The annual monitoring of terrestrial mammal populations in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Kamchatka, which is a key tool for assessing the health of this unique ecosystem, has faced serious obstacles. The Scientific Department of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve summed up the results of winter surveys conducted in extremely difficult conditions from the end of February to the end of March, and the results raise concerns not only about the condition of individual species, but also about the possibility of full-fledged scientific observation in a changing climate.
The field work was attended by employees of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and students of the Vyatka Agrotechnical University. However, the abnormal weather conditions in Kamchatka have made significant adjustments to the plans of the researchers. While the first group managed to reach the key points on Kronotsky Lake, the Kronotskaya River and the Uzon volcano caldera on time, the second group, heading to the seaside areas near the Semyachik estuary and Olga Bay, was delayed for a long time due to storms and, paradoxically for this time of year, the lack of stable snow cover necessary for accounting traces.
As a result, the total length of the routes was only 126 kilometers, which is catastrophically small compared to the usual 400-500 kilometers, which are necessary to obtain representative data throughout the vast territory of the reserve. At first, there was a complete absence of snow, followed by prolonged blizzards with heavy sleet, and in the Uzona caldera there was a dense, glassy crust due to constant winds. All these factors, which have been increasingly observed in recent years, have made it almost impossible to carry out full-fledged accounting.
Evgenia Volkova, a researcher at the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, explains that the most complete data was collected only in the vicinity of Kronotsky Lake and at the Lazovsky site, where all planned routes were completed. She emphasizes that in order to correctly estimate the number of animals in such a vast territory as the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, it is absolutely necessary to overcome a certain minimum mileage of routes. Otherwise, the calculations may turn out to be incorrect, not reflecting the real picture. Unfortunately, it was not possible to “achieve” the required minimum this year, as it is physically impossible without stable snow cover and regular snowfall.
Nevertheless, even these fragmentary data allow us to draw some conclusions. The natural decline in the white hare population, which probably began last year, continues. At the same time, the population of the Kamchatka sable, the species that the reserve was originally created to preserve in 1934, remains stable and may even be showing some growth. The estimated number has reached almost four thousand individuals, which is slightly higher than last year’s figures. It is important to note that most sables live in those areas where the records have been carried out in full, which may somewhat distort the overall picture of the reserve.
In addition, the researchers note a more frequent detection of wolverine and moose tracks compared to previous years. In the floodplain of the Olga River, there was even a personal meeting of the accountants with a wolverine and a pair of moose. These observations, although local, indicate possible changes in the distribution and activity of these species. However, the overall picture of the mammal populations in the reserve remains incomplete due to unprecedented weather difficulties that endanger not only the well-being of wild animals, but also the very possibility of their study and protection in an unstable climate.