The 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

Svetlana DegtevaTatiana PystinaInstitute of BiologyKomi Science CentreSyktyvkar, Russia

‘Rare and threatened animals and plants of the Komi ASSR’ (1982)

Main list: 30 species of animals: 5 fishes, 2 reptiles, 14 birds, 9 mammals;126 species of plants: 108 flowering plants, 18 ferns.

Care demanding: 29 species of animals: 7 fishes, 18 birds, 4 mammals;185 species of plants: 162 flowering plants, 4 ferns, 19 mosses.

The Red Data Book of the Komi Republic (1998)

The first official publication of the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic was established by the Decree of the Head of the Komi Republic dated by May 18, 1998 № 175.

Criteria : - a small number of habitats on the territory of the Komi Republic; - situation of a species on its distribution border; - the inclusion of a species into the Red Data Book of the IUCN, the Red Data Books of the former USSR and Russia; - an endemic or relict species.

Threat categories (IUCN Plant Red Data Book, 1978) :

0 (Ex) – extinct or probably extinct species; 1 (E) – endangered species, with a critical level of numbers; 2 (V) – rare and vulnerable species, with reducing numbers; 3(R) – rare species, with small total populations and restricted geographical habitats; 4 (I) – indeterminate species, additional information needed.

5 (Cd) – relatively common species but have decreased dramatically under anthropogenic impacts (officinal, ornamental plants), care demanding (plants).

5 – restoring and being restored species. Taxa and populations whose numbers and distribution areas started to restore naturally or artificially and are close to the status when they would not need special protection and reproduction measures (animals).

The 1998 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

The 1998 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

Taxonomic groupThreat category Total number

of taxa0 1 2 3 4 5

FUNGI 110

Eumycota – – – 22 5 5 32

Lichens – 20 11 16 20 11 78

PLANTS 394

Bryophyta – – 15 52 8 79 154

Vascular plants – 7 31 87 42 73 240

ANIMALS 107

Invertebrates – 7 6 34 6 – 53

Fishes 1 – 1 2 1 – 5

Amphibia – – – 1 – – 1

Reptilia – - – 3 – – 3

Birds 1 9 4 15 5 – 34

Mammalia – 1 2 4 4 – 11

Total 2 44 70 623 91 168 611

From 1998 to 2008, the data on biological features, numbers, and habitats of plants and animals included into the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic were collected, classified and analyzed. That work was generally coordinated by the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environmental Protection of the Komi Republic. The scientists of the Institute of Biology and the Pechora-Ilych zapovednik inventoried flora and fauna for early identification of threatened species and organization of corresponding protection measures. Inventory of nature protected areas with local populations of many red-listed species was given high attention. 164 regional nature protected areas (from 237) have been inventoried . At present biodoversity inventory of NPA’s system under UNDP/GEF umbrella is finished.

Nature protected areas of the Komi Republic

240 in total including:

zapovednik - 1

national park - 1

preserves - 164

nature monuments – 73

protected landscape - 1

Total area ~ 5.4 million ha

(~ 13% of the territory of the Komi Republic).

The 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

The lists of plant and animal species to be included into the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic were established by the Order of the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environmental Protection of the Komi Republic dated by February 12, 2008 № 79.

Publication of the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic followed the work of the Ministry of Nature of the Komi Republic concerning normative legal regulation in that sphere. From 2006-2008, 6 legal acts were carried within the frames of that work, including 1 Law of the Komi Republic, 1 Decree of the Head of the Komi Republic, 1 executive order of the Government of the Komi Republic, and 3 orders of Nature Resources and Environmental Protection of the Komi Republic.

The Order and the 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic were prepared according to the “Manual of Red Data Book Keeping for the subject of the Russian Federation” (2006) developed by the Ministry of Nature Resources of the Russian Federation.

0 – Extinct or probably extinct. Species (subspecies, populations) earlier known to inhabit the terrain of the Komi Republic whose presence in the wild of the region is not certain now (for invertebrates – for the last 100 years and for vertebrates – for the last 50 years). 1 – Endangered. Species (subspecies, populations) whose numbers have been reduced to a critical level or whose habitats have been so drastically reduced that they are deemed to be in immediate danger of vanishing. 2 – Vulnerable. Species (subspecies, populations) with steadily reducing numbers which are believed likely to move into the Endangered category (1) in the near future if the casual factors continue operating. 3 – Rare. Species (subspecies, populations) are at risk because of small total populations within the area of concern. These taxa are usually localized within restricted geographical areas or habitats or are thinly scattered over a more extensive range. 4 – Indeterminate. Species (subspecies, populations) are known to be Extinct (0), Endangered (1), Vulnerable (2) or Rare (3) but there is not enough information to say which of the categories is appropriate. 5 – Restoring and being restored. Species (subspecies, populations) whose numbers and distribution areas started to restore naturally or artificially and are close to the status when they would not need special conservation and protection measures.

The 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

Threat categories:

Taxonomic groupThreat category Total number

of taxa0 1 2 3 4 5

FUNGI 124

Eumycota – – 1 31 10 – 42

Lichens – 16 13 41 12 – 82

PLANTS 311

Alga – – – 4 – – 4

Bryophyta – – 14 49 8 – 71

Vascular plants – 12 49 125 50 – 236

ANIMALS 100

Invertebrates – 1 4 37 12 – 54

Fishes – 2 2 2 – – 6

Amphibia – – – 1 1 – 2

Birds – 1 9 16 6 1 33

Mammalia – 1 2 2 – – 5

Total 0 33 94 307 99 1 535

The 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

Fungi

Included into the Red Data Book – 42 species

Totally in the Komi Republic – 929 species

Grifola frondosa Sarcosoma globosum

Ganoderma lucidum

Lichens

Included into the Red Data Book – 82 species

Totally in the Komi Republic – more than 1200 species

Heterodermia speciosa Lobaria pulmonaria Usnea longissima

Bryophyta

Included into the Red Data Book – 71 species

Totally in the Komi Republic – 653 species

Neckera pennata

Vascular plants

Included into the Red Data Book – 236 species

Totally in the Komi Republic – 1217 species

Anemonastrum biarmiense Gypsophila uralensisLinum boreale

Invertebrate animals

Included into the Red Data Book - 54 species

Totally in the Komi Republic - about 10 000 species

Carabus nitens Myrmeleon formicariusPapilo machaon

Vertebrate animals

Included into the Red Data Book – 46 species

Totally in the Komi Republic – 44 fish, 6 amphibian, 5 reptiles, 265 birds, and 57 mammals

Salamandrella keiserlingii

Plecotus auritus

Thymallus arcticus

Annexes to the 2009 Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

Annex 1. The annotated list of care demanding plant and animal species114 plant species77 animal species

Annex 2. Species excluded from the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic

66 plant species11 animal species

The 2009 Red Data Book was significantly enlarged concerning morphological description of species, information on their distribution world-wide, in Russia and in the Komi Republic, their habitats and biological features. The available data on their population numbers were included, the limiting factors and threats – identified, information on accepted protection measures – summarized and suggestions about required protection measures – introduced. Information on protection of a species on the territory of the Russian Federation and its subjects adjacent with the Komi Republic is given. Original illustrations and sketch-maps of habitats follow the text. The sketch-maps show distribution of a species in a net of quadrates 100 х 100 km by the observation data of authors and found samples, as well as by the literature data.

Кастиллея арктическая

Ecosystems of NPA’S are the key habitats of many rare species, which are protected in the Komi Republic

Башмачок настоящий

Ganoderma lucidum

Usnea longissima

Gypsophila uralensis

Number of rare species at the NPA’s of the Komi Republic

21

Map of the rare species distribution in the NPA

of the Komi Republic

КАРТА ПРЕДСТАВЛЕННОСТИ МЕСТООБИТАНИЙ РЕДКИХ ВИДОВ НА ООПТ РЕСПУБЛИКИ КОМИ

Ecosystems of Pechora-Ilych zapovednik, National park “Ugud va”, reserves “Pizhemskyi”, “Belaya Kedva”, “Soivinskyi”, “Unjinskyi”, “Martushevskoe”, “Usinskyi” are of greate walue for biodiversity protection on local (Komi Republic), regional (Russian Federation) and international levels.

Experience

• Expert groups were formed, monitoring of some rare species populations has been started

• Detail inventory of plant cover, flora and fauna at the NPAs have been conducted

• The Data about new found habitats of rare species have been summarized

• Interactive version of the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic has been created

Problems•Absence united criteria of rare species in Russian

Federation and EU •Local NPA’s system of the Komi Republic doesn’t totally

correspond to international criteria•Absence of local strategy and practical approaches to

conservation of rare species’ native populations•Budget deficit for nature conservation• Deficit of data about trends of nature ecosystems

changes, status and dynamics of rare species populations• Bad coordination of scientific and education

organizations, local government in the field of nature resources using and conservation

•Insufficient degree of formation of environmental outlook of the population, including the people responsible for making management decisions

• Collection and analysis of data about habitats and populations of rare plants, animals, fungi, trends of their number and areas dynamics • Regular monitoring of rare plants, animals, fungi populations

• Keep the information in Data Base “Red Data Book of the Komi Republic”

• Coordination of research work with scientific institutes and specialists from neighboring regions

• Conservation of rare species key habitats in situ, developing local NPA’s system

• Conservation of rare species ex situ, in vitro

Actual aims

Thank you for attention!