BAIKAL REGION IN THE UNESCO “MAN AND BIOCPHERE” PROGRAMME

The main objective of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program is to ensure a balance between the responsibility of humankind to preserve nature and its biological diversity and the need of natural resource exploitation by human being to improve the social and economic well-being of people. Biosphere reserves are recommended as representative objects for the conservation of biological diversity and, in general, ecological systems. The world network of Biosphere reserves in 2020 included 714 Biosphere reserves in 129 countries, in Russia there are 46 of them. They also act as models for achieving the goals and objectives of sustainable development of territories. The tasks include research related to climate change and the response of natural processes to these changes, implementation of space and cartographic monitoring of nature, educational activities and activities aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. Research on the relationship between man and the biosphere in the Baikal region was carried out with an integrated environmentally oriented planning and use of lands, water and biological resources. For the Lake Baikal World Natural Heritage Site, we have carried out territorial planning and zoning, as well as determined the ecological potential of the landscapes of the Baikal natural territory.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE VISIM NATURE RESERVE: FROM THE VISIM RESERVE TO THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE

This article presents a historical analysis of human impact and further step-by-step nature reserve creation within the territory of the current Visimsky State Biosphere Reserve. From the end of XVII to the middle of XX centuries the ecosystem of low-mountain southern taiga forests in the Middle Ural region was strongly exploited by a local mining and metallurgical industry. The establishment of the Visim State Reserve in 1946 did not provide sustainable results but initiated research studies that laid a foundation for a subsequent preservation and the studies of the endemic taiga forests of the Middle Ural in the framework of the modern Visimsky State Biosphere Reserve. Since 1975 the science department of the reserve has conducted regular observations of the nature processes. The reserve has established long-term and efficient collaboration with the Institute of Ecology of Animals and Plants, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The joint research findings are used in practical solutions of the nature preservation in the region. This collaboration is also focused on the monitoring of the recreational pressure caused by the educational tourism.

LAND USE AND LAND DEGRADATION ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNESCO “MAN & BIOSPHERE” PROGRAMME

A brief historical overview of approaches to study the problem of land use and land degradation in the MAB UNESCO program is provided. Over the past 50 years these issues remain important although the general strategic approach to their research and solving has changed from a multilateral study of land management and land degradation in different geographic and socio-economic conditions with an emphasis on natural diversity, to practices and approaches of sustainable land management in biosphere reserves, as reflected in MAB Strategy (2015-2025) and Lima Action Plan (2016-2025). Many of the MAB initiatives in the field of sustainable land management and combating land degradation have been further reflected and revised in different international programs and conventions. The development of these approaches and the integration of the MAB program with other modern activities can significantly increase the effectiveness of the results of Strategic Direction “A” of the Lima Action Plan on the use of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves as models for sustainable development. Five objectives are proposed for closer cooperation of the MAB program and its network of biosphere reserves with other international and national measures for promoting sustainable land management practices and combating land degradation: 1) using biosphere reserves as priority sites and observatories for comparative assessments of indicators of land degradation neutrality (LDN) for protected areas and adjacent territories in similar bioclimatic conditions; 2) use of data obtained through the series of observations in the territory of protected areas as the most important additional or alternative indicators and measures for the LDN interpretation; 3) biosphere reserves as models for selecting effective solutions reflecting the triad of adaptive actions to avoid degradation, reduce the rate of degradation and restore previously degraded lands; 4) achieving LDN on the territory of biosphere reserves through the implementation of the Aichi biodiversity targets; 5) the use of LDN as a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the activities of biosphere reserves. Preliminary results of the LDN assessment for Central Chernozem State Natural Biosphere Reserve and Middle Volga Integrated Biosphere Reserve and their adjacent territories provided to demonstrate the possibility of performing some of the objectives listed.

STATIONARY RESEARCH IN THE CENTRAL FOREST STATE NATURAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE

The article presents a brief history of the formation and development of long-term stationary research in the Central Forest State Natural Biosphere Reserve, starting from the first soil-geomorphological works in the 1930s and up to the creation in 2017 of the IPEE RAS ecological observatory "Okovsky Les". The main results of stationary research in two directions are shown: climatic (implemented at ecological and climatic stations of turbulent pulsations) and landscape-ecological (implemented on the basis of field measurements and processing of remote information). The long-term stationary observations on the territory of the reserve provide extensive material for the study of natural processes and can serve as a basis for creating a national network of environmental monitoring.

TRANSBOUNDARY BIOSPHERE RESERVE “GREAT ALTAI”: FROM IDEA TO MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF BORDER REGIONS

Russian-Kazakhstani Transboundary Biosphere Reserve “Great Altai” was officially designated in 2017, after 19 years of planning different transboundary initiatives in the Altai region. It includes Biosphere Reserves “Katunskiy” of Russia and “Katon-Karagai” of Kazakhstan with total area exceeding 1.5 million ha. According to the principles of the MAB Programme, for this area zonation, coordinating managerial structure and management strategy were developed. Joint activities are in place for more than a decade, but only two functions of the biosphere reserves (namely conservation and logistics) are being implemented effectively. Activities, targeted to sustainable development of local communities, are implemented in a more sporadic manner, because of gaps in national legislations. Nevertheless, the transboundary cooperation develops and attracts more participants: Directorate of Protected Areas of Mongolian Altai and Nature Reserve “Karatal-Zhapyryk” from Kyrgyz Republic. Thus the model of transboundary cooperation for conservation of natural and cultural values is suggested and tested in the Altai, demonstrating that UNESCO Biosphere Reserves could serve as triggers and test sites for implementation of the conservation, development and humanitarian initiatives.

THE CONCEPT OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES OF THE MAB PROGRAMME AND THE TASKS OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES 50 YEARS LATER

The article presents a critical analysis of the development of the MAB program in the Russian Federation, its contribution to the development of the national network of protected areas, biosphere background monitoring and biodiversity conservation (implementation of the Convention on biological diversity, CBD). The role and participation of individual representatives of Russian geography, biology and ecology in the implementation of the MAB program in relation to the tasks of monitoring, conservation of biodiversity and territorial nature protection in Russia, as well as the concept of biosphere reserves, their zoning system and the purpose of allocated functional zones are considered. The problems of further development of Russian biosphere reserves against the background of the changing ideology of conservation and nature protection in the world and in Russia are outlined.

HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF THE BIOSPHERE SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL TERRITORIES OF TAIMYR

In 1995, the State Reserve "Taimyrsky" was awarded the status of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It was during this period, that the global concept of the tasks and functions of biosphere reserves as such changed. Initially, biosphere reserves were created as territories for background monitoring of undisturbed natural complexes. With the adoption of the Seville Strategy in 1995, along with this function, the task of promoting sustainable social-economic development of regions and local communities was adopted, but at the same time preserving and deepening the scientific work of the reserve - monitoring natural environment of the reserve core and adjacent areas. A zone of cooperation of the reserve was declared, including areas of compact residence and nature use of indigenous people - Dolgan and Nganasan. After the unification of all 5 federal protected areas of Taimyr in 2013 into the management of a single Unified Directorate, the implementation of the functions of the biosphere reserve, especially scientific works, for the Taimyr Reserve has become significantly more complicated. Currently, one of the main tasks is to monitor and manage the Taimyr population of wild reindeer - the basis of the traditional nature management of Taimyr people, along with domestic reindeer husbandry, fishing and fur trade. The satellite tracking program conducted since 2018 and the resumption of accounting works have made it possible to identify the unfavorable state of this population and outline measures for its protection and restoration.

LATEST CARBON BALANCE SURVEYS AND MONITORING AT THE KURSK BIOSPHERE STATION OF THE INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY, RAS, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NOVEL CONCEPT OF LAND DEGRADATION NEUTRALITY

The paper focuses on the applicability and adaptation of the novel international concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) of the United Nations, as applied to the territory of Russian Federation, taking into account the large variety of its soil and climatic conditions and economic approaches, as well as the historical past. In particular, in this publication, a team of authors made an attempt to assess to what extent the estimates of the carbon balance and its main components for the study area can be used as one of the indicators of the LDN in relation to the most fertile chernozem agrolandscapes in the south of the European part of Russia (Kursk region). Field work and modelling have been carried out in natural ecosystems and agrolandscapes in the neighbourhood of the Kursk Biosphere Station (KBS) of the Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences. This valuable russian scientific research station has a long and rich history of geo(eco)system observations with LDN and net C-balance monitoring of age-old agrolandscapes, becoming one of its present focuses. Using simulation models DNDC, RothC, T&P, C-calculators, as well as long-term field measurements of soil CO2 efflux and carbon net exchange, it was found that individual software tools are not able to adequately assess carbon exchange processes of the complex landscape, but correctly selected ensembles consisting of C-balance simulations and C-calculators supported by field data are able to meet such challenges more successfully. On this condition the area's carbon net balance can serve as an alternative to the recommended global LDN indicators.

TEBERDINSKY STATE NATURAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE ON STEEP “BENDINGS” ON SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL FORMATIONS (EXPERIENCE AND UNCERTAIN PERSPECTIVE)

During the 85-year period, Teberdinsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve (TSNBR) has undergone numerous geopolitical, socio-economic and institutional changes aligning with the strategy of preservation and research of the natural territorial complex in a state of geo-ecological. Overcoming unexpected “bends” of historical, socio-economic events, adapting to regional conditions of geographical environment, the reserve has been for ming its scientific research and conservational potential. It has been developing its geographical-ecological style of work, managing to retain the leading positions in conservational geopolitics. Overcoming the unexpected "bends" of historical events and adapting in regional conditions of the geographical environment, the reserve formed its research and environmental potential, developed an environmental-geographical style of development at the forefront of regional geopolitics. Today the history of TSNBR survival and development is a remarkable example of invalid prohibitive conception and an unsuccessful experience of are serve integration into traditional recreational natural management. In August 2018, with implicit consent of legislative and executive bodies of Russia, without necessary discussions, the Federal law from 3rd August 2018 № 321-ФЗ was issued, in which the article 9 states: “Transform Teberdinsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve… into national park”. In vague interpretation of Federal law on Special Protected Natural Areas further fate of conservation area remains highly inenarrable.