As sad as it is to realize, our time has become a period in Earth's history marked by the most drastic changes (almost to the point of destruction) that humanity has inflicted on the natural environment. Currently, as a result of anthropogenic impact, thousands of species of plants and animals may disappear from the planet. This process must be halted because further reduction of biodiversity could lead to destabilization of ecosystems.
In the last two decades, we have started using terms such as rare and endangered species, biodiversity, conservation of flora and fauna, monitoring, cadastre, Red Book, and others. One form of preserving biological diversity is the Red Books. They contain information about the most vulnerable species of animals and plants and practical recommendations for stabilizing or restoring their populations.
Since the first edition of the national Red Book (Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR, 1985), 20 years have passed. During these years, significant changes have occurred in the populations of many species of wild animals and plants. Scientists from the Biological and Soil Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic have analyzed materials on rare and endangered species of animals and plants over the past 20 years and conducted scientific expeditions throughout Kyrgyzstan to clarify their distribution ranges. The resulting list of rare and endangered species has been discussed at the Central Asian level and received official confirmation from specialists from Russia, Ukraine, the Republic of Sakha, Georgia, Finland, and has been approved by the government of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Compared to the "Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR," published in 1985, the volume of the new book has increased. However, this is not due to a decrease in populations and deterioration of animal habitats, but mainly because many plants and animals are now significantly better studied.
The release of the "Red Book" is a very significant and important event. The rare and endangered species of plants and animals included in it urgently need a successful strategy for biodiversity conservation. Such a strategy can not only ensure the salvation of our greatest natural heritage but also change the principles of using biological resources, giving them a non-exhaustive character.
This edition has become possible thanks to close cooperation between the State Forest Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Biological and Soil Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the non-governmental organization Ecological Movement of Kyrgyzstan "Aleine".
The idea of preserving individual biological species dates back to ancient times. In the early stages of societal development, various clans and tribes traced their origins to animals and birds, which they considered totems and protected. Traces of these beliefs have survived to this day in clan names, folklore, customs, and rituals.
Among nomadic and hunting peoples, relationships have developed regarding a sustainable balance with wildlife, ensuring coexistence for many millennia. With the transition to agricultural civilizations, a wide replacement of natural ecosystems with cultivated lands began, a process that continues to this day.
As long as wildlife remained relatively intact over more than half of the land area, threats to the biosphere and biodiversity were local in nature. Species extinction was primarily caused by direct extermination by humans. The situation changed significantly in the mid-20th century when destroyed ecosystems and anthropogenic landscapes occupied more than half of the continents. From that moment, species extinction became widespread, mainly due to the degradation and replacement of natural ecosystems with anthropogenic ones.
Not only individual species are disappearing, but entire biological communities, especially in the tropical rainforest zone, which is a crucial part of global life support and a planetary center of evolution and biodiversity. Many thousands of species disappear annually without being accounted for, as they are not discovered and described in time. This is not just a loss for science, but a looming disaster for humanity. Biodiversity is a condition for the sustainable functioning of ecosystems. Sustainable functioning of ecosystems is an indispensable condition for forming a planetary climate favorable for modern life forms, one of which is humans.
It can be asserted that without biodiversity, human existence itself would be impossible. The reduction of biodiversity and the loss of natural ecosystems are occurring on a planetary scale, so the problem can only be solved by uniting the efforts of all countries. One of the first attempts to address this issue was the establishment of the International Bureau for Nature Conservation in Brussels in 1934. This initiative was supported by UNESCO, and in 1948 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was created. At the initiative of the IUCN, the "Red Data Book of Facts" has been published since 1966, which lists species of animals and plants threatened with extinction.
In 1974, the "Red Book of the USSR" was established. In 1978, the first edition of the Red Book of the USSR was published, which included: 62 species and subspecies of mammals, 63 species and subspecies of birds, 8 species of amphibians, 21 species of reptiles, and 444 species of vascular plants. Among them were also species found in the territory of Kyrgyzstan.
In 1981, the government of the Kyrgyz SSR approved the list of species to be included in the national Red Book. In 1984, an additional list was approved. In total, the Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR was to include 13 species and subspecies of mammals, 31 species and subspecies of birds, 3 species of reptiles, 1 species of fish, 16 species of insects, and 65 species of higher plants. Unfortunately, the first edition of the Red Book of the Kyrgyz SSR, published in 1985, included only the species from the first list: 13 species and subspecies of mammals, 20 species and subspecies of birds, 3 species of reptiles, 2 species of fish, 5 species of insects, and 65 species of higher plants. Since then, until the present time, the lists have not been revised, and the Red Book has not been reissued.
In May 2005, a new list was approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, including 4 species of fungi, 83 species of higher plants, 18 species of arthropods, 7 species of fish, 2 species of amphibians, 8 species of reptiles, 57 species of birds, and 23 species of mammals.
Preliminary discussions showed that some species from the previous list were included without sufficient justification, while for others, there was a lack of information to determine their status. On the other hand, a number of species require special conservation measures and should be included in the Red Book. Since the release of the first edition of the national Red Book, some changes have occurred in the status of many species, and a certain amount of new data has accumulated. It is not by chance that international practice and regulations regarding national Red Books provide for the necessity of periodic review of the status of the included species.
The increase in the number of species in the new edition does not necessarily indicate a worsening situation and an actual increase in the number of species threatened with extinction. For many newly included species, this means a better understanding of their status, and a species previously considered relatively secure may be found to be threatened upon more thorough study. For another group of newly included species, a significant deterioration in their status may be recognized over the period since the previous edition. Moreover, a species that is relatively secure in Kyrgyzstan may be threatened on a global scale and should also be provided with appropriate protection, especially if it is included in the IUCN Red List.
The new list also takes into account the assessment principles proposed by the IUCN for inclusion in the Red Book and assigning species to a specific category. Version 3.1, adopted in 2001, is based on the assessment of the probability of extinction of a species (subspecies, local population). The ratio of various categories can be represented in a diagram (Fig. 1).
In Fig. 1, the arrangement of categories corresponds to the probability of assessing the extinction of a species. This assessment depends not only on the status of the species but also on the state of our knowledge about it. We can most fully judge the degree of threat to a specific species when we have sufficient information. Therefore, unassessed species and those for which there is insufficient data cannot be confidently assigned to a specific category assessing the probability of extinction.
The letter designations correspond to the pronunciation of the terms in English:
EX – Extinct,
EW - Extinct in the Wild,
CR - Critically Endangered,
EN - Endangered,
VU - Vulnerable,
NT - Near Threatened,
LC - Least Concern,
NA- Not Applicable,
NE - Not Evaluated.
To be assigned to a specific category, a species must meet the corresponding criteria.
The main criteria are presented in Table 1, which can be used to assign a species to a particular category. If a species does not meet any of the criteria, it cannot be included in the Red Book.
Table 1. IUCN categories and criteria for species to be included in the Red Book
It is important to consider that the criteria presented in Table 1 are developed for assessing the global population of a species. As a rule, only a part of the global population is found in each individual country, the status and behavior of which significantly depend on which part of the range or what type of habitat of the species is observed in that country. Each population normally has natural fluctuations in numbers; however, at the edge of the range, these fluctuations can be most significant, even leading to temporary disappearance from certain locations, despite the fact that the species as a whole is in a secure state. A species may be rare in one country and quite numerous in another. Some species are present in a certain area only temporarily, outside the breeding season, irregularly, or accidentally. Therefore, the assessment should be conducted for each country based on the specific situation, but taking into account the global status of the species. The criteria for national and regional Red Books should consider country-specific characteristics while maintaining the unity of approaches proposed by the IUCN.
The absence of certain groups of species means that the ecosystem cannot adequately respond to changes in environmental parameters. The basis for determining categories lies in the analysis of scientific data on the main life parameters of the species (population status, range, habitat, etc.). Ideally, the proximity of such parameters to the critical survival level of the species should determine the risk of its extinction (Fig. 1). However, for far from all species, such values are known or can be obtained relatively easily, so the determination of categories is carried out through a formalized system of criteria.
The national system for assessing species (subspecies) at risk of extinction in the wild includes the following categories.
Extinct (0) species can be defined as “Extinct in the country” - “Regionally extinct” (EX) or “Extinct in the wild of the country” - “Regionally extinct in the world.”
A species is considered extinct in the country when its last individual has died or disappeared for any other reason. Some of these species may also be extinct globally - “Globally extinct” (EX). A species is considered extinct in the wild of the country if it has survived only in culture, in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its former range. Some of these species may also be extinct in the wild globally - “Globally extinct in the wild” (EW).
Species in a dangerous state (1) can be assessed as “Critically Endangered” (CR) or “Endangered” (EN). A species is considered critically endangered when its life parameters have already reached a critical level (or are likely to reach it in the near future with the highest probability), and therefore it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
A species is considered endangered when its life parameters are close to the critical level (or may become close to it in the foreseeable future with a high degree of probability) and therefore it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild (Appendix 3).
A species is considered Vulnerable (2) when its life parameters are not very far from the critical level (or may become not very far from it in the uncertain future with a moderate degree of probability), and therefore it faces a medium risk of extinction in the wild (Appendix 3).
Vulnerable species can be assessed as “Declining” - “Vulnerable: Declining” - (VU:D = VU, excluding criterion D of the IUCN), if their life parameters are sharply declining or subject to strong fluctuations, as well as as “Naturally Rare” - “Vulnerable: Naturally rare” - (VU:R = VU, criteria D, E of the IUCN), if their life parameters are limited.
The status of potential extinction threat for species is determined by the category “Near Threatened” (3) - Near Threatened - (NT). A species is considered near threatened when its life parameters are relatively far from the critical level for the survival of the species, but may reach it in the uncertain future with some probability, and therefore it faces a potential risk of extinction in the wild.
Species in this category are close to “Vulnerable,” and their practical conservation status is equated with them. This category includes, in particular, species that were previously endangered but have restored their range and population to a stable state, as well as species already included in conservation actions, the status of which depends on protection.
The category “Data Deficient” (4) - “Data Deficient” - (DD) includes species whose status is uncertain and is not a category of extinction threat. Inclusion of a species in this category indicates that more information is needed and acknowledges that future research may make it possible to assign it to one of the categories of extinction threat. A species is considered uncertain in status when the available information on its life parameters is inadequate for a direct or indirect assessment of the risk of extinction.
When categorizing species, the following general rules should be adhered to:
1. At the national (regional) level, the assessment according to the criteria scale applies to wild species:
a) permanently or temporarily distributed within their natural range, b) adapted
invaders breeding in the wild for at least any 10 years;
such assessment does not apply to: a) non-adapted invaders, b) accidental transient migrants (including cases of nomadism), recorded sporadically and irregularly over a long period of observation, whose migration path normally does not pass through the territory of the country (and therefore it is not their natural range);
2. species endemic to the country or existing here as strictly isolated populations are assessed according to the criteria without any status corrections;
3. if a species population in the country is part of a larger transnational isolated population, the species is assigned the category of this transnational population;
4. breeding and migrating groups of individuals of a species can be assessed separately;
5. species are assessed according to all criteria and are included in the highest deserving category;
6. when direct observation data are unavailable, expert assessments, conclusions, assumptions, and forecasts are quite acceptable methods;
7. if species assessed by the criteria do not meet them but are close to “Vulnerable,” they are included in the category “Near Threatened”;
8. if the assessment of species is complicated due to the lack of adequate data and they fall into technical accounting categories that are not categories of the Red Book:
9. “Least Concern” - Least Concern (LC) - species assessed by the criteria but not meeting them or not “Near Threatened”;
10. “Not Applicable” - Not Applicable (NA) - species not subject to assessment at the national level;
11. “Not Evaluated” - Not Evaluated (NE) - species not yet assessed by the criteria.
Assessing species according to the criteria is a rather complex process that requires a certain amount of reliable information about the status of the species. Usually, such an assessment is available to professionals based on specially conducted studies. Unfortunately, conducting such studies is not always possible and not in all countries due to a lack of funds and qualified specialists.
In some cases, the assessment is made based on insufficient or unreliable information. Therefore, partly the change in the status of some species can be attributed to the clarification of the assessment, bringing it closer to the real situation. The provided data (Tables 2 and 3) allow for an understanding of the overall picture of the species in the Red Book worldwide.
Table 2: Number of species threatened with extinction (n.u.i.) by systematic categories (1996–2004).
There is a general trend of increasing the proportion of species classified as most threatened in most groups of species. This trend indicates that the efforts made worldwide and in various countries to conserve Red Book species are insufficient to turn the tide. Unfortunately, a similar trend is observed in our country as well. As mentioned above, the number of species in the national Red Book has significantly increased compared to 1985.
Table 3: Changes in the number of species in the categories CR - "Critically Endangered", EN - "Endangered", VU - "Vulnerable" from 1996 to 2004.
Species do not exist in isolation. They are part of the biosphere and are components of biological communities, the evolution of which is linked to a specific geographical environment. Habitat destruction poses a threat to the existence of many species. At the same time, the impoverishment of communities due to the reduction of their characteristic species leads to a decrease in their ability to reproduce sustainably. Natural ecosystems lose the ability to create and control a life-friendly environment, restoring ecological stability. As a result, the likelihood of adverse climate change increases, posing a threat to the well-being and very existence of humans. The species in the Red Book signal the distress in the relationships between humans and nature, the ongoing destruction of biospheric mechanisms that provide the conditions for life on the planet. This is why the primary task is to conserve the species in the Red Book as integral components of natural nature, to preserve biodiversity as the foundation of the existence of natural ecosystems, and to preserve natural ecosystems as an indispensable basis for life support and a guarantee against ecological catastrophe.
Table 4. Distribution of Red Book species of Kyrgyzstan by ecosystems
Note: some species inhabit more than one ecosystem, and therefore the sums in the columns may not match the total number of species in the group.
Table 4 shows that the largest number of threatened species is found in the desert and steppe ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan, which are subject to the most destructive anthropogenic impact, primarily related to the replacement of cultivated lands, pasture degradation, and poaching, especially in the foothill zone and lower mountain belts. Pasture grass ecosystems (meadow, steppe, savanna-like, and desert) are home to 233 species in the Red Book, while forest and shrub ecosystems total 64, and wetland ecosystems 34. On the other hand, in relation to area, the concentration of Red Book species is high in all ecosystems, indicating their overall distress and the need for their restoration.
Prof. E.Dzh. Shukurov