THE SPECIES STRUCTURE OF SMALL MAMMAL COMMUNITIES OF ULYANOVSK REGION 

Khaysarova Anna Nikolaevna, Postgraduate student, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), an_stolyarova@mail.ru
Bolotin Alexander Yur'evich, Postgraduate student, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), sum_rock@mail.ru
Titov Sergey Vital'evich, Doctor of biological sciences, professor, head of sub-department of zoology and ecology, dean of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), svtitov@yandex.ru

599.323:574.472+470.42

10.21685/2307-9150-2017-3-3

Background. Having a unique natural arrangement, Ulyanovsk region falls into to the forest-steppe physiographic zone. A variety of landscapes and a wide range of habitats in this region create conditions for emergence of a big variety of communities of small mammals and unequal development of homotypical populations. There has been quite a number of works devoted to the population of small mammals relating to insectivorous and rodent orders, however most of them cover questions concerning only biotopical confinedness and long-term population changes of background species. The research purpose is to study the species composition, features of distribution and species structure of micro mammal communities in various habitats and the accompanying biotopes in the territory of Ulyanovsk region.
Materials and methods. The results of studies carried out during the field season of 2014–2015 were taken as the research material. 13 areas of Ulyanovsk region and  Ulyanovsk city were zones of the studies. Rodents were caught by means of Gero’s traps by the standard technique. For the studied period 2900 traps/days were fulfilled, 677 specimens of small mammals were caught.
Results. 8 species of insectivorous mammals and rodents were registered in the studied period of catching. 481 of insectivorous mammals and rodents were selected for a further genetic analysis (in total 667 insectivorous mammals and rodents were caught).
Conclusions. The research shows that the greatest species variety is located in the “mixed wood” habitat (7 of 8 were recorded), the least – in flood plains (2 species per each habitat). The species structure is presented by 8 species of insectivorous and mouse-like rodents. In general, the captures were prevailed by the red vole (35 %); the forest mouse (25 %) was subdominant being registered in all analyzed habitats.

small mammals, rodents, insectivorous, structure of communities, Ulyanovsk region

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