Wildlife of Russia

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| footer = Left: Chubovskaya steppe; right: Ussuriland

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Geographically, the tundra habitat lies in a zone extending from the northern coast {{Convert|60|to|420| km|sigfig=2}} to the south; this gradually transforms into the extensive and dense forests of the taiga that include a large part of Siberia and then into the gently sloping steppe land with trees only on the river banks. Three distinctive zones are the Caucasus in southern Russia, the active volcanic region of Kamchatka in the far northeast; and Ussuriland in the extreme southeast; in the latter, the indigenous animals and vegetation are akin to South East Asia rather than Siberia.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=115}}

File:OPALA.jpg in the southern part of Kamchatka.]]

File:Sopka_in_south_Sikhote-Alin.JPG range]]

The tundra region is entirely within the Arctic Circle and is the most inhospitable terrain with permafrost extending to a depth of {{Convert|1450| m}}. {{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=115}} Taiga is the largest forest in the world covering {{Convert|5000000|km2}} and accounting for 25% of world's wood reserves. Winter season is the harshest with biting cold conditions. When snow melts here it becomes a "spongy wetland with lakes, pools and puddles".{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} The steppe land lies from Voronezh and Senatov to Kuban area to north of the Caucasus. It extends into south western Siberia. The topography is flat and undulating with dominance of black soil ({{Lang|ru-latn|chernozem}}). The region is drained by the Volga River forming a delta before it debouches into the Caspian Sea.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} The steppe "gives way to alpine regions in the Caucasus with 6,000 highly varied plant species".{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=116}} Kamchatka region has the phenomenon of geothermal bubbling which has resulted in several volcanoes of which 30 are active.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=117}} Ussuriland has remarkable monsoon forests. The prominent land form here is the Sikhote-Alin range that extends for more than {{Convert|1000| km}}, running parallel to the coast.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=117–18}}

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| footer = Left: Ural Mountains near the village Saranpaul; right: dunes at Morskoe in Curonian Spit

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Russian wildlife has been categorized by World Wide Fund for Nature into 13 bioregions which, as of 2012, have 101 {{Lang|ru-latn|zapovedniks}} (strictly protected areas) covering more than 33.5 million hectares (82.7 million acres) and 38 national parks (protected areas with implemented zoning). {{Lang|ru-latn|Zapovedniks}} (pronounced: Zap-o-VED-nik) are strictly protected scientific nature reserves under IUCN category I. The Zapovednik, Barguzinsky, was the first {{Lang|ru-latn|zapovednik}} that was established in 1916 covering the eastern shore areas of Lake Baikal. The {{Lang|ru-latn|zapovedniks}} cover the tundra region of the far north, the steppe (prairies) of the south, the Black Sea and the Bering Sea, encompassing a tremendous diversity of territory and play a critical role in nature conservation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wild-russia.org/html/tour.htm|title=Wild Russia Tour|access-date=28 November 2015|publisher= Centre for Russian Nature Conservation}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.wild-russia.org/|title=Welcome to Russia|access-date=28 November 2015|publisher=Centre for Russian Nature Conservation}} The regions and the number of reserves in each of then are: eight in the Arctic region of Russia, twenty in the Kola-Karelian & Eastern European Forest, thirteen in the Eastern European Forest-Steppe, Steppe & Caspian Semi-Desert, nine in Ural Mountains, six in the Caucasus (also Prielbrusye National Park and Sochinsky National Park, four in the Western Siberian Forest, four in Central Siberia, eight in Altai-Sayansky, four in Baikal (and Zabaykalsky National Park), four in Zabaikal, fifteen in Amur-Sakhalin and five in Kamchatka-Okhotsk Sea. UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites in these regions are: Virgin Komi Forests of the Urals, the Lake Baikal, the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, the Altai Mountains, the Western Caucasus, the Curonian Spit (the Kurshskaya Kosa National Park), the Central Sikhote-Alin, Uvs Lake Basin on the border with Mongolia, and the Wrangel Island Reserve in the Chukchi Sea in the Russian Far East.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=117}}

The Forest Legislation 1993 of the Russian Federation is the basic legal framework for forest management. The principle under this legislation underlines the federal status of forests in enforcing compliance by all forest users and governs the use of the forest stock, states the rules of forestry, reproduction, conservation and protection of forests and other norms and rules. The management of the Forest Fund is the responsibility of the Federal Forest Service, further delegated to the forest management districts.{{Sfn|World Bank|1997|p=112}}

The Game Department's rules are based on the Law on Protection and Use of Wildlife 1982, which defines game species on all lands, except the designated protected areas such as the {{Lang|ru-latn|zaponvedniks}}. The 250 animal species and 500 plant species listed in Russia's Red Book (as of 1984) are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (MEPNR), which is being updated. Non-game species are not included under legal protection.{{Sfn|World Bank|1997|p=246}}

A new draft of the forest code, which is a part of Russian law, governs the sale of the forest to private companies. Leasing of forests to private shows/firms regulated by the central government is given for a period up to 49 years.

The ice fields of tundra are covered on the top by lichens, mosses, grasses and flowers, which for nine months are buried under snow. There are only a few trees and bushes here which are in a twisted dwarfed condition as their roots can not penetrate the permafrost.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=115}} The taiga forest is densely populated with spruces, firs, pines and larch. On the forest floors grass, moss, lichen, berries and mushrooms are reported.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} The steppe consists of croplands and grass lands. In the Volga Delta, Caspian lotus flowers in pink and white spread across the water during the summer.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} The Caucasus region has 6,000 plant species of various types including wild flowers.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=116}} In Ussuriland, there exists a lush monsoon forest quite different from the taiga forest, and in this, the trees and undergrowth are draped with lianas and vines.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=117}}

{{main|List of birds of Russia|List of freshwater fish of Russia|List of mammals of Russia}}

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| footer = Left: carriage pulled by reindeer; right: Amur leopard

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Due to extreme weather conditions, wildlife in the tundra is limited. Reindeer, which can endure temperatures down to {{Convert|-50| C}}, thrive here in great numbers; their count is said to be four million.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=115}} Lemmings are among the rodents present. Other species present include Arctic fox, seals, walruses (near Chukotka), polar bears and whales.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=115}} In the taiga forests, species include squirrels, chipmunks, voles and lemmings. The carnivores are polecats, brown bear, lynx, wolves, foxes, wolverines and the sable. Elk, a large deer about {{Convert|2| m}} in height up to the shoulder, are common in this habitat.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} Steppe animals include wild boar as well as 30 other mammal species. A small antelope species known a saiga antelope is also present but is under threat due to hunting.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=115–16}} Animals species in the Caucasus region are tur (two species of mountain goat), bezoar (wild goat) endangered mouflon (mountain sheep), chamois (goat-antelope), Persian leopard, brown bear and bison. Avifauna species are bearded vulture (lammergeier), endangered griffon vulture, imperial eagle, peregrine falcon, goshawk, and snow cock.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=116}} Spawning salmon are abundant in the rivers of peninsular Kamchatka on account of enrichment of the region by volcanic ash. Other animal species in this region are Kamchatkan brown bears, sea otters, and sea eagles (predators of salmon with {{Convert|2.5|m}} wingspan). Avifauna species number 200, including auks, tufted puffins and swans.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|p=117}} The Siberian tiger is the most prominent species in Primorsky Krai; as of 2015 there were 480 to 540 remaining.Slaght, J. C., D. G. Miquelle, I. G. Nikolaev, J. M. Goodrich, E. N. Smirnov, K. Traylor-Holzer, S. Christie, T. Arjanova, J. L. D. Smith, Karanth, K. U. (2005). [http://fishowls.com/Slaght%20et%20al%202005.pdf "Chapter 6. Who's king of the beasts? Historical and recent body weights of wild and captive Amur tigers, with comparisons to other subspecies"]. Pages 25–35 in: Miquelle, D.G., Smirnov, E.N., Goodrich, J.M. (Eds.) Tigers in Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik: Ecology and Conservation. PSP, Vladivostok, Russia (in Russian){{cite web |url= http://tigers.panda.org/tiger-census/russia-2015/|title=Russia Announce Tiger Census Results!|year= 2015|website= tigers.panda.org|publisher=Worldwide Fund for Nature|access-date=22 December 2015}} The Amur leopard is also present; only 30 of these exist, and poaching threatens them.{{Sfn|Richmond|2010|pp=117–18}} Other species include wolves, sables, and Asian black bears. Zov Tigra National Park has been established in this region to aid in conserving these species.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|title=Russia: Forest Policy During Transition|url=https://archive.org/details/russiaforestpoli00worl|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/russiaforestpoli00worl/page/246 246]|date=1 January 1997|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0-8213-3896-4 |ref={{sfnref|World Bank|1997}}}}
• {{cite book|last= Richmond |first=Simon |title=Russia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98KCfjd6E7YC&pg=PA115|date=15 September 2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74220-373-7}}

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Russia

Category:Biota of Russia