Aim. To undertake an analysis of the actual status of small innovative enterprises (SIE) in the field of environmental protection created by universities within the framework of programs to develop innovation activity infrastructure and to identify their key operational challenges and the main directions to improve their efficiency.

Materials and Methods. In the course of the research, data on registered SIE were used which were contained in the database of notifications of their establishment (website: https://mip.extech.ru), as well as survey data obtained during the monitoring of the activities of SIE created by state institutions of education and science for the practical application of results of intellectual activity. Methods of analysis and synthesis as well as systematic, statistical and research survey methods were used.

Results. A study was made of the information provided by institutions of higher education through surveys of conditions of SIE activities in the field of environmental protection. The main indicators of the SIEs in the field of environmental protection active in 2017 were identified and analyzed - revenue, profit, type of activity and number of recorded results of innovation activity. In the process of analyzing the survey data a number of problems were revealed which hamper effective SIE operations, the solution of which would involve changes in current legislation. The study of proposals of institutions of higher education to improve SIE activities has made it possible to identify key areas for the development of innovative entrepreneurship.

Aim. To study the methodological foundations and main provisions of a new vector of economic development, the "ecological economy", as being the most important aspect of the Global Commons ideology.

Material and Methods. The study was conducted using a range of theoretical research methods, including analysis, deduction and forecasting.

Discussion. The basis of the Global Commons ideology is considered to be the "green economy", a new technological modality, the purpose of which is the careful and rational utilisation of available resources employing high technologies for the maximum satisfaction of people's needs. Proponents of the Global Commons ideology advocate the ecology or the environment as the dominant factors in sustainable socio-economic development. At the same time, the environmental policy of the developed world also represents a new form of neocolonialism directed at the takeover of strategic natural resources of underdeveloped countries, while restricting their rights to technological and social development. It may even be aimed at the military or economic capture of national natural and biological resources. All this challenges individual state sovereignty and may lead to a fundamentally new type of conflict in the future.

Conclusions. The formation of the "ecological economy" is a new vector of sustainable socio-economic development in the Global Commons ideology, requiring our governmental authorities to take the necessary organizational, military, managerial and regulatory measures to realize the nation's competitive advantages, to conserve its natural potential, to block non-residents from capturing national wealth and to organise an effective system of environmental security.

Aim. To assess the quality of offspring obtained by the method of outbreeding combination (F1), Ukrainian scaly carp with the Romanian Fresinet breeding group for the biological intensification of the ecological parameters of fishponds.

Material and Methods. Serving as materials for this work were new brood-stock of cultured breeds of carp. As an improver of the indicators carp of the Romanian Fresinet breeding group obtained in crossbreeding with Ukrainian breeds of carp of heterosis combinations (F1) were used. The studies were conducted during 2014-2017 in the ponds of the Sarsky experimental farm in the May district of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic (V Ecological-Phenological Fish Breeding Zone).

Results. The study of the growth of hybrid fry of F x Ukr. scaly, Ukr. scaly x F was undertaken during 2014-2017. The resulting data shows that F x Ukr. scaly, Ukr. scaly x F hybrids are significant competitors for purebred carp. When comparing the data obtained with the results of the joint rearing of test and control carp, it is clear that the economic effect of joint rearing is very significant in terms of economy of space and artificial feed.

Conclusion. Heterosis in growth and viability manifested through the crossing of carp of groups of different breeds permits us to recommend the widespread use of industrial crossbreeding of F x Ukr. scaly (inbreeding) in carp farming and particularly in regions with a high temperature range, i.e. in the North Caucasus.

Aim. Evaluation of species diversity and ecological and phytocenotic organization of psammophytic communities of the grass-shrub layer of the Tsimlyanskiy sandy massif, Rostovskaya Oblast and Volgogradskaya Oblast, Russian Federation

Material and Methods. Generally accepted methods in environmental-geobotanical surveys were used. Species composition and yield of phytocenoses, dominant species and relative percentages of species in the phytomass were determined and vegetation groups were identified with respect to soil moisture and to nutrition.

Results. 69 species from 17 families were identified. The largest number of species is from the Asteraceae (18), Poaceae (15) and Fabaceae (12) families. In terms of classification in relation to moisture, the largest numbers of species were xeromesophytes (30) and xerophytes (23). Species saturation was assessed as 3-6 species per 1 m². The vegetation of the massif is azonal with a tendency in the direction of decreasing xerophyticity and the intrusion of meadow-bog and forest communities. As regards classification according to nutrition, of the total number of species, the largest number was of meso-trophs (41). In the communities of sandy steppe II terraces grains dominate (66.5%) with the proportion of grasses being 33%. Here 16 species were identified with a high proportion of the herbs Agropyron pectinatum (Bieb.) Beauv., Elytrigia elongata (Host) Nevski, Festuca valesiaca Gaudin, F. beckeri (Hack.) Trautv., Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis and Stipa capillata L., S. pennata L. Conclusions. The Tsimlyanskiy sand massif is characterised by regionally bo-tanico-geographic specific vegetation. In the flora, there are typical hemip-sammophilous and psammophilous species with a dominance of cereals -characteristic of the regional soil and climatic conditions. The species composition of communities varies depending on the landscape-ecological conditions.

Aim. This article is devoted to the study of the molecular structure of the LTR-region of the BLV genome (bovine leukemia virus) circulating in herds of the black-and-white Holstein breed in the Novosibirsk Region.

Material and Methods. Blood samples (n=288) of black-and-white Holstein cattle were taken in 2016 in the Novosibirsk Region. Screening for the pres-ence/absence of BLV was carried out by PCR analysis. Hematological studies were carried out using a hematological analyzer RSE-90 Vet.

Results. BstMAI restrictase forms the same sections for all the studied samples, visualized as fragments of 237 and 206 bp in length, respectively. The hydrolysis of restrictase BspI showed the formation of fragments of 262 and 161 bp in 100% of the samples, which indicates the monomorphism of the site for nucleotide A (adenine). Hydrolysis by endonuclease Bse1 formed fragments 370 and 73 bp long, which correspond to haplotype I, as well as 378 and 65 bp, which correspond to haplotype III. The correspondence between the virus haplotype and the number of bovine leukocytes was considered but no significant differences in the leukocyte formulas of haplotype I and III carriers were found. Various hypotheses of evolutionary models of the relationship between BLV and cattle, where the determining factor might be polymorphism of the LTR virus region, are considered.

Conclusion. Our own research and data in the literature indicates the invalidity of the hypothesis of the influence of mutations of the LRT-region on the degree of recognition of BLV by the immune system of cattle.

Aim. Assessment of the extent of the distribution and danger of activation of landslide processes in the Republic of Dagestan.

Material and Methods. The principal materials used were data of the government monitoring of subsoil conducted by Hydrospetzgeologiya and its southern regional and territorial centres (Dagestangeomonitoring) over the past fifteen years and published in the open press, as well as other literature sources. Maps were compiled using ArcGIS software.

Results. An assessment was made of the extent of the distribution and danger of occurrence of landslide processes (for the period 2004-2018) in urban and rural settlements, on linear infrastructure (highways, oil, gas and water pipelines, power lines) and in reservoirs of large hydroelectric power stations of the republic. There was a high level of landslide activity recorded in 2004, 2005 and 2014, the lowest in 2007 and 2012. The largest number of landslide occurrences was recorded in the areas of Makhachkala city (12.7%) and Tlyaro-tinskiy (9.6%), Dokuzparinskiy (8.1%), Buynakskiy (6.1%), Tsuntinskiy (5.4%) and Tsumadinskiy (5.0%) districts. Landslides were most often activated in the summer period (41.6%). 31.5% of landslides occurred in spring, 22.6% in autumn and 4.3% in winter.

Conclusion. Analysis of landslide activity in the territory of Dagestan showed that the presence of favorable physico-geographical conditions for the development of landslide processes and active economic activity contribute to the wide distribution of landslides in the mountainous part of the republic.

Aim. The main objective of the research was to study the processes of regeneration and dynamic development of the modern vegetation cover of pastures previously differently phytomeliorated. Successions of the natural dynamics of vegetation of regenerated pastures of the north-west Caspian region (in the period 2014-2018) were considered.

Material and Methods. A study of the vegetation cover was carried out during geobotanical surveys using the test site method. Description of vegetation was carried out according to the Brown-Blanca technique.

Results. Analysis of the succession dynamics showed that after phyto-forest reclamation and relief stabilisation, deflation foci begin to overgrow from the very first year. Regeneration of the steppe vegetation in forest-reclaimed deflated pastures -if fires do not occur - proceeds quickly and naturally. The creation of forest pastures in the stabilization of open sands shortens the time required to halt sand transfer, accelerates the first stages of overgrowth by psammophytic plants and zonal pasture vegetation appears earlier than with phytomelioration with only grasses and the natural overgrowth of degraded arid pasture ecosystems following the reduction or absence of anthropogenic load.

Conclusions. The modern species composition and structure of plant communities in the areas studied suggest that consecutive successions are occurring and that communities have formed that are close in species composition to the zonal - confined to brown desert-steppe solonetzic sandy and loamy soils dominated by cereals and wormwood. Projective coverage is up to 80%.

Aim. To reveal the basic patterns and principles of formation on the surface of crusty solonchak of an aeolian-accumulative horizon and its positive transformation at the taxonomic level.

Material and Methods. On the surface of crusty solonchak there is formed a layer of silt-sand fractions with seeds of wild phytocenoses which move/перемещаюихся over the surface of the soil under the influence of atmospheric processes with the utilization of woody material protruding above the soil surface to 0.2 m. Analyses, surveys and observations were carried out of the key parts (for investigation - under the aeolian layer) of the crusty solonchak transformed through the dynamics of humidity, lowering of soil moisture (SC), granulometric composition, chemistry and level of soil salinity, as well as determination of the species composition of the phytocenoses and the accumulation of phytomass by plants.

Results. The possibility was revealed of a positive transformation within eight years of a layer of silt-sand fractions with seeds of wild phytocenoses in the W_ael humus horizon with a capacity of 5 cm ± 0.8 cm and containing 1.26% of humus. The type of salinization remains sulphate-chloride but the level of salinization decreases from very strong in the 0-5 layer to weak one in the 6-15 cm layer - on average. The profile of the crusty solonchak Ск^к [AJ_k - AJ,s - BCA,s - Cca,s] is changed to that of regraded solonchak Ck^w [W_ael - AJ,s - BCA,s - Cca,s]. The granulometric composition of the soil is improved and a productive phytocenosis is formed.

Conclusion. The positive transformation of crusty solonchak to regraded contributes to the reduction of soil deflation and of aerial contamination by dust particle fractions, the lowering of carbon emissions from the soil and of the natural greenhouse effect, the increase of the utilization coefficient of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the prevention of excessive overheating of the soil and atmosphere.

Aim. To analyse the anthropogenic impacts of pipeline transport systems on the environment. The main objectives of the study include: determination of the typology of the impacts of pipeline geosystems, assessment of the geo-ecological risk for natural landscapes of the Voronezh Region and the development of geo-ecological mapping of the territory indicating the degrees of influence of pipeline transport on the environment.

Material and Methods. In order to comprehensively assess the influence of the oil and gas economy, a method of fractional differentiation of the Voronezh Region has been developed for identifying regional zones according to the degree of environmental risk using a points system and subsequent calculations.

Results. Geo-ecological zoning was developed of the risks of the impacts of the regional pipeline system on the environment together with the mapping of negative natural processes. An algorithm for methodical statistical calculation is proposed, including indicators of regional risk levels, the ratio of negative processes in the area of pipeline transportation, the degree of environmental friendliness of the pipeline system, and an integral indicator of the risks of influence of pipeline transport.

Conclusions. The research revealed the geo-ecological situation in areas influenced by pipeline transport in the Voronezh Region. The authors have developed a program for the organisation of environmentally safe pipeline transport and have proposed an algorithm for using GIS technologies for quick analysis of the degree of risk. The rehabilitation of land disturbed by the regional pipeline system has also been taken into account and a program proposed to optimize the functioning of the system in the context of the region's social, ecological and economic challenges.

Aim. To study the physicomechanical and physicochemical properties of bottom sediments of the Chiryurt Reservoir, Kizilyurtovskiy District, Republic of Dagestan, Russia with a view to their possible utilisation as building materials for the production of certain grades of concrete and road asphalt-concrete, as well as for the preparation of soil substrate and as additives to potassium and phosphate mineral fertilizers.

Material and Methods. The bottom sediments of the Chiryurt Reservoir, taken from different depths and different reservoir locations, were studied by spectrophoto-metric and granulometric methods.

Results. The study identified: particle size distribution of samples of bottom sediments; humus content; soil fertility elements: potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus as well as heavy metal content.

Conclusions: 1. Analysis of the bottom sediment samples indicates that the soil fertility elements potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus are not sufficient for them to be used as an independent fertilizer, although they might perhaps be used as an auxiliary additive to a principal fertilizer. The levels of toxicity of heavy metals were found to be very low - much lower than the Maximum Allowable Concentrations. 2. The sediments could be used as soils for the reclamation of land after anthropogenic interference (e.g. after a quarry has been excavated for brick production, after excavations during road construction of roads), for the modification of vertical terrain in settled areas, for landscaping, etc. 3. According to the granulometric analysis of the material composition of the samples, the bottom sediments are 85-90% composed of clay particles (thus there is no need to undertake procedures to separate out the sand fraction). 4. Since peat deposits are present in the bottom sediments of the reservoir, it makes sense to separately assess their volumes for independent development for use as fertilizer for the re-cultivation of floodplain lands.

Aim. The development of an inventory of phytoviruses affecting vegetable and melon crops in the South of the Russian Far East.

Discussion. On the basis of many years of original research, carried out on a regular basis by the Laboratory of Virology (Federal Scientific Centre of East Asia Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) since 1962 as well as available data in the literature, information about the symptoms of diseases, circulation, reserve plants and vectors are presented for the alfalfa mosaic virus (Bromoviridae, Alfamovirus); tomato aspermy virus and cucumber mosaic virus (Bromoviridae, Cucumovirus); cauliflower mosaic virus (Caulimoviridae, Caulimovirus); garlic mosaic virus (Potyviridae, Carlavirus); tobacco etch virus, allium yellow dwarf virus, bean yellow mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus 2, turnip mosaic virus and bean common mosaic virus (Potyviridae, Potyvirus); radish mosaic virus (Picornavirales, Secoviridae, Comovirus); tobacco ringspot virus (Picornavirales, Secoviridae, Nepo-virus); cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, tobacco mosaic virus and tomato mosaic virus (Virgaviridae, Tobamovirus).

Conclusion. The information presented forms the basis for the development of a set of diagnostic test systems for phytovirus diseases of vegetable and melon crops; a necessary element of activities directed to the improvement of food productivity and security of the Russian Federation in the Far East.

Aim. Study of existing phytoindication approaches in order to determine how they can be optimally integrated and applied to the environmental assessment of urban areas.

Material and Methods. The investigation encompassed 30 evenly distributed trial sites in the city of Kislovodsk, Stavropolskaya Oblast, Russia. Lichen poleotolerance, the fluctuating asymmetry of the leaves of Betula pendula Roth., the lifespan of needles of Pinus sylvestris L., and the correlations between Trifolium repens L. phenotypes were used as key phytoindicators.

Results. The morphometric parameters of lichens, Betula pendula Roth., Pinus sylvestris L., Trifolium repens L. growing in the urban environment were studied. A phytoindication parameter matrix was developed as a component of an integrated approach to the environmental assessment of urban areas. The most ecologically vulnerable areas of the city of Kislovodsk were identified, and ecological zoning of the territory was carried out.

Aim. The environmental-epidemiological monitoring of socially significant pathology and its forecasting for the development of effective preventive measures and environmental quality management methods in the Republic of Dagestan.

Material and Methods. An epidemiological analysis of public health indicators was carried out in 41 municipalities and 10 urban districts of the Republic of Dagestan. This was carried out through current and retrospective analysis of regional health indicators, medical-geographical and mathematical statistical analysis. The data sources for the main indicators reflect the epidemiological situation in the Republic of Dagestan from 1997 to 2016.

Results. An understanding of the status of the main epidemiological indicators of the condition of public health of the region's rural and urban population was obtained and future dynamics predicted. An integrated assessment of the well-being of the territory of the republic revealed areas and cities with adverse trends in public health in the main groups of socially significant and environmentally-related pathologies.

Conclusions. An integrated assessment of the state of well-being in the Republic of Dagestan by groups of epidemiological indicators of general morbidity, general morbidity of various age groups of the population, socially significant and environmentally-caused morbidity, as well as a forecast of their dynamics, revealed adverse trends in public health in rural populations of Tsuntinskiy, Akhtynskiy, Gunibskiy, Kulinskiy, Tabasaranskiy, Nogayskiy, Novolakskiy, Suleiman-Stalskiy, Khasavyurtskiy, Tarumovskiy districts and of the cities of Kaspiysk, Dagestanskie Ogni, Makhachkala and Kizilyurt. An analysis of the sources of supplies of drinking water revealed a positive correlation between heavy metals content and adverse trends in socially significant pathology in the regions of Northern Dagestan.

Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of the self-assessment of health by urban and rural residents of the Republic of Dagestan, using as examples the city of Makhachkala and the Untsukulskiy district.

Material and Methods. Sociological research methods were employed on the basis of questionnaires.

Results. According to the results of the study the majority of the residents of Makhachkala and the Untsukulskiy district surveyed - 71% and 68.2% respectively -gave positive assessments of their health. In both samples, the proportion of respondents who rated their health as "mediocre" and "bad" increased with age. In rural areas the number of young and middle-aged respondents who assessed their health as worse exceeded the number of city dwellers of the same age. Among male respondents, 77.8% in Makhachkala and 74.9% in the Untsukulskiy district gave a positive self-assessment of health and among the female population, 66.7% and 62.93% respectively.

Conclusion. Self-assessment of health is a tool recommended by the World Health Organization for monitoring health within selected population groups. The slight difference between the assessment of their health by urban and rural residents is due to differences in lifestyle and standard of living, access to medical as well as cultural, leisure and other types of services.

Aim. To present new data on the distribution of Carabid species in Dagestan, Russia. Material and Methods. The paper is based on material collected in the lowland areas of Dagestan. Conventional sampling techniques were used: hand collecting, UV light traps and pitfall traps.

Results. The three following species of Carabidae have been found in Dagestan for the first time: Poecilus (s. str.) anodon (Chaudoir, 1868), Pterostichus (Platysma) planicollis (Tschischerine, 1898) and Diplocheila (Isorembus) transcaspica (Semenov, 1891), with the latter being a new species for the fauna of Russia. New distributional records have been mapped. Photographs of all three species are provided.

Conclusion. These new distributional data are unlikely to be explained within the context of global warming since, for two of the three species under consideration, Poecilus anodon and Pterostichus planicollis, the ranges of distribution are located largely north of the study area.