The general research direction is the study of the ecological, behavioral, physiological, and genetic factors and mechanisms of population and community dynamics as the basis of their stability and variability under changing environmental conditions, using small mammals and passerine birds as models. Methodological approaches are based on long-term, comprehensive monitoring and individually based studies of the spatial and temporal dynamics of natural populations under changing conditions in various landscape zones, combined with laboratory and experimental studies. The methodology is built on a complex of zoological, botanical, ethological, ecological, physiological, biochemical, molecular-genetic, cytogenetic, and morphological methods.
Main directions:
- Long-term dynamics of populations and communities: the role of climate change, anthropogenic landscape transformation, environmental heterogeneity, and intrapopulation mechanisms
- Non-stationary dynamics of rodent populations in pasture ecosystems under changing grazing pressure and climate (Kalmykia, 1980-present) (E.N. Surkova, L.E. Savinetskaya, V.V. Neronov, A.V. Tchabovsky)
- Population and community dynamics of small mammals of the Yenisei taiga: the role of climate change, spatial environmental heterogeneity, and intrapopulation factors (1972-present) (B.I. Sheftel)
- Population and community dynamics of passerine birds of the Yenisei taiga: the role of species specialization, spatial heterogeneity, and climate warming (1978-present) (O.V. Bursky, E.Yu. Demidova)
- Population dynamics of small mammals in the temperate forests of European Russia: the role of spatial heterogeneity, anthropogenic habitat transformation, and intrapopulation mechanisms (Tver region, 2005-present) (N.A. Shchipanov, A.A. Kalinin)
- Population and community dynamics of small mammals of the northern taiga: the role of physical and ecological factors in limiting and regulating dispersal (Komi Republic, 2005-present) (A.A. Kalinin)
- Population structure of forest birds under natural and anthropogenic fragmentation of forest landscape, using an island forest tract in the dry-steppe subzone of the Trans-Volga region as an example (O.N. Batova)
- Population, ecological, morphological, behavioral, molecular-genetic, and cytogenetic aspects of intraspecific differentiation and subdivision
- Origin and evolution of chromosomal races of the common shrew: cytogenetic, molecular-genetic, ecological, morphological, and ethological aspects of hybridization, isolation, and race distribution (N.A. Shchipanov, S.V. Pavlova, B.I. Sheftel)
- Ecological, geographic, and genetic aspects of intraspecific differentiation of the long-tailed ground squirrel (A.V. Tchabovsky, L.E. Savinetskaya)
- Evolution of life cycles, reproductive strategies, and mating relationships, mechanisms of sexual selection, mate choice, and sexual conflict
- Life cycles of passerine birds: diversity, ecological determinants, and demographic consequences — based on long-term population studies in the Yenisei taiga (O.V. Bursky, E.Yu. Demidova)
- Eco-physiological basis of population processes and the evolution of life cycles: life-history trade-offs (the conflict between reproductive effort and immune defense mechanisms), the role of stress in modifying ontogenetic programs (K.A. Rogovin, O.N. Shekarova)
- Ecological, behavioral, and molecular-genetic aspects of reproductive strategies, mating relationships, and paternity in the bluethroat: long-term individually based studies of a natural population in the Trans-Volga region (O.N. Batova)
- Reproductive strategies, reproductive decisions, and life cycles of ground squirrels: evolutionary and ecological aspects — long-term individually based studies of a natural population of the yellow ground squirrel in the Trans-Volga region (N.A. Vasilieva, A.V. Tchabovsky)
- Ecological aspects of the evolution of parasitic systems, using plague as an example (V.V. Suntsov)
- Status and dynamics of rare rodent species — conservation aspects (O.N. Shekarova, L.E. Savinetskaya)