Misha Paltsyn, Russia

Misha Paltsyn, Science Director, Katunsky Biosphere Reserve, Russia 2001 Scgis Scholar

katunsky@mail.gorny.ru

2001-c_p 2001-s_e

2001 Scgis Scholar Report

Conservation GIS in Altai Mountains, Russia

(from Convis, 2001 "Conservation Geography", Chapter 10, "International")

Misha Paltsyn, Science Director katunsky@mail.gorny.ru

The Altai Mountains, the highest mountain region in Siberia, are located at the nearly exact geographic center of the Eurasian continent, where such countries as Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia meet. The Altai Mountains are one of the most interesting places of biodiversity in the temperate zone of the world. About 2,200 plant species grow in the region, among them are 212 rare species, occurring only in this part of the world. Eighty mammal, about 260 bird, and 11 amphibian and reptilian species inhabit Altai. Some of them (snow leopard, argali sheep, manul cat, Altaian snowcock, otter, and others) are endangered and listed in the Red Data Books of Russia and Altai Republic. A variety of Altai biodiversity, rare species habitats, and last stands of pristine forests are protected in nature reserves and refuges.

There are two nature reserves (Altaisky and Katunsky), five refuges, and about 100 nature memorials in Altai Mountains. They comprise an area of 20,000 sq. km, about 22 percent of the Altai Republic territory. Altaisky and Katunsky Nature Reserves and Ukok Plateau Nature Refuge were listed as the UNESCO World Nature Heritage Sites along with other valuable natural features such as Teletskoe Lake and Belukha Mountain. Recently Katunsky Nature Reserve was awarded status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The Argali GIS Lab of Altaiski Nature Reserve was created in 1997 when we received our first ESRI Conservation Program donation—PC ARC/INFO and ArcView GIS—and a digitizer with the help of The Ecology Center, Inc., Montana. The first and most interesting GIS project of Argali GIS Lab was devoted to the “Argali Sheep Database and Census System” (1997–1999) containing all data on argali sheep (the largest ram in the world and an endangered species) in Altaisky Nature Reserve and the surrounding area. Our lab successfully provided GIS support for the argali research expeditions; we made special work maps of the study area, worked with portable GPS receivers, and conducted all mapping in the field. PC ARC/INFO, ArcView GIS, and ArcView Spatial Analyst were intensively used for making all necessary DEMs and maps, calculating the observed area and argali population density, getting statistics, conducting spatial analysis of the data, and modeling. A special census system was developed using GIS. We have found GIS technology by ESRI to be a very valuable tool for the research and planning of argali sheep habitat protection in Southern Altai Mountains.

At the beginning of 1998 we started to collect information on distribution and population density of ungulates and some carnivorous mammals in Altaiski Nature Reserve. The data was used to create a GIS project to assess and compare different parts of the reserve for their ability to protect large mammal species. We tried to demonstrate high conservation significance and vulnerability of the area where space junk falls. As the result of our work, the paper and poster titled “Booster Fallout Problem and Conservation of Sustainable Populations of Ungulates and Some Carnivorous Mammals in Altaisky Nature Reserve” (1998) were made and presented at the 1998 ESRI International User Conference.

In 1998, in cooperation with wildlife biologists of Altaisky Nature Reserve we made the “GIS Database on Amphibians and Reptilians of Altai Republic.” The database includes all known data on animal distribution in Altai Mountains from the 1890s to 1998 and is used for the Altai Republic Red Data Book publication. One more GIS project of Argali GIS Lab concerned snow leopard distribution in Altai. The data is useful for planning snow leopard research and assessment of contemporary status of the species in Altai Mountains.

In the framework of the Altai Mountains Conservation Initiative Project (supported by the Turner Foundation), starting in 2001, the Argali GIS Lab will help rangers of Altaisky Reserve prevent poaching. We will create a GIS database and map all cabins, trails, mountain passes, river crosses, possible poacher routes, usual poaching sites, and rare species habitats in Altaisky. The database will be used to discuss and plan optimal routes for the rangers as well as sites for new cabin construction. It will also include suggestions for extending the Reserve area for better protection of endangered species such as the snow leopard, argali sheep, reindeer, and manul wild cat. Our last ESRI Conservation Program (ECP) grant is perfect support for the future work.

Two years later, in 1999, another GIS Lab with a focus on conservation issues of Altai Mountains was established at Katunsky Biosphere Reserve (KBR). Sasha Yumakaev, GIS specialist of the Trust Altai for the 21st Century, helped us get an ECP grant (PC ARC/INFO, ArcView GIS, and ArcView Spatial Analyst), which provided us with our first GIS training. In the same year, our lab infrastructure benefitted from a scanner, CD writer, and a good printer courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). One of the primary objectives of the lab is the creation of large-scale digital data for the reserves area and surrounding territories to support general activities of KBR on biodiversity inventory and ecological monitoring. So we constantly scan and digitize large-scale paper maps creating good quality digital data for field research and spatial databases.

Along with data building, we are trying to find necessary resources for development and training of our staff. Thus in November 1999, in cooperation with Mike Beltz, GIS director of the Ecology Center, Inc., we applied for the Conservation Technology Support Program (CTSP) grant and last summer received an excellent set of CTSP computer equipment and software that greatly enhanced KBR’s GIS lab. Our GIS specialist, Andrey Klepikov, participated in the Ecology Center’s International Internship Program last January and learned valuable skills in ArcView GIS and PC ARC/INFO. At the same time, with the help of Alex Philp, assistant director of EOS Education Project at the University of Montana, we obtained two perfect Landsat 7 images for KBR’s area.

Due to WWF support last winter and in cooperation with KBR’s field researchers, we created a conservation spatial database for the whole Ust–Koksa region, Altai Republic. The database includes different thematic layers: protected areas, distribution of endangered species, vegetation cover and landscape classifications, soil map, land-use map, digital elevation model, and others. These data sets are intensively used by KBR’s staff for planning of the protected areas system in South Altai (nature reserves, parks, and monuments). This map was printed for the presentation of the conservation system for local authorities and the government of Altai Republic. We believe this project to be the first step in creating a transboundary biosphere reserve in the junction of Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia.

We have paid more and more attention to the social and sustainable economic development in Altai to save biodiversity and natural resources in the region. We cooperate with the Land Management Committee of Altai Republic in its research on deer farming, one of the sustainable ways of land use in Altai. GIS helps us to facilitate the deer farming system and save endangered species habitats and migration routes of wild ungulates around the deer farms.

Our staff also uses GIS software and powerful CTSP computer equipment to support activities of KBR to organize a protected area for the snow leopard in Yungur Valley. Yungur is one of the most untouched and remote parts of the Altai Mountains and is also perfect shelter for snow leopards and other wild animals. We utilize our equipment to print good maps to present the project to local community and authorities and get their support. The new reserve will result in additional jobs for locals and will save not only snow leopards but historical and cultural monuments, sacred areas, and traditional ways of land use.

Support from the Conservation GIS community and GIS by ESRI helps us in nearly all our conservation activities in the Altai Mountains. We hope to enhance our GIS capabilities every year and help other nature reserves in South Siberia to get and use this useful tool to protect Russia’s natural features.