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SITE NAME
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Laplandsky State Reserve, Kola Peninsula, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 81536-58018/81536-58018(f) // Alex@lapland.ru // Laplandsky State Reserve, Zeleuny per., 8, Monchegorsk, 184506, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Archives of nature
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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01.01
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31.12
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
Spring started on 22 April when maximal air temperatures consistently rised above freezing, while respective data in 2004 was 2 April and long-term average 12 April. The last frost in air occurred on 19 May. Snow disappeared from 50% of the flat surface on 22 May and on 28 May in the forest and in mountains, respectively. Ice-break occurred on 22 May, and snow completely melted on 30 May. A 10-day delay of spring resulted in a similar delay of bird arrival. Rapid melt of snow coinsided with rainy weather and resulted in record high water table.
Summer started on 9 June when daily mean air temperatures consistently rised above +10øC, while respective date in 2004 was 18 June and long-term average 12 June. Autumn started on 6 September when daily mean air temperatures consistently dropped below +10øC, while in 2004 this occurred on 7 September with long-term average 30 August. First frost in the air occurred on 1 September. Winter started on 19 October when daily mean air temperatures consistently dropped below freezing, while in 2004 this occurred on 14 November with long-term average 24 October. Rainy weather in September also resulted in increase of water table in rivers and lakes.
Mean monthly air temperatures were 1.4øC above long-term average in April, 0.8øC in May, 2.2øC in June, 1.7øC in July, 2.1øC in August, 1.6øC in September, 3.8øC in October, 5.4øC in November and 1.6øC in December. Precipitation was 100% of the monthly average in April, 151% in May, 57% in June, 87% in July, 100% in August, 191% in September, 100% in October and about 140% in November and December. Thus, air temepratures were above average in all months from April to December, and only from 1-10 May mean temperature was -1.6øC, which is 3.1øC below average. Precipitation was near or below average in the breeding period with the exception of May when it exceeded avarege. The first snowfall occurred on 13 September in the mountains and in air. Snow had blanketed the ground on 20 October. Autumn and winter were warm.
Weather data were obtained from rp5.ru, while long-term averages were available from weather station in Monchegorsk.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
22.05
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
22.05
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
30.05
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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The yield of bilberry Vaccinum myrtillus, clusterberry V. vitis-idaea, bog bilberry V. uliginosum had rank 4 on 5-rank scale, crowberry Empetrum hermaphroditum 3, spruce 2, pine 3-4 an birch 5.
Among birds of prey the Osprey Pandion haliaeetus and Merlin certainly or probably bred, while Rough-legged Buzzards and owls were rare without indications of breeding.
Tetraonid density determined in the course of counts in August was 77.5 birds/10 km2, which is the record low value found during 1998-2005. Abundance of waterfowl per unit length of lake and river shoreline increased slightly compared record low value in 2004. Waders bred in usual numbers in the forest. Greater Golden Plover was the only species recorded in mountain tundra and bred. Whimbrels were observed in floodplain bogs of rivers and lakes.
We observed invasion of White-winged and Red crossbills, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Siskins and Common Redpol.
Human impact is minimal for the area.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| The abundance of Clethrionomys spp. voles in autumn 2005 was 1/3 of the value in the previous year (5.6 animals per 100 trap-nights). We recorded six-fold increase in numbers of shrews (Sorex sp.), while Wood Lemmings were not recorded and numbers of Microtus sp. voles were low in summer. A considerable, by a factor of 15 from srping to autumn, increase in numbers of Clethrionomys spp. voles was specific to 2005, and could partly be explained by prolonged breeding period in rodents, which allowed most females to produce 3 broods by the end of September. The snow layer measured on 3 March 2005 (2004 values in brakets) in the southern part of Chunatundra was 96 (87) cm thick at foothills, 103 (102) cm in mountain forest, 118 (116) at the upper limit of coniferous forest and 124 (107) cm in sparse birch forest. High accumulation of snow in the mountains was generally favourable for wintering of small rodents, but could be also responsible for delay of spring reporduction in a fraction of vole populations inhabiting mountain tundra.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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