MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Results of the expedition, organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch, confirm that next to gas deposits in the Norilsk Industrial District live quite big populations of hare and arctic fox, which also live in the area of Nornickel’s medium impact, the biodiversity expedition’s press service reported on Thursday.

"The most numerous species of mammals in the vicinity of gas fields is white hare, and the second largest species is arctic fox," the press service said. "The highest numbers of white hare were seen in the medium-impact area along the left bank of the Ambarnaya River, which, apparently, is due to a combination of favorable feeding and protective conditions. The density of other mammals registered during route surveys is extremely low."

Generally speaking, in the areas of Nornickel’s industrial assets on the Taimyr Peninsula on the right bank of the Yenisei River (Dudinka - Norilsk - Talnakh) during the monitoring routes the scientists noted eight species of mammals: squirrel, ermine, white hare, fox, arctic fox, wolverine, sable, mink, two species of commercial grouse birds - white partridge and tundra partridge. The most numerous species is white hare. The least numerous species are squirrel, wolverine, fox and American mink, the press service said.

"The distribution of reference species (white hare and partridge) in the analyzed area shows that in the significant-impact zone, that is near (or inside) the sanitary protection zones of enterprises, the populations are extremely low," the scientists said. "In the background territories, the number of reference species is usually quite high. However, the numbers of reference species in the medium-or low-impact zones, and in the background territories, as a rule, differs slightly."

About expedition

The basic biodiversity survey continues the work, which the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch began in 2020. Since the Great Norilsk Expedition this work has extended into another three regions. The survey’s purpose is to identify the company’s impact zones and to assess biodiversity in areas of Nornickel’s operations. The research results will be used in building out a corporate biodiversity management system and biodiversity monitoring and conservation programs.