aReading literature and talking with wolf and lynx researchers, it becomes evident that interference between the two species is actually poorly studied. Some mammalogists tend to assume that wolves suppress the lynx population. Some even suggest details of the aggressive behaviour of wolves towards lynxes: strong wolf packs attack lynx family groups and kill kits during lynx mating season when the kits stay alone or disperse. Seemingly, such stories are only speculative beliefs and ideas. Continue reading “Findings on the interference between wolves and lynxes “
Tag: population ecology
What is the cause of the badger population decline in Belarus?
Within the analysis of vertebrate predator-prey community we carried out the population studies on the badger Meles meles and raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides with implication for the strong decline in badgers even in seminatural terrains in Belarus. Continue reading “What is the cause of the badger population decline in Belarus? “
Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure
We have found a great difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold seasons. In the cold season, particularly during the snow period lynxes hunt mostly by walking i.e. patrolling prey-rich habitats and suddenly attacking prey. In the warm season lynxes mainly wait for prey from a hide over prey pathway. Such … Continue reading “Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure”
We have found a great difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold seasons. In the cold season, particularly during the snow period lynxes hunt mostly by walking i.e. patrolling prey-rich habitats and suddenly attacking prey. In the warm season lynxes mainly wait for prey from a hide over prey pathway. Such waiting usually lasts about ten and more hours. Continue reading “Difference in hunting styles of lynxes between the warm and cold season with implication for the home range structure”
Changes in the wolf reproduction rate and packing pattern with the increase in the lynx population density
Concerning competition between wolves and lynxes in Belarus, it is worthwhile to compare the situation in the local wolf population in Naliboki Forest in 2008-2012 (when there were half as many lynxes as there are now) and in 2015-2017 (when there were about 50 and even more lynxes). Both wolves and lynxes were more or less protected in Naliboki Forest in the 2000s. Continue reading “Changes in the wolf reproduction rate and packing pattern with the increase in the lynx population density”
Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)
Since the early 2000s I have paid more and more research attention to the lynx Lynx lynx. At that time there were not much known about the species in Belarus. Thus for the beginning I raised only regionally important questions of the lynx ecology, which had been investigated in other parts of the species range, … Continue reading “Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)”
Since the early 2000s I have paid more and more research attention to the lynx Lynx lynx. At that time there were not much known about the species in Belarus. Thus for the beginning I raised only regionally important questions of the lynx ecology, which had been investigated in other parts of the species range, but seemingly they are not entirely answered still somewhere as well as in Belarus. Among the basic ecological questions I considered the most common ones such as the species population number and habitat carrying capacity, distribution of lynxes in its between-year and seasonal changes, home range and its structure, prey supply and foraging, diet in its between-year and seasonal changes, lynx predation impact on the prey populations, reproduction rate and mortality causes. Continue reading “Investigation on the lynx population biology (general information)”
Analysis of predation in vertebrate community
In the period of 1993-2010 I led the Vertebrate Predation Research Group in the same research Institute of zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The group consisted of 3-12 colleagues (including PhD-students and Diploma-students) and was aimed to investigate vertebrate predators, mainly carnivores, but also owls, diurnal raptors and snakes. The studies took place in Paazierre Forest (the northern part of Belarus) and Naliboki Forest (the central-western part of Belarus), i.e. semi-natural terrains with transitional mixed forest within the European Forest zone. Continue reading “Analysis of predation in vertebrate community”
Study and conservation activity in relation to the European mink
Intensive study on population ecology of the European mink Mustela lutreola as a critically endangered species in the Lovat terrain, Paazierre Forest, northern Belarus in 1988-2000, particularly the researches in 1995-1997 in collaboration with Prof. Dr. David Macdonald and Dr. Hans Kruuk, were a serious school for me, and that advanced a lot my professional knowledge and skills. For those three years I was accepted as a member of Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) in the Oxford University and visited it several times per year. For the mentioned studies there were applied the whole variety of available research methods of mammal population ecology including a lot of telemetry. In total we radiotagged 38 European mink (18 inds were radiotracked for long enough), 69 American mink Neovison vison (35) and 19 polecats Mustela putorius (12). Continue reading “Study and conservation activity in relation to the European mink”
My zoological beginning
I was motivated by wildlife from my childhood that took place in the Haradishcha village nearby Miensk, Belarus. The countryside childhood with still rich wildlife in the village surroundings played an essential role for my further zoological way with a lot of study in the wild. More or less real zoology started for me since 1980, when I was a student of the Belarusian State University in Miensk. At that time I was mostly interested in the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra, minks (Mustela lutreola and Neovison vison) and wolf Canis lupus. Continue reading “My zoological beginning”
Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich 