Population dynamics of wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor) in different landscapes of the Northern Pre-Urals

Bobretsov A.V., Lukyanova L.E.

P. 86-93

The paper presents the results of the monitoring (1988–2016) of wood lemming Myopus schisticolor (Lilljeborg, 1844) numbers from different landscape areas of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve. It is shown that the population dynamics of this species differ considerably between marked landscapes. The lowland area is characterized by low number of animals with a rare irregular increase of abundance. The cyclic fluctuations were revealed in the foothills with a period of 3–4 years. In the years of depression the abundance indices dropped to zero and quite often it exceed over 100 individuals per 100 cone/nights in the years of number outbreaks. The migrations of animals are observed during the periods of high density. In the lowlands the wood lemming is marked only the next year after a sharp increase in its numbers in the foothills.DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.16.1.08

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