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RESPONDENT
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Vladimir Morozov
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SITE NAME
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Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, eastern part, southern tundra subzone, 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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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring passed very quickly: semi-winter conditions remained up to 29 May, then altered abruptly to give warm and sunny weather; which remained, without even light frosts, for about a month. During that time there was no precipitation, temperatures reached 17-23øC at mid-day and fell to 4-10øC at night. The whole summer was dry and warm almost without precipitation, and cold wet weather with prolonged rains only came after 10 August.
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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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| Numbers of Arctic Foxes remained very low and breeding was not recorded. The number of birds feeding on small mammals, (Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, Rough-legged Buzzard and skuas), was also low. Snowy and Short-eared Owls were not recorded at all. Single pairs of Rough-legged Buzzard bred mainly at the northern edge of forest-tundra and in the mountains of the Polar Urals; nesting was mostly unsuccessful. Successful breeding was observed only in some pairs of Hen Harriers, which nested along the river valleys. Long-tailed Skuas in most cases did not breed, they moved in groups around the tundra concentrating near the rubbish dumps in the vicinity of human settlements. Favourable weather conditions and the ecological situation resulted in successful breeding in the majority of waders of this area. Large numbers of Ruff, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and Pintail Snipe G. stenura were recorded.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| In spring and summer, numbers of lemmings and other small mammals (Narrow-skulled Microtus gregalis and Northern Redbacked Voles Clethrionomys glareolus and Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus) were very low, but an increase was observed in autumn indicating a probable peak of lemming numbers in 1994.
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Rodent species recorded:
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| Latin | Abundance |
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| Microtus gregalis | rare |
| Clethrionomys glareolus | rare |
| Sorex arcticus | rare |
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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