BREEDING CONDITIONS REPORT, 1989


RESPONDENT

Vladimir Morozov

SITE NAME

Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, eastern part, typical tundra subzone, Russia

Contact details (phone/fax//e-mail//address):
(495)1553044 // piskulka@mtu-net.ru // Shebashevski Proezd, 7-16, Moscow, 125315, Russia

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name:

Start of survey:

End of survey: Team size:


WEATHER CONDITIONS

Season phenology: early

Weather conditions:

In common with the other European parts of the USSR, there was an unusually early and rapid spring: two to three weeks earlier than average. In tundra habitats there was 70-90% snow melt between 20-25 May, and the ice on rivers broke up at the end of May/beginning of June. The summer was exceptionally hot, with rainfall occurring mainly as rain-storms.

 

Season temperature: warm
Season humidity:
Date of 50% snow-cover:
Date of ice-break on rivers:
Date of final loss of snow:

BIOTIC CONDITIONS

Rodents abundance evaluation:

average

Breeding conditions:

Resulting from low lemming numbers the breeding success of some avian predators was very low (Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus, Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, Short-eared Owl Asia flammeus) and some others did not breed at all this season (Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca, Pomarine Skua Stercomrius pomarinus). Arctic Foxes were numerous but they did not reproduce. The timing of wader breeding was normal, but with extremely low success on Yugorskiy Peninsula because of predation by raptors. Breeding success of waders in eastern Bol'shezemel'skaya Tundra was also lower than normal.
 

Rodent dynamics:

During the winter there had been very high numbers of lemmings; a situation which remained up to the end of June in the eastern Bol'shezemel'skaya Tundra and to mid-June in the Yugorskiy Peninsula. Later, a sharp decrease in lemming numbers was noticed up to depression level.

Rodent species recorded:

LatinAbundance

Summary of fauna studies:

 

FAUNA IN THE STUDY AREA

Group of speciesPresenceAbundanceBreedingDetailed studiesComment
arctic foxesYesabundantno  
wadersYes hatching  
birds of preyYes breeding  
buzzardsYes breeding  
pomarine skuasYes no  

 

SEABIRD COLONIES

speciesComment

 

WATERBIRD NON-BREEDING AGGREGATIONS

speciesAggregation typeNumberComment

 

HUMAN ACTIVITY IN THE STUDY AREA

Human activityComment

 


Source(s):

Kondratyev, A.Y. 1998. Breeding conditions for waders in the tundras of the USSR in 1989. International Wader Studies 10:101-104.

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 Last updated: 11 Dec. 2008  

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