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RESPONDENT
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Vladimir Morozov
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SITE NAME
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East of Bolshezemelskaya tundra and Polar Urals, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (495)1553044 // piskulka@mtu-net.ru // Shebashevski Proezd, 7-16, Moscow, 125315, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Monitoring of the Lesser White-fronted Goose and waders on the Polar Urals
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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7.06
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12.08
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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| Season phenology: |
average
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Weather conditions: |
According to reports of local people snow depth in winter 2001/2002 was within the normal range for the region, or slightly less than average. Weather was very changeable in May, when short-term thaws with rains often alternated with short-term coolings. Temperature reached +12øC in the beginning of May during thaw weather period. Snow cover was basically destroyed by rains during May, and remains of snow could still be found from 1-10 June only in deep cloughs and in vast stands of high willow shrubs on the northern slopes of watersheds and on sedge-willow marshes. June was cloudy, rainy and cool, but phenology was close to average. Wet snow was abundant on 3 days in mid June.
Early snow melt during thaw in May resulted in low flood on rivers, and even low floodplain was not covered by water. Ice broke on rivers mainly from 27-30 May, while large lakes became free from ice only in the beginning of July.
Summer was cold and wet. Warm sunny weather prevailed only during the first 10 days of July, then cool weather with abundant rains and drizzle established to the end of August. Precipitation was not recorded on only 5 days in the period from 10 July to 15 August. Day-time temperature rarely exceeded +16øC, ranging normally from +10-14øC at day and from 0-+7øC at night. Prevailing winds from west and north-west turned into storm on some days, and were often combined with strong raining for 8-25 hours. Snowfalls were frequent above altitude 350 m in the mountains, and above 600 m snow cover remained for several days. Abundant precipitation in summer caused significant rise of water in rivers, in mountains having nearly the same magnitude as during the spring flood.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
20-30.05
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
27-30 May
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
high
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Breeding conditions:
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Arctic Foxes were not seen, but Red Foxes were abundant, in particular at mountain foothills and low mountains, and bred. Brown Bears, Ermines, Weasels and Wolverines were not seen. Fresh tracks of wolves were observed.
Numbers of Hen Harriers and Rough-legged Buzzards were generally high, also nesting density was high only locally. Most buzzard clutches had 5-6 eggs, but poor weather caused high mortality of chicks and low reproductive success. Adult birds could not hunt effectively during permanent cold rains, and even grown-up chicks died from cold anf hunger. Normally, 1-2 chicks survived to fledging in buzzards, and some pairs lost all chicks. In Hen Harriers 2-3 chicks fledged. Snowy Owls were not seen, while Short-eared Owls were abundant and bred with high success; some pairs raising 5-7 chicks. Long-tailed Skuas were common in spring, but nesting was attempted by solitary pairs, resulting generally in 1 chick per pair.
Spatial distribution and density of most wader species was very variable. Some species had locally high numbers (Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Snipe), other low numbers compared with previous seasons (Ringed and Eurasian Golden plovers, Great Snipe), while numbers of Terek Sandpiper, Temminck's Stint, Red-necked Phalarope and Whimbrel were close to average.
Nest success was high in all wader species typical for the sourthern tundra subzone. Hen Harriers destroyed 2 nests and reindeers trampled another 2 among 16 found nests of Wood Sandpiper, which gives nest success about 75%. Chicks hatched in 88% controlled nests of Ruffs and 100% nests of Common Snipes. However, reproductive success was low, or average at best (in Wood and Terek sandpipers). Some clutches in Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, Red-throated Pipit, Bluethroat and Little Bunting were reduced to 2-3 eggs, which was not observed in favourable years. Many clutches of waders, ducks and passerines were replacement, judging by late dates of clutch completion. Death of chicks from cold was observed in Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalaropes, redpolls, Bluethroats and Little Buntings. Broods of Wood and Terek sandpipers consisted from 1-2 juveniles, while juvenile Ruffs were not seen. Despite low pressure of terrestrial and avian predators breeding conditions were unfavourable for waders and other birds due to poor weather.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Numbers of small rodent were high from spring to autumn. Frequent observations of adult Narrow-skulled Voles, Siberian Lemmings and Ruddy Voles, along with abundant winter nests and damaged shrubs, indicated successful over-wintering of the former species (abundant already in autumn 2001) and efficient under-snow reproduction of two latter species in March. Collared Lemmings were less abundant, but were occasionally observed in dwarf-shrub watershed tundra and on flat-hillock marshes. Numbers of Ground and Tundra voles were also common, and they were regularily taken by avian predators. Young lemmings and voles could be seen during whole summer, which indicated successful reproduction of rodents.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Lemmus sibiricus | common |
| Dicrostonyx torquatus | rare |
| Clethrionomys rutilus | common |
| Microtus gregalis | abundant |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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