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Observation Area and Topography
The area I have selected to observe is a 1 km2 area in Western Ukraine. The area has been chosen primarily due to its accessibility, multiple environmental gradients and its densely populated communities of various animals. The land consists of a gentle sloped hill descending from south to north with a shallow creek bed and stagnant pond on the western aspect, I have been in this area throughout every day for the past few months so it is easy to observe and document daily and hourly changes and behaviors on a regular basis.
Vegetation
Most of the area consisting of mixed temperate forest, creeks and swamp blending into an urban park with some permanent buildings. The forest consists of primarily mixed types of pine and large old growth oak. The forest floor is a mix of smaller plants and shrubs but is clear enough in most places to walk under the trees without becoming entangled in the brush. Among the scrub brush there are poison ivy plants. In lower areas near the ponds the undergrowth becomes almost impassible with various types of bush like plants such as raspberry. These are fed by the higher water concentration in the thick black soil. The urban area is sparsely populated by cypress, old growth oak and pine trees that initial grew prior to the laying of brick paths between the buildings. The grass, likely a human addition, has grown over a grey sandy soil, in the urban area is maintained once every month or so, but is mostly left untouched unless it is tall enough to go to seed.
Wildlife
There are a number of animals who live in the area. Rarely seen is the Red squirrel, (Sciurus vulgaris) populates the trees, while the moles are predominantly in the sandy area of the urban grass. There are many feral dogs which roam far and wide as new packs enter and exit the observation area as food or mates become sparse. A smaller number of different coloured feral cats (likely not from the same litter) stay in the area to prey on the mice, birds, squirrels and the occasional mole. Of note the only birds seen are seagulls, which have left the area due to winter, and the yellow Parus Major which flits around between the worm rich ground and the thick cover of the cypress and pine trees. Some of the feral dogs have had visibly engorged ticks on them as well. There have been no turtles nor fish seen in the pond but it is not well oxygenated by plants, as it contains a great deal of decomposing leaves from the deciduous trees and very little movement from the tiny creek.
Weather
From October to January the weather has transitioned to cool fall to mild winter. Short periods of light rain showers, and a persistent overcast winter sky are rarely disturbed by any significant wind greater than what could be described as a breeze. Despite the winter season the weather here is mild enough for the temperature to range between an average of -5oc at night to +10oc during the day. It has only snowed three times, and it rarely lasts longer than a day or two before melting away.
Questions
- Since none of the dog spoor has been seen anywhere in the area, where do the feral dogs defecate? Is it a centralized location?
- The moles appear to continue pushing upward and creating molehills, but I am curious if there may be a correlation between soil temp and activity and or the activity of the prolific earthworms?
- Does the predation of moles by cats and dogs effect the location of the mole colonies?
