Reaction of Small Mammal Communities to Different Degrees of Urbanogenic Transformation of Forest Phytocenosis

Ongoing urbanization around the world is leading to changes in ecosystems, and wildlife is forced to respond by adapting to them. First of all, disturbance concern plant communities, which are transformed in and around the city actively. Changes in phytocenosis along with the stress of the human presence also affects animals, what often leads to a decrease in small mammal community biodiversity in places subject to anthropogenic influence. However, for some mammalian species (especially small ones) that are more resistant to stress from human presence, urbanization has its advantages by creating modified habitats and reducing competition with native species that are more sensitive to urbanogenic effect. For several years, we have been studying the influence of the megalopolis (Ekaterinburg city) located in the forest zone on communities of small mammals in sites of pine forest transformed to different degrees depending on the proximity to urban development (two park-forests), as well as in the Central Culture and Recreation Park (in places with different attendance level). The forest phytocenoses were found have been altered throughout the entire park-forest sites due to weed vegetation and introduced plant species, as well as under the influence of recreation especially strongly in places adjacent to developments. The micromammal communities of all sites, in addition to forest rodents, are present hemisynanthropic species that are not characteristic of this zone forest (the small wood mouse and the striped field mouse). In outlying park-forest places where the anthropogenic load is much lower, forest mammal species are found in greater numbers, although the presence of hemisynanthropic species remains. In some cases, this might lead to an increase in community diversity indices. Naturally the conditions of the plant environment affect the ability of rodents and shrews to form steady micropopulations and communities in the forest sites of the city outskirts, although and the anxiety factor plays a significant role.