Comparative characteristics of the population organization of <i>Myodes glareolus</i> Schreber and <i>Apodemus uralensis</i> Pallas on the territory of the State Nature Reserve «Kologrivsky Forest» named after M.G. Sinitsyn

Abstract

The paper deals with a comparative analysis of the features of the population organization of the Myodes glareolus and the Apodemus uralensis on the territory of the State Nature Reserve Kologrivsky Forest named after M.G. Sinitsyn. This research is a part of a long-term monitoring of the state of populations of dominant species of small mammals on the site of the Kologrivsky Reserve. The paper presents factors of the dynamics of the density of rodent populations, considers trends in the number of individuals of the studied species, their sex and age structure, characteristics of interior and exterior features. The general tendencies and regularities of rodent adaptation to various external environmental factors are revealed. The authors have established a direct statistical dependence of the density of the studied populations on the average air temperature and an inverse dependence on the amount of precipitation. The dependence of exterior and interior features on the gender and age structure, population dynamics and weather conditions is traced. The role of autoregulation of integral population indicators as one of the mechanisms for maintaining its homeostatic state is considered. The revealed patterns allow us to make a forecast of the population dynamics of the Myodes glareolus and the Apodemus uralensis on the territory under consideration. It is possible to use the results of the study as a control example for comparison with other populations of cyclomorphic rodents in ecologically contrasting conditions of forest biocoenoses.