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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. Dzheiran Eco-Center is 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

 

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