Conservation of rare, endangered and endemic species of the Baikal region

Conservation of rare, endangered and endemic species of the Baikal region

2022 – 2023

Applications for the grant programme are now closed. Projects that have received grant support can be found here.

The Foundation is still accepting proposals to support research on the conservation of rare, endangered and endemic species of the BPT, contact email for interested parties – bi@baikalfoundation.ru.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 is dedicated to the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems, and its achievement involves addressing the degradation of natural habitats, loss of biodiversity, poaching, and the development of systematic measures to protect endangered species. Nevertheless, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List for 2020. 35,765 species of animals, plants and fungi are threatened with complete extinction from the planet. The extinction of certain species of flora and fauna negatively affects the well-being of any natural ecosystem of which these species were a part.

The Baikal Natural Area is known as a habitat for rare animals and plants, and more than half of Baikal species are endemic, i.e. live exclusively on Baikal. Nevertheless, there is still a problem of insufficient funding for programmes for the conservation of rare animals and plants in the Baikal Natural Area. The existing state support programmes are more often aimed at conducting survey activities and to a lesser extent at implementing projects to monitor species population dynamics and their recovery. Lack or absence of data on the state of populations, as well as information on habitats and causes of population decline, hinders the development of effective measures for the protection of rare and endemic species, which would be based on up-to-date scientific data. The problem of implementing initiatives for the conservation of rare and endemic species in Baikal is even more acute if the range of the species extends beyond the boundaries of protected areas. Also, when funding conservation projects, priority is given to animal species and less often to projects for monitoring and conservation of Baikal’s plant communities.

Taking into account the input on the state of the problem and analysis of the most serious challenges in the field of biodiversity conservation in the Baikal Natural Area, the Foundation initiated a special grant programme. The programme is aimed at uniting the efforts of scientists, specialists from other institutions and protected areas of the Baikal natural territory in the field of conservation, study, restoration and support of the well-being of rare and endemic species of animals and plants. Each rare and endemic species is an indicator of the state of the ecosystems of the Baikal natural territory, so it is extremely important to protect and preserve these species. This initiative is also a contribution to the development of systemic cross-sector partnerships, and thus to the achievement of UN SDG 17 on partnerships for sustainable development.

Goal:

  • to promote the sustainable development of the Baikal ecosystem through the study, conservation and restoration of the unique flora and fauna of the Baikal natural area.

Who can apply for support::

  • representatives of specially protected natural territories;
  • specialized research organizations, including institutes, universities and other institutions engaged in scientific and environmental activities on the territory of the Russian Federation;
  • environmental NGOs and NGOs with experience in implementing environmental projects.

Directions of grant support:

  • restoration and support of wellbeing of species, subspecies and populations of rare, endangered and endemic plants and animals;
  • conservation and restoration of habitats for species, subspecies and populations of rare, endangered and endemic plants and animals;
  • study and monitoring of species, subspecies and populations of rare, endangered and endemic plants and animals.

Participants of the program:

Following the results of the first selection of participants in the spring of 2022, grant support was accorded to:

  • the project of studying the black-capped marmot: searching for its habitats in the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia, collecting materials for molecular genetic research, finding out the reasons for the reduction in its number (implemented by a team from the Irkutsk regional environmental organization «Asia-Irbis», the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology of RAS, and the Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve’s scientific department);
  • the project of studying the black-capped marmot: analysis of the animal’s adaptation to environmental changes in the territory of the Barguzin Ridge in the Republic of Buryatia (implemented by specialists from the Institute of Geography of the Siberian Branch of the RAS and employees of the FSBI «Zapovednое Podlemorye»);
  • the project of studying factors for the conservation and restoration of an endangered plant species — Megadenia bardunovii (implemented by the staff of the Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the RAS);
  • the project of monitoring the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (implemented by specialists of the Chikoy National Park);
  • the project of studying the Baikal seal: counting animals on the Ushkany Islands, studying the impact of environmental factors on the overall physiological state of the seal (implemented by scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

In 2022-2023, the implementation of new environmental initiatives was made possible thanks to the support of the corporate trustee of the World Around You Foundation, Siberian Wellness Corporation; the «Nuzhna Pomosch» («Help Needed») and «Kod Dobra» («Code of Goodness») foundations.

Documents:

Publications

Applications for Baikal biodiversity conservation projects are open, Philanthropist, 12.04.2022

Applications are accepted for participation in the Baikal Biodiversity Conservation Programme, Social Information Agency, 12.04.2022

Grant competition on conservation of biodiversity of the Baikal natural territory announced, Glagol: Irkutsk Review, 08.04.2022

Applications from scientists for activities on conservation of biodiversity of the Baikal Territory are open, Siberian News, 08.04.2022



Biodiversity Conservation