Burrowers are the main creators, converters, and keepers of landscapes and soils of steppe ecosystems. The northern mole vole Ellobius talpinus (Pallas, 1770) is a rather widespread species of burrowing animals, an indicator species of various types of steppes, with a pronounced environment-forming activity. Fourteen large colonies of E. talpinus were studied in the Middle Volga region during the field seasons of 2006–2021. The agrochemical indicators of the soil characterise the possibility of developing certain steppe microstations, in which specific plant associations are formed. The parameters of soil samples and their combinations show the suitability of the formation of those plant associations that will correspond to the conditions of existence, reproduction, and feeding of burrowing rodents, in this case, the northern mole vole. The agrochemical features of steppe landscapes and habitats of the northern mole vole E. talpinus in the Middle Volga region are considered as stable trends in the formation of steppe communities. The northern mole vole E. talpinus prefers soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, moderate phosphorus and calcium content, high copper and manganese content, moderate zinc content, uncontaminated by heavy metals (sometimes with an excess of cadmium content in the ancient layers of the parent rock) and rather loose (from loose sand and sandy loam to light and medium loam), which is easily carried out when digging the burrow, easily digs and deepens, for arranging chambers and passages, when extracting rhizomes, tubers, and bulbs of fodder plants. In the studied region, the steppe mole vole is generally attached to steppe and steppe landscapes, forb-feather grass-fescue steppes on parent sand and sandstone, chalk rocks; it chooses burrowing sites with steppe vegetation of various options, preferring calciphilic and psammophilic associations. The mole vole, as well as other burrowing rodents, are indicators of steppe landscapes and the preservation of soil in their biotopes, which, in turn, are indicators of the preservation of steppe habitats. The type of soil, its main features, as well as landscape characteristics of the habitat are important regional diagnostic characters of E. talpinus colonies.
{"title":"Ecology of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinus) in the central regions of its range: characteristics of habitats in areas of the species’ occurence","authors":"E. Artemieva","doi":"10.15407/tu2310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2310","url":null,"abstract":"Burrowers are the main creators, converters, and keepers of landscapes and soils of steppe ecosystems. The northern mole vole Ellobius talpinus (Pallas, 1770) is a rather widespread species of burrowing animals, an indicator species of various types of steppes, with a pronounced environment-forming activity. Fourteen large colonies of E. talpinus were studied in the Middle Volga region during the field seasons of 2006–2021. The agrochemical indicators of the soil characterise the possibility of developing certain steppe microstations, in which specific plant associations are formed. The parameters of soil samples and their combinations show the suitability of the formation of those plant associations that will correspond to the conditions of existence, reproduction, and feeding of burrowing rodents, in this case, the northern mole vole. The agrochemical features of steppe landscapes and habitats of the northern mole vole E. talpinus in the Middle Volga region are considered as stable trends in the formation of steppe communities. The northern mole vole E. talpinus prefers soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH, moderate phosphorus and calcium content, high copper and manganese content, moderate zinc content, uncontaminated by heavy metals (sometimes with an excess of cadmium content in the ancient layers of the parent rock) and rather loose (from loose sand and sandy loam to light and medium loam), which is easily carried out when digging the burrow, easily digs and deepens, for arranging chambers and passages, when extracting rhizomes, tubers, and bulbs of fodder plants. In the studied region, the steppe mole vole is generally attached to steppe and steppe landscapes, forb-feather grass-fescue steppes on parent sand and sandstone, chalk rocks; it chooses burrowing sites with steppe vegetation of various options, preferring calciphilic and psammophilic associations. The mole vole, as well as other burrowing rodents, are indicators of steppe landscapes and the preservation of soil in their biotopes, which, in turn, are indicators of the preservation of steppe habitats. The type of soil, its main features, as well as landscape characteristics of the habitat are important regional diagnostic characters of E. talpinus colonies.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49250037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is regarded a Southern Hemisphere endemic found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, generally south of 60 degrees S in austral summer. Here they have been routinely observed in highest densities adjacent to and inside the sea ice edge, and where they feed predominantly on krill. Detecting abundance trends regarding this species by employing visual monitoring is problematic. Partly this is because the whales are frequently sighted within sea ice where navigational safety concerns prevent ships from surveying. In this respect species-habitat models are increasingly recognized as valuable tools to predict the probability of cetacean presence, relative abundance or density throughout an area of interest and to gain insight into the ecological processes affecting these patterns. The objective of this study was to provide this background information for the above research needs and in a broader context use species distribution models (SDMs) to establish a current habitat suitability description for the species and to identify the main environmental covariates related to its distribution. We used filtered 464 occurrences to generate the SDMs. We selected eight predictor variables with reduced collinearity for constructing the models: mean annuals of the surface temperature (degrees C), salinity (PSS), current velocity (m/s), sea ice concentration (fraction, %), chlorophyll-a concentration (mg/cub. m), primary productivity (g/cub.m/day), cloud cover (%), and bathymetry (m). Six modeling algorithms were test and the Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) model demonstrated the best preformance. Based on variable importance, those that best explained the environmental requirements of the species, were: sea ice concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration and topography of the sea floor (bathymetry), explaining in sum around 62% of the variance. Using the BART model, habitat preferences have been interpreted from patterns in partial dependence plots. Areas where the AMW have particularly high likelihood of occurrence are East Antarctica, NE of the Weddell Sea, areas around the northern tip of the Antarctica Peninsula, areas bordering the Scotia-Weddell Confluence. Given the association of AMWs with sea ice, the pagophilic character of their biology makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change and a perfect biological indicator for tracking these changes.
{"title":"A SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODEL OF THE ANTARCTIC MINKE WHALE (BALAENOPTERA BONAERENSIS)","authors":"V. Tytar","doi":"10.32942/osf.io/jrc8v","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32942/osf.io/jrc8v","url":null,"abstract":"The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is regarded a Southern Hemisphere endemic found throughout the Southern Hemisphere, generally south of 60 degrees S in austral summer. Here they have been routinely observed in highest densities adjacent to and inside the sea ice edge, and where they feed predominantly on krill. Detecting abundance trends regarding this species by employing visual monitoring is problematic. Partly this is because the whales are frequently sighted within sea ice where navigational safety concerns prevent ships from surveying. In this respect species-habitat models are increasingly recognized as valuable tools to predict the probability of cetacean presence, relative abundance or density throughout an area of interest and to gain insight into the ecological processes affecting these patterns. The objective of this study was to provide this background information for the above research needs and in a broader context use species distribution models (SDMs) to establish a current habitat suitability description for the species and to identify the main environmental covariates related to its distribution. We used filtered 464 occurrences to generate the SDMs. We selected eight predictor variables with reduced collinearity for constructing the models: mean annuals of the surface temperature (degrees C), salinity (PSS), current velocity (m/s), sea ice concentration (fraction, %), chlorophyll-a concentration (mg/cub. m), primary productivity (g/cub.m/day), cloud cover (%), and bathymetry (m). Six modeling algorithms were test and the Bayesian additive regression trees (BART) model demonstrated the best preformance. Based on variable importance, those that best explained the environmental requirements of the species, were: sea ice concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration and topography of the sea floor (bathymetry), explaining in sum around 62% of the variance. Using the BART model, habitat preferences have been interpreted from patterns in partial dependence plots. Areas where the AMW have particularly high likelihood of occurrence are East Antarctica, NE of the Weddell Sea, areas around the northern tip of the Antarctica Peninsula, areas bordering the Scotia-Weddell Confluence. Given the association of AMWs with sea ice, the pagophilic character of their biology makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change and a perfect biological indicator for tracking these changes.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48373354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
According to the literature, there are several isolated range segments of Microtus socialis across the Palearctic, within which the distribution of the species has mosaic pattern. The westernmost range segment is located in the south of Ukraine covering steppe areas of the Crimea and southern Ukraine and stretching from the lower reaches of the Dnipro to Melitopol in the east and to Dnipro in the north. The social vole is represented in this centre of distribution by the subspecies Microtus socialis nikolajevi. The Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula in Kherson Oblast represents the westernmost edge of the subspecies’ range, where local conditions have practically remained in their natural state and the social vole (Microtus socialis) has a substantial population density. The Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula separates Yahorlyk Bay of the Black Sea from Tendra Bay. The western part of the peninsula (5540 ha) constitutes the ‘Yahorlyk Kut’ protected area of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, where steppe habitats have been partially preserved in their natural state in contrast to the area of the former bombing range, which was attached to the reserve in 1998, where the steppe has slightly transformed. This is the only area of typical halophytic wormwood–grass steppe that has avoided continuous ploughing and irrigation. The population density of M. socialis depends on the microrelief, hydrological conditions, and natural spring flooding. The disturbance of vegetation and soil cover due to fires and grazing disrupt the natural population dynamics of social voles. Recovery takes 2 to 3 years. After the cessation of the impact of hydrological, pyrogenic, or pascual factors, population density of the social vole in different habitats becomes balanced. Over 30 years, the population density of Microtus socialis ranged from 200 to 7000 ind./ha (on average 1800 ind./ha). The amplitude of fluctuations in the value of relative abundance in the periods between peaks is about 15 units. The cyclicity in population dynamics of the social vole in the Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula is 6–8 years. The dynamics of the number of social voles is determined by abiotic and biotic factors, which are also cyclical. Disturbances in the cyclicity of population dynamics can occur due to ‘force majeure’ situations of both natural and anthropogenic nature.
{"title":"The social vole Microtus socialis (Сricetidae, Rodentia) in the westernmost part of its geographic range","authors":"Zoya Selyunina, Maria Nitochko","doi":"10.15407/tu2215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2215","url":null,"abstract":"According to the literature, there are several isolated range segments of Microtus socialis across the Palearctic, within which the distribution of the species has mosaic pattern. The westernmost range segment is located in the south of Ukraine covering steppe areas of the Crimea and southern Ukraine and stretching from the lower reaches of the Dnipro to Melitopol in the east and to Dnipro in the north. The social vole is represented in this centre of distribution by the subspecies Microtus socialis nikolajevi. The Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula in Kherson Oblast represents the westernmost edge of the subspecies’ range, where local conditions have practically remained in their natural state and the social vole (Microtus socialis) has a substantial population density. The Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula separates Yahorlyk Bay of the Black Sea from Tendra Bay. The western part of the peninsula (5540 ha) constitutes the ‘Yahorlyk Kut’ protected area of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, where steppe habitats have been partially preserved in their natural state in contrast to the area of the former bombing range, which was attached to the reserve in 1998, where the steppe has slightly transformed. This is the only area of typical halophytic wormwood–grass steppe that has avoided continuous ploughing and irrigation. The population density of M. socialis depends on the microrelief, hydrological conditions, and natural spring flooding. The disturbance of vegetation and soil cover due to fires and grazing disrupt the natural population dynamics of social voles. Recovery takes 2 to 3 years. After the cessation of the impact of hydrological, pyrogenic, or pascual factors, population density of the social vole in different habitats becomes balanced. Over 30 years, the population density of Microtus socialis ranged from 200 to 7000 ind./ha (on average 1800 ind./ha). The amplitude of fluctuations in the value of relative abundance in the periods between peaks is about 15 units. The cyclicity in population dynamics of the social vole in the Yahorlyk Kut Peninsula is 6–8 years. The dynamics of the number of social voles is determined by abiotic and biotic factors, which are also cyclical. Disturbances in the cyclicity of population dynamics can occur due to ‘force majeure’ situations of both natural and anthropogenic nature.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48877100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The salvation of some animal species, including of bats, depends not only on the adoption of laws on the protection of these species at a state level, but also on the attitude of the general public towards them at a household level. Faced with a bat, a person will act according to a certain stereotype, which has already been formed and which is associated with their perception of this animal. Therefore, we tried to find out what people do in a situation when a bat flies into their flat and what are their actions to remove this animal from the flat, as well as what emotions bats evoke in them. A total of 503 students of grades 5 to 10 in Sumy City and district centres of Sumy Oblast were interviewed. Of them, 16.9 % (85) responded that they witnessed cases of bats entering their flats. We provide data on the location and people’s reactions. In 5.9% of cases (5), bats were found in the morning in the room where people slept and then they were released from the balcony. In 94.1 % of cases (80), the animals entered in the evening and were flying in the room. In 34.2 % (26) of cases the animals were allowed to fly independently and the windows were opened, while in most occasions (47.3 %, 36) they were guided out using various tools. At the same time, in 14.5 % cases (11) bats were killed or seriously injured either occasionally or intentionally. In addition, 9.2 % (7) were killed by domestic cats. In 5.3 % of all cases (4), bats died in the shelters. Three individuals (3.9 %) were captured and kept at home for a few days, after which they were released. That is, 27.2% (22 individuals) of the animals reliably died. Almost 60 % of the students think that for whatever reasons bats are capable of attacking humans, get entangled in their hair or bite them. There is a widespread lack of positive perception of bats among both schoolchildren and their parents. All this indicates the need for further popularization of bats among the general public and the search for new ways to convey information. Obviously, the emphasis should be placed not only on their «usefulness», but also on their attractiveness, defencelessness, and vulnerability. This would change the attitude towards these animals in the mass consciousness and thus give them an additional chance to survive.
{"title":"Bat in the flat — people’s reaction and further actions (results of a sociological survey)","authors":"Igor Merzlikin","doi":"10.15407/tu2216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2216","url":null,"abstract":"The salvation of some animal species, including of bats, depends not only on the adoption of laws on the protection of these species at a state level, but also on the attitude of the general public towards them at a household level. Faced with a bat, a person will act according to a certain stereotype, which has already been formed and which is associated with their perception of this animal. Therefore, we tried to find out what people do in a situation when a bat flies into their flat and what are their actions to remove this animal from the flat, as well as what emotions bats evoke in them. A total of 503 students of grades 5 to 10 in Sumy City and district centres of Sumy Oblast were interviewed. Of them, 16.9 % (85) responded that they witnessed cases of bats entering their flats. We provide data on the location and people’s reactions. In 5.9% of cases (5), bats were found in the morning in the room where people slept and then they were released from the balcony. In 94.1 % of cases (80), the animals entered in the evening and were flying in the room. In 34.2 % (26) of cases the animals were allowed to fly independently and the windows were opened, while in most occasions (47.3 %, 36) they were guided out using various tools. At the same time, in 14.5 % cases (11) bats were killed or seriously injured either occasionally or intentionally. In addition, 9.2 % (7) were killed by domestic cats. In 5.3 % of all cases (4), bats died in the shelters. Three individuals (3.9 %) were captured and kept at home for a few days, after which they were released. That is, 27.2% (22 individuals) of the animals reliably died. Almost 60 % of the students think that for whatever reasons bats are capable of attacking humans, get entangled in their hair or bite them. There is a widespread lack of positive perception of bats among both schoolchildren and their parents. All this indicates the need for further popularization of bats among the general public and the search for new ways to convey information. Obviously, the emphasis should be placed not only on their «usefulness», but also on their attractiveness, defencelessness, and vulnerability. This would change the attitude towards these animals in the mass consciousness and thus give them an additional chance to survive.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42485330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans L.) is one of the most poorly studied mammal species in the Belarusian fauna. In Belarus, the species inhabits the south-western border of its distribution range. Despite a multitude of its high conservation statuses, as well as extremely scarce information on the species’ distribution and biology in the country, no special studies on the species have been conducted. The last reliably documented record of the flying squirrel was made more than 20 years ago, in 1996, in Viciebsk District, in the territory of Suražski forestry [Red Data... 2015]. Other information on the state of the population, distribution of the species, or individual registrations in Belarus for the last 20 years (1996–2017) lacks in the literature. We found more than 100 territorial sites of the Syberian flying squirrel in Viciebsk and Haradok districts in 2017–2020. Potential habitats of the species in other districts of the Viciebsk and Minsk regions were also surveyed. This allowed us to establish the borders of the modern distribution area of the species in Belarus, to estimate its current population, and to study some aspects of ecology of the species. At present, the species inhabits less than 1% of the territory of Belarus, but its density in optimal habitats is relatively high. A number of publications, as far back as the last century, indicate a much wider distribution of the species in the country. Therefore, it is possible to indicate a substantial shrinkage of the species’ distribution area during the last 50–100 years. Taking into account the insignificant area of the modern distribution of the species along with the key threats and current forest management tendencies, it is possible to assert with certainty that in the absence of special protection measures, the flying squirrel might soon be gone extinct in Belarus. Some of the habitats we have identified are currently protected by land users. In addition, we have proposed a number of activities within the framework of Management plan development necessary for its conservation, as well as those aimed at further studying, including the possible restoration of its historical range.
{"title":"The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) in Belarus: distribution, abundance, threats, and conservation","authors":"Andrey V. Abramchuk","doi":"10.15407/tu2208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2208","url":null,"abstract":"The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans L.) is one of the most poorly studied mammal species in the Belarusian fauna. In Belarus, the species inhabits the south-western border of its distribution range. Despite a multitude of its high conservation statuses, as well as extremely scarce information on the species’ distribution and biology in the country, no special studies on the species have been conducted. The last reliably documented record of the flying squirrel was made more than 20 years ago, in 1996, in Viciebsk District, in the territory of Suražski forestry [Red Data... 2015]. Other information on the state of the population, distribution of the species, or individual registrations in Belarus for the last 20 years (1996–2017) lacks in the literature. We found more than 100 territorial sites of the Syberian flying squirrel in Viciebsk and Haradok districts in 2017–2020. Potential habitats of the species in other districts of the Viciebsk and Minsk regions were also surveyed. This allowed us to establish the borders of the modern distribution area of the species in Belarus, to estimate its current population, and to study some aspects of ecology of the species. At present, the species inhabits less than 1% of the territory of Belarus, but its density in optimal habitats is relatively high. A number of publications, as far back as the last century, indicate a much wider distribution of the species in the country. Therefore, it is possible to indicate a substantial shrinkage of the species’ distribution area during the last 50–100 years. Taking into account the insignificant area of the modern distribution of the species along with the key threats and current forest management tendencies, it is possible to assert with certainty that in the absence of special protection measures, the flying squirrel might soon be gone extinct in Belarus. Some of the habitats we have identified are currently protected by land users. In addition, we have proposed a number of activities within the framework of Management plan development necessary for its conservation, as well as those aimed at further studying, including the possible restoration of its historical range.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47937806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The mammal fauna state of the Dnipro River’s floodplain within the city of Kyiv is considered. Information on mammals in this region from the first half of the 20th century to the present has been summarized. The change of species abundance and its possible causes are analysed. The general impoverishment of the mammal fauna has been revealed. Due to the transformation of natural complexes and the advancement of human activity in the floodplain, a number of mammal species have disappeared or decreased in number. Among the extinct species is the European mink. A number of other aboriginal species such as otters, ermines, water voles and others have become rare and need protection. At the same time, changing conditions in the floodplain contributed to the recovery of populations of some other species, such as the beaver. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, such synanthropic species as the brown rat, the house mouse, the serotine bat, Kuhl's pipistrelle, and the white-breasted hedgehog have firmly established here. The development of the floodplain by humans has led to the synanthropization of a number of mammal species. An example is the stone marten, which was not previously known in the floodplain. The degree of synanthropization of a number of floodplain-related bats (for example, mouse-eared bats) and insectivores (for example, moles) is also high. The appearance of new species in the floodplain was due to a radical change in conditions, in particular the cessation of spring floods, which led to hedgehogs, moles, and hares becoming permanent residents. The press of hunting in adjacent territories leads to regular migrations of ungulates to the territory of floodplain in Kyiv. The share of alien species is high; among them are the American mink and the raccoon dog. To protect the rare mammal species of the Dnipro’s floodplain, a number of protected areas of local significance have been created in Kyiv, which hinders the development of the floodplain, as well as contributes to the preservation of natural complexes. It is important to create a number of new protected areas and include the most valuable sites into the protected zone of the projected Dnipro Islands National Nature Park. It is also necessary to take a number of mammal species under the protection of the local council, which is especially important in relation to the European mole, Eurasian water shrew, harvest mouse, forest marten, European badger, common weasel, roe deer, and European water vole.
{"title":"Mammals of the Dnipro floodplain in Kyiv: current state and changes for the last 100 years","authors":"I. Parnikoza, I. Zagorodniuk","doi":"10.15407/tu2205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2205","url":null,"abstract":"The mammal fauna state of the Dnipro River’s floodplain within the city of Kyiv is considered. Information on mammals in this region from the first half of the 20th century to the present has been summarized. The change of species abundance and its possible causes are analysed. The general impoverishment of the mammal fauna has been revealed. Due to the transformation of natural complexes and the advancement of human activity in the floodplain, a number of mammal species have disappeared or decreased in number. Among the extinct species is the European mink. A number of other aboriginal species such as otters, ermines, water voles and others have become rare and need protection. At the same time, changing conditions in the floodplain contributed to the recovery of populations of some other species, such as the beaver. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, such synanthropic species as the brown rat, the house mouse, the serotine bat, Kuhl's pipistrelle, and the white-breasted hedgehog have firmly established here. The development of the floodplain by humans has led to the synanthropization of a number of mammal species. An example is the stone marten, which was not previously known in the floodplain. The degree of synanthropization of a number of floodplain-related bats (for example, mouse-eared bats) and insectivores (for example, moles) is also high. The appearance of new species in the floodplain was due to a radical change in conditions, in particular the cessation of spring floods, which led to hedgehogs, moles, and hares becoming permanent residents. The press of hunting in adjacent territories leads to regular migrations of ungulates to the territory of floodplain in Kyiv. The share of alien species is high; among them are the American mink and the raccoon dog. To protect the rare mammal species of the Dnipro’s floodplain, a number of protected areas of local significance have been created in Kyiv, which hinders the development of the floodplain, as well as contributes to the preservation of natural complexes. It is important to create a number of new protected areas and include the most valuable sites into the protected zone of the projected Dnipro Islands National Nature Park. It is also necessary to take a number of mammal species under the protection of the local council, which is especially important in relation to the European mole, Eurasian water shrew, harvest mouse, forest marten, European badger, common weasel, roe deer, and European water vole.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43129583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
For four decades, there have been changes in the ranges of many bat species in Europe, particularly shifts in their northern limits. This phenomenon is more spectacular for migratory species than sedentary ones, especially for representatives of the genera Pipistrellus and Hypsugo. Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) is the one of western Palaearctic bat species with conspicuous range expansion—in the last three decades, the species has rapidly expanded and colonised new territories both northwards and westwards. In Central Europe, two genetic lineages occur that are also quite different morphologically: P. kuhlii kuhlii (hereafter P. kuhlii) and P. kuhlii lepidus (hereafter P. lepidus). The contact zone between these two lineages passes through Hungary and Slovakia, although the real range of distinct lineages and/or morphotypes are still unclear. The first records of P. kuhlii from Poland (probably belonging to P. lepidus) come from Warszawa, central Poland (2004) and Zawiercie, southern Poland (2005): both specimens were males, found in December in buildings. Since then, there have been further reports of the presence of this species in Poland—occurring mostly in large cities along the valleys of large rivers such as the Wisła and Bug, from both periods of activity and hibernation. In subsequent years in Poland the occurrence of only P. lepidus has been confirmed, while P. kuhlii has been recorded from southern locations in the Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. This paper describes the first record of this species from Poland, further indicating the existence of a maternity colony. In mid-July of 2020, a non-volant juvenile male was found in Kraków, Krowodrza district (50°04'11.7" N, 19°54'55.9" E). Initially poorly visible diagnostic features have become unambiguous with development and similar to those in P. kuhlii: narrow pale wing margin and orange penis colouration. After about two months in captivity, a mature individual capable of flying was released at the site where it was found. The presence of a maternity colony indicates that this species (i) has been part of the Polish fauna for several years, and (ii) its range in Poland possibly expands much further north.
{"title":"The first record of a maternity colony of Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Chiroptera) in Poland","authors":"T. Postawa, A. Marchewka","doi":"10.15407/tu2210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2210","url":null,"abstract":"For four decades, there have been changes in the ranges of many bat species in Europe, particularly shifts in their northern limits. This phenomenon is more spectacular for migratory species than sedentary ones, especially for representatives of the genera Pipistrellus and Hypsugo. Kuhl’s pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817) is the one of western Palaearctic bat species with conspicuous range expansion—in the last three decades, the species has rapidly expanded and colonised new territories both northwards and westwards. In Central Europe, two genetic lineages occur that are also quite different morphologically: P. kuhlii kuhlii (hereafter P. kuhlii) and P. kuhlii lepidus (hereafter P. lepidus). The contact zone between these two lineages passes through Hungary and Slovakia, although the real range of distinct lineages and/or morphotypes are still unclear. The first records of P. kuhlii from Poland (probably belonging to P. lepidus) come from Warszawa, central Poland (2004) and Zawiercie, southern Poland (2005): both specimens were males, found in December in buildings. Since then, there have been further reports of the presence of this species in Poland—occurring mostly in large cities along the valleys of large rivers such as the Wisła and Bug, from both periods of activity and hibernation. In subsequent years in Poland the occurrence of only P. lepidus has been confirmed, while P. kuhlii has been recorded from southern locations in the Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. This paper describes the first record of this species from Poland, further indicating the existence of a maternity colony. In mid-July of 2020, a non-volant juvenile male was found in Kraków, Krowodrza district (50°04'11.7\" N, 19°54'55.9\" E). Initially poorly visible diagnostic features have become unambiguous with development and similar to those in P. kuhlii: narrow pale wing margin and orange penis colouration. After about two months in captivity, a mature individual capable of flying was released at the site where it was found. The presence of a maternity colony indicates that this species (i) has been part of the Polish fauna for several years, and (ii) its range in Poland possibly expands much further north.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49227082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Based on results of 50 years of continuous observations of populations of the pine vole (Microtus subterraneus de Selys-Longchamps, 1836) and yellow-necked wood mouse (Sylvaemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834), the phenomenon of reducing body size of individuals was revealed, particularly a significant reduction in body dimensions and body mass. The research was conducted at the Kaniv Nature Reserve covering various stages of the local ecosystem's existence under anthropogenic impact. Four cycles of density dynamics of two populations are chosen for comparison of their characteristics. The first three cycles correspond to qualitatively different periods in the existence of the protected ecosystem and populations of the studied species, whereas the last cycle reflects the current situation. It has been established that the tendency to decrease body dimensions is also characteristic for other rodent species, its manifestations are observed for 35 years, and the scale gradually increases. By fatness indexes, individuals of the pine vole on average lose 23.3% and yellow-necked wood mice lose 16.7% of the former values. It was shown that the level of reduce in exterior parameters is always greater in females than in males, and in the group of breeding adults it can reach 32%. It has been found that the phenomenon also applies to juveniles, whose fatness decreases by an average of 21%. The phenomenon occurs against the background of violations of various aspects of population dynamics, which allows it to be associated with anthropogenic changes in the environment. It is suggested that shrinking can be realized by various mechanisms. First, as a result of mortality, the largest individuals and reproductive females with their greatest energy needs fall out of the population, and, second, the growth and weight gain of young animals is slower. As a result, the decrease in external parameters of individuals reduces their specific energy needs and allows them to better survive under adverse conditions. From these points of view, reducing body dimensions can be considered as a specific population strategy to maintain ecological balance.
根据对松田鼠(Microtus subterraneus de Selys-Longchamps, 1836)和黄颈木鼠(Sylvaemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834)种群50年的连续观察结果，揭示了个体体型缩小的现象，特别是体型和体重明显减少。该研究在Kaniv自然保护区进行，涵盖了人为影响下当地生态系统存在的各个阶段。选择了两个种群的4个密度动态周期来比较它们的特性。前三个周期对应于受保护生态系统和研究物种种群存在的质量不同的时期，而最后一个周期反映了现状。研究发现，其他啮齿类动物也有体型减小的特点，其表现周期为35年，且规模逐渐增大。按肥胖指数计算，松田鼠个体平均减少23.3%，黄颈木鼠个体平均减少16.7%。结果表明，雌虫的外部参数下降幅度大于雄虫，在繁殖成虫群体中可达32%。研究发现，这种现象也适用于青少年，他们的肥胖程度平均下降了21%。这种现象是在违反人口动态的各个方面的背景下发生的，这使它与环境中的人为变化有关。认为收缩可以通过多种机制来实现。首先，由于死亡率的原因，体型最大的个体和能量需求最大的生殖雌性会从种群中消失，其次，幼龄动物的生长和体重增加速度较慢。因此，个体外部参数的减少减少了它们的特定能量需求，使它们能够更好地在不利条件下生存。从这些角度来看，缩小体型可以看作是维持生态平衡的特定种群策略。
{"title":"Shrinkage of body size in rodents as a strategy of populations under anthropogenic conditions (results of 50 years of study of rodent populations)","authors":"S. Myakushko","doi":"10.15407/tu2214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2214","url":null,"abstract":"Based on results of 50 years of continuous observations of populations of the pine vole (Microtus subterraneus de Selys-Longchamps, 1836) and yellow-necked wood mouse (Sylvaemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834), the phenomenon of reducing body size of individuals was revealed, particularly a significant reduction in body dimensions and body mass. The research was conducted at the Kaniv Nature Reserve covering various stages of the local ecosystem's existence under anthropogenic impact. Four cycles of density dynamics of two populations are chosen for comparison of their characteristics. The first three cycles correspond to qualitatively different periods in the existence of the protected ecosystem and populations of the studied species, whereas the last cycle reflects the current situation. It has been established that the tendency to decrease body dimensions is also characteristic for other rodent species, its manifestations are observed for 35 years, and the scale gradually increases. By fatness indexes, individuals of the pine vole on average lose 23.3% and yellow-necked wood mice lose 16.7% of the former values. It was shown that the level of reduce in exterior parameters is always greater in females than in males, and in the group of breeding adults it can reach 32%. It has been found that the phenomenon also applies to juveniles, whose fatness decreases by an average of 21%. The phenomenon occurs against the background of violations of various aspects of population dynamics, which allows it to be associated with anthropogenic changes in the environment. It is suggested that shrinking can be realized by various mechanisms. First, as a result of mortality, the largest individuals and reproductive females with their greatest energy needs fall out of the population, and, second, the growth and weight gain of young animals is slower. As a result, the decrease in external parameters of individuals reduces their specific energy needs and allows them to better survive under adverse conditions. From these points of view, reducing body dimensions can be considered as a specific population strategy to maintain ecological balance.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41806763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oleksandr Vikyrchak, Petro Ploshchanskyi, Andriy Bachynsky, Tetiana Mykytiuk
In 2021, the authors, with the assistance of speleological clubs, conducted winter surveys of bats in underground cavities of in the Ternopil part of the Middle Dnister Region. Twenty wintering shelters of different origin and size were inspected, of which ten are described for the first time. A total of 2573 individuals of 6 species were recorded. The most abundant species (92.84%) was Rhinolophus hipposideros. The most noticeable accumulations of this species were found in the caves Kryshtaleva, Vitrova, Verteba, Yuvileyna, and Ozerna. The second most abundant species was Myotis myotis. A total of 134 individuals of this species were found, which is 5.2% of the total number of recorded bats. On the third place were Myotis daubentonii (1.1%) and Plecotus auritus (0.7%), which were found in five shelters each, albeit in small numbers. The largest number of bats was found in Kryshtaleva Cave—1188 individuals belonging to 2 species. Several hundred individuals were found during the winter in the caves Verteba and Vitrova, and more than a hundred in the caves Khomach, Juvyleyna, and Ozerna. The highest species richness was recorded in the caves Ugryn, Teklivska, and Mlynky (four species in each). There have been no noticeable changes in the abundance and species composition of bats during the winter in the underground cavities of the studied region since 2019 (at the time of preliminary surveys). It is possible to trace an increase in the abundance of Rhinolophus hipposideros in Kryshtaleva Cave, of Myotis daubentonii in Ugryn Cave, and of Plecotus auritus in several shelters. This indicates that the mode of use of caves (for scientific and recreational purposes) does not prevent them from fulfilling the role of wintering shelters for this group of animals. The Ternopil part of the Middle Dnister Region is characterized by the absolute dominance of Rhinolophus hipposideros, whereas in the neighbouring Kamenets part of the region this species ranks second in abundance after Myotis myotis. Cold-tolerant species are much more common in the Kamianets-Podilskyi area. These differences are related to the different types of the most common wintering shelters in the region.
{"title":"Composition of winter aggregations of bats (Chiroptera) in cave-type shelters in the Middle Dnister region (census of 2021)","authors":"Oleksandr Vikyrchak, Petro Ploshchanskyi, Andriy Bachynsky, Tetiana Mykytiuk","doi":"10.15407/tu2212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2212","url":null,"abstract":"In 2021, the authors, with the assistance of speleological clubs, conducted winter surveys of bats in underground cavities of in the Ternopil part of the Middle Dnister Region. Twenty wintering shelters of different origin and size were inspected, of which ten are described for the first time. A total of 2573 individuals of 6 species were recorded. The most abundant species (92.84%) was Rhinolophus hipposideros. The most noticeable accumulations of this species were found in the caves Kryshtaleva, Vitrova, Verteba, Yuvileyna, and Ozerna. The second most abundant species was Myotis myotis. A total of 134 individuals of this species were found, which is 5.2% of the total number of recorded bats. On the third place were Myotis daubentonii (1.1%) and Plecotus auritus (0.7%), which were found in five shelters each, albeit in small numbers. The largest number of bats was found in Kryshtaleva Cave—1188 individuals belonging to 2 species. Several hundred individuals were found during the winter in the caves Verteba and Vitrova, and more than a hundred in the caves Khomach, Juvyleyna, and Ozerna. The highest species richness was recorded in the caves Ugryn, Teklivska, and Mlynky (four species in each). There have been no noticeable changes in the abundance and species composition of bats during the winter in the underground cavities of the studied region since 2019 (at the time of preliminary surveys). It is possible to trace an increase in the abundance of Rhinolophus hipposideros in Kryshtaleva Cave, of Myotis daubentonii in Ugryn Cave, and of Plecotus auritus in several shelters. This indicates that the mode of use of caves (for scientific and recreational purposes) does not prevent them from fulfilling the role of wintering shelters for this group of animals. The Ternopil part of the Middle Dnister Region is characterized by the absolute dominance of Rhinolophus hipposideros, whereas in the neighbouring Kamenets part of the region this species ranks second in abundance after Myotis myotis. Cold-tolerant species are much more common in the Kamianets-Podilskyi area. These differences are related to the different types of the most common wintering shelters in the region.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47108119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Nakonechny, Sergiy V. Skoryk, Yulia A. Khodosovtseva
Preserved and protected within the territory of the Kamyanska Sich National Nature Park areas of psammophytic steppe are natural habitats of the highly specialized and stenotopic northern mole vole Ellobius talpinus. Studies of recent settlements of the species have revealed their strong preference for slopes of riparian balkas and upper terraces of the Kamiansko-Mylivska section of the Kakhovka Reservoir covered with psammophytic vegetation. As places for colonies, these rodents definitely prefer dry loess-sandy soils of light composition, avoiding shrubbery and dense grass due to the danger of disguising in them flying and terrestrial predators. A total of 14 "living" colonies of the northern mole vole were registered, 9 of which were defined as small-family settlements (less than 100 m2). The other five colonies had a clearly multi-family structure and a large area (680–1720 m2), within which spatially isolated clusters of emissions were traced hypothetically perceived as separate family constructions (up to 270 m2). According to these landmarks, some large settlements contained 3 to 9 networks of family burrows located at a distance of 57 to 106 m. Five small uninhabited settlements (45–70 m2) were also recorded with signs of last year emissions. These settlements were located on the periphery of large colonies, 108–219 m far from the nearest emissions of "living" settlements. Estimates of the total number of inhabitants of the 14 "living" settlements in the territory of the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park range from 50 to 200 individuals. As of July 2021, the number of reproductive adults in the registered colonies of the species is 40–50, while the number of young of the current year of birth should be estimated at least 100–120 individuals. Colonies of the northern mole vole are characterized by the presence in their vicinities of spring ephemeroids such as T. hypanica, T. schrenkii, B. versicolor, and C. reticulatus, which are indicator species of primary virgin steppe biotopes. The results of surveys of northern mole vole colonies and ecological assessments of protected natural habitats of the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park provide grounds for a favourable prognosis of further preservation of the last range segment of the species in the territory of Right-Bank Ukraine.
{"title":"Characteristics of settlements of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinus) in the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park","authors":"I. Nakonechny, Sergiy V. Skoryk, Yulia A. Khodosovtseva","doi":"10.15407/tu2213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/tu2213","url":null,"abstract":"Preserved and protected within the territory of the Kamyanska Sich National Nature Park areas of psammophytic steppe are natural habitats of the highly specialized and stenotopic northern mole vole Ellobius talpinus. Studies of recent settlements of the species have revealed their strong preference for slopes of riparian balkas and upper terraces of the Kamiansko-Mylivska section of the Kakhovka Reservoir covered with psammophytic vegetation. As places for colonies, these rodents definitely prefer dry loess-sandy soils of light composition, avoiding shrubbery and dense grass due to the danger of disguising in them flying and terrestrial predators. A total of 14 \"living\" colonies of the northern mole vole were registered, 9 of which were defined as small-family settlements (less than 100 m2). The other five colonies had a clearly multi-family structure and a large area (680–1720 m2), within which spatially isolated clusters of emissions were traced hypothetically perceived as separate family constructions (up to 270 m2). According to these landmarks, some large settlements contained 3 to 9 networks of family burrows located at a distance of 57 to 106 m. Five small uninhabited settlements (45–70 m2) were also recorded with signs of last year emissions. These settlements were located on the periphery of large colonies, 108–219 m far from the nearest emissions of \"living\" settlements. Estimates of the total number of inhabitants of the 14 \"living\" settlements in the territory of the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park range from 50 to 200 individuals. As of July 2021, the number of reproductive adults in the registered colonies of the species is 40–50, while the number of young of the current year of birth should be estimated at least 100–120 individuals. Colonies of the northern mole vole are characterized by the presence in their vicinities of spring ephemeroids such as T. hypanica, T. schrenkii, B. versicolor, and C. reticulatus, which are indicator species of primary virgin steppe biotopes. The results of surveys of northern mole vole colonies and ecological assessments of protected natural habitats of the Kamianska Sich National Nature Park provide grounds for a favourable prognosis of further preservation of the last range segment of the species in the territory of Right-Bank Ukraine.","PeriodicalId":52897,"journal":{"name":"Theriologia Ukrainica","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43434241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：