Specially protected natural areas(abbr. SPNA) are areas of land or water surface that, due to their environmental and other significance, are completely or partially excluded from economic use and for which a special protection regime has been established. According to the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories,” these include: state natural reserves, including biosphere reserves; National parks; state nature reserves; natural monuments; dendrological parks and botanical gardens.

The share of all specially protected natural areas in Russia accounts for about 10% of the territory. In 1996, the government of the Russian Federation adopted a resolution on the procedure for maintaining the state cadastre of specially protected natural areas. The state cadastre is an official document that contains information about all specially protected natural areas of federal, regional and local significance. The regime of these territories is protected by law. For violation of the regime, the legislation of the Russian Federation establishes administrative and criminal liability.

State nature reserves are territories completely withdrawn from economic use. They are environmental, research and educational institutions. Their goal is to preserve and study the natural course of natural processes and phenomena, unique ecosystems and individual species and communities of plants and animals. Reserves can be comprehensive And special. In complex reserves, the entire natural complex is protected to the same extent, and in special reserves, some of the most specific objects are protected. For example, in the Stolby Nature Reserve, located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, unique rock formations are subject to protection, many of which are shaped like pillars.

Biosphere reserves, unlike ordinary ones, have an international status and are used to monitor changes in biosphere processes. Their identification began in the mid-70s of the last century and is carried out in accordance with the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere” program. The results of observations become the property of all countries participating in the program and international organizations. In addition to observations of biological objects of ecosystems, the main indicators of the state of the atmosphere, water, soils and other objects are also constantly recorded. Currently, there are more than three hundred biosphere reserves in the world, of which 38 are in Russia (Astrakhan, Baikal, Barguzin, Lapland, Caucasus, etc.). On the territory of the Tver region there is the Central Forest Biosphere State Reserve, in which work is underway to study and protect the ecosystems of the southern taiga.

National parks are vast territories (from several thousand to several million hectares), which include both completely protected areas and those intended for certain types of economic activities. The goals of creating national parks are environmental (preservation of natural ecosystems, development and implementation of methods for protecting the natural complex in conditions of mass admission of visitors) and recreational (regulated tourism and recreation of people).

There are more than 2,300 national parks in the world. In Russia, the system of national parks began to take shape only in the 80s of the last century. Now in Russia there are 38 national parks. All of them are federal property.

State nature reserves are territories intended to preserve or restore natural complexes or their components and maintain ecological balance. Within their boundaries, economic activity is limited in order to protect one or many species of organisms, less often - ecosystems and landscapes. They can be complex, biological, hydrological, geological, etc. There are nature reserves of federal and regional significance. Material from the site

Natural monuments are unique, irreplaceable, ecologically, scientifically, culturally and aesthetically valuable natural complexes, as well as objects of artificial or natural origin. These can be centuries-old trees, waterfalls, caves, places where rare and valuable plant species grow, etc. They can be of federal, regional and local significance. In the territories where natural monuments are located and within the boundaries of their protected zones, any activity that entails a violation of the preservation of the natural monument is prohibited.

Dendrological parks and botanical gardens are environmental institutions whose tasks include creating a collection of plants, preserving diversity and enriching the flora, as well as scientific, educational and educational activities. On their territories, any activity that is not related to the fulfillment of their tasks and entails a violation of the safety of floristic objects is prohibited. In dendrological parks and botanical gardens, work is also carried out on the introduction and acclimatization of plant species new to the region. Currently in Russia there are 80 botanical gardens and dendrological parks of various departmental affiliations.

3.Specially protected natural areas (specially protected areas)

Protected areas and tourism. State nature reserves. National and natural parks. State nature reserves. Natural monuments. Dendrological parks and botanical gardens. Medical and recreational areas and resorts. Ecological tourism.

Specially protected natural areas (SPNA) are objects of national heritage and are areas of land, water surface and air space above them where natural complexes and objects are located that have special environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health value, which withdrawn by decisions of state authorities in whole or in part from economic use and for which a special protection regime has been established.

To specially protected natural areas (SPNA) include: nature reserves, natural monuments, protected forest areas, national parks, nature reserves. The main purpose of these territories is the protection of valuable natural objects: botanical, zoological, hydrological, geological, complex, landscape.

According to estimates from leading international organizations, at the end of the 90s there were about 10 thousand large protected natural areas of all types in the world. The total number of national parks was close to 2000, and biosphere reserves - to 350.

Specially protected natural areas are important in the natural recreational potential of Russia. Taking into account the peculiarities of the regime and status of the environmental institutions located on them, the following categories of these territories are usually distinguished:

§ state natural reserves, including biosphere reserves;

§ National parks;

§ natural parks;

§ state nature reserves;

§ natural monuments;

§ dendrological parks and botanical gardens;

§ medical and recreational areas and resorts.

Protected areas may have federal, regional or local significance . Protected areas of federal significance are federal property and are under the jurisdiction of federal government bodies. SPNAs of regional significance are the property of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and are under the jurisdiction of state authorities of the constituent entities of the Federation. PAs of local importance are the property of municipalities and are under the jurisdiction of local governments.

State nature reserves are environmental, research and environmental educational institutions aimed at preserving and studying the natural course of natural processes and phenomena, the genetic fund of flora and fauna, individual species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecological systems.

These reserves are the most traditional and strict form of territorial nature protection in Russia, which has priority importance for the conservation of biological diversity.

On the territory of the reserves, specially protected natural complexes and objects (land, water, subsoil, flora and fauna) of environmental, scientific, environmental and educational significance as examples of the natural environment, typical or rare landscapes, places of conservation of genetic fund of flora and fauna.

Reserves– environmental institutions, the territory or water area of ​​which includes natural complexes and objects of unique environmental value, intended for use for environmental, scientific and educational purposes.

Unlike national parks, nature reserves have very limited recreational use, mostly educational only. This is reflected in the functional zoning of the reserves. In particular, there are 4 main zones:

· a protected area in which flora and fauna develop without human intervention;

· scientific monitoring zone, in which the reserve's scientists monitor the condition and development of protected natural objects;

· an environmental education zone, where the nature museum of the reserve is usually located and strictly regulated paths are laid along which groups of tourists are led to become familiar with the natural features of the complex;

· economic and administrative zone.

National parks are environmental, environmental, educational and research institutions, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of special ecological, historical and aesthetic value, and which are intended for use for environmental, educational, scientific and cultural purposes and regulated tourism.

Abroad, national parks are the most popular type of protected areas. In particular, in the USA, the history of the creation of some parks goes back more than a hundred years.

The task of national parks, along with their environmental function, is to create conditions for regulated tourism and recreation in natural conditions.

Consequently, in the most conventional version, 4 functional zones are distinguished on the territory of any national park:

· a protected zone, within which all recreational and economic activities are prohibited;

· zone of reserved regime – preservation of natural objects with strictly regulated recreational use;

· educational tourism zone – organization of environmental education and familiarization with the sights of the park;

· zone of recreational use, including areas for recreation, sports and amateur hunting and fishing.

Natural parks of regional importance – a relatively new category of protected areas in Russia. They are environmental recreational institutions under the jurisdiction of the constituent entities of the Federation, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of significant environmental and aesthetic value, and intended for use for environmental, educational and recreational purposes. Parks are located on lands granted to them for indefinite (permanent) use, in some cases - on lands of other users, as well as owners.

One of the most “massive” categories of specially protected natural areas are state natural reserves, which exist in almost all regions of the Russian Federation. Declaring a territory as a state nature reserve is permitted both with and without withdrawal from users, owners and possessors of land plots.

State nature reserves are territories (water areas) that are of particular importance for the preservation or restoration of natural complexes or their components and maintaining the ecological balance.

State nature reserves can be of federal or regional significance and have a different profile. Landscape reserves are designed to preserve and restore natural complexes (natural landscapes); biological (botanical and zoological) – conservation and restoration of rare and endangered species of plants and animals (including economically, scientifically and culturally valuable species); paleontological – preservation of fossil objects; hydrological (marsh, lake, river, sea) – conservation and restoration of valuable water bodies and ecological systems; geological – preservation of valuable objects and complexes of inanimate nature.

Natural monuments – unique, irreplaceable, ecologically, scientifically, culturally and aesthetically valuable natural complexes, as well as objects of natural and artificial origin.

Areas of land and water, as well as single natural objects, can be declared natural monuments.

Natural monuments may have federal, regional or local significance, depending on the environmental, aesthetic and other value of the protected natural complexes and objects.

Russian legislation identifies another category of protected natural areas – dendrological parks and botanical gardens. These are predominantly urban and suburban facilities created for educational, scientific and only partially recreational purposes.

Botanical gardens and dendrological parks carry out the introduction of plants of natural flora, study their ecology and biology under stationary conditions, develop the scientific foundations of ornamental gardening, landscape architecture, landscaping, introduce wild plants into cultivation, protect introduced plants from pests and diseases, and also develop methods and techniques for selection and agricultural technology for the creation of sustainable decorative displays, the principles of organizing artificial phytocenoses and the use of introduced plants to optimize the technogenic environment.

Dendrological parks and botanical gardens can be of federal or regional significance and are formed accordingly by decisions of the executive bodies of state power of the Russian Federation or representative and executive bodies of state power of the relevant subjects of the Federation.

You can become familiar with the types and forms of recreational use of specially protected natural areas in detail by studying the textbook excerpts from articles covering this issue presented below.

HEALTH AND HEALTH AREAS- specially protected natural sites, which, in accordance with the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories” dated March 14, 1995, may include territories (water areas) suitable for organizing the treatment and prevention of diseases, as well as recreation for the population and possessing natural healing resources (mineral waters, healing mud, brine of estuaries and lakes, healing climate, beaches, parts of water areas and inland seas, other natural objects and conditions). RESORT - a specially protected natural area developed and used for therapeutic and preventive purposes, which has natural healing resources and the buildings and structures necessary for their operation, including infrastructure facilities (Federal Law “On natural healing resources, medical and recreational areas and resorts” dated February 23, 1995 .).

There are distinctions between municipalities of local significance (under the jurisdiction of local government bodies), municipalities of regional significance (under the jurisdiction of the state authority of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation), and municipalities of federal significance (under the jurisdiction of federal government bodies).

Types of institutions: sanatoriums, holiday homes, boarding houses, resort clinics, resort. hotels, treatment hotels.

Main types of resorts:

Balneotherapeutic (min. water)

Mud (therapeutic mud)

Climatic (forest, seaside, mountain, climate-kumyso - medicinal)

!!!See the table with resorts in your tour notebook. resources in seminars!!!

Ecological tourism(especially in the form of biosphere ecotourism) is the most environmentally friendly type of environmental management. Within its framework, knowledge can follow either the educational process or simply familiarization. The difference between the first type of knowledge and the second is that the educational process is associated with the targeted and thematic acquisition of information about the elements of the ecosystem, and the educational process is associated with non-professional observation of nature. Familiarization can take place in passive (stationary presence in the natural environment), active (associated with the tourist’s transitions from one natural object of interest to another) and sports (overcoming natural obstacles while walking routes) forms.

Therefore, it is necessary to define ecotourism as an activity based on the following principles:

Ø Journey into nature, and the main content of such trips is acquaintance with living nature, as well as with local customs and culture.

Ø Minimizing negative consequences of an environmental and socio-cultural nature, maintaining environmental sustainability of the environment.

Ø Promoting the protection of nature and the local socio-cultural environment.

Ø Environmental education and awareness.

Ø Participation of local residents and their receipt of income from tourism activities, which creates economic incentives for them to protect nature.

Ø Economic efficiency and contribution to the sustainable development of the regions visited.

These signs are indicated as fundamental for ecotourism by recognized authorities in this field - N.V. Moraleva and E.Yu. Ledovskikh, participants of the Dersu Uzala Ecotourism Development Fund.

4.Cultural and historical tourist resources.

Concept, essence. Material and spiritual cultural and historical objects.

material- all means of production and material assets of society (historical and cultural monuments, enterprises of all sectors of the national economy) that can satisfy the cognitive needs of people;

spiritual- achievements of society in state and public life, science, culture, art.

In the complex of recreational resources, a special place is occupied by cultural and historical resources, which represent the legacy of past eras of social development. They serve as a prerequisite for organizing cultural and educational types of recreational activities; on this basis, they optimize recreational activities as a whole, performing quite serious educational functions. The spaces formed by cultural and historical objects to a certain extent determine the localization of recreational flows and the directions of excursion routes.

Among the cultural and historical sites the leading role belongs to historical and cultural monuments, which are the most attractive and, on this basis, serve as the main means of satisfying the needs of educational and cultural recreation. Depending on their main features, historical and cultural monuments are divided into 5 main types: history, archaeology, urban planning and architecture, art, and documentary monuments.

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS. These may include buildings, structures, memorable places and objects associated with the most important historical events in the life of the people, as well as with the development of science and technology, culture and life of peoples, with the life of outstanding people of the state.

ARCHEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS. These are fortifications, mounds, remains of ancient settlements, fortifications, industries, canals, roads, ancient burial places, stone sculptures, rock carvings, ancient objects, areas of the historical cultural layer of ancient settlements.

MONUMENTS OF URBAN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE. The following objects are most characteristic of them: architectural ensembles and complexes, historical centers, neighborhoods, squares, streets, remains of ancient planning and development of cities and other settlements, buildings of civil, industrial, military, religious architecture, folk architecture, as well as related ones works of monumental, fine, decorative and applied art, landscape art, suburban landscapes.

ART MONUMENTS. These include works of monumental, fine, decorative and applied art and other types of art.

DOCUMENTARY MONUMENTS. These are acts of government and administrative bodies, other written and graphic documents, film, photo and sound recordings, as well as ancient and other manuscripts and archives, recordings of folklore and music, and rare printed publications.

To cultural and historical The prerequisites of the recreational industry include other objects related to history, culture and modern human activity: original enterprises of industry, agriculture, transport, theaters, scientific and educational institutions, sports facilities, botanical gardens, zoos, ethnographic and folklore attractions, handicrafts , folk customs, holiday rituals, etc.

All objects used in educational and cultural recreation are divided into 2 groups - movable and immovable.

The first group consists of monuments of art, archaeological finds, mineralogical, botanical and zoological collections, documentary monuments and other things, objects and documents that can be easily moved. The consumption of recreational resources by this group is associated with visits to museums, libraries and archives, where they are usually concentrated.

The second group includes monuments of history, urban planning and architecture, archeology and monumental art and other structures, including those monuments of art that form an integral part of architecture. From the standpoint of cognitive and cultural recreation, it is important that the objects of this group are independent single or group formations.

The next, more important stage in the assessment of cultural and historical objects is their typology according to recreational significance.

The basis of the typology is the informational essence of cultural and historical objects: uniqueness, typicality among objects of a given type, cognitive and educational significance, attractiveness (external attractiveness).

Information content cultural and historical sites for recreational purposes can be measured by the amount of necessary and sufficient time for their inspection. To determine the time of inspection of an object, it is necessary to classify the object on a basis that would reflect the duration of the inspection.

You can choose 2 classification criteria:

degree of organization of an object for display

the location of the tourists in relation to the object of inspection.

According to the degree of organization, objects are divided into specially organized and unorganized for display.

Organized objects require more inspection time, since they are the purpose of the inspection and form the basis of the excursion. Unorganized objects serve as a general plan accompanying the excursion, a background that is covered at one glance without a detailed examination.

According to the location of the tourists, the objects are divided into

interior (internal inspection of the facility)

Exterior (external inspection of the facility). The total time for inspecting exterior objects is always longer than the time for inspecting interior objects (perhaps with the exception of museums and some other repositories of historical values).

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MONUMENTS AND THEIR VARIETIES

Monuments of religious architecture. Monuments of religious architecture are the most ancient that have survived to our time. These are churches and monasteries of various denominations (religions): Orthodox churches, Catholic cathedrals, Lutheran churches, Jewish synagogues, Buddhist pagodas, Muslim mosques.

Now, during the revival of religiosity, pilgrimages are becoming very relevant. Travel to religious complexes can be carried out by different groups for different purposes. There are several forms of such travel.

Monuments of secular architecture. Monuments of secular architecture include urban development - civil and industrial, as well as country palace and park ensembles. Of the most ancient buildings, the kremlins and boyars' chambers have survived to this day. Urban architecture is usually represented by palace buildings, administrative buildings (public places, shopping arcades, noble and merchant meetings, houses of governors), buildings of theaters, libraries, universities and hospitals, which were often built with funds from patrons of the arts according to the designs of famous architects. Since the formation of the Yamsk road race for royalty, postal stations and travel palaces have been revived, which are now part of the cities or stand along old roads. Industrial architecture includes factory buildings, mines, quarries and other structures. Country architecture is represented by estates and palace and park ensembles, such as, for example, Petrodvorets and Pavlovsk in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Arkhangelskoye and others in the Moscow region.

Archaeological sites. Archaeological sites include villages, burial mounds, rock paintings, earthworks, ancient quarries, mines, as well as the remains of ancient civilizations and excavations from the earliest periods. Archaeological sites are of interest to specialists - historians and archaeologists. Tourists are mainly attracted by rock paintings, inspection of exposed archaeological layers, as well as archaeological exhibitions.

Ethnographic monuments. The ethnographic heritage involved in tourist routes is represented by two types. These are either museum exhibitions in local history museums, museums of folk life and wooden architecture, or existing settlements that have preserved the features of traditional forms of management, cultural life and rituals inherent in the area.

Ethnographic monuments classified as cultural heritage according to the following criteria: uniqueness and originality of ethnocultural and sociocultural conditions; compact residence of small peoples and old-timers, where traditional ways of life, customs and forms of environmental management are most fully preserved.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL POTENTIAL AND METHODOLOGY FOR ITS ASSESSMENT

Historical and cultural potential is the basis of educational tourism. It is represented by various types of historical monuments, memorial sites, folk crafts, museums, that is, combinations of objects of material and spiritual culture.

Cultural heritage is the legacy of the historical development of civilization that has accumulated in a given territory.

Each era leaves its mark, which is discovered in cultural layers during archaeological excavations. Almost every area can be of interest for educational tourism. But places where people lived for a long time keep more traces of material culture.

In historical and cultural potential includes the entire sociocultural environment with traditions and customs, features of everyday and economic activities. Tourists, visiting a particular country, perceive cultural complexes as a whole.

The assessment of cultural complexes for recreational purposes is carried out using two main methods:

1) ranking cultural complexes according to their place in world and domestic culture. It is carried out by expert means: objects of global, federal, regional and local significance are established;

2) necessary and sufficient time for inspection. This method allows you to compare different territories according to the prospects of their historical and cultural potential for tourism.

For cultural complexes, as well as for natural ones, important characteristics are reliability and capacity.

The reliability of cultural complexes is determined by two factors: resistance to recreational loads and the stability of its compliance with the value criteria formed among the population.

The first factor determines how much tourist flow a given cultural complex can withstand. This is especially important for museums, where it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature and humidity regime to preserve exhibits. An urgent issue is the use of modern technical means to increase the resistance of cultural complexes to recreational loads and the regulation of the flow of tourists.

The second factor is related to the long-term interest of tourists in a given cultural site. Their interest in world heritage sites remains stable (Egyptian pyramids, ancient architecture of Athens, architectural and historical-cultural monuments of Paris, St. Petersburg, etc.).

The capacity of a cultural complex is determined by the duration of the period during which tourists can perceive the information contained in it, and depends on two factors: the attractiveness of the object of inspection and the psychophysiological capabilities of a person, which are distinguished by significant individuality and have a certain limit.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, all natural lands are subject to protection, regardless of their purpose. But there are territories that are protected especially carefully.

These include:

1. Land plots on which the cultural, natural or historical heritage of specially protected areas (SPAs) is located.
2. Lands and fauna of specially protected natural areas (SPNA).

What is the difference?

PAs are lands that have some value, be it historical, cultural or natural.

Lands of specially protected natural areas (SPNA) are, in fact, a type of protected area. These are mineral deposits that contain rich natural value.

Why allocate a ZOO

Due to the fact that there are natural areas where many rare plants grow or unique animals are found, it was decided to take them under special control.

Due to the threat of mass destruction of vegetation or animals in such places, hunting, agricultural activities, and even more so deforestation and the construction of residential buildings are prohibited. The concept of specially protected natural areas includes not only land, but also water bodies and airspace.

Reserved natural land: description

A specially protected natural area is not only land, but also bodies of water, and even the air space above them, where there are unique natural objects that need protection.

Such areas are a national property and cannot be sold to a private person or rented out.

All activities on these lands, with the exception of the study, preservation and enhancement of specimens located there, are prohibited. For the normal functioning of life, a specially protected natural area presupposes the absence, even within reach, of harmful emissions, and a ban on the construction of industrial plants. All activities that negatively affect the natural objects of protected areas are prohibited.

The boundaries of protected lands are necessarily marked with special signs.

Types of specially protected natural areas

With various features of natural objects, their status and the presence of erected buildings on the territory, protected areas are divided into certain types and categories.

1. Natural State Parks.
2. Natural untouched reserves.
3. Monuments of living nature.
4. National parks.
5. Arboretums and botanical gardens.
6. Medical and health resorts.

In a certain area, local government decrees may establish other categories of specially protected natural areas - this is a kind of subtype of the basis of the territory, distinguished by certain characteristics.

Regardless of the status of the land (all-Russian or local), the rules for its use do not differ.

Specially protected natural areas of Russia are subject to preservation and enhancement. All activities carried out on these lands are permitted only subject to this requirement.

Pristine reserve

The reserve is a specially protected natural area, which is distinguished by its pristine nature. Everything here has not been touched by human hands and is in the same condition as Mother Nature created.

For land to become a nature reserve, it must meet a number of requirements:

• To be as little affected by civilization as possible.
• Have unique plants and rare species of animals on your territory.
• Earths are self-regulating and not subject to self-destruction.
• They have a rare landscape.

It is the reserves that are a traditional species and are designated as specially protected natural areas of Russia as an example of pristineness and originality.

As of 2000, 99 protected areas were designated in the Russian Federation. Scientific research, educational and environmental work are carried out on their territory.

Natural monuments

These are unique natural objects that cannot be recreated through human efforts.

Such natural objects may be under federal or regional jurisdiction. It all depends on the value of the natural monument.

As a rule, such objects are classified as regional assets. They are essentially the pride of the region where they are located.

Today, there are 28 such unique corners of nature of federal significance; they occupy an area of ​​more than 19 thousand hectares.

There are much more regional unique natural areas, and they are divided into types:

1. Biological, including interesting plants and animals.
2. Hydrological are peculiar reservoirs and rare aquatic plants and animals.
3. Geological - includes unique lands.
4. Complex - corners of nature that combine two or more types of rare natural objects.

Nature reserves

Natural reserves are specially protected natural areas where endangered plants and animals are subject to preservation and restoration.

It happens that land is declared a natural reserve, but it is leased to a private person. In this case, the issue of withdrawing or retaining the lease is decided, taking into account what activities are carried out by the owner in the given territory.

Wildlife sanctuaries as specially protected natural areas have different meanings:

1. Landscape - created for restoration
2. Biological - in their territories, biologists are trying to preserve and increase endangered animals and plants.
3. Paleontological - fossil objects are especially protected here.
4. Hydrological - based on the conservation of reservoirs, lakes and water bodies.

National parks

This meaning includes the concept of lands with special natural, aesthetic or cultural value. used for scientific observations, and also organize cultural recreation for people.

The entire world community has recognized the enormous benefits of creating such protected lands.

There are three national parks in the Russian Federation included in the World Cultural Heritage. Two of them - Transbaikalsky and Pribaikalsky - are also included in the special protected zone of Lake Baikal.

Arboretums and botanical gardens

Recently, arboretums have been actively increasing and expanding. This is due to the development of resort areas and the emergence of an increasing number of health institutions operating in environmentally friendly conditions.

Botanical gardens are dedicated to the conservation of rare and endangered plant species. In addition, various experiments are carried out there aimed at protecting endangered species.

Arboretums are used for educational purposes. On their territory they conduct educational excursions, telling and showing people all kinds of strange trees, shrubs and herbs.

In addition to educational tasks, arboretums have as their goal the cultivation and preservation of all the beauty of Russian nature that can only be captured in a given area.

As you can see, there are many protected lands, they all have different names, but the goals of specially protected natural areas are almost the same - preservation and enhancement of natural objects, observation of the natural course of events, scientific and educational activities.

According to the Federal Law "On Specially Protected Natural Territories" (as amended on December 27, 2009 N 379-FZ), specially protected natural territories are areas of land, water surface and air space above them where natural complexes and objects of special significance are located. environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health value, withdrawn in whole or in part from economic use, for which a special regime of legal protection has been established. Specially protected natural areas are classified as objects of national heritage.

Taking into account the peculiarities of the regime of specially protected natural territories and the status of environmental institutions located on them, the following categories of these territories are distinguished:

a) state natural reserves, including biosphere reserves;

Specially protected natural complexes and objects (land, water, subsoil, flora and fauna) on the territory of the reserve have environmental, scientific, environmental and educational significance as examples of the natural environment, typical or rare landscapes, places for preserving the genetic fund of flora and fauna. State nature reserves are environmental, research and environmental educational institutions aimed at preserving and studying the natural course of natural processes and phenomena, the genetic fund of flora and fauna, individual species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecological systems. State natural biosphere reserves are created for the purpose of conducting scientific research, environmental monitoring, as well as testing and implementing methods of rational environmental management that do not destroy the environment and do not deplete biological resources.

Today in the Russian Federation there are more than 100 state nature reserves of federal significance with a total area of ​​more than 31 million hectares, including land (with inland water bodies) - more than 26 million hectares, which is about 1.53% of the entire territory of Russia. The reserves are located on the territory of 18 republics, 4 territories, 35 regions, 6 autonomous districts. The vast majority of state natural reserves are under the direct management of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection, 1 - under the Ministry of Education, 4 - under the jurisdiction of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1 - under the authority of Rosleskhoz.

State nature reserves have the status of environmental, research and environmental educational institutions, which employ about 5 thousand full-time employees. The history of the creation of national nature reserves goes back 80 years, the first such reserve was created at the end of 1916 - this is the famous Barguzinsky Nature Reserve on Lake Baikal, which still functions today.

State nature reserves are assigned the following tasks:

Carrying out the protection of natural areas in order to preserve biological diversity and maintain protected natural complexes and objects in their natural state;

Organization and conduct of scientific research, including maintaining the Chronicle of Nature;

Implementation of environmental monitoring within the framework of the national environmental monitoring system;

Environmental education;

Participation in the state environmental assessment of projects and layouts for economic and other facilities;

Assistance in training scientific personnel and specialists in the field of environmental protection.

b) national parks;

National parks in the Russian Federation began to be created in 1983; today there are 32 national parks in Russia (0.6% of the entire territory of Russia). Almost all national parks are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Forestry Service of Russia, and only two (Pereslavsky and Losiny Ostrov) are under the authority of the administration of the Yaroslavl region and the Moscow government, respectively.

The uniqueness of Russia's system of reserves and national parks, their role in preserving natural heritage and biological diversity are recognized throughout the world. 18 Russian nature reserves have the international status of biosphere reserves (they have been issued the corresponding UNESCO certificates), 5 nature reserves and 4 national parks are under the jurisdiction of the World Convention on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, 8 nature reserves and 1 national park fall under the jurisdiction of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands , of international importance, 2 reserves have diplomas from the Council of Europe.

A specific national park operates on the basis of regulations approved by the state body under whose jurisdiction it is located, in agreement with the specially authorized state body of the Russian Federation in the field of environmental protection. A protective zone with a limited regime of environmental management is being created around the national park.

National parks are environmental, environmental, educational and research institutions, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of special ecological, historical and aesthetic value, and are intended for use for environmental, educational, scientific and cultural purposes and for regulated tourism. National parks are assigned the following main tasks:

Preservation of natural complexes, unique and reference natural sites and objects;

Preservation of historical and cultural objects;

Environmental education of the population;

Creation of conditions for regulated tourism and recreation;

Development and implementation of scientific methods of nature conservation and environmental education;

Carrying out environmental monitoring;

Restoration of damaged natural, historical and cultural complexes and objects.

c) natural parks;

These are environmental recreational institutions under the jurisdiction of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of significant environmental and aesthetic value, and are intended for use for environmental, educational and recreational purposes. Natural parks are assigned the following tasks:

Preservation of the natural environment, natural landscapes;

Creation of conditions for recreation (including mass recreation) and preservation of recreational resources;

Development and implementation of effective methods of nature conservation and maintaining ecological balance in the conditions of recreational use of natural park territories.

d) state natural reserves;

These are territories (water areas) that are of particular importance for the preservation or restoration of natural complexes and their components and maintaining the ecological balance. State nature reserves can have a different profile, including:

Complex (landscape) designed for the preservation and restoration of natural complexes (natural landscapes);

Biological (botanical and zoological), intended for the conservation and restoration of rare and endangered species of plants and animals, including valuable species in economic, scientific and cultural terms;

Paleontological, intended for the preservation of fossil objects;

Hydrological (marsh, lake, river, sea), designed to preserve and restore valuable water bodies and ecological systems;

Geological, intended for the preservation of valuable objects and complexes of inanimate nature.

In accordance with land legislation, the creation of state natural reserves is coordinated with the owners, owners and users of the land and water areas on which they are located. On the territory of state natural reserves, any activity is permanently or temporarily prohibited or limited if it contradicts the goals of creating state natural reserves or causes harm to natural complexes and their components.

Owners, possessors and users of land plots located within the boundaries of state natural reserves are obliged to comply with the special protection regime established in state natural reserves and bear administrative, criminal and other liability established by law for its violation.

e) natural monuments;

These are unique, irreplaceable, ecologically, scientifically, culturally and aesthetically valuable natural complexes, as well as objects of natural and artificial origin.

Owners, possessors and users of land plots on which natural monuments are located undertake obligations to ensure a regime of special protection of natural monuments. Expenses of the owners, owners and users of the specified land plots to ensure the established regime of special protection of natural monuments are reimbursed from the federal budget, as well as from extra-budgetary funds.

In the event of an immediate threat of destruction of newly identified unique natural complexes and objects before they are declared natural monuments in the established manner, specially authorized state bodies of the Russian Federation in the field of environmental protection and their territorial divisions make decisions to suspend actions that could lead to the destruction or damage to these natural complexes and objects, and issue, in accordance with the procedure established by law, an order to suspend these activities to the relevant economic entities.

f) dendrological parks and botanical gardens;

Dendrological parks and botanical gardens are environmental institutions whose tasks include creating special collections of plants in order to preserve the diversity and enrichment of the flora, as well as carrying out scientific, educational and educational activities. The territories of dendrological parks and botanical gardens are intended only to fulfill their direct tasks, while land plots are transferred for indefinite (permanent) use to dendrological parks, botanical gardens, as well as research or educational institutions that manage dendrological parks and botanical gardens.

The territories of dendrological parks and botanical gardens can be divided into various functional zones, including:

a) exhibition, visiting of which is permitted in the manner determined by the directorates of dendrological parks or botanical gardens;

b) scientific and experimental, access to which is available only to researchers at dendrological parks or botanical gardens, as well as specialists from other research institutions;

c) administrative.

g) medical and recreational areas and resorts.

These may include territories (water areas) suitable for organizing the treatment and prevention of diseases, as well as recreation for the population and possessing natural healing resources (mineral waters, therapeutic mud, brine of estuaries and lakes, therapeutic climate, beaches, parts of water areas and inland seas, other natural objects and conditions). Medical and health-improving areas and resorts are allocated for the purpose of their rational use and ensuring the preservation of their natural healing resources and health-improving properties.

Although the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories” does not identify green zones of cities and other settlements as an independent type of specially protected natural areas, in essence they are such. In the Law on Environmental Protection, this species is included in the chapter “Natural objects under special protection”. Such zones perform environmental protection (environment-forming, ecological), sanitary, hygienic and recreational functions. Natural objects of special protection include rare and endangered plants and animals. Their protection pursues the main goal of preserving biological diversity.

The development of a system of specially protected natural areas in Russia is closely related to ensuring compliance with and protection of everyone’s right to a favorable environment. The environment can be considered favorable if its condition meets the criteria, standards and regulations established in environmental legislation regarding its cleanliness (non-pollution), resource intensity (inexhaustibility), environmental sustainability, species diversity and aesthetic richness. To a large extent, the characteristics of a favorable environment associated with the maintenance of species diversity and aesthetic richness are ensured precisely through the declaration of specially protected natural areas and objects.

Taking into account the special significance of specially protected natural areas, the legislation establishes specific requirements for them. Thus, the Law on Environmental Protection prohibits the seizure of natural reserve lands, except for cases provided for by federal laws. Lands within the boundaries of territories on which natural objects are located that have special environmental, scientific, historical, cultural, aesthetic, recreational, health and other valuable significance and are under special protection are not subject to privatization.

The regime of specially protected natural areas is regulated by the Federal Laws "On Environmental Protection" (as amended on December 27, 2009 N 374-FZ), "On Specially Protected Natural Areas" (as amended on December 27, 2009 N 379-FZ) and " On natural healing resources, medical and recreational areas and resorts" (as amended on December 27, 2009 N 379-FZ), the Land Code of the Russian Federation, and other regulatory legal acts.

Conservation is a method of conservative conservation of nature. Mainly for scientific purposes, areas in nature reserves may be allocated where any human intervention in natural processes is excluded. The size of such areas is determined based on the need to preserve the entire natural complex in its natural state.

All specially protected natural areas can be classified into three groups based on their nature reserves:

1. Absolute commandment. This regime is inherent in natural reserves and natural monuments. It excludes human economic activity on its territory. Human intervention is allowed only in exceptional cases - for scientific research, carrying out sanitary cuttings of trees, fighting fires, exterminating predators, etc.

2. Relative commandment. This regime means a combination of an absolute ban and limited economic activities for the exploitation of natural resources. The organization of reserves corresponds to this feature.

3. Mixed mode. This regime means a combination of protected areas with areas used for recreation and tourism. It manifests itself in the organization of national and natural parks.

According to the criterion of organizational structure, the following groups of specially protected natural areas are distinguished.

1. Specially protected natural areas, the management and protection of which are ensured by environmental institutions of the same name (that is, non-profit legal entities). Examples include state nature reserves, national parks, natural parks, dendrological parks and botanical gardens.

2. Specially protected natural areas for the management of which legal entities are not created. These include natural monuments, state nature reserves, health resorts and resorts.

Based on the criterion of ownership of land and other natural resources, specially protected natural areas of federal, regional and local significance are distinguished.

And so, to summarize this chapter, we can conclude that the system of legislation on specially protected natural areas is a fairly multi-level system. The legal basis for the organization, protection and use of specially protected natural areas in the Russian Federation is:

a) International legal acts. For example, the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Paris, 1972, etc.;

b) The Constitution of the Russian Federation;

c) Federal Law "On Environmental Protection";

d) Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories”;

e) Federal Law “On Natural Healing Resources, Health Resorts and Resorts”;

f) Government resolutions. For example, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted Resolution No. 1249 of October 19, 1996 “On the procedure for maintaining the state cadastre of specially protected natural areas”;

g) laws and acts of executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. For example, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a separate law was adopted - the Law of the Republic of Bashkortostan “On Specially Protected Natural Areas in the Republic of Bashkortostan” (as amended on February 28, 2008 No. 537-z).

Despite the fairly wide list of regulatory legal acts, we can say with confidence that the main legislative act in the field of organization, protection and use of specially protected natural areas in the Russian Federation is the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas”. The law provides the basic concepts of specially protected natural areas. The law also defines the categories and types of specially protected natural areas. Taking into account the peculiarities of the regime of specially protected natural territories and the status of environmental institutions located on them, the following categories of these territories are distinguished:

State natural reserves, including biosphere reserves;

National parks;

Natural parks;

State nature reserves;

Natural monuments;

Dendrological parks and botanical gardens;

Medical and recreational areas and resorts.

But after analyzing the specialized literature, one can see that the grounds for classifying specially protected natural areas are quite diverse. For example, classify into three groups based on conservation:

Absolute commandment;

Relative commandment;

Mixed mode.

Or, for example, according to the criterion of ownership of land and other natural resources, specially protected natural areas of federal, regional and local significance are identified.

According to the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories”, these include areas of land, water surface and air space above them where natural objects are located that have special environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health value, which are withdrawn by decision of government bodies authorities wholly or partially from economic use and for which a special protection regime has been established.

The law distinguishes 7 main categories of protected areas: reserves, national parks, natural parks, wildlife sanctuaries, natural monuments, dendrological parks and botanical gardens, as well as health-improving areas and resorts. In addition, the law provides that government authorities can establish other categories of protected areas (urban forests and parks, green areas, monuments of landscape art, biological stations, micro-reserves, protected natural landscapes, river systems, coastlines, etc.). Protected areas may have federal, regional and local significance.

Reserves

State nature reserves are environmental, research and environmental educational institutions aimed at preserving and studying the natural course of natural processes and phenomena, the genetic fund of flora and fauna, individual species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecological systems. On the territory of the reserves, protected natural complexes and objects (land, water, subsoil, flora and fauna) of special environmental, scientific, environmental and educational significance are completely withdrawn from economic use.

In accordance with the IUCN classification, reserves belong to the first category of protected areas, which provide the most comprehensive and strict nature protection regime. Nature reserves are approved by government decree, and the land, water, subsoil, flora and fauna located on their territory are provided to them for use (ownership). The seizure of land plots and other natural resources of reserves is prohibited; they are completely withdrawn from circulation. Any activity that contradicts the objectives of the reserve and the regime of special protection of its territory is prohibited on the territory of the reserves. On areas of land and water adjacent to the territories of nature reserves, protective zones with a limited regime of environmental management are created.

A reserve is the most stringent organizational form of protection of natural areas in terms of environmental restrictions. The word “reserve” itself (it is believed that this concept was originally applied to a sacred forest protected by the Orthodox Church) is quite difficult to translate into other languages, and in English-speaking countries its analogue is “strict reserve”. However, this does not quite accurately convey the essence of nature reserves as a special category of protected areas, which is why the term “zapovednik” has recently been increasingly used in international practice.

The foundations of the modern concept of nature reserves were laid at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries in the works of outstanding Russian natural scientists V.V. Dokuchaeva, I.P. Borodina, G.F. Morozova, G.A. Kozhevnikova, V.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky and others. In their opinion, in nature reserves they should study nature, which is preserved in complete integrity, in order to identify its laws, knowledge of which is necessary for the wise use of natural resources. This idea has run like a “red thread” through the entire history of nature reserves, but at different times, views on the tasks of nature reserves have changed. The latter circumstance was associated both with the destruction of the country’s nature and with changes in scientific views on nature conservation, including under the influence of ideology and economic policy.

The tasks assigned to the reserves are formulated as follows:

1) maintaining protected natural complexes in their natural state and preserving biodiversity;

2) conducting environmental monitoring, including through maintaining the “Chronicle of Nature”;

3) conducting research work;

4) assistance in training scientific personnel and specialists in the field of nature conservation;

5) environmental education;

6) participation in state environmental assessments for the design of construction, reconstruction and expansion of economic facilities.

Let's look at some of them in more detail.

For example, as of January 1, 2002, Russia had 100 nature reserves with a total area of ​​33.17 million hectares, which is approximately 1.56% of its area. The network of Russian nature reserves is widely recognized throughout the world. 27 reserves have the international status of biosphere reserves, 9 are under the jurisdiction of the World Heritage Convention, 10 are part of the network of wetlands of international importance. A long-term plan for the further development of the network of reserves for the period until 2010 has been developed, taking into account their role in the conservation of biodiversity and as standards of nature.

Despite the numerous conflicts that have plagued nature reserves over the years, the network of protected areas that has formed in Russia is an outstanding achievement of domestic nature conservation enthusiasts, which has no analogues throughout the world. We can say that this is one of the most significant contributions of Russia to world civilization in the 20th century. The classic, initial principle of conservation is the absolute inviolability of strictly protected natural objects removed from any economic use. No country in the world has created protected areas in such areas on the principle of complete non-interference by humans in natural processes. It seems that such a phenomenon is possible only in Russia with its vast territory and the special mentality of the scientific community.

Currently, the situation with nature reserves is quite contradictory. Some scientists believe that the principles of nature reserves proclaimed by Russian science did not stand the test of the realities of life and entered into a deep, perhaps even insoluble contradiction with it, and a significant number of nature reserves are not “standards of nature”, but “nature farms”. The opinion is also expressed that the current network of reserves does not correspond to modern socio-economic conditions and the capabilities of the state (according to existing legislation, reserves are non-profit environmental institutions financed from the federal budget). Proponents of another point of view believe that, despite the current difficulties, it is necessary to preserve and expand the network of nature reserves as unique “laboratories of nature” that are of exceptional importance for humanity, and the destruction or even transformation of the existing network of reserves is a crime against the current and future generations of people.

In our opinion, the latter point of view is closer to the truth. This, however, does not exclude some aspects of evolutionary (not revolutionary) reform of the reserve system. The scientific community has long been discussing the possibility of dividing reserves into absolute and partially managed ones. Historically in Russia, it has happened that some nature reserves were created in places where it would be more appropriate to organize national parks. The features of the organization and functioning of biosphere reserves, which in Russia are not always reasonably classified as biosphere reserves, need to be clarified. The need to reform the management of the entire system of protected areas, in which nature reserves would occupy a central place, is being discussed. However, these and, possibly, other aspects of reforming protected areas should be based on time-tested and practice-tested basic principles of conservation management. At the same time, the absolute priority should be the preservation of an integral network of nature reserves that have almost a century-old history, reflect and preserve the diversity of Russia’s nature, support biodiversity and are excluded from economic use.

National parks

National parks (NP) are a special form of organization of protected natural areas, which combine the tasks of preserving natural, historical and cultural objects with the organization of active educational recreation.

The entire global diversity of national parks, in principle, corresponds to a single international standard, enshrined in the decision of the X session of the IUCN General Assembly in 1969: a national park is a relatively large area where: 1) ecosystems have not been significantly changed as a result of exploitation and use by humans, geomorphological areas, species of animals and plants and their habitats are of scientific, educational and recreational interest, the landscapes are characterized by amazing beauty; 2) the highest and most competent authorities of the country have taken steps to prevent or eliminate the economic use of natural resources throughout the territory and to ensure effective compliance with the rules of conduct; 3) visitors stay with a special permit for education and fulfillment of cultural and recreational needs.

The first NPs of Russia (Losinoostrovsky and Sochi) were formed only in 1983. The main reason was that in the former USSR, priority among all protected areas was given only to nature reserves.

However, throughout the history of the existence of the Russian nature reserve network, prominent scientists and public figures have repeatedly turned to this idea. This issue was discussed especially widely after the creation of the first Lahemaa NP in the former Union in Estonia, established in 1971. Following this, during the 70s, one NP was created in Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan. And only Russia, with its vast territory and a huge variety of natural and socio-economic conditions, continued to discuss the idea itself until the beginning of the 80s. The result of the discussion was the approval in 1981 of the “Model Regulations on State Natural National Parks.”

It can be considered that, on the whole, the NP network has taken shape as a systemic entity. A significant role in this was played by the adoption in 1995 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Specially Protected Natural Territories”, which for the first time determined the legal status of NP in our country. Article 12 of Section III states: “National parks are environmental, environmental, educational and scientific research institutions, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of special ecological, historical and aesthetic value, and which are intended for use in environmental protection. , educational, scientific and cultural purposes and for regulated tourism."

When organizing an NP, the entire territory or part of it is withdrawn from its previous economic use and given over to the park. On old developed lands, NPs usually have within their boundaries areas of other land users, including agricultural lands, lands of towns and cities. This operating model is called European.

Parks located in areas of new development or in underdeveloped regions usually own the entire or almost the entire territory (“Paanajärvi”, “Yugydva”, Transbaikalsky, etc.). This is the so-called North American operating model.

According to the Federal Law, the NP is entrusted with the following main tasks:

1. preservation of natural complexes and unique natural and historical and cultural objects;

2. environmental education of the population;

3. creating conditions for regulated tourism and recreation;

4. implementation of environmental monitoring, etc.

In addition to the tasks common to all NPs, each of them, due to the specifics of its location, natural conditions and the history of the territory’s development, also performs a number of additional functions. Thus, NPs near large agglomerations and (or) in popular tourist and recreational areas are designed to preserve a relatively weakly modified natural environment and historical and cultural objects from the influence of industry, forestry or agriculture, on the one hand, and from the degradation of ecosystems under the influence of mass recreation and tourism, on the other. Such NPs, first of all, include Losinoostrovsky, “Russian North”, Prielbrussky and some others.

Around the NP, as well as around nature reserves, there is a so-called protective zone, the width of which depends on natural and socio-economic conditions. The territory of the protected zone remains under the jurisdiction of the previous land users, but economic activities must be coordinated with the park administration.

There are a number of activities that contradict the goals and objectives of the entire NP and are therefore completely prohibited within its boundaries. These include mining, plowing, grazing, almost all types of tree felling, summer cottage construction, etc. Some types of activities, which generally do not contradict the objectives of the NP, but cause local disturbances of the natural environment, are permitted only in specially designated areas. These include mass sporting and entertainment events, organizing tourist camps, making fires, and amateur fishing.

NPs are distributed unevenly across the territory of Russia. More than half of them (21) are located in the European part of the country. Another 3 are located in the Caucasus and 5 in the Urals. Thus, for the entire vast territory of Siberia there are only 6 NPs, all of them concentrated in the mountains of Southern Siberia. In the rest of the territory (the Far North, Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East) not a single NP has yet been created.

Promising proposals for the creation of NPs cover both new and old development areas, as well as untouched landscapes. The priority criteria for selecting a territory for creating an NP are the following:

Availability of representative samples of ecosystems and biota, unique samples of geological and geomorphological processes, rare and endangered species of organisms included in the Red Book of Russia;

The ability to maintain the most important natural processes and ecosystems essential for maintaining the ecological stability of large regions;

The presence of historical and cultural monuments of national importance in the natural environment;

Availability of conditions for the organization of protected areas of international importance (border protected areas, World Heritage sites, biosphere reserves, etc.);

Significance for the development of environmental education and tourism.

Natural parks

Along with national parks, there is another form of protected areas in the world, within which the tasks of preserving natural landscapes and historical and cultural objects are combined with the organization of educational recreation and tourism. These are natural parks. As a separate concept, they arose in the world a little later than NP: the first natural park was created in 1909 in Germany. Over the years, their organization has grown in scope, especially in the highly urbanized countries of Western Europe. Thus, out of 5.6 thousand natural parks, 2.6 thousand are in the European region. In various countries, the same category includes a protected landscape area and a protected landscape. This also includes a regional natural park according to the classification of N.V. Maksakovsky.

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas classifies natural parks as protected landscapes, i.e. Protected areas created specifically for nature conservation and recreational use.

In Russia, a natural park is one of the new and not yet established forms of protected areas in terms of content.

For the first time, the concept of a natural park in Russia was enshrined in 1995 in the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas.” Before this, they were actually “merged” with the NP on the basis of the “Model Regulations on State Natural National Parks” in force at that time.

According to the Law, natural parks are understood as “environmental recreational institutions, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of significant environmental and aesthetic value, and which are intended for use for environmental, educational and recreational purposes.” The main legal difference between natural parks and national parks is their subordination: they are not federal property, but are under the jurisdiction of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Natural parks can be located not only on those lands that are provided to them for indefinite use, but also on the lands of other land users. In the latter case, all organizations whose activities are carried out within the boundaries of the park or its protective zone must coordinate their actions with the park management.

In general, the tasks of natural parks are similar to the tasks of the protected landscapes of the world listed above. These tasks determine the regime for the protection and use of the territory, as well as the presence of various functional zones: reserved, recreational, historical and cultural, etc. The list of functional zones for each park is determined in accordance with natural, socio-economic and historical conditions.

The first natural parks in Russia, corresponding to this status not only in name, but also in content, were organized in 1995. At the beginning of 2002, there were 40 of them. The reasons for choosing territory for natural parks can be very different. Let's give a few examples.

Natural criteria for choosing a territory for creating natural parks generally repeat those for NPs. Almost the only difference between them is that the recreational value of landscapes for natural parks is in a certain sense more important than the ecological value. Thus, when choosing an area for a natural park, it is not at all necessary to have representative samples of ecosystems, rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. What is more important for him is the high aesthetic value of the natural area, which in most cases is directly related to the good preservation of ecosystems.

Natural parks are especially necessary in conditions of high human development of the region, where only islands of natural nature remain, surrounded by economically transformed territory. The regime of natural parks will help limit economic activity within territories that are valuable in recreational and educational terms, will help streamline recreational activities, and will prevent the digression of the most visited areas.

Wildlife sanctuaries

State nature reserves are territories that are of particular importance for the conservation or restoration of natural complexes or their components and the maintenance of ecological balance.

Nature reserves can carry out both land use on their territory and be organized on the lands of other land users. In the territories of nature reserves (or their individual sections), any economic activity is permanently or temporarily prohibited or limited if it contradicts the purposes of their creation or damages natural complexes and their components.

Due to a certain flexibility of the environmental restrictions introduced (depending on the specifics of local conditions, economic activity may be either completely prohibited or some types of it may be allowed), zakazniks are one of the most common categories of protected areas in Russia. In addition, this is a very ancient form of protection of hunting grounds and their inhabitants, known since the times of Kievan Rus. It is assumed that it was then that the word “order” appeared, which meant a temporary restriction on the use of hunting resources.

Until some time, reserves traditionally served as typical hunting reproduction and reserve areas, formed for a certain period of time necessary to restore depleted hunting resources. However, at the end of the 50s, nature reserves of republican significance began to appear in Russia, differing from local ones in a stricter protection regime, complexity, better material and technical base, and unlimited validity. A similar division is fixed in the law, which states that, depending on the environmental, ecological and other value of protected natural objects, reserves can have federal or regional significance. Despite the same name - “reserve” - in practical activities the difference between federal and regional reserves is very significant. In addition to a much more strict and comprehensive protection regime, federal reserves go through the stage of special design surveys, they sometimes conduct environmental monitoring, phenological observations, count the number of game fauna, and have their own security staff.

In general, nature reserves are of very significant importance among different categories of reserves and often form the basis of regional systems of protected areas. Due to their diversity, large number, elasticity, and the possibility of being located in regions with very different natural and socio-economic conditions, they represent a kind of supporting system in relation to protected areas with a more stringent protection regime (reserves and national parks), increasing the effect of their activities. In addition, nature reserves (primarily federal ones) are a kind of reserve from which, if necessary and appropriate, natural objects can be transferred to the reserve network.

Natural monuments

Natural monuments are unique, irreplaceable, ecologically, scientifically, culturally and aesthetically valuable natural complexes, as well as objects of natural and artificial origin.

According to the IUCN classification, natural monuments belong to the III category of protected areas, which as the main task provides for the protection of natural attractions. A natural monument (NP) is one of the most popular concepts related to the protection of natural objects, widely used not only in science, but also in everyday life. The origin of the term is associated with the name of A. Humboldt, who used it in 1818 in relation to a tree he discovered that was unusual in size and age. The prevalence of this concept that has reached our time is obviously due to its simplicity and figurativeness. The protection of natural monuments became widespread in many European countries at the beginning of the 20th century. Here, individual old or rare trees, alleys, boulders, rocks, caves, springs, etc. were preserved as natural monuments. In Russia, the identification of natural monuments became very popular in the 20s of the 20th century. Nature conservation enthusiasts have compiled a list of natural monuments, including about 250 natural objects, some of which still exist as natural monuments.

The main purpose of declaring natural complexes and other objects natural monuments is to preserve them in their natural state. According to the current legislation in Russia, this goal can be achieved both with and without the seizure of land plots from other land users (the latter option is less favorable from an environmental point of view, but in practice it is the most common). The list of objects that have the status of natural monuments is very wide. These may include: areas of scenic areas; reference areas of untouched nature; cultural landscape objects; places of growth and habitat of valuable, relict, small, rare and endangered species of plants and animals; forest areas and forest areas that are especially valuable for their characteristics, as well as examples of outstanding achievements of forestry science and practice; unique landforms and associated natural complexes; thermal and mineral water sources, deposits of medicinal mud; coastal objects (spits, isthmuses, peninsulas, islands, lagoons, bays); individual objects of living and inanimate nature (bird nesting sites, long-lived trees of historical and memorial significance, single specimens of exotics and relics, volcanoes, hills, glaciers, boulders, waterfalls, geysers, springs, river sources, rocks, cliffs, outcrops, manifestations of karst, grottoes). protected biodiversity reserve Chelyabinsk

In general, such a category of protected areas as a natural monument is very widespread and is of exceptional importance for the protection of small landscape elements, which is especially important in old developed regions for maintaining an ecologically balanced spatial structure of landscapes. The negative aspects of this form of protected areas in our country include the fact that the direct protection of natural monuments is often entrusted to legal entities or individuals who are not directly related to nature conservation (as a rule, these are land users), which does not contribute to the effective protection of these objects.

In addition to the five categories of protected areas discussed above, which are characterized by relatively high preservation of the natural environment, the federal law gives the right to consider as such some other environmental and medical-recreational institutions that have within their boundaries not only purely natural, but also anthropogenically modified or even completely artificially created ecosystems. The law contains their expanded definition, special protection regime and financing features.

Dendrological parks and botanical gardens

Detailed regulation of the issues of creation, operation and maintenance of the regime of dendrological parks and botanical gardens is contained in a domestic legislative act for the first time. At the same time, the law does not establish any special differences between these two forms of protected areas, since both have similar tasks: the creation of special collections of plants for the purpose of preserving biodiversity and enriching the flora, as well as carrying out scientific, educational and educational activities on this basis. The land plots on which arboretums and botanical gardens are located are transferred to them for indefinite use, regardless of their significance and, accordingly, subordination - federal or regional.

In our country there are 56 botanical gardens and 24 dendrological parks and arboretums. Their departmental subordination is different: the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), branches and scientific centers of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rosleskhoz, state universities (including the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University), agricultural, forestry and pedagogical universities and some other organizations.

The protection regime for arboretums and botanical gardens provides for the prohibition on their territory of any activity that is not related to the implementation of their direct tasks and leads to a violation of the safety of flora objects.

In an arboretum or botanical garden, other areas may be allocated that correspond to their natural conditions and characteristics of functioning. Thus, within the boundaries of the botanical garden of the Amur Scientific Center of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a protected area (forests of group 1), an active zone and the territory of an arboretum are allocated.

Medical and recreational areas and resorts

According to the Federal Law, a special type of protected areas includes territories (with adjacent water areas) that have healing resources and are suitable for organizing the treatment and prevention of diseases, as well as for recreation of the population. They are called medical and recreational areas. Their ecosystems are often characterized by significant changes as a result of human economic activities. Their classification as protected areas is mainly due to the fact that they use a natural resource and need to preserve it in its natural form for an indefinitely long time. At the same time, the concept of medicinal resources includes mineral waters, medicinal mud, brine of estuaries and lakes, medicinal climate and some other natural objects and conditions.

The same type of protected objects also includes a resort - a developed territory that has not only natural healing resources, but also the buildings and structures necessary for their operation and is already used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.

Both medical and recreational areas and resorts can be of federal, regional and local significance and, accordingly, be under the jurisdiction of federal government bodies, a subject of the federation or local governments.

Based on the Federal Law, the Russian government, executive authorities of the constituent entities of the federation and local governments are given the right to establish other categories of protected areas, in addition to those discussed above. These include areas where there are green areas, urban forests, city parks, monuments of landscape art, protected coastlines, protected river systems, biological stations, micro-reserves, etc.

Like some of the main categories of protected areas discussed above, such objects can have different significance or levels: federal, regional or local. An example of such a category of protected areas of federal significance are water protection zones of water bodies and their coastal protective strips, approved by a special decree of the Russian government in 1996.

The list of regional protected areas established by the constituent entities of the federation is much broader. For example, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), among its protected areas, has national natural reserves, national resource reserves and protected landscapes.

The number of special protected areas created at the local (municipal) level is still insignificant. The “Comments on the Federal Law...”, from which the listed examples are taken, contains only one object recognized as the most successful. This is the ecological park “Black Lake” in the Zasviyazhsky district of Ulyanovsk.