Nikolai Yeskin
Deputy Director for Research of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve
The Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve celebrated its 100th anniversary. It is among the oldest in Russia and the largest mountain and forest reserve in Europe. This unique natural area located in the western part of the Greater Caucasus in the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Adygea and the Karachai-Circassian (also called Karachay-Cherkess) Republic occupies almost 280 thousand hectares and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 300 species listed in the Red Data Book inhabit this area, and every fifth plant is endemic or relict. The fauna is rich and diverse. At the same time, the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve is the leader in attendance among Russia’s reserves. Today, the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve faces new tasks, including climate study and tourism development. Nikolai Yeskin, Deputy Director for Research of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve, told the correspondent of EcoTourism EXPERT about how much the average annual air temperature has increased and about the behavior of the mountain glaciers, as well as how many tourists the Caucasian Reserve can accommodate without doing any harm to nature, as well as what the results of this unique natural area are when it approaches its centenary.
- What are the achievements made by the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve to celebrate its 100th anniversary?
- The Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve approached its 100th anniversary with an almost ideal state of its natural areas. There are problems, of course, but they are beyond the Caucasian Reserve’s control. First of all, this is an anthropogenic load along its borders. For example, in the 1990s, it was a significant development of the timber industry complex, and at present, it is the development of the tourism industry and road construction. As a result, the isolation and fragmentation of the protected natural complex is increasing. But inside the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve, it is in ideal condition. In 1990-2011, we were able to expand our area because we received the Lagonaki Plateau, and this land is very valuable both in terms of biological diversity and for the development of tourism.
We have made great progress in researching the Caucasian Reserve. Today, the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve has been studied ten times better than the surrounding areas, for example, the Bolshoy Tkhach Nature Park, the Buyny Ridge, and the forested areas of the Republic of Adygea. Inventory and monitoring of the biota allowed us to identify the main patterns of the ‘life’ of flora and fauna, and the functioning of the natural complex. We were able to understand in general how the biogeocenosis we protect functions, how forest life is organized, how it exists, what it consists of, which communities are of a climax type, and which are serial. We studied the variety of species and plant communities of mountain meadows and the landscapes, as well as the genesis of river terraces and the formation of glaciers. All these scientific studies have applied and practical use. For example, a protection scheme for the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve was developed on their basis, so that the state inspection could focus on protecting certain areas at a certain time. Recommendations for monitoring all forest pests were also worked out.
- At first glance, the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve has a stunning nature, including mountains, forests, and rivers. But there is serious scientific work behind all this. Please tell us more about it.
- Speaking about the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve’s research work, first of all, it is worth noting its main area of activities is taking an inventory. It was started even before the establishing of the Caucasian Reserve and was carried out for a very long time, in-depth study and in many ways. At present, geological and geomorphological structures, glaciers, lakes, and rivers have been inventoried, the geological, soil and geobotanical maps have been developed, all soil varieties have been identified and described, and flora and fauna studies have been conducted. Today, the Caucasian Reserve is home to 1,700 species of vascular plants, 126 species of liverworts, 385 species of leafy mosses, 830 species of micromycete fungi, and 575 lichens. All this ‘wealth’ is reflected in the Caucasian Reserve’s collections; for example, the herbarium contains over 29,000 plant specimens.
- What about animals?
- Monitoring the representatives of fauna is the second main area of the Caucasian Reserve’s scientific activities. Today, the Reserve’s protected area is home to 83 species of mammals, 222 species of birds, 21 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians, one species of round-mouthed fishes (cyclostomes), 19 species of fish, 147 species of mollusks, 250 species of spiders, and at least 5,000 species of insects. During monitoring, the major focus is put on the animals most sensitive to anthropogenic impact, including red deer, wood bison or mountain bison (often called the wood buffalo or mountain buffalo), chamois (gazelles), West Caucasian turs, brown bears (grizzly bears), and birds. The Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve is also home to the largest wild population of bison in the world - over 1,200 individuals. Censuses of large ungulates, very large-scale and costly annual events, are carried out in the Caucasian Reserve. During census, at least 40-50 people enter the Reserve in small groups, and the Reserve’s area is conditionally divided into sections. They check the area using binoculars, listen to the roar of a deer or other animals, then the information is processed and the number of animals living in the Caucasian Reserve is determined using statistical methods. Large-scale census is conducted to determine the quantity of bears. As for birds, at least four censuses per year should be conducted - at winter stations, during spring migration, at summer stations, and during autumn migration. At the same time, the censuses should be conducted in many remote areas. This is a very big job, and only one ornithologist works at the Caucasian Reserve, nevertheless, the bird censuses are carried out quite well. We know the species of birds inhabiting the area, their population density, the direction and dynamics of their migration routes, we record all new or rare birds that appear in the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve.
As for other animal species, monitoring is carried out by experts in certain fields. For example, we have an entomologist, his specialization is entomological objects - insects. Using camera ‘traps’, we can also count quite a few forest animal species; there are about 80 of them installed in the Caucasian Reserve. Using cameras, we can calculate the probable densities of those animals that we do not even see or see very rarely, for example, the Caucasian leopard cat listed in the Red Data Book of Russia. We also monitor the situation with dangerous invaders-pests, for example box tree moths or chestnut gall wasps. We do not have enough personnel to do more at the moment.
- Today, the entire scientific world community focuses on the problems of climate change. Are similar studies being conducted by the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve?
- Until last year, two observation sites were used to monitor the climate in the area of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve; one of them, the Dzhuga Weather Station, is located in the highlands, on the northern macroslope of the Main Caucasian Range, 2,200 meters above sea level, and the other observation site is at the Laura frontier in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana, on the southern macroslope of the Main Caucasian Range, 500 meters above sea level. Observations are conducted using Roshydromet’s (Federal Service of Russia on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Environment) methods; the same parameters are recorded five times a day, including air temperature, humidity, wind direction and strength, the level of precipitation in millimeters, the nature of precipitation - snow or rain, the depth of snow cover, and others. The data for a year, for decades, are compiled to make sets of observation data, which are used to see, for example, a trend in the average annual temperature. According to our data, over the past 36 years, the average annual temperature has increased by 1.5oC, the number of freeze-free period has increased by an average of two weeks.
- How does global warming affect the state of the natural resources of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve?
- Climate change, or rather warming, primarily leads to the melting of glaciers. Their areas are rapidly decreasing. Glaciers are melting at a rather high rate - about two meters per year. The loss of the glaciers’ area over the past 30 years ranges from 15 to 81 percent, depending on their steepness and exposure. We have not yet seen an unambiguous response of the biota to the increase in average annual temperatures. The changes that have been recorded include the tendency for the upper forest line to rise up the slopes, so, a reduction in the area of alpine meadows is expected, which in turn may lead to a reduction in biodiversity because the habitat for some species may decrease. Phenological phases have changed, and the manifestations of first signs of spring in plants occur earlier, autumn ones later, changes have been recorded in the timing of bird migrations - up to 30 days. We monitor everything that happens, but we have not yet seen threatening changes.
- It is clear to everyone that it is getting warmer, but what should we do about it? Should we be afraid that, as they say, we will all die from this?
- As for climate change, the entire scientific community has first of all begun to comprehend what is happening. Personally, I like the ‘Atlantic optimum’ hypothesis the best. It says that for about the entire current millennium before 800 A.D., there was a certain ‘climatic optimum’ on the planet, which was characterized by a different temperature, apparently it was 2.5oC higher than now. This situation was interrupted by the eruption of large volcanoes and their emissions ‘shaded’ the planet for a long time. This changed both the average temperature on the planet, and the ocean currents. Evidence of this phenomenon can be found, for example, in culture, for example, the Dutch painters’ art works with frozen rivers. In addition, remnants of volcanic emissions are found in the same layer all over the planet. The ‘Atlantic optimum’ theory shows that the climate fluctuates under the influence of powerful factors. After the cooling-down at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, no global natural cataclysms occurred. As a result, at first, the temperature was stable, and it began to rise from the beginning of the 18th century. Steady temperature growth began after 2010. This led to the melting of glaciers, for example, they have already decreased significantly in the Arctic Ocean. Theoretically, the balance between solar radiation and solar energy that the Earth receives, and its general condition - provided there are no catastrophes - should correspond to the ‘Atlantic optimum’. This means that if there are no volcanic eruptions, no weather changes, no catastrophes, the temperature on the planet is expected to rise by 1oC or 1.5oC. This will cause a rise in the level of the world ocean, the flooding of Venice, St. Petersburg, the Netherlands. Considering that over the past 36 years, the temperature has already increased by 1.5oC, all this can happen quite quickly. But don’t surrender to despair. There are many other theories. For example, with increasing transparency of the atmosphere, more energy is obtained, more evaporation occurs, that is, the system has certain mechanisms of feedback. Reaching a certain point, cooling-down occurs. Thus, we are most likely in a regular fluctuation of the planet’s temperature, and now it is on the rise.
- Another issue that worries many people is the development of tourism in protected natural areas. The Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve is the leader in attendance among other specially protected natural areas. What is the impact of tourism on the preservation of natural complexes?
- The development of tourism makes an impact on the nature in several ways, including a direct impact - when a person walks on the ground, tramples grass, collects firewood, breaks bushes, makes noise at night disturbing animals, and an indirect one - when people throw garbage around, which animals pick up and eat, and soon they themselves come to people and ‘beg’ for food. It turns out that a ‘field of influence’ is created around people where some species, for example, sensitive red deer, simply can no longer exist. Synanthropic species can accumulate inside the ‘field of influence’. There are many tourist routes in the Caucasian Nature Reserve. With a certain flow of visitors, it’s possible to talk about fragmentation of the area, which is one of the important factors for animals that migrate on the ground. It unexpectedly turned out that, for example, washing dishes in rivers has a significant impact. With a big flow of tourists, it is necessary to make the facilities to clean the drains, because this is unacceptable when pasta floats in a mountain river.
- But people want to have rest in nature. Where is the way out - how to develop tourism without doing any harm to the nature?
- Recently, a long-awaited law on the development of tourism in specially protected natural areas was adopted in the country. It states that the recreational capacity of a particular natural area is directly proportional to the level of management. ‘Acceptable recreational capacity’ means inexhaustible, nature-preserving use of the area when tourists walk, enjoy watching birds and animals and do no harm to nature. As an example, I can give the Berchtesgaden Park in Germany. Its area is 30 hectares, five million people visit it every year. And the sitation is fine. Because everything is regulated - there are piers, paths, no one dares to throw a piece of paper or spit in the lake because the penalty is 1,000 euros. This is a good example of management. But imagine that all this is not available? If there are no toilets, places for garbage, visitors can make fires, have picnics - what would happen to the park in a year?
- How many tourists visit the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve today?
- About 650 thousand people visit the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve facilities annually. But most of them come to the Southern Cultures Park or the Yew-Box Grove, these are areas with practically urban infrastructure, with concrete paths, toilets, and so on. It turns out that with the current level of management - that includes both infrastructure facilities - and conscious behavior of tourists, we can receive about 350 thousand people a year who can use the tourist routes. But we see that we have tourist facilities that still have resources, and there are those that are fully ‘loaded’. For example, one of the most popular is the Bzerpinsky Ledge. In good weather, up to 400-500 people can visit it during one day. And there are only two toilets working there. Therefore, we still have a lot of work to do.
- What should be done in such a situation?
- There are two options: restrict access or improve management. The plans for the Bzerpinsky Ledge are to close it to visitors next year, create the necessary infrastructure facilities, including booths, alpine shelters, tent platforms, and to recalculate the ‘recreational capacity’ and organize booking, not to let in more guests than the alpine shelter capacity allows. We need to work out this approach. If it works, then we can apply it to other places visited by many tourists.
- Is there an understanding of how a well-created tourist infrastructure reduces the load on landscape?
- Of course, there are no such statistics. But here is an example. The most popular route in the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve is Route No.30 called ‘Through the Mountains to the Sea’. We created infrastructure facilities on it. We improved the information component, placed information boards and signs along the entire route, and we maintain the Fisht shelter. We made a collapsible water supply pipeline, installed a hydrodynamic pump, made a water supply system, put up an electric fence to protect against bears, organized a place where visitors can wash dishes, built toilets, identified places for garbage, and monitor discipline so that there are no violations - three persons work at the alpine shelter only. By the way, creating infrastructure facilities at mountain alpine shelters is not an easy task. Construction materials can be supplied by helicopters only. Earlier the alpine shelter could accommodate about one hundred people, it easily accepts up to 450 per day now.
Entry prohibited?
Sergey Shevelyov, Director of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve:
- We do our best to prevent mass tourism in the protected natural areas and show everything that is in the Caucasian Nature Reserve at certain sites. We are not going to develop tourism ‘in depth’, 16 routes were worked out and 450 kilometers of hiking trails were laid, and it will remain so. But people want to enjoy nature and we cannot stop them. To reduce the anthropogenic load on the landscape, we plan to develop infrastructure facilities, including the creation of modern tent sites, wooden walkways on the trails. There are 16 routes, but the data on the attendance of the Caucasian State Biosphere Nature Reserve shows that 81 percent of tourists prefer three main ones - Guzeripl-Dagomys, the Bzerpinsky Ledge, and the Kholodny Camp, as well as the Achishkho Ridge. Particular attention will be paid to the creation and improvement of infrastructure facilities in these areas in the next summer season.
