1. Introduction. 2. Survey of previous work

Transcription

1 The Rufford Small Grants Foundation Conservation action plan for Threatened Bats of the UNESCO World Heritage Territory Western Caucasus Final Report Prepared by S.V. Gazaryan Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories, Russian Academy of Science

2 1 Contents Introduction Survey of previous work Fieldwork Winter fieldwork Summer fieldwork Status of individual species Key habitats Major threats for the bats of the World Heritage Western Caucasus Logging Infrastructure development Disturbance Educational activity Discussions and presentations of Project s results Publications Main outputs Future developments Summary 14 Abbreviations. 15

3 2 1. Introduction The UNESCO World Heritage «Western Caucasus» (WH) was established in 1999 and includes one of the few large mountain areas of Europe that hasn t experienced significant human impact and keeps a remarkable diversity of geology, ecosystems and species. This territory is also the most significant in Russia for the conservation of threatened woodland and cave-dwelling bat species. Nevertheless, the data on distribution, abundance and key habitats of bats in the WH is scarce. All conservational efforts from the side of governmental structures will be inefficient before they hadn t clear evidence which species is really threatened in the WH and how it could be best protected. From other hand, newly obtained data on the status of some bat species in the WH could change their conservational status in the Red List of Russia and even in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Main objectives of the Project are: conduct bat survey for the WH and adjacent territory, with special attention to caves and areas that are attractive for tourists and cavers assess status of individual species in IUCN categories applied in the regional level prepare and disseminate Conservation Action Plan with direct recommendations for threatened species of the WH increase the public awareness of the problem of bat conservation, focused on groups and communities that have major impact on bats 2. Survey of previous work We summarized all of the earlier data about the bats of the WH and surrounded territory, including the Sochi National Park (SNP). Besides literature sources, we surveyed zoological collections of following institutions: 1. Zoological Museum of Moscow State University 2. State Darwin s Museum (Moscow) 3. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Science (St. Petersburg) 4. Sibirian Zoological Museum (Novosibirsk) 5. National Museum of Natural History of the Ukraine (Kiev) 6. Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories (Nalchik) 7. Georgian State Museum (Tbilisi) 8. Rostov-on-Don University Twenty four bat species occurred in 48 localities at the WH and adjacent area between 1908 and 2005 (Picture 1). Only 10 known localities of bat records situated directly in the WH and 19 bat species had been found there (Table 1).

4 Table 1. List of bat species of the studied area and their conservation status 3 Species Date of first record in WH* Number of records in the WH Date of first record in adjacent area* Number of records in adjacent territory Global status (IUCN Red List 2006) Regional status** (Red Data List of the KT, 2006) 1. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum July LR/nt EN A2a 2. R. hipposideros July LC NT 3. R. euryale - - Summer VU A2c RE 4. Myotis blythii LR/lc NT 5. M. bechsteinii VU A2c VU A2c 6. M. emarginatus VU A2c EN A2a 7. M. mystacinus Summer LR/lc NT 8. M. brandtii Summer Before LR/lc NT 9. M. daubentonii LR/lc LC 10. M. nattereri July LR/lc NT 11. M. dasycneme VU A2c DD 12. Pipistrellus Summer LC LC pipistrellus 13. P. pygmaeus NE LC 14. P. kuhlii LC LC 15. P. nathusii LR/lc LC 16. Hypsugo savii LR/lc DD 17. Eptesicus LR/lc LC serotinus 18. Vespertilio August LR/lc LC murinus 19. Nyctalus leisleri NT VU A2c 20. N. noctula LR/lc LC 21. N. lasiopterus August NT NT 22. Barbastella July July VU A2c VU A2c barbastellus 23. Plecotus auritus LR/lc LC 24. Miniopterus schreibersii LC EN A2c * - first records made during the Project are displayed in bold lettering ** - species included in the Red Data List of Krasnodar Territory, 2006 are displayed in bold lettering

5 Picture 1. Localities of bat records in the WH and adjacent territory 4

6 3. Fieldwork 5 An extensive set of expeditions was undertaken in course of Project since October 2005 to November The team members spent more than 100 days and nights in the field and visited 56 bat sites, including 35 investigated for the first time (green dots in Picture 1). 3.1 Winter fieldwork At winter we visited 22 caves and mines (Photo 1), but only 4 of them were situated directly in the WH. Winter was abnormally cold and snowy, and inner highmountain caves of the WH were hardly accessible (Photo 2). Photo 1. Suren Gazaryan works in a cave Photo 2. Descent to Canyon cave through ice blocks Most significant results of winter fieldwork are following: New hibernation roost of huge colony of B. barbastellus (more than 2000 bats) was revealed in high-mountain Mayskaya cave near the border of the WH. This colony is the second largest in Russia and one of the most numerous in the world (Photos 3, 4). Large hibernation colony consisted female bent-winged bats was found in Spiazchaya cave. This is the first hibernation roost of M. schreibersii found in the WH and it is inhabited by one of the largest colonies known in Russia. Winter survey of Babaylov s cave indicated that more than 200 lesser mouse-eared bats M. blythii use it as hibernation roost. This colony of M. blythii became the first found in the WH and the largest known for the Western Caucasus. Finding of hibernated M. nattereri in this cave became the first record of this species for the WH and the CSNBR Photo 3. Cluster of barbastelles in Mayskaya cave Photo 4. Near the entrance pit of Mayskaya cave

7 6 Photo 3. M. schreibersii in Spiazchaya cave Photo 4. Near the entrance of Babaylov s cave 3.2 Summer fieldwork At the period from April to November 2006 we investigated more than 40 localities in the WH and adjacent area; the most of them were studied for the first time. Thanks to new timeexpansion bat detector Pettersson D-240x obtained via the Project, we were able to listen and identify bats by their sounds without any disturbance. We also captured bats in various habitats with mist-nets for exact identification and surveyed animals in their underground and overground summer roosts. Main results of summer fieldwork: 20 species of bats were found during summer fieldwork in the WH and its adjacent territory. We didn t recorded N. lasiopterus, H. savii, P. nathusii and R. euryale (see Table 1). M. bechsteinii and M. emarginatus were not observed directly in the WH, but we found them in adjacent territory. Many new reproductive colonies of lesser horseshoe bat were found in the WH and in the nearest surroundings. All of them inhabited artificial roosts road viaducts, bridges, attics and cellars (Photo 5). Daubenton s bat M. daubentonii was found in the WH and the CSNBR for the first time since Several new records indicated that it is widely distributed and numerous in the forest zone of the WH. Pygmy pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus was revealed by ultrasound analysis in 4 localities. These records are the first for the WH and Russian Caucasus at whole (Photo 6). New records of M. brandtii, N. leisleri and P. auritus showed that these species are more common in the WH than it was considered earlier (Photo 7, 8).

8 7 Photo 5. Female R. hipposideros under the viaduct Photo 6. P. pipisterellus (left) and P. pygmaeus Photo 7. Khuko Lake foraging site for M. brandtii Photo 8. N. leisleri from Shakhe River in the WH 4. Status of individual species As was planned, conservation status of individual bat species occurring in the WH and adjacent territory had been estimated using the categories and criteria of IUCN/SSC, applied in a regional level. For this estimation we analyzed information obtained by our predecessors and the data gathered in course of the Project s fieldwork. As a result, 15 species were assessed as having unfavorable status (Table 1). One species, R. euryale, appeared Regionally Extinct because hadn t occurred since 1950 th. Three other cave-dwelling species, R. ferrumequinum, M. schreibersii and M. emarginatus were estimated as Endangered due to the great decline in number during last 10 years. Three tree-dwelling species strictly depending from the old-growth forest habitats, M. bechsteinii, B. barbastellus and N. leisleri, were assessed as Vulnerable. We consider other 6 species related with woodland as Near Threatened, and two species with occasional records as Data Deficient (see Table 1). Our results contradicted optimistic assessments made in the Red Data Book of Russian Federation (2000) and also in former version of the Red Data List of Krasnodar Territory (1999). 5. Key habitats Our analysis revealed two types of key habitats for the threatened species. Confined areas of oldgrowth broad-leafed and mix forests which remained mostly in the CSNBR and the SNP have

9 crucial importance for the bats of tree-dwelling group. Several areas of limestone and gypsum karst provide main habitats for three threatened bat species from cave-dwelling group (Picture 2). Because karst landscape can protects forest from logging, key habitats of both groups are often mixed. 8 Picture 2. Key habitats situated on the karst areas of the WH and adjacent territory The WH alone can t provide key habitats for threatened species around the year because its majority of its territory is situated over 1000 m a.s.l. Reproducing females of many bat species

10 tend to migrate and use habitats located outside the WH, when the WH provides summer habitats mainly for adult males and non-reproducing females. Lack of hot caves, suitable for reproduction and deficit of ancient lowland forests inside the WH cause these seasonal migrations. In the same time, cold caves of the WH have importance in winter as key hibernation roosts for woodland and cave-dwelling bats, reproducing outside the WH. Therefore, protection of key summer habitats in the adjacent territory is crucial for the conservation of threatened bats in the WH. 6. Major threats for the bats of the World Heritage «Western Caucasus» We attempted to evaluate major threats for species identified as RE, EN, VU, NT and DD in terms of the IUCN Red List Threats Authority File (version 2.1). Major identified threats are related with Habitat Lost induced by: Logging ( Selective Logging and Clearcutting) and Infrastructure Development (1.4.3 Tourism/Recreation, Land Transport). Another type of significant threat is 10.1 Disturbance by recreation/tourism. Brief descriptions of each threat type are given below. 6.1Logging This type of human influence has a major negative impact on the populations of tree-dwelling bat species. In spite of current international status, large area of the WH suffers from intensive logging, both illegal and official. The area of current timber harvesting includes all protected areas of the Adygeya Republic (Pictures 1, 3). Moreover, in 2001 the Government of Adygea cancelled its earlier decision on the organization of the CSNBR buffer zone and now this part of the WH hasn t any legal protective status. This cancellation led to unrestrained logging and now hundreds hectares of ancient forest are completely deprived of bat roosts (Photo 9). It is especially harmful because these forests situated in lower altitudes than other of the WH. During our fieldwork many times we revealed facts of illegal logging and contacted with police for investigations (Photo 10). The main reason of logging in regional protected areas of the WH is that economy of surrounding settlements historically targeted to timber cutting and processing. After several decades of intensive logging in Soviet times, good timber becomes rare in accessible forests and this stimulate forest thieves and corrupted foresters cut forests in the regional protected areas which haven t own management stuff and guards. This problem is also critical in the federal Sochi National Park (SNP). Park s position in the Black Sea coast makes easy and profitable timber export to Europe. 9 Photo 9. Forest in the WH after logging Photo 10. Marking stub of illegally logged tree for police

11 6.2 Infrastructure development 10 Since the WH was nominated in 1999 several significant development projects has been realized or still realizing in adjacent territory and also inside the Heritage. Majority of these projects are related with development of winter recreation and sports. The most famous, ambitious and harmful for nature is the Federal Program for Development of Sochi. This Program was aimed to support Sochi as Candidate City for Winter Olympic Games 2014 and foresees huge number of ski resorts, hotels, tribunes and other objects in the SNP just near the WH border. It also includes construction of several roads and railways which will go through the SNP. In 2006 Russian Government completely change national legislation on protected areas with one goal to make this Program legal. Majority of former restrictions for development in protected areas, included environmental impact assessment procedure, were cancelled or made weaker; former zoning of the SNP was completely change to «set free» an area needed for development. Moreover, some of future Olympic objects are already constructed directly in the territory of the WH without any consultation with UNESCO (Photo 11). Development of ski resorts and transport infrastructure destroys huge areas of virgin nature. Deforestation and road construction will lead to many negative effects on bats populations like fragmentation of habitats, lost of tree roosts, feeding areas and commuting routes, disturbance in underground roosts, light and noise pollution, etc (Photo 12). Photo 11. Gazprom s elite complex Laura in the place of N. lasiopterus and N. leisleri habitats Photo 12. Elevator s construction in the former strictly protected zone of the SNP 6.3 Disturbance Disturbance is the most significant threat for cave-dwelling species of the WH. Number of tourists constantly increases in the WH and adjacent territory, especially in the SNP. Many caves are used now for regular or occasional public excursions, apart from their significance for threatened bats; some undergrounds were equipped with artificial lights. All valuable underground roosts around the CSNBR still without any legal protection, many caves are exploited with hard violations of environmental law or even illegally (Photo 13). Thus, in December 2005 we revealed the fact of illegal works in Pervomayskaya cave in the SNP. With goal to make cave suitable for excursions criminals destroyed Paleolithic stand and ousted large bat colony (Photo 14). Police investigates this crime up to now. Intensive disturbance in underground roosts is the main reason why R. euryale is Extinct in Russian Caucasus, and three other colonial cave-dwelling species are Endangered (Table 1).

12 11 Photo 13. Voronsov s cave was adapted for year-round excursions and equipped with lights at Majority of bats abandoned the cave Photo 14. Ladder in illegally transformed Pervomayskaya cave 7. Educational activity As was planned, we focused our educational activity on local people, protected areas personal, members of caving clubs and students of regional universities. During our lectures and meetings we disseminated educational posters which had been published for the Project (Photo 15). At summer 2006 we organized two field workshops for the students from Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar State Universities (Photo 16). After these workshops several students joint to our fieldwork as volunteers and plan to work for bat conservation in future (Photo 17).

13 12 Photo 15. Educational poster Photo 16. Workshop for students of the Rostov-on-Don State University 8. Discussions and presentations of Project s results We presented and discussed results of the Project at several meetings and conferences. The main of them was the 8th Meeting of the Russian Society of Mammalogy in Moscow (31 January - February 2, 2007). Majority of mammalian biologists from all Russian regions took part in the Meeting and the discussion was very valuable and interesting (Photo 18). In addition, details of the Species Action Plans were discussed during the meetings of the Commission on the Red List of the Krasnodar Territory. We also discussed our results with experts of the CSNBR, the SNP and environmental NGOs (Greenpeace Russia, WWF Russia, International Socio-Ecological Union, and the Environmental Watch for North Caucasus).

14 13 Photo 17. In expedition with volunteer students Photo 18. Project s presentation at 8 th Meeting of Russian Society of Mammalogy We introduced the Project and its main results during the 5 th Session of the Meeting of Parties of UNEP/EUROBATS in Ljubljana, Slovenia 4-6 September 2006 (see National Report of Russia, Our data helped EUROBATS to assess status of European bat species and identify major threats for them (see 9. Publications Results of the Project are represented in following publications: Gazaryan S.V., Ivanitsky A. N On the faunal and taxonomic status of the Mediterranean horseshoe bat R. euryale in West Transcaucasia - Plecotus et al. 8: (In Russian) Gazaryan S.V Conservation action plan for the bats of the World Heritage Western Caucasus Mammalian fauna of Russia and adjacent territories. Materials of International Conference: 93. Two other publications are submitted and will be issued soon: Gazaryan S.V. Order Chiroptera (submitted to the Red Data Book of the Krasnodar Territory). Gazaryan S.V. Distribution, biology and conservation status of the lesser mouse-eared bat Myotis blythii in the Caucasus (submitted to Plecotus et al. 10) 10. Main outputs 15 bat species are legally protected in the WH and adjacent territory Work in close collaboration with the Department of Biological Resources, Ecology and Fishery Affairs of the Krasnodar Territory (DBREF) allowed us to achieved the major goal of the Project. Our assessments of the bat species were accepted by the DBREF as a basis for the new edition of the Red Data List of the Krasnodar Territory. New edition of the Red List had been signed by the Head of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory at 8 September 2006 and

15 since this date came into force. Now 15 bat species with unfavorable regional status are legally protected in the Krasnodar Territory, and, consequently, in the major part of the WH (Table 1). 14 Conservation Action Plans were prepared for 15 species of the WH The Species Action Plans describe current legislative protection, distribution, main threats, population trend, natural history, key habitats and essential protective actions for 15 species with unfavorable status. Species Action Plans prepared under the Project will be included in the next edition of the Red Data Book of the Krasnodar Territory together with Action Plans for other threatened species. Initially the Red Data Book must be published until the end of 2006, but this date was delayed for many reasons, and now we expect to see it at September This Book will be an official document issued by the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory. The DBREF will distribute the Book among all concerned authorities; on-line version will be accessible at the web-site of the DBREF. Plan of perspective protected area was elaborated for the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian Federation (MNR) Upon a request of the MNR, WWF-Russia together with regional experts elaborated the Plan of new protected areas needed for conservation of threatened species in a federal level. We proposed to create 11 new protected area with goal to protect key habitats had been identified during the Project and our propositions were included in the Plan. International assistance is attracted to situation in the WH Western Caucasus Current threats to the WH are very serious and situation got worse after decision of International Olympic Committee to held Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi. It is clear that Russian Government is unable to execute its obligations under the Convention on Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The WH Western Caucasus still without united management plan, own personal and special legislation; large parts of its territory had been transformed by logging and infrastructure development since We are convinced that problem cannot be solved at the national level, because most of environmentally destructive projects in Sochi are carrying out under the aegis of Russian President. Together with environmental NGOs we summarized information about the dramatic situation in the WH Western Caucasus. This summary was represented by Russian Greenpeace in the World Heritage Committee Meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand (23 June-2 July 2007). In spite of great resistance of official Russian delegation, the Committee decided to send special mission for the situation s assessment. This mission will visit the WH before the end of 2007 and we are going to attend it. We believe that results of the mission will help Russian Government find a compromise between the Olympic development and nature protection. 11. Future developments Work on the bat conservation in the WH doesn t stop after the end of this Project. Obtained experience allows us, together with colleagues from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, began the assessment of species statuses in the whole territory of the Caucasus with goal to elaborate transboundary Conservation Action Plan. This activity has a support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

16 12. Summary 15 An extensive set of expeditions was undertaken under the Project since October 2005 to November The team members spent more than 100 days and nights in the field and visited 56 bat sites, including 35 investigated for the first time. Fieldwork gave many outstanding results like new huge colony of B. barbastellus in Mayskaya cave, first colony of M. schreibersii in the WH and first records of P. pygmaeus for the Western Caucasus. Educational activity was combined with fieldwork and included public lectures, workshops and disseminations of posters. For the first time in Russia, status of individual bat species was assessed in IUCN Red List Categories. Among 15 species having unfavorable status, R. euryale appears Regionally Extinct. Three other species, R. ferrumequinum, M. schreibersii and M. emarginatus were estimated as EN. Three tree-dwelling species strictly depending from the old-growth forest habitats, M. bechsteinii, B. barbastellus and N. leisleri are VU, 6 species are NT, and two species with occasional records have DD category. As a result of the Project all above-mentioned species got now a legislative protection in the Krasnodar Territory, and, consequently, in the major part of the WH (Table 1). Species Action Plans that we had prepared during the Project, will be published in the next edition of the Red Data Book of the Krasnodar Territory with proper acknowledgments to the Rufford Small Grants Foundation. Major identified threats for bats of the WH are Logging, Infrastructure Development and Disturbance. All threats still increasing, but Russian governmental structures can t stop growth of human impact to the WH. Moreover, with goal to simplify preparation for the Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, the Government cancelled many restrictions for development in protected areas. Special mission of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will visit the WH before the end of We believe that results of this mission will help Russian Government find a compromise between the Olympic development and nature protection.

17 16 Abbreviations WH the UNESCO World Heritage Western Caucasus SNP the Sochi National Park, federal protected area CSNBR the Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve, federal protected area MNR the Ministry of Nature Resources of the Russian Federation DBREF the Department of Biological Resources, Ecology and Fishery Affairs of the Krasnodar Territory NGO non-governmental organization IUCN categories: RE = Regionally Extinct EN = Endangered VU = Vulnerable NT = Near Threatened LC = Least Concern DD = Data Deficient NE = Not evaluated cd = Conservation dependent