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Influence of phytophagous mammals environment-forming activity on the soil invertase fermentative activity in conditions of mining impact region
127-130Views:173Excretorial and fossorial activity of mammals is an important part of environment-forming activity. Mammals have influences on important biogeocenotic processes, especially on the soil processes. Determination the maintenance of soil invertase as one of diagnostic description the ecological state allowed defining limits of oscillation index in dump areas and in clean (control) native areas. The obtained results of the investigation indicate the soil depth, duration of experiment and type of area influence on soil invertase activity with the high statistical level of significance. Positive influence is revealed on invertase activity changing on dump areas, where an active excretorial and fossorial activity of phytophagous mammals was observed.
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Habitat suitability modeling of a Subterranean mammal in Iran: case study of the Western Mole-Vole (Ellobius lutescens)
113-120Views:445Rodentia is the largest order of mammals in Iran, distributed in almost all types of habitats. Subterranean mammals, such as the Western Mole-Vole, have an important role as ecosystem engineers by creating underground burrows and tunnels and aerating, propagating seeds, and building shelter for other small mammals and animals. They are also a keystone part of the food source for other prey vertebrates. However, many areas are considered pests, and their habitats are fragmented due to human activities, which causes a reduction in their habitats and colonization. Habitat Modeling tools help us to predict a suitable niche for conservation planning. The purpose of this study is to predict habitat suitability for Western Mole-Vole in Iran by using the MaxEnt method to determine which part of Iran is a desirable habitat for this species. The result indicated that the northwest of Iran, especially the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and the Eastern slopes of the Zagros Mountains, provides suitable habitats for the western Mole-Vole. The environmental variables that are more influenced by the distribution of this species are elevation of 1800 to 2500 meters, human activities such as roads, and rainfed farms. Approximately 7% of Iran is a suitable habitat for the Western Mole-Vole.
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Influence of mammal fossorial activity on bearing-out some chemical elements on up of soil cover
117-120Views:152Fossorial activity of mammals is conductive to trace of microelements from more deep soil horizons into zone of its active involving to biological cycle. As a result of researches have established the mostly intensive migration of micro- and macroelements that is goes at the expense of mammals fossorial activity it is typical for humid gully lime-and-ash with oak wood. A middle position in speed of entering chemical elements is belonging to artificial oak wood in the watershed and humid lime-and-ash with oak wood in floodplain. Mostly slow migration in speed of entering elements is typical for middle-dry pine wood on sandy terrace.
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Lack of polymorphism of the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) gene among four different brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas 1778) populations
81-85Views:287The brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas 1778) is a common palearctic and a popular game species therefore it has been an obvious subject for population genetic studies since the second part of the 20th century. Among the several mitochondrial DNA studies some have been carried out concerning nuclear genes as well. The agouti signaling protein gene (ASIP) is involved in regulating the synthesis of eumelanin and pheomelanin in melanocytes of mammals. Though many studies focused on it in relation with several mammalian species, minimal information is available on this topic concerning the brown hare.
Here we present a short communication concerning the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) gene in four different country’s L. europaeus populations, namely Lithuania, Hungary, Serbia and Georgia. N=45 tissue samples have been investigated from overall 17 sampling sites of the different countries. There has not been found any polymorphism among the sequences. In an alignment with other Leporid species’ partial ASIP sequences downloaded from ENA we have found that based on a 178 base pairs long DNA sequence the haplotype of our samples contains three other Lepus species as well. This is concordant with the findings of a previous study focusing predominantly on the European rabbit (Orycto lagus cuniculus Linnaeus 1758) and the several mutations of its ASIP gene.