Muroid rodents of the natural landmark “Chervone” (Dnister Canyon): specifics of species composition and community structure

• Main Authors: Olha Shtyk, Zvenyslava Mamchur
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History 2020-12-01
• Series: Theriologia Ukrainica
• Subjects: muroid rodent; prydnisteria; mammal fauna; dnister canyon national park
• Online Access: http://terioshkola.org.ua/library/pts20/TU2009-shtyk.htm
• ISSN: 2616-7379; 2617-1120

We conducted an analysis of populations of muroid rodents of the Dnister Canyon National Nature Park on the example of the natural landmark “Chervone.” For the investigation of the muroid rodents, we applied the trap-line method using factory-made live traps. According to methodology, the traps were located within a homogeneous habitat and four different sites were studies. Field data collected during 2017 and 2018 (summer and autumn cenuses) in four different habitats were analysed. The species composition of muroid rodents was investigated in four different biotopes (habitats) near the Dzurynskiy waterfall: hornbeam forest, pine forest, floodplain of the Dzuryn river, and pasture. The studied habitats were identified according to the National Habitat Catalogue of Ukraine. During the research, 75 specimens of muroid rodents were caught in 800 trap-nights. We recorded six species of muroid rodents: Sylvaemus tauricus L., Sylvaemus sylvaticus L., Apodemus agrarius Pallas, Micromys minutus L., Myodes glareolus Schreber, and Microtus arvalis Pallas. The most numerous species was Sylvaemus tauricus — 23 individuals (31 %). The quantity of other species was as follows: Apodemus agrarius (28 %), Sylvaemus sylvaticus (17 %), Myodes glareolus (16 %), Microtus arvalis (7 %), and Micromys minutus (1 %). The abundance of rodents was lower during the summer period compared to autumn, which can be related to the anthropogenic pressure on the investigated area. In addition, we investigated the sex and age structure of muroid rodent populations. We discovered that 45 individuals out of 75 were males and 35 were females. Additionally, 63 individuals were adults (Ad.) and 12 were juveniles (juv.). To summarise the received data, we calculated the number of individuals per 100 trap-nights. The abundance of individuals fluctuated from near 3 ind./100 t.-n. (Sylvaemus tauricus) to 0.125 ind./100 t.-n. (Micromys minutus). The relatively low species diversity of muroid rodents in the Dnister Canyon National Nature Park could be the result of small areas of insular habitats (separated territories with relatively similar landscape) and strong fragmentation of the researched area.