Natural Resources, 1997, No.3

PRIRODNYE RESURSY (Natural Resources) Published by The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus & The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus

Number 3; 1997

CONTENTS

Summary: The present state of especially protected nature areas (EPNA) and their role for the National strategy of sustainable development, rational use and conservation of biological diversity of the Republic of Belarus is analysed. Main approaches to further improvement and optimization of EPNA network are developed based on the Plan of National strategy implementation and some international conventions on conservation of genofund and biodiversity of wildlife, conservation of unique nature complexes and national nature heritage, conservation nature ecosystems from degradation. Main conceptions on optimization of EPNA network, especially in the areas with increased anthropogenic impact are presented. In particular, ecological problems in the area of Naroch and Golubye lakes and the necessity of giving this area the status of the national park are discussed.

Water Resources

Summary: The Dnieper is the third longest river in Europe, the largest industrial and residential centres of 3 countries (Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine) are located in its basin. The territory of this basin is a zone of active agricultural activity. In the Dnieper river basin there are several zones which are very valuable from the point of the biological variety. About 33 million people live there. Because of the atomic power plants and hydro-electric power-stations situated in the basin area and military objects which were in use before, the damage caused by them to people's health and environment is obvious. In this abstract we present the analysis of the Dnieper river basin ecosystem (Belarusian part) in the aspect of the transboundary influence of agricultural and industrial activity in the countries mentioned hereinbefore. We analyse also the qualitative image of the ecosystem, its influence on the people's health, the efficiency of the wafer protection policy within the basin boundaries and the possible ways of improving the situation. The materials of this analysis characterise in details the ecological and water economical situation of the Dnieper river itself and its main tributaries within the republic boundaries: the Sozh, the Berezina, the Prypiats. In these materials we find the evaluation of the elements of chemical materials balance which enter the Ukrainian territory through the river network and the quantitative definition of the contribution of the concentrated and distributed water-pollution sources. We also suggest the strategic improvement plan for the Dnieper-river which will he discussed later. This abstract is written for RER/95/G42 Dnieper River Basin Project. With the financial support of the UN Global Environment Facility such countries as Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine take part in this project.

Biological Resources

Summary: Parameters of accumulation and main tendencies of seasonal dynamics of soluble sugars, pectin and slimy substances, amylum and cellulose in structural components of phytomass of sweatweed depending on weather conditions have been determined for the first time for the soil-climatic conditions of Belarus. It is shown that oversurface parts of sweatweed accumulate as much and in some cases even more carbohydrates as undersurface ones. Therefore, there is a perspective of their use as a source of natural raw material for the production of medicines with different pharmacological effects along with the roots. It has been found that biosynthesis of pectin and slimy substances in sweatweed, being introduced in Belarus, is much more active depending on location, but accumulation of soluble sugars and amylum is inhibited. It is shown that level and character of seasonal carbohydrates accumulation in sweatweed depends on weather conditions during vegetation period. It has been found that the largest amount of carbohydrates per unit of area planted with sweatweed can be received from oversurface parts during blossoming period, and from undersurface parts at the end of vegetation period in October.

Nikiforov M.E.
Contemporary ornithofauna of Chervonoye lake and its transformation as a result of drainage of surrounding areas. pp. 30--32

Summary: Radical transformation of natural ecosystems in major part of Chervonoye lake watershed area was a result of agricultural development of lake neighborhood territories in the last several decades. The abundance of common waterfowl species as well as previously numerous but rare now Gadwall and Ferruginous Duck had decreased as a result of habitat changes. At the same time gradual recovery of favorable waterbird habitats was conditioned by starting of secondary bogging in some exhausted peat deposits. However, inspite of extremely low number of most bird species because of favourable habitat shortage and their low ecological capacity, avifaunistic diversity continues to be characterized by high indices, especially rare and endangered species. Obtained data on composition and contemporary trends in avifaunistic dynamics of Chervonoye lake surrounding areas allow to conclude about the expediency of measures on ecological rehabilitation and optimization of coastal zone and adjoined territories. The most perspective is flooding of exhausted peat deposit after certain reconstruction of expected flooded area. High species diversify of rear and critically endangered species included in Belarus Red Data Book is weighty argument for creation of protected area ("zakaznik") in the most valuable Chervonoye lake watershed part.

Romanova T.A.
The experience of quantative biodiversity evaluation in the forests of Belovezhskaya pushcha. pp. 33--47

Summary: In this experiment the author used the modification of the Whittaker method for biodiversity evaluation. Novelty of the methodics lies in differentiation of the evaluated territory into "land types" (geosystems) according to the materials of analysis of soil cover structure, in establishment of the correspondence between the forest types, forest associations and soil types in the system FAO/ UNESCO and in the application of parameterical index of heterogeneity of soil cover (Ih) of land types in the value of landscape diversity. Data on the number of land cover kinds for 80 phytocenoses, obtained in nature investigations were used. The evaluation of a- diversity of the forest according to land types -- species richness per unit of area -- considers composition and distribution of phytocenoses: a=(ax + by + cz +...+ nm)/100, where a, b, c,...,m -- number of land cover kinds in phytocenoses, x, y, z...n-- areas of phytocenoses in % in a given land type. Landscape diversity -- b-diversity -- is calculated according to the following formula: b = K_h/10, where 10 is the decreasing coefficient. Introduction of Ih ensures the evaluation of the degree of phytocenoses difference (contrasting) and the form (geometry) of their areals. The values of a- and b-diversity for 29 land types of Belovezhskaya Pushcha were obtained. They range from 11 to 42 and from 6 to 79 accordingly. The maps of land types and b-diversity of Belovezhskaya Pushcha forests were created.

Mineral Resources

Summary: Purposeful exploration works for fresh underground industrial and drinking waters were intensively held in Belarus since 1961. In geological service of our country experienced collectives of specialists working in expeditions, laboratories, scientific departments of the industrial union "Belgeology" have completed. They successfully solve set tasks on high quality drinking water-supply. At first by hydrogeological research were embrased areas with the largest water consumers -- the capital, region centres, industrial district centres, after that other populated areas, including settlements of urban type. During the last 37 years these works have been held for 159 urban areas, the quantity of explorated sections of water intakes has acheived 259 ones with ratified exploitation resources in categories A+B+C₁ in quantity of about 6 m. m³/day. For water-supply of Belarusian urban settelments (populated areas) are used different types of fresh underground water fields. According to conditions of geological structure and hydrogeological ones the main industrial typs of these waters are distinguished: waters of large artesian basins, of glacial Quartarnery drift, fissure and karst waters of calcazeous rocks, unconfined ground waters of river valleys -and their pecularities (of these types of waters) are considered. The authors conclude it is possible to supply population of Belarus with underground waters and suggest it is necessary to continue works in this field.

Nature Management

Summary: The article deals with the conceptual approaches to the development of structure, composition and contents of major component of the EGIS "Nature management" -- information provision (IP). Three IP basic structural groups are analysed in details: 1. Sources of information, purpose of which is the creation of an assignment database in the area of nature management and environment protection (EP). This is the information of the Ministry of Nature of RB and affiliated organizations, information of bodies of authority and nature management, national monitoring system EP, CRCM of the Committee of Hydro-meteorology, State Statistics office, official bases and databanks, NASB information , SRI, organizations and departments data, directories, reports, monographies, etc. 2. Methods and means of realization of information maintenance. First of all it is preparation means and input of the in-coming information, running and management of databases, preparation, input, storage and distribution of the cartographical and other information on inquiries of the users, realization of functional EGIS tasks, information support of acceptance of the administrative decisions, etc. 3. EGIS information base is the basic component of information maintenance, consisting of eleven subject databases: ground, water, bowels of the earth, animal world, flora, legislative regulations and the cartographical information, environmental pollution and so on. Each database can function in an independent mode in the structure of an allocated database and at centralized storage in the structure of a polysubject integrated multitarget database (PIMD) for realization of all information requirements -nature management and nature protective activity in the Republic of Belarus.

Kuznetsov G. P., Mikutsky V.S., Pugatshevsky A.V.
Modelling of timber stands dynamics for evaluation of the anthropogenic activity effect. pp. 61--68

Summary: Ecological and economic evaluation of the consequences of economic activity on a state on one of major natural resources -- forests -- requires a skill to predict dynamics of its development for many years ahead. A mathematical modeling is the most acceptable method for this kind of forecast. This article gives a brief review of the existing approaches to dynamics modeling. These approaches can be divided into three groups: a) models without space averaging (each tree has characteristics and coordinates and its own growth dynamics accordingly); b) models with an intermediate degree of averaging (the trees are considered irrespective of space arrangement); c) models with a maximum degree of averaging (this class considers strength of population and subpopulation models). Formalization and realization features of specified three classes models are given with a different degree of detailization. Special attention is given to so-called gap-models -- models of a second group, being developed by the authors. Gap-models which use classes of tree heights are considered especially. An averaging degree is increased here via transition from the consideration of an individual tree to the consideration of a hight class it belongs to. Calculations have shown that such averaging does not worsen its prognostic qualifies despite a model simplification. Development of a specified model for timber stand dynamics taking into consideration the external effects of both antropogenic and natural character. External effects are parameterized with the help of appropriate functional factors in equations of the model. Various types of cutting can belong to such effects as well as climatic changes. The growth area of trees is represented as a set of elementary sites, where dynamics of resumption and growth is described by three submodels: models of seed and vegetative resumption, population model of advance growth and gap-model of timber stands. The interaction of trees from different sites is carried out through seed resumption and light shading by adjacent sites. The representation of the growth area of trees via decomposition to elementary sites will allow to investigate various effects on a forests on a system level and to predict their state for many years ahead.

Protected Objects of Nature

Summary: The investigation was carried out in five bogs, that distinguished by the level of soil water and the type of plant associations. Almost 16 species of vascular plants, sphagnum and green mosses, lichens composed the bogs cover. Only five plant species are common for all the bogs. Eriophorum vaginatum L. (projecting cover 27.1 -- 77.6%), Ledum palustre L. (18.9 -- 52.9%), Vaccinium uliginosum L. (6.3 -- 34.4%), Oxycoccus palustris Pers. (5.8 -- 43.5%) prevailed on all the bogs. Gigromesophitoes dominated an all the bogs (25.6 -- 66.7% of species and common projecting cover 60.2 -- 87.7%). Mesogigrophitoes or the wet soils plants compose the main part of shrub associations. Bogs flora includes mainly the species of acid and strong acid soils. Hypoheliophytoes prevail on all bogs. In common, it needs to say, that composition of Eriophorioso-sphagnosum phytocenosys is poor. The maximum of diversity was found in shrub associations. Eriophorioso-ledosum bogs are characterize by the decrease of the number of species, and the decrease of a part of bog plants and appearing of shade-requiring plants. It shows, that typical forest community is forming here.

Tanovitski I.G., Selivonchik T.V., Molokova N V.
Organization of the environmental protection of the territories and objects in river basins. pp. 74--77

Summary: A differenciated system of protected territories and natural objects is being created to help find solutions for the problems of environmental stabilization in the conditions of raised anthropogenic pressure. It includes territories and objects on three levels, which differ in their functional purposes. status, criteria of allocation and sizes. The first level includes protected territories of republican and local importance -- national parks, reserves and other territories and objects. The second level includes territorial apportionment's, intended for stabilization of the ecological conditions in anthropogenically affected territories. These are landscape ecological niches, migratory ways. protected coastal strips, the dividing strips and other for organization of which both natural and transformed sites of natural territorial complexes are used. The third level includes the objects preservation of which is stipulated for by the regulations of designing of various objects of economic purpose. The protection of the territories and objects of the second level will be organized according to a principle of nature protection out of the protected territories. For organization of the second level objects natural complexes of various conditions or broken grounds excluded from economic circulation and intended for renaturalization will be used. The protection of the territories and objects of the second level present a link between the territories and objects of the first and the third levels in natural protection system organization. At system engineering natural protection of territories and objects as initial natural territorial unit is applied basin of the river, being rather independent zonal geographical system. As an initial natural territorial unit of a system of the protected territories and objects we use a river basin, which presents a relatively autonomous zonal geographic system.

Problems of the Naroch lake resort and recreational region development

Leschilovskaya E.K., Matveyenko I.I.
Hydrochernical monitoring of the Naroch lake. pp. 86--88

Yurgenson N.A., Baranets G.G.
Organizational and law aspects of the protection and rational use of the valuable natural complexes on the example of the Naroch lake region. pp. 89--93

Sidorenko O.N.
Perspectives of creation of the "Narochanski" national park. pp. 93--95

Osapenya A.
Present ecological condition of the Naroch lake. pp. 95--102

Schislenok V.N.
The condition of water resources of the Naroch resort and recreational region. pp. 102--103

Golod D.S.
Ecological condition of the forests of the Naroch lake basin. pp. 103--107

Kolosovski B.S.
Sanitary and epidemiological characteristics of the Naroch lake recreational area and primary tasks of its sanitation. pp. 107--111

Prokopchik P.D
About the work of the Ministry of ogricultire and food on the sanotation of the situation of the Narochanskie lakes area. pp. 111--113

Yakushko O.F.
The Naroch lake, the present and the future. pp. 113--116

Chronicle

Persons Information and Anniversaries

Ivan Ivanovich Lishtvan is 65. pp. 121--124
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