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Тhe invasion of alien mammalian species into the terrestrial ecosystems of Russia is observed everywhere, both on territories where the human impact on nature is maximal (cities, settlements, and agricultural lands) and in regions intended for preservation of intact ecosystems (biosphere reserves).
The territory of Russia is nonuniformly “contaminated” with alien species. Тhe number of alien species inhabiting various administrative divisions in Russia varies from 1 to 11. The largest number of introduced species has been recorded in Leningrad, Tver, Moscow, Ryazan, Voronezh, Tomsk, and Sakhalin oblasts; Krasnodar and Primorsky krais; Dagestan, and Bashkortostan. Тhe biosphere reserves contain 46 alien mammalian species. The majority of these species have been recorded in the Central Chernozem (15), Oka Terrace (13), and Voronezh (11) Biosphere Reserves. The Central Chernozem Biosphere Reserve experiences the highest pressure of alien species since they constitute 32.6%of the overall mammalian fauna; next are the Astrakhan and Oka Terrace Biosphere Reserves (26.9 and24.0%, respectively).
A ubiquitous invasion of alien mammalian species on the territory of Russia makes topical the monitoring of their populations and population control of those threatening the biodiversity and function of ecosystems. It is necessary to continue studies of the role of alien species in ecosystems and to develop a control system for minimizing the adverse consequences of alien species invasions.
text: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225765885_Biological_invasions_on_Russian_territory_Mammals

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Wildlife overexploitation in Russia in some cases leads to their depletion, especially in the area of ​​renewable resources: forests, fish and game animals.

Industrial logging for the needs of the woodworking and pulp and paper industries and for the production of lumber annually destroy millions of hectares of forests, along with unique species found here. Overfishing has put some commercial species on the verge of extinction and reduced the overall diversity of sea life. Illegal hunting and trade in endangered species of animals is a direct threat to their existence.

Now a dozen of the most delicacy fish species have become rare or endangered. In many areas of the North Atlantic, herring, wild Atlantic salmon and some other species of fish have almost lost their economic importance. Even if some of them continue to catch, the volume of catch is reduced annually.

Not only fish, but invertebrates, and bottom algae also experience anthropogenic stress. In many regions, the population collects invertebrates after low tide. Near cities and settlements, such organisms living in the tidal zone can be almost completely “consumed” by the population.

text: http://www.biodiversity.ru/coastlearn/bio-rus/boxes/overexpl.html

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Habitat loss in Russian forests and Species that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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Habitat loss in Russian forests and Species that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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The Great Northern Forest includes nearly half the world’s Intact Forest Landscape (IFL) area. Areas of IFLs are lost when the forest is clearcut, deforested or burnt but also when it is fragmented or degraded, since in the latter cases it ceases to be a continuous area of primary forest and so no longer counts as IFL.

Some 60% of the Great Northern Forest is located in Russia, where it is known as the Taiga. However, in 2013, less than a quarter of the Taiga remained as IFL. The forest is being carved up into ever smaller fragments by industrial exploitation and wildfires.

The most significant and largest proposed protected area in Arkhangelsk Oblast covers the core part of the largest unprotected IFL left in the middle boreal zone of Arkhangelsk Oblast – the Dvinsky Forest. In the 15 years since the IFL was first mapped in 2000, the Dvinsky Forest has lost over 300,000 ha.

This biodiversity hotspot – predominately a spruce forest – provides important habitat for a number of species of mammals such as brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolverine (Gulo gulo), grey wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx), Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), European pine marten (Martes martes), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and one of the last remaining populations of the endangered wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is of critical importance for many species included in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and Arkhangelsk Region, including many bird species such as the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum) and great grey owl (Strix nebulosa). It also hosts threatened species of plants (e.g. Cypripedium calceolus, Dactylorhiza traunsteineri, Paeonia anomala) lichens (e.g. Bryoria fremontii, Lobaria pulmonaria), and mosses (e.g. Sphagnum subfulvum).

The proposed Dvinsky Forest Reserve – now covering 489,000 ha of the IFL – is recognised as a conservation priority by the BPAN project, which promotes the establishment of a representative protected area network in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in order to conserve the biodiversity of the boreal and Arctic zones, particularly their forests and wetlands.
text: https://storage.googleapis.com/planet4-international-stateless/2017/05/b1d0076e-eye-on-the-taiga_greenpeace_full_report.pdf

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THEME 3: Threats to biodiversity in a changing climate

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THEME 3: Threats to biodiversity in a changing climate

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A classical example of two organisms that share the same food (niche partitioning) and the way that they manage it

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A classical example of two organisms that share the same food (niche partitioning) and the way that they manage it

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Separation of ecological niches in species of the same type of food is never complete, their niches intersect. For example, a hare can serve as food for both a fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a wolf (Canis lupus), which are very common animals in Russian forests, but a wolf can also attack larger herbivores - deer and even moose, and a fox can use mouse - like rodents for food.

text: Наумов Л.Г - Основы общей экологии. https://librolife.ru/g4447242

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The ecological niches of two characteristic endemic russian animals

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The ecological niches of two characteristic endemic russian animals

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The Caucasian toad (Bufo verrucosissimus)  Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, intermittent rivers, rural gardens, ponds, and aquaculture ponds. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Nikolsky's adder (Vipera berus nikolskii) occurs in glades, forest edges and glades in isolated areas of deciduous forests, valley oak forests along rivers in summer time. The type locality is the banks of the Uda River, between Besljudovka and Vasishtshevo, near Kharkov.[1]

text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_toad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_berus_nikolskii
image: By Yuriy75 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15923016

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Soil-Transmitted Helminths: Parasitic worms are organisms that can live and replicate in the gastrointestinal system. These soil-transmitted helminths (hookworms, roundworms, whipworms) are transmitted through the fecal-oral route as a result of poor sanitary practices. The most common infections that can affect travellers are Ascariasis, Hookworm, and Trichuriasis which are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)*.

text: https://www.iamat.org/country/russia/risk/intestinal-parasites-soil-transmitted-helminths#

The Ixodidae are the family of hard ticks or scale ticks, one of the two big families of ticks, consisting of over 700 species. They are known as 'hard ticks' because they have a scutum or hard shield, which the other big family of ticks. They are ectoparasites of a wide range of host species and main long-term reservoirs and vectors for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), the disease that is a big problem in Russia.

text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixodidae
image: Lamiot [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

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Predator-prey relationship between carabid beetles and snails

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Predator-prey relationship between carabid beetles and snails

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This predator-prey relationship is interesting because snails are demonstrating a very unique, active defense strategy. Two snail species—Karaftohelix (Ezohelix) gainesi in Hokkaido, Japan and Karaftohelix selskii in the Far East region of Russia—swing their shells to hit the carabid beetles; while other closely related snail species withdraw their soft bodies into their shells and wait until the opponent stops attacking. It was also discovered that the two active-or-passive defensive methods evolved independently in the Japanese and Russian species.

text: https://phys.org/news/2016-11-shell-swinging-snails-predators.html#jCp
image: © goir / Fotolia https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161116094532.htm

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Predator-prey relationship between Amur tiger and his usual preys.

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Predator-prey relationship between Amur tiger and his usual preys.

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Most information on prey selection of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)  comes from studies carried out in southwest Primorye and the Sikhote-Alin Mountains of the Russian Far East. In those areas, despite tigers having a relatively broad dietary range, consuming approximately 15 different prey species, their diet is uniformly dominated by red deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), sika deer and roe deer (Capreolus pygargus)

text: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1810/1810.11195.pdf
image: Vilda - Rollin Verlinde https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41775/10559847

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STEP 1. ACTIVATE YOUR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
My answer for the step one will be:
The wolves were brought in because the increased elk population was overgrazing the deciduous, woody species such as aspen and cottonwood.
Because I believe that this action was made with scientific research and not only to excite the visitors of the Park, and the scientist have known the effects that the introduction of wolves could bring to already formed ecosystem of Yellowstone.

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Moschus moschiferus
image: By Николай Усик / http://paradoxusik.livejournal.com/ - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23003947

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Leucogeranus leucogeranus
image: By BS Thurner Hof - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6914953

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Panthera pardus orientalis
https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/08/19/17/leopard-Land-of-the-Leopard.jpg?w660

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Ovis nivicola
image: Brent Huffman / UltimateUngulate https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15740/5076357

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Haliaeetus pelagicus
image: https://www.aviary.org/animals/stellers-sea-eagle

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Branta ruficollis
image: By Adrian Pingstone (Arpingstone) - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3908399

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Rhodostethia rosea
image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5840047 By Seabamirum - Flickr, CC BY 2.0

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Comephorus baikalensis

Comephorus dybowskii

image: https://alchetron.com/Comephorus

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Pusa sibirica
image: http://otlibrary.com/baikal-seal/

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Desmana moschata
image: http://our-aquarium.ru/forum

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One of the biggest environmental issues facing Russia is deforestation, which has run rampart due to heavy illegal logging in accessible woodland regions. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the rates of illegal logging in northwest Russia and in the country’s Far East are at extremely high levels. Heavy logging leads to high levels of erosion and greater carbon dioxide levels. Additionally, the WWF also noted that illegal logging negatively impacts numerous species in the boreal forests. According to the Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Russia loses approximately 16 million hectares of forest each year.

Since a staggering 19% of the world’s forest reserves are located in Russia, the deforestation in this country alone accounts for anywhere between 300 to 600 million tons of the 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that are sequestered each year as a result of global deforestation. Unfortunately, during the 2015 Paris Agreement, little focus was made on Russia’s role in degrading the environment as a result of their astonishing deforestation rates³.

Between Russia’s historical nuclear weapons program and nuclear energy sector, nuclear contamination of the countryside is another major environmental concern for the country. Many of Russia’s first generation nuclear reactors are at the end of their life span, therefore, continued operation of this reactors only increases the already present risks for disaster at these locations. Additionally, Russia’s nuclear weapons program has resulted in permanent damage in southern Siberia, and near Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains.

Significant neglect during the Soviet Union area has also led to degradation in the quality of Russian land and water. In particular, lands in the industrial belt along the southern section of the Ural Mountains have been degraded beyond repair.

Despite being a country that is rich in water supplies, with 2 million lakes, 210,000 rivers and approximately 25% of the earth’s total freshwater reserves, Russia continues to face difficulties in maintaining the cleanliness in their water supplies. Hydroelectric dams on the Volga River have decreased the river’s volume of water, causing it and other rivers to retain even more of the pollutants than they normally would have. Additionally, water contamination in the country’s capital of Moscow has also become increasingly concerning, especially following a recent report conducted by Greenpeace that found mercury levels within the Moskva to be 20 times higher than the minimum accepted levels, whereas manganese levels were up to 120 times higher. As urbanization of Moscow is continued to rise, water demands will also rise, thereby posing a risk of increasing human exposure to these toxic substances through the water supply.

text: https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=542
image: Rosatom, https://www.zdnet.com/article/russia-to-emerging-countries-well-build-operate-your-nuclear-reactors/

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Due to the size of Russia, obviously the country has many larger or smaller mountain ranges. Most of these ranges are located in the eastern Siberian regions, mainly on the southern and northern part of the Asian territories of Russia.

European Russia has two major mountain chains, the Caucasus, which marks the southwestern border between Asia and Europe, and the Ural mountains, which lies on the Asia-Europe border as well. The highest point of Russia, the 5642 meters tall Mount Elbrus is located within the Caucasus range, it is also the highest point in whole Europe. The Ural mountains are considerably lower lying ranges, its highest is Mount Narodnaya, staying just below 1900 meters.

There are four major ranges on the southern side of the Russia map. The westernmost and highest of those is the Altai range, shared by Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. The highest peak here is Belukha Mountain, with an altitude of approximately 4500 meters. Higher summits than this can only be found in Kamchatka and the Caucasus range. As we progress to the east, the mountains get gradually shorter. The next range in the row, the Sayan Mountains lie east of Lake Baikal, its highest is the so called Munku-Sardyk at around 3500 meters. On the other, eastern side of Lake Baikal, the two major ranges are Yablonoi mountains, and the Stanovoy range, both have a maximal altitude of around 2500 meters. The highest summit in the Stanovoy range is Mount Skalisty with 2467 meters in height.

The highest mountain chain in the northern part of Russia is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Klyuchevskaya Sopka of this range is the 13th most prominent peak of the whole planet, and the second in Russia (after Elbrus of course), with a height of 4750 meters, and a topographical prominence of 4649 meters. Unlike in the south, the northern mountain ranges of Russia get smaller as we continue towards the west. Next to the Kamchatka area, the Kolyma and Chersky ranges rise to around 3000 meters, Mount Pobeda being the highest of this region just above 3000 meters. The somewhat shorter Verkhoyansk Range lies on the eastern banks of the Lena river. On the other side of Lena, between the Yenisei and Lena rivers lie the not so tall, but huge are of the Central Siberian Plateau, covering an area of more than 3.5 million km².

text: http://www.freeworldmaps.net/russia/mountains.html
image: Simone Stuenzi (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu) https://imaggeo.egu.eu/view/12893/

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Russia’s Far East region is full of volcanoes, including some of the largest in Eurasia. Take a look at 12 of these enchanting giants that form Russia’s link in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

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1. Klyuchevskaya Sopka (Kamchatka Territory)

This is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. Its peak is nearly 16,000 feet above sea level. The volcano is approximately 7,000 years old.

It has experienced 50 powerful eruptions in the past 270 years.

During it 2004-2005 eruption, the column of ash reached an altitude of 26,000 feet. The most recent eruption occurred in 2009.

The Klyuchevskaya volcano draws many mountain climbers and tourists, but it has also claimed a greater number of victims than any other Kamchatka volcano.

In 1978, the camp of some young glaciologists was hit by a volcanic bomb that flew out from the volcano during a powerful explosion; one of the scientists was killed.

2. Koryakskaya Sopka (Kamchatka Territory)

Koryakskaya Sopka, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This volcano is 11,300 feet high. The peak of the volcano has a modern crater, 590-650 feet in diameter. The volcano is located only 22 miles from the territory's capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and contributes to the panoramic views from the city.

In 1996, this volcano was listed as a Decade Volcano, one of 16 volcanoes around the world that the UN International Association of Vulcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior found deserving of special study because of their history of activity and proximity to modern-day settlements.

In December 2008, Koryakskaya Sopka emitted a column of steam and gas that could easily be seen in photographs taken from space. Its most recent eruption was recorded in 2009.

3. Avachinskaya Sopka (Kamchatka Territory)

Avachinskaya Sopka, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This volcano is 8,992 feet high. Its crater is 1,300 feet in diameter.

Avachinskaya Sopka is one of the most visited Kamchatka volcanoes. It is located near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and offers an easy ascent. There is a path to the peak of the volcano that takes an average of six to eight hours to climb. No special training or equipment is needed for the ascent during the summer months.

The volcano's most recent eruption was recorded on Oct. 5, 2001.

4. Tyatya (Sakhalin Region)

The Tyatya volcano, Sakhalin Region. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This 5,967-foot-tall volcano is located on Kunashir Island in the Greater Kuril Chain.

The peak of the volcano is often observed to be smoking, releasing poisonous gases from a lateral crater. This is one of the reasons why the northeast part of Kunashir, where Tyatya is located, is sparsely populated.

In the language of the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the island, the volcano was called Chacha-Napuri, or Father Mountain. The Japanese named it Tyatya-Yama, from which the Russian name Tyatya.

Tyatya is one of the symbols of Kunashir. Local people consider it the most beautiful volcano, and its image, which can be seen everywhere in these parts, is the unofficial symbol of the Kuril Islands.

Tyatya's most recent eruption was recorded in 1981.

5. Karymsky (Kamchatka Territory)

The Karymsky volcano, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This volcano's frequent eruptions may have contributed to its small size; it stands only 5,000 feet tall. Karymsky has erupted more than 20 times since 1852, and many of its eruptions have lasted several years.

The eruption of 1996 went on for more than five years. It was also unique because it occurred simultaneously with an underwater eruption in the Karymsky Lake, which is situated about 4 miles from the foot of the volcano.

Over the 18-20 hour eruption, there were over 100 underwater explosions in the lake, producing tsunami waves of up to 15 meters. The lake was literally boiling: its temperature rose sharply, while the salts and acids in the water rapidly reached such levels of concentration that all the animal and plant life in the lake perished.

The most recent eruption was recorded in 2010.

6. Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka Territory)

The Zhupanovsky volcano, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This mountain is located 43 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and is volcano is 9,700 feet high. The volcano's development began 50,000 years ago and today it is a ridged formation of four merged cones, covered by glacial sheets and permanent snowpack. The western cone is 8,202 feet high and topped by a crater 1,640 feet in diameter.

Its 1957 eruption continued for four months. The most recent eruption was recorded in 1959.

7. Mutnovsky (Kamchatka Territory)

The Mutnovsky volcano, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This is one of the largest volcanoes of South Kamchatka. It has a complex structure and a long history of development. The volcano is 7,621 feet high.

The Mutnovsky Geothermal Power Plant is located not far from the volcano.

In April 2008, Russian parachutist Valery Rozov made a jump into the crater of the Mutnovsky volcano.

The volcano has erupted at least 16 times in known history. The strongest eruption occurred in 1848. The most recent eruption was in 2000. This eruption created a lake, which is now almost always covered with ice, even in summer.

8. Alaid (Sakhalin Region)

Alaid, Sakhalin Region. Source: Lori / Legion media

This is the northernmost and highest volcano in the Kuril Islands. The volcano is 7,673 feet high and is located on Atlasov Island. It may be more accurate to say that the volcano is also known as Atlasov Island, since the island itself is the above-water part of the volcanic cone.

This volcano has over 30 lateral cones spreading over its based and on its slopes. They are concentrated in several groups. Alaid forms a single volcanic formation with the Grigoryev underwater volcano.

Alaid erupts every 30 or 40 years; its most recent eruption was in April 1996.

9. Academy of Sciences (Kamchatka Territory)

Academy of Sciences, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This 3,871-foot-high volcano was named by vulcanologist Vladimir Vlodavets named the volcano in 1939.

Karymsky Lake, which is around 230 feet deep and 2 miles across, is situated on the north side of the volcano. Encircled by high slopes, the lake is very picturesque. South of it rises the smoking Karymsky volcano. On the opposite side, the Academy of Sciences ridge can be seen. Its dome-shaped peak area, with jutting cliffs, drops off symmetrically on both sides, resembling a bat with its wings spread.

The volcano's last eruption was recorded in 1996.

10. Bezymianny (Kamchatka Territory)

Bezymianny, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This volcano is 9,455 feet high, with a crater nearly a mile wide. It was named after a famous eruption on March 30, 1956. Soviet scientists called this new type of eruption a "directed explosion" or "Bezymianny type" (meaning "nameless"); the terms were later adopted in world vulcanology as the "directed blast" or "Bezymianny type" of eruption.

The 1956 eruption began with powerful ejections of ash, rising to an altitude of more than 4 miles. After this, a huge explosion shook the surrounding area, shooting a billowing cloud of ash to an altitude of 21 miles. The peak of the volcano was destroyed, replaced by giant crater. This explosion reduced the height of the volcano by 820 feet.

The 1956 eruption is considered one of the greatest in history. Vegetation was burned in an area stretching for 15 miles while an area of 200 square miles was covered hot ash, sand, and rock fragments, destroying all vegetation.

The volcano's most recent eruption was recorded in 2009.

11. Sarychev Peak (Sakhalin Region)

Sarychev Peak, Sakhalin Region. Source: Lori / Legion Media

This 4,900-foot-tall volcano is located on Matua Island in the Greater Kuril Chain. The Ainu word Matua translates as Little Burning Inlets. It was named in 1805 by Captain Ivan Kruzenshtern in honor of Admiral Gavriil Andreyevich Sarychev (1763-1831).

Sarychev was a navigator, polar explorer, geographer, hydrographer, and honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy who mapped the East Siberian, Chukhotsk, and Bering Seas, the Kuril and Aleutian Islands, and Alaska. Kruzenshtern named this peak after Sarychev because, as a member of the Billings expedition of 1785-1793, "he was the first to determine with a high degree of accuracy the location of the island on which this peak stands."

Sarychev Peak is one of the most active Kuril volcanoes. It is constantly smoking, and from time to time emits lava flows, which travel from the crater down the northeast slope.

The most recent eruption of the volcano was recorded in 2009.

12. Shiveluch (Kamchatka Territory)

Shiveluch, Kamchatka Territory. Source: Lori / Legion Media

Standing 10,770 feet tall with a base that measures 25 miles by 31 miles, Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes. It is also the peninsula's northernmost.

One of its strongest recent eruptions took place on Nov. 12, 1964, when the volcano emitted a column of ash that rose to an altitude of 9 miles, while mud and fragments of volcanic rock carved a 12-mile-pathway stretching away from its base.

The volcano most recently erupted in April 2012.

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This is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. Its peak is nearly 16,000 feet above sea level. The volcano is approximately 7,000 years old. It has experienced 50 powerful eruptions in the past 270 years. During it 2004-2005 eruption, the column of ash reached an altitude of 26,000 feet.

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Vulnerabilities of biodiversity in Russia (climate change)

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Vulnerabilities of biodiversity in Russia (climate change)

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Terrestrial biodiversity

Tundra

The concurrent increase in the productivity of the tundra, probably due to longer and warmer growing seasons, will in the long run cause northern boreal forests to invade the tundra, while boreal forests at the southern ecotone are likely to retreat due to increasing drought, insects and more prevalent fires (1). Since the rate of loss at the southern ecotone due to relatively fast processes such as fire is likely to be higher than the rate of gain at the northern ecotone due to the slow growth conditions, the overall effect of these two processes for the boreal forests is likely to be negative during the transient phase, i.e. until a new equilibrium between climate and vegetation is established. However, in equilibrium a general increase in deciduous vegetation at the expense of evergreen vegetation is predicted at all latitudes.

Marine biodiversity
Surface temperature of the Black Sea increased during the period 1982 – 2015 by 0.64 °C per decade. This is expected to continue, possibly reaching +5.1 °C by 2100 (compared to 2015). The warming of the sea seems to influence the amount of caught anchovies in the Black Sea, the most caught fish species in the Black Sea. The amount of captured anchovies generally decreased with increased sea surface temperature.

text: https://www.climatechangepost.com/russia/biodiversity/

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Rare endemic species in Russia that none knows about

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Rare endemic species in Russia that none knows about

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Everyone has heard of the Russian bear, the Siberian tiger and the endangered Amur leopard. But do you know about other creatures that can be found in Russia? RBTH has made a list of 10 indigenous Russian animals, from see-through fish to graceful white cranes.

Animals that only inhabit a certain territory are referred to as endemic species. Almost all of the species that images are represented below are listed as endangered, and some are on the verge of extinction.

text: https://www.rbth.com/society/2014/08/17/russias_rare_breeds_ten_species_that_are_endemic_to_northern_asia_39037.html

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Biodiversity of Russian flora and fauna 

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Biodiversity of Russian flora and fauna 

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Russian biodiversity includes 12,500 species of vascular plants (representing 5% of the world’s vascular flora), 2,200 species of bryophytes, about 3,000 species of lichens, 7,000-9,000 species of algae, and 20,000-25,000 species of fungi. Russian fauna is composed of 320 species of mammals (representing 18% of the world’s mammal fauna), over 732 species of birds (representing 8% of the world’s bird fauna), 75 species of reptiles, about 30 species of amphibians, 343 species of freshwater fish (high endemism), approximately 1,500 species of marine fishes (representing only around 3% of the world’s fish fauna), 9 species of cyclostomates and approximately 100,000 invertebrates (high endemism). The fish fauna is poorly studied, whereas mammals and birds are well studied. Approximately 1,100 of rare and endangered plant and animal species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

text: https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=ru

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Actions taken to protect the biodiversity in Russia

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Actions taken to protect the biodiversity in Russia

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The entirely natural ecosystems of Russia and their biological diversity are conserved in nearly 15,000 specially protected natural territories of various statuses, occupying more than 10% of the country’s area. They include 101 federal reserves and 40 national parks however are distributed unevenly and do not comprehensively reflect the natural diversity of regions. Currently, there are more than 100 identified “hot spots” in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, 30 of which have urgent environment issues.

Additionally, 6,900 thousand ha have been reforested, forest fires reduced and territories expanded (all of these projects were carried out in the light of conserving biodiversity and improving resource management). The conservation of forest potential and biodiversity is one of the targets of the “Concept of National Forestry Development for 2003-2010”, while the “Strategy for the development of the forest sector of the Russian Federation until 2020” was established in October 2008. The Association of the Ecologically Responsible Timber Producers of Russia was founded in 1999 under the aegis of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and is part of the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN). Also, 6 projects of model forests have been implemented in Russia with the active participation of the WWF and were consolidated into the “Initiative Network of Russian Model Forests” in 2007. Collaborative efforts and local involvement, among other factors, have contributed to the successful operations of the Russian model forests.

New methods of ex situ conservation have been developed and laboratory gene banks (cells, tissues) and natural gene banks (collections) for conserving rare endangered species have been established. Success stories include ex situ conservation of some mammal species (Prejevalsky horse, aurochs), birds, rare fish species (particularly in the family of Acipenseridae). A study of the unique nesting territory of Anseriformes species was conducted on Kolguyev Island, where 123 goose and 14 birds were marked in 2007 for satellite monitoring of their migrations. Collaborative studies were conducted on the dynamics and diversity of seabirds of the White Sea and in the Solovesky archipelago. Programs such as the conservation of productive breeds of domestic reindeer in Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, of local horse breeds in the Republics of Bashkiria and Sakha (Yakutia), and of traditional breeds of sheep in various arid lands have been developed.

text: https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/?country=ru
image: http://up.alamto.com/mary/otoban/kherese-ghotbi/kherse%20ghotbi-07.jpg

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To complete the STEP 3 of THEME 1 I decided to choose Russia as my BioArea because it's my home country and I miss it. Plus, there's already too much padlets about Greece ;)
Credits for the background image: http://siberianwonders.com/2011/09/kodar-mountain-range-in-zabaykalsky-transbaikalia-krai-russia-photos/