Preliminary assessment of changes in the structure of small mammal communities caused by industrial pollution in the North Kazakhstan Region

Abstract

This paper presents new data on small mammal communities in the industrial area of Pavlodar (Kazakhstan) for the first time. We have analyzed and compared diversity characteristics of small mammal communities found in a reference area and in an area of anthropogenic disturbance. The total abundance has been shown to increase with distance to the sources of pollution. A depauperate composition and single-dominance structure of species characterize the communities of small mammals in significantly disturbed areas. With a moderately intense level of anthropogenic stressors, species diversity increases, but the number of individual species decreases due to the fragmentation of habitats.