Russian State Agricultural University

About: Russian State Agricultural University is a education organization based out in Moscow, Russia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Materials science. The organization has 80 authors who have published 61 publications receiving 446 citations.

Monitoring and Assessing Anthropogenic Influence on Soil’s Health in Urban Forests: The Case from Moscow City

Abstract: Urbanization dominates current land-use change with important environmental consequences worldwide. Urban green zones including parks and urban forests provide key functions and services for city dwellers. Most of the urban forests’ functions, including biodiversity maintenance, supporting carbon and nitrogen cycles and climate mitigation are supported by soil. Therefore, urban forests’ soil health and its vulnerability to anthropogenic influence need thorough investigation. In the chapter the anthropogenic influence on soil health was studied for the unique forest experimental station located in Moscow and exposed to urbanization for more than a century. Changes in soil physical (bulk density), chemical (nutrients’ and heavy metals’ concentrations and mobility), and biological features (amount of ammonifiers and soil nitrogen-fixing activity) resulted from continuous urbanization and anthropogenic load were studied. Urbanization effect on soil health and functions was examined through comparison of the recent soil features to the historical data obtained at the same experimental sites prior urbanization, whereas anthropogenic influence gradient was studied based on the proximity to the roads and residential blocks. Substantial anthropogenic influence on soil features, their time dynamics, spatial variability, and profile distribution was found. Urban forest soils’ contamination with heavy metals was more than ten times higher compared to the non-urbanized counterparts. Concentration of heavy metals increased and nutrients’ concentration decreased from the forest core to the boundary zones. Over-compaction of forest topsoil was observed in proximity to the pathway network. Negative changes in soil chemical and physical features resulted in substantial decline in soil health and depletion of important soil functions, like support of a nitrogen cycle. The observed negative trend in forest soil health, resulted from urbanization and anthropogenic pressure, highlights importance to develop strategies of sustainable urban development, integrating green zones into urban areas.

Isolation of the lipid-transporting protein Ns-LTP1 from seeds of the garden fennel flower (Nigella sativa)

Abstract: A novel lipid-transporting protein (Ns-LTP1) has been isolated from seeds of the garden fennel flower Nigella sativa. The molecular mass, N-terminal amino acid sequence, and amino acid composition of the protein have been determined. Ns-LTP1 has a molecular mass of 9602 Da and contains eight cysteine residues which form four disulfide bridges. The protein is capable of suppressing the development of some phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes.

Hydraulic Resistance of Corrugated Metal Culvert Pipes with Elevated Abrasive Resistance

Abstract: The paper puts forwards some results of studies on hydraulic resistance in a corrugated metal pipe with helical corrugation and smooth invert trough. Recommendations are given for calculating the roughness coefficient for pressure or free-surface water flows. Results of hydraulic studies suggest that pipe filling and slope impacts hydraulic resistance in free-surface flows.

Urban Soil Respiration and Its Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Components Compared to Adjacent Forest and Cropland Within the Moscow Megapolis

Abstract: Urbanization is a key land-use change pathway, increasing urban population and resulting in abandonment of rural areas. Urbanization alters profoundly soil properties and functions, including soil respiration [90]. Soil respiration includes heterotrophic (microbial) and autotrophic (root) components. Both are driven by biotic and abiotic factors. Soil respiration and its components in urban ecosystems remain poorly known. In the present study, the spatial and temporal variability of total soil respiration (Rs) and its components were analyzed for different ecosystems included in the Moscow megalopolis area. In particular, highly impacted areas of urban green lawns were compared to arable lands and urban forest sites. Respiration fluxes were monitored during the whole vegetation period. An average Rs was significantly higher for the most disturbed sites, compared to more natural sites. For all the sites, Rh was the dominant component of soil respiration. We report the highest heterotrophic respiration ratio to microbial C (qCO2 = Rh/Cmic) for the lawn land use, followed by arable sites and forest sites, characterized by the lowest qCO2. An average Ra contributed to total Rs only to a minor extent (26%) and increased in all study sites along the season. Ra absolute values and contribution to Rs were similar for different land use types.

A model for determination of residual stresses in plasma coatings

Abstract: The main reasons for the formation of residual (internal tensile) stresses in thermal spraying methods are the large differences in the temperatures of particles of deposited material on the surface of the substrate, the specific volumes of these particles at the moment of contact with the substrate and in the cooled condition, and also the non-uniformity of the distribution of temperature over the cross-section of the coating. The theory of hereditary elasticity is used to develop a mathematical model of theoretical justification of the process of formation and redistribution of the residual stresses which takes into account the relationship between the stresses and strains in the contact – substrate zone in heating and also the changes of their strength properties. Analytical dependences of controlling the technological parameters, such as the time and heating temperature, are proposed.