Environmental monitoring of Lake Baikal

Monitoring of hunting resources and their habitats

The Republic of Buryatia

Characteristics of habitat conditions

The territory of the Republic of Buryatia has a sharply continental climate with large annual and daily fluctuations in air temperature and uneven distribution of precipitation by season, characterized by cold winters and hot summers. During the cold period of the year, a powerful North-Eastern spur of the Siberian anticyclone develops over the territory of the Republic, which occurs in September-October and disappears in April-may. Therefore, winter is characterized by a large number of Sunny days and low air temperatures, which are observed in river valleys and basins, where there is stagnation and intensive air conditioning. The average temperature in January is -20 ° C, -30 ° C, and its absolute minimum is -45 ° C, -55 ° C. Low-cloud, low-wind or calm weather prevails with a minimum amount of precipitation per year. During this period, there is no significant precipitation and therefore the snow cover capacity is small.

Severe windless winter is replaced by late windy and dry spring with night frosts. The barometric pressure decreases during this period, and cold air flows from the Northern regions of Siberia rush to the territory. This contributes to the return of cold weather and the appearance of long and strong winds.

the Summer is short, dry in the first half with some dry winds that have developed on the territory of Mongolia, in the second (July-August) cyclonic activity gradually increases, resulting in wet air masses coming from the Pacific ocean. The wind speed increases and the bulk of precipitation falls: in July and August, 60-70% of the annual norm is accounted for. The average temperature of the warmest month – July-reaches +15 ° C, +20 ° C, and its absolute maximum is +30 ° C, +38 ° C.

Autumn is short and dry with sharp daily temperature fluctuations and often with early frosts.

a Significant feature of the climate of the Republic of Buryatia is the long duration of sunshine-1900-2200 hours, which is not inferior to this indicator, and in a swarm exceeds the southern regions of Russia.

in General, the situation on the availability of food for all types of hunting animals in 2018 within the boundaries of the BPT can be described as"good". In most areas it is good, and in some areas it is an excellent food resource for mouse-like animals. Average yield of pine nuts and mushrooms, good, except for certain areas, berry harvest. There is a recovery of plant feeds in places where forest fires occurred in the summer-autumn period of 2015 in the Baikal, Kurumkansky, Barguzinsky, Kabansky districts, which has a positive effect on the life of ungulate species.

in connection with annual forest fires in the summer and autumn period, there is a heterogeneity of plant feeds in the distribution of land in the regions of the Republic. At the same time, due to the abundance of seeds of other coniferous species, stocks of branch feeds, and fungi in the regions, the situation with plant feeds can be described as safe for all animal species.

Considering also that many types of hunting resources are euryphages and use a wide variety of animal and plant feeds, switching from one type of feed to another, partial crop failures of some plant species or lack of animal feed do not have a noticeable negative impact on the decline in the number of animals.

the Prevailing natural and climatic conditions in 2018 did not cause mass migrations of squirrels and Sables. Only annual seasonal migrations of ROE species, mostly ROE deer, were observed.

Condition of hunting resources

The change in population of main species of game animals within the boundaries of BNT (in the Republic of Buryatia)
The change in take of main types of game animals within the boundaries of BNT (in the Republic of Buryatia)
Population of main species of game animals within the boundaries of BNT (in Republic of Buryatia) in 2015-2018


Ungulates

Manchurian wapiti The number of this species on the territory of the regions of the Republic included in the BPT (with the exception of the Bauntovsky, Yeravninsky, Muysky and Okinsky districts) according to the winter route accounting of 2018 is 16925 individuals, which is 2% higher than in 2017. The population has been stable for the previous five years. 359 permits were issued for the production of this species in the hunting season of 2018 in the territory of the hunting grounds of the BPT; production amounted to 297 individuals, i.e. 82.7 % of the number of permits issued.

Wild boar. In 2018, the abundance of the species reduced by 22.5 % and amounted to 4,264 individuals. During the 2018 hunting season, 1,441 permits were issued and a total of 624 individuals were harvested, this is almost twice the production volume of the previous hunting season and is 43.3 % of the total number of issued mining permits.

Musk deer. According to the WRC data, in 2018 there are 26,094 individuals in the territory of BNT, what is higher than the long-term average. During the 2018 hunting season, 1,030 permits were issued, of which 994 individuals were harvested. The volume of production was 96.5 % of the number of permits issued and 3.8 % of the population on the territory of the BPT.

Siberian roe deer. According to the WRC data, the abundance of this species in the BNT was 30,125 individuals in 2018, which is 4.5 % more than the figure of 2017. During the 2018 hunting season, 1,311 permits were issued and 1,063 individuals were harvested.

Elk. According to WRC, the abundance of elk in BNT in 2018 is estimated at 5,026 individuals, which is 4% more than the level of 2017. During the 2018 hunting season, the amount of issued permits was 81 permits and 66 individuals were harvested which is 14% less than last season's volume.

Wild reindeer The abundance of this species remains stable due to local pockets. According to the credentials of 2018, the abundance of the wild reindeer is 2,873 individuals, remaining at the level of the population indicator in 2017 and being the average indicator in the five-year dynamics. During the 2018 hunting season, 246 permits were issued and 150 individuals were harvested which is lower than the production rate of the previous hunting season.

Fur-bearing species

Squirrel. In the Republic of Buryatia, the Transbaikal squirrel lives within the BNT, occupying mountain larch forests of Dahurian larch, as well as cedar, pine and larch and pine forests. The number of species according to the state monitoring data varies by year, but in General it tends to restore the number to the level of 2005-2006. the indicator for counting the number in 2018 was 1,60066 individuals, which is 5% lower than the number in 2017. In the 2018 hunting season, 1,439 squirrel permits were issued; 19808 individuals were produced, which is 31% lower than the previous hunting season.

Sobol. According to the WRC data, the abundance of sable reached 34,326 individuals in 2018, which is above the average for the past five years. During 2018 hunting season, 9,283 sables were harvested.

White Hare. The abundance dynamics of the arctic hare is cyclical with ten-year periods of growth and decline. According to the WRC, the abundance of hares was estimated at 60,842 individuals in 2018, which is 11.8 % more than in 2017. The harvest of the 2018 season, was 3,102 individuals, harvested under 1,908 permits.

Siberian Weasel. According to the state census, the abundance of this species was 5,902 individuals in 2018, which is 13,9 % more than in 2017. The harvest during the 2018 hunting season was 215 individuals under implemented agreements on hunting the amount of 279 individuals.

Fox. According to WRC data, the abundance of foxes is 2,548 individuals in 2018, which is much less than the level of 2017. In certain areas of the republic, due to the rabies outbreak, specialized measures were taken to reduce their number. As part of the fox abundance regulation, 775 individuals were harvested (729 individuals in 2017). The scope of amateur harvest amounted to 317 individuals.

Predators

Lynx. The distribution of the lynx population is uneven, the most common landscapes, where the lynx is currently kept, are mountains, pine and larch forest steppe. The range area is 15,000–18,000 thousand hectares. According to WRC data, in the republic the abundance of lynx within the BNT is 1,889 individuals in 2018, which is 21 % more than the level of 2017. During the 2018 hunting season, 86 individuals were harvested under 45 permits which is almost twice as much as last year.

Bear. The 2018 spring census showed that the abundance of bears remains high. In the Republic of Buryatia, the abundance of bears is estimated at 4,008 individuals in BNT, which is 9,2 % less than in 2017. During the 2018 hunting season, 145 permits were issued for Amateur sport hunting, as well as 28 permits for regulating the predator population due to threats to human life and health. As a result, 158 predatory individuals were extracted, including 13 within the framework of regulation.

Wolf. The number of this species is estimated by hunting experts and on the basis of accounting data annually decreases due to systematic work on regulating its number. According to the estimates of game warden specialists and based on census data, the abundance of this species was 842 individuals in 2018. In 2018, 330 predators were harvested during Amateur sport hunting and 260 individuals as part of measures to regulate the number of predators.

Upland fowl

Wood grouse. The post-harvest abundance of ordinary and stone wood grouse decreased in 2018 in comparison with the previous year and amounted to 46,707 individuals. In the 2018 hunting season 608 bird individuals were harvested.

Hazel grouse. It is used as an object for amateur hunting. The post harvest abundance of the species was estimated at 237,815 individuals. During the 2018 hunting season 3,524 individuals were harvested which is slightly lower than last year's level.

Black grouse. According to the WRC data, the post-harvest abundance of black grouses in the territory of the republic decreased in 2018, and amounted to 68,821 individuals. In the 2018 hunting season 602 individuals were harvested.

White grouse. It inhabits mainly goltsy and subgoltsy belts. Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of habitats, the information on its number is not fully received. In 2017, the abundance of the species was 39,544 individuals which is lower than last year's level. It is harvested by chance encounters.

Daurian partridge. Habitats are confined to field lands. According to the data for 2017, the total abundance of Daurian partridges in the BNT was 87,337 individuals. During 2018 hunting season, 1171 partridges were harvested.