The article describes the methodological approach and the results of classification of breeding bird species in Belarus by their preference for habitat type during the breeding season based on this approach. During the classification process, we took into account the preferences developed in the course of evolution, i. e. those that had been the most characteristic of the species before the domination of altered territories and the escalation of an urbanization rate, as well as before many species started living in urban environments on a large scale.

In total, we defined six ornithofaunistic complexes (forest, arboreal-shrub, water-coastal, marsh, dry open spaces and synanthropic) that include all 223 bird species that have been observed breeding in Belarus since 2000. In most cases, the ornithofaunistic complexes were further divided into clusters that reflect a prominent ecological differentiation of species, although less drastic than a difference between the complexes themselves. In controversial or debatable cases, to justify attributing a species to a certain ornithofaunistic complex, we compared and analyzed all available data on the occurrence and breeding density of the species. Most breeding bird species belong to forest and water-coastal ornithofaunistic complexes (80 and 64 species, respectively), while only 12 species belong to the ornithofaunistic complex of dry open spaces. 

This classification proves to be a convenient tool to estimate the size and nature of the changes in the ecological structure of bird assemblages that have undergone some interference or transformations in time as well as to get comparable ecological characteristics of bird populations in different territories.

Studies of watercourses of the Republican landscape reserve “Naliboksky” have revealed 134 lower defined taxa (LDTs) belonging to 3 types of invertebrates: Mollusca – 25, Annelida – 8, Arthropoda – 101 LDTs. A total of 106 taxonomic elements were identified to the species, of which 68 were new to the water bodies of the reserve. From 18 to 54 LTDs were collected in each watercourse. The average number of identified LTDs in the watercourse was 31.9 LTDs. The number of aquatic invertebrates in the studied watercourses varied from 18 to 776 specimens, the average value of this indicator was 234.6 specimens. Among the collected aquatic invertebrates, a protected species were identified – Brachytron pratense (Müller, 1764), as well as a poorly studied species in Belarus Gomphus flavipes Charpentier, 1825. Among the identified hydrobionts in the watercourses of the landscape reserve “Naliboksky”, 23 species are included in the Red Lists of a number of European countries.

Thus, the fauna of the studied animals in the watercourses of the Republican landscape reserve “Naliboksky” is relatively rich and represented by rare and protected animal species in Belarus and Europe.

In experiments on male Wistar rats, the effect of synthetic derivatives of arginine-vasopressin (tetrapeptides N-Ac-DSer-Pro-DArg-Gly-NH₂ (I) (1.0 μg/kg, i. n.), N-Ac-Trp -Pro-Arg-Gly-NH₂ (II) (1.0 μg/kg, i. n.) on the dynamics of the level of anxiety (LA) and the ability to reproduce operant reactions (OR) against the background of 24-hour deprivation of the paradoxical phase of sleep (REM sleep deprivation) in rats. Statistically, N-Ac-Trp-Pro-Arg-Gly-NH₂   significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced the LA of rats exposed to stress, increasing the proportion of individuals in the population that had spent time in the central square of the actometer chamber not less than 10 % of the total duration of actometry. The oligopeptide N-Ac-DSer-Pro-DArg-Gly-NH₂ had a statistically significant ( p < 0.05) corrective effect on the ability to reproduce the developed OR of pressing the pedal in rodents (Wistar rats of an unranked population and Wistar individuals with low LA) subjected to REM sleep deprivation. Thus, both studied compounds did not cause cognitive impairment, and N-Ac-DSer-ProDArg-Gly-NH₂ improved mnestic functions against the background of REM sleep deprivation. The results of assessing the level of general motor activity indicated the absence of side sedative effects in I (1.0 μg/kg) and II (1.0 μg/kg ‒ at a dose that causes an anxiolytic effect when administered II). The data obtained indicate the anxiolytic effect of N-Ac-Trp-Pro-Arg-GlyNH₂, the positive mnemotropic effect of N-Ac-DSer-Pro-DArg-Gly-NH₂, and a low likelihood of developing side effects in relation to the central nervous system against the background their applications.

A recently formed urban group of blackbirds in Minsk differs from forest populations of the species in several ecological characteristics. In the western part of Europe, blackbirds began moving into cities around two hundred years ago, starting from Germany. It was assumed that later birds from the urban population began moving from one city to another in the eastern, northern, and southern directions. Based on the results of the molecular genetic analysis, it is clarified whether the blackbird population in Belarus is a single population or whether there exists a differentiation between groups from urban and forest habitats. To perform a microsatellite analysis, samples were collected from urban (п = 15) and forest (п = 21) blackbirds from different regions of Belarus.

It was discovered that there is a constant exchange of genes within and between the populations from natural and urban habitats. The obtained data suggest the local origin of blackbirds in Minsk, which means that the formation of the urban birds is happening in the same way as in Germany almost two centuries ago.

In plants, stress-associated proteins (SAP) play a crucial role in responding to adverse biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we evaluated the expression profiles of 14 apple SAP genes (MdSAP) under the influence of low and high temperatures, as well as salinity, using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that the most significant changes in expression levels were observed in the genes MdSAP11, MdSAP2, and MdSAP3 under high temperature conditions, MdSAP1, MdSAP2, MdSAP4, and MdSAP6 under low temperature conditions, and MdSAP1, MdSAP8, and MdSAP11 under salt stress. Furthermore, there was a tendency for gene expression to increase at 2 and/or 4 hours of exposure followed by a decrease at 24 hours. The analysis of the correlation between the expression levels of MdSAP genes revealed both positive and negative linear relationships.

These findings will help elucidate the specific roles of individual SAP genes in shaping the apple stress response to low and high temperatures, as well as salinity.

The analysis of blood biochemistry data in high-performance sports is necessary to calculate reference ranges under the influence of physical activity. The athletes of the national team of the Republic of Belarus and the nearest reserve were studied. Reference ranges of some biochemical and hematological blood parameters for athletes have been determined. The ranges of creatine kinase activity, the upper limit of the ranges of aspartate aminotransferase activity, and the lower limit of hemoglobin and hematocrit indicators have the greatest variability. In track and field athletes in long-distance running, they are higher compared to the clinical norm. The reference ranges of alanine aminotransferase activity, glucose, urea, and triglyceride concentrations have a narrower range compared to the clinical norm.

Dose rates of ²³⁸Pu and ^239+240Pu²⁴¹ Am were determined for the plants from four phytocenoses of the Polesie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve. A significant difference in the values of the dose rates of the whole plant body is shown when calculating according to the data on the activity of radionuclides in the aboveground organs and underground organs. The highest dose rates with transuranic elements for dry meadow ecosystem plants fall on species of the Poaceae and Fabaceae families, forb birch forest – Poaceae, moss pine forest – Betulaceae, Ericaceae, black alder nettle forest – Betulaceae. For ²³⁸Pu, the internal dose per year can reach up to 5.17 mGy (Vicia cracca), ^239+240Pu – up to 4.05 (Poa pratensis), and ²⁴¹Am – up to 22.34 mGy (Betula pendula). The data obtained indicate that the dose rates of ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, and Pu²⁴¹Am separately do not exceed the Derived Consideration Reference Levels proposed by the ICRP for non-human biota.

In the city of Minsk 93 species of hymenopteran insects belonging to 11 families and 3 superfamilies were identified in the conditions of 9 habitats of invasive goldenrods (Solidago) in 2018–2021. The families Apidae, Halictidae (Apoidea: Apiformes), and Crabronidae (Apoidea: Spheciformes) were most abundant in the studied complex of insects. One dominant species (Apis mellifera), 2 numerous (Bombus terrestris, Philanthus triangulum) and 6 common species (Bombus ruderarius, Bombus terrestris, Philanthus triangulum, Polistes dominula, Cerceris arenaria, Cerceris rybyensis) were identified for the considered habitats. The annual dynamics of the goldenrod flower-visitor complexes was estimated based on the material collected at the same place for 4 years using the similarity coefficients of Jacqard and Sorensen. The formation of a cluster that indicates the similarity of goldenrod flower-visitor communities in this habitat in 2018 and 2019 (KJ = 0.368; KS = 0.538), as well as a cluster that unites goldenrod flower-visitor communities in 2020 and 2021 (KJ = 0.333; KS = 0.5) is traced. The values of the biodiversity indices for all samples are quite high: there is a tendency of increasing the level of diversity from year to year.