FORESTRY IDEAS, 2019, vol. 25, No 1 (57): 91–118 NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF AMUR REGION HUNTING BIRDS (TETRAONIDAE) USING GIS CARTOGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION METHODS Svetlana Sandakova, Aleksandr Toushkin*, Olga Matveeva, Аlia Toushkina, and Aleksandr Samchuk Far East State Agricultural University, Amur region, 675000 Blagoveshchensk, 180 Lenin Str., Russia. *E-mail: [email protected] Received: 11 December 2018 Accepted: 14 May 2019 Abstract This article is based on long-standing data (2013–2017), which takes into account the num- ber of birds during the winter route census (WRC) in the Amur region, where 5 hunting types of Galliformes occur (the black-billed capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse, willow ptarmigan, and the common pheasant). The collected data about their numbers and density were visualized using the ArcGIS 9.3.1 (2009) software with Spatial Analyst special analysis tools. The spatial distribution of birds in biotopes in places of our research is taken into account. The main limiting factors that cause fluctuations in the abundance of these bird species are identified. Such results of censuses of hunting birds and their analysis should be used by specialized hunting and na- ture protection organizations, which are obliged to regulate annually hunting of trade birds and animals in the region. In addition, data on the population and hunting ceiling for the hunting birds are the basis for the rational planning and opening of the hunting season, as well as establish- ing the maximum percentage of game production with no harm to the population. The study of ecological and biological features of bird species is of great importance for more successful and rational organization of hunting farms: biodiversity conservation, population monitoring, organiza- tion of reproduction, biotechnical and conservation measures, forecast of the number of hunting resources for long-term planning of the economy. Thus, such a generalized analysis of the state of populations of hunting’s Tetraonidae birds in the Amur region will help ornithologists and any specialists in the field of protection and use of wild animal resources to assess the current state and adaptive features of local populations of Tetraonidae. Such research is a prerequisite for predicting the number of these birds and provides a solid foundation for the development of con- servation measures. Key words: population data of birds, spatial distribution, winter route census (WRC). Introduction the hunting ceilings with no harm to their regional population. Observation of the number and condition The importance of these studies can of forest and field bird populations used hardly be overestimated, since such an for game hunting is an important basis for expert assessment of the resources of their rational use, since it is based on data hunting birds makes it possible to obtain on the number of birds that can be dis- the maximum number of products while covered during the hunting season within maintaining populations at the level of 92 S. Sandakova, A. Toushkin, O. Matveeva, А. Toushkina, and A. Samchuk maximum sustainable productivity. Borchtchevski (2017) studied the prob- In general, almost everywhere in the lem of the influence of spring weather and country there are two opposing process- climatic conditions on Tetraonidae (for ex- es, reflecting the status of hunting re- ample, the capercaillie) as main limiting sources of the Galliformes. Thus, interest factor in Central Russia. According to our in the hunting of forest and field birds has observations, this is also characteristic of gradually decreased due to the phased the Tetraonidae living in Siberia and the reduction in the number of professional Far East. hunters who experience difficulties in stor- Barbazyuk (2017) studied the long- ing, transporting and selling products in term dynamics of the number of the ca- modern economic conditions. percaillie in the Orenburg Nature Reserve At the same time, according to Gavrin in the steppe zone of the Ural under the (1965) and Romanov (1988), since the influence of fires. All these studies confirm 1960s, there has been a tendency to re- the results of observations of Tetraonidae duce the forest and field bird reserves birds within their habitat. For example, the throughout Russia. First of all, this is decrease in the number of the capercaillie due to a noticeable reduction in the total in the post-fire period is due to a decrease amount of land suitable for their habitat in the feeding capacity of habitats, and the (deforestation, intensive economic use of destruction of nesting biotopes. land, and many fires), an increase in the In Siberia, many studies have been number of hunting enthusiasts and an in- devoted to the distribution, biology and crease in poaching. ecology of the Tetraonidae. Since 1996, In Russia, the monitoring of hunting the monitoring of the population status bird populations and the study of their and the biology of the capercaillie of the ecological and biological features are Yeniseyevskaya Plain (Central Siberia) conducted in various regions on a regular has been conducted by Savchenko and basis. Masaytis (2018) investigated the Savchenko (2001, 2002) and Savchenko status of the black grouse in the north- (2000, 2004, 2005). Kotlov (2011) studied west of the European part of the taiga the species composition, population den- area of Russia. He proposed to use the sity of hunting birds, hunting methods and classification of the state of leks accord- the volumes of prey in the Altai territory. ing to their dislocation to assess the status In Baikal Siberia, according to Dorzhiev of the black-billed capercaillie population (2016), up to 13 species of Tetraonidae in spring. This approach allows us to de- are registered. In Southern Baikal Mel- velop a set of security measures based nikov (2015) noted that the main change on the category of dislocated leks of the in the population density of 3 species of black-billed capercaillie and the recom- the Tetraonidae (the black-billed caper- mended percentage of seizures of birds in caillie, the black grouse, the hazel grouse) hunting farms. A huge amount of material occurs in summer. At the same time, the (for over 75 years) about the distribution main limiting factor is the influence of and ecology of the black-billed capercail- ground predators (sable to the greatest lie was consolidated by Bugaev (2011) in extent). Estimation of the general popula- the territory of the Mordovia Nature Re- tion status of the hunting species of birds serve located in the forest-steppe zone of has fragmentary information. Recently, the European part of Russia. interesting calrifications have emerged Number and Distribution of Amur Region Hunting Birds (Tetraonidae) ... 93 about the distribution of the black-billed subsequent distribution of the species capercaillie in the Baikal region (Gagina from refugia are the main causes of var- 2015; Melnikov 2007, 2016), which indi- iability. Some experts recognize the ge- cate an expansion of its habitat range to netic similarity of the Tetraonidae, which the west along the south of Baikal and in are represented by the same genus. For the Upper Lena. According to Labutin and example, Ning et al. (2016) revealed fam- Pshennikov (1993), in the north of Siberia ily relationships between rare and poorly under the harsh Yakut winter, the distribu- studied species – blood pheasant (Ithag- tion of the black-billed capercaillie is as- inis), snow partridge (Lerwa) and long- sociated with the habitat of the Dahurian billed partridge (Rhizothera). larch due to their trophic relations. In addition to monitoring bird popula- The population status of the Tetrao- tions in Europe, many studies are devot- nidae is also monitored in the Far East ed to factors that cause fluctuations in the (Sandakova et al. 2015, Kharchenko 2013, Tetrionidae population. In Central Europe Biserov and Medvedeva 2016). Some and Fennoscandia, a decrease in the Tetraonidae species require special atten- number of the capercaillie and the black tion due to the ecological and biological grouse has been observed for 80 years. features of the species. Biserov (2011) be- Jahren et al. (2016) identified a number lieves that the number of Siberian Tetrao- of causes that affect the number of these nidae is underestimated in the Khabarovsk species. These are natural limiting factors region. He proposes to revise the census (weather and climatic conditions, fires, method of the Siberian grouse and it offers floods, etc.), habitat degradation (de- a census time (mid-August – mid-Septem- forestation, extensive agricultural land) ber) and a different choice of location for and the hunting press. A similar pattern determining the route where the number develops over the entire area of the Tetri- is calculated (old roads). The research of onidae distribution. Nechaeva and Nechaev (2012) reflects Huhta et al. (2017) also believe that the role of birds in the distribution of wild the Tetraonidae population in Finland is berry plants in the south of the Far Eastern gradually decreasing. In the northern for- taiga area, especially during the period of est-steppe and southern cultivated areas, nomadic movement and migration. the authors studied the success of nest- Foreign researchers also actively study ing of the hazel grouse. This is due to the the status of hunting birds, the ecological presence of old coniferous woods and features of the Tetraonidae. Currently, the mixed forests, which is associated with systematic position of many species of the the abundance of the main feed (blueber- Tetraonidae is being revised, and the re- ries, insects, etc.). In open and semi-open cent changes are reflected in work of Mc- landscapes, the proportion of death of Gowan and Bonan (2018). Researchers broods due to predator attacks increased. of genetic variability of the hazel grouse Also Torfinn (2017) notes a decrease in Bonasa bonasia populations in Poland the number of the capercaillie and the (Rutkowski et al.