A lot depends on the presence or absence of plants on planet Earth. A person can live without food for up to forty days, without water - up to three days, but without air - only a few minutes. But it is plants that supply such an essential component as oxygen. Without the participation of plants, there would not be an existing atmosphere in the form in which it exists now. And, consequently, many air-breathing living organisms would not exist. Including humans.
Reasons for disappearance
Scientists warn that in the very near future at least forty thousand species of tropical plants and approximately eight thousand species from areas with temperate climate. The numbers impress (or should impress) each of us. This is why plant protection is necessary!
The main reasons have long been known. This is in the tropics, grazing of numerous livestock, the use of chemicals that affect the ecosystem, the destruction of natural insect pollinators, excessive harvesting of medicinal herbs in industrial scale. And if we summarize all of the above, then the destructive and sometimes thoughtless activities of man as a species living on the planet.
Ethical nature of the problem
The necessary protection of plants has a mainly ethical and moral aspect. After all, there is still no serious scientific substantiation of this problem. So far, biologists do not have answers to questions about what will happen if certain plant species become extinct, how the general gene pool of nature depends on this, and what the consequences and pace of such a “payback for evolution” will be.
Only a few scientists (for example, Vernadsky) substantiated not only the interdependence of man and nature, but also united them into one whole - the noosphere, for example. And all these issues (including, in particular, plant protection) require us to resolve in the coming years, while the general biosystem is still close to its natural norm.
What does this mean?
Plant protection primarily means supporting natural processes occurring in nature. It is necessary to help restore the disturbed balance and eliminate the consequences of the harmful effects of man, his unreasonable interference in the activities of our common ecosystem.
It’s no joke: over the past few decades, one plant per day has disappeared from the face of the earth, and one animal per year. A genocide of nature that is horrifying in its cynicism! Therefore, the protection of plants and animals that are disappearing from the face of the earth should become a priority task for humanity in the near future.
Red Book
Of course, it cannot be said that nothing is being done in this regard. From documents state level protecting animals, one can recall the Red Book. Among plants, it already includes, for example, over four hundred species of flowering plants, about twenty species of algae, more than thirty species of fungi, about ten species of gymnosperms and ferns.
Among the endangered species are the famous common snowdrop, Crimean peony, Lessing's feather grass, and many others. These plants are under state protection. There is liability for their illegal cutting, destruction and use (according to the law).
Protection of rare plants: basic measures
Of these, the most relevant in modern world- isolation and protection of habitats. Nature reserves, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries are being actively created and developed (but not to the extent we would like) to ensure the continued existence of endangered plant (and animal) species. In many civilized countries, programs have been developed and are operating for the full reasonable use of natural resources humanity. After all, if we don't take action necessary measures In time, many plants will disappear completely from the face of the earth, and it will be impossible to fill these gaps.
Botanical gardens
Botanical gardens and experimental stations play a huge role in maintaining plant populations, studying and preserving endangered species. They contain certain necessary collections of living plants - representatives of local and exotic flora, contribute to the study and breeding of plants, the creation of new, more productive forms and species. From promising developments- research on plant acclimatization, adaptation to new living conditions in other natural belts. Botanical gardens also perform educational tasks and promote the achievements of the science of botany.
The role of plants in human life
Only in last decades humanity has fully realized the role of plants in people's lives. Although the fact that not a single one should be allowed to disappear from the face of the Earth existing type, some scientists and educators have said for a long time.
With the destruction of greenery, people will lose a lot that contains the world. Plant protection, in turn, should prevent this. After all, this part is not only necessary source health, but also the aesthetic component of the art world, which inspired and continues to inspire many artists and writers to create masterpieces of art.
But the most important masterpiece is ours common homeland, whose name is planet Earth! And this is necessary, especially in Lately, we all need to take care of its green population, so that our descendants can enjoy the diversity of plant life.
Russia is obliged to take measures to preserve rare and endangered species of animals and plants
Federal Law "On Animal World", "On Environmental Protection"
Rare and endangered objects of fauna and plants are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and (or) Red Books of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation
Red Book of the Russian Federation - official document, containing a summary of information on the status, distribution and measures to protect rare and endangered species of wild animals and wild plants and fungi living on the territory of the Russian Federation, the continental shelf and in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation. The Red Book of the Russian Federation is maintained by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation
Actions that could lead to death, reduction in numbers or disruption of the habitat of fauna listed in the Red Books are not allowed
Legal entities and citizens carrying out economic activity in the territories and waters where animals listed in the Red Books live, are responsible for the conservation and reproduction of these animal objects in accordance with the law. The authorities are obliged to create conditions for the conservation and breeding of rare and endangered fauna.
The circulation of wild animals belonging to species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation is permitted in exceptional cases under a permit (license) issued by a specially authorized state body for environmental protection. Keeping these animals in captivity and releasing them into the wild natural environment also allowed in exceptional cases
In order to preserve rare and endangered plants, animals and other organisms, their genetic fund must be preserved in low-temperature gene banks, as well as in artificially created habitats. Activities leading to a reduction in the number of these plants, animals and other organisms and deteriorating their habitat are prohibited.
Maintaining the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation includes:
- 1. collection and analysis of data on objects of flora and fauna
- 2. organizing monitoring of the state of flora and fauna objects
- 3. creation and replenishment of a data bank on objects of flora and fauna
- 4. entry of objects of flora and fauna into the Red Book of the Russian Federation
- 5. preparation for publication, publication and distribution of the Red Book of the Russian Federation
- 6. preparation and implementation of proposals for special protection measures
The Red Book of the Russian Federation includes objects of fauna that meet the following conditions:
- a) objects of the animal world that need special measures ah security:
- 1. endangered fauna objects
- 2. vulnerable and rare objects of the animal world, the protection of which is important for the conservation of flora and fauna of various natural and climatic zones
- 3. objects of the animal world, the real or potential economic value of which has been established and, at the current rate of exploitation, their reserves are on the verge of extinction
- 4. objects of the animal world that do not require urgent protection measures, but require state control over their condition due to their vulnerability (living on the edge of their range, naturally rare)
- b) objects of the animal world that are subject to international agreements and conventions
- c) objects of fauna listed in the International Red Book and the Red Book of the CIS member states
The basis for inclusion in the Red Book of the Russian Federation or a change in status category is data on a dangerous reduction in its number, on unfavorable changes in the conditions of existence of this object, or other data indicating the need to take special measures for its conservation and restoration
Rare and endangered species are animals whose numbers are so small that their continued existence is threatened. They need careful protection. Most of the rare and endangered species in our country belong to commercial species. In the past they were widespread and numerous. The predatory use of animal resources in Russia has led to end of the 19th century- beginning of the 20th century many species have become rare or are on the verge of extinction. Under Soviet rule, they were taken under protection and hunting for them was prohibited. In places where the most valuable species were preserved (bison, river beaver, sable, kulan, muskrat), nature reserves were organized. The main task of protecting rare and endangered species is to create favorable conditions for their habitat to achieve such an increase in their numbers that would eliminate the threat of extinction. It is important to restore natural stocks of animals in order to include them in the number of commercial animals. In Russia, a lot of and painstaking work has been carried out to restore the number of river beaver, sable, elk, saiga, which were on the verge of extinction.
Currently, their numbers have been restored and they have again become a commercial species. All rare and endangered species of animals, as well as plants, are included in the Red Book created by International Union Nature Conservation (IUCN). The inclusion of a species in the Red Book is a signal of the danger that threatens it and the need for urgent measures to protect it. Each country in whose territory a species included in the Red Book lives is responsible to its people and all humanity for its conservation. To preserve rare and endangered species, nature reserves and sanctuaries are organized; animals are resettled in areas of their former distribution, fed, shelters and nesting sites are created, and protected from predators and diseases. When numbers are very low, animals are bred in captivity and then released into suitable conditions. These measures are producing positive results.
Here are some species whose numbers have been restored through enormous efforts.
Bison (Bison bonasus) - big bull body weight up to 1 ton (Fig. 14, a). In the past it was distributed in the forests of Western, Central and Southeast Europe, in the east - to the river. Don and the Caucasus. By the beginning of the 20th century. In their natural state, bison are preserved only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha(727 heads) and in the Caucasus (600 heads). The last free bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha was killed in 1919, in the Caucasus - in 1927. There are only 48 bison left, living in zoos and at acclimatization stations. This is the lower limit of the species' abundance. The beast was on the verge of extinction. Work has begun to restore the bison. It was most actively carried out in Poland and in three nature reserves of the USSR: Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Prioksko-Terrasny and Kavkazsky. By 1975, there were 320 in Poland, 155 purebred Belovezhskaya bison in the USSR, and more than 500 bison in the Caucasus. Successful work on breeding bison allowed us to move on to creating free herds in 1961. By 1981, the number of bison in the USSR reached 830, in the world more than 2000 (Red Book of the USSR, 1984).
Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) - most major representative family and the whole squad carnivorous mammals(body weight up to 1000 kg). The species range is the circumpolar region, limited by the northern coast of the continents, the southern limit of the distribution of floating ice and northern border warm sea currents. Over the past few centuries total area and the boundaries of the species’ permanent habitat have changed little. The exception is the European sector of the Russian Arctic, where polar bear hunting has long existed. There are no longer polar bears on the coasts of the Kola and Kanin peninsulas, Timanskaya, Malozemelskaya and Bolshezemelskaya tundras. It is still regularly found on the islands and ice fields of the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi seas. Except Russia polar bear distributed in the Arctic sectors of Norway, Greenland, Canada and the USA (Alaska). The total number of polar bears in the early 1970s was approximately 20 thousand, including 5-7 thousand in the Soviet Arctic. At the end of the 70s, the number of the species reached 25 thousand individuals. For conservation purposes, in our country, since 1938, the shooting of bears from ships has been prohibited, and since 1956, hunting has been closed everywhere. On Wrangel Island, in one of the places where mass polar bears breed, a reserve was organized in 1976. Came into force in 1975 international agreement for the protection of polar bears.
Bustard (Otis tarda) is one of the most large birds our fauna (body weight 16 kg). Distributed in the lowland and mountain steppes of North-West Africa, Europe and Asia. The main wintering grounds are in Transcaucasia, Northern Iran, Southwestern Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Within the entire range, the number of bustards has been steadily declining since the beginning of this century, but especially sharply since the 50-60s. The number of individuals has decreased tenfold and now amounts to approximately 3 thousand in Russia, the European subspecies O. tarda tarda - 13.3 thousand. The main reason for the sharp decline in numbers is the widespread deterioration, and in some places, the complete disappearance of suitable biotopes. Plowing of the steppes and grazing of livestock in the few remaining areas of the virgin steppe deprived the bustard of lands suitable for nesting. In Russia, hunting bustards is prohibited. To preserve and restore the numbers of this species, reserves have been created in Saratov region and Buryatia. In Hungary, Austria, the German Democratic Republic and Poland there are stations for incubating eggs from abandoned clutches with the subsequent release of reared birds onto the farmlands.
Organization of animal protection.
The organization of fauna protection is built along two main directions - reserved and conservation in the process of use. Both directions are necessary and complement each other.
All conservation measures for the protection of animals are exceptional, emergency. Most often, the use and protection of fauna and measures for its reproduction have to be combined with the interests of other sectors of environmental management. The experience of many countries proves that this is quite possible. Thus, with proper land use management, agricultural production can be combined with the conservation of many wild animals.
Intensive forestry, timber harvesting, when properly organized, ensures the preservation of conditions for the habitat of many species of animals and birds in exploited forests. Thus, gradual and selective logging allows not only to restore forests, but also to preserve shelters, nesting and feeding grounds for many species of animals.
IN last years wild animals have become an important part of the “tourism industry.” Many countries have successfully protected and used wild fauna for recreational purposes in national parks. To the number national parks with the richest and best protected fauna and at the same time with high level Mass tourism organizations include Yellowstone and Yosemite parks in the USA, Kruger and Serengeti in Africa, the Camargue in France, Bialowieza in Poland and many others.
To enrich the fauna in many countries in large sizes acclimatization and reacclimatization of wild animals is carried out. Acclimatization refers to the work of settling animals into new biogeocenoses and their adaptation to new living conditions. Reacclimatization is a system of measures to restore animals destroyed in a particular region. Thanks to acclimatization, it is possible to use the biological resources of many natural complexes more widely and more fully.
All measures to protect animals are quite effective if they are based on careful consideration of landscape and ecological conditions. In any type of work on organizing the multiplication and exploitation of wild fauna, one should proceed from the fact that certain species and populations of animals are confined within their boundaries to specific natural territorial and aquatic complexes or their anthropogenic modifications. Many animals move over considerable distances throughout the seasons, but their migrations are always confined to strictly defined types of landscapes. Therefore, animal protection requires solving the problems of protecting natural territorial and aquatic complexes as a whole. The protection of animals is, first of all, the protection of their habitats.
The main task of protecting rare and endangered species is to, by creating favorable habitat conditions, achieve an increase in their numbers, which would eliminate the danger of their extinction. This can include the creation of nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks in which conditions favorable to them are created.
Reserve - a piece of land or water space, within which all natural complex completely withdrawn from economic use and is under state protection (Greater Limpopo - South Africa; Aberdare - Kenya; Belovezhsky - Poland).
A reserve is a territory in which, if the use of natural resources is limited, the individual species animals, plants (Pripyat - Belarus).
National park is an area where landscapes and unique objects nature. It differs from nature reserves in allowing visitors for recreation (Yellowstone - USA; Losiny Ostrov - Russia).
Rare and endangered species of animals (as well as plants) are included in the Red Books. The inclusion of a species in the Red Book is a signal about the danger that threatens it, about the need to take measures to save it.
Especially great importance has the preservation and restoration of the number of game animals. As you know, the value of game animals lies in the fact that they live off natural food, which is inaccessible or unsuitable for domestic animals; they do not need special care. The system for protecting wild animals consists, on the one hand, of measures to protect the animals themselves from extermination, death from natural Disasters, on the other hand, from measures to preserve their habitat. The protection of the animals themselves is carried out by hunting laws, which provide for a complete ban on hunting rare species, limiting the timing, norms, places and methods of hunting for commercial species.
The rational use of game animal stocks does not contradict their protection if it is based on knowledge of their biology. It is possible to achieve a healthy population of game animals by maintaining a certain sex ratio and age groups, regulating the number of predators. This is the idea of sustainable use.
Many animals are listed as rescued.
The eucalyptus forests of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales were once teeming with koalas. But at the end of the last and beginning of our century, a terrible epidemic destroyed millions of these harmless creatures. Then fur hunters got down to business: Australia exported about 500 thousand koala skins every year. And in 1924, this profitable trade assumed such proportions that 2 million skins were already exported to the eastern states of the continent. But, fortunately, zoologists were able to convince the government in time to accept strict measures for Koala Conservation. Nowadays the koala lives only in a narrow strip along east coast Australia.
Another surviving animal is the muskrat. As you know, it is a valuable fur-bearing animal. One hundred to one hundred and fifty years ago they did not hunt it. The muskrat was not fashionable. At the beginning of the 20th century, unfortunately for herself, she became fashionable, and this almost ruined her.
Hunting Galapagos tortoises in the 17th century. Pirates were the first to appreciate their tender meat, stuffing the holds of ships with animals. There was no need to worry about the safety of these reserves. The fact is that turtles can live for more than one and a half years without water and food. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Galapagos giant tortoises have been exterminated, and some species have disappeared completely.
At the end of the last century, there was a monstrous extermination of bison. Often only because bison have excellent skins or to cut a small piece of meat or tongue from a bull’s carcass.
When a transcontinental train passed by a grazing herd of bison, all the passengers rushed to the windows and climbed out onto the roofs of the cars. They began firing from all kinds of weapons at the unfortunate animals, which were crowded so closely that they could not quickly run away. The driver deliberately slowed down, and when the train started moving, hundreds of thousands of bull carcasses were lying on both sides of the track, left for the jackals to eat. Some "amateur sportsmen" made special trips across the plains to shoot bison from the train.
The polar bear also disappears. main reason their deaths are an unprecedented arrival of people to the Arctic on a previous scale. It is believed that approximately five to eight thousand polar bears have survived in the vast expanses of our Arctic. On the Arctic islands north of America about ten years ago, about 600 polar bears died annually, and in the space between Greenland and Spitsbergen another 150-300 polar bears died. In 1965, the first international conference was held in Alaska, as a result of which a decision was made to ban hunting of mother bears with cubs, the polar bear was declared an “animal international significance" And a year later, when the first volume of the “Red Book” was published, the polar bear was included in it as an animal that is in danger of complete destruction. And since 1972, the polar bear has been taken under the protection of the USSR, USA, Canada, Denmark and Norway.
Reasons for the disappearance of animals
Every year, the diversity of the animal world decreases due to the fact that some species disappear irrevocably. This is caused by an increase in the Earth's population and, accordingly, a decrease in habitat for animals.
Someone might think that the hunting that man does is solely to blame, but this is not so. If this principle worked, then roe deer, deer or saiga would have to fall into the category of “endangered animal species”, which did not happen, since hunting for these animals is regulated government agencies. Negatively affects the number of " little brothers» reduction of their habitat due to deforestation, plowing of steppes, development of deserts, drainage of swamps, clogging of rivers with industrial waste, pollution of the seas and the atmosphere. All this destroys animals with the same speed as a gun, poison or traps.
Why endangered animals need protection
Why save endangered species? Many people do not even think about this issue, believing that the disappearance of small species will not have any consequences. However, those who think so are deeply mistaken. The famous scientist D. Durrell said: “Our world is as complex and easily vulnerable as a spider's web. Touching one web will cause everything to tremble.” The fauna of the Earth is not a random accumulation different types animals. This one system, the loss of any element from which can lead to the most serious changes.
That is why it is necessary to preserve endangered species of animals, each of which is unique and interesting. They need close attention, since they are the most vulnerable part organic world and can disappear in no time.
Protection of wildlife by the state
In order to maintain and increase the number rare species, states on all continents of the Earth pass laws regarding the protection and use of wildlife. In the Russian Federation, such a law was adopted on June 25, 1980. It was adopted to preserve and increase endangered animal species.
Why are Red Books created?
To record rare species, so-called Red Books are being created both in Russia and in other countries of the world. Endangered animal species around the world require separate registration; for this purpose, the International Red Book was created.
Protection of rare species
Before you begin to protect a rare species, you need to get acquainted with its biology.
One of the most effective methods Animal protection is the creation of nature reserves or sanctuaries. On the territory of the Russian Federation there are more than 150 reserves in which it was possible to preserve a large number of animals. Among them are the Amur tiger, saiga, goral, Bukhara deer, kulan and others. Zoos located throughout the country help breed endangered species.
How to behave in nature
Everything that surrounds you should be treated with attention and caution. You must not collect beetles, butterflies and other animals for collection, as this may cause damage. great harm nature. For humans, nature must always remain inviolable.
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