Monitoring of small mammals’ communities in natural and disturbed biotopes in the Central Caucasus foothills
L.H. Shugusheva, M.S. Gudova, M.M. Emkuzheva
Section: Monitoring of natural and anthropogenically disturbed areas
The development of horticulture in the region, including intensive and super-intensive technologies, as well as the activities of hydrometallurgical plant in the city-resort of Nalchik lead to an increase in anthropogenic impact on the ecosystems in the Central Caucasus foothills. It is shown that the species composition, species ratio, and community structure of Micromammalia depend on the degree of anthropogenic load. In the theriofauna we distinguished three species groups. Sorex satunini Ognev, 1922, and Micromys minutus Pallas, 1771, inhabit exclusively natural habitats. Crocidura suaveolens Pallas, 1811, Mus musculus Linnaeus,1758, Dryomys nitedula Pallas, 1778, Cricetus cricetus Linnaeus,1758, and Microtus arvalis Pallas, 1778, inhabit disturbed ecosystems. Apodemus uralensis Pallas, 1811, Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1773, and Terricola majori Thomas, 1906, inhabit both disturbed and natural habitats. Apodemus uralensis is
the dominant eurybiont, which reaches its maximum share in the community in highly modified landscapes, forming stable populations. The field mouse is a subdominant species, with maximum contribution to the community in slightly disturbed biotopes. At the same time, it gravitates to natural landscapes, reaching high abundance there. Rich species diversity and minimal dominance index are characteristic of communities of weakly disturbed biotopes. On the contrary, the theriocomplex of highly disturbed habitats has the maximum dominance index and minimal equalization index, with maximum equalization in the therio-population of Micromammalia in natural ecosystems. The greatest similarity was noted between the communities of weakly and highly disturbed habitats, converging them are: Apodemus uralensis,
Apodemus agrarius, Dryomys nitedula, Microtus arvalis and Crocidura suaveolens.
Keywords: monitoring, small mammals, biodiversity, community
Article published in number 2 for 2026 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2026-2-083-091
ISSN 1995-4301
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