Money lack threatens nature preserves.

Ninety-four nature preserves in Russia that are thought to be the only virgin preserves in the world are in danger from economic pressures. Gene Rhodes, assistant professor of wildlife ecology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., explains that the 100-year-old preserves probably are the last undeveloped inhabitable places in the world. "Without preserves like this, the world is in jeopardy of losing the biological information that has existed there for all of this time. We don't know what plants or animals might live there that might be useful to us in the future, but we are certain that if we allow these areas to be developed that we will lose some of those species."

According to Anna Sekerina, a former Purdue graduate student who is deputy director for scientific research at the Denezhkin Kamen Federal Nature Preserve, the 94 preserves make up 1.5% of Russia's large land mass. They total 74,000,000 acres, or approximately the size of Illinois and Iowa combined. The preserves are home to a variety of endangered and threatened species, including Siberian tigers, musk and roe deer, many varieties of cranes and other birds, and dozens of rare plants. "One-fifth of the world's total timber resources are in Siberia alone. The flora and fauna in that region are simply stunning," Rhodes indicates.

Since 1945, Russian scientists have written reports about...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT