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RESPONDENT
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Diana Solovieva
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SITE NAME
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Yukon Delta, Alaska, USA
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| Contact
details (phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 812 2306712/812 2306712(fax) // diana_solovyova@mail.ru // Obrucheva 38, Pevek, Chukotsky Okrug, Russia |
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PROJECT DETAILS
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Project name:
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Biology of Spectacled Eider in the Yukon River delta |
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey:
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Team
size:
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3.05 |
6.07 |
3 |
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WEATHER CONDITIONS
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| Season
phenology: |
average |
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Weather conditions: |
| Extremal events were not recorded. |
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
15.05 |
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| Date of ice-break
on rivers: |
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| Date of final loss
of snow: |
27.05 |
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BIOTIC CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low |
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Breeding conditions:
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| Season was very unfavourable for birds - the worst for the period of observations in the delta, according to reports of local ornithologists. Peak of vole numbers in 2000 was followed by the deepest depression of rodents combined with very high numbers of Arctic Foxes. Before start of bird reproduction 4 Arctic Foxes were found dead, presumably due to starvation. Brent Geese, eiders, waders and large gulls suffered the most from predation pressure. Reproductive success of Spectacled Eiders was the lowest for the period of our studies, and only 3% of nests survived to hatching. |
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Rodent dynamics:
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| Data on numbers (nesting density) of all breeding birds were collected using standard for the Yukon Delta studies technique of plot counts. Details in: Bowman, T., Stehn, R. & Walters, G. 2001. Population size and production of geese and eiders nesting on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska in 2001. Field Report. |
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