FEEDING-BEHAVIOR AND THE STATE OF POPULAT IONS OF CISCAUCASIAN HAMSTER (MESOCRICETUS-RADDEI-AVARICUS) IN MOUNTAIN AGROECOSYSTEMS

The feeding levels and the consumption of nutrients and energy by Cisc aucasian hamster reach their maximum in agroecosystems with abundant g rain foods. These parameters, are stable between years;and seasons and do not depend on the dynamics of the crops and nutritiousness of natu ral foods (21 to 22g of dry weight and 279 to 309kJ per individual a d ay resp.). The absolute values of daily energy consumption exceed dail y requirement (206 +/- 16.5 kJ per individual) almost in all periods o f activity and cause regular increase of body weight throughout entire period of activity. This determines the maximum level of reproduction (89-98%), the minimum level of winter mortality (22-54%) and the high est and stable density for years (34-35 animals per ha). In the absenc e of grain grain foods, feeding levels and consumption of nutrients ar e determined by the dynamics of natural foods. Seasonal and annual dyn amics of these indices cause significant fluctuations of reproductive intensity, mortality and migration between years. Even in optimum natu ral biotopes, the population density does not exceed 3 or 5 animals pe r ha and varies significantly between years.