Objectives and indicators
The project is designed for multidisciplinary investigation of the status of Karelian biota with view to organization of sustainable nature use and nature conservation in the region.
The project comprises 3 subprojects:
- Research into species diversity. Aims: compilation of checklists; identification of rare and vulnerable animal, plant and fungus species; compilation of distribution maps for rare species; development of recommendations for their conservation.
- Research into habitat diversity. Aims: compilation of the habitat database of Karelia; identification of rare species habitats in need of protection.
- Assessment of the Republic of Karelia PA network. Aims: assessment of the present-day status of the network and the demand for designation of new PAs; working out of proposals for including specific areas in the Karelian PA network.
Project organization and management
Karelian Research Centre of RAS comprises 7 institutes, of which 4 are directly involved in nature studies in Karelia: Institute of Biology, Forest Research Institute, Northern Water Problems Institute, Institute of Geology. Specialists from the institutes shall gather and analyze materials.
Where needed, specialists from the Institute of Applied Mathematical Research (development of DBMS and Internet resources) and Institute of Economic Studies (assessment of economic consequences of PA designations) shall be involved.
Professors and students from the Petrozavodsk State University and Karelian Pedagogical University will take part in field work, as well as in the analysis of materials and preparation of publications.
Republic of Karelia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Ecology shall perform the coordinating function in Karelia, including coordination and approval of work plans and reports, as well as facilitate application of the project results.
Ministry of the Environment, Finland shall coordinate the activities and interactions between project participants in Northwest Russia; participants and coordinators of the project on the Karelian side shall take part in project seminars and meetings, and share information and working methods with colleagues from other regions of Northwest Russia.
The project leader (coordinator) is A. Kryshen, DSc, Vice President, Karelian Research Centre of RAS.
Subproject leaders are: O. Kuznetsov, DSc., Institute of Biology, KRC of RAS, A. Kryshen, DSc, KRC of RAS, A. Gromtsev, DSc, Forest Research Institute, KRC of RAS.
NGO's (KROO "SPOK", leader – Markovskii, A. (PhD)) and others will be involved into the project to prepare practical recommendations and PR activities.
To better organize the project implementation and control a contract shall be concluded for each subproject between KRC of RAS and the institutes and the NGO's involved.
