POPULATION DYNAMICS AND ECOLOGICAL FACTORS OF NESOKIA INDICA AND MERIONES TAMARISCINUS IN THE SOUTHERN ARAL SEA REGION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
Southern Aral Sea region, Nesokia indica, Meriones tamariscinus, population dynamics, hydrological regime, habitats, regression analysis.Abstract
The article presents a comparative analysis of the ecological characteristics of the short-tailed bandicoot rat (Nesokia indica (Gray, 1830)) and the sympatric tamarisk gerbil (Meriones tamariscinus (Pallas, 1773)) in anthropogenically transformed landscapes of the Southern Aral Sea region. The long-term population dynamics, diet composition, and endogenous and exogenous factors influencing N. indica were assessed, while habitat distribution, reproduction, and age structure were analyzed for M. tamariscinus. A multiple regression model explained 86.74% of the variation in N. indica population dynamics (R² = 0.8674), with the hydrological regime of the Amu Darya River accounting for 24% of the explained variance. Hydrological conditions, habitat moisture, and anthropogenic transformation were identified as the main factors determining the spatial and temporal dynamics of both species. The results provide a scientific basis for rodent monitoring and population management in agricultural ecosystems.
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