Nature Conservation Research

2–32

Authors: Kassal B.Yu.

Over a period of 205 years, there have been carried out dozens of censuses of nests and nesting bird individuals, summerings and non-nesting bird individuals, winterings and wintering bird individuals, the determinations of migration routes in the Caspian region and across the Caspian Sea, in Central and Southern Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Russia. Until the early XXI century, the main flamingo nesting sites were located in the Caspian region and along the Caspian Sea within the Russian Empire / USSR / Commonwealth of Independent States. It was found that such a geographical distribution of flamingo nesting sites was established until 1930 by the relative stability of the global climate conditions in northern Eurasia that have caused the stand of water level in the Caspian Sea. During this period, in the northern part of the Asian population the monitoring of the flamingo had the form of collecting mainly qualitative information. Amongst these are the determination of the locations of breeding sites, summerings and winterings; the bird's abundance was characterised mainly using the epithets. The next period (from 1931 to 1977) was caused by the development of anthropogenic influences and by changes of global climatic conditions in northern Eurasia, which have caused a decrease in the water level in the Caspian Sea. Environmental effects of the hydrological regime changes were the most significant in the shallow north-eastern part of the Caspian Sea. The breeding sites and the summerings (that were located there) had changed dislocation. Sometimes such a dislocation was observed over a wide area, up to the complete loss of breeding sites and summerings. During this period, the observations had the character of quantative information collecting and clarification of qualitative data: determination of new locations of breeding sites, duration of their existence, location of summerings and winterings, sizes of flocks and groupings, and disappearance reasons of the flamingo from former habitats. The persistent reduction of the Caspian Sea area, as well as the drying up of several sea gulfs, had caused the emergence of permanent breeding colonies on the lakes of Central Kazakhstan (Lake Shalkartenize, Lake Tengiz). The decrease in the level of continental waterbodies in Central Kazakhstan had caused an increase of their nesting and feeding properties: formed shoals became the sites of feeding and breeding of flamingos. Significant annual and long-term fluctuations of the water level in the lakes had become the reason of the periodic disappearance of flamingo colonies on certain lakes and their emergence of those on other lakes. During 1978–2015 the monitoring of flamingos in the northern part of the range of the Asian population were aimed at obtaining qualitative and quantitative indicators of nesting sites, summerings and winterings in conditions of increasing of the Caspian Sea level, the fluctuations of the water content in Central Kazakhstan, the refinement of migration dates, the spring and autumn migration routes. The placement of the major part of flamingos on the water bodies of Central Kazakhstan by the end of the XX century has contributed to the final formation of the flight route, which had connected these habitats with areas previously populated along the Caspian Sea. In the early XXI century the permanent reproductive centre in the northern part of the Asian flamingo population remained the breeding colony on Lake Tengiz. Available data have formed the necessary information base for further quantitative and qualitative assessment of the northern part of the Asian population over three time periods caused by the state of the Caspian Sea, waterbodies of the Caspian region and Central Kazakhstan, each of which had specific characteristics that determine the placement of nesting colonies, summerings, winterings, routes of seasonal and inter-seasonal migrations in the northern part of the range of flamingos and beyond.

40–56

Authors: Popov S.Yu.

The Pinega State Nature Reserve (Russia) is located in the Arkhangelsk region in the northern taiga subzone. Pine forests cover less than 10% of the reserve area. The vegetation of this forest is classified based on 83 phytosociological relevés. It reveals 7 associations, which represent 3 groups of associations. Detailed characteristics of these syntaxa (including analysis of their biodiversity) is provided. The revealed syntaxa well differs in species composition. Under the environmental conditions (moisture, nutrition, nitrogen availability and acidity), they are divided into two large groups. Associations as Pinetum sphagnosum and Pinetum empetroso-myrtillosum have the smallest number of species, whereas Pinetum polytrichosum and Pinetum myrtilloso-hylocomiosum are the richest in species number. Habitats occupied by associations of pine forests in the Reserve form an incomplete ecological series in relation to both trophicity and humidity. Pine forests associations were much more spread in the past and evenly throughout the Reserve. They are now confined mainly to landscapes with karst landforms.

73–98

Authors: Ogurtsov S.S., Volkov V.P., Zheltukhin A.S.

An overview of the main problems in collection, storage, processing and analysis of data obtained by camera traps is conducted. Basing on reviewed national papers related to this theme, the conclusion is drawn that there is need for a detailed description of methodological approaches and tools for data processing in national studies. The most common software among foreign researchers for camera trap data processing in biodiversity studies and conservation projects is presented. An overview of thematic software such as Photospread, Aardwolf, CameraTrapManager, MapView, CameraBase and DeskTEAM is provided. Advantages and disadvantages, as well as working methods are detailed in the study. The principles of image metadata storage, methods of extraction and processing are considered. Comparative analysis of the different software and approaches to use camera traps as a method of zoological research are provided. General recommendations regarding their use in protected areas are provided, illustrated by studies conducted in the Central Forest Reserve. The key characteristics of software for camera traps that should be considered when choosing a specific solution are identified. Primary characteristics are the ability to import all image metadata, quick and easy tagging, export to the majority of formats. Wishes to improve and discuss methodological approaches among national researchers are expressed. Despite a large variety of available technical means, the need to develop national software for working with camera trap data is separately noted. All listed software items are provided with download hyperlinks, and user's manual hyperlinks.

105–110

Authors: Zavadskaya A.V., Panicheva D.M., Yablokov V.M.

The Geyzernaya river valley in Kamchatka (Russia) is one of the five largest geyser fields in the world, and it is the only one in Eurasia. Outstanding esthetic values as well as the unique biological and ecological features of the valley's ecosystem attract a lot of tourists and scientists from all over the world. However, the complexity of the Geyzernaya river valley is not completely understood yet, because earlier research has primarily focused on specific species or habitats, rather than on linking different ecosystem components and spatio-temporal dynamics of natural processes. The Atlas of the Geyzernaya river valley has become the first attempt to show the complexity and extreme vulnerability of the valley's ecosystem, as well as to gather all collected information about this area into one set of maps, understandable and useful both for public and scientists. To create the Atlas our team collected and integrated information from different databases, archives and papers, digitised and actualised existing maps, consulting specialists and rangers. Besides we conducted our own detailed ground studies during 2009–2014. As a result a set of more than 80 full-colour maps, 3D models and charts, 100 photos as well as essays of leading researchers in the area have firstly brought together the following data: a) information about relief, geology, climate, land cover, vegetation, threatened plants, soils, natural dynamics of the landscape; b) international significance, discovery of its history and modern use; c) recreational durability and relationships between different ecosystem components. Using the Atlas, many people are able to access, view and analyse various data about the Geyzernaya river valley and its features for a better understanding of its uniqueness, vulnerability and necessity to conserve this outstanding ecosystem.