Branta Issues > Issue №14 (2011)

Comparative characteristics of summer population of birds of open biotopes in the Western Crimea

V. N. Kucherenko

There are given data on species composition and numbers of ornithofauna in major open biotopes of the Western Crimea: agrocoenoses and petrophyte steppes. Biotopes are compared according to a number of criteria: species richness, density, feeding type, ornithogeographic structure. It is established that for the last 50 years the ratio of larks has changed at least twice, especially it is characteristic for the Short-toed Lark. At the present stage, zonal biotopes occupying a considerable area of the steppe Crimea are distinguished by small species richness and mainly represented with Mediterranean species. With increase of the man-made transformation of the territory the zonal biotopes began being invaded by representatives of other fauna complexes, first of all European, and also Transpalearctic species.