Species diversity of birds in various high-rise complexes of the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam area

Abstract

This paper presents the inventory results of bird species diversity in the area of the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam. The territory covers the mountainous area of the National Park Shushensky Bor, urban-type settlement Cheryomushki and its surroundings, including a section of the Sayano-Shushensky reservoir in the upper head water of the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam and the Yenisei channel below the dam. A list of 216 species has been compiled, for 195 there is reliable confirmation of their habitat. The share of migratory-nesting species is 41%, sedentary 14%, migratory species about 31%, wintering and partially wintering 34%. Three species of waterfowl spend winter in the non-freezing areas of the reservoir. Within various high-altitude complexes 10 types of habitats have been identified, where on the basis of quantitative surveys numerous and common bird species have been identified. The maximum species richness was observed for the ornithocoenosis of the floodplain-valley complex. A cluster analysis of the lists of bird species for the selected habitats has been carried out. The analysis showed a high -diversity along the gradient of heights: forest communities of different altitude levels are similar in species lists by no more than 45%, intrazonal and alpine habitats have unique sets of species and are similar to the others by 29%. The lists of birds in subalpine meadows and high-mountain tundras were found to be identical. In winter there is a high correlation of the bird population between the floodplain-valley complex and anthropogenically disturbed territories. Three bird species were found outside the main range and 5 species within the main range, but not previously noted in this area by other researchers.