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Zapovednik
Facts:
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Animals
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More than 200 brown bears (Ursus arctos)
roam Kunashir Island, probably the highest density
of bears in all of Russia. Dark brown, sometimes
straw-colored bears concentrate along rivers and
streams in mid-summer, as salmon begin to swim
upstream to spawn. Remains of partially eaten
salmon are strewn up and down the rocky banks of
the Tyatinka, Saratovka, and Tenaya rivers. Smaller
mammals on the island include mountain hare
(Lepus timidus), large-toothed red-backed
vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus), and large
Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus).
Sable (Martes zibellina) and red fox
(Vulpes vulpes) prey on these and other
rodents for food. European mink was introduced to
the island in 1981, and has since spread throughout
the zapovednik. There are no ungulates (hoofed
animals) on Kunashir.
Most of the pinnepeds inhabiting the southern
Kuril Island Chain are centered in rookeries around
Kunashir and neighboring small islands. Largha
seals (Phoca vitulina largha) gather near
the mouths of rivers during summer salmon runs to
gorge themselves on fish. Endangered pinnepeds in
the waters off of Kunashir include the
Steller’s sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
and a subspecies of harbor seal (Phoca vitulina
kurilensis). A rare subspecies of sea otter
(Enhydra lutris kurilensis) feeds mainly on
mollusks near the Kunashir coast. Killer whales
(Orcinus orca), humpback whales
(Megaptera novaeangliae), and other
cetaceans are sometimes seen near the island.
Sea birds and raptors make up the majority of
the 260 bird species found on the island.
Twenty-one birds are listed in the Russian Red
Book. Numerous bird colonies front the ocean on
rocky cliffs of Kunashir and smaller islands, where
a cacophony of calls can be heard from slaty-backed
gulls (Larus schistisagus), tufted puffin
(Lundra cirrhata), rhinoceros auklet
(Cerorhinca monocerata), and others. In the
spring, ducks (Anas spp.), eiders
(Somateria spp.), and cackling geese (Anser
spp.) throng together to head North for the
breeding season. Kunashir is located along one of
the nine major migratory routes for birds in the
world. Birds wintering in Australia, New Zealand,
Indonesia, and Japan fly here and beyond to nesting
places along the coast of the Eastern Pacific and
Alaska. Forests on the island are filled with the
chirping songs of tits (Parus spp.),
gray-capped greenfinch (Carduelis sinica),
and pipits (Anthus spp.). Jungle crows
(Corvus macrorhynchos) find perches in
spruce forests. The Blakiston’s fish-owl
(Ketupa blackistoni), one of the largest
predatory birds on Earth, glides silently along the
floodplains of rivers, searching for dolly varden
char (Salvelinus malma) and East Siberian
char (S. leucomaenis). With only a few dozen
pairs of the fish-owl left in the world, the fate
of this extremely rare bird remains uncertain. In
wintertime, flocks of Steller’s sea-eagle
(Haliaeetus pelagicus) migrate to Kunashir
Island from the North to hunt along rivers and
coastlines until spring.
Many endemic species of animals, birds,
reptiles, and insects inhabit Kunashir Island. The
metallic-tinted far-eastern skink (Eumeces
latiscutatus) is found nowhere else. Three
endemic species of snakes keep warm by staying
close to thermal springs: chicken snake (Elaphe
climacophora), small-scaled snake (E.
quadrivirgata), and Japanese snake (E.
japonica).
The southern Kuril coastal waters are some of
the richest in the world, due to the convergence of
cold and warm sea currents. Economically valuable
fish from cold water climates include walleye
pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), cod
(Gadus morrhua), mackerel (Scomber
scomber), flounder (Platychthys spp.),
halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), and
salmon (fam. Salmonidae). Other fish species
like Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), tuna
(Thunnus spp.), and sardines (Sardina
spp.) swim to the coastal waters of Kunashir
from subtropical waters. Most of the migration
routes for salmon pass through the southern Kuril
Islands. Rivers and streams on Kunashir appear to
boil from the hundreds of thousand of pink and chum
salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, O. keta)
drawn to their birth places to spawn each summer.
Invertebrates of all types live off the coast of
Kunashir Island, of which only a small number has
been described. Many of these are species of
economic value, such as crab, shrimp, sea urchin,
squid, sea slug, and scallop.
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Vegetation
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The greenhouse like climate of Kunashir Island
supports an amazing diversity of plant life. Of the
1,215 species of vascular plants found in the
southern Kuril Islands, 1045 grow on Kunashir.
Forests cover more than two-thirds of Kurilsky
Zapovednik. Broad leaf and mixed
coniferous/broadleaf forests grow at the foot of
volcanoes, and dark coniferous forests of spruce
(Picea spp.) and fir (Abies spp.)
grow at higher elevations up to 700 m. Crooked
birch stands (Betula spp.) reach up the
slopes of volcanoes, while dwarf pine (Pinus
sibirica) hugs the terrain even higher. High
elevations of the Tyata Volcano are covered with
tundra vegetation.
Spring comes to the island at the end of March,
when the snowy white forest landscape turns verdant
green with a blanket of Amur pheasant’s eye
(Adonis amurensis). Hues gradually change to
blue as corydalis (Corydalis ambigua) comes
into bloom in meadows. Pollen from Manchurian alder
(Alnus birsuta) and Asian skunk cabbage
(Lysichiton camtschatcensis) coats
everything in a fine dust. Soon trilliums
(Trillium camchatcense) open their white
blossoms, while the huge, palm-shaped, leathery
leaves of Japanese magnolia (Magnolia
hypoleuca) and sen (Kalopanax
septemlobus) begin to unfold. The end of spring
brings a riot of color: the royal hues of iris
(Iris cetosa) in fields and along edges of
forests are replaced by the shocking orange of
daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) and the
delicate blue of plantain lily (Hosta
rectifolia).
High grasses take over the landscape in
summertime, ending the colorful festival of spring.
Indian plantain (Cacalia robusta),
meadowsweet (Filipendula camtschatica), and
cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) grow to
heights of two to three meters in fields and river
valleys. Giant coltsfoot leaves (Petasites
amplus) substitute for umbrellas in summer
downpours. Rare orchids flower in mid-summer.
Sweet-scented butterfly and feather-leaf orchids
(Platanthera spp.), golden-hued Venus’s
slipper (Cypripedium macranthon), and
blushing Japanese pogonia (Pogonia japonica)
bloom in forests and meadows.
In the fall, oaks (Quercus crispula, Q.
mongolica) turn yellowish-brown, while Korean
mountain ash (Sorbus commixta) and cherry
trees (Padus ssiori) turn purple. Black
drupes of the Sakhalin cork tree (Phellodendron
sachalinense), succulent grape clusters
(Vitis coignetia), and bunches of actinidia
berries (Actinidia colomitka, A. arguta)
hang heavily on trees and vines.
At the end of November, strong winds and rains
of autumn typhoons tear away the last of the leaves
on the trees, and the forests become bare. Only
spruces (Picea ajanensis, P. glehni),
Sakhalin fir (Abies sachalinensis), dwarf
Japanese stone pine (Pinus pumila), and sasa
shoots (fam. Bambuseae) remain green through
the winter. Sasa is the island’s faithful
guardian, standing in dense, impenetrable walls and
protecting the land from wind, erosion, and even
trespassers.
Kurilsky Zapovednik ranks second of all Russian
zapovedniks in protection of rare and endangered
species; 34 kinds of vascular plants, five species
of mushrooms, four species of lichens, and four
types of mosses are endangered on the island. Rare
plants include: cordate angelica tree (Aralia
cordata), Daimyo oak (Quercus dentata),
downy Japanese maple (Acer japonicum),
Gray’s umbrella leaf (Diphylleia
grayi), Japanese flag (Iris ensata),
Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata), long-bracted
helliborine (Cephalanthera longibracteata),
tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium), and
Wright’s viburnum (Viburnum wrightii).
Japanese yew trees, common on Kunashir and Shikotan
islands, can live for several thousand years.
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Geographical
Features
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In the Russian Far East, a long chain of islands
stretches from Kamchatka to Japan, dividing the
frigid Okhotsk Sea from the vast Pacific Ocean.
Geographers have designated two groups within the
islands, referring to the Small and Big Kuril
Island Chains. The Small Kuril Chain, including the
islands of Shikotan and Kunashir, makes up the
southern end of the chain nearest to Japan, while
the Big Chain stretches North to Kamchatka. The
Ainu people originally settled these islands
several thousand years ago. The Ainu called
themselves the "Kur," thus the islands came to be
known as the Kuril Islands. Kunashir, directly
across the Kunashirsky Strait from the Japanese
island of Hokaiddo, means "black earth" in Ainu,
probably named for the dark volcanic soils that
make up the island.
Kurilsky Zapovednik protects three different
areas of the Small Kuril Chain: the northern half
of Kunashir Island; a southern portion of the
island; and part of the lesser Kuril chain, around
the Demina and Oskolki islands. The majority of the
reserve is on Kunashir Island, where the zapovednik
headquarters is located. Kurilsky Zapovednik is
also responsible for protection and management of
the federal-level Maly Kurily Zakaznik (nature
refuge). The zakaznik covers an area of 450 km2,
including 252 km2 of coastal and marine areas. Maly
Kurily Zakaznik plays an important role in
protecting unique natural resources that were not
included in the zapovednik, namely Shikotan,
Zeleny, Yury, Tanfilyeva, Anuchina, and Polonskoro
islands with adjacent rocks, reefs, and Russian
territorial waters one mile wide.
Much of Kurilsy Zapovednik’s territory is
mountainous with volcanic formations. Four active
volcanoes and many inactive ones permeate Kunashir
Island, making it a fascinating site for volcanic
research. Tyatya Volcano juts 1,819 meters from the
sea, making it the highest point on Kunashir and
the second highest volcano in the Kuril Island
Chain. Tyatya, which stands at the northeastern
edge of the island, is considered the third most
perfectly formed volcano in the world after Fuji
and Vesuvius. The last time the volcano erupted was
in 1973. Ruruy Volcano (1,486 m) marks the northern
edge of the Dokuchayev Mountain Range (with
elevations of 900 to 1180 m) at the North end of
the island. The southern end of Kunashir Island has
more gently rolling hills. This is where the large
crater of the Golovnin Volcano is situated. The
crater holds two mineral lakes heated by volcanic
gases, which are aptly named "Boiling" and "Hot"
Lakes. The colorful blue and yellow tinted lakes
are separated by cupola-like magma formations from
the last eruption.
Mineral and thermal springs are found throughout
the island, with varying temperatures and mineral
and gas compositions. Lakes of differing origin,
such as calders, craters, lava-ponds, and lagoons,
are protected in the zapovednik. Ptichy River, in
the northern part of the zapovednik, is one of the
most spectacular rivers on the island. Cascades and
waterfalls along the entire course of the river
send crystal-clear water tumbling down into the
Okhotsk Sea.
Weather patterns on Kunashir Island are forever
changing. The climate is characterized as coastal
monsoon, with relatively warm winters (the average
temperature in February is -4.7°C), and cool
summers (the average temperature in August is
16.6°C). Fog often blankets the island,
especially in June and July. Heavy rains, strong
winds, and choppy seas mark the typhoon season,
lasting from May through October. Snowstorms and
winds pervade in winter. Blizzards hit on occasion,
covering the island with a thick blanket of snow
and impassable snowdrifts, where only treetops are
visible. Towards the end of winter, sea ice locks
in even the southernmost Kuril Islands.
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Conservation
Status
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Kurilsky Zapovednik is perhaps one of the most
politically complicated zapovedniks in the Russian
protected areas system. The southern Kuril Islands,
called the "Northern territories" by the Japanese,
have been the center of a political dispute between
Russia and Japan since Russia reclaimed the islands
after World War II. Overfishing in the region by
the Russians and Japanese has developed into a
major problem over the past decade, and the recent
press to mine for gold in the buffer zone of the
reserve has sparked concern as to the fate of this
unique island.
The most recent infringement on the integrity of
Kurilsky Zapovednik and the nature of Kunashir was
an attempt to liquidate part of the buffer zone in
the northern part of the island, where
"exploratory" gold mining operations have been
underway since before the reserve was created. In
1999, the Kurilsky Mining and Geological Company
began to push for the right to large-scale
excavation and enrichment of gold ore in the
zapovednik’s buffer zone. Any forms of mineral
excavation, logging, or use of chemicals are
prohibited by buffer zone status, in order to
prevent adverse effects on the adjoining fully
protected ecosystems. According the
gold-seekers’ plan, the ore would be taken
from the Udachnoye mine three kilometers inland and
dumped at the mouth of the Zolotaya River, a
mineral river that runs into the Okhotsk Sea. A
proposed gold ore enrichment plan would involve the
use of sodium cyanide, a substance that dissolves
instantly in water, placing at tremendous risk the
entire riparian and coastal ecosystems downstream.
The Governor of the Sakhalin oblast signed a
resolution in August 1999 to liquidate part of the
buffer zone and allow full-blown gold mining
activities to proceed. Within months, this decision
was reversed and the resolution declared illegal by
the Federal Prosecutor’s office. The
zapovednik’s buffer zone was soon reinstated.
However, gold fever has not subsided, and it
remains to be seen whether or not gold mining will
indeed proceed in the buffer zone of the
zapovednik. For the estimated 500 kg of gold and
120 kg of silver that might be taken from Kunashir
to make a few people rich, one wonders if it is
worth putting at risk an island with spectacular
volcanic formations, pure rivers, untouched
forests, and endangered plants and animals.
Overfishing in the seas around Kunashir Island
is perhaps even more complicated and far-reaching
than the issue of gold mining. Since the Kurilsky
Zapovednik was created, the pattern of use of
marine products from this region has undergone
major changes: in 1996 Japanese ports began
accepting marine products caught by Russian
vessels. As a result, moderate levels of fishing
escalated to an uncontrolled plundering of the sea,
with enormous quantities of crab, shrimp, squid,
and sea urchin from the southern Kuril Islands
going directly to Japan. A marine buffer zone was
established around the Kurilsky Zapovednik in 1996
to begin to address the problem, but the zapovednik
has nowhere near the resources to control illegal
fishing by Russian and Japanese vessels along the
coast and in the open seas. Recognition of the
zapovednik as a UNESCO World Heritage site would
help ensure conservation in the region, regardless
of political boundaries.
On top of the problems posed by mining and
overfishing, Kunashir Island is caught in the
middle of a long-standing political dispute between
Russia and Japan. Following Russia’s defeat in
the Japanese-Russian War (1904-1905), the Japanese
annexed the southern Kuril Islands. Japan had
jurisdiction over the Kurils until the end of World
War II, when the territories were ceded to the
USSR. Japan to this day claims the Small Kuril
Chain, including the islands of Kunashir and
Irturup. Some people fear that if the Japanese were
to reclaim the southern Kuril Islands, the
unspoiled nature of Kunashir and other islands
would be turned into urban business centers and
parking lots by the Japanese. Others, however, feel
that Russia is not committing enough funds to
either the social-economic situation or nature
conservation on Kunashir Island. Towns on the
island constantly lack fuel, and the electricity is
turned off repeatedly. The zapovednik is constantly
short of funds and resources to cope with poaching
and overfishing in the region. A small group of
people is advocating that the countries resolve the
dispute in a peaceful manner, by creating an
International Peace Park to protect the unique
nature of the islands in perpetuity for the
enjoyment of Russians, Japanese, and people from
around the world.
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References
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"Biodiversity Briefings from Northern Eurasia,"
(special supplement to Russian Conservation
News). Center for Russian Nature Conservation,
v.2,1 1999.
Zapovedniks of the USSR: Zapovedniks of the Far
East. Mysl publishing agency. Moscow, 1985.
Alekseeva, L.N. Flora of Kunashir Island.
Vladivostok, 1983.
Barkalov, V.Yu. "Flora of the Kuril Islands."
Thesis paper. Dalnauka publishing agency.
Vladivostok, 1998.
Berzan, A.P. "Rare species of vascular plants on
Kunashir Island," in Red Book Plants in Russian
Zapovedniks. Compilation of scientific works,
published by the TsNIL Hunting and Zapovednik
Management Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of
the RF. Moscow, 1994.
Schwartz, E.A. and M.A. Vaisfeld. "Problems of
conserving disappearing species of animals of the
island." Discussion papers on introducing the
European mink to Kunashir Island. Successes of
Modern Biology, v.113,1.
Pyzhyanov, F.I., ed. "Fregat: a historical and
geographical almanac." Volume 1. Yuzhno- Kurilsk,
1992.
Text by compiled by Laura Williams, based on
materials written by Irina Nevedomskaya and Natalia
Yeremenko, staff members of Kurilsky
Zapovednik.
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Russian Nature Conservation
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A
foggy shroud envelops the enchanted island of Kunashir,
pierced only by the tops of menacing volcanoes. The fiery
cones reach skyward, leaving the turbulent seas far below
at their feet. Kunashir Island, half of which is protected
by Kurilsky Zapovednik, is the southernmost link in a chain
of volcanic islands reaching a thousand kilometers from
Japan north to Kamchatka. The islands separate the icy
waters of the Okhotsk Sea from the warmer Pacific Ocean.
Emanating from the seas, salmon choke Kunashir’s
pristine rivers in their fight to give life to new generations.
Bears gather in force to reap the bounty of overcrowded rivers.
Perhaps it is this abundance of resources -- from caviar to
gold to thermal energy, that has kept the magical island of
Kunashir in the political spotlight for more than a century.
