E.A. BELONOVSKAYA1, A.B. KACHALIN1, K.O. KOROTKOV2, M.P. REMIZOV2. The database for investigation of relationships between vegetation and environment in the Caucasian high mountains.
To reveal the distribution patterns of plant communities, their complexes and diversity, in accordance with a number of abiotic factors the specialized database for the high-mountain region of the Great Caucasus was created. The database includes original information on the flora of the region (species list with species characteristics: geographical range, attribution to the groups of floristic and ecological elements, life forms, geological age, ecophysiological characteristic, etc.), releves and their syntaxonomic position, climate parameters (temperature, precipitation, snow stores etc.), and also the data on geomorphologic features and slope possesses. The database contains information on 4500 plant species, 425 releves, 400 topography spots and slope processes types obtained from spectra-zonal remote sensing procedure (space images), calculated and originally measured air temperature, precipitation total and other climatic characteristics. Database handles with about a hundred ecological terms as objects, maintaining relations between them. For example, every point on a map is described by the features set that can be opened in a form of separate table. This database is not a traditional relational one, but it is actually more like a knowledge base, or information stock, which is not strictly formalized and devoid of fixed structure. The new point property can be introduced at any moment when it is necessary. For the project realization, WEB-interface is chosen because of its high accessibility in local networks and the Internet. This approach provides solution of the problem of software and hardware heterogeneity. An export capability into CSV and dBase formats is provided to allow other programs an easy access to stored data. The current database is a stage of specialized GIS creating as a tool for the investigation of plant communities' their complexes and diversity distribution patterns in accordance with geology-geomorphological and climatic factors. RFBR № 00-04-48399, № 00-05-64443.
1Institute of Geography RAS, Staromonetny p., 29, 109017 Moscow, Russia, Fax: (095)9590033
2Severtzov's Ecology and Evolution Problems Institute RAS, Lenin av. 33, 117071 Moscow, Russia, Fax:
(095)9545534
A.A.FILIPPOV1, I.S.PLOTNIKOV1, N.V.ALADIN1, S.JUGGINS2, Z.ERMAKHANOV3. Hydrobiological database "The Zooplankton and Zoobenthos of the Aral Sea": eco-catastrophe embodied in figures.
In the Former Soviet Union the activity of various Committees and Ministries has given rise to a huge body of historical time-series data on the hydrology, hydrochemistry and hydrobiology of lakes, reservoirs and inland seas. Many of these data have never been adequately analysed but using modern database and statistical methods they provide a rich resource for addressing practical and theoretical problems of ecological change. Here we describe a computer database on the long-term changes in aquatic assemblages of the Aral Sea, and the tools we have developed for the analysis and processing of these data. The primary data for this study consist of laboratory notebooks stored in the Aralsk branch of Kazakh Fishery Institute; these data have been computer coded and entered into a relational database using MS Access and Paradox software. The database contains records for individual species' numbers and biomass in zoobenthos and zooplankton samples collected 1 to 3 times per year from 114 stations, for the period 1963-1977 (zoobenthos) and 1969-1981 (zooplankton), along with information on the sampler type, water depth, and sediment type. For some stations data on pH, surface and bottom temperature and salinity are also available. Initial analysis demonstrates that the database provides a powerful tool for the solution of practical problems concerning the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea, in particular, the restoration of pre-impacted ecosystems, and for exploration of theoretical problems of community ecology. INTAS 93-1491-Ext; YSF99-209; RAN Grant for Young Scientists' 1996. -
1Zoological Institute RAN, St.Petersburg, 199034 Russia, tel. (812)3284609, fax (812)1140444, email: aral@zin.ru;
2University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU UK, tel. +44(0)1912228799 Fax: +44(0)1912225421 email: Stephen.Juggins@ncl.ac.uk;
3Aralsk Fishery Laboratory, Lenina 2, Aralsk, Kazakhstan.
M.N.KATAEVA. Database on the mineral composition of plant species of the Polar Ural in the contrast geochemical conditions of the environment.
The objective of the project is the organization the database including the information on mineral elements content of plant species and soils on ultrabasic, limestone, acid rocks of Polar Ural. The influence of geochemical factors on mineral composition of soils and plants, intensity of elements absorption by plant species is investigated. A source of the information is experimental material. Database contains records for more than 100 species from 28 families of trace elements and macro elements content, potential mobile and exchangeable forms of chemical elements in soil samples analyzed by AAS. Use of database in MS Access permits to make the selection of data for species and families, mineral elements, to compare the mineral composition of plant species. DB is developed for storage analytical data.
Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, S.-Petersburg, 197376, Prof. Popova,2, Russia. Tel. 346-37-42, E-mail: kataev@comset.net
S.N.SERGEEV. Creating and application of database and computer distribution map of mammals and sea birds in a southern part of Medniy Island, Comandors Islands.
This work was a part of researches which are carried out by expedition MSU (chief M.E. Goltsman, grant INTAS-96-409) on study of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus semenovi Ognev 1931) on Comandors Islands. Considered problems included study of the factors determining dynamics of fox population and strategy of utilizing of the basic food sources. The several approaches were incorporated in a complex technique, namely, placing marking points on a coastal strip, which can be used as the unified system of reference points with realization of all routing accounts of animals, creation of a computer database on the basis of a photo - video archives from the fixed points of shooting, in a combination to binding to geographical coordinates (GPS; GIS MapInfo). The material on modern distribution of the basic food objects of foxes (colonies of sea birds (11 species), rookeries of furseals (Callorhinus ursinus) and Steller's sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) etc.) was going during 4 field seasons from 1997 to 2000 years. The data on distribution litters and family groups of foxes are submitted from 1994 to 2000 years. The relation between distribution food spots and spatial structure of a foxes population was analysed. These map and database can be used for wider ecological researches on Medniy Island.
Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow University, V-234, Moscow 119899, Russia; sergeevsn@mail.ru
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Last web-page update: 3rd April 2001