CONSERVATION OF RUSSIAN ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY

Russian Arctic represents the most typical landscapes of high latitudes: forest-tundra; tundra zone (with subzones of southern, typical and Arctic tundra), and the polar deserts zone. All types and variants of ecosystems, soils, and phytocenoses characteristic for the Arctic region as a whole are represented there. Recently the role of anthropogenic variants of tundra and meadows has also increased noticeably. There is up to 80% of all circumpolar biodiversity within terrestrial and water areas of the Russian sector of Arctic regions. Therefore the ecological projects directed on studying, preservation and sustainable use of biological resources in the Russian Arctic might be considered representative for the whole circumpolar area. The organization of several large reserves with a strict regime of protection is necessary for preservation of unique biodiversity of this region. The development of areas of traditional wildlife management could solve both ethnocultural and ecological problems, including the conservation of terrestrial Arctic biota.

ABSTRACT.Russian Arctic represents the most typical landscapes of high latitudes: forest-tundra; tundra zone (with subzones of southern, typical and Arctic tundra), and the polar deserts zone.All types and variants of ecosystems, soils, and phytocenoses characteristic for the Arctic region as a whole are represented there.Recently the role of anthropogenic variants of tundra and meadows has also increased noticeably.There is up to 80% of all circumpolar biodiversity within terrestrial and water areas of the Russian sector of Arctic regions.Therefore the ecological projects directed on studying, preservation and sustainable use of biological resources in the Russian Arctic might be considered representative for the whole circumpolar area.The organization of several large reserves with a strict regime of protection is necessary for preservation of unique biodiversity of this region.The development of areas of traditional wildlife management could solve both ethnocultural and ecological problems, including the conservation of terrestrial Arctic biota.
KEY WORDS: biodiversity, terrestrial ecosystems, conservation, Arctic, tundra, major factors influencing, nature protected areas

INTRODUCTION
Russian Arctic regions area is about 21,2 million km 2 .Herewith the land accounts for nearby 7,2 million km 2 .It is presented by the most typical landscapes of high latitudes: forest-tundra; tundra zone with subzones of Southern, typical and Arctic tundra; and the polar deserts zone.All characteristic for Arctic region types and variants of ecosystems, soils, and phytocenosis are represented there.In massif masses of these and other natural zones are presented altitudinal zonality variants of tundra and polar deserts: oro-tundra and oro-polar-desert landscapes, and also lithic aggregations on different rocks.Among intrazonal landscapes lowland complexes of Northern rivers, flowing mainly from the South to the North and serving as specific ecological corridors for progression by more Southern boreal flora and fauna to Arctic regions, constitute the main expansion.Here specific landscapes with brushwood and wood fragments (willow-shrubs, dwarf birches, poplar, chosenia), and also grasslands of lowland bogs and aggregations of inflated alluvial sands are present.
The role of Arctic bogs, among which such types as coastal salted and deltaic marches, cotton-grass-sedgy, sedgy-dupontia mineral bogs, sedgy hummocky, sphagnum-hypnum knolly, polygonal, bolsterious, and hillocky bogs are widespread, is rather significant.Last years the role of anthropogenic variants of tundra and meadows has also noticeably increased ("greening tundra" processes).species of modern Earth biota, but total representation of actually Arctic biota, apparently, should be within the limits of 0,6-0,7% [Chernov, 2004;Tishkov, 2009].About half of species richness of Arctic biota falls at the share of animals.From 6 up to 7 thousand of them are land species (however in many groups the division on water and land and also on fresh-water and sea species is rather conditional).Half of land animal species are insects, which share constitutes about 16% of all biota of Arctic regions.The relative species variety of animals in Arctic regions is considerably lower, than on the Earth as a whole.The share of animals in world biota as whole, by different estimations, constitutes about 75%, and the share of insects is not less than 50%.In most cases it is possible to explain distinctions in relative variety rather correctly, proceeding from features of biology of corresponding groups of organisms.Yu.I.Chernov [1978,2002] has showed that in the Arctic biota the share of the groups borrowing rather low evolutionary-phylogenetic level raises.In flora of Arctic regions there are about 2300 species of vascular plants (0,8% of their world variety), 900 of bryophytes (3,6%) and 2000 of lichens (11,7%).The given series of abundance certainly shows the increase of tolerance of primitive forms to thermal climatic pessimum and correspond to our conceptualizations about advantages of tolerant adaptive strategy in high latitudes and about decrease in a share of the most progressive taxonomic units, making a basis of a biodiversity of the Earth, in the Arctic biota [Chernov, 2004].Also the comparison of relative species wealth of 3 groups of animals, mastered high latitudes most successfully serves as one more telling argument to it.The fauna of insects of Arctic regions makes only 0,3% of this taxonomic unit on a global scale (Table 1), a variety of the fishes obviously less dependent on the climate is about 2,0%, and the diversity of birds, leaving high latitudes in the winter is 2,8% [Chernov, 1995[Chernov, , 1999[Chernov, , 2004[Chernov, , 2003[Chernov, , 2005;;Chernov et al., 2000aChernov et al., , 2000b]].
Russian researches on typology and zone structure of vegetative cover and animal population, climatic gradients

MAJOR FACTORS INFLUENCING THE STATE OF TERRESTRIAL BIOTA AND ECOSYSTEMS
Landscapes and biological variety of Arctic regions in comparison with both Western and Central Europe, and Southeast Asia were kept much better.However their active degradation occurs, despite of spot character of anthropogenic infringements, which consequence becomes destruction of soil-vegetation cover, thermo-erosion, fragmentation of habitats of the arctic fauna, replacement of natural vegetation by its derivative forms, decrease in number of rare species, etc.All this occurs on a background of enough deep natural changes, which are consequence of global and regional reorganizations of climate, changes in atmosphere circulation and of World Ocean level, of tectonic movements.All of these also lead to changes in number and distribution of species of Arctic biota, to displaying of its new qualities and regularities of dynamics.
Among the major factors influencing a modern condition of biota and ecosystems of Russian Arctic regions it is possible now to allot: natural global and regional climate change of -Arctic regions, expressed in increase of duration of vegetative period (for plants), of nesting period (for birds), of warm season (for invertebrates) and so forth, and leading in some areas to north of forest boundary, to active expansion of several plants' , mammals' , and birds' species realms, to change of their migration ways, to introduction of alien species and so forth; the transformation of climatic conditions for terrestrial biota (growth of climatic anomalies frequency: winter thawing weather; summer freezings; growth of amount of precipitations, including snow; and so forth), caused by changes in circulation of atmosphere and in oceanic currents, that leads to mass mortality of several populations (for example, of reindeer at formation of an ice crust in the winter or at return of colds at fawning) or, on the contrary, to favorable conditions for opening of Arctic territories by boreal species (for example, of forest tundra and southern tundra by brown bear); active neotectonic processes expressed in several cases in modern land raising and formation of its new areas for settling by biota (formation of new, growth and closure of old islands; formation of sea terraces and marsh surfaces; and so forth); anthropogenic global, regional and local environmental pollution -tropospheric transmission, emissions from impact sources, emergency oil pollutions and oil spills, and so forth, capable to transform a vegetative cover and the animal population of several territories, to include polluting substances in food circuits, and to lead to accumulation of pollutants in organisms of the highest order consumers (predatory mammals, birds and fishes, etc.); mechanical alterations of a soil-vegetative cover as the result of not restricted transport movement, construction activities, carrying out of geological prospecting, and so forth, leading to ecosystems fragmentation, to formation of semi-natural and artificial habitats and to their settling by undesirable plants; destruction of a vegetative cover as the result of domestic deer excessive grazing and infringement of traditional norms and places of grazing; poaching and not regulated use of biological resources reducing their stocks, including in borders of ethno-economic areas; introduction adventitious species of plants, opening of new habitats by them, that balks the restoration of initial vegetation; premeditated and undevised introduction of alien species (except for reacclimatization of the musk ox) in Arctic ecosystems, capable to cause regional ecological crisis.
Before the estimation of the role of factors influencing the modern condition of Russian Arctic regions biodiversity, we shall check on some conceptual problems of its stability.

PRINCIPAL PARAMETERS OF ARCTIC BIOTA AND ECOSYSTEMS STABILITY
The problem of biodiversity conservation for Russian Arctic regions with their rather poor biota structure and exclusive "sensitivity" of ecosystems to various anthropogenic influences have the prior value.
First, unlike for ecosystems of more southern regions, the limited set of dominants and large-populated species of plants and animals for Arctic regions, their deeper differentiation on functions in an ecosystem, and weakening due to it of competitive attitudes between species for resources is characteristic.Destruction of a specie or reduction of its populations' number entails significant reorganization of all food circuits and of ecosystem as a whole.
Secondly, restoration after natural and anthropogenic violations of soils, permafrost conditions, vegetation, and animal population comes rather long.Here deficiency of local flora and fauna species, capable to participate in ecosystems restoration is observed.Namely for this reason new weed plants insinuate so fast and borrow anthropogenic habitats, and the fauna complex of northern cities and settlements becomes for short term completely synanthropic.
Thirdly, the period of active functioning of Arctic ecosystems in an annual cycle is very small, from 2 to 3 months.Animals-migrants (basically -birds among which there many rare species) spend the most part of an annual cycle outside of Arctic regions.Planning of actions on preservation and restoration of their number demands association of inter-regional and international efforts -as a matter of fact, the centralized and joint actions with other northern countries.
According to it, among most acute problems of the estimation of stability of terrestrial biodiversity and natural ecosystems during ecosystem exploitation of Russian Arctic regions it is possible to detach: Ob-Taz and Pyasina-Yenisei watershed areas, Norilsk surroundings, areas of diamond mining development in northern Yakutia, Chukchi tundra have turned out to be under the threat of transformation and even disappearance.Last decades here the centers of economic development have became essentially larger, their merging is observed in some places, initially due to communications and their arrangement, and then due to expansion of industrial zones and settlements themselves.
3. The transitive national economy, transfer of leadership in nature protection activity in the North from the state to managing subjects, some separatism of northern territories, and also growth of unemployment and poverty of the population of the separate regions which have been not borrowed in extracting branches, have led to that the state control over a biota condition and biological resources using become loose in Russian Arctic regions.Such kinds of infringements, as pollution of atmosphere, reservoirs and soils; transport irregularities; uncontrolled above-level expansion of the areas of land allotments for the construction of settlements, industrial targets and linear constructions; poaching have got extensive development.
4. Regulatory and legal framework and government administration of protection of flora and fauna and of use of biological resources of Russian Arctic regions do not meet the requirements of market economy as the main expenditures connected with decrease in "the negative rent of position" in natural, financial (including rental) and human capitals in Arctic regions still the state bears (these are features of northern policy of exploitation of natural resources).Subjects of management have appeared in different (often contrast) conditions concerning reproduction of resources, operational expenses (including nature protection), social charges, and so forth.Forces of smoothing of this factitious differentiation practically are absent for the state.Many-subjectness of resource using in Russian Arctic regions has not led to expected increase of efficiency of managing.That affects the ecosystem condition.
5. Arctic biota is especially sensitive to chemical pollution that is determined by prevalence of sporous plants on biomass and species diversity.The algae, lichens, liverworts and mosses have no developed conducting system, so they accumulate non-selectively polluting substances.In this feature, the polar deserts, tundra and foresttundra have similarity to sphagnum bogs.The share of sporous plants in production of phytomass in these ecosystems may reach 70-90%.Mosses and lichens drop out specifically first from ecosystems in zones of industrial emissions influence and along the routs of caterpillar transport unregulated movement.This causes marked practically with nobody pauperization of floristic variety and disappearance of unique ecosystems with domination of lichens.Food circuits of Arctic regions are predisposed to intensive accumulation of polluting substances at tops of a trophic pyramid -at predatory birds, mammals and fishes.In conditions when it is evidenced in Arctic regions not only local pollution, but also global fall-out of polluting substances, such feature of the biota strengthens negative consequences for ecosystems themselves and for their food circuits, regularly ending with human beings.
The preservation of Arctic biota and ecosystems is of especially great significance for the following reasons.First, Arctic ecosystems are greatly fragile and extremely vulnerable towards anthropogenic influence.Secondly, ecosystems of Arctic zone have no "withdrawal routes" in case of sharp intracenturial warming, as the zone gradient is broken by Ocean, and refugia character is not characteristic for tundra distribution, so they may lose irreversibly a part of biota.Thirdly, changes in terrestrial Arctic ecosystems themselves may make, in turn, profound effect on global processes, such as atmospheric and oceanic circulation, global warming, the ozone layer condition, and others.Fourthly, seaside character of Arctic ecosystems organization directs them towards transit functioning and dependence on carrying of substance and energy between land and ocean, and high-altitude position defines presence of sharp and disproportionate seasonality of functioning (the greater period of year they function without summery biota).Fifthly, for Arctic regions as a whole it is peculiar exclusive synergism of influences of natural and anthropogenic changes of the environment, capable to cause "cascade" effect and strengthening of consequences on area, on variety of transformed components, and on the depth of changes.Sixthly, in more southern regions some of anthropogenic factors operating in Arctic regions have natural analogues (fires, windfall, water erosion, intensive ranging and so forth) and, accordingly, mechanisms of stability to them of zonal ecosystems, while Arctic ecosystems are practically deprived of it.
It is possible to consider as the major integrated causes defining stability and instability of Arctic ecosystems the following: 1.The low level of biodiversity, restrictions in "changeability" of plants and animals species, their weak resistibility to "new" forms of influences (anthropogenic).
2. Exclusive vulnerability and susceptibility of ecosystems to the chemical pollution, caused by prevalence in the biota structure of sporous plants (algae, lichens, mosses) non-selectively adsorbing polluting substances, and also the low temperatures hindering the fast autopurification.
3. Sharp seasonality of functioning, brevity of the vegetative period, prevalence of migrating species (seals, walrus, whales, polar bear, polar fox, reindeer; sea, water and predatory birds) in structure of the animal population, suffering negative influence on all way of migration and wintering.
4. Low rates of biota and soils self-restoration after infringements (a patch of tundra is restored several hundreds years after mechanical destruction), connected with deficiency of plants species of pioneer stages, the slowed processes of soil formation, low availability of biogenic substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.) to plants in cold conditions.
5. Presence of permafrost, their "mobility" at transformation, growth of thermoerosion, solifluction and other cryogenic processes involving new areas of ground after a local infringement of soil-vegetative cover integrity.
6. Openness of broken ecosystems and new anthropogenic habitats for colonization of alien species.Native species possess low competitiveness on these habitats, therefore across all Arctic regions anthropogenic tundra-meadow ecosystems with prevalence of strangers are formed, which restoration up to the natural condition in foreseeable prospect is of low probability.
All the listed integrated parameters of stability/instability of Arctic ecosystems have quantitative expressions, may become involved into models of modern clymatogenic and anthropogenic dynamics of Arctic ecosystems, and, as the main thing, should be considered during development of strategy and system of actions on environment protection and sustainable development of the region.

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC REGIONS: POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AND ACTUAL PROBLEMS
Protection of rare ecosystems and rare species of Arctic regions.Human activity in Arctic regions, if not regulated, is capable to transform in a short term the high living circumpolar belt into a monotonous "gray-brown technogenic desert" as it is observed around of Norilsk, Monchegorsk, etc.But whilst in the majority of regions this process has not accepted wide scales and there is an opportunity for stabilization of conditions.At the same time, the problem of preservation rare and unique ecosystems of Arctic regions is faced to us rather sharply.These ecosystems form the basis of cenofund and serve as habitats for a greater part of biota.Occupying the area no more than 5-10%, these ecosystems bear the major load on preservation of biodiversity high level in regions, remaining some kind of refuges for the bulk of plants and animals.
Let us list the basic types of rare and unique Arctic ecosystems, requiring in special territorial protection:

Meadows inside polar deserts and
Arctic tundra on islands and along the coast of Northern Ocean.They are formed in conditions of a favorable exposition on naturally rich zoogenic earths.Ecosystems of Silent Bay on Franz Josef Land (coastal sites of the south of Severnaya Zemlya may serve here as examples).On Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev island, the western coast of Yamal, along northern coast of Gulf of Ob, in vicinities of polar stations and in other regions these ecosystems have appeared broken.

Ornithogenic meadows on decline under the bird colonies of High Arctic regions.
In conditions of sufficiency of a nitric and phosphoric feed in tundras and in stony habitats rich in herbs grass aggregations are formed, which serve as a refuge for many more southern plants and animals species.At the same time after the termination of existence of the rookeries these meadows disappear within several years.Therefore the basic problem of their preservation is protection of sea birds colonies.Literally in last 40-50 years there was an essential pauperization of structure and disappearance of many birds' colonies on islands of Murman, on Novaya Zemlya, on other islands and on Northern Ocean coast.Transformation of high latitudes eutrophic meadow vegetation and loss of some kinds from regional florae became a consequence of it.

Marches and seaside saline meadows.
These rather small on the occupied area ecosystems have great value in formation of a coastal strip landscapes.Marches represent pioneer stages of Arctic ecosystems halophytic succession, stop erosive processes at sea coast and, as the main thing, serve as places of a congestion of migrating birds: geese, eiders, brants, ducks, and graybacks.Full degradation of these экосистем in areas of economic development and near polar settlements stimulates processes of coast destruction.

Vegetative communities of original bold shores of northern rivers ("Yars").
They are various according to structure, but they are united by position in a relief, easing of freeze-and-thaw processes influence, presence of light grounds, and favorable mode of snow accumulation.Shrubberies, brushwoods, tundra meadows, fragments of tundra vegetation on sites where the snow is practically blown off in the winter make here a cover basis.For many of Arctic regions there is the highest level of biodiversity in these habitats.Active animal migrations and the facts of "southern species" penetration to northern latitudes during their areal expansion are marked here.Long years the rivers served as practically unique transport arteries for the development of Arctic regions, but the rivers bold shores kept their positions.With technological expansion, river transport enlargement and intensive use of winter roads along the rivers it became obvious, that these unique ecosystems are vulnerable to transport infringements, wave-beating and to any mechanical damages of the vegetative cover.Now there are in especially dangerous condition some coastal ecosystems of Pechora, Usa and their inflows, the rivers of Lower Ob and Southern Yamal, Ob-Taz interfluve, western Taimyr (Pyasina, first of all), Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma, etc.The sharpest forms of influence on these ecosystems has become: transportation of large barges during the spring high water, forcing of water barriers by caterpillar transport, a lining of winter roads along-shore ignoring erosion-hazard, river crossing by gas and oil pipelines, extraction of gravel in tundra rivers.Scales of these infringements and their consequences for the biodiversity are so great, that demand special discussion.

Inundated scrubs.
They are the important element of tundras landscape.Historically, they were intensively exploited by local population: cut down on fuel and for other purposes.In a number of regions inundated scrubs have disappeared (Taimyr peninsula, Northern Yakutia, Chukotka), and in some others they were kept only as relicts of the forest-tundra landscape.

Iinundated woods and brushwoods of tundra zone.
Inundated willow-shrubs (poplar stands and chosenia woods in the East) come highly into Arctic along Pechora, rivers of lower reaches of Ob and Yenisei, Pyasina, Yana, Kolyma, Indigirka, Anadyr and Amguema.They played the important role in the local population life as suppliers of fuel and building materials, as shelter places during seasonal migrations for indigenous population.Practically all survived areas of inundated woods and brushwoods demand preservation and special regulations on use.

7.
Northern bound forests.Among these also relict woodland ecosystems in the zone of relative treelessness survived after destruction by humans are.Practically along the entire tundra zone belt from Kola Peninsula up to Chukotka the strip of near-the-tundra woods and properly foresttundra are allocated.On Northeast they are presented by open forests of cold mountains of Cherskyi Range, Verkhoyanskyi range, etc.But everywhere a role of northern exclave of woodlands in landscape, in formation of microclimatic conditions, in stabilization of freeze-and-thaw actions, and, certainly, in a life of northern people was and remains rather important.They have lost about half of area in the course of economic development of the North during last centuries.Now they occupy nearby 450 thousand km 2 (earlier, by our estimations, nearby 1 million km 2 ) and are fallen to the forests of the first group according to the Forestry Code of 2001.However the legally provided measures are obviously not enough for preservation of this unique circumpolar strip of ecosystems.On Kola Peninsula survived islets of birch crook forest in a valley of Ponoy River and spruce forests on Turiy Cape draw special attention.On the European North there are many unique wood sites on northern bound on the rivers of Cheshskaya Bay, on Timan, in lower reaches of Pechora.Southern Yamal, Taz and south of Gydan peninsulas constitute, for all intents and purposes, a strip of island near-tundra woods, which preservation and restoration is the exclusive mean of stabilization of environmental situation in the region.Creation on Taimyr of sole in the country conservancy areas in forest-tundra (branches of Tajmyrsky Reserve: Ary-Mas and Lukun) does not solve the problem of woods conservation on their northern bound.On the north of Yakutia (unique Tit-Ary wood-island in lower reaches of Lena and a grove on Uhunku river) and on Chukotka grazing, fires and cutting have played a great role in transformations of larch forests and other woods.Now here islets of larch, poplar, chosenia, Cajander birch are presented, and there are no territories, where current conditions of protection would allow these woods to be kept and restored with confidence.The lack of developed system of protected natural territories along the strip of neartundra woods is the main cause of their proceeding destruction in areas of new development in Timan-Pechora region, on Southern Yamal, in Ob-Taz interfluve, etc.

Relic steppes and steppificated extents within Yakutiya and Chukotka sectors of
Arctic.This specific phenomenon of Russian Arctic Regions significantly enriches its biodiversity due to a lot of steppe forms of plants (Stipa, Festuca, Artemisia and so forth).These ecosystems are essentially transformed in connection with their involving to agricultural use, grazing of reindeers and frequent fires.Examples of their active territorial protection are not present.

Unique Arctic ecosystems, formed on outputs of limestone and stony substrata.
Usually here biodiversity increases becouse hier is presented a lot stenotopic plsnt species.Each of such sites demands attention and preservation.As well as for typical relic communities, opportunities of restoration for calciphilous and petrophilous biomes of Arctic regions practically not present.Therefore, it is recommended duly inventory of these ecosystems and their inclusion into the system of protected natural territories.

Inundated and deltaic complexes of the
Arctic rivers generated in conditions of thaw zones (absence of a frozen ground), with well warmed-up shallow reservoirs, fragments of rich in herbs grass meadow vegetation and scrublands.These habitats are optimal for nesting of waterfowls, including rare and disappearing, spawning of salmons and whitefishes.

Ecosystems of mountain and highlands
on tundra plains, which differ in tessellation of habitats, in presence of relic and endemic flora and fauna, in fragments of extrazonal vegetation on southern and northern slopes, and in elements of altitudinal zonality.
Often here unique conditions are created for snow accumulation and, accordingly, for encroachment of vegetation of more southern natural zones.Territorial protection of such sites in Malozemelskaya and Bolshrzemelskaya tundra, on Kolguev Island, on Yamal, Gydan and Taimyr peninsulas,

CONCLUSION
The situation in tundra areas of Northeast Siberia, including on Chukotka, shows in relief, that reserve management and studies in our Arctic regions as a matter of fact is in embryo, and its prospects are not clear [Tishkov, 2006].The region is unique concerning biogeographical attitude, not only due to relic features of biota, but also owing to "condensation" of modern localities borders for many species of Eurasian and American distribution.Unique botanical objects: sites of enhanced species wealth; habitats of straight endemic plant forms; relic vegetative communities, tundra steppes in particular, are widely presented here.
Meanwhile there is only one functioning large reserve, "Wrangell Island", and somewhat regional SPNA in this region, comparable with all European part of Russia on the area.The organization of several large reserves is necessary for preservation of unique variety of flora of this region with a strict regime of protection.
It is necessary to recognize also not less actual the expansion of actions on ecological restoration of broken vegetative cover, development of system of native flora nurseries for sowing and planting materials for rehabilitation of Arctic broken earths.
Rather perspective for Arctic regions can become the introduction of the concept of the territories reservation for development of the SPNA system.
Concerning omissions in practice of territorial protection of Arctic biota and ecosystems let us note the following: 1.It is necessary to conduct large-scale reservation of the areas in the Arctic regions for creation of different SPNA forms as a preventive and compensatory measure during the new territories development.Their share should make, apparently, not less than 20-30% from the area of the Arctic subjects of the Russian Federation.It is desirable to establish on them the special managing regime to exclude ecologically dangerous forms of economic activities.At the announcement on a legislative basis of all Russian Arctic regions as "the zone of a special by ecological criteria managing regime" the necessity in so largescale reserving of Arctic ecosystems disappears.

Table 1 . Global biodiversity of the Earth and estimation of a share in it of the basic groups of terrestrial biota in regions of Russian Arctic [Global biodiversity, 2000; Chernov, 1999, 2004; Tishkov, 2006, 2009] World Phylum Number of species known to the science: on the Earth/in Arctic regions Estimation of a share of the Russian Arctic regions biota in the structure of specifi c taxonomic units, %
[Tishkov, 1996] 80% of all circumpolar biodiversity in territories and water areas of the Russian sector of Arctic regions.Therefore the ecological projects directed on studying, preservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity and biological resources in the Russian Arctic regions might be considered as representative for all circumpolar area.asfollows:mushrooms-3000,algae -2000, lichens -1 660, vascular plants -2300, protozoa -1500, invertebrates -13 000.Animals constitute almost 60% of Arctic biota; approximately 6000 of them are terrestrials[Chernov, 2004; Tishkov, 2009].About the same variety is characteristic also for sea fauna of the Russian sector of Arctic regions.ideae,Empetrumnigrum), Cyperaceae and Poaceae are widely presented.The flora of mosses is exclusively rich (up to 150-200 spe cies in several points).The local flora of vascular plants increases more than in 2 times in comparison with previous biome and makes 250-300 species on 100 km 2[Tishkov, 1996].The fauna of vertebrates increases also in times -up to 70-100 species of birds and about 20-25 species of mammals in several geographical points.Falcons (Falco rusticolus, F. peregrinus), swans (Cygnus bewickii), geese (Anser erythropus), and brants (Rufibrenta ruficollis), which number in some of regions falls because of conditions of wintering in more southern regions and hunting during the spring period are among rare species of special interest.Biota of subarctic tundra of the European Russia is protected only in Lappish reserve (Kola Peninsula), in the Asian Russia -in Nenets, Taimyr, Putorana (mountain tundra of Taimyr), Ust Lenski reserves, in Bering natural park, and in some federal wildlife refuges (Nenets, Murmansk (tundra), Tuloma, Severozemelski, Pur, Swan, Kunovatski, Nadym, Lower Ob).

Table 2 . The parameters of biodiversity of polar deserts, tundra and forest-tundra on nature protected areas of Russian Arctic [Tishkov, 2006], number of species* NN Reserves and national parks* Thou- sandha Year of creation Number of species
Russian Arctic regions SPNA system has shown the presence of many lacks and low efficiency concerning territorial protection of biodiversity and ecosystems and omissions concerning representativity of operating Arctic SPNA system of Russia.It is on short notice necessary the creation of reserves in following regions: on Belomorsk coast of Kola Peninsula, on Kanin Peninsula in places of waterfowl congestion, on Kolguev Island, on Novaya Zemlya (Gulfs of Bezymyannaya, Arkhangelsk and Gribovaya, Goose Earth Peninsula), in Polar Urals Mountains, on Middle and South Yamal, at the Arctic coast between delta of Lena and delta of Kolyma, on Novosibirsk Islands, and on Chukchi Peninsula.The present conditions in development Arctic SPNA (low representation, weak efficiency in preservation of biota, absence of eco-tourism prospects), unfortunately, cannot be solved by pure mechanical increment of quantity and area of SPNA included in plans of perspective development of federal network of SPNA.Creation in all russian Arctic regions large national parks -"Russian Arctic" (2009) and "Beringia" (in near future) is obviously not enough for becoming in this region of mass high-latitude extreme, ecologic-cognitive and cruise tourism as it is developed in North American Arctic regions and on Spitsbergen.Absence in many large regions of reserves as base points for ecological monitoring of biota status in Arctic does not still allow to judge about natural and anthropogenic trends in the dynamics of terrestrial biota.Wide development of poaching and real decrease in stocks of resources of terrestrial fauna in a number of large areas of Arctic is connected in many respects with absence of a rational network of wildlife refuges, keeping populations of commercial fauna.As a matter of fact, has not been downright created any territory of traditional wildlife management which could solve not only ethno-cultural, but also ecological problems, including on preservation terrestrial Arctic biota under the conditions of traditional managing of Northern native minorities.