SHELTERBELTS IN THE STEPPES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KHAKASSIA AND THEIR BIOTECHNICAL EFFECT
The paper presents the study of artificial forest shelterbelts of various rock composition and construction in the Shirin and Koibal steppes of the Republic of Khakassia. Research data are composed of visual observations of traces of vital activity in different periods of the year, counting the number of small mammals in the summer-autumn period (as the basis of fodder resources for hunting animal species), and survey data collected from hunters from 2000 to 2009. Small predators are represented by the steppe chorus ( Mustela (Putorius ) eversmanni Lesson, 1827), ermine ( Mustela erminea L., 1758), weasel ( Mustela (Gale) nivalis L., 1766). Larger animals of the same order: Asian badger ( Meles leucurus Hodgson, 1847), common fox ( Vulpes vulpes L., 1758), wolf ( Canis lupus L., 1758). Mammalian forest belts include mammal hare ( Lepus timidus L., 1758), hare ( L. europeus Pallas, 1778), long-tailed ground squirrel ( Citellus undulatus Pallas, 1779), Siberian roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus Pallas, 1771). Stating what has been said about the spatial distribution of different types of hunting animals and the ambiguity of their numbers in the steppe and forest belts, it should be considered that this is primarily a consequence of the abundance of feed resources. In all artificial forest belts, the number of mouse rodents and shrews is greater than in the steppe. It should be borne in mind that the number of populations of different species and communities as a whole in forest belts is much more stable. At the same time, in the steppe, especially at a distance from the plantations, during the depression of the number of mice, their small groupings are located locally.