Scientific publications

The species composition and abundance dynamics of small mammals based on the results of monitoring in Pryazhinsky District of Karelia in 2004–2016 are considered. The features of the study area are the watershed between catchments draining into lakes Onego and Ladoga, a multitude of water bodies, intensive past human activities, including forestry, and the resultant prevalence of secondary forests (spruce, mixed coniferous-deciduous and deciduous forests with moderate moisture levels). Surveys have revealed the presence of 15 species of small mammals in the area, the dominants being the common shrew and the bank vole. The total abundance of shrews has been steadily higher than that of rodents. The features of abundance variations common for all the species are wide fluctuation amplitude, short duration of rise periods, and deep population lows. Overall, abundance levels both for the entire small mammal population and for specific groups and species differ from those observed in other parts of the republic. Synchronous abundance fluctuations have been noted for dominant small mammal species. Analysis of species distribution among biotopes showed that small mammals unevenly populated different types of habitats. The number of species was the highest in low deciduous forests, and the lowest in pine forests of the true moss type. There are some distinctions of the study area from other parts of Karelia in terms of the population structure of small mammals and the degree of dominance of individual species, in the total abundance of small mammals and the abundance of individual species.