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RESPONDENT
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Vladimir Pozdnyakov
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SITE NAME
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Lena River delta, Yakutia, Russia
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| (411-2)33-68-15/(411-2)42-13-72(fax) // vpozd@mail.ru // Kulakovskogo St., 12-59, Yakutsk-7, 677077, 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 was developing somewhat earlier in southern and southeastern parts of Lena delta. Flat tundra was snowfree by 10 June. Daily average air temperature crossed 0^C on 2 June, ice-break started on 7 June which is average for the site. The flood was very high, as snow stock exceeded average by a factor of 2-2.5. Flooding of wide lowland areas, especially seaside tundra, delayed breeding (up to 2 weeks) of a fraction of Little Stints, Temmink's Stints, Dunlins, Red Phalaropes, and possibly other species, and also caused bird moving to more elevated, sometimes atypical habitats. June and July were generally colder than usual, the second half of June and 8-18 July strong (>10 m/sec) northern and northeastern winds predominated.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
7 June
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
10 June
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Breeding conditions:
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| Among skuas only Long-tailed were breeding. Buzzards were absent in plain-type part of the delta, and inhabited only permanent nests on the steep slopes along rivers in the southern part of delta, where voles were available. Peregrine falcons nested, Snowy Owls were absent. Wandering adult Arctic Foxes were permanently met, but inhabited dens not found. According to visual impression Grey Plovers, Turnstones, Ringed Plovers, Dunlins, Little Stints, Red-necked Stints, Temmink's Stints were breeding at a density close to that in previous year. Pacific Golden Plovers outnumbered Grey Plovers at a factor of 10, while in 1997 they were only 2-3 times more abundant. Pectoral Sandpipers were not breeding, while breeding density of Red Phalaropes was low. Basically, the season was unfavourable for waders, reproductive performance hardly exceeded 1997 value.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| Lemmings were not met, but inhabited burrows abounded locally, which indicates a tendency of increase.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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