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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, Vorkuta city vicinity, 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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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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27.05
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
At arrival on 27 May winter conditions prevailed in tundra with few snow-free patches on tops of hillocks, and air temperature dropped to -7øC at night. However, the advance of spring was rapid and air temperatures above freezing established at day-time in the following days. Pouring rain continued for the whole day on 3 June resulting in complete disappearance of snow. Ice broke on 29 May - 3 June on rivers. Water level was high, particularly in forest tundra where high floodplain was flooded along with the low floodplain.
June was warm in general with the exception of a sudden drop of temperature on 12-13 June, when strong northwestern wind with snowstorm resulted in deposition of a layer of snow several cm thick, which did not melt even at day-time. However, the weather improved soon and the second half of June was warm without pronounced weather alterations. Phenological events including nesting of birds occurred earlier than usual due to rapid spring development, and were not affected by cold weather in mid June.
Summer was cool and very rainy. A single week in mid July was dry in the period from 1 July to mid August, while at least short-term rains occurred on all other days. Pouring rains were frequent in late July and early August which caused a high summer flood with a water level exceeding by 1.5 m normal for the middle of July.
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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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All mammalian predators were rare, and we did not observe Arctic Foxes, Red Foxes or Ermines.
Snowy Owls were not recorded, while solitary Short-eared Owls were observed on spring migration. Rough-legged Buzzards nested at a low density in isolated localities, and many pairs did not attempt to breed. Mean clutch size did not exceed 3 eggs, and many pairs failed, but several successful ones raised 1-2 juveniles to fledging. Northern Harrier nested at a low density in patches with at least some rodents present. Long-tailed Skuas nested in small numbers in southern tundra, and many pairs failed.
Rapid spring development and early snowmelt allowed early start of breeding in many species of waders. Apparently they were not adversely affected by the cold weather in mid June and heavy rains in late July. Predation pressure of both mammals and avian predators on clutches and broods of waders was, probably, not strong, and reproductive success of waders can be evaluated as above average or high.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Numbers of voles were very low or locally low. Neither lemmings nor signs of their activities were recorded.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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