Abstract
We studied the species diversity and abundance of small terrestrial mammals in the spring and autumn period of 2016-2019 in four groups of habitats of the protected area “Sarykum barkhans” of the Dagestan Nature Reserve: barkhan, floodplain forest, ailant plantations, the territory of the cordon. During the study period, 10 species of terrestrial small mammals were recorded – E. roumanicus, C. suaveolens, C. leucodon, M. musculus, M. macedonicus, A. fulvipectus, C. migratorius, M. socialis, D. sagitta, D. nitedula. Apodemus and Mus mice are the dominant species in the studied area. Mice of Apodemus and M. macedonicus were registered for the first time in the territory of barchans. Indicator species of xerophilic ecosystems – C. migratorius, M. socialis, D. sagitta, were recorded locally, exclusively in the only biotope of barkhan. H. auritus, S. pygmaeus, A. major, M. arvalis, A. terrestris, R. norvegicus, M. tamariscinus, which were previously noted by several authors, were not registered (both traces of vital activity and animals themselves) in the studied area during the whole period of research (2016-2019). Seasonal and annual fluctuations of species diversity and abundance taking into account groups of biotopes and small mammal habitats were revealed.
Highlights
Protected areas are places where natural biota are preserved; they are least subject to anthropogenic transformation
All genotyped 12 specimens of mice of the genus Apodemus were assigned to A. fulvipectus
Of the 10 genetically dated members of the genus Mus 3 specimens of mice were identified as M. musculus and 7 specimens as M. macedonicus
Summary
Protected areas are places where natural biota are preserved; they are least subject to anthropogenic transformation. In the North Caucasus there are not many such areas where natural ecosystems and their components are preserved. There are seven federal nature reserves in the region. In this regard, under conditions of increasing anthropogenic pressure, as well as global climate change, it is extremely important to conduct regular monitoring of both the state of biodiversity in general and individual components of natural ecosystems in specially protected natural areas. Sarykum barkhans is a unique natural complex, the only moving sands in Russia, for the conservation of which the Dagestan State Nature Reserve was established, along with the Kizlyar Bay area. Barkhan Sarykum is the only desert in Russia, which is the second highest point in the world – 245 m above sea level
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