Invertebrates
Within the borders
of the Great Arctic
Nature Reserve there
is information on
the invertebrates of
its southernmost
section (area of the
Meduza Bay), located
on the southern
border of arctic
tundra, and the
northernmost
(Chelyuskin Bay),
located in the zone
of polar deserts.
The appearance of
the land
invertebrates` fauna
of the Meduza Bay is
typical of arctic
tundra of Taimyr on
the whole, both in
terms of the
peculiarities of the
fauna`s taxometrical
composition, and in
terms of the
features of the
communities` spatial
distribution.
One of the typical
features of the
arctic fauna of
insects and spiders
is “miniaturization”
of life, typical
practically of all
the invertebrates`
groups. In the
spiders` order, for
example, large
wolf-spiders,
typical of regular
and southern tundra,
are absent. However,
the only family of
small spiders –
Aranei-lynophiidae,
which can be found
here, numbers 18
species; in other
points of the arctic
tundra of Taimyr
there are from 4 to
10 species of this
family (Eskov, 1985,
1986).
Aranei-lynophiidae
is one of the most
mass groups of land
arthropods here.
Especially numerous
is the species
Erigone
psychorophila Thor,
making up more than
three fourths of all
the collected
spiders. This
circumpolar species
is the most typical
representative of
the high latitudal
fauna of the arctic
tundra and polar
deserts in all the
arctic regions. In
the area of the
Meduza
Bay
it is absent only in
the warmest and
driest sections. In
humid habitats,
where its number is
maximal, it is this
species that
determines to a
great extent the
appearance of the
communities, making
up to 80% of the
land invertebrates`
population (spiders
and beetles). The
majority of the
remaining species of
this family are
rare, while several
common species (Semijicola
arcticus Esk.,
Walckenaria
clavicornis
(Emert.), Hilaira
glacialis (Thor.),
Leptiphantes sobrius
(Thor.), Collinsia
spetsbergensis
(Thor.) achieve
a high population
size only in a
limited number of
biotopes, as a rule
rather warm ones.
Like in other arctic
regions insects with
an incomplete
transformation cycle
practically fall out
of the land
entomofauna
composition. In the
area of the Meduza
Bay
Homoptera are
not found, and out
of the bugs only one
larva of the
herbivorous
Miridae out of
the genus
Orthotulus has
been found, whereas
the furthermost
North going
Chiloxantus
stellatus is
absent.
Among insects only
the coleopterans
order
Coleoptera has
been investigated in
detail. They
comprise, along the
spiders, the basis
of the land
mesofauna of the
Meduza
Bay.
Among beetles
Staphylinidae (9
species) achieve the
biggest diversity
and abundance, the
leading position by
the number and the
width of the
biotopial range
being occupied by
Micralymma
dichsoni Makl.
Like
Erigone
psychorophila it
is one of the most
typical
representatives of
the entomofauna of
Arctic Siberia and
the sole species of
beetles, actively
populating the zone
of polar deserts. In
the zonal groupings
of the arctic tundra
appearance
Micralymma dicksoni
is the most mass
species of the
herpetobiontic
(land) arthropods,
making up to 50% of
their total
population. The
following species
out of the genus
Tachinus
are also quite
common:
T.arcticus (Motch.)
and
M.brevipennis
J.Sahlb. Their
abundance however is
noticeably lower,
and the spectre of
the used biotopes is
smaller (the first
one populates damp,
and the second –
moderately
humidified and dry
biotopes). Among the
coleopterans there
are numerous
carabuses out of the
sub-genus
Cryobius of the
Pterostichus
genus:
Pt.pinguedineus
Eschsch. and
Pt.brevicornis Kirby.
These species
populate a rather
wide spectre of
habitats, being
absent only in the
most severe ones,
including some
variants of zonal
arctic tundra
communities. In the
dampest habitats a
diving beetle out of
the
Gaurodites genus
(family of diving
beetles) was found.
Herbivorous beetles
(two families of
leave-cutters and
two families of
weevils) are rare.
Isochnus
arcticus,
connected with
willows, is the most
common among them.
Like in other arctic
regions dipterans
achieve the biggest
diversity. In the
area of the
Meduza
Bay
they are represented
by at least 15
families (Chironomidae,
Detritnits,
true mosquitoes,
Trichoceridae
mosquitoes, winter
mosquitoes,
Limoniidae,
Tipulidae
mosquitoes,
Celliphoridae,
Spheroceridae,
Piophilidae,
flower flies, true
flies,
Syrphidea and
others). The most
significant role is
played by the
species of the
typulomorphous
complex. Crane flies
have an exclusively
high population
size, especially the
arctic species
Tripula
carnifrons Holm.
In the over-dampened
biotopes the
mosquitoes out of
the
Limoniidae
family achieve a
high abundance.
Among other groups
the representatives
of
Trichoceridae
mosquitoes,
detrinits and
Chironomidae are
the most noticeable.
The other insect
order, richly
represented in the
Arctic,
is hymenopterans
Hymenoptera.
It is represented by
several families of
parasitic
hymenopterans (Ichneumonidae
are the most common
of them), bumblebees
and
Tenthredinidae.
Two species of
bumblebees –
Bombus hyperboreus
and Bombus
arcticus – the
biggest insect
representatives –
are not numerous and
do not play a
significant role in
communities.
Tenthredinidae,
on the contrary, are
a noticeable
component of
entomofauna. They
are also interesting
because they are the
only mass family of
herbivorous insects,
which are found
everywhere.
Another large group
of herbivorous
insects –
lepidepterans
Lepideptera
– are spread more
sporadically.
Daytime butterflies
are extremely rare:
the only species
Clossiana
polaris Bsd. has
been noted. Some
species out of the
pyralid
Pyraloidea
family were found on
dry knolls in the
warmest biotopes.
The most numerous
family is noctuids,
among which
Xestia liquidaria
(Ev.) is the
most noticeable.
This species is also
connected with
willows. Thus, all
the herbivorous
insects, reaching a
large size of
population in the
Meduza
Bay, eat on willows. This
is, by the way, also
one of the
characteristic
features of the
northern
entomofauna: in the
high latitudes, as
the diversity of
vegetative forms
decreases, the
relative weight of
the species
connected with
willows grows.
The fauna of
arthropods in the
area of the
Meduza
Bay
possesses all the
characteristic
features, which were
many times marked
for the northern
part of northern
tundra and polar
deserts of Taimyr
(Chernov, 1978,
Matveyeva, 1979 and
other). On the
taxonomic level it
manifests itself in
the domination of
the groups typical
of the high
latitudes, such as
spiders-Linifiidae,
carabuses and
Staphylinides among
beetles,
ichneumon-flies and
Tenthredinidae
among hymenopterans
and long-feeler
two-winged
(detrinits,
Chironomidae,
crane flies,
Trichoceridae
mosquitoes). The
typical feature of
the arthropods`
fauna is the
prevalence of
smaller species.
There are only
several large
species of insects,
and only some of
these species reach
a large size of
population. Among
the most well
studied
representatives of
the land mesofauna
(spiders and
beetles) the leading
position, both by
the number of
species and by the
quantity, is
occupied by small
predatory forms. The
relative weight of
herbivorous insects
is low, and all the
few, but rather
common phytophagues
(Tenthredinidae
and some species of
lepidepterans and
weevils) are
connected with
willows.
Among the land
lepidepterans there
is a small number
(1-3 species in each
group) highly active
species-evarcts
(with the optimum of
distribution in the
northern part of the
tundra zone). They
make up the nucleus
of population of the
land crawling
insects in the
majority of
biotopes. Therefore
the variability of
the population
within the limits of
the landscape is
rather low. However,
the gradual
replacement of some
species by the
others on the
hydrothermal
gradient leads to
the situation when
the groupings of
crawling arthropods,
occupying the
extreme positions in
the landscape, have
practically no
common dominant. The
position on the
southern border of
the arctic tundra is
mainly characterized
by a comparatively
high species wealth
of invertebrates`
fauna. However,
about two thirds of
the species,
comprising it, have
a low activity and
are mainly
associated with more
contrast communities
(compared with the
zonal ones). The
majority of them is
concentrated in damp
(but not the
wettest) habitats,
determining their
highest (within the
limits of the
landscape) species
wealth. However, the
most diverse
groupings (the most
equalized in
abundance) are
formed on rather
warm sections with
an average
humidification –
gently-sloping
ridges of the
southern exposition.
The species
diversity of the
most contrast
groupings is low.
The availability of
a super-dominant
species with a very
large size of
population is
typical of them
The closeness to the
border of typical
tundra has a little
influence on the
communities`
appearance. The
incomparably higher
activity of evarctic
species determines a
clearly expressed
arctic appearance of
the majority of
them. Only in some,
the warmest biotopes
evarcts and
hemiarcts are
represented
approximately in
equal quantities.
The comparison of
the available data
about the area of
the Meduza Bay with
the published
materials on other
sections of the
arctic tundra of
Taimyr (Chernov,
1978; Chernov,
Matveyeva, 1979 and
others) allow us to
presume that the
fauna of crawling
arthropods is rather
uniform in different
parts of the arctic
tundra of Taimyr,
regarding the
composition of
background species,
the ratio of size
and trophic groups
and the distribution
of communities
within the limits of
the landscape. The
intensification of
the climatic
severity is mostly
reflected in the
fallout of rare
species from the
fauna composition,
whereas the set of
the most mass
species remains
surprisingly
constant right up to
the polar deserts.
Thus, the species,
mass in the southern
zone of the arctic
tundra, can also be
found on
Novaya Zemlya,
although in a much
smaller quantity:
spiders
Erigone
psychorophila,
Collinsia
spetsberegensis
and
Staphylin Micralimma
dichsoni. The
poorest groupings
were noted in the
polar deserts of the
Chelyuskin
Cape, where only one
species of spiders
has been found –
Collinsia
spetsberegensis
(Eskov, 1986)
The fauna of the
polar desert on the
Chelyuskin
Cape
lacks a lot of large
groups of
invertebrates,
comprising an
important part of
tundra zone
communities,
including those of
arctic tundra (crane
flies, spiders,
beetles, rain worms,
butterflies,
Tenthredinidae,
bumblebees and
others). There are
extremely few
Oribatei.
The basis of the
soil and moss-lichen
turf population is
made up by 4 groups
of invertebrates:
nematodes (53
species, 27 genera
and 19 families have
been found),
Enchitreidae,
collembolas (10
species) and larva
of
Chironomidae;
the quantity of the
latter`s larva is
very high (50 – 1500
specimen/ sq.m).
Tick gamazovi, larva
of winter mosquitoes
and
Trichoceridae
mosquitoes
are of smaller
significance.
Tardigrada
were often found in
probes during the
calculation of
nematodes. All these
groups are strongly
taxonomically
impoverished. Soil
Chironomidae
are
relatively diverse
(at least 10
species).
The main dominants
among the
invertebrates are
the groups of a
rather low
philogenetic level,
belonging to the
categories of micro
and major-fauna:
nematodes,
Enchitreidae,
Tradigrada,
collembolas,
Chironomidae and
Trichoceridae
mosquitoes. Large
saprophagues are
missing,
microphytophagues,
eating microscopic
soil algae and
fungae and possibly
also bacteria (larva
of
Chiromidae,
collembolas and many
nematodes), prevail.
Enchitreidae are
usually
saprophagues. Like
rain worms they eat
decaying vegetative
remnants. Since in
the polar desert
conditions the
process of
decomposition of
organic substances
is very weak and the
amount of higher
plants` fallen
leaves is small, we
can suppose that the
basis of
Enchitreidae`s
nutrition is a
rather rich
microflora, mostly
algae. Algae play a
big role in the land
communities here
(Chernov, Striganov,
1979).
Birds
The birds` fauna of
the Great Arctic
Nature Reserve
numbers 124 species,
out of which 55
species
trustworthily nest
on its territory,
the remaining being
met on the passage
and at stopovers. 41
species are known to
fly in.
More southern
sections of the
Nature Reserve (Sibiryakova
Island,
sections of the
Meduza
Bay
and the Pyasina
Delta) are richer in
the fauna
composition:
concrete faunas
there number 27-32
species, and in the
area of
Dixon
there are 42 species
of nesting birds. In
the northern
direction the number
of nesting species
decreases and does
not exceed 21 – 28.
The smallest number
of birds (11-15
nesting species)
lives on high arctic
islands; a specific
high arctic species
composition is
typical of them,
including the
northernmost of all
bird species – white
gull
Pagophila eburnea.
The change of
dominating
zoogeographical
elements takes place
in the direction
from the south to
the north. So, the
fauna composition of
the
Sibiryakova
Island
and the area of
Dixon
contains a rather
large share of
typical tundra
species – hemiarcts
(Calcarius
lapponicus, Calidris
alpine, Anser
albifrons and
others). But further
to the North the
species of evarctic
(high arctic)
complex begin to
prevail (Calidris
ferruginea, Celidris
canutus, a
nomitative
sub-species of
Branta
bernicla), and
then hyperarcts –
such as
Calidris maritimus
and
Pagophila eburnea.
Whereas a noticeable
change of the
ornithofauna
composition within
the limits of the
Nature Reserve takes
place latitudinally,
it is rather more
homogeneous
meridionally.
Practically all
species and
sub-species of
birds, nesting on
the Nature Reserve`s
territory, belong to
the western arctic
fauna complex.
The overwhelming
majority of the
birds, nesting here,
use the
Eastern Atlantic
migrational way in
their migration. In
Autumn the birds fly
to the west along
the coasts of the
Atlantic Ocean, and
then along the White
Sea- Baltic Sea
route they arrive to
the places of rest
and winter stay in
Western Europe and
Western and Southern
Africa, down to
Cape town.
Among the mass
species of birds,
migrating along this
route there are only
few exceptions –
some sandpiper
species,
Celidris ferruginea
and sparrow
sandpiper, who have
a complicated
migrational scheme,
which includes the
whole Asiatic and
the whole African
continents.
Stercorarius and
Phalaropus also
migrate in a wider
frontline.
Only Larus
argentatus,
Anser
fabalis, and
apparently also
partly
Polysticta stelligi
and
Somateria
spectabilis
migrate from the
Nature Reserve`s
territory to the
South-East, to
Asiatic
winter-stays.
Calidris
melanotos and
Phalaropys
fulicarius,
which are not
numerous on the
Nature Reserve`s
territory, migrate
to the East, to the
coasts of Northern
and Southern
America. Some birds,
for example, western
populations of
Siberian eider
Polysticta
stelleri, white
gulls
Pagophila eburnea
and pink gulls
Rhodostethia rosea,
stay practically the
whole year round
within the limits of
the Polar basin.
Garia spp.
nest in
Northern Taimyr
in a smaller
quantity than in
more southern
tundra.
Gavia arctica is
here on the northern
limit of its areal,
while Gavia
stellata is
rather common and
populates the whole
territory of the
Nature Reserve, to
the North up to the
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands
and the
Russkiy
Island.
Gavia
adamsii is
rather common in
stopovers in
summertime at sea
between
Dixon
and the Minina
Skerries.
Out of
Procellariiformis
single specimen of
Fulmaris
glacialis can be
met near the islands
of Uedineniya ,
Izvestiy TSIN,
Sverdrup and
Gueiberga. This
species apparently
wanders here
regularly, and
ornithologists meet
it seldom, since
they carry out no
observations at sea.
The waterfowl is one
of the main objects
of protection in the
Nature Reserve. Four
species of
Anser spp,
Cygnus
bewickii and
four species of
Anas spp.
nest here. The Great
Arctic Nature
Reserve took under
its protection the
places of nesting
and moulting of 80%
of all
Branta bernicla
of the nominative
sub-species,
wintering in
Western Europe.
In the lower
Nizhnyaya Taimyra
there are very large
moulting
accumulations of
non-reproducing
parts of this
sub-species`s
population, which
numbered in early
1990s up to 50 000
birds. The main
nesting
concentrations of
Branta
bernicla are
located on the
islands of the
Kara
Sea, where they nest in
separate colonies
and as single
couples. The nesting
dynamics and
reproduction success
of this species has
a three-year cycle,
which results in the
fact that the area
of the nesting areal
of the species
changes from one
year to another by
more than twice
(Syroechkovski Jr.,
1990). The Pyasina
Delta has a special
significance for the
moulting of the
western paleoarctic
populations of
Anser
albirons; up to
200 thousand birds
accumulate here,
which makes it the
largest moulting
accumulation of this
species in the
world.
In the last decade,
as the number of
Rufibrenta
ruficollis
increased, the
widening of its
areal to the north
began (Syroechkovski
Jr., 1995). Now, the
places of its
nesting in the area
of the
Efremova
Bay, in the
Lower
Lenivaya
River and in the Pyasina
Delta are known. The
quantity of
Anser fabalis,
belonging here to
the population,
wintering in
China,
has considerably
reduced in the last
30-40 years. Common
before (Kolyushev,
1933; Sdobnikov,
1959) Anser
fabalis has
become rare in
stopovers and almost
does not nest on the
territory
of
Northern Taimyr.
Cygnus
bewickii is not
numerous; it can be
met from time to
time in the Nature
Reserve to the south
of the Minina
Skerries and nests
extremely
sporadically.
Several descriptions
of the nests of
Cynus
bewickii are
known, from the
Pyasina Delta, from
the coasts of the
Yenisei
Bay
to the south of the
Meduza
Bay
and from the
Lower
Khutudabiga
River.
Among the Nature
Reserve`s ducks the
most numerous are
Somateria
specirabilis and
Clangula
huemalis. As
regards the latter
not only nesting
places are known,
but also the cases
of large flocks of
single birds`
moulting in the
Yenisei
Bay and the Pyasina Delta.
Somateria
mollissima has
been found nesting
on the
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands
and were also met
near
Dixon and
the
Ptichyi
Islands.
Those were the
easternmost finds of
the populations,
nesting on
Novaya Zemlya.
The fauna of
sandpipers
Limicolae of the
Nature Reserve is
very diverse. 17
species nest here,
and also more than
ten species can be
met at stopovers. In
the arctic tundra of
Taimyr there are
areal optimums of
evarctic species of
Limicolae:
Celidris canutus,
Calidris alba,
Calidris
ferruginea and
sparrow-sandpiper.
On the
territory of the
Nature Reserve there
are known cases of
these species of
sandpipers` returns
from their winter
stays in Southern
and Western Africa,
Europe, the Persian
Gulf and
Australia.
It is here that the
peculiarities of the
nesting biology and
social organization
of these species
have been
investigated and the
proofs of double
nesting of
sparrow-sandpipers
and others have been
obtained (Tomkovich
and others, 1994 and
other).
The northernmost
species of
sandpipers here is
Calidris maritima,
reaching as far as
the polar deserts of
the Kara Sea
Islands, where other
sandpipers
practically do not
nest.
Interesting
are some areas of
nesting of
Calidris temminckii,
which is at the
northern limit of
its areal and which
lives on the
territory of the
Nature Reserve
mostly in
settlements, in
anthropogenically
modified sections of
tundra. Among the
sandpiper species,
which do not nest,
but are regularly
met on the territory
of the Nature
Reserve, one can
note Tringa
glarlola, Gallinago
gallinago, Numenium
phaeopus, Calidris
ruficollis and
Philomachus
pugnax.
The nesting areal of
Limosa
lapponica gets
out of the typical
tundra into the
Nature Reserve`
territory in one
place – as a
“tongue” along the
valley of the
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra
River.
There the
northernmost hatch
was found on the
Fomin
Island
in 1990. Apart from
it, large flocks of
this species can be
found in the
post-nesting time in
August in
Northern Taimyr.
Limosa
lapponica fly
away to the north of
their nesting places
in order to fatten
before a long autumn
migrational flight.
Lari
birds, usually
nesting on the
territory of the
Nature Reserve,
prevail at stopovers
on the seashore of
the protected
islands. They are:
Larus
argentatus, Larus
hyperboreus,
three species of
Stercorarius
(S.pomarinus,
S.parasiticus,
S.longicaudus)
and Sterna
paradisaea.
Large autumn
accumulations of
these species were
noted in 1992 near
the
Sverdrup
Island.
All the three
species of
Stercorarius
nest in the
protected tundra of
Northern Taimyr; in
some years summer
concentrations of
single
Stercorarius can
considerably
influence the
reproduction success
of other species of
birds, being a cause
of mass destruction
of their nests.
Large gulls nest on
a lot of coastal
sections, sometimes
forming colonies of
several hundreds of
couples. Such
colonies are known
on the
Ptichyi
Islands
to the north of the
Pyasina Delta, in
the
Middendorf
Bay,
on the Nordensheld
Archipelago, on the
Rastorgueva
Island
and a number of
other places.
Larus
argentatus is
always much more
numerous than
Larus
hyperboreus, and
only on the northern
islands, where there
are generally few
gulls, the latter
becomes more common.
Single cases of
meeting two more
gull species, flying
from the
Barents Sea,
were also noted on
the islands:
Larus
maritimus and
Larus
hyperboreus.
Two species of rare
gulls:
Rhodostethia rosea
and Xema
sabini can be
met in the Nature
Reserve, at the
stopovers along the
seashore. In
different years they
were met in the
Lower Lenivaya and
Nizhnyaya Taimyra
rivers, near the
Knipovicha
Bay,
the
Meduza
Bay, on the
Izvestiy
TSIK Islands
and on the
Uedineniya
Island. Xema
sabini nests in
several colonies on
the coasts of the
Taimyrskaya
Bay. Here there is one of
the largest colonies
in the world – about
40 couples. This is
the northernmost
centre of Xema
sabini`s nesting in
the Old World. Cases
of Autumn and Spring
meetings of this
species are known on
the
Sibiryakova
Island, the Lower
Lenivaya
and Pyasina rivers.
The birds of the sea
bird colonies:
Rissa
trydactila and
alci
birds –
Uria lomvia and
Cepphus
grylletajanii
are more seldom met.
Small birds`
colonies, populated
by Rissa
trydactila and
Cepphys
grylletajanii,
are known on the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula
and on the
Troinoy
Island. Cepphys
grylletajanii
nest also in stone
placers on small
islands near
Dixon
and further to the
east – in the Minina
Skerries and on the
neighbouring small
islands. The
meetings with Alle
alle, nesting on
Severnaya Zemlya,
are probable; only
one find of Alle
alle is known on the
continent:
I.I.Chupin found a
dead bird near the
estuary of the
Shrenk
River
on Nizhnyaya Taimyra
in 1990.
The fauna of the
birds of prey in the
Nature Reserve is
not rich. The main
nesting species are
Buteo
lagopus and
Falco
peregrinus.
Everywhere their
quantity is not
high, and in the
northern part of the
Nature Reserve they
almost do not nest
at all. They are met
though from time to
time in the south of
the Nature Reserve.
Most often they are
met in the Pyasina
Delta, where
grown-up and more
often immature birds
stay in summertime
in the vicinity of
large moulting
accumulations of
geese. The
in-flights of sea
eagles are known in
the area of the
polar station
“Pravda”, the
Lower
Shrenk
River and the area of
Dixon,
Meduza and Uboinaya.
The only
representative of
the
Gallinaceae is
Lagopus
lagopus. Its
quantity is not
large, but it is
rather widespread,
down to the
Lower
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra
River and the
Byrranga
Mountains.
Nyctea scandiaca
nests in the years
of lemmings` high
quantity all over
the continental part
of the Nature
Reserve. In other
years this species
is widely met at
stopovers.
The maximum number
of in-flying species
has been noted in
the area of
Dixon,
the
Meduza
Bay
and on the Pyasina
section of the
Nature Reserve in
Late May – June.
This can be
explained by the
“guiding” role of
large rivers`
valleys (Yenisei,
Pyasina), along
which the birds
penetrate in more
northern natural
zones, non-typical
for them, from the
south – from the
sub-Arctic and the
taiga zone. This is
apparently the
explanation of the
cases when a number
of species, which
are not typical of
the arctic tundra,
nest near
Dixon:
Turdus
pilaris, Turdus
iliacus, Acanthis
flammea, Luscinia
svecica and
Emberiza
pusilla.
The most common bird
of the
Passeriformes in
Northern Taimyr
is
Calcarius Lapponicus,
but it is also rare
in the northern part
of the Nature
Reserve. Snow
bunting nests on all
coasts and islands
and populates all
three types of
habitats: stone
placers, human
structures and – on
the coasts of the
Yenisei Bay – also
vast deposits of
drift-wood, thrown
by the river on the
sand beaches. There
are small quantities
of ryum,
Oenanthe oenanthe,
nesting in the
Nature Reserve, and
in its southernmost
sections there are
also Anthus
cervinus and
white wagtail.
Mammals
The Nature Reserve
numbers 16 species
of mammals, 4 of
which are sea
mammals. The
mammalian fauna is
almost
uninvestigated here.
This section, apart
from our own
materials, contains
the materials of
polar stations,
kindly presented to
us by Dixon UGMS.
Wolf Canis
lupus
The distribution of
wolfs in
Northern Taimyr
has several centres.
In the major part of
the territory they
are extremely rare,
and are constantly
met only in several
places. These are,
as a rule, are the
places of reindeer`s
regular habitat.
There is no
information about
wolves` breeding on
the territory of the
Nature Reserve,
although such
possibility is not
to be excluded.
Wolves often come to
the
Sibiryakova
Island and the Pyasina
Delta. According to
polar stations`
reports and
questioning results
wolves inhabit the
Lower
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra
River and the coast between the Minina
Skerries and the
Lenivaya
River. In the latter
section we observed
a couple of wolves
from a helicopter in
August 1989. Wolves
come to islands
extremely seldom.
Meetings on the
Russkiy
Island (a pack came in the winter
1983), on the
Gueiberga
Island
(a single animal was
met in mid June
1963), and in
Severnaya Zemlya
(Belikov, Randla,
1987) have been
known.
Polar fox
Alopex lagopus
It can be met all
over the territory
of the Nature
Reserve, but burrows
only on the coast,
to the North up to
the Lower
Leningradskaya and
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra
Rivers. On the whole
Northern Taimyr
belongs to the
sub-optimum of its
areal, and the
quantity of polar
foxes here is much
lower than in the
optimal burrowing
areas of the
North-Siberian
Lowland. The cases
of polar foxes`
burrowing on the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula and the offshore
islands (Russkiy,
Gueiberga) are
extremely rare and
are only known from
the descriptions of
polar stations`
employees.
Regular migrations
of polar foxes along
the seashore and
along the valleys of
large rivers have
been described by a
lot of researchers
(Kolyushev, 1933;
Rybkin, 1994 and
others). The
question to which
degree polar foxes,
inhabiting the
coasts of the
Kara
Sea, are settled is still
insufficiently
investigated.
Polar foxes`
migrations are
caused by the lack
of food in
wintertime. In this
period the coastal
sections and islands
can provide for more
food in the years of
the low size of
lemmings`
population. Whereas
lemmings prevail in
polar foxes`
stomachs on the
continent
(Kolyushev, 1933),
there are remnants
of seals and fish in
the polar foxes
caught on the
islands (Isachenko,
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands – according to the
polar stations`
reports). Polar
explorers often saw
polar foxes
following polar
bears and eating the
remnants of the
latter`s meal. Such
polar foxes can be
well fed also in
wintertime.
The size of polar
foxes` population
has cyclic
fluctuations,
following the
cyclicity of the
size of lemmings`
population. We have
established however
that the duration of
the lemming cycle
can be different in
different districts
of
Northern Taimyr:
from three to six
years. This question
requires a further
investigation.
Polar foxes do not
come to the distant
islands of the Kara
Sea every year, but
regularly, and
sometimes they stay
there for the whole
summer (for example
on the Russkiy
Island in 1992).
During such years
they destroy birds`
nests on the islands
immensely
(Syroechkovski Jr.,
Lappo, 1994). The
scale of polar
foxes` migration on
the
Kara
Sea
is very wide. They
are known to be met
on the ice up to the
Ushakova
Island, covered completely
with a glacier; in
the period from 1952
till 1967 polar
foxes were observed
there during eight
winters. The most
usual period of
migrating polar
foxes` occurrence on
the islands is since
November till
January, after the
establishment of the
solid ice cover.
During the winter
two-three people at
polar stations could
catch in traps 20 to
50, sometimes up to
150 polar foxes,
each.
Polar bear
Ursus maritimus
It is a rather
common species of
the Great Arctic
Nature Reserve. It
can be met on the
islands all the year
round, on the
continent – mostly
in winter, and most
often in the
northernmost parts.
Polar bears come to
internal districts,
far from the coasts,
extremely rarely.
Nevertheless, they
are known to come
into the depth of
the continent in
winter, spring and
autumn: to the south
up to the Taimyr
Lake (Bikada River);
also at the estuary
of the Khatanga
River, at the
estuary of the
Dutypta River and
near Tolsty Nos at
the estuary of the
Yenisei River, at
the Verkhnyaya
Taimyra River
150 km
to the south of the
Taimyr Lake; at the
Pyasina River – 40
and
200 km
from the estuary. In
the former times
polar bears were
common on the
Severnaya Zemlya
Archipelago and
along the entire
Taimyr seashore from
Dixon
to
Pronchishevoy
Bay
(Syroechkovski,
Rogacheva, 1995).
During the last 50
years polar bears`
lairs were found in
different years on
such islands as
Kamenniye, Russkiy,
Maly Taimyr,
Gueiberga,
Isachenko, in the
Minina Skerries in
the area of the
Kolosovykh Island,
on the Vize Island
and on the western
coast of the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula. On the
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands we found a lair
with a dead female
bear and two dead
bear cubs. According
to the information
from the polar
station`s reports
this is a permanent
breeding area of
polar bears. Polar
explorers found
lairs in 1964, 1997
and in other years
there.
The size of polar
bears` population on
the islands is not
stable. Migrations,
mostly connected
with changes in ice
conditions,
occurrences of rims,
fast-ice tear-offs
etc., have been
noted. The maximum
number of migrating
polar bears was
noted by the polar
stations in spring
and in autumn.
Groups up to 12
polar bears can
gather at carcasses
of dead seals and
white whales. Thus,
in August 1993 we
observed 6 polar
bears at a white
whale thrown on the
coast near the polar
station “Ostrov
Russkiy”. There were
frequent cases of
young animals
staying for a long
time near polar
stations; it is not
always possible to
frighten them away
and they can be
dangerous to people.
Polar explorers are
forced to shoot such
animals out of
safety reasons,
although it is
against the law. The
hunting ban resulted
in a considerable
growth of polar
bears` population,
and, as old polar
explorers note, they
are met on the Kara
Sea islands by two –
three times more
often now than in
the 1960-70s. Both
single bears and
female bears with
bear cubs are
regularly met near
comparatively large
settlements (Dixon
Island,
Chelyuskin
Cape).
In the 1950s the
annual hunters` bag
of polar bears in
Northern Taimyr
could amount to 50 –
70 animals, while in
the present time not
more than ten bears
get shot illegally.
Glutton
Gulo gulo
Gluttons do not come
to
Northern Taimyr
much. Before it has
not been noted by
teriologists to the
north of the
Zyrayanka River`s
estuary in the
Yenisei Bay
(Kolyushev, 1933)
and has not been
noted in the area of
Dixon (Rybkin,
1994). Gluttons
follow apparently
migrating herds of
wild reindeer.
Reports of polar
stations note
regular meetings
with this animal in
the Lower Nizhnyaya
Taimyra and
Lower
Lenivaya
Rivers
in the 1950s and in
the 1970s, and as a
rare case – near the
polar station
“Eclipse”. Meetings
with gluttons on the
Pravda and
Nansena
Islands
were noted in autumn
1953 and 1954, and
on 14th
December 1974.
Ermine
Mustela erminea
Ermine is not
numerous, but
widespread along the
entire coast. It has
been traced by us in
the north at least
up to the
Lower
Nizhnaya
Taimyra
River. It inhabits the
Minina Skerries and
the Nordensheld
Archipelago (was
noted at the polar
stations “Pravda” in
1954 and “Ostrov
Russkiy” in 1959).
At more distant
islands it can
hardly be met (the
only time such
meeting was
mentioned at the
“Gueiberg” polar
station in 1958),
although ermine is
known also for
Severnaya Zemlya
(Belikov, Randla,
1987).
It inhabits the
sections with stone
placers on the coast
and away from it,
more seldom –
precipitous banks of
rivers and lakes,
and heaps of
drift-woods. The
size of ermines`
population depends
on the abundance of
their main food –
lemmings. Ermines
are supposed to die
out in some years on
considerable
sections of its
areal and then
re-populate more
northern districts
again (Rybkin,
1994). It often
settles and breeds
near human houses:
near polar stations,
fishing and hunting
bases.
Sometimes several
ermine families can
live and breed in
human structures. In
1990 in
the
Lower
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra River
an ermine lair was
made in a drilling
pipe, lying near a
girder. Ermine has
been mentioned in
the reports of all
continental polar
stations of
Northern Taimyr,
except the station
“Mys Chelyuskin”.
Walrus
Odebenus rosmarus
The area of
walruses`
distribution in the
Kara
Sea has not been studied,
and we can judge
about it exclusively
on the basis of data
from polar stations`
reports. The main
observations date
back to the period
of the 1950s-1960s.
However, the absence
of data of the more
recent years is not
necessarily evident
of a fall in the
size of walruses`
population and may
only mean a smaller
number of observers.
On the
Izvestiy
TSIK Islands
the walruses were
for the first time
noted in 1956; a
herd of walruses
consisting of 15
animals came into a
bay near a polar
station in the
summer of 1956.
Closer to the autumn
of the same year the
schooner “Apsheron”
noted for the first
time a breeding
ground of walruses
in the south-western
part of the island,
15 km
away from the polar
station. Several
more meetings were
further noted in the
1960s. Later on
walruses have not
been mentioned;
apparently the
majority of them
were killed by the
winterers. In the
1990s we did not
meet any walruses on
the
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands.
The then inhabitants
of the polar station
did not know about
them either.
On the
Gueiberga
Islands
walruses have been
seen since the
1940s. In the period
since 1957 till 1964
about ten meetings
were noted; as a
rule, those were
single animals or
small groups,
floating by on ice
floes. The last
meetings were
mentioned in reports
for 1980-1983.
On the
Serguey
Kirov
Islands
walruses were many
times met in
1953-1961 – in
summertime and up to
late October, on
fast-ice and in
water. As old-timers
told, there was a
small breeding
ground at that time
on a small sand
island to the north
of the
Isachenko
Island.
According to the
non-checked
information from
pilots a breeding
ground was noted in
the 1980s in the
southern part of the
Arctic
Institute
Islands.
The reports of the
polar station
“Peschany”,
“Solnechnaya” and
“Krasnoflotskiye”
for the 1950s –
1980s mention
walruses regularly,
while the reports of
the stations “Ostrov
Russkiy” and “Vize”
– as single cases.
In the 1980s a small
breeding ground on
the western coast of
the Bol`shevik
Island
(Severnaya
Zemlya)
was visited by
geologists. In
November 1976 polar
explorers met in the
Shokalsky
Strait
a very skinny
walrus, crawling on
the ice
150 km
away from the
nearest water.
Apparently a crack
in the ice
disappeared and the
animal got trapped –
was cut off from the
sea. In Mid 1980s
about 20 walruses
got into such trap
due to the crack`s
disappearing behind
an ice-breaker in
the Vilkitsky
Strait. A lot of
them were then
killed by polar
bears.
Walruses are seen
rather regularly at
the polar station
“Chelyuskin”. Once a
walrus crawled to
the station, was
crawling in the
settlement and tried
to creep into a
diesel storage. Tens
of people witnessed
that scene. Polar
explorers met
walruses on the Maly
Taimyr Island
regularly, and in
late 1980s
Yu.V.Kovalchuk saw a
small
breeding-ground of
walruses there.
All these facts are
evident of a
possible exchange
between the walrus
populations of the
Laptev Sea and the
Kara
Sea, and, probably, of the
fact that there is a
common walrus
population in the
both seas. In order
to monitor the state
of the walrus
populations the
Nature Reserve must
get into a constant
contact with polar
stations` observers,
polar aviation
pilots and the
ice-breaking fleet
sailors, collecting
little by little the
materials on the
species` present
state.
Seal Phoca
hispida and Sea
Hare
Erignatus barbatus
These species are
widely met in the
entire water area of
the
Kara
Sea,
but seals prevail in
quantity everywhere.
The maximum spring
concentrations of
seals on the ice,
including seal cubs,
were seen near the
coasts of
North-Western Taimyr
and near the
Serguey
Kirov Islands,
the
Izvestiy
TSIK
Islands,
the Minina Skerries
and others.
White whale
Delphinapteris
leucas
White whales
populate the whole
water area of the
Kara
Sea
and can be regularly
met near all the
islands. They are
quite common in the
area of
Dixon,
where we also saw
them many times in
August-September. Up
to the late 1960s
they were caught in
large quantities
from trapping
schooners and by the
labour forces of
Dixon Fish Factory.
At present this
fishing business has
been completely
stopped. In the
northern part of the
Kara
Sea
white whales are not
numerous. They are
met near the Vize,
Uedineniya and
Ushakova
Islands
only in the years of
abundant shoals of
Boreogadus
saidae, usually
in autumn. They are
more common in the
water area adjacent
to the coasts of
Taimyr. The
regularity of
meeting white whales
depends on ice
conditions and
movements of large
shoals of fish,
first of all
B. saidae.
White whales can be
regularly seen in
the immediate
vicinity of the
coasts. They are
known to come into
the estuary of
Nizhnyaya Taimyra,
into the Pyasina and
the
Yenisei
Rivers. Regular migrations
of white whales from
the Laptev Sea to
the
Kara
Sea and back have been noted at
Severnaya Zemlya.
In some districts of
the
Kara
Sea
white whales are
quite common. Thus,
fragmented 6-month
observations at the
polar station
“Golomyanny” in
1951-52 noted in
total 910 white
whales at open
water. White whales`
concentrations of
many hundreds of
animals have been
noted in the area of
the
Izvestiy
TSIK Islands
since the 1950s till
the present time.
Near the
Sverdrup
Island
we observed on 2nd
August 1992 about
one hundred white
whales at the same
time. They were
eating saika at
sandy shallow waters
(25% of them were
young animals).
White hare
Lepus timidus.
This is a rare
species, which is
met in the
continental part of
Northern Taimyr.
We could see the
traces of white
hare`s stay up to
the estuary part of
the Nizhnyaya
Taimyra River. Only
in some rare years
the white hare is
relatively common in
some sections of the
Nature Reserve – for
example in the area
of the Meduza Bay in
1989 (Rybkin, 1994).
It was never met on
the islands.
Lemmings
Lemmus sibiricus
and
Dicrostonyx
torquatus
They are the basis
of nutrition of all
birds of prey and
mammals of arctic
tundra. Therefore
their quantity has a
strong influence on
the success of
reproduction of all
birds in the Nature
Reserve without an
exception, since
they are an
alternative prey of
the predators.
Lemmus
sibiricus, which
does not come to the
arctic tundra much,
is widespread to the
north, at least to
the
Leningradskaya
River.
Dicrostonyx
torquatus
inhabits practically
the entire sub-zone
of arctic tundra to
the northern part of
the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula,
and can be met even
on
Severnaya Zemlya.
No traces of
lemmings` breeding
were found on the
Arctic
Institute
Islands, Izvestiy TSIK,
Serguey Kirov
Archipelago and in
the northern part of
the Nordensheld
Archipelago. In 1992
the traces of
lemmings` old paths
were found on the
Sverdrup
Island,
but the animals
themselves were not
met.
There are regular
meetings with house
mice and grey rats
at polar stations,
where they get from
the cargo brought
from the continent.
The populations of
theses species are
known to have been
living permanently
in
Dixon
for many years (also
at dump fields).
Wild reindeer
Rangifer
tarandus
This species lives
in a small quantity
on the territory of
the Great Arctic
Nature Reserve
permanently, and
numerous groups of
the main Taimyr
population come to
its southern
sections (Dixon
area and the Pyasina
Delta) in the period
of calving. The
quantity and
distribution of
reindeer changes
quickly. At present
the animals in the
maximum quantity
from 50 000 to
150 000 stay on the
territory of the
Nature Reserve in
summertime.
Settled groupings of
reindeer migrate
within the limits of
the
Byrranga
Mountains.
The mosaic nature of
their habitats in
the mountainous
valleys of Byrranga
apparently allows
the reindeer living
in this district the
whole year round –
both before and at
present. Thus, the
reports of the polar
station “Mys
Sterlegova”
mentioned regular
winter meetings with
reindeer in
1952-1985. The
observers indicate
that the abundance
of reindeer depends
on the severity of
winter and the
amount of snow. In
more severe winters
reindeers appear on
the coast more
seldom; sometimes
they are almost not
seen there for
several years
(1960-1964, the
early 1970s). In
other years they are
common here the
whole year round and
leave for calving to
the mountains only
in May (information
from N.G.Letunovsky,
Yu.I.Kotlyaris).
In other districts,
on the contrary,
reindeer are more
often met in summer,
and they migrate
away to the
mountains in the
winter period (Lower
Pyasina
River, polar stations “Rybak”,
“Eclipse”). Near the
estuary of the
Nizhnyaya Taimyra
River reindeer were
met, according to
the polar station`s
report, the whole
year round in the
1950s, and in the
1980s – more often
in the winter period
(Yu.Rogachev,
personal report).
Wild reindeer, noted
on the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula, could belong either to the
Taimyr or to the
Severnaya Zemlya
population, since
the polar explorers
of the polar station
“Solnechnaya Buchta”
noted reindeers`
traces going from
the
Bolshevik
Island
to the continent.
The unique island
population of wild
reindeer lives on
the
Sibiryakova
Island.
As our calculation
showed there were
about 800 wild
reindeer here in
1989. Their number,
however, was falling
quickly: in 1993 it
was already only
200-300 animals. The
reason for the
catastrophic
reduction of this
population was an
illegal arrival to
the island of the
Nenets
reindeer-breeders
with herds of
domesticated
reindeer from Gydan.
At first they stayed
on the island only
in winter, but since
1990-91 they spend
together with their
herds the whole year
round on the island.
As a result fragile
arctic pastures
could not withstand
an overload and
turned out to be
damaged. Besides,
the Nenets and
Dixon
hunters were
constantly poaching
for wild reindeer.
Hopefully the
creation of the
Nature reserve and
the removal of the
Nenets with their
herds from the
island will help to
restore the island`s
vegetation and the
wild reindeer`s
population.
Reindeer stay
permanently or
almost permanently
on some islands,
lying close to the
coast. These are the
Kamennye
Islands, where we saw them
in 1989, the Minina
Skerries and the
southern part of the
Nordensheld
Archipelago. More
seldom reindeer can
be met on the
Gueiberg and
Russkiy
Islands.
These are, as a
rule, small
migrating herds.
Thus, a herd of 30
animals visited the
Russkiy
Island
in 1985 (A.M.Babko,
personal report). On
more distant islands
reindeer are more
rare guests. On the
Izvestiy TSIK
Islands we saw shed
reindeer antlers on
the ice in 1992, and
the report of the
polar station
describes in detail
the observations
made in 1955
(Yu.T.Plekhanov). In
1992 we found
reindeer`s droppings
on the Sverdrup
Island. Polar
explorers noted the
traces of reindeer`s
stay on the
Isachenko and
Slozhny Islands in
1956, and on the
Vize Island – in
1948.
Musk-ox
Ovibos
moschatus
Since 1990s it
regularly visits,
and possibly, also
permanently stays in
the section of the
Nature Reserve,
which adjoins the
valley of the
Nizhnyaya
Taimyra
River. The settlement of
musk-oxen in the
northern parts of
the
Byrranga
Mountains originated from the place of
this species`
re-acclimatization
near the
Bikada
River (Central
Taimyr),
where it started in
1974-75 (Yakushkin,
1983 and other). We
met an old male
musk-ox in early
August
1990 in
the Lower Nizhnyaya
Taimyra near the
Granitny
Cape. As the pilots of the
Khatanga Aviation
Detachment and
geologists inform,
there were a lot of
meetings with
musk-oxen in the
valleys of the
Shrenk, Trautfetter,
Leningradskaya
Rivers
and on the
Chelyuskin
Peninsula in the 1990s.
I.I.Chupin, a member
of the expedition of
IEEP RAS met several
musk-oxen in the
basin of the
Shrenk
River in the summer 1990. |
