Man is a part of nature, but for some reason he often forgets about it. Most often, the ecology suffers precisely from the life of the people themselves. Many international organizations, the existence of which we do not even suspect, are trying to protect humanity, paradoxically, from itself.
What is IUCN and what does this organization do
These conservation societies include the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN for short. It was created at the suggestion of UNESCO in 1948 and is one of the world's largest non-profit and independent organizations. Among the numerous published printed editions of the Union is the Red Book. Yes, yes, the very one, the existence of which we learn from the school bench, and over time, we forget. What is the International Red Book? It is not a law, does not have anylegal status, is simply advisory in nature for those countries where there is a threat to the animal world. The IUCN policy document, which has become official since 1979, is the World Conservation Strategy. IUCN is the oldest organization, it includes 78 states and, among other things, 12,000 scientists and experts from around the world. The international Red Book contains a complete list of all rare and very small representatives of flora and fauna.
Having access to the highest international level, the Union for Conservation of Nature is ready to cooperate with any party, organization or group of volunteers whose tasks include the protection and protection of the environment. The main goal of the IUCN is to convey its ideas to all mankind as efficiently and accessible as possible and, as a result, improve the system of nature conservation, regardless of politics and social differences.
What is the Red Book
The idea of publishing a book where all endangered species of animals and plants would be collected arose a long time ago, therefore, as soon as the IUCN was formed, the Commission on Rare Species of Nature began to develop this publication. Commission Chairman Peter Scott suggested calling it "Red" and making the cover the same color as a sign that nature is in danger of extinction. So that both the color and the very title of the book make people think about the wrong attitude towards nature, its barbaric destruction.
What is the Red Book? With the goal of preserving the world around us, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1963published the Red Book, where the most rare species of fauna were collected. The publication turned out to be quite voluminous - in two volumes, but the circulation was very small, and only some statesmen and prominent scientists became the owners of the first copies.
Gradual changes took place in nature… The Red Book was reprinted four times (until 1980). During this time, 14 species of animals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians have irretrievably disappeared. While some species and subspecies of animals, birds and reptiles have been restored, fish and amphibians have been out of luck.
Color and signs
The definition of "what is the Red Book" can be found in any encyclopedia or dictionary. This book is also unusual in that its pages have a different color, which depends on the category of species or subspecies of flora and fauna inscribed on a particular sheet. For convenience, all types are divided and marked with the following signs:
1.
Black color:
- EX – already gone;
- EW - still preserved, but live in captivity.
2. Red - Endangered:
- CR – situation is critical;
- EN - endangered;
- VU - very vulnerable.
3. Green color - low risk:
- CD - may disappear without proper protection;
- NT - already close to the "threatened" group;
- LC - there is a risk, but minimal.
What is the Red Book of Russia
The first edition of the "Red Book of the USSR" is dated1978 year. Later, they began to publish Red Data Books for the Union republics and for individual, the most problematic regions and regions.
The impact of man on nature in the most inhabited regions of Russia turned out to be such that some species of animals and plants became not only less - they completely disappeared from the face of the earth. So, for example, once on the territory of Russia there lived large animals - tours. These individuals, similar to bison, had a huge growth, their height at the withers reached two meters. Naturally, they were the desired prey of hunters. The number of tours declined so sharply that the officials of tsarist Russia sounded the alarm, and decrees were issued on the protection of these animals and a ban on their hunting in the princely lands. But that didn't work and the tours disappeared.
The same fate befell a relative of the Przewalski's horse, the tarpan. They lived in the steppes and forest-steppes of Russia, but the settlers began to plow these lands, leaving no chance for the tarpans to survive. If the reserve "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" had not been created, then the bison would have suffered the same fate. The list of extinct animals in Russia continues to grow, unfortunately. And now 22 species of animals, 25 species of birds, one reptile, three species of fish, 16 invertebrates and about a hundred plants are on the verge of extinction.
On the basis of the Federal Law "On the Protection of the Environment" (1991) and "On the Fauna" (1995), the "Red Book of the Russian Federation: Animals" was published in 2001.
Now the Red Book of Russia is an official document on endangered species of animals and plants, fromof which 533 are on the verge of extinction.
What is the Red Book of Plants
The first five editions of the Red Book were devoted exclusively to endangered and rare species of animals, and since 1963 the Red Book of Plants was published. Since that time, in the definition of “what is the Red Book”, the line has changed, which mentions the list of the rarest representatives of not only the animal, but also the plant world
The number of dying plants is increasing at such a rate that today even those species that recently grew everywhere over large areas are included in the Red Book. Snow-white snowdrop, Dubyansky's cornflower, Marshall's Corydalis, etc. can already be counted among them.
What is the Red Book by category? Accepted division in Russia
1. Category 0. This group includes those species of plants and animals that no one has seen. The name of this group is "Probably Disappeared".
2. Category 1. These species have reached such a critical abundance that they can be counted individually. These are endangered animals (one of them is the Amur tiger.) and plants.
3. Category 2. Decreasing in number. They can fall into one of the first two categories at any time, if they are not placed in a protected area for strict population control. The representative of this group is the mandarin duck.
4. The third category is rare species. They live in limited areas and have a small number. More recently in the suburbsthe lady's slipper did not surprise anyone, and people collected bouquets, enjoying its unusual beauty. Now this is a rare species.
5. Category 4 has no status. These are the species that only specialists know about; they have only 10 plants and 40 fauna.
6. Category 5. The species of this group simply delight the heart. They are called "Restored or recovering". Thanks to human efforts, populations of some species can be saved.
7. Category 6. These are the most numerous of all the above species. They are under strict human control and supervision.
Now we know what the Red Book is. Only by understanding what a consumer attitude to nature can lead to, one can learn to rejoice when plants and animals leave not our Earth, but the pages of the Red Book.
