Abstracts

Diversity of the Fauna

The spatial-typological structure of the communities is revealed by results of the summer quantitative accounts of butterflies, amphibia, reptilia, birds and micromammals. The materials are assembled in northern foothills, Northeast, Northern, Central and Southeast Altai, i.e. cover the most part of Russian Altai provinces. It was shown, that total density, species richness, diversity and uniformity decrease in process of warm and damp reduction and, as a consequence, ecosystem productivity. The complexity spatial-typological structures is increased as follows: the butterflies - amphibia - reptilia - micromammals - birds. To put it otherwise, complexity define increase of ecological taxon heterogeneity (within the limits of regional fauna), reduction of dependence of animal body temperature from an environ-ment, and increase of species richness and uniformity of communities (at warm-blooded animals only).The dependence of the butterflies on a hydrothermal regime and provincial specificity of differences of territory is defined, basically, in connection with a difference in thermal conditions. In many respects deficiency of heat and/or of humidifying (and partly provinciality) defines heterogeneity of amphibia communities. The differentiation of the reptilia communities is determined by distinctions of thermal conditions (they are connected by absolute heights) and besides by slope expositions, forest cover and provinciality. In many respects the heterogeneity of micromammal communities depends on a hydro-thermal regime more in details, than at amphibia and reptilia, and the influence of provinciality is traced only under conditions where territories near to aridity. The differentiation of bird community is defined by a vegetation belt types, i.e. the actually influences of hydro-thermal regime indirectly and to a lesser degree.

The communities of every investigated taxon are formed according to a preference principle. Besides the heterogeneity of communities of birds and, to a lesser degree, other ani-mals is formed according to a principle of independent replacement, and furthermore amphibia and reptilia - by a principle of restriction. The spatial distribution of the butterflies, birds and, partly, micromammals is determined apart from by influence of migratory alignment. The results of the analysis have shown significant trend's similarity of territorial changes of the micromammal communities and, especially, bird communities in the investigated provinces of Altai with spatial changes by all biota of Globe landscapes depending on physical and physiological dryness.

Note. Abstracts are published in author's edition

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