MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. Experts of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch found a minimal impact on soil and flora from operations of the Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant (GOK) in the Trans-Baikal Region, the biodiversity expedition’s press service told TASS on Friday.
"We observe a landscape, which is typical for southern slopes of low mountains," the press service quoted as saying Yury Yermolov, a senior researcher at Soil Biogeochemistry Laboratory, the Siberian Branch’s Institute of Soil Sciences and Agriculture. "At that site the landscape is steppe meadows that develop on humus lithos soils. There, biogeocoenosis is practically unaffected. If we talk about the Bystrinsky GOK and its impact zone, we are presently at the initial stage, and practically everywhere the impact is minimal. Even in the area of the expected significant impact, near the quarries, the tailings storage facility, there is no significant impact anywhere in the sanitary protection zone."
The expert continued by saying further conclusions will follow lab tests of the samples, collected from at least five locations. Scientists will consider all the local features, since the Gazimur-Zavodsky District is an area of ore deposits, and the natural soils may typically contain background concentrations of heavy metals.
"As for the floristic aspect, the area is unique, it has a high diversity and mosaic structures of plant communities. We can see here steppes and meadow steppes with the dominance of cereals, Krylov's grass, medicinal hemlock, as well as various forests - from birch to deciduous and pine trees. The most interesting thing is that we have met lady’s-slipper orchids (Cypripedium calceolus) in the plant’s territory. Judging by such findings, we can make a conclusion the vegetation cover in this area looks more or less untouched," Evgeny Zibzeev, Head of the Laboratory of Ecology and Geo-botanic Studies at the Siberian Branch’s Central Siberian Botanical Garden, said.
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 Nornickel’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.