Siberia is often called the soul of Russia, because it is just as big and generous. Here, the diversity of the world of flora, fauna and minerals is widely represented, which a person has been using for a long time and with pleasure, without thinking about how such exorbitant appetites affect Mother Nature. Environmentalists are constantly drawing public attention to the disappearance of animal species around the planet.
The difficult ecological situation around the world, uncontrolled production, barbaric mining, deforestation and the development of more and more new territories have led to the fact that every day one species disappears on the planet. Unfortunately, the Siberian region, which has always been famous for its inexhaustible we alth, is no exception. The very fact of the existence of a section of the Red Book dedicated to rare animals indicates that many species are no longer there, while others are on the verge of extinction. In our article, we will consider which plants and animals of the Red Book of Siberia need protection.
Plants
Endless expansesSiberia extend into different climatic zones. The flora has a huge variety: from lichen and moss that cover the marshy area, to the huge coniferous forests of the taiga. But, despite this diversity, some plant species are disappearing and are already listed in the Red Book. For example, ginseng or hydrangea were not uncommon until recently.
The anemone of forest botany was treated with special trepidation before, because this representative of the ranunculus family blooms once every ten years, and now it is almost impossible to find it. Not everyone will be able to see the soft lilac flowers of the wolf's bark. This representative of the berries is now very rare in the forests of Western and Central Siberia.
More recently, snow-white snowdrop and large-flowered slipper pleased the eye. Now both plants are on the verge of extinction due to their beautiful flowers.
Pisces
Many Siberian animals listed in the Red Book have been exterminated by poaching. On its pages there are nineteen species of mammals, seventy-four species of birds, not to mention fish. Siberian sturgeon and sterlet, which abounded in Siberian rivers, have become endangered species, and peled, carp and carp are now a special success for the fisherman.
Birds
It is impossible to imagine the vast expanses of the Siberian plain without a huge kingdom of birds that inhabit it. Ornithologists count about three hundred species of birds, which they choosea generous land for its nesting.
Siberia has become a real Mecca for these scientists: the rarest species of the planet flock here, still leaving connoisseurs in bewilderment. It would seem that the harsh nature of the region is not the best place for nesting. Nevertheless, birds travel thousands of kilometers to return to their homes. There are many versions as to why this is happening. According to one of them, this behavior of birds is explained by the genetic memory of the time when Siberia was a warm and ever-blooming place. Birds arrange their nests sometimes in the most amazing and seemingly unsuitable places for this. So, for example, dancing wheatears have adapted to life in gopher burrows, and remez builds its elongated nests at the very ends of branches in inaccessible places above the surface of water bodies. Sand martins can be called real builders: they equip their homes on steep river cliffs, tearing out their holes up to a meter long.
But the nightjar does not care about building a nest at all and lays its eggs right on the ground. You can't deny originality to brown-headed chickadees: as a home for their chicks, they choose rotten tree stumps, in which they peck out hollows. Unfortunately, many birds and animals of Siberia are on the verge of extinction, especially predators, whose populations have always been small. One of the largest owls on the planet, the Great Gray Owl is listed in the Red Book. Other birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon or saker falcon also need protection.
Animals of Siberia
Speaking offauna of Siberia, it is hard not to mention the variety of fur animals that this region is rich in: fox, arctic fox, raccoon, ermine, beaver, sable, mink, weasel, nutria, muskrat, otter and others.
These animals have always been the pride of the country's hunting grounds. Reserves, wildlife preserves, hunting grounds and fur farms are trying to preserve the fragile natural balance.
Poaching has become a real scourge, and now many Siberian fur animals listed in the Red Book require protection. Such animals, for example, include the Tuvan beaver and the Barguzin sable. Now these animals are restoring their population in reserves. Game management also monitors predator populations, for example, an excessive increase in wolves can also become a threat to small protected animals.
And what other animals live in Siberia? After this question, people will immediately remember the brown bear, wolf, lynx, wolverine, red deer, deer, elk, wild boar, bighorn sheep, roe deer, deer, musk deer, Baikal seal, beaver, hare and squirrel. Do not forget about smaller, but no less interesting animals. Well known to all are moles, ground squirrels and field mice, which can often be found near human dwellings. Rarely seen by people are the high-mountain Siberian vole, long-tailed ground squirrel, lemming.
And what are known animals of the Red Book of Siberia? On its pages you can see a tiny shrew and a rare Dahurian hedgehog. The number of these mammals is extremely small.
Where are endangered species kept?
Protection of flora and fauna has been and remains one of the most serious tasks set for humanity, which has been thoughtlessly and wastefully treating the environment for many centuries. Exploring new territories and natural resources, people are pushing animals out of their usual habitats, thereby exposing some species to the danger of complete extinction.
Reserves and national parks play a huge role in preserving the nature of Siberia. The Republic of Buryatia has three nature reserves and two national parks. It is impossible to talk about the nature of the Siberian region without mentioning Lake Baikal with its purest waters, located in Eastern Siberia. Rare representatives of the fauna inhabiting its shores and surroundings prompted the authorities of the Russian Empire to organize the Barguzinsky Reserve back in 1916. Thirty-nine species of mammals, four reptiles, two amphibians and two hundred and sixty species of birds are represented on its territory. The reserve is part of the Lake Baikal biosphere range complex and is part of the World Natural Heritage. On the southern coast of the lake there is another nature reserve, created in 1969 and named Baikal. Siberian animals also live in it. There you can see 49 species of mammals, three reptiles, two amphibians and 272 species of birds.
Dzherginsky Nature Reserve
In 1992, the Dzherginsky Reserve, located in the north of the Republic of Buryatia, began its work. Through the efforts of its employees and scientistsa lot of work has been done, as a result of which forty-three species of mammals, one hundred and eighty-four species of birds, four reptiles, and three amphibians have been identified. Conservation work is underway in the Zabaikalsky, Tunkinsky, Pribaikalsky, Shorsky, Alkhanai national parks.
Animals of Western Siberia
What other animals of Western Siberia are endangered? Let's find out now.
The cold climate of these places is easily tolerated by predators with expensive fur - arctic foxes. There are fifty-seven thousand holes in the vast expanses of the tundra, where furry predators settled down. The arctic fox is a game animal, therefore hunting farms are very attentive to its livestock. The skins of this animal are used not only for the domestic market, but also make up seventy-five percent of all fur exports.
Other animals that live a little further south
To the south, there are such Siberian animals as ermine, weasel and even wolverine, who often like to visit residential villages to feast on poultry. Previously, wild deer roamed Western Siberia in huge herds, now their number has been greatly reduced and amounts to only twenty-five thousand individuals. Sable, which is also a game animal, inhabits coniferous and mixed forests. Its extraction is a serious economic component in the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug and the Tomsk Region. Therefore, illegal catching of sable and other animals with valuable fur is punishable by law.
Conclusion
So you became awareplants and animals of Siberia. The we alth of this region must be preserved, and it is not only endangered species that need protection. Poachers and poor ecological conditions are a serious threat, but even worse is the indifference of people who calmly look at how bears are killed for fun, and sturgeons are caught by the tons right at spawning, preventing nature from recovering.
