In the last two centuries, people have witnessed a rapid decline in the overall numbers of many animals and even the disappearance of some species from the face. Moreover, this concerned primarily large animals that have great commercial value, which caused concern among both zoologists and nature lovers. Among the reasons for this phenomenon, two of the most important ones related to human activity can be identified: firstly, the unreasonable harvesting of certain species, and, secondly, changes in the habitat, breeding conditions and migration routes of animals.

The first factor applies to only a few species, which usually have economic importance. However, it was direct persecution by humans that completely destroyed some species (tarpan, passenger pigeon). The second factor that changes the living conditions of animals more often threatens not only certain species, but also natural communities and is becoming increasingly dominant. It is difficult to combat it, since changes in nature inevitably accompany the development of production activities of human society.

Excessive hunting of animals has not lost its importance today as a cause of population decline. Its reasonable limitation in a number of cases gives positive results, but we must not forget that at the same time the methods of obtaining animals are being improved. Saigas are caught from a car, and wolves are even caught from a helicopter.

Great technical progress has also been achieved in fishing: motorization of the fleet, echolocation and aerial reconnaissance, nylon nets, purse seine, catching fish with a light pump, refrigerators and much more. The result is overfishing and depletion of its reserves in the oceans. In many ways, this also applies to cetacean fishing. The number of many species of this order has become very low, and they are included in the Red Book International Union nature conservation.

Overharvesting has threatened the existence of many animal species on every continent on Earth. Here are some examples.

The world-famous researcher of African fauna, Hamburg scientist Bernard Grzimek, believes that most of the African population would not now suffer from diseases arising from protein deficiency if European hunters had not destroyed huge number wild animals. So, in the thirties of the 20th century in Rhodesia from automatic weapons About 375 thousand antelope, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and other ungulates were killed in order to combat the tsetse fly, a carrier of sleeping sickness in livestock. But the goal was not achieved, since small rodents turned out to be the keepers of the disease, which were impossible to eliminate, but large animals were nevertheless destroyed.

Human economic activity inevitably entails significant changes in the living conditions of animals. Excessive shooting or trapping of animals for educational purposes, museums, zoos and animal parks can also have detrimental consequences. So, in the caves of Crimea they caught those who spent the winter there bats for the production of school visual aids. As a result, wintering sites were devastated.

Fashion for the feathers of white herons and ostriches in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century contributed to a sharp decline in these once widespread species. Trapping for collections day butterflies in the vicinity of some European cities led to the extinction of many species of these beautiful and useful insects - plant pollinators. Therefore, catching butterflies near cities was prohibited in a number of countries, and in the USSR and Russia, since 1981, collecting insect collections has been prohibited everywhere.

It also happened that animals became victims of superstitions and prejudices. Toads were killed because they allegedly caused warts. In Yakutia, there was a belief that a clutch of grouse birds, accidentally encountered in the forest, must be crushed, otherwise disaster will happen. There, the blood of the black woodpecker was considered healing, which led to its almost complete destruction. There are many similar examples.

The once richest hunting grounds in our country have been severely depleted. But the depletion of game reserves is not a fatal phenomenon, but quite reversible. And here is confirmation of this. Not in the last century, and now not in the wilderness, but in Moscow, in Gorky Park, on the pond in the spring you can observe an abundance of wild mallard ducks (also local ones, nesting, not migratory). And this abundance was created by human concerns, or rather, simply by the fact that ducks are not persecuted here.

To an even greater extent than direct destruction, in numbers different types animals are affected by changes in living conditions. It sometimes leads to catastrophic changes in fauna and flora. With the growth of cities, mammals are almost disappearing, and the number of bird species is sharply decreasing. However, there are species that, on the contrary, have the opportunity to reproduce massively: rock pigeon, city sparrow, hoodie and some others.

Other factors include chemical pollution of water bodies industrial waste, which causes great damage to the inhabitants. IN last years In addition to industrial pollution, agricultural pollution has also been added - insecticides used to control pests, as well as mineral fertilizers and waste from livestock farms.

Pollution of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans with oil has caused mass death waterfowl. Transport by giant supertankers is cheaper, but their enormous size makes them difficult to handle, and accidents have become a fairly common occurrence.

It also happens that a person, sometimes without noticing it, creates unbearable conditions for the life of certain species of animals.

In the USSR, hunting black geese was prohibited. In 1955-1957 there were only 15.5 thousand of these birds. By the end of the sixties the number reached 30 thousand. It is important that they are protected in their wintering areas in the Baltic and North Seas. However, now there is new threat. Geese are confined to a few shallow waters with thickets of zoster, and there are fewer and fewer of them, since these places are now used for technical needs.

The abundance of wires in all European countries led to the fact that many birds with fast, straight flight crashed against them or broke their wings. The wires most of all cause damage to white storks, whose numbers for this reason have begun to noticeably decrease. The death of large birds of prey - eagles - is associated with the development of power lines. In treeless areas, predators constantly use wires and power line masts as ambush sites. When taking off, it happens that the bird’s wings touch two wires (the golden eagle’s wingspan is 2 meters), short-circuits the current and dies instantly. Death on power lines becomes an important obstacle to the restoration of the population of protected large birds of prey.

The cause of death of animals can also be the so-called disturbance factor. This especially applies to birds during the period of incubation of eggs. Woodcocks, for example, sensing the approach of a person, hide in the nest, and when greater danger- they fly off. This may happen once or twice, but the third time the bird will not return to the nest and will abandon the clutch. Thus, in suburban forests the disturbance factor becomes important reason changes species composition birds: cautious species nesting on the ground are disappearing, those nesting in trees are preserved.

Another reason for the decline in the species of some animals is the introduction of new species. This often entails the absorption of closely related species due to competition for space and food. When a muskrat lives in the same body of water as a muskrat, it often occupies its hole, which can lead to the death of the homeless animal. They also have some competition in nutrition.

Reasons for the disappearance of animals:

1. Destruction natural environment a habitat

The expansion of cultivated areas and pastures, deforestation, drainage of swamps, construction of cities and roads take away the living space of animals and plants, and their usual habitat is destroyed.

2. Pollution

Pollution of water bodies causes the death of inhabitants aquatic environment. Pollution of soil and plants leads to massive deaths of birds and insects that feed on these plants.

3. The "worry" factor

It occurs near cities and in recreation areas. Vacationers enter the forest without weapons, but there are more and more of them, and their behavior causes a lot of trouble forest inhabitants: they trample the grass, break bushes and trees, play loud music. Animals are leaving these places. Ground-nesting birds suffer the most.

4. Poaching

Mass indiscriminate shooting of wild animals and massive procurement of wild medicinal herbs led to the disappearance of bison from the forests, the number of tigers, beavers, otters, badgers, bears and other animals sharply decreased, and plants that were once common in these places (lily of the valley, snowdrop, lady's slipper).

5. Fight against predators

Often people destroy predatory animals and birds just because they attack livestock.

Predators are necessary for nature: they play the role of “culls”, eating primarily the sick and weak, and thus maintaining the health of the population and the biocenosis as a whole.

6. Collecting

Huge damage to nature is caused by lovers of bouquets of exotic plants and animals, products made from bones and skins of wild animals. To please them, poachers destroy great amount fur-bearing animals, tigers, elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, lions and many others. So in eastern Kenya, in 1974 alone, poachers killed about 1,000 elephants for their tusks.

Wildlife protection

All animals are subject to protection, if we understand this problem broadly, including population management. The loss of any biological species is an extremely undesirable phenomenon for the biosphere and as a whole. Each species has properties unique to itself, and it is difficult to predict which properties of any species and for what purposes will be useful to humanity in the future.

Game animal protection

Hunting at all times meant constant production, and not the destruction of game. The purpose of hunting has always been the prudent use of hunting resources. However, often there was not enough knowledge to properly exploit them, or socio-economic conditions led to undesirable consequences (for example, predatory extermination of animals in pursuit of profit), and the number game species fell. animal biosphere protection environmental and legal

The exploitation of game animals should be carried out according to the principle of expanded reproduction. Ecological achievements prove that rational use hunting resources not only does not contradict the protection of wildlife, but also contributes to it.

Each animal population has a so-called ecological reserve, i.e. an increase in its productivity is possible as a result of an increase in the number of offspring and an increase in their survival rate. Various environmental groups this is carried out in different ways: changes in sex ratio, time of first reproduction, number of juveniles in a litter, number of litters per year, etc.

Biologically justified removal of an individual from a population helps to mobilize its ecological reserve and, as a rule, improves the health of the population. Consequently, fishing and hunting contribute to increasing fertility and survival of young animals, i.e. represent an active form of animal conservation.

For all the most fully studied mass species, it has been established that the growth in the number of their populations, reaching a certain amount, quickly stops, as ecological and physiological mechanisms aimed at preventing overpopulation come into play. The removal of some animals through hunting (trapping) helps to increase the reproductive capabilities of the population.

The most important measure for the protection of game animals is strict adherence to the regulations on hunting, which stipulate its timing and methods. In Russia, hunting is regulated by the Regulations on Hunting and Game Management. On its basis, regional and regional administrations issue Hunting Rules. According to this provision, game animals are state property. The provisions indicate the types of animals and birds the hunting of which is completely prohibited, as well as the types of animals that can be hunted only with special permits (licenses) issued by hunting organizations. The law prohibits hunting animals in nature reserves, game reserves and green areas around cities. It is not allowed to use methods of mass production of animals, hunting from cars, airplanes, motor boats, hunting for molting birds, destruction of burrows, nests, lairs, and collecting eggs is prohibited.

The law establishes standards for shooting or capturing each species of animal. Violating hunting laws and regulations is considered poaching; persons who violate them bear administrative and criminal liability.

Hunting remains an important form of use natural resources biosphere. It becomes even more important in connection with the task of obtaining the greatest possible production of animal protein from plant biomass.

Considering that no more than 15% of the territory of our planet is allocated for agricultural production, the urgency of finding ways effective implementation phytomass of non-agricultural land through the use of game animals.

Thus, in the vast expanses of the taiga, moose process enormous amounts of plant biomass, and with rational exploitation of the population of these animals, up to 500 kg of meat can be obtained from 1000 hectares. There is a lot of game birds in the taiga - hazel grouse, wood grouse, which can be a source of highly valuable products. There are common cases when game animals increase the productivity of forests as a whole by 20-30%, and often the cost of the wood itself is less than the cost of meat of wild ungulates, game and skins of fur-bearing animals living in the forest. Wild ungulates can provide even more products deciduous forests, mountains, tundra, deserts.

Partridges, pheasants, roe deer, hares and some other game animals living on agricultural lands are very valuable. As the experience of a number of countries shows, the productivity of agricultural land can be increased by 10-15% or more by keeping game on it. This experience deserves great attention, since in a number of regions of our country, as well as in Western Europe and the USA, up to 80% of all hunting grounds are cultivated fields.

Meat of wild ungulates and game birds makes up only 1.2-2.0% of meat products obtained from farm animals in human nutrition. However, in a number of countries, wild meat predominates in the human diet or makes up a significant share.

The successes of protecting game animals in our country are widely known. Thus, in the 1920s, the elk population decreased greatly; it has become rare everywhere and has completely disappeared from most central regions European part. As a result of the conservation measures taken, the moose population has recovered. He repopulated all forested areas. The number of these animals increased 3 times over 25 years, and hunting was again allowed. Moreover, the opening of licensed hunting in 1950, which provided for scientifically based periods of elk harvesting, did not stop, but accelerated the growth of its numbers: over the next 10 years, the number increased by another 2 times. 70 thousand individuals are harvested annually, which produces about 9 thousand tons of meat. Similar results were obtained for other wild ungulates. Especially great success achieved in the protection of the saiga, which is very rare view was on the verge of complete extinction. The harvest of all wild ungulates annually produces more than 35 thousand tons of marketable meat.

The measures taken in our country to protect fur-bearing animals were of great importance. Sable as a result of overfishing already at the beginning of the 20th century. disappeared from most areas of the taiga, it was threatened with complete extermination: its number at the time of the ban on hunting was about 25 thousand. Along with the ban on hunting, they carried out a wide re-acclimatization of the sable - they brought it to more than 100 areas where it had previously lived, but was exterminated. As a result, the number of this valuable species reached 300 thousand already in 1940. A limited fishery was opened for it. As in the case of elk, this did not lead to a new decline in numbers; on the contrary, the number of sables continued to grow, exceeded the original by 12 times and has now reached approximately 800 thousand. This makes it possible to harvest significant amount animals.

Protection and resettlement have been successfully implemented in Russia river beaver. By the time the hunting of this valuable fur-bearing animal was banned, only a few hundred heads survived in very few, mainly protected areas. Thanks to the settlement of the beaver in more than 75 regions and territories, its number has increased approximately 150 times, reaching 200-250 thousand heads, and since 1961, licensed fishing for it has been reopened.

Significant success has been achieved in our country in protecting the gray goose and repopulating areas where it was previously found with this valuable bird. The nesting grounds of the wonderful northern duck, the eider, have been restored, along with colonies of the almost extinct egrets and many other birds.

The protection and fishing of sea animals is based on the same principles as other commercial species. The peculiarity of this group of animals is that many of them live in international waters or migrate widely across state borders. In this regard, even more important for their protection are international agreements and conventions. Thus, in 1946 the first International convention on whaling and in 1949 the International Whaling Commission was created, which developed a charter defining the species of whales that can be hunted and establishing areas, fishing times and quotas (standards) for production. In Russia and a number of other countries, dolphin fishing was completely banned.

Pinnipeds are also subject to special protection. In Russia, since 1970, the hunting of sea animals by private individuals has been prohibited everywhere. Fishing for such rare species as the monk seal and the Atlantic walrus is completely prohibited. Hunting for the Pacific walrus is permitted exclusively for the needs of the local population of Chukotka. Fishing for other species is regulated by limits, timing and areas of production. Taken measures protection of the most valuable pinnipeds -- fur seals made it possible to significantly increase their number.

Any species is adapted to its food. If its consumption increases, then natural reserves do not have time to recover. As a result, the amount of food begins to decrease. If, for example, a certain type of plant increases its consumption of nutrients, the soil becomes depleted. Or some type of animal eats the favorite species of other animals or plants, then their numbers, accordingly, decrease.

There is not enough food, mortality is increasing. Fertility is declining and numbers are declining. Since time immemorial, not only plants and animals, but also people have been exposed to such effects. When primitive hunters exhausted their hunting grounds, famine set in. In such a situation, the tribes reduced their birth rate and began to look for new fertile lands, but there they could be met by other tribes who were not going to share their hunting grounds.

In general, it should be noted that with the disappearance of the usual diet, the species switches to new food. But he is less physiologically adapted to it, since its quality is much worse. An example here is sea gulls. They used to eat fish, but now they feed on garbage from ships. But the reason is not that they are easier to get, but simply that there are fewer fish due to global fishing.

Pollution is a form of environmental degradation. If the natural environment is balanced, then the results of the life activity of one species are eliminated by others. Manure is pulled apart by insects and processed by bacteria and fungi. And when the balance is disturbed, pollution accumulates. The same person has always polluted the environment. But while there were few people, nature managed to destroy pollution.

However modern humanity has increased the volume of pollution so much that nature can no longer cope with it. In addition, man began to produce pollutants that simply cannot be recycled. An example here would be radioactive waste. Therefore, the biosphere increasingly “refuses” to process fruits human activity, which could lead to a global catastrophe.

Epidemics contribute to the decline in species numbers. For example, in rabbits, the number of which begins to rapidly increase, an epizootic (mass infection) occurs. As a result, the population size is reduced by hundreds and even thousands of times. That is, epizootics act as a population regulator. Humans have also been exposed to various epidemics over the centuries. Thus, the plague that arose in the 14th century halved the population of Europe in 2 years. Nowadays, well-known epidemics are successfully resisted by medicine. Therefore, the biosphere is looking for other ways to influence people.

Even 30 years ago, the first forecasts of the demographic collapse that awaited humanity appeared. And how to avoid it? In nature, there are species that reduce their numbers in advance when they approach the limit. At the same time, the biosphere allocates its own biological capacity to each species. It is thanks to this that population density is formed.

So in pine forest There are few birds that make nests in tree hollows, since hollows are almost never found in pine trees. But if you hang nest boxes, this limiting factor will disappear. The number of birds nesting in hollows will begin to increase, but then stop, as it will be limited by the amount of food. For territorial species, fertility is established in this way. For people at all times, territory has also been the main regulator of numbers.

The consequence of territoriality is aggression. When population density increases sharply and problems arise with food and comfortable living, aggressive behavior begins to prevail over other forms of communication. As a result, people begin to wage war with each other, which contributes to a rapid decline in numbers. In the animal world the situation is similar, since the program is turned off not to encroach on what belongs to others.

In nature, when reducing the number of species becomes a vital necessity, an amazing mechanism is activated. Its essence lies in the implementation of an alternative behavior program. Stressed animals produce a generation that is not like their parents.

For example, locusts under normal conditions exist according to the territorial principle: each male has his own area. But when population density increases, males begin to invade other people's territories. And then the locust lays eggs, from which “walking” offspring appear. This generation has no territorial instinct. It gathers in a giant flock and begins to move somewhere. Sometimes it ends up in places that are not suitable for life at all, and dies. In birds and mammals the situation is similar, but not so pronounced. But the purpose of the movement is the same: to throw extra individuals beyond the biological capacity. Therefore, participants in mass movements become fearless and are not afraid to die collectively.

The decline in the number of species is influenced by crowding. One of its forms is urbanization, characteristic of people. In huge megacities, the birth rate drops in the second generation so much that it does not ensure reproduction. Here, as an example, we can cite cities such as New York, Mexico City, Moscow, Tokyo, Singapore, etc. Urbanization can be the most painless way to reduce population.

The biosphere is very resourceful when it comes to species decline. In animals, it can change marital relationships and attitudes towards offspring. When the number of individuals increases, the offspring cease to be main value for the entire population. Parents begin to avoid reproduction, lay eggs anywhere, reduce care for their offspring, and even devour them.

A similar phenomenon is observed in humans. One of its manifestations is the emancipation of women, through which many civilizations have gone through. A consequence of emancipation is an increase in the proportion of single mothers. Such women have a minimal number of children, and their fertility is half that of married women. When emancipated, the latter also try to have as few children as possible.

So, there is every reason to believe that people, like animals, have mechanisms for self-regulation of fertility to maintain it at a reasonable optimal level. If 1 child is born in a family, then every 35 years the number will begin to halve. This is a sufficient pace to move away from the environmental crisis associated with overpopulation of the planet.

It should be said that the environmental crisis is already underway. And it goes on globally, affecting the entire Earth. And therefore, the reduction in the number of species has a very great importance for the biosphere. In first place, of course, is the human community with a population of more than 7 billion people. Such a mass of people contributes to rapid degradation natural environment a habitat. And therefore the biosphere must protect itself. She has many methods, both humane and cruel.

Biological diversity can be divided into three categories:

• genetic diversity
• variety of species,
• diversity of ecosystems.

Genetic is the diversity of species within one species. Species diversity- within one region. Diversity of ecosystems– diversity of habitats, biotic communities and ecological processes in the biosphere.

All three levels of diversity make up unified system . A decrease in the genetic diversity of a species can lead to the death of the species, which means that biological diversity will decrease of this region. Biodiversity is directly related to sustainability of the ecosystem and biosphere as a whole to change environmental factors, and first of all, anthropogenic. Declining biodiversity leads to:

• to the destruction of existing ecological ties,
• degradation of natural communities,
• to disruption of their homeostasis,
• ultimately, to their destruction.

Maintaining biodiversity is necessary for many reasons, not to mention the fact that every species and every ecosystem has a right to exist. The life activity of many species depends on the life activity of other species: the destruction of one species can lead to the extinction of others. Man like biological species, depends on other species for the need for food, medicine, industrial products, as well as for such “environmental services” as, for example, the self-purification of water bodies. And finally, every species and every ecosystem contributes in some way to the beauty and richness of the world around us.

There are about 10 million species of living organisms on earth. The names of only 1.4 million species are given. So, tropical zone our planet is characterized by the greatest species diversity. The rate of forest destruction, and therefore habitat loss, is highest in those areas. About 17 million hectares of tropical forests (Bulgarian territory) are destroyed annually. This rate of destruction of tropical forests is dooming up to 8% of the species that live in these forests. Forests temperate climate also undergo a similar pattern. Today, only 44% of temperate forests remain, mostly in Siberia and the Pacific coast of North America.

Habitat destruction- Not the only reason reduction of biodiversity. Such phenomena and concepts as fragmentation and introduction.

Fragmentation example, for the survival of cranes one thing big lake has a significantly greater value than several smaller ones, although equal in total area. Or some predators (wolves) need vast territories to hunt.

Can play an important role in this process introduction- transfer of species of organisms beyond their natural habitats and introduction into local natural complexes. Most famous examples sad consequences of the introduction - the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle in Europe and the rabbit in Austria.

Main reasons for loss biological diversity , animal population declines and extinctions are as follows:

• habitat disturbance;
• overharvesting, fishing in prohibited areas;
• introduction (acclimatization) of alien species;
• direct destruction to protect products;
• accidental (unintentional) destruction;
• environmental pollution.

Habitat disturbance due to deforestation, plowing of steppes and fallow lands, drainage of swamps, flow regulation, creation of reservoirs and others anthropogenic impacts radically changes the breeding conditions of wild animals and their migration routes, which has a very negative impact on their numbers and survival.

The laying of a gas pipeline without taking into account the migration of deer in the tundra led to the fact that animals began to gather in huge herds in front of the pipe, and nothing could force them to deviate from their centuries-old path. As a result, many thousands of animals died.

Under mining This refers to both direct persecution and disruption of the population structure (hunting), as well as any other removal of animals and plants from the natural environment for various purposes.

IN Russian Federation There has been a decline in the numbers of a number of game species, which is primarily due to the current socio-economic situation and increased illegal hunting. Excessive production serves main reason reductions and numbers large mammals(elephants, rhinoceroses, etc.) in African and Asian countries. Negative Impacts Such a factor of population decline as excessive preying also manifests itself in relation to other representatives of the animal world. For example, stocks of East Baltic cod are currently at such a low level, which has not been recorded in the entire history of studying this species in the Baltic

The third most important reason for the decline in numbers and extinction of animal species is introduction (acclimatization) of alien species. Numerous cases of extinction of native (indigenous) species due to the influence of introduced species of animals or plants on them have been described. There are even more examples where local species are on the verge of extinction due to the invasion of “aliens”. Examples are widely known in our country negative influence American mink to the local species - European mink, Canadian beaver- in European, muskrat in muskrat, etc.

Other reasons for the decline in numbers and extinction of animals:

• their direct destruction to protect agricultural products and commercial fisheries (death of birds of prey, ground squirrels, pinnipeds, coyotes, etc.);
• accidental (unintentional) destruction (on roads, during military operations, when mowing grass, on power lines, during regulation water flow etc.);
• environmental pollution (pesticides, oil and petroleum products, atmospheric pollutants, lead and other toxicants).

Let us give just two examples related to the decline in animal species due to unintended impact person. As a result of the construction of hydraulic dams in the bed of the Volga River, spawning grounds have been completely eliminated salmon fish(white fish) and migratory herring, and the distribution area sturgeon fish decreased to 400 hectares, which is 12% of the previous spawning stock in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

Numerous observations indicate that in nature, as a rule, several factors at the same time, causing death individuals, populations and species as a whole. When interacting, they can lead to serious negative results even with a low degree of expression of each of them.

As a rule, only one of the factors turns out to be the main limiter on the number of the species of interest to us. This factor is calledlimiting.

More than a thousand species of vertebrates and many species of mollusks, insects and other invertebrates are at risk of extinction. This is the result of direct human persecution of animals or changes in their living conditions, which causes concern among biologists and conservationists around the world. The concepts of rare, endangered, and endangered species appeared. They are not clear enough, and at first even experts put different meanings into them.

Today, more than a thousand species of vertebrates and many species of mollusks, insects and other invertebrates are in danger of extinction.

The Convention includes three lists of species by risk of extinction, these lists are constantly being updated.

Because the initial values gas parameters in the container change with temperature changes, control possible increase pressure and the danger of disappearance of the vapor phase can be carried out by calculation.

THE RED BOOK is an official publication containing a description and condition of animals and plants that are more or less in danger of extinction. The Red Book of the USSR and the Red Books of individual regions were published.

Preference is given to those areas that are less modified as a result economic activity human beings, and first of all they preserve the standards of those landscapes that are in danger of extinction. It is very important that the territories of nature reserves are sufficient to ensure self-regulation of the processes occurring in them and do not experience noticeable influence from neighboring anthropogenic territories.

Three groups of animals facing extinction - dart frogs, bears and sharks - represent amazing examples how important models for biomedical science are at risk of extinction due to human causes.

Even such a recognized and effective way of increasing forest productivity as drainage reclamation can have negative consequences. We will not talk in detail about the danger of the disappearance of the valuable, highly vitamin-rich cranberry ((Ojcycoccos palustris Pers. With vast areas of swamps and swamp forests in our country, there is no danger of a significant reduction in stocks, much less the disappearance of these berries, but in certain areas, at least in the European parts of the USSR, this side cannot be ignored in the near future. We believe that in some other countries with the presence of swamps and swamp forests, where their intensive drainage is being carried out, this issue is of interest. Of course, we are not talking about the priority of cranberries before wood. The solution to this issue may have a special independent path. By the way, the mentioned circumstance reinforces the feasibility of ongoing experiments and work on a production scale to create specialized plantations of cranberries, blueberries and some other berries of the taiga and tundra, but this does not reduce the importance of protecting natural resources.

The change in living conditions occurring under the influence of human activity, accompanied by direct persecution and extermination of animals, leads to a depletion of their species composition and a reduction in the number of many species. Mitryushkin (1980), in 1600 there were approximately 4230 species of mammals on the planet; by now, 36 species have disappeared, and 120 species are in danger of extinction. Of the 8,684 bird species, 94 have disappeared and 187 are endangered. The situation is no better with subspecies: since 1600, 64 subspecies of mammals and 164 subspecies of birds have disappeared, 223 subspecies of mammals and 287 subspecies of birds are in danger.

Changes in living conditions occurring under the influence of human activity, direct persecution and extermination of animals lead to the depletion of their species composition and a reduction in the numbers of many species. According to K.P. Mitryushkin (1980), in 1600 there were approximately 4,230 species of mammals on the planet; by now, 36 species have disappeared, and 120 species are in danger of extinction. Of the 8,684 bird species, 94 have disappeared and 187 are threatened.

LP stereophony systems typically use microphones with an omnidirectional pattern (see page If the distance between the microphones is too large or when the sound source moves from one microphone to another, jumps or discontinuities in the sound picture may appear. You should also have keeping in mind that the smaller the distance between the microphones, the more correct the sound transmission of sound sources located at different angles to the axis of symmetry of the microphones will be.The minimum distance is limited by the risk of disappearance of the stereophonic effect and is selected empirically for each case individually.

Accordingly, there is reason to reject the belief that progress is irresistible, that nature must be endlessly humanized, or that technological and social planning can solve all our problems. To some extent we can shape our future, and in doing so we must understand to what state of nature and society we can arrive, in relation to moral assessments of the state of society and the world, which must be better than the present one in order to hope for progress. This is indeed a necessary precondition for the conservation of resources and the protection of endangered species and their vulnerable habitats, as well as for human well-being... But for this to be possible, it is necessary new form faith in progress. She is far from rejecting the humanistic secular tradition of the philosophers of the Enlightenment, Kant, Marx, Engels and others. The combination of its possibilities with the possibilities of the old Judeo-Christian tradition, suitably ennobled, can indeed give us the means to solve environmental problems without the invention of a new metaphysics and a new ethics