Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens

We quantified how exhibit design and routine management shape behavior and space use in captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Using a species-specific ethogram, scan sampling and focal follows on adult females housed in a modern zoo exhibit, we estimated time budgets, mapped space use across depth-defined zones, and modeled behavior sequences as first-order transition networks. Locomotion dominated activity (swimming/active travel), with resting and enrichment-related behaviors next most frequent; social and play behaviors occurred at low but non-negligible rates. Seals showed clear depth preferences, concentrating active swimming in deeper zones and using liminal/shallow areas for rest. Transition graphs revealed stable, low-entropy loops (e.g., swim → turn/pace → swim) consistent with repetitive locomotor routines, while enrichment and feeding windows temporarily diversified sequences and increased exploration. Overall, integrating time budgets with Markov-style transition analysis and spatial heatmaps provides a compact welfare-oriented dashboard: it identifies where exhibit depth and refuge availability support positive behavioral diversity, flags repetitive cycles as targets for enrichment, and offers actionable metrics to evaluate husbandry changes over time.

The Botanical Garden of Southern Federal University (SFedU Botanical Garden) is the first botanical garden in the steppe zone of southern Russia, founded in 1927. The priority task of the SFedU Botanical Garden was the introduction of woody plants for greenery and forestry. It has been shown that the introduction of woody plants was the root cause of their invasion in the region. A total of 24 species of invasive trees and shrubs have been identified in the Priazovsky district of the Rostov region. Using species with high seed reproductive capacity and resistance to climatic factors to expand the range of woody plants used for greenery in urban areas poses a real threat of invasion. Thus, 83 species spread spontaneously from the SFedU Botanical Garden collections across its territory, 50 of which are not currently found in the regional culture. An important step in the management of invasive woody plants is for municipalities to adopt basic assortment lists for greening purposes. The SFedU Botanical Garden’s collection policy for woody plants should focus on reducing the number of species in living plant collections by removing species that self-seed and currently have no scientific, educational, or practical use. These species can be stored in a seed bank for future use. The introduction policy of the SFedU Botanical Garden should be aimed at mobilizing and introducing species that are not only highly resilient and effective in providing ecosystem services, but also possess properties that limit their invasion.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the main pollinators of many plant species, particularly agricultural crops. The concern over Colony Collapse Disorder of bee colonies in recent years necessitates the use of new approaches for their conservation in in situ and ex situ conditions. Modern techniques for cryopreservation of drone spermatozoa allow for the preservation of their genetic diversity. Some of the challenges in the field of cryopreservation are the alterations induced by the low temperatures, including morphological disruptions, plasma membrane integrity, formation of reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation, loss of motility, mitochondrial activity and viability, early hyperactivation, depletion of proteins from the acrosome region, premature capacitation, reduced sperm–oocyte fusion, and the occurrence of other cellular cryoinjuries. The objective of the current study is to contribute to the ongoing efforts in identifying substances added to semen extenders aimed at inhibiting cryogenic-induced changes. Our study investigates the impact of antioxidant supplements, scilicet vitamins C, vitamin E, and L-carnitine, on attenuating the adverse effects of cryogenic storage on drone spermatozoa. Using a Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis, we evaluated the effectiveness of various antioxidants added to the extender in maintaining sperm motility parameters following liquid nitrogen storage. The data indicated significant differences in sperm traits among treatments with supplements after post-thawing. These findings emphasize the advantageous contribution of these added antioxidants within semen extenders for drone spermatozoa in preserving sperm quality parameters. The establishment of novel protocols for cryogenic storage of honey bee drone spermatozoa, incorporating low-cytotoxicity additives, is of utmost importance for the conservation of this endangered species.