CLASSIFICATION OF VERTEBRATE COMMUNITY AMPHIBIAN,
BIRDS AND SMALL MAMMALS OF THE WEST SIBERIAN PLAIN
Yu.S. Ravkin*,
L.G. Vartapetov, V.A. Yudkin, I.V. Pokrovskaja,
K.V. Toropov, V.S. Zhukov, S.M. Tzybulin,
A.K. Dobrotvorsky, B.N. Fomin, V.V. Panov, V.N. Blinov,
T.K. Blinova, A.M. Adam, I.N. Bogomolova, E.L. Shor,
I.V. Lukyanova, V.P. Starikov, S.A. Solovyev, V.M. Anufriev,
A.A. Ananin, G.M. Tertitsky
Laboratory of zoological monitoring Institute
of Animal Systematics and Ecology Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of
Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia, zm@eco.nsc.ru
*To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Russia, 630091 Novosibirsk, Frunze str. 11
Key words: amphibian, birds, small
mammals, West Siberia, community, classification
Abstract
The unified classification of
the population number in the second half of summer of amphibian, birds and
small mammal communities of West Siberian Plain is presented.
Introduction
Heterogeneity
of amphibian , birds and small mammal communities, considered together, is
analyzed. The communities involve the greater part of the terrestrial
vertebrate population. Thus , it is reasonable to suppose, that the common
picture in spatial changes of these taxocenoses is compared with that in all
terrestrial vertebrates of the studied area. Regions and census years and full
list of participants involved are given in previous publications (Ravkin et
al., 1977, 1991, 1995 a,b; 2001). Latin species names are given according to
publications of A.G. Bannikov, et al. (1977), The Catalogue of Mammalia of
USSR (1981), A.I. Ivanov (1976), types of fauna after B.K. Shtegman
(1938) with some refinements and additions.
Materials and methods
Animals were censused in the
second half of summer (from 16 July till 31 August) since 1963 till 1995. To
compare data the relative indices of amphibian and small mammal abundance are
adjusted to the absolute ones (Ravkin, Lukjanova, 1976). Then the species
abundance for each group of animals was averaged on the plots of the map
"Vegetation of the West Siberian Plain" (1976), and differentiated
over three almost equal longitudinal bands. The latter was done lest the
information on the provincial differences of the population (when present)
should be lost. Thereafter, the communities' variants of the three groups of
animals, distinguished on these plots and having the same number are combined.
Data on settlement population and water-water-adjacent communities are also
averaged. The latter is conventionally limited by amphibian and small mammals,
encountered only on trembling bogs and narrow coastal band, temporary drained
when shallowing and after the tides.
The described averaging and
the unification of original data resulted in 363 mean variants of the
community, used for father estimation of the Jaccar-Naumov similarity
coefficients. According to these coefficients the community was classified with
one of the methods of cluster analysis (Trofimov, Ravkin,1980). The comparison
of the distinguished groups, additionally subdivided into subgroups, shown that
the influence of provinciality is not so great as compared with other more
important environmental factors. Thereafter, the obtained mean data were again
averaged over the plots of the map, independently of the belonging to the
latitudinal band. This averaging resulted in 271 means, used again for the
community classification.
Groups
of variants, combined at the first division of the totality, were considered as
the types of the community. Conceptually and territorially they approximate to
the notion of the vegetation type (forest, meadow, steppe), including other,
but similar variants of the communities. For example, the forest type can
include the community of the afforestated marshes. Types are combined into
systems, if on the dominant similarity they follow each other, forming zonal
rows, (e.g. tundra type is alternated by the forest tundra, then by the forest
and steppe). Usually these systems consist of types with more pronounced
similarity between them, than with types of other systems. Rows from West
Siberia usually show the decreased similarity between northern and more southern
types. It allows supra-type grouping to be distinguished inside the rows. Types
again are subdivided into subtypes, then into classes and sometimes into
subclasses in the same fashion that the totality. In all combinations the
equally pronounced environmental factors or their combinations (regimes) are
found. These factors or combinations shouldn't be traced on the territory,
occupied by other distinguished group. For example, according to the similarity
type the totality of the communities was divided into three groups: the first
one involved the community of forests, the second –the mosaic habitats, with
the forest areas combined with the open forests, and the third – open biotopes.
In this case, one can state, that the division coincides with the afforestation
changes, and it serves as explanation for the division and for the basis of the
taxa names.
Classification of
the community
I.
The community system of unbuilt territory
A.
Northern supra-type grouping
1.
Arctic tundra type of the community (leaders on the
abundance are Lemmus sibiricus, Calidris minutus, Calidris alpina,
Phalaropus lobatus, Philomachus pugnax; the community density – 906
specimens per km square; the total number of seen species is 40 / including the
background – 29; the portion of representatives of arctic type is 98%)[1]
Subtypes of the community
1.1
– tundra, flood-plain willow stands, meadows (Lemmus
sibiricus, Calidris minutus, Eremophila alpestris, Calcarius lapponicus,
Philomachus pugnax, 850; 29/19; arctic type 99%);
1.2
– bogs (Calidris minutus, Calidris alpina,
Phalaropus lobatus, Lemmus sibiricus; 1439; 29/25; arctic type 98%);
1.3 – seaside meadows “tamps” (Lemmus sibiricus, Philomachus pugnax, Calidris temminckii, Calidris minutus, Phalaropus lobatus; 538; 25/21; arctic type 92%);
2. – Subarctic tundra type of the community (Lemmus sibiricus, Sorex tundrensis, Microtus oeconomus, Sorex caecutiens, Rana arvalis; 3275; 119/44; arctic type 42%, tundra-forest steppe relicts 32%, transpalearcts 14%.
Subtypes of the community:
2.1 – northern subarctic tundras, bogs and meadows (Lemmus sibiricus, Sorex tundrensis, Anthus cervina, Calcarius lapponicus, Dicrostonys torquatus; 6485; 64/33; arctic type 76%; tundra-forest steppe relicts 21%);
2.2 – southern low bush tundra (Lemmus sibiricus, Sorex tundrensis, Microtus oeconomus, Calcarius lapponicus, Dicrostonys torquatus; 887; 63/24; arctic type 45%, tundra-forest steppe relicts 25%, transpalearcts 18%;
2.3 – southern bush tundra (Microtus oeconomus, Sorex tundrensis, Acanthis flammea, Lemmus sibiricus, Sorex caecutiens; 2317; 62/34; transpalearcts 45%, tundra forest steppe relicts 26%, arctic type 15%);
2.4 – southern subarctic tundra palsa and polygonal bogs (Sorex tundrensis, S. caecutiens, Lemmus sibiricus, Anthus cervina, Calcarius lapponicus; 1248, 55/30; tundra-forest steppe relicts 58%; transpalearcts 18%, arctic type 16%);
2.5 – forest tundra and northern taiga tundra and palsa bogs (Rana arvalis, Sorex tundrensis, S. caecutiens, Clethrionomys rutilus, Microtus oeconomus; 1181; 92/35; european type 42%, tundra-forest-steppe relicts 20%, transpalearcts 17%, siberian type 11%);
2.6 – subarctic tundra flood-plains of large rivers (Sorex tundrensis, S. caecutiens, Microtus oeconomus, , Anthus cervina, Lemmus sibiricus; 8159; 62/33; tundra-forest steppe relicts 59%, transpalearcts 26%).
B. Middle supratype grouping[2]
3. Forest tundra type of the community (Rana arvalis, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex caecutiens, S. tundrensis, Microtus oeconomus; 4507; 167/58; siberian type 34%; transpalearcts 28%, european and arctic types by 14%).
3.1. Subtype of the community of light forests (Rana arvalis, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex caecutiens, S. tundrensis, Microtus oeconomus; 4499; 126/46; european type 32%, siberian type 30%, transpalearcts 24%, tundra-forest steppe relicts 13%).
Classes of the community:
3.1.1 – forest tundra (Sorex tundrensis, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex caecutiens, Emberiza pusilla, Acanthis flammea; 2550; 95/37; siberian type 36%, tundra-forest steppe relicts 28%, transpalearcts 26%);
3.1.2 – northern taiga (Rana arvalis, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex caecutiens, S. tundrensis, Microtus oeconomus; 6015; 106/45; european type 40%, siberian 27%, transpalearcts 24%);
3.2. Subtype of the community of north- taiga pine forests and high bogs (Rana arvalis, Sorex caecutiens, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex tundrensis, Microtus agrestis; 4522; 144/62; european type 41%, siberian and transpalearcts by 25%).
4. Forest type of the community (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Sorex araneus, Hynobius keyserlingi, Sorex caecutiens; 50392; 334/128; european type 88%).
Subtypes of the community:
4.1 – unpine and unlight forests of the forest tundra and northern taiga (Rana arvalis, Clethrionomys rutilus, Sorex caecutiens, S. tundrensis, S. araneus; 13632; 141/66; european type 56%, siberian 19%, transpalearcts 16%);
4.2 – flood plains of large rivers within the forest tundra and northern taiga (Rana arvalis, Sorex araneus, Microtus oeconomus, Hynobius keyserlingi, Sorex tundrensis; 22165, 139/70; european type 86%);
4.3 – dark coniferous, dark coniferous-small leaved and small leaved forests, burns, felled areas, fields-coppices and southern taiga (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Sorex araneus, S. caecutiens, Clethrionomys rutilus; 32145; 230/109; european type 70%; siberian 15%, transpalearcts 15%).
Classes of the community:
4.3.1 – middle
taiga (Bufo bufo, Rana arvalis, Sorex caecutiens, S. araneus, Clethrionomys
rutilus; 29763; 155/73; european type 67%; siberian 16%, transpalearcts
15%);
4.3.2 – southern taiga
(Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Sorex araneus, S. caecutiens, Clethrionomys
rutilus; 33244; 219/115; european type 715%, siberian 15%; transpalearcts
11%).
Subtypes of the community:
4.4 – pine,
dark-coniferous and birch-pine and high bogs from the middle taiga to the
forest-steppe includingly (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Sorex araneus, S.
caecutiens, Clethrionomys rutilus; 32752; 237/102; european type 88%);
4.5 – sedge
marshes, unsteppe meadows and flood-plains of large rivers from the middle
taiga to the forest-steppe includingly (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Hynobius
keyserlingi, Sorex araneus, Rana amurensis; 103829; 282/115; european type
93%);
4.6 – steppe meadows
and steppes within the forest-steppe, birch-aspen forests, fields-coppices,
fields and flood-lands within subtaiga forests and the forest-steppe (Rana
arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo bufo, Sorex araneus, S. minutus; 26355;
241/103, european type 90%).
Classes of the
community:
4.6.1 – birch-aspen
forests (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Rana amurensis, Sorex araneus, S. minutus;
19507; 198/103; european type 75%, siberian 16%);
4.6.2 –
forests-coppices and fields (Rana arvalis, Bufo bufo, Pelobates fuscus,
Sorex araneus, Apodemus agrarius; 17159;112/80; european type 85%);
4.6.3 – steppe
meadows and steppes (Rana arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Microtus gregalis,
Sorex araneus, Apodemus agrarius; 19028; 107/66; european type 96%);
4.6.4 – floodlands
(Rana arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Sorex minutus, Microtus oeconomus, Micromys
minutus; 40579; 177/76; european type 86%).
Subtypes of the
community:
4.7 – forest-steppe
dumps (Rana arvalis, Passer montanus, Microtus gregalis, Corvus frugilegus,
Cannabina cannabina; 13480; 43/38; european type 68%, transpalearcts 13%);
4.8 – steppe
flood-lands (Bufo viridis, Rana arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Sorex minutus, S.
araneus; 82260; 130/81; european type 62%, mediterranean 31%).
5. Steppe type of
the community (steppe zone; Rana arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo viridis,
Microtus arvalis, Scirtopoda telum; 30762; 184/92; european type 88%).
Subtypes of the
community:
5.1 – steppes and
meadows (Rana arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo viridis, Microtus arvalis,
Scirtopoda telum; 41031; 169/47; european type 91%);
5.2 – fields (Alauda
arvensis, Pelobates fuscus, Cricetulus migratorius, Passer montanus, Corvus
frugilegus; 5594; 64/57; transpalearcts 48%; european type 27%,
mediterranean 15%);
5.3
– pine forests (Bufo viridis, Rana arvalis, Microtus
arvalis, Pelobates fuscus, Sorex tundrensis; 4597; 63/43; european type
56%, mediterranean 30%).
II. System of
water-water-adjacent communities
A. Northern
supra-type grouping
Types of the
community:
6
– arctic lakes and bays (Clangula hyemalis,
Calidris temminckii, Anser albifrons, Calidris minutus, Phalaropus lobatus; 250;
33/18; arctic type 96%);
7 – arctic rivers (Branta
bernicla, Philomachus pugnax, Calidris temminckii, Calidris minutus, Larus
argentatus; 65; 16/10; arctic type 91%);
8
– bays within subarctic tundra and forest-tundra (Calcarius
lapponicus, Motacilla flava, Acanthis flammea, Philomachus pugnax, Calidris
minutus; 326; 68/33; arctic type 60%; transpalearcts 15%; siberian type
13%);
9
– subarctic lakes and rivers (Motacilla alba,
Calidris temminckii, Clangula hyemalis, Motacilla flava, Gavia arctica; 167;
53/24; arctic type 45%; transpalearcts 29%; siberian type 19%);
10
– forest-tundra lakes and rivers (Anas crecca,
Sterna paradisaea, Clangula hyemalis, Gavia arctica, Tringa glareola; 201;
42/18; arctic type 33% ;transpalearcts 36%; arctic type 34%; siberian 25%).
B. Middle
supra-type grouping
Types of the
community:
11
– north taiga lakes and rivers (Anas acuta, Anas
crecca, Philomachus pugnax, Motacilla alba, Anas penelope; 302; 67/29;
transpalearcts 42%; siberian type 22%; arctic type 19%);
12
– lakes and
rivers of middle and southern taiga (Riparia riparia, Actitis hypoleucos,
Motacilla alba, Anas crecca, Anas querquedula; 245; 117/27; transpalearcts
82%).
Subtypes:
12.1
– large and middle rivers (Riparia riparia, Larus
canus, Motacilla alba, Sterna hirundo, Corvus cornix; 208; 95/23;
transpalearcts 86%);
12.2
– lakes and small rivers (Actitis hypoleucos, Anas
crecca, Riparia riparia, Anas querquedula, Motacilla alba; 282; 94/27;
transpalearcts 79%).
13 – The type of
the community of subtaiga and forest-steppe lakes and rivers (Rana arvalis,
R. amurensis, Pelobates fuscus, Sorex minutus, Micromys minutus; 16322;
212/85, european type 87%).
Subtypes of the community:
13.1 – rivers,
reservoirs and fresh lakes (Rana arvalis, Rana amurensis, Pelobates fuscus,
Sorex araneus, Micromys minutus; 17216; 202/79; european type 87%);
13.2 – salt lakes (Sorex
minutus, Micromys minutus, Microtus oeconomus, Arvicola terrestris, Sorex
araneus; 2005; 92/56; european type 36%; transpalearcts 29%,
mediterranean-chinese type 14% and tundra-forest steppe relicts 13%).
14
– Types of the communities of steppe lakes and rivers
(Rana arvalis, Bufo viridis, Pelobates fuscus, Motacilla flava, Fulica atra;
20976; 122/76; european type 55%, mediterranean 29%, transpalearcts 14%).
Subtypes of the
community:
14.1 – fresh lakes
and rivers (Rana arvalis, Bufo viridis, Pelobates fuscus, Arvicola
terrestris, Sorex araneus; 36210; 106/65; european type 62%, mediterranean
34%);
14.2 – salt lakes (Larus
ridibundus, Phalaropus lobatus, Tadorna tadorna, Recurvirostra avosetta, Anas
acuta; 497; 64/35; transpalearcts 57%, arctic type 13%).
The studies were financed by
the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
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