[Morpho-functional characteristics of reproductive organs of rodents from the area affected by a plant, processing gas with the increased content of sulfur compounds].

The biology of reproduction of 5 rodent species--small gopher (Spermophilus pygmaeus Pallas, 1778), reddish gopher (Spermophilus major Pallas, 1779), sasin lemmer (Lagurus lagurus Pallas,1773), forest mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus Linnaeus) and bank vole(Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber, 1780)--inhabiting the sanitary protective zone of the gas processing plant, was investigated with the use of histological, electron microscopical, immunocytochemical and morphometric methods. Intensification of the reproduction (growth of female fecundity, reduction of the puberty age) in some species (forest mouse) compensated for the negative changes in the reproduction, which resulted from the influence of the industrial factors (premature loss of ovarian follicular reserve, accelerated embryonic death rate, increased destructive changes in the gonads) and provided for the preservation of the population sizes. The intense functioning of reproductive organs in the other species (small and reddish gophers) was insufficient to compensate for the damage inflicted by the man-caused actions.