WOODLANDS IN THE LENINGRAD REGION AND LOCAL MAMMALIAN FAUNA


Project leaders:
Dr. Anna Ajrapetyantz,
Dr. Igor M. Fokin

It is a curious fact that, in the history of the study of fauna, we often find that rare species from far-flung places are often better known than less exotic fauna. This strange phenomenon is lagerly due to naturalists' desire to investigate remote areas, suchas the tropical nature of Africa and Latin America, while ignoring wildlife closer large scientific areas.

 The territory of the Leningrad region is an example of this. The area has long been ignored by naturalists, not only because they were drawn to other continents, but also because of its inhospitable terrain of woods and bogs. As a result, the fauna in the region is perhaps the least known in the whole European part of Russia.

To evaluate the current condition of animal life in this region, we should look at the great changes of local fauna composition and landscape diversity thet have taken place during the last three centuries.

According to brief istorical documents concerning royal game, many large animals inhabitated the surroundings of St.Petersburg, many of whichare today either rare or extinct. For example,in the middle of the 18th century near Saar Miza (today Tzarskoe Selo) there were so many brown bears (Ursus arctos) tat local peasants were given a prize by the authorities for each bear they killed. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were common at the time, and they even came into the gardens of Tzarskoe Selo, attracted by the vegetation there.

This was when the protection of some species began. For example, there was a special Tzar decree prohibiting hare hunting in a 100-mile radius of Petersburg and Peterghoff. But unfortunately our knowledge of animals that lived in woods, meadows and bogs of Petrsburg govern is very poor, based on short articles in general reviews on Russian fauna, and some game magazines.

It was not until the 1960s that zoologists from Leningrad University promoted the study of the fauna of Leningrad region. As a result, the list of 71 terrestrial mammals was completed for the area. Other data on bionomics and the biology of rare and threatened species were gathered. At present time, more than 30 years later, many of those native landscapes have been changed. Many mammals, once considered common and numerous, have become rare and endangered. Other species, on the other hand, have penetrated the new habitats and expanded their ranges.

It is therefore of vital importance to activate fauna research in the area. This means revising the local list of rare and protected mammal species, estimating the value of various landscapes for biodiversity conservation in the area, and rehabilitating mammals in danger of extinction.

It is worth mentioning that the Leningrad region, although situated within the forest zone, is nonetheless characterised by great landscape diversity and complexity. The vegetation of the area is the richest and most varied in the whole of the North-west Russia. The mix of taiga and broad-leaved forest patches causes the same henomena in the fauna of mammals

In general, the local mammalian fauna has the south-taiga character. Nevertheless, the animals from mixed and broad-leaved forests, and also those from north-eastern taiga are recorded here. The mixture of various faunal elements are most pronounced in the south and south-west where in the same biotope one can find animals characteristic for quite different zones.

 Foe example, flying squirrels (Pteromys volans), inhabitants of eastern taiga, co-exist with garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus), common for broad-leaved forests of South and Central Europe. Some broad-leaved forest inhabiting animals penetrate the area from the south, such as European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), European hares (Lepus europaeus), garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus), yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), various bats (Chiroptera), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).

Ruddy vole (Clethrionomys rutilus) and wolverine (Gulo gulo), however, come from the north and east. A short time ago a Polar fox (Alopex lagopus) was recorded here at the time of its long migrations. It is also possible to find reindeer (rangifer tarandus) at the extreme east of the area.

Some animals are widely distributed throughout the whole territory. These include species such as shrews (Sorex spp.), mountain hares (Lepus timidus), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), flying squirrels (Eliomys quercinus), bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), wolves (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), brown bear (Ursus arctos), marten (Martes martes), otter (Lutra lutra), badger (Meles meles), european and American minks, small mustelids, lynx (Lynx lynx) and elk (Alces alces).

Woods cover 45 per cent of the Leningrad region, with bogs and meadows making up 17 and 10 per cent respectively. Woodlands are more important for mammals, as they use bogs and meadows largely as feeding areas.


It should be noted that some types of wood are more appropriate for mammals' habitat than others. Most species, including rare and protected ones, prefer the climax coniferous-mixed forests, and those with a high proportion of broad-leaved trees, such as oak, lime or maple, mixed with various berry bushes.

Of the coniferous forests, spruce mixed with aspen, birch, alder and sorb are prefered by mammals. This landscape os highly attractive because of the shelter it gives and these forests are the real storehouses of biodiversity.

Natural shelters are formed for a variety of mammals by linked crowns and wreathed branches of trees, hollow aspens and birches, logs and old stumps, heaps of brushwood and missy stones.

The ground in these woods is covered by a thik layer of forest litter and moss, full of insects and other invertabrates. Spruce seeds are the main food for red squirrel and voles. These small animals are, in tern, prey for predatory mammals. In lean years plentiful berries and mushrooms make up to some degree for a for a shortage of seeds.

Finally, the microclimatic conditions of forest habitats are so suited
to mammals that they live here all year round, and from season to season. The spruce-mixed forests are inhabitated by practically all local insect-eating mammals. Red squirrel, flying squirrel, northern birch mouse (Sicista betulina), short-tailed, bank and ruddy voles (Mycrotus agrestis, Clethrionomys glareolus & C. rutilus), field and yellow-necked mice (Apodemus sylvaticus & A. flavicollis), garden dormice (at the south and south-west of the area) are common here.

A few small predators, such as ermine stoats (Mustella erminea), polecats (Mustela putorius) and martens (Martes martes) are quite common too. An abundance of ant-hills and lots of berries attract broun bears who make their dens in such kinds if woods, especially in the thickets of young spruces. Badgers and red foxesbuild their earths here in the uphills. Otter and mink are common near streams and forest rivers. In the outskirts of the woods mountain hare is common. Elks and wild boars are found in the woods in winter.

Unfortunately these woods with their rich mammal fauna have been badly damaged by logging. It seems that cutting small patches in woods does them no harm - on the contrary, it may help the whole of forest life. Small clearings are rapidly overgrown by broad-leaved, berry-rich undergrowth, and soon become a fine food source for many animals.

Elk can also keep out of danger in bushy clearings, as well as cropping young aspens and other undergrowth all year round. Wild boars, bears and badgers also find clearings attrctive, and they search for roots, insects and their larvae there. Bearsalso enjoy the raspberry bushes that are common in this sort of terrain.

Many rare animals make  their homes in the broad-leaved forests. In the Leningrad region forests with oak and lime occupy rather small territories, and are restricted to the areas oround the rivers Volkhov, Luga, Oredezh, Ragusha.

Broad-leaved formations usually have bogs and meadows, that is why landscape mosaic causes mammalian biotope diversity. When compared with conifreous and mixed forest, oak woods are by far the richest food source for mammals. Their hollow trees shelter the garden dormouse, yellow-necked mouse, red squirrel and bats - all much more abundant here, too.

Predators, such as polecats, martens, ermine, badgers, red fox and racoon are common, with brown bear, mountain hare and boar also  characteristic of these woods. The hedgehog is common throughout the Leningrad region, but they are recorded more often in broad-leaved forests than elsewhere. Roe deer were often found before the 1940s, but are no longer, but the nesting black stork and grey herron have recently been recorded in the River Volkhov holm.

The species composition of oakwoods is thus very rich, but animal lifr in broad-leaved forest is very vulnurable. as these forests tend to be isolated in other landscapes, other woods or meadows, they  need to be carefully protected and even light logging activity could tip some endangered species of the region into extinction.

Secondary small-leaved forests, moss and grass bogs, dry meadows and agro-landscapes occupy a considerable amount of the Leningrad region. Various mammalian species inhabit these open landscapes. But such teriocomplexes possess much less species diversity in comparison to those associated with forest landscapes. The strength of particular animals in open landscapes, as compared with woods, show the same pattern.

Finally we must stress that current diversity and sustainability of mammalian fauna of the Leningrad region are entirely dependent upon conservation of climax coniferous-mixed and broad-leaved forests.


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