Large-scale modern climate change and reactions of steppe birds of Inner Asia

Abstract

On the basis of many years of work by ornithologists covering the entire second half of the past and the beginning of the current century, the features of the dynamics of the bird fauna of Inner Asia as a result of climate warming are considered. The central position of Eastern Siberia caused its stronger warming, which makes it possible to consider in detail various aspects of this process. Severe droughts, followed by long dry periods, observed in the arid regions of Central Asia in the second half of the 20th century, caused massive migrations of birds to the north. Strong changes in habitats were found in birds using intrazonal wetlands ecosystems for nesting. Native steppe and desert birds inhabited areas within their natural zone. They are characterized by occasional flights to the northern boundaries of their ranges towards the end of the second half of the study period. As a result of mass evictions, the diversity of birds in Eastern Siberia increased by 22.6% (110 species), but their abundance remained almost at the initial level. At present, the number of coastal birds in the south of Eastern Siberia, as well as in Central Asia, has greatly decreased, as a result of a shift in the optimum range to the north.