Ecological links in breeding habitat of Siberian Crane

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M V Vladimirtseva

Russian Academy for Sciences, Russia

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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Research was done on the breeding ecology of third on rarity in the world crane species, Siberian crane. It is the breeding endemic species of northern-eastern Russia and most-specialized to its environment, sub-arctic tundra, and choose for nesting just places what are situated very close to great lakes. The tundra is one from the most hard-accessible and, at the same time, one from the most vulnerable to external influences zones of the Earth. Global warming may let to thawing of permafrost and to submerging of Siberian Crane habitats. Nesting in places near great lakes in northern-eastern Siberian tundra, this crane appears to be an indicator for the global warming processes what affect lakes growth in the result of permafrost close situation to the surface in tundra. Researching shown these birds are presumably fish-eating during their incubation period which coincides in time with flooding season when fish comes on temporary flooded areas around great lakes. Such diet of Siberian cranes may be explained by the necessity of high-energetic food in their incubating period as well as the particularity of this species to leave plant resources around the nest point for period of the first days after chick hatching. This situation emphasizes tight connections in the vulnerable northern ecosystems. If the water level in tundra lakes starts to be higher own to the global warming all these links may be destructed.

Biography

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M V Vladimirtseva has completed her PhD in 2011 from North-East Federal University and Postdoctoral studies from Institute for Biological Problem of Cryolithozone under Siberian Department of Russian Academy for Sciences. She is ornithologist-researcher in Laboratory of Mount and Subarctic System of this Institute. She has published 59 papers.

Email: sib-ykt@mail.ru