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RESPONDENT
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Vladimir Pozdnyakov
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SITE NAME
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Yana River lower reaches and southern delta, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (411-2)33-68-15/(411-2)42-13-72(fax) // vpozd@mail.ru // Kulakovskogo St., 12-59, Yakutsk-7, 677077, Russia
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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25.07
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9.09
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| All meteorological parameters in the study period from 25 July - 9 September indicated average in timing season. Ripening of berries occurred at average dates, and their crop was moderate, while the crop of mushrooms was heavy. Autumn was warm and late. The first night frost was recorded on 2 September and the next on 6 September. Amount of precipitaion was not high, and water level did not increase for a long period of time in the Yana River.
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| Season temperature: |
average
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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Solitary adult and juvenile Ermines were the only mammalian predators recorded, while Brown Bears, Arctic Foxes, Red Foxes and Wolves were not seen, as well as tracks these animals. According to reports of local hunters abundance of Arctic Foxes was very low in the previous winter.
A single pair of Rough-legged Buzzards and a single pair of Peregrine Falcons inhabited the study area. Falcons nested on a ledge of ground precipice, but the nest perished in late June due to collapse of soil caused by melting of permafrost. Carrion Crows bred, and a wandering brood was recorded on 16 August. Migrating Herring Gulls and Glaucous Gulls became common from 11 August. Juveniles were very rare among Herring Gulls and were not recorded among Glaucous Gulls. Two pairs of Arctic Skuas were observed migrating upstream the Yana River on 1 and 8 August.
In total 29 species of birds were recorded, of which 27 were known as breeders for the area. Successful reproduction indicated by observations of juveniles was recorded in Pintail, Willow Grouse, Carrion Crow, Siberian Jay, Dusky Thrush, White, Yellow and Grey wagtails, Pechora Pipit, Wheatear, Bluethroat, Willow and Yellow-browed warblers, Brambling, Common and Arctic redpolls. Solitary Ringed Plovers were the only waders observed. Solitary Nutcrackers stayed in the area during the whole period of surveys. Departure and autumn migration were not pronounced in all species. The last observation dates were 8 August in Yellow-browed Warbler, 11 August in Wheatear, 12 August in Bluethroat and Yellow Wagtail, 15 August in Brambling, 16 August in Ringed Plover and Grey Wagtail, 18 August in Willow Warbler, 20 August in Carrion Crow and Little Bunting, 31 August in Glaucous Gull, 1 September in Pechora Pipit and Dusky Trush, 3 September in Pintail and 9 September in White Wagtail.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Rodent abundance was low, and these animals were not recorded. Arctic Hares were common on floodplain islands with willow stands.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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