Bolotova N.L. Problems of preservation of northern aquatic ecosystems: natural and legislative aspects

Vologda State University, Vologda, Russia
bolotova@vologda.ru

The preservation of northern aquatic ecosystems is the actual problem owing to their particular vulnerability to human impacts. Historical cause long-term exploitation of aquatic ecosystems was the northern territories development of human through waterways with the establishment of settlements on them. Currently, most rapidly transformed shallow water bodies, and deterioration of the aquatic environment causes the decrease in biodiversity, loss of habitat values. The changes affect the aquatic ecosystem as a whole, and local efforts to preserve rare species in certain habitats are ineffective. Moreover, hydrological networks of geographical areas are connected on the European part of Russia by main transport waterways, and the consequence is the formation of invasive corridors and additional threat to biodiversity.
Natural features of water bodies make it difficult to their inclusion in the network of protected areas because of the length of rivers and catchment areas of lakes. Through catchment ensured by close connection of water bodies and terrestrial ecosystems, is therefore necessary to use a systems approach to the development of a network of protected areas. At the same time the network of protected areas in the Northwest was founded on the concept of preservation of the landscapes of taiga forests without considering the principle of the conservation of biodiversity in the water basins. Creating landscape reserves and the protection of valuable biotopes can save only a part of water areas or coastal habitats. The idea of ecological corridors and ecological carcass corresponds to the system principle for the development of local networks of protected areas, but are perspective only for terrestrial areas.
The consequence of the diversity of interests and contradictions natural resource users is to strengthen lobbying against the creation of protected areas on aquatic ecosystems. The item in the Water Code relating to the possibility of building in the territories of water protection zones has far-reaching negative consequences, taking into account the rapid development of cottage construction. Another result of this legislative initiative is the emergence of the following obstacles to the creation of protected areas on the water bodies, including increased social tension. The cluster approach and zoning of the water area having different regimes using in protected areas is one of the ways to resolve conflict situations.