Swedes Visited the Natural Reserve in Komi
A group of Swedish specialists visited Pechora-Ilych Natural Reserve during August 31 – September 08, 2010 . They had a field study tour «Landscape-ecological characteristics of virgin taiga forests».
The group consisted of eleven participants who presented Swedish Forest Agency, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Biodiversity Centre, and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
The study tour was organized by Silver Taiga Foundation. During 1997-1999 already the representatives of the Foundation elaborated demonstrational routes in the Reserve presenting undisturbed virgin forest which is constantly varying due to natural factors. More than two hundred Russian and foreign specialists visited the routes during more than 10 years.
During the study tour Swedish specialists investigated characteristics and natural dynamics of different types of taiga forests and also had an excursion in the museum of Pechora-Ilych Natural Reserve which was conducted by the senior representative of the Reserve, Alexander Beshkarev.
The guests were surprised by the size of undisturbed territory. In fact Pechora-Ilych Natural Reserve is one of the biggest virgin forests conserved by now in Europe. It is impossible to find such a big untouched forest area in Sweden due to long-term intensive industrial forest exploitation.
Swedish ecologists were surprised also by the level of conserved biodiversity. On the demonstrational routes they found out different types of lichens, mosses, funguses and insects, registered in the Red Book of Sweden or became extinct in their country. According to one of the participants of the study tour a biologist Thomas Halingbeg the managed forests (such as for example forests in Sweden), a habitat of many species is disturbed, that’s why a lot of effort is needed to conserve and regenerate biodiversity.
At the end of the study tour the participants noticed, that the tours like this one help to get new knowledge about natural dynamics of different taiga forests types. It is not known yet when the next group of experts will visit the Reserve. But according to another participant of the group Per Hazell many biologists, ecologists and foresters have a desire to visit the virgin Komi forests, to learn the history of Pechora-Ilych Natural Reserve and to see rare species in reality.