Pechora River basin integrated system management PRISM; biodiversity assessment for the Pechora River basin; Cluster B: biodiversity, land use & forestry modeling

Abstract

This report describes the biodiversity for the Pechora River basin Integrated System Management (PRISM). The Pechora River Basin, situated just west of the Ural Mountains, Russia, consists of vast boreal forests and tundra landscapes, partly pristine and undisturbed. The concept of biodiversity is discussed and parameters are selected which are descriptive for biodiversity at both the landscape and stand level. Based on these parameters the biodiversity is assessed to describe or quantify impacts of certain forest or land use exploitation scenarios. The chosen parameters for biodiversity should therefore be meaningful for the expected or possible changes. The biodiversity is described, based on field data which was collected for vascular plants, lichens, mosses, invertebrates, birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles and amphibians and benthos. For the different taxa it is described and discussed what the biodiversity is of the Pechora River Basin, for the different land units that have been defined. The results are extrapolated to the River Basin leve