played an active role in shaping the political map of Europe, but also influenced their contemporaneous states with their own weapon technology and unique army organization. Although the Avars were a nomadic society, they were able to conquer and control the regions they were in. By positioning themselves in strategically important regions, they were able to hold resources in case of war and defeat their enemies in the battle arena by manipulating them. It is inevitable that the main factor that makes states successful in wars is provided by the army. It is not possible to ignore the success of the state's army, the strategies put forward in the realization of the success of the state's army and the technologically advanced weapons used by the soldiers in wars compared to the enemy forces. In our study, we will try to get to the bottom of this issue, which is important for the Avars, and try to explain the army organization of the Avars and the war strategies they put forward in case of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Enchytraeids, or potworms, are tiny oligochaetes that are distributed worldwide in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Despite their key role in the functioning of ecosystems, the diversity and abundance of Enchytraeidae are rarely studied due to the laborious process of species identification. The present study addresses this gap and sheds some light on the distribution and abundance of enchytraeids in the lands of the Northern Palearctic. The provided dataset constitutes the latest and comprehensive field sampling of enchytraeid assemblages across the Asiatic part of the Northern Palearctic, encompassing an original set of soil samples systematically collected throughout the region from 2019 to 2022. New information The dataset includes occurrences from 131 georeferenced sites, encompassing 39 species and 7,074 records. This represents the first dataset providing species-specific information about the distribution and abundance of terrestrial enchytraeids across an extensive geographic area covering the Asian sector of the Northern Palaearctic. The compiled dataset is the key for exploring and understanding local and regional enchytraeid diversity. It may also serve as a valuable resource for monitoring and conserving the entire soil biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloxylon scoparium (syn. Hammada scoparia, in Arabic: remth) is a steppe species characteristic of the Saharan Atlas and belongs to the family Amaranthaceae. An ethnobotanical survey on H. scoparia was carried out in the local population of the Naâma region. Using 200 questionnaire forms, this ethnobotanical study made it possible to identify the different uses of the species against various health problems. The results show that H. scoparia is well known by the population for its therapeutic virtues, with a level of knowledge of 96% and a fidelity index of 42%. As many as 192 respondents reported its use against 18 conditions, including diseases of the digestive system, injuries, skin inflammation, diabetes, and scorpion stings, which occupy the first place with a rate of 43%. Leaves have an intraspecific use value of 55.6%, and decoction of the leaves followed by the powder alone or in combination is the most used preparation method. This steppe species deserves to be valued on a large scale for its socio-economic and ecological aspects but also for its therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Hot spot analysis" was applied to materials from 51 Landsat satellite images using the example of the "Burtinskaya Steppe" area of the Orenburgskii Nature Reserve, to study the dynamics of areas of positive phytomass anomalies relative to a neighborhood with a radius of 300 m. The purpose of this study was to establish the dependence of the variability of areas of increased phytomass on the landscape structure and hydrothermal conditions. The switching of phytocenoses in transition zones from steppe to meadow type of functioning is ensured by varying the ratio of xerophytes and mesophytes depending on fluctuations in the hydrothermal conditions. The frequency and area of positive phytomass anomalies in the bottoms of gullies correlates with their area on partially forested slopes, which indicates the positive role of forest vegetation in the stabilization of moisture influx into the bottoms. In deforested catchment areas of the south-facing slopes, the area of positive phytomass anomalies is determined by the supply of snow moisture, and, in the catchment areas of north-facing slopes, by warm-period precipitation. The binding factors for the most stable positive anomalies of phytomass are the moisture convergence and the landform concavity rather than the catchment area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Cultural Studies / Kültür Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Journal of Cultural Studies / Kultur Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study presents the first data on the breeding ecology of the Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor (family Glareolidae) in a grazed semi-arid steppe in southwestern Morocco. The egg-laying occurred between early May and July, with most nests found between May and June. The observed mean clutch size (1.86 ± 0.36 SD, n = 21 nests) and mean egg volume (11.59 ± 1.03 cm3, n = 39 eggs) were comparable to those recorded in the subspecies C. c. exsul in Cape Verde. Nest survival recorded over the whole incubation period was relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albardine (Lygeum spartum L.) is one of the major native grass species of the semi-arid and arid regions of the Mediterranean basin. In Algeria, it is much more widespread on the high plateaus of southern Oranais. This species occupies an important place in the steppe region because it has many ecological, economic, and fodder interests. The present work aims to study the tolerance of L. spartum seeds to water and salt stress, two abiotic factors that affect the physiology of the plant during the germinal stage. The methodology adopted consists of using increasing concentrations under a controlled temperature (15°C) for 21 days of germination. The germination responses of the seeds to different degrees of salt stress induced by NaCl (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 g/l) and water stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG;−2, -4, -6, -8, −10 bar), showed that the salt and water stresses retarded the germination rate of L. spartum L. seeds and also decreased their percentage during the time of the experiment. However, seeds soaked in distilled water (control) recorded a maximum germination rate of 80%. The results of this study show that L. spartum seeds are moderately salt and drought tolerant with a depressive effect on germination rate at a salt concentration of 10g/l and an osmotic pressure of −10 bar.

AbstractArthropods play an essential role in steppe ecosystems. However, studies testing the overall response of terrestrial arthropods to overgrazing are scarce. The problem is particularly worrisome in Central Asia, while, to date, only a very few broader studies have been conducted in this region. We investigated how epigeic terrestrial arthropod assemblages respond to different livestock grazing pressure in two ecozones in SE Mongolia by examining their structure using pitfall traps. We also assessed which groups can be utilised as the most efficient indicators of grazing intensity. Our analyses demonstrated that the habitat type, grazing intensity, and the interaction of these variables had a significant effect on the overall species composition and abundance. However, the grazing intensity caused different changes in the composition of arthropod communities in both studied ecozones. Contrary to the semi-desert, in the steppe habitat, the grazing had the strongest impact in the moderately grazed site. It is most likely because steppe-dwelling species are more sensitive to loss of plant biomass and changes in habitat structure. We also found that the most representative species within and from different groups can react differently to changing grazing intensities, indicating with their presence the characteristics of the respective habitat. Such differences should also be considered when elaborating the management plan of conserved species but also when applying grazing management in different habitat types. Our survey is one of the most comprehensive in Central Asia and should help implement further, more targeted studies in the corresponding habitats.

Introduction. Relevance and dating: one of the widely known stereotypes of the interaction between the Forest and the Steppe, considered as economic and social structures, is their innate rivalry and struggle.Materials and methods. An analysis of the data available to historical science suggests that following the stereotypes described above, when considering specific events and consequences of the interaction between the Vyatichi ethno-potestar association and its nomadic neighbors (near and distant) in the 9th-11th centuries, leads to obviously erroneous conclusions.Results. Source base: the sources here are, first of all, the results of archaeological research, which indicate numerous and clear signs of cultural, economic, administrative-military interaction. Applied methods: comparative-historical, diachronic-analytical using an interdisciplinary approach. In medieval Slavic history, one can find examples of different types of interaction between Slavic societies and their steppe neighbors: permanent struggle, principled war, neutral coexistence, as well as cooperation and interaction. One of the specific examples of this kind of interaction is the history of the emergence and development of the Upper Oka Vyatichi ethno-political association, which refutes most of the stereotypes stated above.Conclusion. The period considered in this report indicates, rather, the likely symbiotic reciprocity of the interaction of the Vyatichi community with representatives of the nomadic culture, which over time was destroyed by the military and political activity of the Kievan Rurikovich. The first centuries of the existence of this community demonstrate the enviable productivity and effectiveness of the interaction of the Vyatichi with their nomadic neighbors in various aspects of interaction, ranging from economic, political and cultural enrichment to possible cooperation in the field of animal husbandry.

Questions: European steppes are among the most threatened ecosystems in the Palaearctic region, mainly because of conversion to arable land. Abandonment may allow for the passive recovery of steppes. We made use of an exceptional old‐field succession chronosequence of nearly 100 years to answer the following questions: (a) Are the plant species composition, species richness and functional characteristics typical of virgin grass steppes able to self‐restore during ca. 100 years after abandonment? (b) Do the rates of recovery of the above vegetation characteristics differ over the studied chronosequence? (c) Do topsoil carbon and nitrogen content change over the succession chronosequence, leading to concentrations similar to that of virgin steppes? Location: Southern Ukraine. Methods: We sampled vegetation and soil in a virgin grass steppe and in old fields abandoned for 6, 15, 31, 50 and ca. 97 years. We subjected the composition data to multivariate analysis. To test whether species richness, functional and soil characteristics of the old fields diverge from those of the virgin steppe, we used one‐way analysis of variance with Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) statistic to create 90% confidence intervals. Results: The vegetation composition of the three most recently abandoned old fields differed significantly from that of the virgin steppe. The species richness of vascular plants was lower in old fields than in the virgin steppe. The share of steppe habitat specialists was similar to the virgin steppe only in the field abandoned for ca. 97 years. Functional characteristics were significantly different from the virgin steppe only in the most recently abandoned old field. Contents of Corg and Ntot in fields abandoned for ≤50 years were lower compared with the virgin steppe. Conclusions: The functional characteristics of steppe vegetation seem to recover much faster than its biodiversity. However, based on our results, 100 years can be enough time for the spontaneous re‐establishment of typical steppe vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and altered precipitation regimes could change soil element availability and uptake by grassland plants. Identifying taxonomic or plant functional group-specific responses may provide a new perspective to explore the effects of N and water addition on community composition. Methods: Nitrogen addition and irrigation experiment was conducted using a split-plot design. We added 10 g N m− 2 yr− 1 twice per year and/or 15 mm of water once per week and cumulatively 180 mm during the growing season. We determined foliar concentrations of seven mineral nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe) and one beneficial element (Na) in grassland plants. Results: Nitrogen addition as urea significantly decreased soil exchangeable Ca and Mg concentrations, but increased soil available Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations, because of acidification. Under N addition, foliar Mn, Na concentrations increased, but foliar Fe concentrations decreased. Dicotyledons and sedges showed a stronger increase of foliar Mn and corresponding decrease of Fe concentrations than monocotyledons (without sedges) under N addition. Furthermore, Ca and K concentrations in monocotyledons and sedges increased, while that in dicotyledons remained unchanged under N addition. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the variations in foliar and soil element concentrations are mainly attributable to N-induced acidification. Meanwhile, irrigation increased the concentrations of base cations, weakening the impacts of N by alleviating soil acidification. The response of the nutrient concentrations in leaves to N addition varied among plant families and functional groups possibly contributing to changes in changes in plant community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In time to the climate changes occurring in the recent decades, studies on the assessment of the influence of climatic factors on the changing natural ecosystems are becoming particularly relevant. This study assesses the relationship between vegetation response to climate aridization and the effect of these changes on soil properties, which is crucial for understanding the sustainability of steppe among the trend toward further global warming. Methods: Plant and soil samples were taken in the true, desert and desertificated steppes along a climatic gradient. In the obtained samples, the contents of trace and major were determined. Soil properties that can affect vegetation cover were identified (grain size, pH, carbonates (CO2carb) and soil organic carbon (SOC)). Using the Monte Carlo model, the possible contribution of the studied plant family to the contents of major and trace elements in the soil of steppe landscapes was calculated. Results: The study revealed that during aridization in the steppe zone, there is a change in plant association, which lead to the increases in the biomass and bio-productivity of steppe, and chemical elements associated with salts accumulate in soils (Ca, Mg, Na, S, Sr). The accumulation of Ca, K, Na, S, Cl by arid species leads to further degradation of the soil cover (salinization, forming of cambic horizon) and a decrease in its sustainability. Conclusions: During climate aridification, goosefoot and wormwood would replace grass, which accelerate soil salinization and alkalinization, thus lead to decreasing sustainability of steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Geography textbook for the 8th grade has been drawn up based on the program of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, in different years, with the aim that the students acquire geographical knowledge, reinforces this knowledge in everyday life situations, integrating the cause-effect relationships of natural and human phenomena and processes with geographical research methods. According to the content of the curriculum, regional geography and other eco-continents will be taught in the eighth grade, as well as the submission of questions is covered at the end of each topic in the text. This text deals with interesting issues for several continents, countries, and we will analyse the approaches of the authors, the clearest elaboration for the student on the topics and the questions posed to the students with the goal; remembering, understanding, and applying. A special care and attention has been shown to preserve the right ratios between informative and non-formative material, theoretical and factual, historical and contemporary, respecting the scientific and didactic criteria. We will base the research on Bloom's taxonomy, beginning with knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, with the aim of better reflecting the state, analyse the revised taxonomy and we will also present the students' recollection, understanding and application in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland ecosystems undergo dramatic habitat loss and fragmentation worldwide due to agricultural expansion and intensification. Among different taxonomic groups, grassland arthropods are particularly sensitive to this process and, therefore, are exposed to considerable risk.Although many studies focus on land use impacts on arthropod diversity, these mostly consider taxonomic diversity and neglect trait‐mediated functional responses. However, studying functional diversity often provides more accurate insights into ecosystem processes.Here, we assessed the effect of fragment size and connectivity on the functional composition (community‐weighted mean trait values) and diversity (Rao's quadratic entropy) of two diverse and abundant arthropod groups: spiders and true bugs. We assigned functional traits for more than 300 species collected from 30 sandy steppe (forest‐steppes) and 30 loess steppe fragments (kurgans) in the southern part of the Hungarian Great Plain.Functional responses to fragmentation were observed for spiders in forest‐steppes and for true bugs in kurgans. We found higher functional diversity in better‐connected fragments for spiders and in small fragments for both groups. We collected small, humidity‐preferring and web‐building spiders in small fragments, and there were more ballooning spiders with moist habitat preferences in well‐connected fragments. Furthermore, increasing grassland connectivity resulted in a significantly higher proportion of polyphagous and humidity‐preferring individuals in the true bug communities.Our results highlight the importance of small grassland fragments in maintaining high arthropod functional diversity. Even small fragments in a well‐connected grassland network can promote ecosystem functioning and associated services within human‐dominated landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aims: In the process of urbanization, fragmentation of environments leads to the loss of habitats and native species diversity. Rescue of plants for ex situ conservation can be an early intervention measure after disturbance. We analyzed the effect of soil removal on the population of the bulbous geophyte Zephyranthes gilliesiana (Herb.) Nic. García (Amaryllidaceae) and assessed the success of rescuing specimens for ex situ conservation. M&M: In a recently urbanized sector immersed in the steppe east of Bariloche city (Río Negro, Argentina), the frequency, cover, and density of Z. gillesiana plants were calculated and estimated in degraded and undisturbed reference areas. Sixty Z. gilliesiana plants were rescued, the depth localization of the bulb was recorded, and the relationship between bulb weight and early survival (60 days after transplanting) was evaluated. Results: Species richness and vegetation cover were lower in the degraded area than in the reference area. The frequency, cover and density of Z. gilliesiana were higher in the degraded area. Survival was 47% in plants with heavier bulbs (25% developed reproductive structures). Conclusions: We consider that the rescue of Z. gilliesiana was successful and its documentation together with the study of agamic and sexual propagation would contribute to generate conservation plans for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was made of the features of the soil cover of solonetz complexes in different parts of the pasture of an average sheep farm in the dry steppe zone in the Manych river basin in the conditions of dissected relief. It has been established that several types of soil cover can be distinguished on the territory of the pasture that differ in the degree of transformation of the profile of different components of the solonetz complex under the influence of intensive grazing. It is shown that the heterogeneity of the soil cover is due to the uneven impact of grazing, which, in turn, is determined both by the degree of remoteness from the farm and by the characteristics of the vegetation cover in different parts of the pasture. The areas with a well-pronounced complexity of the soil cover and a high proportion of solonetzes, dominated by grass-wormwood associations, are subject to the greatest pasture load. A tendency to a reduction in the thickness of the AJ and SEL horizons of light chestnut soils and solonetzes was noted as the pasture load increased. In the soil cover of feather grass areas of pastures, the share of solonetzes is much lower, which can be associated with a short-term pasture load on these soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mevzu is the property of Ali Sever and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Grassland ecosystems cover up to 40% of the global land area and provide many ecosystem services directly supporting the livelihoods of over 1 billion people. Monitoring long-term changes in grasslands is crucial for food security, biodiversity conservation, achieving Land Degradation Neutrality goals, and modeling the global carbon budget. Although long-term grassland monitoring using remote sensing is extensive, it is typically based on a single vegetation index and does not account for temporal and spatial autocorrelation, which means that some trends are falsely identified while others are missed. Our goal was to analyze trends in grasslands in Eurasia, the largest continuous grassland ecosystems on Earth. To do so, we calculated Cumulative Endmember Fractions (annual sums of monthly ground cover fractions) derived from MODIS 2002-2020 time series, and applied a new statistical approach PARTS that explicitly accounts for temporal and spatial autocorrelation in trends. We examined trends in green vegetation, non-photosynthetic vegetation, and soil ground cover fractions considering their independent change trajectories and relations among fractions over time. We derived temporally uncorrelated pixel-based trend maps and statistically tested whether observed trends could be explained by elevation, land cover, SPEI3, climate, country, and their combinations, all while accounting for spatial autocorrelation. We found no statistical evidence for a decrease in vegetation cover in grasslands in Eurasia. Instead, there was a significant map-level increase in non-photosynthetic vegetation across the region and local increases in green vegetation with a concomitant decrease in soil fraction. Independent environmental variables affected trends significantly, but effects varied by region. Overall, our analyses show in a statistically robust manner that Eurasian grasslands have changed considerably over the past two decades. Our approach enhances remote sensing-based monitoring of trends in grasslands so that underlying processes can be discerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trends for increased vegetation greenness based on satellite-derived data have been repeatedly published for the temperate grassland biome (including forest steppes) of eastern Inner Asia since 1982. Although this greening trend has been attenuated or partially reversed by drought in the early twenty-first century, linear increases in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or other parameters of vegetation greenness are nevertheless evident when the period since 1982 is regarded. However, the question arises whether these trends are part of a long-term trend driven by climate change, as simultaneously forests in the region show widespread drought-induced growth reductions and mortality outbreaks. Therefore, we hypothesized that the post-1982 greening trend was neither part of a long-term trend nor unprecedented. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed monthly maximum NDVI data from AVHRR time series and correlated these data with standardized tree-ring data of Larix sibirica from two regions of western Mongolia. We used linear regression to model the NDVI from tree-ring anomalies and to reconstruct the NDVI since 1940. These reconstructions show that the availability of satellite-based NDVI data coincidentally began during a dry period of low vegetation greenness in the early 1980s and was followed by a wet phase in the 1990s, producing the linear greening trend. No positive long-term trend in the reconstructed NDVI was observed from 1940 to 2010. This result rules out a recent climate change-driven greening trend for the grasslands and forest steppes of western Mongolia and calls into question its existence for all of eastern Inner Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) deposition decreases the temporal stability of ecosystem aboveground biomass production (ecosystem stability). However, little is known about how the responses of ecosystem stability differ based on seasonal N enrichment. By adding N in autumn, winter, or growing season, from October 2014 to May 2020, in a temperate grassland in northern China, we found that only N addition in autumn resulted in a significantly positive correlation between ecosystem mean aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and its standard deviation and significantly reduced ecosystem stability. Autumn N-induced reduction in ecosystem stability was associated with the vanished negative effect of community-wide species asynchrony (asynchronous dynamics among populations to environmental perturbations) on the standard deviation of ecosystem ANPP in combination with the emerged positive effect of dominance (Simpson's dominance index that indicates the relative weight of dominant species in a community). Our findings indicate that autumn N addition might overestimate the negative effect of annual atmospheric N deposition on ecosystem stability, suggesting that to better evaluate the influence of N deposition in temperate grasslands, both field experiments and global modeling should consider not only the annual N load but also its seasonal dynamics. Moreover, further studies should pay more attention to the alteration in the ecosystem temporal deviations, which might be more sensitive to human-induced environmental changes.