Kravchenko M. Ecological sustainability of population systems in the water frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus hybridogenetic complex.

The objects are the population systems in the water frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus hybridogenetic complex. The aim is to define the mechanisms of ecological stability and transformations of the population systems of hybridogenetic complexes of kinds on the example of water frogs. The methods are the field, modelling, comparison. Original results of the long-term studies of population systems of water frogs hybridogenetic complex (Pelophylax esculentus complex) are provided. Present work justifies that hemiclonal population systems (HPS) represent a special level of biosystems, which bridges population and biogeocenotic levels. Further, we developed a conceptual model that takes the main factors of the HPS dynamics into account. This model considers differential survival and reproduction of the individuals belonging to the parental species and their various hybrids, which depend on the impact of components biogeocoenosis, as well as interspecific hybridization and hemiclonal inheritance in hybrids. Ultimately, on the basis of that conceptual model we developed an original simulation model (MS Excel) to trace transformations of the water frogs HPS. Based on the simulation results we found that different types of dynamic HPS differed in terms of their ecological sustainability - the ability to persist or change over time. Four attractor types of ecological stability (stable, cyclic, agile and loss of balance) and three types of transient (unstable equilibrium, directional change and indifferent equilibrium) were described. Application spheres are monitoring of natural objects, training courses.