Skidan D.A., Nesterenko V.A., Cheremkin I.M.
Amurian zoological journal 2023; XV(2): 285-400
The paper reports the results of a long-term study of the population structure of shrews of the Norsky Nature Reserve located in the interfluve of the Selemdzha and the Nora Rivers, Amur Oblast, Russia. The 2017-2022 field studies were carried out in seven types of phytocenoses, reflecting the entire spectrum of the reserve landscapes. Taxocenes of shrews include seven species: S. caecutiens, S. isodon, S. roboratus, S. daphaenodon,S. minutissimus, S. tundrensis, and S. gracillimus, of which only S. caecutiensand S. roboratus can be considered background species. S. caecutiens, S. isodon, S. minutissimus and S. roboratus have a diffuse distribution and are found in all types of habitats. S. daphaenodon inhabits the territory in a mosaic pattern, with individuals of this species tending to open habitats. However, due to the mosaic nature of landscapes characteristic of the reserve, S. daphaenodon can be recorded in a variety of phytocenoses. S. tundrensis and S. gracillimus penetrate the reserve through introzonal areas and their distribution is local, which is typical for species on the periphery of their range. Unlike taxocenes of shrews in other regions where the dominant groups include several species, the Norsky Reserve is marked by the similarity in the structure of shrew taxocenes with constant dominance of one species (S. caecutiens) and deep depressions in the abundance of populations with a relatively high frequency of their occurrence.
