Conservation of rare species of plants and animals. Plant protection: some aspects and facts. What does this mean

The main task of protecting rare and endangered species is to achieve such increasing their numbers which would eliminate the danger of their disappearance.

Rare and endangered species of animals (as well as plants) are listed in the Red Books. The inclusion of a species in the Red Book is a signal of the danger threatening it, of the need to take urgent measures to save it. Each country in whose territory a species included in the Red Book lives is responsible to its people and all mankind for its conservation.

In our country, in order to preserve rare and endangered species, reserves, wildlife sanctuaries are organized, animals are settled in areas of their former distribution, fed, shelters and artificial nests are created, and they are protected from predators and diseases. At very low numbers, animals are bred in captivity (nurseries and zoos) and then released into conditions suitable for them.

Protection and restoration of the number of game animals

Of particular importance is the conservation and restoration of the number of game animals. As you know, the value of game animals lies in the fact that they live off natural food that is inaccessible or unsuitable for domestic animals; they do not need to be specially taken care of. From game animals, a person receives meat, furs, leather, raw materials for the perfume industry and medicines. For some peoples of the North, hunting for wild animals is the basis of their existence.

Among game animals, fish, birds and animals are of the greatest importance. Centuries-old, constantly increasing extraction, as well as changes in their habitat, led in the first half of this century to a sharp reduction in their reserves. Of the mammals, the stocks of ungulates, furs and sea ​​animals. There was even an opinion that they could only survive in nature reserves. However, the successful restoration of the number of some species - elk, beaver, sable - made it possible to include them again in the number of game animals.

Among hunting and commercial birds, waterfowl, chicks and bustards were especially hard hit by human fault. The number of geese, swans, and geese has greatly decreased. Red-throated goose, lesser swan, white and mountain geese, Caucasian black grouse, bustard and many other species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (see the relevant section Examples and additional information).

Security system of wild animals, on the one hand, from measures to protect the animals themselves from direct extermination, death from natural disasters, and on the other hand, from measures to preserve their habitat. The animals themselves are protected by hunting laws. They provide for a complete ban on hunting for rare species and restrictions on the timing, norms, places and methods of hunting for other commercial species.

Rational use stocks of game animals does not contradict their protection, if based on knowledge of their biology.

It is known that in populations animals, there is a certain reserve of non-breeding individuals, they are able to increase fertility with a low number and abundance of food. It is possible to achieve the well-being of populations of game animals by maintaining a certain ratio of sex and age groups, by regulating the number of predatory animals.

The protection of hunting grounds is based on knowledge of the habitat conditions necessary for the life of commercial species, the availability of shelters, suitable places for nesting, and an abundance of food. Often the optimal places for the existence of species are nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

Reacclimatization of the species - this is its artificial resettlement in the areas of its former distribution. It is often successful, because in this case the view takes its former ecological niche . Acclimatization new species requires a lot of preliminary preparation, including the preparation of forecasts of their impact on local fauna and their possible role in biocenoses . An experience acclimatization testifies to many failures. The importation to Australia in 1859 of 24 rabbits, which in tens of years gave rise to many millions of offspring, led to a national disaster. Breeding rabbits began to compete for food with local animals. Settling in pastures and destroying vegetation, they brought great damage to sheep breeding. The fight against rabbits required a lot of effort and a long time. There are many such examples. Therefore, the resettlement of each species should be preceded by a thorough study of the possible consequences of the introduction of the species to a new territory on the basis of ecological expertise and forecast.

Timely measures taken allow us to successfully maintain the required number of game animals and use them for a long time.

Depletion and pollution of water resources Fresh waters make up an insignificant (about 2% of the hydrosphere) share of the total water reserves in nature. Fresh water available for use is found in rivers, lakes and groundwater. Its share of the entire hydrosphere is 0.3%. Fresh water resources are distributed extremely unevenly, often the abundance of water does not coincide with areas of increased economic activity. In this regard, there is a problem of lack and depletion of water resources and especially fresh water. It is exacerbated by the ever-increasing volumes of its use. The problem of depletion of water resources arises for several reasons, the main of which are: the uneven distribution of water in time and space, the growth of its consumption by mankind, the loss of water during transportation and use, the deterioration of water quality and, as an extreme case, its pollution (rice). Main causes of pollution and anthropogenic depletion of fresh water. The growth in fresh water consumption by the population on the planet is determined at 0.5 - 2% per year. At the beginning of the 21st century, the total water withdrawal reached a volume of 12-24 thousand km3. Losses of fresh water increase with the growth of its consumption per capita and are associated with the use of water for household needs. Most often this is due to the imperfection of the technology of industrial, agricultural production and public services. In some cases, the lack of fresh water is associated with negative consequences of human activity Water loss and depletion of water resources are largely due to insufficient knowledge natural conditions(geological-lithological and hydrogeological, climatic and meteorological, biological), internal patterns and mechanisms of ecosystem development. The deterioration of the quality and pollution of water is associated with the ingress of pollutants, products of human activity into rivers and other surface water bodies. This type of freshwater depletion is the most dangerous and is increasingly threatening human health and life on Earth. Its extreme manifestation is catastrophic water pollution. Natural changes, including the deterioration of water quality, associated with contact with water and the transfer of various substances, occur constantly. They are cyclic, less often spontaneous, in nature: they occur during volcanic eruptions, earthquakes (rice), tsunamis, floods and other catastrophic phenomena. Under anthropogenic conditions, such changes in the state of water have unidirectional. Recently, pollution of the waters of the seas and the World Ocean as a whole (background pollution) has caused great concern. The main sources of their pollution are domestic and industrial wastewater (60% of large cities are located in coastal areas), oil and oil products, and radioactive substances. Of particular danger are oil pollution (rice) And radioactive substances. The enterprises of seaside cities throw thousands of tons of various, as a rule, untreated waste into the sea, including sewage. Polluted river waters are carried into the seas. Water pollution is the cause of the death of marine animals: crustaceans and fish, waterfowl, seals. There are known cases of the death of about 30 thousand sea ducks, the mass death of starfish in the early 1990s in the White Sea. It is not uncommon for beaches to be closed due to dangerous concentrations of pollutants in sea water caused by numerous accidents of ships carrying oil and oil products. Unauthorized or emergency discharges of industrial and household waste are very dangerous for the environment (the Black Sea near Odessa, 1999; the Tisza river, Romania, 2000; the Amur river, Khabarovsk, 2000). As a result of such accidents, river waters are rapidly polluted downstream. Contaminated sewage water can enter water intake facilities. The degree of pollution of sea water largely depends on the attitude towards this problem of the states bordering the seas and oceans. All inland and marginal seas of Russia are experiencing a powerful anthropogenic pressure, including numerous planned and emergency discharges of pollutants. The level of pollution of the Russian seas (with the exception of the White Sea), filed by the State Report "On the state of the environment of the Russian Federation", in 1998 exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) for the content of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, mercury, phenols, surface active substances (surfactants ) on average 3-5 times

Modern problems of water resources The problems of clean water and the protection of aquatic ecosystems are becoming more acute as the historical development of society, the impact on nature caused by scientific and technological progress is rapidly increasing. Already now, in many parts of the world, there are great difficulties in providing water supply and water use as a result of the qualitative and quantitative depletion of water resources, which is associated with pollution and irrational use of water. Water pollution mainly occurs due to the discharge of industrial, domestic and agricultural waste into it. In some reservoirs, pollution is so great that they have completely degraded as sources of water supply. A small amount of pollution cannot cause a significant deterioration in the condition of a reservoir, since it has the ability of biological purification, but the problem is that, as a rule, the amount of pollutants discharged into the water is very large and the reservoir cannot cope with their neutralization. Water supply and water use is often complicated by biological interference: overgrowing of canals reduces their capacity, algae blooms worsen water quality, its sanitary condition, and fouling interferes with navigation and the functioning of hydraulic structures. Therefore, the development of measures with biological interference acquires great practical importance and becomes one of the most important problems in hydrobiology. Due to the violation of the ecological balance in water bodies, there is a serious threat of a significant deterioration of the ecological situation as a whole. Therefore, mankind faces a huge task of protecting the hydrosphere and maintaining biological balance in the biosphere. The problem of pollution of the oceans Oil and oil products are the most common pollutants in the oceans. By the beginning of the 1980s, about 6 million tons of oil were annually entering the ocean, which accounted for 0.23% of world production. The greatest losses of oil are associated with its transportation from production areas. Emergencies, discharge of washing and ballast water overboard by tankers - all this leads to the presence of permanent pollution fields along sea routes. In the period 1962-79, about 2 million tons of oil entered the marine environment as a result of accidents. Over the past 30 years, since 1964, about 2,000 wells have been drilled in the World Ocean, of which 1,000 and 350 industrial wells have been equipped in the North Sea alone. Due to minor leaks, 0.1 million tons of oil are lost annually. Large masses of oil enter the seas along rivers, with domestic and storm drains. The volume of pollution from this source is 2.0 million tons/year. Every year, 0.5 million tons of oil enters with industrial effluents. Getting into the marine environment, oil first spreads in the form of a film, forming layers of various thicknesses. The oil film changes the composition of the spectrum and the intensity of light penetration into the water. Light transmission of thin films of crude oil is 1-10% (280nm), 60-70% (400nm). A film with a thickness of 30-40 microns completely absorbs infrared radiation. When mixed with water, oil forms an emulsion of two types: direct - "oil in water" - and reverse - "water in oil". When volatile fractions are removed, oil forms viscous inverse emulsions, which can remain on the surface, be carried by the current, wash ashore and settle to the bottom. Pesticides. Pesticides are a group of man-made substances used to control pests and plant diseases. It has been established that pesticides, destroying pests, harm many beneficial organisms and undermine the health of biocenoses. In agriculture, the problem of transition from chemical (polluting the environment) to biological (environmentally friendly) methods of pest control has long been faced. The industrial production of pesticides is accompanied by the appearance of a large number of by-products that pollute wastewater. Heavy metals. Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, arsenic) are common and highly toxic pollutants. They are widely used in various industrial productions, therefore, despite the treatment measures, the content of heavy metal compounds in industrial wastewater is quite high. Large masses of these compounds enter the ocean through the atmosphere. Mercury, lead and cadmium are the most dangerous for marine biocenoses. Mercury is transported to the ocean with continental runoff and through the atmosphere. During the weathering of sedimentary and igneous rocks, 3.5 thousand tons of mercury are released annually. The composition of atmospheric dust contains about 12 thousand tons of mercury, and a significant part is of anthropogenic origin. About half of the annual industrial production of this metal (910 thousand tons/year) ends up in the ocean in various ways. In areas polluted by industrial waters, the concentration of mercury in solution and suspension is greatly increased. Contamination of seafood has repeatedly led to mercury poisoning of the coastal population. Lead is a typical trace element found in all components of the environment: in rocks, soils, natural waters, the atmosphere, and living organisms. Finally, lead is actively dissipated into the environment during human activities. These are emissions from industrial and domestic effluents, from smoke and dust from industrial enterprises, from exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. Thermal pollution. Thermal pollution of the surface of reservoirs and coastal marine areas occurs as a result of the discharge of heated wastewater from power plants and some industrial production. The discharge of heated water in many cases causes an increase in water temperature in reservoirs by 6-8 degrees Celsius. The area of ​​heated water spots in coastal areas can reach 30 square meters. km. A more stable temperature stratification prevents water exchange between the surface and bottom layers. The solubility of oxygen decreases, and its consumption increases, since with increasing temperature, the activity of aerobic bacteria that decompose organic matter increases. The species diversity of phytoplankton and the entire flora of algae is increasing. Freshwater pollution The water cycle, this long way of its movement, consists of several stages: evaporation, cloud formation, rainfall, runoff into streams and rivers, and again evaporation. Throughout its path, water itself is able to be cleaned of contaminants that enter it - decay products of organic substances, dissolved gases and minerals, suspended solids. In places with a large concentration of people and animals, natural clean water is usually not enough, especially if it is used to collect sewage and transfer it away from settlements. If not much sewage enters the soil, soil organisms process them, reusing nutrients, and already clean water seeps into neighboring watercourses. But if the sewage immediately enters the water, they rot, and oxygen is consumed for their oxidation. The so-called biochemical oxygen demand is created. The higher this requirement, the less oxygen remains in the water for living microorganisms, especially for fish and algae. Sometimes, due to lack of oxygen, all living things die. Water becomes biologically dead; only anaerobic bacteria remain in it; they thrive without oxygen and in the course of their life they emit hydrogen sulfide - a poisonous gas with a specific smell of rotten eggs. The already lifeless water acquires a putrid smell and becomes completely unsuitable for humans and animals. This can also happen with an excess of substances such as nitrates and phosphates in the water; they enter the water from agricultural fertilizers in the fields or from sewage contaminated with detergents. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae, algae begin to consume a lot of oxygen, and when it becomes insufficient, they die. Under natural conditions, the lake, before silting up and disappearing, exists for about 20 thousand years. An excess of nutrients accelerates the aging process and reduces the life of the lake. Oxygen is less soluble in warm water than in cold water. Some businesses, especially power plants, consume huge amounts of water for cooling purposes. The heated water is discharged back into the rivers and further disrupts the biological balance of the water system. Reduced oxygen content prevents the development of some living species and gives an advantage to others. But these new, heat-loving species also suffer greatly as soon as water heating stops. Organic waste, nutrients and heat interfere with the normal development of freshwater ecosystems only when they overload those systems. But in recent years, ecological systems have been bombarded with huge quantities of absolutely alien substances, from which they know no protection. Agricultural pesticides, metals and chemicals from industrial wastewater have managed to enter the aquatic food chain with unpredictable consequences. Species at the top of the food chain can accumulate these substances at dangerous levels and become even more vulnerable to other harmful effects. Polluted water can be purified. Under favorable conditions, this occurs naturally in the process of the natural water cycle. But polluted basins - rivers, lakes, etc. - take much longer to recover. In order for natural systems to be able to recover, it is necessary, first of all, to stop the further flow of waste into rivers. Industrial emissions not only clog, but also poison wastewater. In spite of everything, some municipalities and industries still prefer to dump their waste into neighboring rivers and are very reluctant to do so only when the water becomes completely unusable or even dangerous. In its endless cycle, water either captures and carries a lot of dissolved or suspended substances, or is cleared of them. Many of the impurities in the water are natural and get there with rain or groundwater. Some of the pollutants associated with human activities follow the same path. Smoke, ash and industrial gases, together with rain, fall to the ground; chemical compounds and sewage introduced into the soil with fertilizers enter the rivers with groundwater. Some waste follows artificially created paths - drainage ditches and sewer pipes. These substances are usually more toxic but easier to control than those carried in the natural water cycle. Global water consumption for economic and domestic needs is approximately 9% of the total river flow. Therefore, it is not the direct water consumption of hydro resources that causes a shortage of fresh water in certain regions of the globe, but their qualitative depletion. Over the past decades, industrial and municipal effluents have become an increasingly significant part of the fresh water cycle. About 600-700 cubic meters are consumed for industrial and domestic needs. km of water per year. Of this volume, 130-150 cubic meters are irretrievably consumed. km, and about 500 cubic meters. km of waste, the so-called waste water is discharged into rivers, lakes and seas.

Elena Gangalo, General Director of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" - about the holiday and not only

On the occasion of the World Wildlife Day celebrated on March 3, Elena Gangalo, CEO of the autonomous non-profit organization Far Eastern Leopards, gave an interview to the organization's website. Last year, which was celebrated as the Year of the 100th Anniversary of Russian Reserves and the 5th Anniversary of the National Park "Land of the Leopard", the most remarkable fact can be recognized as "excellent replenishment": the appearance of 15 kittens was noted in Far Eastern leopards.

As part of preparations for the field season, “winter route censuses of animals are carried out in all specially protected natural areas of Russia.” Employees of specially protected natural areas of the Far East monitor large wild cats, tigers and Amur leopards. In particular, their number will be specified.

Significant work has been done with the creation in 2008 of a new federal reserve "Leopardovy", and, even more so, after the organization of the national park "Land of the Leopard" with an area of ​​262 thousand hectares in the Primorsky Territory. According to Elena Gangalo, the systemic efforts of state environmental authorities, scientific and public environmental organizations undertaken over the past decade have brought tangible results: the observed number of leopards “began to grow”. The population of these animals covering the southwestern Primorye and adjacent regions of China has reached 90 individuals (of which 42 individuals are in China). Research by scientists and their support from the Far Eastern Leopards Foundation will continue.

Noting the stages of formation of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", General Director of the organization Elena Gangalo noted that the ANO was established in 2011, and its supervisory board is headed by Sergey Ivanov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for environmental protection, ecology and transport. As Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, he “actually supervised this topic, in every possible way supporting the initiatives of scientists and conservationists to save the leopard in the Far East. It was Sergey Borisovich who initiated the creation of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards".

By the time work began on the protection of Far Eastern leopards in Primorye, there were the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve (small in area), the Barsovy Federal Reserve and the Borisovskoye Plateau Regional Reserve. But they had different departmental subordination and did not initially have a conservation status. Gradually, a model of a new structure was built, and, finally, by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 5, 2012, the National Park "Land of the Leopard" was created. Work on the organization of protection, provision of food supply, conservation of lands suitable for their habitation made it possible to achieve comfortable conditions for increasing the number of taiga cats. Taking into account new broods, the number of leopards has reached 90 animals. Today, one of the largest groups of the Amur tiger in the Far Eastern specially protected natural areas is also concentrated on the "Land of the Leopard": it is about 30 individuals.

Today, with the participation of the ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", research work is carried out, monitoring of animal populations is carried out both in federal protected areas and in adjacent areas. The number of camera traps now reaches almost 400, the observation area is 360 thousand hectares. There is nothing else like it in Russia.

The aspect of combating human threats to leopards, manifested in the form of poaching and forest fires, is seen as very important. According to Elena Gangalo, the organization she leads provides the inspectors of the Land of the Leopard security service with modern technology, equipment and ammunition. In September 2017, in the village of Barabash, a new central estate of the National Park "Land of the Leopard" was solemnly opened - "a complex of buildings built according to a special project as part of the federal targeted investment program." A considerable part of the funds for the realization of the plan was transferred, just to ANO "Far Eastern Leopards". The estate has become a modern scientific, environmental education and educational complex, which involves holding various conferences, scientific seminars and many other events.

Somewhat earlier, in March 2016, the Narva road tunnel began to operate. Being located on the highway separating the Land of the Leopard National Park and the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve, it "was built for the first time in our country precisely with the aim of minimizing the impact of the highway on the populations of large predators - the Far Eastern leopard and the Amur tiger." And this project has fully justified itself, because with its help it is possible to ensure almost unhindered communication between the two territories, and according to this ecoduct, tigers and leopards move from one of them to another.

Two plots of land in the Khasansky district of Primorsky Krai with a total area of ​​12,000 hectares were donated to ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" in 2017 by a major businessman. These territories "will become part of the Land of the Leopard National Park as a cluster for scientific research and educational tourism."

Among other important work, Elena Gangalo named activities to popularize the idea of ​​​​preserving the Far Eastern leopard - interaction with the media, organizing exhibitions and other events, among which an important place is occupied by the environmental festival "Leopard Day" held in Moscow in August 2017, filming the documentary film "Leo80 . The story of a leopard” and other events. In collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" held a campaign (PrimReporter has already reported about it) to decorate the urban area in Vladivostok by the famous South African graffiti artist Sonny.

Speaking about the prospects and problems being solved by ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", the General Director of the organization noted the need for systematic efforts to maintain success - to overcome the survival limit of the subspecies - and to create a "sustainable population of the Far Eastern leopard of at least 120 individuals in natural conditions", which can guarantee its success. survival.

In addition to fighting poaching and forest fires, maintaining a sufficient food base for the leopard (the relevance of these problems remains), topical and "preventing the death of wild animals from various diseases", since the risk of a sudden epizootic remains, which "can destroy the fruits of all our efforts in a short time" . To this end, the task is put forward to start cooperation "with the best specialists both in our country and in the world."

Another question is about the expansion of territories associated with the prospect of the return of the leopard to other territories of Primorye. It is possible that leopards will be reintroduced in the areas of the Lazovsky Reserve, in the Ussuri Reserve and its environs, and there is even talk of expanding the territory of the Land of the Leopard National Park.

An important aspect of the protection of the Far Eastern leopard is real international cooperation. As part of cooperation with the scientific and environmental structures of the PRC, the issue of creating "an extensive transboundary (Russian-Chinese) reserve that preserves the habitats of Far Eastern leopards and Amur tigers" is being worked out.

Such work, according to Elena Gangalo, was started back in 2011. Since the approval of the draft agreement between our countries on the creation of a transboundary reserve within the Russian territory (in the area of ​​Lake Khanka), some results have been achieved, but then this process has stalled. However, according to the head of the ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", "now is the time to return to this issue." This is, firstly, due to the intensification of cooperation between Russian and Chinese specialists in the study and monitoring of large cats in the border areas. The second factor is the reorganization of the network of protected areas on the border between China and Primorsky Krai: China has created a single national tiger and leopard park with an area of ​​1.5 million hectares in the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang. Therefore, Russian experts believe it would be expedient to "immediately begin discussions with Chinese colleagues on proposals for the creation of a Russian-Chinese transboundary reserve."

A separate issue raised in an interview with the head of the organization, Elena Gangalo, published on the website of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", is the possibility of perpetuating the memory of one of the famous researchers and creators of the PA system, Professor N.N. Vorontsov, who made a significant contribution to the work of protecting the nature of the Far East and, in particular, Primorye.

A separate moment of the dialogue is devoted to the possibility and world practice of creating "non-state national funds that accumulate voluntary donations and implement significant projects aimed at preserving the natural heritage." Elena Gangalo highly appreciated the existing international environmental structures (WWF, Greenpeace, IFAW), but pointed out that “there is a lack of a specialized national fund.”

In Russia today there are also non-profit organizations that collect extra-budgetary funds to support activities for the conservation of specific rare species of animals (ANO Far Eastern Leopards, ANO Amur Tiger Center, and others), but there is a need and a desire to “transition from non-state support for the protection of individual flag species to more systematic work on the conservation of rare species in general”. It is time to talk about the advisability of creating in Russia a national non-state charitable foundation specializing in the conservation of biological and landscape diversity. At the same time, the tasks of protecting and restoring populations, "endangered objects of the animal and plant world, and their key habitats, primarily within the boundaries of protected areas," could become a priority for him.

In order to realize such a plan, Elena Gangalo outlined the need to support this kind of activity from the business community: this practice is quite widespread in the world, and it is also being developed in Russia. Moreover, "this is not just a tribute to the time or fashion, it is a tool to increase competitiveness." We are talking about the "environmental rating of the company" as an important indicator of business performance. The topic of social and environmental responsibility of business is becoming more and more popular when communicating with potential investors, attracting new customers. The so-called "green reputation" is increasingly becoming "one of the very effective elements of sustainable development."

As Elena Gangalo emphasized, “... for a serious business, environmental responsibility should not be only a part of the image policy, it should be based on real, tangible deeds, projects that give concrete results. In this regard, the topic of contributions to the conservation of rare and endangered species of animals is very rewarding both in terms of image and concrete results.”

Therefore, the Director General of ANO "Far Eastern Leopards" believes that the project for the conservation and restoration of the population of the rarest cat in the world, implemented by the organization, is almost ideal for this. Today, this organization works with the most successful Russian companies such as Gazprom, Gazprombank, Sibur, SUEK, Sberbank, Russian Railways and others. The project implemented by Primorsky ecologists together with the Rossiya airline is seen as unique: since the spring of 2017, the Leolet has been taking to the skies: the Boeing of the Rossiya airline with the image of the Far Eastern leopard is carrying more and more passengers.

Such achievements allow us to look to the future with optimism.

Speaking about the environmental theme, one cannot ignore the results of the Year of Ecology - in the assessment of the ANO "Far Eastern Leopards", which was reported by the RIA Novosti agency shortly before the New Year.

Thus, a unique exhibition "Eco-treasures of Russia" was held. The fourth all-Russian festival “Pristine Russia” was held, an open lesson was organized at the school, at which nature conservation specialists told students about the amazing rescue of the Leo 80M leopard and introduced students to the work of preserving the Amur leopard population.

On August 27, a big holiday was held in Moscow's Krasnaya Presnya Park - Leopard Day, which was attended by 30 thousand people. And within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, “a traditional race to protect Red Book cats was held and a charity auction was held in support of projects to protect endangered and rare species of animals in the Far East.”
In the Year of Ecology, the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the National Park "Land of the Leopard" was held, in which a new ecological route "The Leopard Path" was opened.

In a word, good traditions are being continued and developed.

TO rare and endangered species include animals whose numbers are so small that their continued existence is threatened. They need careful protection. Most of the rare and endangered species in our country belong to commercial species. In the past they were widespread and numerous. The predatory use of animal resources in Russia led to the fact that by the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. many species have become rare or are on the verge of extinction. Under Soviet rule, they were taken under protection, hunting for them was prohibited. Reserves were organized in places where the most valuable species (bison, river beaver, sable, wild ass, muskrat) were preserved.

The main task of protecting rare and endangered species is to achieve such an increase in their numbers by creating favorable conditions for their habitat, which would eliminate the threat of extinction. It is important to restore the natural stocks of animals in order to include them in the number of commercial ones.

In Russia, a large and painstaking work has been carried out to restore the population of the river beaver, sable, elk, saiga, which were on the verge of extinction. At present, their numbers have been restored, they have again become commercial.

All rare and endangered species of animals, like plants, are brought into Red Book, created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN). The Red Book, first published in 1966 and translated into Russian in 1976, included 292 species and subspecies of mammals, 287 species and subspecies of birds, 36 species of amphibians and 119 species of reptiles, including 16 species of animals and 8 species of birds inhabit the territory of our country. In 1978, the Red Book of the USSR was published, which included (species and subspecies): mammals - 62, birds - 63, reptiles - 21, amphibians - 8.

The Red Book of Russia (1983) included (species and subspecies) of mammals - 65, birds - 108, reptiles - 11, amphibians - 4, fish - 10, molluscs - 15, insects - 34.

The lists of species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (1997) with additions (1999) include species: invertebrates - 154, fish - 44, amphibians - 8, reptiles - 21, birds - 124, mammals - 65, insects - 94, shellfish - 41.

Listing a species in the Red Book is a signal of the danger that threatens it, of the need for urgent measures to protect it. Each country, on the territory of which a species included in the Red Book lives, is responsible to its people and all mankind for its conservation.

To preserve rare and endangered species, nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries are organized, animals are settled in areas of their former distribution, fed, shelters and nests are created, and they are protected from predators and diseases. At very low numbers, animals are bred in captivity and then released into conditions suitable for them. These measures are producing positive results.

Here are some of the species whose numbers have been restored with great effort:

bison(Bison bonasus - a large bull weighing up to 1 ton (Fig. 14, but). In the past, it was distributed in the forests of Western, Central and South-Eastern Europe, in the east - up to the river. Don and in the Caucasus. By the beginning of the XX century. in their natural state bison survived only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha (727 heads) and in the Caucasus (600 heads). The last free bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was killed in 1919, in the Caucasus - in 1927. Only 48 bison remained living in zoos and at acclimatization stations.

This is the lower limit of the species. The animal was on the verge of extinction. Work began on the restoration of the bison. It was most actively carried out in Poland and in three reserves of the USSR: in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Prioksko-Terrasny and Kavkazsky. By 1975, there were 320 purebred Bialowieza bison in Poland, 155 purebred Bialowieza bison in the USSR, and more than 500 bison were in the Caucasus. Successful work on bison breeding made it possible from 1961 to move on to the creation of free herds. By 1981, the number of bison in the USSR reached 830, in the world more than 2000 (Red Book of the USSR, 1984).

saiga (Siga tatarica) - a small antelope weighing 23-40 kg (Fig. 14, b). Previously, it was distributed over vast areas of the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Europe, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. herds of saigas were common in the steppes of Eastern Europe and Asia, as early as the beginning of the 18th century. met in Moldova and west of the Dniester. The plowing of the steppes has forced the saiga out of many areas. The reduction in numbers was facilitated by increased hunting for meat, skins and horns, which were sold to China as medicinal raw materials.

By the beginning of the XX century. the saiga is preserved in the remote areas of the right bank of the Lower Volga and in Kazakhstan. In 1919, a law was passed banning saiga hunting. By this time, only a few hundred of its individuals remained. As a result of protection, the number of saiga by the end of 1940 reached the commercial one, and in the early 1950s, fishing was allowed. The number of saigas has stabilized; from 100 to 500 thousand individuals are harvested annually, which gives the national economy about 6 thousand tons of meat, 20 million dm 2 of skin and medicinal raw materials.

Amur tiger(Panthera tigris altaica) - the largest subspecies (body weight up to 272 kg), characterized by long thick fur. In the past, he was an ordinary inhabitant of the Ussuri taiga. Excessive hunting and trapping led to a reduction in its numbers in the late 1930s to 20-30 individuals. In 1947, tiger hunting was banned. In the 1950s-1960s, there were already 90-100 individuals; since 1960, the capture of tigers for zoos has been allowed. Currently, the tiger is found in the Primorsky and eastern regions of the Khabarovsk Territory. The length of the range from north to south is about 100 km, from west to east - 600-700 km. In 1969-1970. 150 tigers were counted, in 1978 - 200 tigers. Outside of Russia, in China and Korea, apparently, no more than 100 individuals have survived. The zoos of the world (1979) contain 844 individuals.

Polar bear(Ursus maritimus) is the largest representative of the family and the entire order of predatory mammals (body weight up to 1000 kg). The range of the species is a circumpolar region bounded by the northern coast of the continents, the southern limit of the distribution of floating ice and the northern boundary of warm sea currents. Over the past few centuries, the total area and boundaries of the territory of the permanent habitat of the species have changed little. The exception is the European sector of the Russian Arctic, where polar bear hunting has long existed. On the coasts of the Kola, Kaninsky peninsulas, Timan, Malozemelskaya and Bolshezemelskaya tundras, the polar bear is no longer there. It is still regularly found on the islands and ice fields of the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas.

In addition to Russia, the polar bear is common in the Arctic sectors of Norway, Greenland, Canada and the USA (Alaska). The total number of polar bears in the early 1970s was approximately 20 thousand, including 5-7 thousand in the Soviet Arctic. At the end of the 70s, the number of the species reached 25 thousand individuals. For the purpose of protection in our country, since 1938, the shooting of bears from ships was prohibited, and since 1956, hunting has been closed everywhere. On Wrangel Island, in one of the places of mass breeding of the polar bear, in 1976 a reserve was organized. In 1975, an international agreement on the protection of polar bears came into force.

Kulan(Equus hemionus) is an equine animal of the equine family, a semi-donkey (Fig. 14, c). Lived in the desert regions of Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

northern sea otter(Enhydra lutrix lutrix) is a medium-sized marine animal (body weight up to 40 kg), one of the subspecies of the only species and genus endemic to the northern part of the Pacific Ocean (Fig. 14, d). Formerly found near reefs and rocks of the Commander Islands and the northeastern coast of Kamchatka. It is believed that before the start of intensive fishing in the XVIII century. its total number was 15-20 thousand individuals. The sea otter was hunted for the sake of thick, elastic and warm fur. By the end of the XIX century. he was almost exterminated. Preserved in small numbers near the Commander and Aleutian Islands. The ban on sea otter fishing in our country was announced in 1924 with a population of 350 individuals, and at present it is 2.5-3 thousand individuals.

Sterkh, or white crane(Grus leucogeranus), - large bird (body weight from 5 to 8 kg), endemic Russia, an endangered species (Fig. 14, e). Breeds in two separate areas - in the north of Yakutia and in the lower reaches of the Ob. Winters in China, India and Northern Iran. The decrease in numbers is believed to be due to the deterioration of conditions in wintering areas (drying of water bodies, reduction in food supply, competition with other species). The total number is catastrophically low - about 250 birds. The Yakut population is relatively stable, the Ob population continues to decline. From the arrows of the Siberian Crane in the territory of our country was prohibited. On migration, birds are protected in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve and in the Thana-Bharatpur National Park of India. Several nurseries have been set up to grow the Siberian Crane from eggs, followed by the release of grown birds into the wild. One of these nurseries exists in Russia (Oksky reserve), two - abroad.

Bustard(Otis tarda) is one of the largest birds in our fauna (body weight 16 kg). Distributed in the plains and mountain steppes of Northwest Africa, Europe and Asia. The main wintering areas are in Transcaucasia, Northern Iran, Southwestern Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Within the entire range, the number of bustards has been steadily declining since the beginning of our century, but especially sharply since the 50-60s. The number of individuals has decreased tenfold and now in Russia is about 3 thousand, the European subspecies O. tarda tarda - 13.3 thousand.

The main reason for the sharp decline in numbers is the widespread deterioration, and in some places the complete disappearance of suitable biotopes. The plowing of the steppes, the grazing of livestock in the few remaining areas of the virgin steppe deprived the bustard of land suitable for nesting. In Russia, bustard hunting is prohibited. To preserve and restore the population of this species, reserves have been created in the Saratov region and Buryatia. In Hungary, Austria, the GDR and Poland, there are stations for incubating eggs from abandoned clutches with the subsequent release of grown birds into the land.

little bustard(Otis tetrax) is a medium-sized bird (body weight 600-950 g) (Fig. 14, f). Distributed in the steppes and semi-deserts of Southern Europe, the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa to the foothills of Altai and Kashgaria. In our country, it is found in the steppe regions of the European part, Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia. Winters in North Africa, Western Asia, India, in small numbers in the Crimea, Transcaucasia, Central Asia. The number of little bustards is declining everywhere.

So, in 1978-1980. there were 4800 individuals, but in ten years their number fell by 40%. The main reasons for the decline in the number of this species are the same as for bustards. Hunting for little bustards is prohibited. To preserve its populations, it is necessary to strictly protect nesting sites, areas with high herbage that shelter nests and incubating birds, and create reserves in these areas; need to protect the wintering places of birds.

Rare and protected species and subspecies of animals in our country include muskrat, Atlantic walrus, red-footed ibis, barnacle goose, red-breasted goose, scaly merganser, relict gull, Tibetan saja and some others.

In other countries, the Przewalski's horse (Mongolia), the wild two-humped camel (Mongolia), the Indian rhinoceros (India, Nepal), the giant panda (PRC), the Asiatic lion (India), the koala (Australia), the Californian condor (USA), the hatteria ( New Zealand) and other animals.

Protection of the most important groups of animals

Protection of aquatic invertebrates. Sponges- marine and freshwater animals leading an attached lifestyle and forming colonies in areas with hard rocky soil. They live in the seas and oceans littoral to a depth of 6 thousand m. Their ability to filter water is remarkable. Sponges catch and use to feed bacteria, unicellular algae, protozoa; mineral particles stand out and settle to the bottom. The role of sponges in the biological purification of water is great: a freshwater sponge 7 cm long filters 22.5 liters, and a colony of a marine organosilicon sponge with 20 mouth openings - 1575 liters of water per day.

The number of sponges has recently decreased due to overfishing (the skeletons of glass sponges are used as decorations, and toilet sponges are used for medical purposes), disturbance of bottom biocenoses and water pollution. To preserve the role of sponges as biofilter feeders, it is necessary to reduce their fishing, use fishing gear that does not damage aquatic ecosystems, and also reduce the entry of various pollutants into water bodies.

coral polyps- marine colonial organisms. Of particular interest is the detachment of madrepore corals - the most extensive group of the entero-cavitary type. Representatives of this order have a powerful external calcareous skeleton. It is constantly growing, and the skeletons of individual polyps merge into a single monolith, the diameter of which can reach 8-9 m. Madrepore corals form coastal, barrier reefs and horseshoe-shaped islands - atolls. They are inhabited by many animals - polychaetes, molluscs, barnacles, echinoderms, fish. Coral reefs are a kind of oases of relatively unproductive biocenoses of the ocean.

The prosperity of corals is possible only under certain conditions: at a constant salinity of sea water (3.5%), high temperature (not lower than 20 ° C), good air walkie-talkie and illumination. Pollution of sea water, violations of light and aeration cause the death of coral polyps, promote the reproduction of animals that destroy coral reefs. Thus, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia was badly damaged by the invasion of large starfish (d = 60 cm) called the crown of thorns (Acauthaster plani). It is believed that their mass reproduction is associated with a decrease in the number of the natural crown of thorns - one of the species of gastropod mollusks Charonia tritonis with a beautiful shell, which diving enthusiasts get for souvenirs.

For the population of tropical countries, the vast expanse occupied by coral reefs is a huge natural lime factory. Tiny polyps extract CaCO2 from sea water and deposit it in their bodies. Madrepore corals are widely used by people for building houses, piers, embankments, paving streets, as a raw material for obtaining high-quality lime, for polishing wooden and metal products, for making jewelry and souvenirs. The economic use of coral reefs should be local and strictly controlled. The destruction of coral islands during the testing of atomic and thermonuclear weapons is unacceptable. Strict protection of the unique biocenoses of coral islands is necessary.

shellfish- a type of marine and freshwater (less often terrestrial) invertebrates, which are characterized by a hard calcareous shell covering the body. Widespread in the seas, oceans and fresh waters. Bivalves feed on plankton, passing a large amount of water with suspended particles through the mantle cavity, settling them, purifying the water and contributing to the accumulation of bottom sediments. Mollusks serve as food for fish, birds and mammals, as well as a delicacy for humans. Oysters, mussels, scallops, squids, cuttlefish, octopuses are mined.

There is a fishery for pearl oysters and mother-of-pearl shells. The volume of fishing is increasing: before World War II, 5 million centners per year were mined, in 1962 - 17 million centners, which accounted for 50% of the production of marine invertebrates, or 4% of all marine products (Akimushkin, 1968). By 1980, the share of mollusks in the marine fishery reached 6%. However, water pollution, disturbance of bottom biocenoses (oyster jars) by fishing gear, and overfishing have sharply reduced the stocks of mollusks. Much attention is paid to the breeding of mollusks to restore their numbers in natural communities and obtain biological products. Mussels, oysters, scallops are successfully bred in Japan, Spain, France, Holland and some other countries. There is experience in breeding mollusks in Russia.

Crustaceans different according to lifestyle, body shape and size (from fractions of a millimeter to 80 cm). Representatives of this class are very numerous: marine plankton at different latitudes and depths, it consists mainly (up to 90% by weight) of crustaceans, their share is also high in the plankton of fresh waters.

Crustaceans play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. Organic matter in water bodies is created mainly by unicellular microscopic algae. The crustaceans that feed on them are, in turn, eaten by fish. Thus, they act as intermediaries, making the organic matter created by algae available to fish. In addition, crustaceans use dead animals as food, ensuring the purity of the reservoir.

The existence of many marine and freshwater fish is largely dependent on crustaceans. Some fish (for example, herring) feed on them all their lives, others use them after leaving the eggs, and then move on to other food. Some crustaceans are bred to feed fish fry. For the most [large mammals - baleen whales - crustaceans serve as the main food. A person uses representatives of the class of crustaceans as food. The fishery of shrimps, crabs, lobsters, langoustines and some other species is developed.

Due to their large size and good taste, representatives of the decapod crayfish are of the greatest commercial importance. In 1962, about 1 million tons of crustaceans (shrimps, crabs, lobsters, lobsters) were caught in the world. Their fishing [is developed in China, USA, India, Japan. In Russia, the king crab is hunted, the stocks of which have been undermined by intensive fishing and cannot be restored without special measures to limit it due to slow growth and reproduction.

Thus, for the majority of commercial and those marine invertebrates, the number of which is declining, protection, rational use (regulation of capture rates, acclimatization, captive breeding) and the fight against pollution of water bodies are necessary.

Insect pollinators. About 80% of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects. The absence of pollinating insects changes the appearance of the vegetation cover. In addition to the honey bee, whose income from plant pollination is 10-12 times higher than the income from honey and wax, pollen is carried by 20 thousand species of wild bees (of which 300 are in central Russia and 120 in Central Asia). Bumblebees, flies, butterflies, beetles participate in pollination.

Unfortunately, environmental pollution and other anthropogenic factors have recently drastically reduced the number of pollinating insects. Near large industrial centers, it has become relatively difficult to meet even ordinary pollinators. The protection of pollinating insects is the most important measure to increase the yield of cultivated and preserve the diversity of wild-growing plants. Strict dosing of pesticides is necessary and their use only to suppress the mass reproduction of pests. Plants on which the development of pollinating insects occurs should be preserved.

Entomophagous insects that destroy pests are extremely diverse. In Russian agriculture, 11 species of entomophages are used against 20 species of plant pests.

To protect against ruin, anthills are covered with caps from a methodical mesh, fenced, covered with spruce branches. Sometimes ants are artificially resettled.

Various types of ground beetles, lacewings, ladybugs, etc., are of great benefit in the extermination of pests of agricultural and forest plants.

Insects-orderlies belong to the family of beetles and Diptera. These are numerous and widespread groups of dead beetles, dung beetles, kaloeds and flies, numbering thousands of species.

From the family of dead eaters, a group of gravedigger beetles can be distinguished. The black gravedigger (Necrophorus humator) gathers for carrion in groups. These beetles are able to perceive the smell of carrion for several hundred meters. They bury the corpses of small animals (rodents, birds) in the ground, and the females lay eggs there, from where the carrion-eating larvae come out. Larvae of dung beetles and kaloeds feed on manure, which is dragged into burrows and earthen passages by adult beetles before laying eggs.

This beneficial group of insects has been drastically reduced in numbers due to the overuse and misuse of pesticides. To restore it, it is necessary to reduce the use of chemicals and more often resort to the biological method of struggle.

Fish protection. In human protein nutrition, fish ranges from: 17 to 83%. World fish catches are rapidly increasing due to the development of the edge of the continental shelf and the depths of the open sea, where up to 85% of fish are now caught, as well as due to the use of new species. Permissible annual removal of fish from the oceans is estimated at 80-100 million tons, of which more than 70% are now caught. In the inland waters of most countries, including Russia, fish catch has reached the limit, stabilized or began to decline.

Over the past decades, the stocks of the most valuable commercial fish (sturgeon, salmon, partial fish) have sharply decreased. Among the many factors affecting the decrease in fish stocks, and consequently, the catch, the following are of greatest importance.

Overfishing- a phenomenon common in many marine and inland waters. At the same time, young fish that have not reached sexual maturity are caught, which reduces the population and can lead to the extinction of the species. The fight against overfishing is the most important task of fisheries, protection and rational use of fish resources.

Pollution of marine and freshwater reservoirs with a variety of substances has taken on a wide and ever-increasing scale. Particularly dangerous for fish is pollution by industrial wastewater containing salts of heavy metals, synthetic detergents, radioactive waste and oil. In recent years, a lot of work has been carried out on wastewater treatment. Emergency measures have been developed in case of emergency oil spills. However, these measures are clearly not enough, or they are applied too late, when pollution reaches catastrophic proportions.

Hydraulic structures. Dams block the access of migratory fish to spawning grounds, disrupting natural reproduction. To eliminate this unfavorable influence, the most reliable measure is the construction of special fish-breeding plants in the downstream. Here, fish approaching the dam are used for artificial insemination and breeding of fry with their subsequent release into the rivers.

Fluctuations in the water level in reservoirs, sometimes reaching 8 m, negatively affect the state of fish stocks. Dams retain nutrients that serve as the basis for the development of phytoplankton and other organisms, thereby reducing food reserves for fish.

The reduction in the volume of fresh river water entering the seas increases their salinity in the pre-estuary areas and negatively affects the fish living here.

Shallowing of rivers reduces stocks of fish. It is the result of deforestation of banks and watersheds, as well as water diversion for irrigation. Measures have been developed to increase the water level in rivers and inland seas, which is of great importance for fisheries, agriculture, climate mitigation, etc.

A cardinal measure to increase the water level in reservoirs is the afforestation of river banks, which requires constant care and a long time.

The most important measures for the protection of freshwater fish include the protection of spawning grounds, wintering pits, and the fight against winter kills. To increase the biological productivity of water bodies, work is being carried out to acclimatize fish, invertebrates and plants that serve as their food.

Particular attention is drawn to the protection and reproduction of fish stocks in inland waters. Every year, millions of fry of valuable fish species, including sturgeons, are released into rivers and lakes. It is necessary to continue the construction of fish breeding facilities and effective fish protection devices near water intakes and dams.

Protection of amphibians and reptiles. These two groups of animals include a small number of species ( amphibian- 4500, reptiles- 7000), but are important in natural biocenoses. Amphibians are carnivores, and there are also herbivorous species among reptiles.

Amphibians, feeding on insects and other invertebrates, regulate their numbers and themselves serve as food for reptiles, birds and mammals. The importance of amphibians for humans is due to the fact that some of them are eaten (giant salamander, pond, edible, Chinese, bullfrog, etc.), are widely used in laboratories for biological experiments. According to incomplete data, 1 million individuals a year are caught for this in our country. India in 1970 exported 25 million, and Italy in three years (1968 -1970) - 47 million frogs. The high cost of frogs (about 20% more expensive than the best varieties of fish) has led to their overfishing in many countries. In the USA, their numbers fell by 50%, the populations of pond and lake frogs in Italy, France, Romania, and Bulgaria have sharply decreased.

Given the great practical importance and role of amphibians in the biological control of the number of pests of forest and agricultural plants, many countries have taken measures to protect them. Decrees have been issued prohibiting the capture and destruction of amphibians. During the period of migration of frogs to reservoirs for spawning, special signs are posted near the highway, requiring drivers to be careful, driving on these roads at night is prohibited. Spawning grounds for amphibians are protected from economic use and pollution. In the Red Book IUCN European Proteus, giant salamander, etc. are included. If earlier 4 species of amphibians were listed in the Red Book of Russia (1983), now there are 8 of them (1999).

Reptiles, no less than other groups of animals, suffer from overfishing. Great damage was done to the populations of crocodiles, turtles, monitor lizards and some snakes. Turtles and their clutches are used as food in many tropical countries. On the islands of the Amazon and Orinoco (South America), 48 million eggs of arrau turtles are harvested annually, in Japan and China, soft-skinned turtles are eaten. Due to overfishing, the number of the green (soup) sea turtle and the hawksbill were catastrophically reduced and found themselves on the verge of destruction.

Reptiles suffer greatly during anthropogenic transformations of natural landscapes. To preserve "living fossils": the tuatara, the elephant tortoise, the giant Komodo monitor lizard, reserves have been created, strictly protected areas on small islands near

New Zealand, the Galapagos and the islands of Komodo and Flores. In Costa Rica, a nursery has been established for breeding green turtles in artificial nests and rearing them with their subsequent release into the sea. On the Zapata Peninsula (Republic of Cuba) there is a nursery for breeding the Cuban crocodile. Of great importance for the protection of reptiles was the creation of the IUCN Red Book, the Red Book of Russia and the Red Books of some other countries.

With increasing speed, snakes begin to disappear. They suffer from the draining of swamps, changes in vegetation cover, and the widespread use of pesticides that destroy small animals that snakes feed on. Snakes are caught to obtain poison used in medicine. Serpentaria (nurseries) have been created in which snakes are kept (but not bred) for repeated poisoning from them. Naturally, the systematic capture of snakes causes significant damage to their natural populations. For the protection of snakes in most European countries, it is forbidden to catch them without special permits. The Red Book of Russia, published in 1983, includes 11 species of reptiles, including 6 species of snakes, currently (1999) -21 species, including 13 species of snakes.

Protecting and attracting birds. In addition to poultry farming and fishing, the importance of birds in the national economy is the extermination of pests in forestry and agriculture. Most birds are insectivorous and insectivorous-herbivorous. During the nesting period, they feed their chicks with mass species of insects, among which there are many pests of cultivated and forest plants. To combat insect pests, birds are attracted by hanging feeders and artificial nests, which are used more often than others by hollow nesters - tits, flycatchers, redstarts, wagtails.

Birds of prey are of great interest for pest control in agriculture. Previously, they were exterminated, considering human competitors in the hunting economy. Later, when the true role of birds of prey in regulating the number of prey in biocenoses was found out, they were taken under protection and shooting was forbidden. They try to disturb the birds less, guard the nests, make artificial nests and perches. Positive results are obtained by the experience of breeding in captivity and releasing into the wild individuals of species that are on the verge of extinction. However, the restoration of the number of birds of prey is slow.

The use of pesticides (DCT, hexachloran, etc.) in agriculture and forestry caused great harm to birds of prey. Their greatest concentration is in the body of birds of prey occupying the upper trophic levels, which negatively affected their reproduction. Direct and indirect human impact is detrimental to many species of birds of prey. The Red Book of Russia (1983) included 20 species of birds of prey, in 1999 - 25.

The most ancient way of using birds by man is hunting. Commercial and amateur hunting was widely practiced with hunting birds - falcons, hawks, eagles. Until now, hunting with birds of prey has not lost its significance in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and some European countries.

Birds are an object of commercial hunting, which occupied an important place in the economy of many countries. As a result of overfishing, a sharp reduction in hunting grounds, environmental pollution, and the use of pesticides, the stocks of game birds have been greatly reduced and continue to decline.

In our country, measures are being taken to protect game birds: setting deadlines and norms for shooting, prohibiting hunting for rare species and predatory methods of obtaining, combating poaching, implementing biotechnical measures aimed at increasing the capacity of lands, increasing the population density of birds, protecting nests from ruin, etc. In order to increase the stocks of hunting birds, in addition to reserves, wildlife preserves are organized where hunting is prohibited for several years, hunting farms have been created in which hunting is normalized in accordance with the number and possibility of restoring commercial species.

Some species are promising for captive breeding. Pheasants, gray partridges, quails, mallards are successfully bred and released into hunting grounds. Hunting farms and pheasants in Poland grow up to 100 thousand pheasants per year, of which 50 thousand per year are released into hunting grounds. In Krakow Voivodeship alone, about 300 hunting farms are engaged in game breeding. In France, about 2,000 hunting grounds breed game. In just one year (1968) they delivered about 2 million pheasant eggs and chicks, over 1 million partridge eggs and chicks, 1.6 million quails and 1 million duck eggs. These farms release 2.5 million pheasants and 0.4 million partridges into hunting grounds per year.

Mammal protection. Representatives of the class of mammals, or animals, play an important role in biocenoses and serve as an object of fishing. Breeding of ungulates is the basis of animal husbandry; rodents and carnivores are used in fur farming. Of the terrestrial mammals, rodents, lagomorphs, predators, and of aquatic species, cetaceans and seals are of the greatest importance for fishing.

Considering that no more than 15% of the land area is used for agriculture, the relevance of finding ways to exploit the phytomass of non-agricultural lands through game animals is obvious.

The most important measure for the protection of game animals is the strict observance of laws on hunting, which provide for the timing and methods of obtaining them. Hunting is regulated by the Regulations on hunting and hunting economy. It lists the species of animals and birds, hunting of which is prohibited or allowed under licenses. It is forbidden to kill animals in reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, green areas of cities. Mass production of animals, hunting from cars, aircraft, motor boats, destruction of burrows, lairs, nests is not allowed. Shooting or trapping standards are established for each type of animal. Violation of the laws and rules of hunting is considered poaching and entails administrative, financial and criminal liability.

All of these measures are aimed at the protection and rational use of mammals. Recently, more attention has been paid to the protection of wild animals.

245 species of mammals live on the territory of Russia, of which 65 species were included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation in 1983, in 1999 this number did not change (together with protected subspecies - 89).

Legal protection of wildlife

Protection and rational use of wild animals are determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, resolutions and other legislative acts. The most significant of them are the laws of the Russian Federation "On the protection of the natural environment" (1992) and "On the animal world" (1995). According to the last law, “the animal world is the property of the peoples of the Russian Federation, an integral element of the natural environment and biological diversity of the Earth, a renewable natural resource, an important regulating and stabilizing component of the biosphere, protected in every possible way and rationally used to satisfy spiritual and material needs of citizens of the Russian Federation”.

This law provides for the procedure for the use of game animals, monitoring of populations of wild animals, measures for the protection and restoration of rare and endangered species.

The legal norms of fisheries in Russia are determined by the Regulations on the protection of fish stocks and on the regulation of fish farming in the waters of the USSR, approved by the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1958, and the "Fishing Rules" issued for each republic and basin. They forbid fishing with the help of explosives, firearms, poisonous substances, prisons, nets, fishing from dams and locks. The rules determine the timing and areas of commercial fishing, the size of the cells in the nets.

In the system of measures for the protection of animals, one of the central places is given to the maintenance of the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Red Books of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation as the most important element that contributes to the conservation of biodiversity.

In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation "On the Red Book of the Russian Federation" (1996), it is maintained by the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection (included in the Ministry of Natural Resources since the summer of 2000) with the participation of federal bodies of the natural resource block and RAN. The procedure for its maintenance is regulated by the Regulations on the procedure for maintaining the Red Book of the Russian Federation, approved by the State Committee for Ecology of Russia (October 1997) and registered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia (December 1997).

As of November 1, 1997, 415 species of animals are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (including 155 species of invertebrates, 4 - cyclostomes, 39 - fish, 8 - amphibians, 21 - reptiles, 123 - birds and 65 species of mammals ). Compared to the previous Red Book of Russia (1983), the number of animal species has increased by 1.6 times. At the same time, 38 species of animals were excluded from the new Red Book of the Russian Federation, the state of populations of which, thanks to the protection measures taken, does not currently cause concern.

At the end of 1997, red books were created in 18 subjects of the Russian Federation, lists of rare and endangered species of animals and plants were compiled and approved in 39 subjects of the Federation.

test questions

1. What role do animals play in the cycle of substances in nature and what is their significance for humans?

2. What is the direct and indirect human impact on animals?

3. What species of animals have died out over the historically documented time, and what are the reasons for their extinction?

4. What is the essence of the rational use and protection of game animals?

5. What is the rational use and protection of fish resources?

6. Name the rare species of animals listed in the IUCN Red List.

7. How are rare and endangered animals protected in our country? How are aquatic invertebrates protected?

8. What measures are used to protect beneficial insects?

9. What is the complexity of the protection of amphibians and reptiles?

10. How are insectivorous and birds of prey protected and attracted?

11. What measures are used to protect rare and endangered mammals?

A lot depends on the presence or absence of plants on planet Earth. A person can go without food for up to forty days, without water - up to three days, but without air - only a few minutes. But it is plants that supply such an indispensable component as oxygen. Without the participation of plants, there would be no existing atmosphere in the form in which it is now. And, consequently, there would not be many living organisms breathing air. Including the person.

Reasons for the disappearance

Scientists warn that in the very near future, at least forty thousand species of tropical plants and about eight thousand species from regions with a temperate climate may disappear from the face of the Earth. The numbers impress (or should impress) each of us. That's what plant protection is for!

The main reasons have long been known. This is in the tropics, grazing numerous livestock, the use of chemicals that affect the ecosystem, the destruction of natural insect pollinators, the excessive harvesting of medicinal herbs on an industrial scale. And if we summarize all of the above, then the destructive and sometimes thoughtless activity of man as a species living on the planet.

The ethical nature of the problem

The necessary protection of plants bears mainly an ethical and moral aspect. After all, there is still no serious scientific justification for this problem. So far, biologists have no answer to questions about what will happen if certain plant species die out, how the general gene pool of nature depends on this, what are the consequences and rates of such a “retribution for evolution”.

Only a few scientists (for example, Vernadsky) substantiated not only the interdependence of man and nature, but also combined them into one whole - the noosphere, for example. And all these issues (among which, in particular, the protection of plants) require us to resolve in the coming years, while the overall biosystem is still close to its natural norm.

What does this mean?

Protecting plants primarily means supporting the natural processes that take place in nature. It is necessary to help restore the disturbed balance and eliminate the consequences of the harmful effects of man, his unreasonable interference in the activities of our common ecosystem.

It's no joke: over the past few decades, one plant has disappeared from the face of the earth per day, and one animal per year. Terrifying in its cynicism, the genocide of nature! Therefore, the protection of plants and animals that are disappearing from the face of the earth should be a priority for humanity in the near future.

Red Book

Of course, it cannot be said that nothing is being done in this regard. From the documents of the state level, protecting and animals, one can recall the Red Book. From plants, for example, more than four hundred species of flowering plants, about twenty species of algae, more than thirty species of fungi, about ten species of gymnosperms and ferns are already included in it.

Among the disappearing ones are the famous common snowdrop, Crimean peony, Lessing's feather grass, and many others. These plants are under state protection. For their illegal felling, destruction and use, liability is provided (according to the law).

Protection of rare plants: basic measures

Of these, the most relevant in the modern world is the isolation and protection of habitats. Reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries are actively (but not to the extent that we would like) being created and developed, which ensure the continued existence of endangered plant (and animal) species. In many civilized countries, programs have been developed and are operating for the all-round reasonable use of natural resources by mankind. After all, if we do not take the necessary measures in time, many plants will completely disappear from the face of the earth, and it will be impossible to fill these gaps.

botanical gardens

Botanic gardens and experimental stations play a huge role in maintaining plant populations, studying and conserving endangered species. They contain certain necessary collections of living plants - representatives of local and exotic flora, contribute to the study and cultivation of plants, the creation of new, more productive forms and species. Of the promising developments - research on plant acclimatization, adaptation to new living conditions in other natural zones. Botanical gardens also carry out educational tasks, promote the achievements of the science of botany.

The role of plants in human life

Only in recent decades has humanity fully realized the role of plants in people's lives. Although some scientists and educators have long been talking about the fact that it is impossible to allow the disappearance of a single existing species from the face of the Earth.

With the extermination of greenery, people will lose a lot that the surrounding world contains. Plant protection, in turn, should prevent this. After all, this part is not only a necessary source of health, but also an aesthetic component of the art world, which inspired and inspires many artists and writers to create masterpieces of art.

But the most important masterpiece is our common Motherland, whose name is planet Earth! And so it is necessary, especially in recent times, for all of us to take care of its green population, so that our descendants can enjoy the diversity of plant life.

When harvesting forests, significant damage is caused to the animal and plant world, including rare species listed in the Red Book. In many respects, the damage to rare species is associated with the destruction of their habitats. Unfortunately, the Red Book of the Irkutsk region was published in a small edition and is practically inaccessible to the population. People who allocate areas for deforestation are not familiar with rare species and do not recognize them in nature. In this regard, the project is aimed at working with logging organizations and directly with the middle link - people who allocate cutting areas for felling. It is at this moment that the most valuable areas can be saved from felling in order to preserve rare species of animals and plants. To this end, it is planned to hold a series of seminars for logging organizations in the main places of logging in the Irkutsk region - in the cities. Irkutsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Bratsk, Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Taishet and in the village. Trunk, Kachug. The seminars will be attended by employees of medium-level logging organizations that directly allocate sites for deforestation. The seminars will tell (through presentations) about rare species living in the area of ​​operation of the data of the logging organization, habitats of rare species, recommendations will be given on their conservation and on the allocation of key areas for rare species and their removal from exploited areas. Also, within the framework of the grant, it is planned to prepare and publish a field guide specialized for loggers of rare and protected species of animals and plants included in the Red Book of the Irkutsk Region and the Russian Federation inhabiting the forests of the Irkutsk Region. Our organization has experience of holding a similar seminar in 2016 for employees of the Ilim Group in the Ust-Ilimsk region. In July this year, we plan to hold three more seminars for the Ilim Group in Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk. Conducting a seminar showed great interest on the part of workers in the conservation of rare species, but unfortunately not all logging organizations can order such seminars.Also, logging operators point out the lack of guides and methodological literature on the conservation of rare species.The author has extensive experience in preparing and publishing guides, including including rare species.Therefore, the project provides for the preparation and publication of a guide to rare species.The results of the project are planned to be covered in the media, both in the regional and district.The result of the project is the preservation of habitats of rare species.

Goals

1. Preservation of rare species of animals and plants during logging operations.
2. Preparation and publication of a field guide to rare species of plants and animals in the forests of the Irkutsk region.
3. Conducting a series of seminars on the protection of rare species of animals and plants for logging organizations of the Irkutsk region.

Tasks

1. Preparation and issue of a field guide to rare species of animals and plants in the forests of the Irkutsk region
2. Development of the program and preparation of presentations for seminars
3. Conducting seminars in the cities of Irkutsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Bratsk, Ust-Kut, Kirensk, Taishet and in the village. Trunk, Kachug.

Substantiation of social significance

The Irkutsk region occupies a leading position in Russia in terms of timber harvesting. At the same time, environmental changes occur that negatively affect the state of biodiversity, including rare species of animals and plants that are endangered and listed in the Red Books. Their habitats are being cut down. To prevent this, it is necessary to train the personnel of logging enterprises, who are directly crushed by the allocation of areas for felling, in the ability to identify and know rare species and about measures for their conservation. To this end, it is planned to prepare and publish a guide to rare species and conduct seminars. The social significance of the project will consist in attracting for the conservation of biodiversity, including rare species, just those segments of the population who are engaged in logging operations and whose actions the conservation of rare species largely depends on. At present, there is a situation where the regulatory authorities cannot monitor the state of rare species, science is powerless here, since the vast areas of the north of the region, where logging is mainly carried out, have practically not been surveyed. Involving workers of logging organizations in the conservation of rare species will help the conservation of rare species and will give a high social effect.

Project geography

Irkutsk region: Irkutsk, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Ust-Kut, Kirensk and Taishet, the villages of Magistralny and Kachug are the main logging centers in the Irkutsk region.

Target groups

1. Middle-level employees of logging organizations of the Irkutsk region