|
|
RESPONDENT
|
|
Aleksey Evstifeev
|
|
|
SITE NAME
|
|
Mukhmornoe settl., Enmyvaam River upper reaches, central Chukotsky Peninsula, Russia
|
|
| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| // // Anadyr hydrometeoobservatory, Anadyr, Russia
|
|
PROJECT DETAILS |
|
|
|
Start of survey:
|
End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
|
23.04
|
1.07
|
|
|
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
|
|
|
|
Weather conditions: |
Observations were carried out from 23 April - 1 July. Air temperatures ranged from -32øC to -13øC and winter conditions prevailed in late April, but ice-holes existing on the river during whole winter were gradually increasing in size, and open water occupied most of the river surface from 1 May. Temperatures varied from -22øC to -1.5ø from 1-10 May, ice was intensively destroyed by water of springs and was almost entirely moved downstream in the weather station vicinity by 9 May. At this time water level did not increase. Air temperature rose above freezing for the first time on 12 May, and mean daily temperatures became consistently positive on 13 May, which was 5 days earlier than the long-term average. Temperatures ranged from +2-3øC at day-time and did not drop below -2-3øC at night in the period from 10-20 May. Snow melted slowly. Ice started to break on the river since 19 May. Day-time temperatures reached +13øC in late May, while night frost were not severe, and snowmelt accellerated. Snow cover reduced to 50% on flat surface in the valley approximately on 20 May and almost completely melted by 25 May. Ice drifting intensified on 25 May, was the most pronounced on 28-29 May and terminated by 1 June, which was followed by increase of water level reaching maximum on 2 June (415 cm). Spring flood terminated on 15 June. Air temperatures reached +20.5øC on 31 May and 1 June, but decreased on 2-4 June and were dropping to -5.5øC at night. The final warming occurred on 5 June, and thunderstorm with pelting rain were recorded on 9 June.
Summer started on 5-6 June, when greening of leaves on trees and flowering of plants occurred. The first mosquitoes appeared on 25 May and they emerged en masse after 20 June.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Date of 50%
snow-cover: |
20.05
|
|
| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
19.05
|
|
| Date of final loss of
snow: |
25.05
|
|
BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
|
| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
average
|
|
|
Breeding conditions:
|
Few animals were recorded in the weather staion vicinity before 10 May. We observed tracks of Arctic Hare, Squirrel, Elk, Ermine, and a Wolverine was discovered by dogs. Among birds grouse, several Ravens, Magpie and a flock of Snow Buntings were recorded. A pair of White-tailed Sea Eagles appeared in their nest vicinity on 2 May. Birds arrivied en masse by 20 May including cranes, ducks, geese, gulls, cuckoo and woodpecker. The first House Martin arrived on 19 May, and in spite of apparent absence of insects in a few days more than one hundred birds were present on the colony of more than 200 nests under the roof of the weather station. House Martins were warming each other in aggregations of 20-30 birds under the roof during frosts.
Brown Bears appeared on the melted river spits feeding on the last year fish remains in the second half of May, and they became fairly numerous later. Fish bodies were also utilized by many other animals including birds and hares. An elk female with a calf was recorded in June, and ducks nested on a channel near house.
|
|
|
Rodent dynamics:
|
| Rodent numbers were, probably, average, given that a dog capture approximately 20 of them in the station vicinity during 2 weeks. Rodents were seen occasionally floating during the flood.
|
|
Rodent species recorded:
|
|
|
|
|
Summary
of fauna studies: |
|
|
|