«NEWS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENTS OF NATURE RESERVES»

RESEARCHERS AT NATIONAL PARKS IN 2000

The Federal Act On Protected Natural Areas defines national parks as research institutions; hence research is a top NP priority.

In 2000 research departments existed (independently or jointly with departments of environmental education) in 24 of 35 Russian national parks and employed a total of 66 full-time researchers (including deputy directors of scientific research), or 1.5% of the total number of full-time staff in the national park system. The average NP research department had 2 staffers.

The following national parks have the largest research departments (more than 2 researchers, not counting lab assistants, other operating personnel and environmental education experts): Valdaisky and Vodlozersky — 6; Alkhanai, Pribaikalsky, Pripyshminskie Bory and Samarksaya Luka — 4 each; Zabaikalsky, Losiny Ostrov, Plescheevo Ozero, Sebezhsky, Taganai and Khvalynsky —3 each.

In some national parks, research was conducted by members of other departments (e.g. security services and environmental education).

Eight national parks (23%) had no research department at all: Zyuratkul', Kenozersky, Meschersky, Nechinsky, Prielbrusye, Sochinsky, Tunkinsky and Shorsky.

In 2000 the national parks staff included 23 PhDs and 2 Doctors of Science (a level higher than a PhD). The researchers on staff at 20 out of 35 parks (57%) had no advanced degree. The staff of the following national parks had the largest number of researchers with advanced degrees: Vodlozersky — 5; Ugra — 4; Losiny Ostrov, Pribaikalsky and Sochinsky — 3 each; Valdaisky, Sebezhsky and Yugyd Va — 2 each.

Paanayarvi and Yugyd Va both have Doctors of Science on staff in their research departments.

Ten researchers from 6 national parks were university graduates or graduate students in 2000; the director of Valdaisky defended his PhD thesis.

Most national parks published scientific materials (monographs, books, scientific articles, and reports) in 2000. In all there were 77 publications, including 2 (3%) in foreign journals and books; 23 (30%) in all-Russian ones; and 52 (67%) in regional ones. Monographs and books were published by 10 national parks (29%).

The two articles in foreign journals and books were published by researchers at Zabaikalsky and Pribaikalsky.

The articles in top all-Russian scientific journals and books were published by researchers from 7 parks (20%): Pribaikalsky produced 7; Sebezhsky – 6; Russky Sever – 5; Plescheevo Ozero – 2; Smolenskoye Poozerye, Smolny and Taganai – 1 each.

Articles and brief reports in regional journals and books were published by researchers at 14 parks (40%): Sebezhsky — 11; Valdaisky and Pribaikalsky —7 each; Vodlozersky — 6; Ugra — 5; Mariy Chodra and Russky Sever —3; Losiny Ostrov, Samarskaya Luka and Smolny — 2 each; Kurshskaya Kosa, Pleshceevo Ozero, Pripyshminskye Bory and Yugyd Va — 1each.

On average there were 1.2 scientific publications per full-time researcher in 2000. This index was much higher at Sebezhsky (5.7), Valdaisky and Russky Sever (4.0 each), Pribaikalsky (3.8), Ugra (2.5) and Smolny (2.0), while the lowest indices were at Alkhanai and Taganai (0.3 each), Pripyshminskye Bory (0.5), Zabaikalsky (0,7) and Samarskaya Luka (0.8). Fifteen parks (43%) published nothing at all: Alania, Bashkiria, Zyuratkul', Kenozersky, Meschera, Meschersky, Nechkinsky, Nizhnyaya Kama, Orlovskoye Polesye, Paanayarvi, Prielbrusye, Tunkinsky, Khvalynsky, Chavash Varmane and Shorsky.

Staff members of 25 national parks (71% of all NPs) participated in scientific conferences and meetings in 2000. Researchers of 10 national parks stayed away: Zyuratkul', Kenozersky, Meschersky, Nechkinsky, Paanayarvi, Prielbrusye, Smolny, Tunkinsky, Khvalynsky and Shorsky.

Sixteen researchers from 9 national parks (26%) participated in scientific conferences abroad: Kurshskaya Kosa (5 conferences, 2 participants), Zabaikalsky (2 conferences, 3 participants), Vodlozersky (1 conference, 4 participants), Sebezhsky (1 conference, 2 participants), Alania, Losiny Ostrov, Pribaikalsky, Russky Sever and Taganai (1 conference, 1 participant each).

Seven national parks (20%) took part in international scientific conferences; 8 (23%) took part in all-Russian ones; and 23 (66%) in regional ones.

In 2000, 25 national parks (71%) had contracts with outside research institutes. Meanwhile, 438 experts from outside research institutes worked at 26 national parks (74%) (Table 1). Forty-four foreign experts worked at 9 national parks from this group, 20 experts from Moscow State University worked at 3 parks; 114 experts from other Russian universities worked at 10 parks; 159 experts from different institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences at 13 parks; 11 experts from pedagogical institutes at 4 parks; 4 experts from forestry colleges at one park; 27 experts from branch forestry research institutes at 7 parks; 59 experts from elsewhere.

Table 1. Outside experts who worked at Russian National Parks in 2000.

The largest numbers of outside experts worked at the following national parks: Zabaikalsky — 75, Mariy Chodra — 55, Kurshskaya Kosa — 53, Yugyd Va — 38, Sebezhsky — 30, Alkhanai — 18, Ugra — 17, Plescheevo Ozero — 15, Russky Sever — 14, Alania and Valdaisky — 13 each, Meschera — 11.

The following national parks had no outside experts in 2000: Bashkiria, Zyuratku, Meschersky,Prielbrusye, Smolenskoye Poozerye, Tunkinsky, Khvalynsky, Chavash Varmane, Shorsky and Shushensky Bor.

In 2000, 1,346 college students had their field practice at 31 national parks (89%). Over 30 students had field practice at the following national parks: Smolenskoye Poozerye — 400 students, Russky Sever — 131, Mariy Chodra — 98, Nizhnyaya Kama — 86, Kurshskaya Kosa — 84, Shorsky— 61, Khvalynsky — 60, Zabaikalsky — 48, Plescheevo Ozero — 44, Alania — 40, Sochinsky — 39, Losiny Ostrov — 36, and Pribaikalsky — 33.

Ninety BA theses were defended and 160 term papers written on the basis of the fieldwork done by these students at national parks.

The Department of Environmental Protection and Ecological Safety considers the following national parks to have been the most successful overall in scientific research in 2000: Valdaisky, Vodlozersky, Plescheevo Ozero, Pribaikalsky, Russky Sever, Sebezhsky, Ugra and Yugyd Va.

N. Troitskaya,
Department of Environmental Protection and Ecological Safety
Russian Ministry of Natural Resources

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