Artificial Nests

• Main Authors: Ims, Rolf Anker, Ehrich, Dorothée, Lecomte, Nicolas, Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: ENVIRONMENT; ARCTIC WOLVES; IPY; biology; ecology; EARTH SCIENCE; BIOSPHERE; ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS; SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS; SPECIES PREDATION; Arctic; Poluostrov Yamal; Triplets; Yamal Peninsula; Betula nana; Eriophorum; Taimyr; Tundra; Cottongrass
• Online Access: http://data.npolar.no/dataset/4690bbef-9618-5a2b-bdd1-7f6b4fc50da7

Single brown chicken eggs were laid out on the tundra during the main breeding season of birds in order to get a relative estimate of general predation pressure on ground nesting birds. Artificial nests were laid out at four sites in Russia: 1) Erkuta tundra monitoring site on Yamal Peninsula (Yamal), 68.2°N, 69.1°E2) Nenetsky Ridge in Nenetsky Autonomous district (Nenetsky), 68.3°N, 53.3°E3) Dolgi Island in Nenetsky Autonomous district, 69.2°N, 59.2°E (Dolgy)4) Mys Vostochny on western Taimyr, Kransoyarskii Krai, 74.1°N, 86.8°E (Taimyr)The artificial nest data from the four sites are in the same file, but the coordinates of the plots at each site are in separate files. Two eggs were laid out at the corners of 15 x 15 m study plots between the end of June and the middle of July. Eggs were checked repeatedly. The date when they disappeared and their fate (broken or disappeared) was recorded. In Yamal plots with artificial nests were in 3 habitats:T: Lush meadows adjacent to willow thickets. On these plots one 3 of the small quadrats were in the willow thicket.W: Moist tundra characterized by thick layers of Shagnum moss with Carex spp and Eriphorum spp tussocks, interspersed with R. chamaemorus and B. nana. D: Dry tundra characterized by ericoid dwarf shrubs, mainly R. tomentosum but also Vaccinium spp, B. nana and Eriophorum spp.Plots were grouped in 2 units (K and R) which each comprised 6 plots in each type of habitat.In Nenetsky plots with artificial nests were in 3 habitats:W: lush meadows adjacent to willow thickets. On these plots one 3 of the small quadrats were in the willow thicket thicket. H: Hummock tundra dominated by cottongrass tussocks (Eriophorum spp) interspersed with dwarf shrubs and R. chamaemorusS: Shrubby tundra characterized by B. nana and ericoid shrubs (Vaccinium spp, Rhododendron tomentosum), interspersed with sedges (Carex spp) and Rubus chamaemorus.Plots were grouped in triplets of plots in each type of habitat. Triplets were grouped into 3 units, each lying in a different river valley and separated by ca 3 km. On Dolgy Island plots with artificial nests were in 2 habitats:G: Grass and sedge dominated tundra, often with dwarf shrubs of Salix sppS: Dwarf shrub dominated tundra with Betula nana and Vaccinium spp.Plots were grouped in pairs of plots in each type of habitat. Pairs were grouped into 2 units separated by ca 3 km. On Taimyr plots with artificial nests were in 2 habitats:I: Humid grass-sedge tundra with Salix spp dwarf shrubsB: Drier hummock tundra with prostrate shrubs and herbs. Plots were grouped in pairs of plots in each type of habitat. Pairs were grouped into 3 units separated by ca 3 km.