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RESPONDENT
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Alexei Romanov
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SITE NAME
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Putorana Plateau, middle reaches of the Kureika River and Dupkun Lake, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 146-97-47 // putorana05@mail.ru // 105037, Moscow, Izmaylovsky Proezd, 20-1-15.
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Ecology of the Lesser White-fronted Goose
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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3.06
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5.08
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4
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Snow reduced to 50% on flat surface on 25 May and completely melted on 4 June. Ice broke on large rivers in the period from 25 May - 6 June. Cool weather with drizzling rains and mean daily air temperatures +3-+8øC prevailed in the end of spring until 12 June, and then warm eather with recurring rains and temperatures +12-+15øC established until 25 June. Warm and moderately hot (+20-+25øC) dry conditions prevailed from 26 June - 2 August, which resulted in notable drying out of waterbodies. Then rainy weather with moderate temperatures established. Generally the season was early in timing, warm and relatively dry, specifically, such weather prevailed during incubation and brood-raring by most birds. A considerable adverse impact of abiotic factors on bird breeding success was not recorded in the period of observations.
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| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
25.05
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
25.05-6.06
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
4.06
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
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Breeding conditions:
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Numbers of Red Foxes and Brown Bear were not high, while Wolves and Wolverines were relatively common. Arctic Foxes were not recorded. Hawk Owls were rather common, as well as Rough-legged Buzzards and Merlins among birds of prey. White-tailed Sea Eagles were not numeorus, while Northern Goshawks were rae. Skuas were not recorded, while Herring Gulls and Arctic Terns were common breeders. Predation pressure on breeding birds was moderate.
Willow Grouse was very rare almost everywhere, and approached average abundance only locally. Rock Ptarmigans were common locally in mountain tundra. Numbers of most other species of birds corresponded to typical values for the western part of the Putorana Plateau. Successful breeding was recorded in a number of species of waterfowl and waders. Three nests of the Grey-rumped Tattler were found, with clutches of eggs and hatching chicks.
Generally, the season was favourable for reproduction of most species of birds. Human impact is minimal in the area.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Northern Red-backed Voles and Grey-sided Voles were common (rank 3 on a scale of 5) and their abundance gradually increased during summer. Tundra Voles were rare (rank 1) early in the season, but became common in the middle and end of summer (rank 3). Wood Lemmings were rare (rank 1), probably, due to deficit of suitable habitats. Capture data are available for all species.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Microtus oeconomus | common |
| Clethrionomys rufocannus | common |
| Clethrionomys rutilus | common |
| Myopus schisticolor | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
| Birds of the study area were counted on transects. Lesser White-fronted Geese were counted, captured and marked with satellite transmitters. Fauna of small mammals was studied using capture with snap-traps.
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