American mink is a new species in the fauna of Karelia. Since the time of its arrival, not only did it get anchored in the Karelian land, but it has totally displaced the native European mink. Where its numbers are high, this predator is a serious enemy for the muskrat and waterfowl. Studies in Karelia and its adjacent areas in the Murmansk and Leningrad Regions proved the main source of the new species were fur farms. Typical habitats occupied by the American mink are forest creeks and small rivers with sections that don’t freeze over – rapids and riffles, with relatively flat, but dry and littered banks. Occasional American mink have also been encountered and taken from inside urban communities (Kondopoga, Belomorsk, Sortavala, and even Petrozavodsk).
As a reminder, KarRC RAS, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) are implementing a joint project DIAS. Its objective is to cooperate, and to share information and best practices to control invasive alien species and prevent their spread over Finland and Russian Karelia. If you’ve spotted invasive species, i.e. alien animals or plants that have settled and dispersed in Karelia as a result of human activities, please report your finding to scientists by following the link: https://dias.krc.karelia.ru/feedback
International
News
October 16, 2020
The series of posts on invasive animals in Karelia is continued. This time the focus is on the American mink. The arrival history and features of this species are described by Pyotr Danilov, Leading Researcher at the Zoology Laboratory of the Institute of Biology KaRC RAS.
See also:
November 17, 2023
Starting November 13–18, the 7th BRICS International School takes place in Moscow. Its participants are graduate and post-graduate students and young specialists from countries of the alliance. The event is organized by the Russian National Committee on BRICS Research with support from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, and Presidential Grants Fund. KarRC RAS takes part in the school for the second time.
November 11, 2023
The international seminar “Cooperation on climate change research, environmental monitoring and modeling” completed in Petrozavodsk. Specialists from the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS and Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences presented their studies and identified areas of common scientific interest for joint projects.
November 8, 2023
Scientists from Karelia and China discuss plans for joint research of water bodies. A delegation from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is on a working visit to KarRC RAS. The researchers are focusing on climate change, human impact on the natural environment and other topics and areas common to Russia and China.