PROTECTION OF RARE AND ENDANGERED VERTEBRATE
SPECIES
IN PROTECTED AREAS OF UZBEKISTAN
Zapovedniks (strict nature reserves), national parks, zakazniks (refuges),
and other PAs are the best and most efficient way to conserve biodiversity.
Rare animals and plants nurseries or farms also play certain role in
the biodiversity conservation.
First official attempts to manage and protect biological resources
in Uzbekistan were made in the end of the nineteenth century, when after
joining the Russian Empire, the region adopted a regional act on forest
protection – “The Decree on Forest Protection” (1897). The Act “On nationalisation
of lands and forests in Turkestan” adopted in 1918 legalised the establishment
of the State Forest Fund. First zapovednik in the modern Turkmenistan
area, Guralashsky, was designated in 1926; the second one, Chatkalsky,
was designated in 1947.
In October 1995, Uzbekistan joined the Convention of Biodiversity;
in the same year, the Republic joined the World Heritage Convention.
In 1997, Uzbekistan joined the Convention on International Trade of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and ratified it;
in 1998 — the Convention on Migratory Wild Animal Species (Bonn); in
2001 — the Wetlands (Ramsar) Convention. Thus, the state declared its
intentions regarding conservation and sustainable use of bio-resources
at the highest level.
There are four main categories of protected natural areas in Uzbekistan
(see Table):
state zapovedniks (strict nature reserves);
state national parks;
state zakazniks (refuges); and
state nature monuments.
Zapovedniks, the oldest and most strictly protected PA category
in Uzbekistan, are permanent protected areas designated to conserve
certain plant and animal species. Any economic activity except regulated
research studies is forbidden in zapovedniks. They refer to the IUCN
Category I. The total area of zapovedniks is 10 per cent (2,164 km2)
of the total area of protected natural areas.
One of the key principles of zapovednik designation is geographic representativeness
– i.e. conservation of all existing landscape types. Only subject to
this condition zapovedniks are able to conserve the whole variety of
plant and animal genetic forms, biological and landscape diversity,
and prevent extinction of rare species. In addition, education and promotion
of wildlife conservation are key functions of zapovedniks.
National parks are a relatively new PA category in the Republic.
The first national park (Zaaminsky) was designated in 1976, the
second one (Ugam-Chatkalsky) — in 1990. The main objective on
national parks is to ensure biodiversity conservation in the context
of wise and strictly regulated nature use (tourism, harvesting natural
raw materials, agriculture). These areas refer to the IUCN Category
II.
Zakazniks are variable and sometimes even seasonal areas with
less strict protection regime. Very often they are designated in lands
of other users, such as collective farms or forest enterprises and for
certain periods of time (5—10 years). Local authorities responsible
for land use manage zakazniks and are empowered to cancel the zakaznik
status. This PA category becomes more and more vulnerable due to the
modern uneasy economic situation and pressure from land users.
Four zakazniks include wetland areas located in different regions of
the Republic along bird migration and wintering routes; however, only
one out of the four (Arnasaisky) has specialisation in ornithology.
In 1999 Dengyzkul Lake (Dengyzkulsky Zakaznik) was designated
a Ramsar site. This is the first such water area in Uzbekistan. The
lake undoubtedly is of great significance for conservation of wintering
and migratory waterfowl birds. However, its conservation status had
not been reconsidered and raised in due time, and there is a danger
that the lake could be drained by hydro-melioration works. Currently,
the future of Dengyzkul Lake is being decided at the Cabinet of Ministers
level.
Sudochye Lake Zakaznik borders Ustyurt Plateau, since 1999 to 2002
ecological and social monitoring was held here in the framework of a
GEF project. The goal was to develop restoration models for declined
ecosystems. It was discovered that the lake is of great world significance
for conservation of wetland birds, both nesting and transcending; now
documents for the Ramsar Convention Secretariat are being developed
on the basis of ornithologists’ conclusions of the lake.
Three plain zakazniks ensure conservation of desert and steppe areas.
All state nature monuments are very small, they cover less than
0.1 par cent of the total PA area in the country. Nature monuments Vardanzi
and Yazyavanskaya Steppe represent desert landscapes of Fergana
valley and Bukhara region.
Nurseries. DzheiranEco-Centeris located
in a partially transformed desert plain near Bukhara. This is a fenced
part of the desert completely isolated from adjacent areas with the
total area of approximately 50 square kilometres.
Protected areas play a specific role in the conservation and research
of rare and endangered animal and plant taxa (species and subspecies).
The fauna of the Republic distinguishes itself by its antiquity and
complicated genetic links. Most important are Turanian and Turkistan
endemic and autochthon species. Animals that entered the country in
the past from other regions are also important: they arrived from deserts
and mountains of the Central Asia, Indochina, Kazakhstan steppes, Siberia,
Southern Europe, and Northern Africa. Some fauna, particularly, water
fauna, is represented by acclimatised species or species that moved
in accidentally from the Far East, China, Transcaucasia, Baltic States,
Middle Russia, North America, and a number of other regions. In total,
the modern vertebrate fauna of Uzbekistan includes 676 species, including
108 mammals, 431 birds, 58 reptiles, 2 amphibians, and 77 fishes; the
fauna of invertebrates consists of approximately 15 thousand species.
During the last decades, due to growing anthropogenic pressure, many
animal species in Uzbekistan have reduced their natural habitats and
populations, some of them disappeared completely. Most endangered species
are big mammals and birds that have great utilitarian value for hunting
and local endemics. Thus, Turan tiger, cheetah, Turkmen gazelle, Aral
see trout (Salmo trutta) inhabit Unzbekistan no longer. Endangered are
front Asian leopard, stripped hyena, bustard, Syrdarya and Amudarya
small and large shovel-nosed sturgeons, etc. Critically endangered are
snow leopard, Unstyurta and Bukhara rams, screw-horned goat, caracal,
Iranian (Central-Asian) otter, marbled duck, common bustard and Houbara
bustard, and some other vertebrates, insects and molluscs. Although
populations of many animals have not reached the critical limit yet,
they are still steadily declining. These are results of development,
environmental pollution, and excessive hunting.
Extinction of some rare species was prevented only thanks to the designation
of specific PAs. Currently, out of 106 vertebrate species, including
taxa that were extinct in the Republic, only 15 species are not conserved
in protected areas. It is also necessary to clarify the presence of
6 other taxa in PAs. In general, 13 out of 18 endangered fish species,
8 out of 16 endangered reptile taxa, 45 out of 48 bird species and 17
out of 24 mammal species were reliably registered in PAs. Thus, we could
assume that birds are protected properly now, while reptiles are protected
poorly.
When comparing distribution of these taxonomy groups among various
PA categories, it is necessary to note that the greater part of taxa
(about 40%) is protected in zapovedniks, then follow zakazniks
(32%), national parks (16%), nature monuments, and farms for
wild animals breeding (12% all together).
Having analysed the degree of protection for taxonomy groups depending
on their distribution among PA categories, we can say that zapovedniks
protect 11 fish species, 3 reptiles, 12 birds, and 16 mammals; national
parks protect 2 fish, 1 reptile, 10 bird and 4 mammal species; zakazniks
protect 1 reptile, 31 bird, and 1 mammal species; nature monuments
and breeding farms protect 1 fish, 6 reptile, 3 bird, and 2 mammal species.
Thus, 42 vertebrate taxa, mainly mammals, are protected in zapovedniks
where strict territorial protection is applied.
Even the primary analysis of available data gives clear understanding
that different vertebrate taxonomy groups are protected inadequately.
The analysis of distribution of mountain and plain species in protected
areas reveals that within the borders of protected mountain areas, there
are 30 vertebrate species, including 4 fish species, 2 reptile, 10 bird
and 14 mammal species, while in protected plain areas, there are 58
vertebrate species, including 13 fish, 7 reptile, 35 bird and 3 mammal
species. From the first glance, such correlation shows that plain PAs
have greater value than the mountain ones for the biodiversity conservation
in general. However, a closer look at the data shows that best protection
is ensured in zapovedniks, most of which are located in mountains. PAs
located in plains (especially wetlands) are of great significance for
fish and birds biodiversity conservation. However, today these are represented
mainly by zakazniks, where protection is ensured only formally.
In conclusion, we can say that Uzbekistan PA network was formed in
1926—1990; since 1990 its structure and management practices have not
undergone principal changes. Further development and improvement of
the network is limited by the lack of financial resources. Although
the existing network represents in general the Uzbekistan natural landscape
diversity, it does not ensure adequate protection to various vertebrate
groups and, probably, does not preserve biodiversity as the whole. Mountain
and desert zapovedniks dominate in Uzbekistan, while there are no zapovedniks
protecting desert environments. There are no zapovedniks on large inner
water reservoirs – while the reservoirs, despite all transformations,
still play crucial role in the conservation of nesting, migrating and
wintering wetland and wading birds and ichthyologic fauna. As a rule,
zakazniks exist only formally, and there is no real environmental protection
in these areas.
The main development problems of the Uzbekistan Ecological Network
are as follows:
Fragmentation of natural areas in many regions of Uzbekistan;
Poor public awareness of the necessity to conserve natural ecosystems
essential for maintaining acceptable living conditions;
Economic crisis and big dependence of communities upon resource
uses;
Insufficient funding of conservation activities;
Interdepartmental co-ordination issues in the PA management framework;
Lack of professional expertise;
Absence of sustainable development plans in regions.
That is why, in the field of territorial protection of biodiversity,
it is necessary, first of all, to identify key areas essential for biodiversity
conservation and vulnerable elements requiring top-priority protection.
It is also necessary to assess the current state of existing PAs and
assess their significance for landscape conservation as a whole and
conservation of individual species in particular.
Elena Kreitsberg-Mukhina, Elena Bykova,
Uzbek Zoological Society
