Birds of the North Eurasian Mountains - a survival strategy in the 21st century

- Expedition surveys of hard-to-reach areas of Putoran plateau, Koryak and Kolyma highlands, mountains of Yakutia (Verkhoyansk range and Chersky ridge) never previously visited by ornithologists. The main tasks are faunal and ornithogeographic investigtions; search for new previously unknown populations of rare and poorly known bird species.

- Fundamental scientific research involves revealing of common patterns of avifauna formation in the Asian Subarctic mountains. The high-altitude landscape, regional and provincial heterogeneity, as well as a comprehensive analysis of the avifauna of these regions are taken into account.

1. A complete inventory of species composition of Asian Subarctic mountains entire avifauna; a comparative analysis of the fauna and bird populations in key mountain systems of the Asian Subarctic.

2. Identification and clarification of status, habitat borders, distribution features, ecology of birds in extreme conditions of Asian Subarctic mountains.

3. Revealing and analysis of horizontal and vertical boundaries of species distribution in specific conditions of mountain systems.

4. Detection of abiotic environmental factors specific for Asian Subarctic mountains determining mountain subarctic avifauna formation patterns.

5. Identification of altitudinal, latitudinal and meridional differentiation of mountain avifauna.

6. Analysis of the altitudinal variability of summer populations by the main indicators (dominant species, density, diversity), and main spatial and temporal trends determination.

- Ecosystem biodiversity monitoring program development and implementation in the conditions of tectonics instability, climate and glaciation. The model region is the Putorana Plateau (listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List). Model monitoring objects are populations of background and rare bird species.

- Preparation and approval of “Conservation Strategies” of endangered bird species will serve as a scientific, informational, administrative and legal basis for their conservation. Specific recommendations on environmental and hunting legislation improvement, and specially protected natural territories organization will coordinate the main nesting, migrations and wintering areas monitoring, and intensify international cooperation and environmental education activities aimed at the preservation of endangered bird species.

- Database on the birds of Northern Asia mountains development, and its distribution between the wide scientific community through fundamental publications, collections of scientific articles; presentation of publications at specially organized events, international scientific and business forums, as well as by direct mailing to leading scientific centers of Russia and the world.

- Popularization of nature conservation issues, environmental knowledge foundation and expansion , environmental education through photo albums publication along with photo books, atlases, identification keys, posters, cooperation with the media, press conferences and round tables with movies and slide shows demonstration.

- Implementation of educational tasks by calling for young specialists (students, graduate students) into the project, introducing new tutorials and lecture courses to Moscow State University, holding schools and trainings; continuity of generations effective solution among specialists in the field of research of the Arctic and mountain ecosystems, the preservation of rare and endangered species of animals.

5 years is the minimum necessary period for the complex of research, monitoring, scientific, applied and environmental protection measures implementation envisaged on the vast territory of Russia's largest mountain systems, comprising 7% of the state.

The research regions are the mountains of Northern Eurasia, natural reserves of biodiversity conservation, ensuring the stability of populations of hundreds of animal species and the stability of ecosystems in adjacent territories. In these unique regions, there are still rare species of birds listed in the Red Book of Russia, including Lesser white-fronted goose, Yellow-billed loon, Peregrine falcon, Gyrfalcon, White-tailed eagle, and Golden eagle. The key areas to be explored in the first place are the Putoran Plateau, the Verkhoyansk Range, the Chersky Range, the Kolyma and Koryak Highlands. Due to gigantic dimensions of these mountain systems, their exceptional inaccessibility and extreme nature conditions, there are still areas that have never been visited by biologists. Mountain tundra covering the tops of the mountains remains almost unexplored. Therefore, our knowledge of the birds in these vast mountain areas remains fragmentary. To compile an objectively integral view of the mountain avifauna, a large amount of research remains to be done.

The main project results in 2013

The most important event of 2013 within the perennial project “Birds of Northern Eurasia Mountains - a strategy for survival in the 21st century” was the expedition to the Putoran Plateau, the largest mountain system in the Asian Subarctic.

The expedition of 2013 on the Putorana plateau was timed to the 25th anniversary of the Putoransky nature reserve and the 75th anniversary of Geographical faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The expedition was prepared in Norilsk on the basis of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Taimyr Reserves” from where a transfer to the Putorana plateau was accomplished. Scientists managed to attain hard-to-reach areas of the Putoran Plateau that had never been visited by zoologists, the eastern extremity of Kutamamakan and Negu-Iken lakes, which are particularly harsh in natural conditions. For 60 days, about 5,000 km of routes were covered by five expedition participants, more than 800 square kilometers of mountainous terrain at an altitude of 150 to 1,400 meters above sea level were examined in detail. The most northern areas of the Putoran plateau, where the expedition participants managed to reach, were located at 69º43 'N. For the transfer of people and more than 1 ton of cargo, three special flights of the MI-8 helicopter of Taimyr Airlines were organized.

For the first time the expedition studied the fauna and bird population of two key areas of Putoran. An inventory of species composition was carried out. Characteristics of the fauna and bird population of the gotsy, undergolts and forest belts of the Putoran Plateau were revealed. Data on nesting, distribution, abundance and migrations of 103 bird species were collected, including 4 species from the Red Book of Russia (Yellow-billed loon, Gyrfalcon, White-tailed eagle, and Golden eagle). Discoveries in terms of distribution features (dynamics of habitats) on a plateau scale or the entire north of Eurasia are made in relation to 3 species of birds (Red-necked stint, Lanceolated warbler, and Common chaffinch). The original result of the expedition is confirmation of the presence of a separate mountain population of Red-necked stint in the alpine belt of the northwest of the Putoran plateau in the area of mountain tectonic lakes Negu-Iken, Neralah, Bogatyr. The population found on the Putorana Plateau is remote from the nearest known nesting sites in Taimyr, 600 km to the south-west. This area of the breeding range is also the most distant from the wintering sites located in the south-east of Australia.

The monograph “Avifauna of Asian Subarctic Mountains: Formation and Dynamics Patterns” by A. Romanov, published in 2013, develops the conceptual position of the scientific school of Russian biogeography and ornithology.

 

The main project results in 2014

In 2014, two expeditions were carried out: March 16-April 6 to the Eastern Himalayas (Nepal) and May 2-July 3 to the Central Verkhoyansk (Russia; Sakha Republic, Yakutia).

The total number of participants was 12 people, including students, undergraduate and graduate students of Geographical Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, BirdsRussia members, Taymyr Nature Reserve, and Institute of cryolithozone biological problems RAS.

The expeditions of 2014 participants managed to penetrate into the hard-to-reach, high-mountainous areas of the Himalayas and the Verkhoyansk Range, which are notable for the particular severity of the natural conditions. In total, both expeditions took 80 days (20 days in the Himalayas and 60 days in the Verkhoyansk region). During this time, twelve expedition members have walked about 1,200 km of routes. Over1,000 square kilometers of mountainous areas were surveyed at altitudes from 1,000 to 5,000 meters above sea level. The maximum height that the expedition participants managed to climb in the process of research reached1600 m above sea level in Verkhoyansk and 5000 m in the Himalayas.

During the longest and most fundamental expedition to the Verkhoyansk Range, a complete inventory of the species composition was carried out. For the first time, the complete characteristics of the fauna and bird populations of the golets, undergots and forest belts of the central part of this large mountain system of North Asia were compiled. The most detailed data were collected on nesting, distribution and range boundaries, abundance and migrations of 71 bird species, including three from the Red Book of Russia (Peregrine falcon, Gyrfalcon, and Golden eagle). Discoveries in terms of features of distribution on the scale of the Verkhoyansk Range or the whole north of Eurasia are made in respect of 5 species of birds. The fundamental importance of the habitats of the mountain belt of the Verkhoyansk for tundra birds migrating within Eastern Siberia has been revealed. The original result of the expedition is the confirmation of the presence of isolated mountain populations of typically Alpine species: Great knot, Alpine accentor, and Asian rosy finch.

At the end of 2014 new photobook "Taimyr - the polar horizons of Russian Arctic" came out.