In 2008, the Red Book of the Vladimir Region was first published. Plants and animals included in it were officially recognized as endangered species. An additional print run of the book was published in 2010.
It is intended not only for specialists, but also for a wide range of readers. The book contains a list and a brief description of rare representatives of flora and fauna: mushrooms (10 species), plants (160 species), animals (160 species).
Flora and fauna of the area
The flora of the region is quite diverse. It is mainly represented by northern taiga, forest western European and southern steppe species. In ancient times, when a glacier retreated through this territory, along with it came a pine marten, a red vole, a black ferret, a green woodpecker. Boars were artificially populated in the 30s and 40s, which were almost completely destroyed, but then the population was again restored due to the brought individuals. Therefore, the Red Book of the Vladimir region, whose plants and animals are threatened with extinction, this time did not replenish with a new look. As a result of the settlement of coniferous vegetation from Siberia, hares, moose, hazel grouse and partridge spread.
Typical inhabitants of the region are squirrels, field voles and generally diverse representatives of rodents. The largest of them is the river beaver, it turned out to be the same situation as with a wild boar. In most floodplain water bodies that do not freeze to the bottom in winter, the muskrat lives.
Mushrooms and plants
The most common landscape of the region is mixed forests. A favorable temperate continental climate creates ideal conditions for the development of vegetation and animal life. Forest makes up about 56% of the total area. Pine, spruce and birch predominate, oak groves along river banks are found. For a man, the nature of the Vladimir region presents the best gifts: an abundance of mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants. In total, the flora has 1370 species, including lichens of 19 species and mosses of 230 species.
All plants in the book are divided into probably extinct, endangered, numerically reduced, rare, undefined by status and disappearing. According to experts, only one species belongs to numerically reduced specimens - the princess, which is popularly known as a forgotten berry. Perennial shrubs disappear in their natural habitats mainly due to deforestation. The Red Book of the Vladimir Region (plants and animals in the text) also includes an endangered species. This is a drip shoe. A perennial plant does not save even its ecological lability, that is, the ability to grow on poor and dry soils. The number of Braun mnogoryadnik is reduced in number, the mollusk is small and flexible, the hazel grouse is chess, the chaffinch is univalent, cloudberries, the shoot is young.
A large number of mushrooms classified as rare species also grows in the region: white truffle, aspen, leafy oiler, common fungus, curly griffol.
Rare and endangered bone fish
The rivers flowing through the territory of the region belong to the Volga basin, their total length is 8560 km. All of them have typical flat features: a slight bias, a weak current, a strong tortuosity of the channel. Rivers and lakes are filled with fish, including a valuable commercial one. Russian sturgeon, sterlet (photo), common sculpin, spike, lake minnow are listed in the Red Book. The main reason for the small number is poaching and water pollution by industrial waste.
Red Book of Vladimir Region: birds
The new edition includes thirty-two species of birds, representatives of twelve orders. These include black-throated loon, grebes, bittern, mute swan and whooper, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, common kestrel, eagle owl, house owl, and forest lark. The black stork is recognized as vulnerable. This is a very rare species of birds listed in the Red Book of Russia. He is shy, lives in a forest zone and tries to avoid people. Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics are poorly studied due to the secrecy of the species. The basis of the feed base is fish.
Animals listed in the Red Book of the Vladimir region: predators
Predatory mammals are at the head of the food chain and have virtually no natural enemies, with the exception of humans. Only three species are under protection. Of these, the brown bear, one of the largest land predators in the world, is extinct, or in other words, disappeared from this territory. Once it inhabited all of Europe, and in the south, its habitat reached the lands of Africa, in the east - China. Now it is exterminated in many regions of Russia.
Two species are threatened with extinction - lynx and river otter. The first animal is a representative of the cat family. The most northern species whose habitat reaches Scandinavia. She has a secretive nature and prefers deaf, dark forests. The reasons for the small number are associated with the destruction of its habitats.
No less interesting are animals of our region, such as river otters. A small mammal leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. It is considered the most common member of the family and lives everywhere in Russia, but in this area for some reason their number has declined significantly in recent years.
