Long-Term Dynamics of Small-Mammal Communities in Anthropogenically Disturbed Territories in the South-East of West Siberia

Ilyashenko, V. B.; Luchnikova, E. M.; Skalon, N. S.; Grebentschikov, I. S.; Kovalevsky, A. V.

doi:10.1088/1755-1315/224/1/012055

“…The total number of captured individuals was 1,139. Biotopic timing was estimated using the index of fidelity to biotopes proposed by Pesenko (1982), which is conventionally used in studies of small mammals (Ivanter et al, 2017;Ilyashenko et al, 2019Ilyashenko et al, , 2020Ivanter, 2020). The index is calculated using the following formula:…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, Balčiauskas & Balčiauskienė (2021) considered successional processes in communities of small mammals in flooded meadows that have transformed into hayfields. There are also studies on the transformation of the coastal-swamp complex of small mammals and works assessing the impact of deforestation on populations of small mammals (Bogdziewicz & Zwolak, 2014;Ofori et al, 2016Ofori et al, , 2018Ilyashenko et al, 2019;Sullivan et al, 2019). Only a few of the studies consider not only the negative effects of human activity but also the statuses of populations of small mammals (Raybuck et al, 2012;Attuquayefio et al, 2017;Ilyashenko et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water vole (Arvicola amphibius) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

Ilyashenko

¹

,

Luchnikova

²

,

Kovalevsky

³

2021

Biosys. divers.

1

0

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The paper is devoted to the dynamics of the water vole population in the conditions of total deforestation of valley forests and their subsequent restoration. We analyzed the relative population of small mammals in the typical biotopes in the Tom River basin (Western Siberia) on the border of the forest-steppe and taiga zones. From 1978 to 2019, 1,139 water voles Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym of A. terrestris) were caught with 50-meter trapping grooves; for 788 individuals we assessed the condition of non-metric features (phenes) of the skull. It was found that changes in the population level are non-cyclical, while against the background of a generally low occurrence of the species in the region, the population level increased tenfold in some years. It was shown that such episodic population surges can significantly impact the structure of the community of small mammals. In the valley of the Tom River, the water vole prefers inhabit wet meadows and ecotone areas between the meadow and the dark coniferous taiga forest. During the years of population surges, the water vole intensely occupies new nesting sites due to the dispersal activity of young animals but at the same time retains the original biotopic preferences. Dispersal of the species takes place in waterlogged wetlands. Most of the animals caught during the peak of their numbers were young animals of late broods born from overwintered individuals. The conducted phenetic analysis revealed the heterogeneity of young animals during the population surge, which allowed us to assume the participation of several populations in the formation of the peak. In the final surge year, the surge was characterized by an extremely low percentage of participation in the breeding of young females and the appearance of a large number of weakened animals, which led to crisis in the species population and the disappearance of the water vole from the captures. The research shows that one cannot predict the success of this process at the current stage; therefore, after flooding, it is necessary to continue monitoring.

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“…To assess species diversity, we used the Simpson polydominance index. The community similarity was estimated by species proportion with the help of the Czekanowski-Sørensen index [11,12].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They form the basis of theriofauna of any locality. The number of species, structure and spatial heterogeneity of their communities are those markers that allow us to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic impact on natural complexes by zoological methods [5]. Of particular interest are the responsiveness of rodents to changes in life conditions, manifested particularly in fluctuations in their numbers and the transformation of the hierarchical structure of communities [6][7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of agrocenoses on the populations of small mammals of recreational pine forests in the Tom River Valley

Luchnikova

¹

,

Ilyashenko

²

,

Teplova

³

et al. 2020

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The paper is devoted to studying the influence of agricultural land on the formation of small mammal communities in the pine forests of the Tom River Valley. For the analysis, we took sites of natural and artificial pine forests of different areas experiencing various anthropogenic pressures. It was revealed that species composition, species richness and species diversity of small mammalian communities depend on a whole complex of factors. Thus, the population of right-bank forests is largely determined by the influence of mountain-taiga complexes of mammals in the adjacent territories. Cutting down taiga forests and using the vacant spaces for agricultural purposes lead to the introduction of species that prefer open biotopes to the initial community. A correlation was found between the size of the pine forest and its resistance to invasive species. The creation of artificial pine forests in the forest-steppe does not lead to the formation of typical forest communities of small mammals, due to their limited ability to resettle. Quite extensive, but to varying degrees isolated natural and artificial pine forests within the city and along the boundaries of the city are unique ecological “islands” that play a significant role in maintaining the diversity of the urban fauna ofmammals.

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“…Therefore, Balčiauskas & Balčiauskienė (2021) considered successional processes in communities of small mammals in flooded meadows that have transformed into hayfields. There are also studies on the transformation of the coastal-swamp complex of small mammals and works assessing the impact of deforestation on populations of small mammals (Bogdziewicz & Zwolak, 2014;Ofori et al, 2016Ofori et al, , 2018Ilyashenko et al, 2019;Sullivan et al, 2019). Only a few of the studies consider not only the negative effects of human activity but also the statuses of populations of small mammals (Raybuck et al, 2012;Attuquayefio et al, 2017;Ilyashenko et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water vole (Arvicola amphibious) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

Ilyashenko

¹

,

Luchnikova

²

,

Kovalevsky

³

2021

Biosys. divers.

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The paper is devoted to the dynamics of the water vole population in the conditions of total deforestation of valley forests and their subsequent restoration. We analyzed the relative population of small mammals in the typical biotopes in the Tom River basin (Western Siberia) on the border of the forest-steppe and taiga zones. From 1978 to 2019, 1,139 water voles Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) (synonym of A. terrestris) were caught with 50-meter trapping grooves; for 788 individuals we assessed the condition of non-metric features (phenes) of the skull. It was found that changes in the population level are non-cyclical, while against the background of a generally low occurrence of the species in the region, the population level increased tenfold in some years. It was shown that such episodic population surges can significantly impact the structure of the community of small mammals. In the valley of the Tom River, the water vole prefers inhabit wet meadows and ecotone areas between the meadow and the dark coniferous taiga forest. During the years of population surges, the water vole intensely occupies new nesting sites due to the dispersal activity of young animals but at the same time retains the original biotopic preferences. Dispersal of the species takes place in waterlogged wetlands. Most of the animals caught during the peak of their numbers were young animals of late broods born from overwintered individuals. The conducted phenetic analysis revealed the heterogeneity of young animals during the population surge, which allowed us to assume the participation of several populations in the formation of the peak. In the final surge year, the surge was characterized by an extremely low percentage of participation in the breeding of young females and the appearance of a large number of weakened animals, which led to crisis in the species population and the disappearance of the water vole from the captures. The research shows that one cannot predict the success of this process at the current stage; therefore, after flooding, it is necessary to continue monitoring.

show abstract

Long-Term Dynamics of Small-Mammal Communities in Anthropogenically Disturbed Territories in the South-East of West Siberia

Cited by 5 publications

References 9 publications

Water vole (Arvicola amphibius) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

Water vole (Arvicola amphibius) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

Impact of agrocenoses on the populations of small mammals of recreational pine forests in the Tom River Valley

Water vole (Arvicola amphibious) as an object of long-term biomonitoring in a floodplain area (Western Siberia, Russia)

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