Density of Larks (Alaudidae, Aves) of the Semi-desert of the Trans-Volga Region in Connection with the Landscape Wetting Dynamics

The density dynamics of nesting pairs of five lark species (Alaudidae) living in the territories of the Mezhuzensky and Uzeno-Dyurinsky plains, on the northwestern tip of the Caspian lowland, and in the semi-desert of the Aleksandrovo-Gaysky district of the Saratov region, and its relationship with Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient are considered. Our research was carried out on 40 fixed routes of 1 km each in the nesting period of the annual lark cycle from 2011 till 2019 (annually). It was established that the abundance dynamics trends were negative in four lark species, namely: the calandra lark  (Melanocorypha  calandra),  white-winged  lark  (M.  leucoptera),  black  lark (M. yeltoniensis), and lesser short-toed lark (Calandrella rufescens); and were positive in the skylark (Alauda arvensis). The calculated trend of hydrothermal coefficient indicators for the described territory demonstrates a 5.4% annual increase in the moistening of the semi-desert zone of our survey area. To assess the relationship of the density of different lark species with the values of Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient, we calculated the Spearman correlation coefficients. When analyzing the data obtained, it was found that a high positive density-moisture correlation was observed for the skylark, calandra lark, and black lark. No such relationship was found in the white-winged lark, and a high negative correlation of the density of nesting pairs with the hydrothermal coefficient was found in the lesser short-toed lark. Based on our research, it can be assumed that moistening of the semi-desert territory is one of the main factors that determine the abundance dynamics of larks. The heat-moisture ratio determines the level of vegetation and, accordingly, the quality of the lark habitats.

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