Biogeographic Basis of the Russian Ecological Network

Abstract

Russian Ecological Network is an important part of the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN). Development of the Ecological Network should apply on both national and Pan-European conservation priorities. The coherence between these groups of priorities decrease in Russia from the West to the East, from the North to the South, from valleys to mountains, as well as from birds to mammals, fishes, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates, and plants. For this reason, we reveal the Core Areas of the PEEN – Areas of Special Conservation Interest for species and habitats of European importance – by the presence in the same time of ecologically similar but even more vulnerable species and habitats, these ones protected on the national or even local level. Therefore, we have harmonised national and Pan-European conservation priorities in a synergizing manner: species and habitats of European importance are protected in favourable conditions and species and habitats of national priorities are protected in areas of European importance! When having identified the landscape matrix as embracing and connecting Core Areas, we have excluded from consideration cities and towns with surrounding 10-kilometter buffer zones, open mining, and badlands. So, we have identified several integrated systems of territories, where natural communities predominate (Natural Backbones or Natural Frames) including the Great Eurasian Natural Tract as expanded in the Forest and Arctic zones between the Pacific and Northern Scandinavia. Russian Concept of the Transition to the Sustainable Development (1996) mentions “the world largest array of natural ecosystems (8 mln sq km)” – now we have mapped it. It’s not the same as twenty years ago but we consider it remaining a true World Natural Heritage and ensuring ecosystem services at the global level. When having studied the fragmented regions, we have identified the corridors on satellite images as being visually like the habitats of the Core Areas to be connected. Core Areas and ecological linkages between them decrease from the East to the West and from the North to the South. In Russia, the European part of the Steppe corridor is more fragmented than Asian one. Distribution of Protected Areas makes a solid legal basis for the future ecological network but needs to be supported by other types of Protected Areas as Water Protecting Belts, Protective Forests and some other. We thank Russian Geographical Society for supporting the presented study by the grant No 25/2017/RGS-RFBR.