Specific features of population dynamics and species diversity of shrews in urbanized areas

In our study of the urban theriofauna, we refrained from the zonal approach commonly used by specialists working in urbanized areas (Karaseva et al., 1995; Tikhonova et al., 2001) but assessed the abundance and species composition of shrew communities in large peripheral park forests (Northeastern, Northwestern, and Southwestern) differing in location relative to the prevailing wind direction and within the city, in the arboretum of the Botanical Garden of the Ural Division, Russian Academy of Sciences. The control area was in a natural forest stand located 50 km from Yekaterinburg. The material was collected in midsummer (late June and July) over six years, from 2000 to 2005, by the standard trap-line method. Traps were of a modified design that ensured success in catching shrews (probably except for the smallest individuals). As all localities were surveyed using the standard procedure, the results were suitable for comparative analysis.