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 Russian
Conservation News #18, Samples articles and
excerpts:Bulletin Board Siberia's Lake Chany Nikitin Wins a Battle as War Continues Biosphere Reserves in Russia
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Many people outside of Russia have heard of Lake Baikal. But few have heard of Lake Chany, one of the largest lakes in Russia. Located in the central part of the Barabinskaya Steppe in western Siberia (Novosibirsk Region), the lake covers a total area of 1,500 sq. km. Lake Chany is critically important to the migratory birds of Siberia, and is globally significant for biodiversity conservation in the region. The lake and surrounding area are characterized by a unique mix of rare plant and animal species and representa-tive habitats. A patchwork of ecosystem types surrounds the lake, with a mix of birch and aspen stands, steppe, wetlands, meadows, salt marshes, and a multitude of smaller lakes. More than ten different rare plants found here, including some exotic species, are listed in the Russian Red Data Book. During migration and nesting periods, about 220 species of birds visit Lake Chany. This comprises 80 percent of all bird species in the southern region of Western Siberia. Over the past 25
years, 8 species of birds listed in the Russian Red Data
Book have been seen nesting around the lake and surrounding
bodies of water, including: Besides rare nesting birds, seven Red Data Book species have been seen on the lake during seasonal migrations: Dalmatin pelican (Pelecanus crispus), lesser white-fronted goose (Anser etythropus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), saker falcon (Falco cherrug), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), and slender-billed curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). Lake Chany is a particularly important habitat for waterfowl. Birds that nest in the expansive area from the Yamal Penin-sula, on the northern edge of Russia's great western Siberian plain, to Yakutia, on the eastern edge, molt and stay here during migrations. Nearly a quarter-million ducks and coots may be found on the lake during the summer. From here, the birds fly to wintering areas in Europe, Africa, the Near East, and India. It is no coincidence that nearly all the waters of Lake Chany and the surrounding areas have been declared "water and wetlands areas of international significance" in accordance with the Ramsar Convention. Because Lake Chany is
shallow and has no
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white-feathered
duck (Oxyura leucocephala); stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
(15 to 20 pairs of this bird have been observed nesting on
this territory, although not on a yearly basis); pied avocet
(Recurvirostra avosetta) (from 10 to 50 pairs); black-winged
pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) (15 to 20 pairs); great
black-headed gull (Larus ichthyaetus) (110 pairs); Caspian
tern (Sterna caspia) (from 200 to 300 pairs). The Asian
dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus) is frequently
encountered along the shores and islands of Lake Chany
following its nesting period, but has only been observed
nesting in the area once.
outflowing
rivers or streams, the lake's water level changes according
to seasonal weather fluctuations, The water level rises and
falls, and the lake seems to pulsate. In the past, every 30
to 35 years the water level would rise so high that water
from the lake would run off to the west into a broad lowland
area, filling numerous small salty lakes. The water level
sometimes rose so high that excess water from Chany Lake
would even flow into the Irtysh River.
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