Ecological Aspects of Conservation of Vertebrates from the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation in Mountainous Regions

Issues of conservation of rare and endangered animal species are considered one of the main ecological problems of recent decades and are included in the Ecological Doctrine of the Russian Federation and the Principles of the State Policy in the Area of Environmental Development of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030. The distribution of terrestrial vertebrates listed in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation in mountainous regions has been studied for the first time. A biome approach is used: the division of the territory, according to the similarity of the biota, including the analysis of its latitudinal, longitudinal, and altitudinal changes. For each of the 31 mountain biomes identified in the territory of Russia, lists of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians from the Red Data Book are given, and the abundance of these protected objects is quantified. Regions with high diversity of such terrestrial vertebrates have been identified. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians have the greatest similarity in the location of orobiomes with the maximum number of species. The regions of their greatest diversity are confined to the Caucasus. For mammals, this is its eastern part; for reptiles and amphibians, it is the biomes bordering the Black Sea coast. The maximum diversity of breeding birds is confined to the south of the Far East. Maps with the distribution of the number of such rare species in the mountain biomes of Russia have been prepared. The results make it possible to optimize conservation measures for rare and vulnerable vertebrates.