“Green Platform”: study of rare and endemic plants of the Baikal region
July 2023 – Present
Kopechnik zunduksky, Skullwort almost woolly and Astragalus olkhonsky are endemics of Baikal, listed in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation, Irkutsk Oblast and the Republic of Buryatia. Under the conditions of actively developing socio-economic activities in the Olkhonsky District of Irkutsk Oblast, the coastal landscapes and, consequently, the habitats of these species are degrading.
In order to make timely management decisions on plant conservation in the Pribaikalsky National Park, a scientifically sound digital platform is needed, including information on the current status of rare, endemic plant species and their habitats.
Up-to-date information on key sites that play a significant role in the conservation of rare, endemic species of flora of the Baikal region will allow to remove such sites from recreational and economic zones into a specially protected zone. The research is carried out by the staff of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Zapovednoe Pribaikalye” with the support of the Lake Baikal Foundation.
Goal:
Conservation of rare and endemic plants of Pribaikalsky region: Zunduksky’s kopeechnik, Skullwort almost woolly and Astragalus olkhonsky.
Summary of the conducted research:
Scientists compiled a list of habitats of rare and endemic plant species in the territory of the Pribaikalsky National Park, and then determined the places of their maximum concentration and habitats with the highest botanical value. Further, field studies were carried out at the key sites most important for population conservation in order to assess the current state of populations of rare and endemic plant species and to develop recommendations for their conservation.
It was revealed that due to their narrow ecological habitat (exclusively to the sandy massifs of Lake Baikal) and high sensitivity to anthropogenic impact, Skullwort almost woolly and Astragalus olkhonsky are in a very vulnerable position. In the absence of mechanisms that effectively regulate the level of recreation, there is a sharp decrease in the number and density of their populations in some parts of their range. The populations of Kopechnik zunduksky are quite stable and their condition is regulated to a greater extent by natural factors.
An analysis of the effectiveness of measures taken to preserve and restore the populations of three rare endemic species indicates that the most effective measure to preserve the populations is the installation of fences and blocking the possibility for motor vehicles to enter the habitats of rare species. In order to preserve the population of the Olkhon astragalus on Olkhon Island, it is necessary to award protected status to those sandy areas where this species occurs (Peschanka tract (in Nyurgan Bay) and sandy deposits of Ulan-Khushinsky Bay).
What was done:
- Information on the locations of rare species was collected.
- All plant habitats were surveyed and their coordinates were determined, and geobotanical descriptions of the survey points were made.
- The basis for the functional zoning of the national park territory was laid.
- Measures for the protection of rare plants were developed.
- The data obtained are included in the digital platform (geoinformation system) of the national park, which contains information on the current state of cenopopulations of rare, endemic plant species and their habitats.
The Foundation is currently seeking funding for the continuation of the project in 2025 to continue monitoring rare plant species populations at established monitoring sites, and to raise awareness among tourists and local residents about these species and the need for their conservation.
Publications
Endemic algae and plants will be studied on Baikal, Vostok Teleinform, 19.07.2023
Populations of red-listed plants are decreasing in tourist places on Olkhon, First Baikalsky, 07.11.2023
A red-listed plant has recovered after the construction of an eco-trail on Olkhon, Pervy Baikalsky, 17.10.2023
Pribaikalsky National Park updated the data on endemic red-listed plants, 01.09.2023. Teleinform news agency website
The project on research of rare plants of the Baikal region with the support of the Foundation has been completed, The Lake Baikal Foundation, 20.08.2024.