MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. During the expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch experts saw near the Bystrinsky mining-processing plant in the Trans-Baikal Region Siberian rowan and another five rare plants. At the same time, the scientists reported, they found no rare birds or animals.

"According to the preliminary data, the floral diversity in studied communities is represented by 245 vascular plant species," reads the report, obtained by TASS. "Among them are species listed on the Trans-Baikal Region's Red Data Book: lady's-slipper orchid, cimicufuga (bed-bug repeller), small daylily, lilium pumilum, Siberian rowan, and broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade."

At the same time, during the summer expedition the scientists did not register any animals on the Red Data Books of Russia, the Trans-Baikal Region or the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

According to the scientists, the Bystrinsky GOK (mining and processing plant) is located in the area with a mid-mountain landscape structure. It has a system of ridges in the north-eastern direction, alternating with leveled sections of intermountain valleys. This explains a high variety of environmental conditions, and consequently the high plant diversity. In the forests mostly dominate various combinations of larch, pine, birch and aspen trees. The second largest community is regular and steppe meadows. Steppes are fragmental - they normally emerge along southern slopes of ridges. The inter-mountain leveled areas are waterlogged. They are floodplains of rivers, and a large number of old riverbeds. Under these conditions, the predominant vegetation types are swamps, swampy and floodplain meadows.

Various studies

Studies of terrestrial ecosystems were conducted at eight sites at different distances from the Bystrinsky GOK in locations of supposedly different impacts (significant, medium and insignificant), and also, for the comparison reasons, outside the GOK's impact zone. At every location the scientists had 10 sample sites, 10 soil cuts and they collected 40 soil samples. The descriptions were carried out at test trial areas of 200 square meters for forest communities and at areas of 100 meters for the meadow and steppe vegetation.

"In addition to plants, the expedition participants have sampled lichens and mosses, which will be determined later on. During the studies of fungi and algae, the experts examined seven reservoirs (streams, swamps and mud puddles), collected 18 samples of algae. The expedition has listed more than 160 species of large fungi in the forest, meadow, steppe plant communities and swamps," the scientists said.

Within the field works, the researchers conducted 14 bird counts. Each route was from 4.5 to 5.4 km long. The experts point to a low population density of birds in all areas of the studied territory and to relatively few undisturbed taiga massifs. During the August observations, they managed to put 109 bird species on the total list of species found around the Bystrinsky GOK. On a standard counting route they could record from 18 to 59 birds of different species.

"In the vicinity of the mining and processing plant, the expedition participants have caught 157 small mammals of 13 species. They are shrews: Siberian large-toothed, medium, least, tundra shrews, Trans-Baikal hamster, Siberian chipmunk, stripped field mouse, East Asian mouse, northern red-backed vole, grey red-backed vole, Mongolian vole, maximowiczii vole, common vole. The most numerous rodent species is the maximowiczii vole, and the East Asian mouse takes the second line in terms of numbers. The smallest species of rodents is the field mouse. The maximowiczii vole was recorded at all sites, and its high amounts were registered in the significant impact zone. The remaining species are not numerous or rare," the report reads.

The experts used soil traps to collect about 6,000 invertebrates. According to preliminary data, among them there are more than 3,300 ants, more than 700 spiders, 607 beetles. Additionally, by manual collecting and with traps the scientists have caught more than 4,000 different invertebrates, including ants, beetles, arachnids, diptera, hymenoptera, ticks and others.

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.