External economic pressures and threats of new origin jeopardize the biodiversity of Altai-Sayan eco-region described in the previous post.
1. Climate change
The region will be and is already affected by climate change, via sharp alterations of temperature and precipitations, but also major indirect effects: changes in animal migrations, accelerating desertification in arid regions, geographic shifts of local businesses and lifestyles of the indigenous people, forests fires and pests.
Recently, the following effects have already been traced: anomalous floods in Tyva in 2001, shrinking of glaciers, winter warming, changes of forest species at the top forest boundaries, changes in vegetation types on several slopes.
Sofiyskiy Glacier, Altai Mountains, Russia. Picture taken in 1997. In 1898 the glacier front reached the point from where the picture was taken.
2. Overgrazing by domestic livestock
During the past decade, a dramatic increase in the number of livestock and herdsmen, and the loss of traditional nomadic grazing practices, caused the overgrazing of pastures. This resulted in pasture degradation and destruction of wildlife habitat for rare and endangered species, including the argali.
3. Deforestation
Deforestation (together with overgrazing) is the main cause of the desertification in the region. It consists of uncontrolled removal of bushes and small trees for fuel wood and fodder for herds, as well as of commercial timber harvesting.
4. Poaching
Poaching and illegal trade of endangered species constitute a serious transboundary problem. Attracted by high prices on the market, some local people even base their family income on poaching and selling of rare species and their parts. For irbis: skin, bones, other parts for chinese medicine. For argali: mostly horns that can weight up to 50kg.
5. Mining and infrastructure development
These activities aggravate other threats to biodiversity by opening up the Siberian wilderness for further exploitation of mineral and timber resources, mining, logging, and poaching problems.
On top of those 5 threats is fire, recently increasingly used. It is prohibited but there is only low control. It is launched on purpose and done on the belief that grass will come better afterwards. But this is not true and presents a risk for birds' nets and soil: the ashes are blown away by the wind (and by the way pollute fields and water) and the soil remains unprotected against erosion and climate.
WWF local conservation actions
The key activity to protect this environment facing the described threats is to define protected areas. The 2 main tasks are to collect data and gather experts to constitute the file and make the authorities agree and sign. This so called "Econet" for Ecological Network of protected areas has already been an achievement in the past years: 287 areas cover 144,041km2. But experts calculated that 216 additional ones should be created in order to ensure Altai-Sayan biodiversity.
Currently, WWF is leading 2 projects. A first one's objective is to establish a natural park in Sailugem, which is a key habitat for Argali. After data is collected, the approval process can take up to one year. On another front, a anti-poaching brigade has been constituted to protect irbis in Sayana-Chuchinsky reserve. The key way is to propose local people to do other businesses like ecological tourism. These programs are inspired from experiences led in the Alps and suggested after a collaboration with Austrian teams.
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