Dynamics of the Community of Hole-nesting Birds upon Reduction of Industrial Emissions (the Example of the Middle Ural Copper Smelter)

Russian Journal of Ecology - The dynamics of the species richness, breeding density, and structure of the community of birds occupying nest-boxes upon a 50-fold reduction of atmospheric emissions...     

Dynamics of phenotypic traits and intrapopulation processes in great tit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Parus major</Emphasis> L.) populations of the Middle Ural

Variability of the length of the white area on the outermost quill feathers of the great tit from two cities in the Middle Ural has been investigated. Dynamics of the average length of the white area in the birds from the city of Asbest reproduced the dynamics observed in the city of Yekaterinburg with a one-year lag in the females and a two-year lag in the males. Phenotypic changes in the great tit population did not occur simultaneously in the whole population, but rather moved along the living range with a certain velocity (50–60 km/year for the females and 25–30 km/year for the males). The results obtained are discussed in view of the concepts of population biology.     

Response of the Avifauna to Technogenic Environmental Pollution in the Southern Taiga Zone of the Middle Urals

The results of original studies and published data are used for evaluating the main responses of the avifauna of boreal forests to the combined effect of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals. It is shown that environmental pollution results in the reduction of species richness, biomass, and stability of the nesting bird fauna. In degraded areas, the structure of the bird community changes: (1) typical forest species are replaced by the species of open habitats, and (2) the proportion of species nesting in the upper tree layer decreases, whereas that of ground-nesting species increases.