Global Importance of the Russian Far East Bioregion:
The Russian Far East, in eastern Siberia, is bounded by North Korea and China to
the south and the Sea of Japan to the east, with the Sikhote Alin mountain range
rising up along the coast. This Level I Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) is one of
the last expansive, contiguous tracts of remaining tiger habitat and features
some of the world's richest, most distinctive boreal and temperate forests. Much
of this area remained relatively warm during past periods of glaciation,
becoming a refuge for many species that died off elsewhere long ago. The Russian
Far East offers some of the last opportunities to preserve representative
examples of various taiga, mixed conifer, and broadleaf forest communities,
along with their unique assemblages of fauna, that survive nowhere else in the
world. The presence of complex coastal and wetland ecosystems and
extraordinarily high concentrations of endemic plant and invertebrate species
enhance the region's merit as a conservation priority.
The Russian Far East's top predator is the Siberian, or Amur, tiger. Its
evolution has produced adaptations far different from its warm-climate relatives
which allow it to thrive in the inhospitable temperatures and terrain of this
challenging environment. This massive tiger adroitly navigates the precipitous
slopes that characterize its often snow-covered habitat, preying on deer, wild
boar, and even the occasional black bear. To protect the Amur tiger, we must
protect its habitat. This in turn benefits all wildlife that share tiger
habitat, including the Amur leopard, Himalayan bear, and musk deer.
The Conservation Challenge:
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 ushered in a period of political and
economic disarray that took a severe toll on the tigers of the Russian Far East.
The tiger protection infrastructure was seriously compromised by social upheaval
and lack of funds. Anti-poaching patrols ceased to operate, and wildlife law
enforcement was largely abandoned. Tigers had long been victims of poaching to
supply the traditional Asian medicine market, and during this period of strife
they were more vulnerable than ever. Poachers killed an estimated 180 tigers
between 1991 and 1994, and the opening of the Sino-Russian border facilitated
the flow of tiger parts into China. To complicate matters, the cash-starved
Russian government tried to raise much needed capital by selling off large
tracts of Siberian forest to logging companies, fragmenting vital tiger habitat.
Impoverished and hungry, local people infiltrated tiger habitat to hunt,
diminishing the tigers' already depleted prey base. The combined pressures of
poaching, habitat loss and reduced prey availability were edging the tigers of
the Russian Far East ever closer to extinction.
