abstract |
The paper presents and analysis of the composition and key biological features of the synanthropic mammal fauna of parks and urban areas of the city of Luhansk, Ukraine, with a focus on central city districts, as well as suburban areas. The urban mammal fauna of Luhansk is characterised by a high proportion of wild species, which is facilitated by the significant dismemberment of the city by a ravine system and the river valley, as well as the presence of large little-transformed areas that was formed due to the development of the city using a modular system (residential quarters) and large areas of private estate-type housing, as well as a number of summer cottages and recreational areas that are part of the city. It is characterised by the dominance of typical synanthropes, including mouse-like rodents, sedentary bats and feral carnivorans, and the regular presence of a number of ‘shadow’ groups in the communities—hedgehogs, dormice, vesper bats, martens, etc.—for which the city provides convenient shelters, but without population growth. A total of 46 mammal species have been recorded, of which the stable core (including stray carnivorans) consists of 15 species, including 6 species in the central areas. In terms of the range of species of this group and their abundance, the fauna of Luhansk does not fundamentally differ from the synanthropic fauna of other Ukrainian cities, including the Kyiv megapolis. The synanthropic complex is characterised by a relatively small proportion of hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus), a clear dominance of two alien bat species (Eptesicus lobatus, Pipistrellus lepidus), regular presence of synanthropic rodents (primarily Mus musculus) and rodents prone to synanthropy (Dryomys nitedula), shrews (Crocidura suaveolens) and carnivorans (Martes foina), the presence of introduced species (Ondatra zibethicus), and the existence of a number of species ‘trapped’ by the city, non-synanthropic species, including rodents (Spalax microphthalmus, Microtus levis, and Mus spicilegus), carnivorans (Vulpes vulpes, Vormela peregusna), and bats (Plecotus auritus, Myotis aurascens). The share of non-native species in the core group is 100% (6 species in total), and 67% in the ‘associated fauna’ group (15 species in total). |
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