Wildlife of Russia

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Left: taiga in Kamchatka Krai; right: female Amur tiger

The wildlife of Russia inhabits terrain that extends across 12 time zones and from the tundra region in the far north to the Caucasus Mountains and prairies in the south, including temperate forests which cover 70% of the country. Russia's forests comprise 22% of the forest in the world [1] as well as 33% of all temperate forest. [2]

Contents

According to the data furnished in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation , as of 1996, there were 266 mammal species and 780 bird species under protection. [3] Some of the threatened plant species are the Siberian cedar pine, Korean cedar pine in the far eastern part of the country, wild chestnut in the Caucasus. [1] In the Russian Far East, brown bears, Eurasian lynx, and red deer, Amur tigers, Amur leopards, and Asiatic black bears are reported. There are also about 350 bird species and 30 percent of Russia's endangered species are found. [4] Carnivores under threat include the Siberian tiger, numbered at 400, and the Amur leopard of which only 30 remained as of 2003. [1]

Geography

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Left: Chubovskaya steppe; right: Ussuriland

Geographically, the tundra habitat lies in a zone extending from the northern coast 60 to 420 kilometres (37 to 260 mi) to the south; this gradually transforms into the extensive and dense forests of the taiga that include a large part of Siberia and then into the gently sloping steppe land with trees only on the river banks. Three distinctive zones are the Caucasus in southern Russia, the active volcanic region of Kamchatka in the far northeast; and Ussuriland in the extreme southeast; in the latter, the indigenous animals and vegetation are akin to South East Asia rather than Siberia. [5]

Opala volcano in the southern part of Kamchatka. OPALA.jpg
Opala volcano in the southern part of Kamchatka.
Forests of Sikhote-Alin range Sopka in south Sikhote-Alin.JPG
Forests of Sikhote-Alin range

The tundra region is entirely within the Arctic Circle and is the most inhospitable terrain with permafrost extending to a depth of 1,450 metres (4,760 ft). [5] Taiga is the largest forest in the world covering 5,000,000 square kilometres (1,900,000 sq mi) and accounting for 25% of world's wood reserves. Winter season is the harshest with biting cold conditions. When snow melts here it becomes a "spongy wetland with lakes, pools and puddles". [6] The steppe land lies from Voronezh and Senatov to Kuban area to north of the Caucasus. It extends into south western Siberia. The topography is flat and undulating with dominance of black soil (chernozem). The region is drained by the Volga River forming a delta before it debouches into the Caspian Sea. [6] The steppe "gives way to alpine regions in the Caucasus with 6,000 highly varied plant species". [7] Kamchatka region has the phenomenon of geothermal bubbling which has resulted in several volcanoes of which 30 are active. [8] Ussuriland has remarkable monsoon forests. The prominent land form here is the Sikhote-Alin range that extends for more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), running parallel to the coast. [9]

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Left: Ural Mountains near the village Saranpaul; right: dunes at Morskoe in Curonian Spit

Russian wildlife has been categorized by World Wide Fund for Nature into 13 bioregions which, as of 2012, have 101 zapovedniks (strictly protected areas) covering more than 33.5 million hectares (82.7 million acres) and 38 national parks (protected areas with implemented zoning). Zapovedniks (pronounced: Zap-o-VED-nik) are strictly protected scientific nature reserves under IUCN category I. The Zapovednik, Barguzinsky, was the first zapovednik that was established in 1916 covering the eastern shore areas of Lake Baikal. The zapovedniks cover the tundra region of the far north, the steppe (prairies) of the south, the Black Sea and the Bering Sea, encompassing a tremendous diversity of territory and play a critical role in nature conservation. [10] [11] The regions and the number of reserves in each of then are: eight in the Arctic region of Russia, twenty in the Kola-Karelian & Eastern European Forest, thirteen in the Eastern European Forest-Steppe, Steppe & Caspian Semi-Desert, nine in Ural Mountains, six in the Caucasus (also Prielbrusye National Park and Sochinsky National Park, four in the Western Siberian Forest, four in Central Siberia, eight in Altai-Sayansky, four in Baikal (and Zabaykalsky National Park), four in Zabaikal, fifteen in Amur-Sakhalin and five in Kamchatka-Okhotsk Sea. [10] UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites in these regions are: Virgin Komi Forests of the Urals, the Lake Baikal, the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Altai Mountains, the Western Caucasus, the Curonian Spit (the Kurshskaya Kosa National Park), the Central Sikhote-Alin, Uvs Lake Basin on the border with Mongolia, and the Wrangel Island Reserve in the Chukchi Sea in the Russian Far East. [8]

The Forest Legislation 1993 of the Russian Federation is the basic legal framework for forest management. The principle under this legislation underlines the federal status of forests in enforcing compliance by all forest users and governs the use of the forest stock, states the rules of forestry, reproduction, conservation and protection of forests and other norms and rules. The management of the Forest Fund is the responsibility of the Federal Forest Service, further delegated to the forest management districts. [12]

The Game Department's rules are based on the Law on Protection and Use of Wildlife 1982, which defines game species on all lands, except the designated protected areas such as the zaponvedniks. The 250 animal species and 500 plant species listed in Russia's Red Book (as of 1984) are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (MEPNR), which is being updated. Non-game species are not included under legal protection. [13]

A new draft of the forest code, which is a part of Russian law, governs the sale of the forest to private companies. Leasing of forests to private shows/firms regulated by the central government is given for a period up to 49 years. [1]

Flora and funga

The ice fields of tundra are covered on the top by lichens, mosses, grasses and flowers, which for nine months are buried under snow. There are only a few trees and bushes here which are in a twisted dwarfed condition as their roots can not penetrate the permafrost. [5] The taiga forest is densely populated with spruces, firs, pines and larch. On the forest floors grass, moss, lichen, berries and mushrooms are reported. [6] The steppe consists of croplands and grass lands. In the Volga Delta, Caspian lotus flowers in pink and white spread across the water during the summer. [6] The Caucasus region has 6,000 plant species of various types including wild flowers. [7] In Ussuriland, there exists a lush monsoon forest quite different from the taiga forest, and in this, the trees and undergrowth are draped with lianas and vines. [8]

Fauna

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Left: carriage pulled by reindeer; right: Amur leopard
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Russian brown bear

Due to extreme weather conditions, wildlife in the tundra is limited. Reindeer, which can endure temperatures down to −50 °C (−58 °F), thrive here in great numbers; their count is said to be four million. [5] Lemmings are among the rodents present. Other species present include Arctic fox, seals, walruses (near Chukotka), polar bears and whales. [5] In the taiga forests, species include squirrels, chipmunks, voles and lemmings. The carnivores are polecats, brown bear, lynx, wolves, foxes, wolverines and the sable. Elk, a large deer about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in height up to the shoulder, are common in this habitat. [6] Steppe animals include wild boar as well as 30 other mammal species. A small antelope species known a saiga antelope is also present but is under threat due to hunting. [6] Animals species in the Caucasus region are tur (two species of mountain goat), bezoar (wild goat) endangered mouflon (mountain sheep), chamois (goat-antelope), Persian leopard, brown bear and bison. Avifauna species are bearded vulture (lammergeier), endangered griffon vulture, imperial eagle, peregrine falcon, goshawk, and snow cock. [7] Spawning salmon are abundant in the rivers of peninsular Kamchatka on account of enrichment of the region by volcanic ash. Other animal species in this region are Kamchatkan brown bears, sea otters, and sea eagles (predators of salmon with 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) wingspan). Avifauna species number 200, including auks, tufted puffins and swans. [8] The Siberian tiger is the most prominent species in Primorsky Krai; as of 2015 there were 480 to 540 remaining. [14] [15] The Amur leopard is also present; only 30 of these exist, and poaching threatens them. [9] Other species include wolves, sables, and Asian black bears. Zov Tigra National Park has been established in this region to aid in conserving these species.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Russia</span>

Russia is the largest country in the world, covering over 17,125,192 km2 (6,612,074 sq mi), and encompassing more than one-eighth of Earth's inhabited land area. Russia extends across eleven time zones, and has the most borders of any country in the world, with sixteen sovereign nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian tiger</span> Tiger population in Northeast Asia

The Siberian tiger, or Amur tiger, is a population of the tiger subspecies Panthera tigris tigris native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inhabits mainly the Sikhote-Alin mountain region in southwest Primorye Province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult and subadult Siberian tigers in this region, with a breeding adult population of about 250 individuals. The population had been stable for more than a decade because of intensive conservation efforts, but partial surveys conducted after 2005 indicate that the Russian tiger population was declining. An initial census held in 2015 indicated that the Siberian tiger population had increased to 480–540 individuals in the Russian Far East, including 100 cubs. This was followed up by a more detailed census which revealed there was a total population of 562 wild Siberian tigers in Russia. As of 2014, about 35 individuals were estimated to range in the international border area between Russia and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhote-Alin</span> Mountain range in southeastern Russia

The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 kilometres (560 mi) to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok. The highest summits are Tordoki Yani at 2,077 metres (6,814 ft) above sea level, Ko Mountain in Khabarovsk Krai and Anik Mountain in Primorsky Krai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Siberian taiga</span> Biogeographic region in eastern Russia

The East Siberian taiga ecoregion, in the Taiga and boreal forests biome, is a very large biogeographic region in eastern Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temperate rainforests of the Russian Far East</span>

The temperate rainforests of the Russian Far East are within the Russian federal subjects Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai and contains the Sikhote-Alin mountain range. Found within the Russian Federation, this area is one of the most productive and diverse forests in the world and also contains one of the highest endangered species densities on Earth. While most temperate rainforests around the world have retained only a fraction of their historical range, these forests maintain the majority of their former range and almost all of their historical biodiversity. The region is also notable for having what has become the last remaining large tract of viable habitat for the critically endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian Tiger Introduction Project</span> Wildlife conservation project

The Siberian Tiger Introduction Project involves reestablishing populations of the Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, in their former range and also expanding their range by introducing them as replacements of their genetically similar relative, the extinct Caspian tiger, which inhabited Central and Western Asia. Currently, the Siberian tiger inhabits the cold mountains of the Russian Far East and northern China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zov Tigra National Park</span> National Park in Russia

Zov Tigra National Park, is a mountainous refuge for the endangered Amur Tiger. The park encompasses an area of 83,384 hectares on the southeast coast of Russia's Far East in the federal district Primorsky Krai. The park is about 100 km northeast of Vladivostok, on both the eastern and western slopes of the southern Sikhote-Alin mountain range, a range that runs north-south through the Primorsky Krai. The relatively warm waters of the Sea of Japan are to the east, the Korean peninsula to the south, and China to the West. The terrain in rugged and difficult to access, with heavily forested taiga coexisting with tropical species of animals and birds. The park is relatively isolated from human development, and functions as a conservation reserve. Tourists may visit the portions of the park marked for recreation, but entry to the protected zones is only possible in the company of park rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anyuysky National Park</span> National park in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia

Anyuysky National Park covers the basin of the Anyuy River, on the west slope of the Central Sikhote-Alin Mountain range in the Russian Far East. The Anyuy flows west into the Amur River, the main river of the region, as it flows northeast into the Sea of Okhotsk. The park is important because it creates an ecological corridor from the low floodplain of the Amur, to the high forested mountains of the Sikhote-Alin. The park is in the Nanaysky District in Khabarovsk Krai, about 50 miles downstream of the city of Khabarovsk. The area is remote, with few towns and sparse population. The area has historically depended on salmon fishing, logging, and hunting. The local indigenous people are the Nanai people, representing about a quarter of the nearby settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bureya Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia

Bureya Nature Reserve is a protected area (Zapovednik) about 200 km northwest of the city of Khabarovsk, in the Verkhnebureinsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, in the Russian Far East. The territory is one of mountain tundra, rivers and lakes, and taiga forests. It includes the headwaters of the left and right tributaries of the Bureya River, part of the lower Amur River basin. The reserve was created in 1987, and covers an area of 358,444 ha (1,383.96 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Komsomolsk Nature Reserve</span> Strict nature reserve in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia

Komsomolsk Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik', encompassing the confluence of the Gorin River and the Amur River in the Russian Far East. The reserve protects a meeting zone of multiple ecoregions in the lower Amur, including the northernmost reach of Manchurian taiga. It is located about 50 km downstream (east) of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in the Komsomolsky District of Khabarovsk Krai. The reserve was created in 1963, and covers an area of 64,278 ha (248.18 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bastak Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia

Bastak Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' located in the Amur River basin in the Russian Far East. The reserve's territory covers the south-eastern spurs Bureya Range and the northern outskirts of the Sredneamurskaya lowlands. The reserve is situated in about 10 km north of the city of Birobidzhan in the Birobidzhansky District, and is the only national reserve in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botcha Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in KhabarovskKrai, Russia

Botcha Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik'. It is the northernmost reserve inhabited by the endangered Amur Tiger. The reserve is located in the north-eastern part of the Sikhote-Alin mountain range; it includes the Botchi River basin on its eastern slopes. The reserve is about 120 km south of the port city of Sovetskaya Gavan in the Sovetsko-Gavansky District of Khabarovsk Krai. The reserve was created in 1994, and covers an area of 267,380 ha (1,032.4 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ussurisky Nature Reserve</span> Strict nature reserve in Primorsky Krai, Russia

Ussurisky Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' that protects one of the remaining virgin mixed deciduous-conifer forests in the Primorsky (Maritime) region of the Russian Far East. The mountainous terrain is located on a southern spur of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, in the upper reaches of the Komarovka River, about 50 km northeast of the city of Vladivostok. The reserve is named after Vladimir L. Komarov, an important early botanist and early explorer of the Primorsky region. The Ussursisky Reserve is situated in the Shkotovsky District of Primorsky Krai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sokhondo Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Chita Oblast, Russia

Sokhondo Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' in the south of Eastern Siberia, 25 km north of the border with Mongolia. It is the farthest source of the Amur River, and is centered on the Sokhondo Mountain massif, in the highest sector of the Khentei-Chikoy Highlands in the Khentei Range mountain range. The Sokhondo massif has two peaks, and is an ancient volcano. Also within the borders are many lakes of glacial origin. In 1985, Sokhondo was named a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is situated in the Chita district of Chita Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transbaikal conifer forests</span> Ecoregion in southern Siberia and Mongolia

The Transbaikal conifer forests ecoregion covers a 1,000 km by 1,000 km region of mountainous southern taiga stretching east and south from the shores of Lake Baikal in the Southern Siberia region of Russia, and including part of northern Mongolia. Historically, the area has been called "Dauria", or Transbaikal. It is in the Palearctic realm, and mostly in the boreal forests/taiga biome with a subarctic, humid climate. It covers 200,465 km2 (77,400 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Siberian taiga</span> Ecoregion which covers the West Siberian Plain in Russia

The West Siberian taiga ecoregion covers the West Siberian Plain in Russia, from the Ural mountains in the west to the Yenisei River in the east, and roughly from 56° N to 66° N latitude. It is a vast, flat lowland region of boreal forests (taiga), and wetlands, covering an area about 1,800 km west–east, by 1,000 km north–south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okhotsk–Manchurian taiga</span> Ecoregion in the Russian Far East

The Okhotsk-Manchurian taiga ecoregion is an area of coniferous forests in the Russian Far East, covering the Amur River delta, the west coast of the Okhotsk Sea, and the rugged extension of the northern Sikhote-Alin Mountains that run southwest-to-northeast through the Primorsky and Khabarovsk regions. It is the southernmost taiga forest in Eurasia. The ecoregion is distinguished from surrounding ecoregions by the slightly warmer climate due to the maritime influence and the shield of the mountains to the west, and by the mixing of flora and fauna species from Okhotsk-Kamchatka communities to the north and Manchurian species from the south. The forest at lower altitudes is "light taiga", and "dark taiga" at higher altitudes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sayan montane conifer forests</span> Coniferous forests in Russia and Mongolia

The Sayan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers the mid-elevation levels of the Sayan Mountains, the high mountain range between the taiga of Siberia, Russia to the north, and the steppes of Mongolia to the south. The slopes of the mountains at the mid-altitudes are covered by Temperate coniferous forest. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a cold semi-arid climate. It covers 35,741,835 km2 (13,800,000 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests</span>

The Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion covers a mountainous areas above the lower Amur River and Ussuri River in Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in the Russian Far East. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a Humid Continental climate. It covers 187,357 km2 (72,339 sq mi).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "It's Europe's lungs and home to many rare species. But to Russia it's £100bn of wood". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Russia". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "The list of animals for Red Data Book of Russian Federation (1 November 1997)". A Centre for Collaborating with UNDP. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Slaght, Jonathan; Maher, Julie Larsen (5 September 2015). "The Rare and Exotic Animals of Russia's Far East (Photos)". Livescience.com. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Richmond 2010, p. 115.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Richmond 2010, pp. 115–16.
  7. 1 2 3 Richmond 2010, p. 116.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Richmond 2010, p. 117.
  9. 1 2 Richmond 2010, pp. 117–18.
  10. 1 2 "Wild Russia Tour". Centre for Russian Nature Conservation. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to Russia". Centre for Russian Nature Conservation. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  12. ↑ World Bank 1997, p. 112.
  13. ↑ World Bank 1997, p. 246.
  14. ↑ Slaght, J. C., D. G. Miquelle, I. G. Nikolaev, J. M. Goodrich, E. N. Smirnov, K. Traylor-Holzer, S. Christie, T. Arjanova, J. L. D. Smith, Karanth, K. U. (2005). "Chapter 6. Who's king of the beasts? Historical and recent body weights of wild and captive Amur tigers, with comparisons to other subspecies". Pages 25–35 in: Miquelle, D.G., Smirnov, E.N., Goodrich, J.M. (Eds.) Tigers in Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik: Ecology and Conservation. PSP, Vladivostok, Russia (in Russian)
  15. ↑ "Russia Announce Tiger Census Results!". tigers.panda.org. Worldwide Fund for Nature. 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.

Bibliography

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