Matvieiev,
M., M. Drebet. 2022. The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
in natural and anthropogenic habitats of the Podilski
Tovtry National Park. Theriologia Ukrainica,
24: 120–130. [In Ukrainian, with English
summary]
title |
The red
squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in natural
and anthropogenic habitats of the Podilski Tovtry
National Park
|
author(s) |
Mykola Matvieiev (orcid: 0000-0001-9641-1653)
Mykhailo Drebet (orcid: 0000-0002-7639-8815) |
affiliation |
Kamianets-Podilskyi
National Ivan Ohienko University (Kamianets-Podilskyi,
Ukraine)
Podilskyi Tovtry National Nature Park (Kamianets-Podilskyi,
Ukraine) |
bibliography |
Theriologia Ukrainica.
2022. Vol. 24: 120–130. |
DOI |
http://doi.org/10.15407/TU2411 |
|
|
language |
Ukrainian, with English summary,
titles of tables, captures to figs |
abstract |
The red
squirrel inhabits biotopes with different levels
of anthropogenic influence. The aim of the work
is to analyse the biotopic distribution and abundance
of the red squirrel in natural and anthropogenic
habitats in the Podilski Tovtry National Park. Research
was conducted from 1990 to 2022 at monitoring sites
(different types of forest, arboretum, canyon of
the Smotrych River, separate areas of set-tlements)
and in separate biotopes of the park. We used the
method of transect survey to estimate the number
of red squirrels calculated as the number of indi-viduals
per 1 ha, as well as description and mapping of
nests. The red squirrel is a non-abun¬dant species
in forests of different specific composition and
age (1.6 ind./10 ha), where it is most often found
in coniferous (especially spruce) (4.3 ind./10 ha)
and mixed forests (2.0 ind./10 ha), as well as in
mature forest types and in areas bordering settlements
(2.4 ind./10 ha). Of the studied natural habitats
the red squirrel has the lowest abundance in the
shrubberies on the slopes of Tovtry and river valleys,
as well as in locust areas of forests (0.7–0.8 ind./10
ha). In the valleys of the rivers outside of settlements,
the red squirrel occurs rarely (2.8 ind./10 km).
Of the forest strips, the most attractive for the
species are the roadside strips (9.6 ind./10 km)
with Juglans regia plantations in many areas, while
the least attractive are field protection strips
(3.3 ind./10 km). Population density in anthropogenic
biotopes (0.73 ind./ha) is much higher than in forested
ones (4.0 ind./10 ha). The most attractive are the
arboretum zone of the city (12.4 ind./10 ha). Anthropogenic
biotopes are attract the species with the availability
of food (primarily the fruits of common and black
walnuts, Juglans regia and Juglans nigra) and the
reduction of pressure by the forest marten. In urban
settlements, the red squirrel more often settles
in nests (groves) compared to forest biotopes, which
is connected with the limited number of hollows
due to sanitary felling in the arboretum and along
highways. In the monitoring areas of the forest,
fluctuations in the abundance of the species are
observed depending on the availability of food,
in particular spruce cones. In the last three years,
a trend of a sharp decrease in the number of red
squirrels in anthropogenic biotopes has been revealed.
|
keywords |
Sciurus vulgaris,
abundance, biotopic distribution, natural and anthropogenic
habitats. |
|
|
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