home Health State Natural Biosphere Reserve “Barguzinsky. Baikal - the deepest lake of the planet, unesco heritage Lake Baikal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Natural Biosphere Reserve “Barguzinsky. Baikal - the deepest lake of the planet, unesco heritage Lake Baikal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

One of the oldest lakes on the planet, its age is 25 - 30 million years. On Baikal, unlike many of the oldest lakes in the world, there are no signs of aging. On the contrary, scientists suggest that Baikal is an emerging ocean. This is confirmed by the fact that its shores diverge at a speed of up to 2 cm per year, similar to how the continents of Africa and South America diverge.

Located in the south of Eastern Siberia. It is the deepest lake in the world with unique features and the largest freshwater reservoir on the planet. He has no equal in the world in age, depth, reserves and properties of fresh water, the diversity and endemism of organic life. Since ancient times, it has been called the holy sea, glorious, gray-haired and formidable. Among the many epithets, one can distinguish such as: “world source of drinking water”, “blue eye of Siberia”, “oasis of the pristine nature of the Earth”, “sacred center of North Asia”, “god-made creation”, “sacred gift of nature”, “natural monument with unique landscapes, "" the priceless treasury of the genetic wealth of the Earth, "" the miracle of limnology, the center of unique natural values. " Due to its unique features, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

Baikal is one of the oldest lakes on the planet, scientists determine its age at 25 - 30 million years. Most of the lakes, especially of glacial and old origin, live 10-15 thousand years, and then are filled with sediments and disappear from the face of the Earth. There are no signs of aging on Lake Baikal, like many lakes in the world. On the contrary, recent studies have allowed geophysicists to hypothesize that Lake Baikal is an emerging ocean. This is confirmed by the fact that its shores diverge at a speed of up to 2 cm per year, similar to how the continents of Africa and South America diverge.
Among the lakes of the globe, Lake Baikal takes first place in depth (1637 m). On Earth, only 6 lakes have a depth of more than 500 m. The basin of Lake Baikal morphologically represents three independent basins - the South with the highest depth mark of 1430 m, the Middle (1637 m) and the North (920 m). The Baikal Basin is asymmetric. Its western side is characterized by a steep underwater slope (40-50 ° steepness), the eastern side - more than a canopy. Quite often in the literature on Lake Baikal there is still a mark of the depth of the lake 1620 m. This depth was recorded in 1959 as a result of measurements with a cable lot. Echo-sounding measurements of 1974 recorded the depth of the lake 1637 m.
At present, the Baikal Basin is considered as the central link of the Baikal Rift Zone, which arose and is developing simultaneously with the world rift system (Florensov, 1978). Geophysicists have hypothesized that the shores of Lake Baikal diverge at a speed of 2 cm per year. The Baikal depression is slightly wider than the modern lake, but much deeper. The depth of the depression is determined by the height of the mountains above it, the depth of the lake and the thickness of the bottom sediment lining it. The deepest point of the bottom sediments of the lake is at a depth of about 6 - 8 thousand meters below sea level. The "roots" of the depression cut through the entire earth's crust and go into the upper mantle to a depth of 50-60 km. Studies indicate an abnormally high heating of the bowels near Baikal. This is the deepest hollow of the earth's land.

The Baikal region has high seismicity - this is one of the most seismically active inland areas of the planet. Strong earthquakes occur with a frequency of 7 points - 1-2 years, 8 points - 5 years. In 1862, during a ten-magnitude earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a land area of \u200b\u200b200 square meters went under water. km with 6 uluses, in which 1300 people lived, and a new Gulf of failure was formed. Weak earthquakes are recorded almost daily. Every year their number reaches 2 thousand or more. Scientists call Baikal "the ancient Tiechka of Asia"

Lake Baikal is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Throughout the western coast, mountain ranges come close to Lake Baikal and almost vertically break into the water. The highest peaks of the mountain ranges: Primorsky ridge - Three-headed char (1728 m), Baikal ridge - Mount Chersky (2572 m), Barguzinsky ridge - the highest mark (2840 m), Khamar-Daban - Mount Khan-Ula (2371 m).
By area, Baikal (31,500 sq. Km) takes the eighth place in the world among lakes and is approximately equal to the area of \u200b\u200bsuch a country as Belgium.

Baikal is the largest storage of fresh water on the planet (23 thousand cubic km), which exceeds the volume of water contained in the five Great Lakes of North America - Upper, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario combined, or 2 times more than in the lake of Tanganyika. About 20% of the world's reserves of fresh lake water are concentrated in the Baikal basin (excluding glaciers, snowfields and ice, where the water is in solid state).

In spring, after the lake is free of ice, the transparency of the water reaches 40 m, which is ten times more than in other lakes. For example, in the Caspian, the transparency of water is 25 m, in Issyk-Kul - 20 m. In Baikal, a silver coin thrown into the water can be traced to a depth of 30-40 m.
The climate of Lake Baikal and its coast has the features of a marine climate and is significantly different from the climate of the surrounding area. The huge water masses of the lake in the summer period warm up to a depth of 200-250 m and, like a battery, accumulate a large amount of heat. Therefore, winter on Lake Baikal is milder, and summer is cooler than in the rest of Siberia. The difference in air temperature between Irkutsk and the coast of Lake Baikal in the daytime can reach 8-10 ° C. The absolute maximum for the period of meteorological observations in Irkutsk reached + 36 ° С, the absolute minimum -50 ° С. The remoteness of Irkutsk from the seas and the location in the center of the Asian continent give the climate a sharply continental character. The maximum daily temperature differences may exceed 30 ° C.

World Heritage Site "Lake Baikal"

Lake Baikal refers to world heritage sites. In 1996, Baikal, together with the coastal zone, with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 8.8 million hectares. was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Baikal holds the world championship in several important ways at once. Lake Baikal is the oldest freshwater body of our planet - its age is determined at 25 million years.
Baikal, which occupies a huge ancient graben (tectonic fault), which belongs to one of the largest rift systems in the world, is recognized as the deepest lake in the world - its maximum depth exceeds 1600 m. Baikal is also one of the largest lakes in the world in size: it has a length of 636 km, and its water surface extends over an area of \u200b\u200b3.15 million hectares (in Russia it is the largest lake in the world - in 6th place).
A huge amount of fresh water is enclosed in Lake Baikal - approximately 20% of all world reserves. The transparency of the Baikal waters is also amazing - individual objects are visible at a depth of up to 40 m.

The lake is distinguished by the richest and most unusual freshwater life: of the several thousand species and varieties of plants and animals that inhabit this lake, 3/4 are recognized as endemic, which is an extremely high indicator by world standards. Among the endemics are such key elements of the lake ecosystem as the epishura, the Baikal omul and the seal (Baikal seal), as well as viviparous fish - Golomyanka, as well as a number of rare forms of aquatic invertebrates (sponges, amphibians, amphipods, etc.) .
Baikal is a valuable fishing reservoir: out of 50 fish species, 17 are of great commercial importance; this list, which begins with the most famous Baikal omul, also includes sturgeon, whitefish, grayling, etc.

Baikal is famous for its beauties, which attracts tourists from all over the country and from abroad to its shores. It is one of the most popular ecotourism areas in Russia (observation of animals, study trails), as well as sports (mountain and water trips) and commercial tourism (collection of taiga gifts, hunting and fishing). There are many picturesque bays, there are excellent beaches, the coast is decorated with bizarre cliffs and rock outcrops.
Water excursions are carried out on the lake, and along the southwestern shore you can take a ride along the old Circum-Baikal Railway (1905), with a mass of tunnels and bridges, which is a real monument of engineering.
On the shores of Lake Baikal (which was discovered by Russian pioneers in the middle of the 17th century), traces of settlements from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages, and ancient burials were discovered. There are many interesting monuments of history and culture. Currently, around the entire Baikal great Baikal trail.

The area of \u200b\u200bLake Baikal stands out for its high biodiversity. Thus, the local flora is represented by more than 800 species of higher plants, including a number of endemic and rare forms. Among the approximately 50 species of mammals that live in the coastal zone in swamps, steppes and forest-steppes, in foothill and mountain forests, as well as in the midst of mountain char and tundra, the most typical are wild reindeer, red deer, elk, musk deer, wild boar , brown bear, wolf, fox, sable, ermine, columns, squirrel, chipmunk, marmot-tarbagan, otter and muskrat. Among the birds (about 250 species in total), the rarest are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation: peregrine falcon, osprey, golden eagle, black crane and white-tailed eagle (the last two are also in the International Red Book).

State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Barguzinsky" —The first state reserve of Russia — was created in 1916 in order to preserve the complete elimination of the Barguzin sable, restore its range and numbers on the north-eastern coast of Lake Baikal, and also to help restore the sable population in the country.
   The reserve is located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia and has an area of \u200b\u200b374.3 thousand ha, of which 15.0 thousand ha falls on the water area of \u200b\u200bLake Baikal and 111.2 thousand ha occupies a biosphere test site.
   In 1986, the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve was included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
   The reserve occupies the north-eastern coast of Lake Baikal and the western slopes of the Barguzinsky ridge. The maximum ridge heights within the reserve are up to 2668.2 m, the minimum are from 455.9 m. In the valleys of the rivers Ezovka, Bolshaya, Talamush and Davshe, there are thermal springs with water temperatures in some of them above 70 ° C.
   The reserve is located in several high-altitude zones. The coast of Baikal is bordered by larch forests, followed by mountain taiga. The upper border of the forest is formed by birch forests, fir trees and spruce forests with powerful developed tall grass and shrubbery. About 32% of the territory of the reserve is occupied by a high mountainous loach belt.
In the flora, 876 species of higher vascular plants, 1241 species of algae, 132 species of fungi, 212 species of lichens and 147 species of bryophytes were noted in the flora. Of their endemic species, astragalus triphagos, meadow Turchaninova, bluegrass Smirnov are noted, from relict species, they are lanceolate, three-flowered bedstraw, common coop. 5 species of flowering plants and 3 species of lichens are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 31 species of flowering and 6 species of lichens are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia.
   The fauna of the reserve is typically taiga, but with some features caused by the close proximity of Lake Baikal. Five species of mammals - Barguzin sable, reindeer, red deer, brown bear, black-capped marmot - are among the most valuable representatives of the fauna.
   The main route of communication in the reserve, given the inaccessibility of the territory, is water, along Lake Baikal, through which it is possible to travel on the ice road by road in winter.
Baikal State Nature Biosphere Reserve organized in 1969 on the southern shore of Lake Baikal, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Khamar-Daban ridge.
   The purpose of the reserve is to protect in a natural form the unique landscapes of the southern Baikal region.
   The reserve is located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia and has an area of \u200b\u200b165.7 thousand ha. The state nature reserve Kabansky was transferred to the reserve.
   In 1986, the Baikal Reserve was given the status of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In accordance with the Ramsar Convention, the territory of the Kabansky nature reserve is assigned to wetlands of international importance as a habitat for waterfowl.
   The relief of the territory formed about 1 million years ago. The seismicity of the axial part of the Khamar-Daban ridge is estimated at 7 points. The length of the northern slope of the ridge facing Lake Baikal reaches 35 km with a vertical drop of 1,860 m, the southern slope of 12-15 km with a vertical drop of 1,550 m. Alpine-type landscapes with sharp mountain peaks and steep slopes are typical of the ridge.
   The flora of the reserve is characteristic of the mountains of Southern Siberia and includes more than 800 species of higher vascular plants, 308 species of mosses, 651 species of lichens (9 species of lichens are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation). More than 60% of the reserve is forested. Starting at heights of 1800 m above sea level, the alpine zone begins, represented by low-grass meadows, mountain tundra, shrubby wastelands.
The fauna of the reserve is typical of the mountains of southern Siberia. The mammalian fauna is represented by 49 species (sable, red deer, elk, Siberian roe deer, musk deer, etc.), the ichthyofauna - 17 species (grayling, lenok, taimen).
   The Baikal Reserve has a number of routes for scientific and ecological tourism.

State Nature Reserve Kabansky formed in 1974, has an area of \u200b\u200b18.0 thousand hectares and is located in the delta of the Selenga River.
Mallard, gray duck, red-headed dive, crested blacken nest in large numbers on the territory of the reserve; colonies of gulls, river terns, gray herons settle. During the migration period, thousands of ducks, waders, gulls, gulls and other birds find favorable conditions for resting and feeding.
Of the birds that live in the reserve, they are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation: White-tailed Eagle, Siberian Crane, Black Stork, Sukkon, Golden Eagle, Gyrfalcon, Peregrine Falcon, Saker Falcon, etc.

State Nature Reserve "Baikal-Lensky" located in the Irkutsk region and covers an area of \u200b\u200b659.9 thousand hectares. The reserve was established in 1986 in order to preserve mountain taiga landscapes and a number of natural phenomena.
   The reserve is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Baikal, in the region of the Baikal Range. The height fluctuations are quite significant - from 455 m (the level of Lake Baikal) to 2 thousand m and more.
   By the nature of the relief, the territory of the reserve belongs to the Sayano-Baikal mountain-folded region; there are also glacial landforms.
   The hydrographic network of the reserve is extremely rich and diverse. Here, the Lena River originates, the length of which within the reserve is approximately 250 km.
   Vegetation is represented by seven types: forest, steppe, shrubby, tundra, meadow, marsh and water. The dominant type of vegetation is forest. Forest area is 86.4%, where larch, pine and cedar prevail. There are sections of relict Daurian steppes.
   The reserve contains 922 species of vascular plants, 133 species of mushrooms, 312 species of lichens, 179 species of mosses. Of the vascular plants, 54 species are endemic to the Baikal region and southern Siberia.
   Protected species include Rhodiola rosea, Altai onions, dwarf lily, Turchaninov pike, etc.
   The fauna of the reserve is diverse: taiga species - brown bear, squirrel, sable, elk, chipmunk, pine nut, wood grouse, hazel grouse; steppe species - long-tailed gopher, Daurian jackdaw, cinder, and others; southern taiga species - Siberian roe deer, red deer; wetland species - gray crane, black stork.

National Park "Pribaikalsky" located within the Slyudyansky, Irkutsk and Olkhonsky districts of the Irkutsk region. Established in 1986, consists of several plots with a total area of \u200b\u200b417.3 thousand ha.
   There are 3 key ornithological territories of international importance in the park: “Olkhon and Priolkhonye Island” with an area of \u200b\u200b220 thousand hectares; "South Baikal Falcon-like Migration Corridor" with an area of \u200b\u200b7.5 thousand hectares; "The source and upper course of the Angara River" an area of \u200b\u200b2.5 thousand hectares.
   The relief of the park is extremely rugged with small differences in elevation. The hydrographic network is very well developed: about 150 different watercourses (rivers, rivers, streams, etc.) flow here, 60 of which flow directly into Lake Baikal. The park has about 80 lakes of various origins.
   On the territory of the park, 5 species of water-bearing plants, 37 species of fern-shaped plants, 13 species of gymnosperms and 1277 species of angiosperms were noted. 16 species of plants are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (Altai onions, calypso bulbous, astragalus olkhon, etc.).

Of the representatives of the animal world, 25 species of fish, 4 species of amphibians, 5 species of reptiles, 320 species of birds (including 200 species of breeding ones), 63 species of mammals live here. The southwestern coast of Lake Baikal is a “route” for the mass autumn flight of birds of prey (up to 2 thousand per day).
   One of the main activities of the Pribaikalsky National Park is the development of natural, historical and cultural tourism. The park has a lot of interesting places: majestic cliffs, rocks, picturesque bays and bays, caves; about 1 thousand archaeological sites: ancient settlements, cave paintings, stone "tent" graves, etc.
Zabaikalsky National Park located in the Barguzinsky district of the Republic of Buryatia. The park was established in 1986 and has an area of \u200b\u200b268.1 thousand ha, including the water area of \u200b\u200bLake Baikal - 37.0 thousand ha.
   Two ranges extend across the territory of the park: Barguzinsky (the highest point - 2376 m above sea level) and Sredinny (the highest point - 1877 m above sea level).
   The largest inland lakes of the park are Arangatuy and Small Arangatuy, as well as Lake Bormashovoe, famous for its mineral waters. The most famous thermal water outlets are the Zmeiny, Nechaevsky, Kulinoe springs.
The vertical zonation characteristic of the Transbaikalia mountains is well traced in the structure of the vegetation cover. Coniferous species dominate in the composition of forests (pine, cedar elfin, cedar, larch, fir).
   The flora of vascular plants totals more than 700 species, among which there are many endemic, rare and relict.
   The mammalian fauna has about 50 species, the bird fauna - about 250 species, the reptile fauna - 6 species and the amphibians - 3 species. The Ushkany Islands is the largest population of seals on Lake Baikal. Siberian sturgeon is a particularly valuable and rare species.
   One of the main activities of the park is the development of natural tourism. Large recreational sites are indicated here: the Chivyrkuisky and Barguzinsky bays, the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, the Barguzinsky ridge and the Chivyrkuisky isthmus. Wet ecosystems of the Chivyrkuy Isthmus is one of the largest bird nesting sites on Lake Baikal. The thermal springs of Zmeeva Bay are famous for their healing properties.
   To object World Heritage "Lake Baikal" also includes: a small part of the territory of the Tunkinsky National Park and the Frolikhinsky State Nature Reserve.

Tunkinsky National Park located on the territory of the Tunkinsky district of the Republic of Buryatia and covers an area of \u200b\u200b1183.7 thousand hectares. The park was created in 1991.
   Within the park, the Tunkinsky Goltsy, the Khamar-Daban ridge and the chain of intermountain hollows stand out. Mineral waters of the Tunkinsky Depression have a wide range of healing properties.
   The dominant type of vegetation in the park is taiga. More than 40 species of rare plants are distributed here, many of which are relics and endemic.
   The national park has more than 300 species of vertebrate animals. Birds number over 230 species, including nesting birds - 200 species. In recent years, attempts have been made to restore the population of the two-humped camel in Tunkinskaya Valley, which was widespread here in former times.
   One of the main activities of the Tukinsky National Park is the development of natural, historical, cultural and recreational tourism.

G frolikhinsky State Nature Reserve located in the Severobaikalsky district of the Republic of Buryatia. It was founded in 1986 with the aim of preserving the number and reproduction of wild animals, their habitats, as well as with the aim of protecting rare and endangered species and preserving natural monuments, such as Singing Sands of Turali, Papakh Rock, Lake Frolikha, Ayaya Bay, Cape Haman -Kit, Frolikhinsky source, etc.
The reserve area is 109.2 thousand ha. Most of the territory is occupied by coniferous taiga forests, the main forest-forming species of which are Siberian pine, Daurian larch, spruce, fir, cedar elfin. The hunting fauna of the reserve includes the following species: elk, red deer, musk deer, wild reindeer, bear, lynx, wolverine, sable, squirrel, red fox, capercaillie, hazel grouse.

World Heritage Site

With the adoption of the Convention for the Protection of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Planet, in 1972, the United Nations (Department for Education, Science and Culture) began compiling a UNESCO World Heritage List, which includes the most significant natural, historical and cultural sites, territories with outstanding global values \u200b\u200bof natural resources and which require respect, safety for posterity.

To get into this list, you must meet at least one of the four criteria:

The object presents outstanding examples illustrating the most important stages in the history of the Earth and remarkable geological processes;

The object provides exceptional examples to illustrate the most important environmental and biological processes of evolution and development of ecosystems and communities of living organisms;

The object includes outstanding natural phenomena or territories of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic value;

The site includes the most important and significant natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity, as well as species of outstanding universal value in terms of science or nature conservation.

Baikal in this sense is unique, it meets absolutely all the criteria of the Convention. Out of thousands of natural objects contained in the World Natural Heritage List, a little more than a dozen satisfy all four criteria.

On December 5, 1996, by the decision of the 20th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in the Mexican city of Merida, Baikal, together with the coastal zone with a total area of \u200b\u200babout 8.8 million hectares, was included in the UNESCO Natural Heritage List.

The total area of \u200b\u200bthe World Natural Heritage Site (UPPN) “Lake Baikal” is 88 thousand km2, of which 31.5 thousand km2 is the surface of the lake, and 19 nature reserves are occupied by 3 reserves (Baikal-Lensky, Baikalsky, Barguzinsky) and 3 national parks (Pribaikalsky, Zabaykalsky and, partially, Tunkinsky).

Five urbanized industrialized territories were excluded from the Site: Baikalsk, Slyudyanka, Kultuk, Babushkin and Severobaykalsk.

The decision adopted by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee states: “Lake Baikal is a classic case of a World Heritage site that meets all four natural criteria. The lake is located in the central part of the site. The features of the lake, hidden to a greater extent from the eyes by water, are the main value for science and protection. The lake is surrounded by mountain-taiga landscapes and specially protected natural areas, mainly preserved in a natural state and of additional value.

Lake Baikal is a limnological miracle and a territory possessing the following excellent qualities:

The geological rift system that gave rise to Lake Baikal was formed in the Mesozoic period. Lake Baikal is the oldest and deepest lake on Earth. Various tectonic forces still continue to operate, as evidenced by the emergence of thermal flows from the depths of the lake.

The evolution of aquatic organisms over the course of this long period has led to the formation of an exceptionally unique endemic fauna and flora. Lake Baikal is the "Galapagos Islands of Russia", is of exceptional value for the study of evolution.

The picturesque landscape around the Baikal basin with mountain ranges, boreal forests, tundra, lakes, islands and steppes provides an exceptionally beautiful environment of Lake Baikal. Baikal is the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth (20% of all world reserves), which further characterizes it as a unique phenomenon.

Lake Baikal is one of the most biodiversity lakes on Earth, it contains 1340 species of animals (745 are endemic) and 570 species of plants (150 are endemic). In the forests surrounding the lake, there are 10 species of plants listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the full composition of typical boreal species is presented. ”

In addition to fulfilling one of the four criteria of the Convention, the desire of the country in which this site is located is necessary to protect and preserve it.

The leadership of the World Heritage Committee submitted the following requirements to the Government of the Russian Federation:

1. Ensure the final adoption by the State Duma of the Law on Baikal;

2. Reprofile BPPM so that it ceases to be a source of pollution;

3. Reduce the discharge of pollutants into the Selenga;

4. Allocate additional funds to support the activities of reserves and national parks;

5. To provide and strengthen support for scientific research and monitoring on Lake Baikal.

The list of environmental measures implemented and already implemented by the leadership of the Russian Federation to meet the requirements of the leadership of the World Heritage Committee to the Government of the Russian Federation, presented in connection with the assignment of World Natural Heritage status:

2. The legislation has been amended to regulate relations in the field of protection of Lake Baikal:

The boundaries of the water protection and fish protection zones of Lake Baikal are established by the Government of the Russian Federation;

State registration of objects that have a negative impact on the environment of the Baikal natural territory is introduced;

On the Baikal natural territory, the construction of new business facilities, the reconstruction of existing business facilities without a positive opinion of the state environmental review of the design documentation of such facilities is prohibited, and in the central environmental zone of this natural territory - the placement of production and consumption wastes of I - III hazard class;

The possibility is established of transferring the lands of the forest fund occupied by protective forests to the lands of specially protected territories and objects during the creation of specially protected natural territories;

The Water Code of the Russian Federation, the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation, the federal laws “On Ecological Expertise” and “On Fisheries and the Conservation of Aquatic Biological Resources” are brought into line with the amendments made to the Federal Law “On the Protection of Lake Baikal”.

For more details on the regulatory legal acts in accordance with which environmental measures are implemented, see the section "Laws".

3. In 2008, the BPPM, at the request of Rosprirodnadzor, suspended the production of bleached pulp and switched to the production of less profitable unbleached pulp using closed water circulation technology, which completely eliminates the release of even treated effluents into the lake. The plant stopped its work on December 25, 2013. On December 28, 2013, the Prime Minister of Russia signed a decree on the creation of the Expocentre of the Russian Reserves exhibition center on the territory of the closed plant.

4. Selenginsky Pulp and Paper Mill on August 1, 1990, stopped discharging industrial wastewater into Selenga.

5. In 2008-2010, the International Research Expedition “Worlds on Lake Baikal” was conducted, during which 160 dives were made on the deep-sea devices Mir-1 and Mir-2. According to the results of the International Conference at the UNESCO headquarters “Baikal - a World Treasure”, an increase in the intensity and quality of scientific research in order to preserve the Baikal ecosystem was noted, the importance of research results was made by the International Expedition “Worlds” on Baikal, which included scientists from 12 countries of the world; the significant contribution of this expedition to the development of Russian and world fundamental science, such fields as geology, geography, limnology, geochemistry, geophysics, biology, etc .; large amounts of data obtained during the expedition, which allows to significantly expand ideas about the genesis of Baikal and modern processes occurring in it.

6. State funding for the protection of Lake Baikal and the Baikal Natural Territory is carried out using the federal target program “Protection of Lake Baikal and the Socio-Economic Development of the Baikal Natural Territory for 2012 - 2020”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 21, 2012 No. 847. (See the section "Implementation of the FTP Program").

In preparing the material, the following sources were used:

Baikal science: textbook / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. - Irkutsk: Publishing house Irk. state University, 2009

Volkov, S. On Baikal / Sergey Volkov. - M.: AST: AST Moscow, 2010 .-- 568 p.

Lake Baikal.

Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 according to four natural criteria .:
(vii) An object is a natural phenomenon or space of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
(viii) The object is an outstanding example of the main stages of the history of the Earth, including a monument of the past, a symbol of the ongoing geological processes in the development of the relief, or a symbol of geomorphological or physical-geographical features.
(ix) An object is an outstanding example of ongoing environmental or biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and plant and animal communities.

(x) The facility includes the most important or significant natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity in it, including endangered species of exceptional world value from the point of view of science and conservation.

The lake is located in the Russian Federation, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia, stretching from the north-east to south-west for 620 km in the form of a crescent. The width of Lake Baikal varies from 24 to 80 km.

Baikal is the deepest and oldest lake on earth. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 m. It is located at a point with coordinates 53 ° 14′59 ″ s. w. 108 ° 05′11 ″ c. (established in 1983 by the expedition of the GUNiO MO, confirmed in 2002 as a result of the Belgian-Spanish-Russian project to create a new bathymetric map of Lake Baikal)
Baikal is located in the mainland basin: the lower point of the basin lies 1187 m below the level of the world ocean
The average depth of the lake is 744.4 m. The water surface of the lake covers an area 31 722 km². Freshwater reserves in Baikal - 23,615.39 km³ (about 19% of the world's reserves of lake freshwater)
The geological rift system that gave rise to Lake Baikal was formed in the Mesozoic period. The age of the Baikal basin is estimated at 20-25 million years. The Baikal rift zone belongs to areas with high seismicity, earthquakes regularly occur here, the strength of which is one or two points.
336 rivers and streams flow into Baikal. The largest of them are Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Turk, Snezhnaya, Sarma. One river flows from the lake - the Angara.

(Overview from an altitude of 734 km, altitude: 952 km.)

The Holy Nose Peninsula is the largest peninsula that divides the Chivyrkuisky and Barguzinsky bays. The largest island of the lake is Olkhon. Ushkany islands are four islands in the middle part of Baikal: Big, Round, Thin and Long. By area, they are about 10 square meters .. The islands of the Chivyrkuisky Bay - Shaggy, Naked, White Stone, Baklaniy and Kovryazhka and the islands of the Small Sea - Izhilhey, Edor, Modoto, Kharantsi, Zamotay, Ogoy, Borakchin, Khubyn, Khunuk, Bolshoi and Small Toynaki.
In the north of the lake are the islands of Yarki and Millionnaya.
Ushkany islands are known for the largest rookery of the Baikal seal. The Baikal seal is an endemic of the lake and a landmark of the Transbaikal National Park.

Baikal seals.

Seal cub.

Baikal has about 2600 species and subspecies of living organisms.
About 1000 species are endemic.
The most famous fishes of Baikal: Baikal omul, grayling, whitefish, Baikal sturgeon, golomyanka.
A number of rare forms of aquatic invertebrates (sponges, amphipods) inhabit the lake.

The crustacean Baikal epishura plays a very important role in the ecosystem of the lake. This representative species of planktonic crustaceans, 1.5 mm in size, consumes organics by passing water through its body. Being a natural filter, the Baikal epishura purifies the water of the lake.

The Transbaikal National Park is located on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, and the Baikal National Park is located on the western coast.
The flora of the coastal zone of Lake Baikal is represented by more than 800 species of plants.
Among the approximately 50 species of mammals that live in the coastal zone in swamps, steppes and forest-steppes, in foothill and mountain forests, in high mountains: wild reindeer, red deer, elk, musk deer, wild boar, brown bear, wolf, fox, sable, ermine , columns, squirrel, chipmunk, marmot-tarbagan, otter, muskrat.

About 250 species of birds live in the Baikal region. The most rare species: peregrine falcon, osprey, golden eagle, black crane, white-tailed eagle.

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/

BAIKAL - UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE FACILITY

The problem of preserving the natural heritage has always existed, sometimes becoming quite acute. The relevance of studying this topic is that you need to know the unique features of this lake, give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe planetary significance of its conservation, and also form a careful and responsible attitude of the population.

The study of this issue began with a visit to the Baikal Limnological Museum. The scientific direction of the museum is the study of the features of the evolution of the ecosystem of Lake Baikal. The museum provides in-depth information about the history of the origin and existence of Lake Baikal, presents the biological diversity of the lake, the relationship of abiotic and biotic factors, introduces specially protected areas, talks about the study of the lake, and even makes it possible to virtually dive to the bottom of Lake Baikal. natural heritage of Baikal planetary

The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia includes 26 objects, including: 16 of them are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 10 objects according to natural ones.

In 2016, it will be 20 years since the inclusion of Lake Baikal in the World Natural Heritage List. This happened on December 5, 1996. To be included in the World Natural Heritage List, a candidate object must satisfy at least one of the four criteria, Baikal satisfies all four. Out of a thousand natural objects contained in the List, a little more than a dozen satisfy all four criteria.

Baikal is an exceptional natural beauty; it represents a number of unique phenomena.

Baikal is the deepest lake on the planet, its depth is 1637 m., The transparency of the water is about 40 m. It is ten times more than in other lakes. For example, in the Caspian, the transparency of water is 25 m, in Issyk-Kul - 20 m. In Baikal, a silver coin thrown into the water can be traced to a depth of 30-40 m.

In the lake, which is known as the “Galapagos of Russia”, due to its ancient age and isolation, a unique freshwater ecosystem has formed, the study of which is of lasting importance for understanding the evolution of life on Earth. The lake is home to 1340 species of animals (745 are endemic) and 570 species of plants (150 are endemic). This species diversity has developed due to the high oxygen content in the water.

After the inclusion of Lake Baikal in the World Natural Heritage List, special attention is paid to its ecological status. Currently, there are two large administrative regions of Russia - the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia - on the territory of the drainage basin of Lake Baikal. Having industrial and agricultural potential, these entities determine the current state of the lake’s ecosystem, as a source of pollution.

The lake was at risk several times, not so long ago it was planned to lay an oil pipeline through the Baikal catchment basin and five other territories with protected status, but this project did not pass the state environmental review.

Today there is a new threat over Baikal: the construction of a hydroelectric power station planned by Mongolia on the Selenga and its tributaries, which could lead to the degradation of Lake Baikal. Selenga - the largest river flowing into the lake, provides up to 80% of the flow of water into the lake. The construction of dams on the river will significantly change the ecosystem of the river, the consequences are only negative - there will be a deterioration in water quality and a deterioration in water supply conditions, degradation of wetlands, loss of geological stability and an increased risk of landslides, erosion, and earthquakes.

The Limnological Institute highlights a new problem: pollution of the coastal zone of Lake Baikal, which was announced by Irkutsk scientists in 2014, has taken on a catastrophic scale in the full sense of the word. About 60% of the lake’s coast is covered with spiroga-algae, which is characteristic of warm, standing reservoirs, which had never been encountered in Baikal before, his closest relative lives in the sewage discharge area of \u200b\u200bthe Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill.

They cover almost 1 km of the coast with a thick layer with a strip 2-3 meters wide, producing an unpleasant odor. Residents of the village of Maksimikha note the disappearance of coastal whitefish, which spawns near the coast, this is due to the fact that the decomposition of algae in the coastal strip is incompatible with the reproduction of fish and other inhabitants of Lake Baikal, since oxygen is consumed by microorganisms, and its content in water decreases sharply. As a result of a decrease in the oxygen content in water, the death of organisms in need of oxygen occurs - zooplankton, fish, and its laid eggs.

Fertilizer minerals can enter Baikal with liquid household waste (nitrogen and phosphorus), sewage (nitrogen), detergents (washing powder contains phosphorus salts), and industrial waste from pulp and paper industries. Decaying biomass, organic waste, gives secondary pollution. Eutrophication is the process by which lakes gradually become swamps and do not usually live long.

Therefore, we can conclude that the lake is currently experiencing increased anthropogenic stress.

Moreover, the development of spirogyra poses a danger to humans. The fields of rotting algae attract the masses of gulls and other birds, with their feces intestinal bacteria enter them and actively multiply, which are washed away into the lake during storms. This is the so-called secondary sanitary pollution, something that employees of the Limnological Institute have already diagnosed.

Perhaps it is precisely with the appearance of spirogyra in the lake that the mass death of sponges, a natural filter of Baikal water, is associated. Algae takes the place of spawning grounds of yellow-winged fish, and it, in turn, is the favorite food of Baikal omul. That is, the consequences can affect the population of the latter. The sponges first die out, and then colonies of blue-green bacteria appear on them, and some genera of these bacteria can produce toxins of various effects, including those that affect the central nervous system and the liver, for example, they can cause cirrhosis.

Baikal is a unique natural complex of interest both as an object of scientific research and as an unconditional aesthetic value.

Posted on Allbest.ru

...

Home and life. Psychology. Technics. State. Finance. Health. the Internet

State Natural Biosphere Reserve “Barguzinsky. Baikal - the deepest lake of the planet, unesco heritage Lake Baikal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Similar documents