scholarly journals Occurrence of the insectivores and rodents in the Samarskaya Luka (European Russia)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadezhda Kirillova ◽  
Alexander Kirillov ◽  
Victoria Vekhnik ◽  
Anastasia Klenina
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
European Russia ◽  
Russian Plain ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Volga River ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Samarskaya Luka

In this paper, we present our dataset containing up-to-date information about occurrences of small mammals (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha and Rodentia) on the territory of Samarskaya Luka. It is a bend of the Volga River in the southern part of the forest-steppe zone of the Russian Plain (European Russia). This unique territory is surrounded on almost all sides by water. The dataset summarises small mammal occurrences noted in long-term studies in Samarskaya Luka from 2000 to 2020. A major part of the dataset was obtained during our helminthological study of small mammals. Besides, some data were attained when studying the ecology of tree-dwelling rodents. Our studies of small mammals were conducted by trap lines and direct observations in the wild. The dataset includes 8147 records of erinaceomorphs, soricomorphs and rodents of 26 species (of total 28) belonging to three orders, nine families and 21 genera. It is based on the research of the staff of the Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve. The distribution of erinaceomorphs, soricomorphs and rodents in Samarskaya Luka has not been completely studied and further investigation may well discover new small mammal habitats. Our dataset contains new information on occurrences of erinaceomorphs, soricomorphs and rodents in Samarskaya Luka (European Russia). All occurrence records of 26 mammal species with georeferencing are published in GBIF for the first time. The occurrence data are stored in our field journals and we would like to make them available to all researchers.

scholarly journals Diversity and Diet Differences of Small Mammals in Commensal Habitats

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Linas Balčiauskas ◽  
Laima Balčiauskienė ◽  
Andrius Garbaras ◽  
Vitalijus Stirkė
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Additional Food ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Degree Of Separation ◽  
Kitchen Gardens ◽  
Dietary Plasticity ◽  
The Stability

The stability of diversity of syntopic (inhabiting the same habitat in the same time) small mammals in commensal habitats, such as farmsteads and kitchen gardens, and, as a proxy of their diet, their isotopic niches, was investigated in Lithuania in 2019–2020. We tested whether the separation of species corresponds to the trophic guilds, whether their diets are related to possibilities of getting additional food from humans, and whether their diets are subject to seasonal trends. We analyzed diversity, dominance and distribution of hair δ13C and δ15N values. Diversity and dominance was not stable and differed according to human influence. The highest small mammal species richness occurred in commensal habitats that provided additional food. The degree of separation of species was higher in homestead habitats than in kitchen gardens, where a 1.27 to 35.97% overlap of isotopic niches was observed between pairs of species. Temporal changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of the mammals were not equally expressed in different species. The isotopic overlap may depend on dietary plasticity, minimizing interspecific competition and allowing co-existence of syntopic species. Thus, small mammal trophic ecology is likely related to intensity of agricultural activities in the limited space of commensal habitats.

Small mammal mycophagy in hemiboreal forest communities of Lithuania

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kataržytė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.

An attempt to determine the size of the Common Barn-owl’s (Tyto alba) hunting area based on its prey composition

2021 ◽  
pp. 175815592110660
Author(s):  
Jenő J Purger ◽  
Dávid Szép
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Prey Composition ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
Owl Pellets

The relative abundance of small mammal species detected from Common Barn-owl pellets reflects the landscape structure and habitat pattern of the owl’s hunting area, but it is also affected by the size of the collected pellet sample and the size of the supposed hunting area. The questions arise: how many pellets should be collected and analyzed as well as how large hunting area should be taken into consideration in order to reach the best correspondence between the owl’s prey composition and the distribution of habitats preferred by small mammals preyed in supposed hunting areas? For this study, we collected 1045 Common Barn-owl pellets in a village in southern Hungary. All detected small mammal species were classified into functional groups (guilds) preferring urban, open, forest and wetland habitats. The proportion of functional groups was compared to the proportion of these habitats around the pellet collection site within circles of one, two, and three km radius. Saturation curves showed that at least 300 pellets or ca. 600 mammalian remains are required for the detection of the 19 small mammal species. The share of small mammals detected in the prey and their functional groups according to their habitat preference showed an increasing consistency with the distribution of real habitats in the potential hunting area of a radius of 3 km around the owl’s breeding or resting place.

scholarly journals Vegetation cover and small mammals as the components of biocoenosis in the conditions of the Volga Upland

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
Elena Evgenievna Boryakova
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Distinct Group ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
The Village

The study of the nature reserve oak forest near the village of Pelya-Khovanskaya ecosystem was done in the region of Nizhny Novgorod. The investigated wood is unique for its complex structure. It is situated in the forest-steppe zone, characterized by a high species diversity of small mammals and vegetation, which indicates the complexity of trophic and spatial connections. Several series of sample plots were described: 41 of 2020 m and a number of 11 m sites, totaling 300. Abundance of species by Brown-Blanke scale and the number of specimens of adolescence were specified for each 1 sq. m. plot. Mammals were trapped with the help of trapping grooves and transects method. Vegetation cover is characterized by the presence of a clear intra-differentiation as well as the existence of two basic ecologo-coenotic groups/cores - the nemoral (with Pulmonaria obscura Dum. as the center species of the core) and the meadow-fringe. The most distinct group is formed by forest-shoot species. It can be explained by more forest-steppe rather than nemoral nature of vegetation. Small mammals are represented by the following species: common and small shrews, small forest mouse, yellow-throated and field mice and harvest mouse, vole-housekeeper, common, plowed and red voles, European mole. Two species among them - vole-housekeeper and mouse-baby - are listed in the Red Book of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Matching burrows of mouse-like rodents with soil richness with nitrogen and humidity, two well-defined peaks are observed. The greatest number of burrows is found in places where the soil is high in nitrogen. Moles were found in areas with a large projective coating of Primula veris: coefficient Spearman rank 0,50. There was a negative correlation of the number of moles and vegetation covering of Pyrethrum corymbosum (-0,46), which is the marker of the driest parts in the forest. In general, the nature reserve oak forest near the village of Pelya-Khovanskaya is of considerable interest, both from botanical and from zoological point of view. Long-term studies of biocoenosis will allow to monitor the facility and to correct the proposed protective measures.

scholarly journals Flea Communities on Small Mammals in Lowland Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Baláž ◽  
Martina Zigová
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Small Mammal Species

AbstractThe landscape of south-western Slovakia is characterised by anthropogenous reshaping, while fragments of undisturbed, waterlogged habitats have been preserved in what remains of the meandering ancient Žitava River. These refuges are inhabited by various small mammal species and their blood-sucking ectoparasites. Between 2014 and 2018, research on them was carried out in Slovakia’s Danubian Lowland (Podunajská nížina) during three out of the four seasons (spring, summer and autumn). The small mammals were captured at 27 localities. The occurrence of nine flee species from the Hystrichopsyllidae, Ctenophthalmidae and Ceratophyllidae families was documented on 12 small burrowing mammals. During the course of all the seasons in which research was conducted, Ctenophthalmus agyrtes, C. assimilis, Megabothris turbidus a Nosopsyllus fasciatus were found, among the most dominant species to be seen on small burrowing mammals.

An evaluation of small-mammal use of constructed wildlife crossings in ski resorts

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mellesa Schroder ◽  
Chloe F. Sato
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Exotic Grasses ◽  
Ski Resorts ◽  
Infrared Cameras

Context Infrastructure development in ski-resort areas has led to the modification of slopes and, often, the replacement of native plant species with exotic grasses. Modified ski slopes are effectively linear areas of disturbance that separate natural habitat and provide barriers to the movement of native animal species. To overcome these barriers, boulder-filled and culvert-style wildlife crossings have been constructed across disturbed ski slopes and under roadways to facilitate the movement of small native mammal species among areas of remnant habitat, but generally they differ in size and locality. The use of boulder-filled and under-road culvert crossings of different length has not been evaluated. Aims We determine whether fauna utilise wildlife crossings in ski resorts and whether variations in crossing length influence the species using the crossings. Methods We monitored boulder-filled crossings of two size classes (long or short) biannually from March 2009 to April 2013, using hair tubes. We monitored an additional two under-road culvert crossings with remote infrared cameras. Key results The results indicated that all crossings, regardless of size, are utilised by small mammals. However, we detected threatened species, such as Mastacomys fuscus (broad-toothed rat), more frequently in crossings of greater length. Conclusions To maintain linkages for small-mammal populations within ski resorts, we recommend the continued use of boulder-filled crossings on ski slopes. These crossings may be particularly important in facilitating the movement of small mammals across wide areas of ski-slope disturbance. Implications The context and maintenance of crossings is likely to be important for their long-term use by small mammals, as are complementary strategies to restore structural habitat connectivity on ski slopes, such as strategically implemented native vegetation plantings.

Ecology of mites (Acarina) on small mammals (Eulipotyphla, Rodentia) in Podunajská nížina plain

Biologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Poláčiková
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Ecological Evaluation ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Mite Communities ◽  
Small Mammal Species

AbstractThis study deals with the species distribution and structure of mite communities living in the fur of small mammals. Mesostigmatic mites (Acarina: Mesostigmata) of several small mammal species were studied at several sites of Slovakia situated in the Podunajská nížna lowland. The aims deal with ecological evaluation of mesostigmatic mites and their small mammal hosts. The research was done from 2005 to 2007. Several small mammal species were caught at 16 sites in the research area. These represent 13 types of biotopes. On the captured small mammals we recorded 3,141 individuals of mesostigmatic mites (7 families and 22 species). The dominance and the diversity of the recorded mites were analysed. Mites being interpreted as the variable one were evaluated by cluster analysis and multifactor analysis (detrended correspondence analysis, principal components analysis, redundancy analysis). Small terrestrial mammals as hosts of mites represent “holders” of environmental factors, in the analysis they are being evaluated as explanatory variable mainly. They transform direct impact of the environment and for that reason the ecological evaluation of mites is specific comparing to other taxonomical and ecological groups of animals.

Dietary overlap between sympatric dingoes and feral cats at a semiarid rangeland site in Western Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim S. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Food Item ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Common Food ◽  
Semiarid Rangeland

The diet of sympatric dingoes and feral cats was studied in the semiarid southern rangelands of Western Australia. A total of 163 scats were collected over a period of 19 months. Rabbit remains were the most common food item in cat scats, followed by reptiles, small mammals and birds. Macropod remains were the most common food item in dingo scats, followed by rabbits and birds. Dingo scats did not contain small mammal remains, and infrequently contained arthropod and reptile remains. Cat and dingo scats contained remains from 11 and six mammal species, respectively. Of the small mammals, cat scats contained rodent remains more frequently than those of dasyurids. Dietary diversity of cats was higher than for dingoes and dietary overlap between the two species was relatively low.

scholarly journals FEATURES OF DESIGNING LANDSCAPE-ECOLOGICAL ROUTES FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE TERRITORY OF THE NATIONAL PARK “SAMARA LUKA” SAMARA REGION

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia A. Alekseeva ◽  
◽  
Oleg G. Zotov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
National Park ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Landscape Ecological ◽  
Wide Potential ◽  
Samarskaya Luka

The national Park “Samarskaya Luka” and the adjacent “Zhigulevsky state reserve of I. I. Sprygin” is a special territory that includes a variety of natural monuments, natural landscapes, unique flora and fauna for the forest-steppe zone. In this regard, this area opens up a wide potential for tourism, which is actively implemented by the management of the national Park. The purpose of this article is to show the prospects of studying this territory in the framework of a school geography course, conducting field trips along pre – developed routes on the territory of this protected area.

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