0963-B2

The Physical Geography Aspect of Criteria for Validating the Status of Protected Forest Areas on Sakhalin

Maria Denisova^[1]

Abstract

More than 11% of Sakhalin Island (the Russian Far East) is protected, 1.9% is protected at the federal level, and 9.1% falls under regional protected areas (PAs). Regional PAs have a major role for the PA structure of Sakhalin. For further development of the PA system, regional criteria for protection status determination are necessary - for Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. There are three groups of criteria: physico-geographical, ecological and socio-economic. There are several major geographical criteria for PAs, the content of which is determined by the physico-geographical features of a region. The geographical representation criterion is one of the basic ones. Geographical representation is achieved by including into a net or a system of PAs all typical natural complexes. The result should be presentation of typical and standard natural complexes of the region and preservation of biodiversity and of resources. The categories of typical natural complex and uniqueness are closely connected. The geographical representation and uniqueness of forest PAs on Sakhalin is determined by the length of the Island, which lies from North to South. This feature determines the existence of diverse landscapes, from boreal Okhotsk to southern Manjurian flora with high altitude diversity of vegetation. As a basis for application of geographical representation and uniqueness for forest PAs, the geobotanical division into districts by A.N. Tolmachev (1955) is used. It is found that each subzone is represented by forest PAs. The geographical representation criterion was applied well, though PAs were allocated where large forests were still preserved. Conservation of landscape diversity on Sakhalin is determined by the successful preservation of unique and standard natural complexes, some of which are preserved as PAs.

Sakhalin is the largest island in the Far East. It extends in a southerly direction for 948 km. On the west and south-west, the island is bathed by the warm Sea of Japan, and on the north and east by the Sea of Okhotsk. The influence of the sea is apparent in the mildness of the winters, especially near the coasts and in the abundant winter precipitation, giving Sakhalin one of the heaviest snowfalls in the country, and in the high humidity. The island of Sakhalin is a typical mountainous region; over 70% of its area is covered by mountains. The rest of the territory is lowland, half of which is river valleys.

Sakhalin is in the northern part of the East Asian monsoon region in the temperate zone. The monsoon climate is complicated by the effect of the surrounding seas, cyclonic activity and the mountainous topography of the island. The southerly prolongation of Sakhalin creates a variety of landscapes with a unique combination of boreal Okhotsk and southern Manchurian flora. The mountainous topography contributes to significant differentiation in vegetation according to altitude. These features are responsible for the diversity of conditions peculiar to Sakhalin for the development of vegetation.

The intensive exploitation of the biological and mineral resources of Sakhalin and the Kuriles has led to irreversible changes in the island landscapes. Since the 1940s the scientific community in the Far East has been worried by the effect of economic activity on the island ecosystems. The effects of industrial felling and fires on the island landscapes have been particularly harmful.

At present protected natural areas (PNA) account for over 11% of the territory of the region, 1.9% being federal areas and 9.1% regional areas. The regional reserves account for most of the PNA in the region. In the first stages of development of reserve work in the region, the choice of a site for a PNA was based on “local” criteria: the presence of particularly valuable or rare species of animal or typical or unique sites that had survived. The creation of protected areas was uncontrolled, often initiated by public-spirited citizens with the support of a branch of the Geographical Society or the Nature Protection Society. Nonetheless this was most important, because most of the protected sites are unique.

The problem of preserving “forest” PNA on Sakhalin was highlighted by the necessity for scientific validation of the network of PNA that had grown up, as one of the forms of conservation of landscape and biological diversity in the island ecosystems and maintaining an ecological balance in the region as a whole. On Sakhalin such areas include the Poronai Reserve, the sanctuaries: the “Krilion Peninsula” (62000 hectares), “Krasnogorsk” (5700 hectares), “Northern” (130000 hectares), “Eastern” (67446 hectares); and the monuments of nature: the “Vagis Massif” (29500 hectares) and the “River Anna” (3050 hectares), where relatively undisturbed natural forests develop and allow an integral natural complex to function. Of course, the designated areas do not restrict the build-up of “forest” PNA, but it is these areas that may subsequently become the framework of a regional PNA system. The provisional “forest” category may also include monuments of nature, where the sites to be preserved are small in area (endemic animals or plants, relics, cultivated timber). All the areas are part of the PNA network.

In the scientific literature and in nature conservation practice the totality of PNA is called either a network or a system, system being regarded as a higher form of network development, ensuring the most efficient operation of the areas to be protected. A PNA network acquires the attributes of a system by single-minded organisation: in these circumstances provision of a system structure involves meeting the requirements of functional development, territorial interdependence, geographical representativeness, technological efficiency and organisational completeness of the network. Thus several levels of PNA organisation can be distinguished. The first level is the series of PNA in the region; the second is the network, as the totality of the PNA in the region; the third is the system, as the totality of the PNA in the region that satisfies all the criteria for the creation of protected areas and ensures that the objectives of the PNA that are created are achieved.

It is a feature of practically all the “forest” areas of Sakhalin that their legal status does not match their natural value; this is one of the shortcomings of the PNA network and prevents its improvement. In formal terms the Law is the basis for the protection and preservation of natural sites, but the protection system does not guarantee the “inviolability” of the areas (natural sites), and this is an obstacle to transition to the next level of PNA system formation.

If the PNA network is to be improved, regional criteria are essential for validation of categories and the protection system, i.e. the status of natural areas on Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. The criteria can be divided into three groups: 1) physical geography; 2) ecological; 3) social and economic.

According to Reimers (1990), the concept “criterion” is defined as the characteristic that provides a basis for the evaluation and classification of ecological systems. The issue of criteria is vital in justifying the necessity for setting up new nature protection areas and managing those already in place, because often the argument used for formation of PNA is the threat of disappearance of some economically valuable animal or plant or the general task of preserving a part of the ecosystem as a reference point of nature.

New approaches to the creation of a system for the stable development of regions have been proposed by ecologists of the geographical “strain”. The Russian and international experience gained by now makes it possible to formulate a series of fundamentally new propositions, which must be taken into account when setting up PNA and forming PNA systems within regions. The content of criteria for setting up PNA depends upon the physical geographical features of the region and in turn reflect those features. A number of authors distinguish the following criteria: 1) geographical representativeness; 2) uniqueness; 3) preservation of biodiversity; 4) landscape-ecological.

The geographical representativeness criterion is one of the founding principles. Implementation of the geographical representativeness requirement is achieved by landscape validation of the efficient location of areas of protection. Here the landscape approach plays a leading part, the initial proposition in which is the necessity for an PNA system to reflect all typical natural complexes of a particular type and taxonomic rank. Organisation of nature reserves with such an approach becomes essential both where there are unique natural sites or rare species of plant and animal and in typical natural complexes which it is important to preserve in order to maintain landscape variety. A study of the landscape structure of an area is a prerequisite for the development of an PNA system; a physical geography zoning diagram and a landscape map are used in these circumstances as an objective basis for the selection of units in need of protection.

The typicality category considered above and the concept of uniqueness are closely interlinked. Uniqueness is expressed as the extent to which natural sites and phenomena do not repeat themselves and is defined mathematically by the product of the minimum probabilities of occurrence in a particular area; it may be examined in various aspects: as a geographical phenomenon, as a natural historical rarity (a few relict or small-area endemic animals or plants), or as the best example of any typical natural site or phenomenon widely distributed in nature. In the final analysis, unrepeatable or rarely encountered natural sites of phenomena whose loss may be irremediable must be taken under protection when this proposition is implemented.

Integrated analysis of geographical representativeness and uniqueness of areas can be used to define the actual value of a natural area and whether or not it fits into the category assigned or the protection system, i.e. legal nature protection status.

The content of geographical representativeness and uniqueness in relation to “forest” PNA is governed by the north-south orientation of Sakhalin, which creates a variety of landscapes in combination with boreal Okhotsk and southern Manchurian flora and by the mountainous topography, which contributes to substantial differentiation in the vegetation according to altitude. These features give rise to the differences in the types of forest formation characteristic of Sakhalin. Dark coniferous spruce and fir taiga is the dominant type of vegetation over the greater part of the island. In the research attention is focussed on those areas which are extensive in area, because it is these which give a more detailed picture of the geobotanical region in which they are located, i.e. show the territory in geographical space in accordance with the prevailing types of forest formation.

The geobotanical zoning by A.N. Tolmachev (1955), according to whom Sakhalin is in the taiga zone, can form the basis of application of geographical representativeness and uniqueness to “forest” PNA. A division into four subzones is apparent in regions in this zone, due to differences in the nature of the vegetation: 1) a larch forest subzone; 2) a dark coniferous and underlying green moss forest subzone with spruce predominating; 3) a dark coniferous forest subzone with fir predominating; 4) a dark coniferous forest subzone with some broad-leaved varieties.

Analysis of the distribution of areas according to geobotanical characteristics leads to the conclusion that each subzone is represented by “forest” PNA. The geographical representativeness criterion is followed quite closely, although the areas were created where untouched extensive sectors of forest survived, i.e. without reference to that criterion. Nonetheless, it is essential to use this criterion in relation to “forest” PNA in order to preserve the nature conservation status of the areas, which are integral self-regulating natural complexes, as a whole.

The “Northern” sanctuary and the “Vagis Massif” monument of nature represent the larch forest subzone in two areas - the Shmidt peninsula and the North-West area respectively. The representativeness (standard nature) of these areas is combined with uniqueness. At the same time, the nature conservation status of the areas precludes retaining these areas in their initial condition, in which they are at present. With detailed scientific validation, the “Northern” sanctuary can claim the status of a federal reserve. Today it is one of the most extensive PNA (130000 hectares) in the oblast, with a valuable genetic data bank, and is an arena for the forming processes of northern climatic types of Ayan spruce. The “Vagis Massif” monument of nature is an undisturbed block of taiga. It is regarded as a standard. Its forests are environment-forming, maintaining the hydrological system in the basins of the Viakhtu, Tyk, Pogibi and Vagis rivers. Thus these areas may be sectors in one reserve. It is practically impossible to create a federal reserve at the regional level. The possibility of forming an integrated natural sanctuary with a reserve system of conservation seems more realistic.

The “Eastern” sanctuary, the Poronai Reserve, the “Makarovsk” sanctuary and the “Krasnogorsk” sanctuary represent the dark coniferous and underlying green moss forest subzone with spruce predominating. Of this group of areas, the “Eastern” sanctuary is the standard, and is at the same time unique. This area has been the subject of the most detailed study. Validation of the uniqueness of the area made it possible to create an integrated natural sanctuary with a reserve system of conservation in 1999, and as yet it remains the only one. Sanctuaries such as “Makarovsk” and “Krasnogorsk” are typical sectors of the subzone. However, arborescent forms of yew have been observed in the area of the “Krasnogorsk” sanctuary. Sanctuary rules permit felling for general use, which obviously runs counter to its objectives and functions. The game sanctuaries are the most heavily protected form of PNA. This category of PNA is ignored in forest management and forestry planning. The Poronai Reserve includes the Poronai and Vosotchno-Sakhalinsk mountain area and dark coniferous and underlying green moss forest subzones with spruce predominating, and is a typical geobotanic region sector.

The “River Anna” monument of nature is a forest subzone with fir predominating. The area is also recognised as a standard, because this is the only region in the south of the island where ancient forests have survived. The area of the Sima and Bakhura River basins, which have also survived in their pristine state, borders the River Anna basin. Valley broad-leaved cenospecies are widely represented here. A high level of spawning areas is a feature of these rivers. Scientific validation of the uniqueness of these areas is essential. The three-river basin area may have the status of an integrated natural sanctuary with a reserve system of conservation.

The “Krilion Peninsula” sanctuary is a dark coniferous forest subzone with some broad-leaved varieties. The sanctuary is in the eastern part of the peninsula and forms part of the south-western geobotanic region. The type of forest formation is a standard for the region. The dominant coniferous-broad-leaved forests are characteristic only of the Sakhalin-Hokkaido dendrological area. Nonetheless cancellation of the status of the sanctuary is now under consideration. Despite the age of the PNA, there is no detailed scientific description of it. A detailed inventory must be taken to provide scientific validation of the unique nature of this area; possibly this will save its status.

The preservation of the variety of landscapes on Sakhalin depends upon the presence of standard and typical natural complexes, some of which have been successfully preserved by the creation of reserves. Since Sakhalin is a forest region, the forest ecosystems must have priority in preservation.

The application of geographic representativeness and uniqueness criteria to “forest” PNA is a constituent part of the general process of establishing a system of protected areas in the Sakhalin area. It is the first step in the creation of a stable ecological-landscape model as a basis for the establishment of an PNA system for Sakhalin taking into account both the natural scenarios for the development of the environment and the trends in development of the system of nature and society.

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