Yakutia as the territory of the crane most diversity in the northern part of Asia-Pacific region

Solomonov Nikita Gavrilovich^*
*Correspondence: Solomonov Nikita Gavrilovich, Department of Biodiversity, Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone-SB RAS, Russia,

Extended Abstract

Asia-Pacific region occupies the great part of northeastern Eurasia and North America. Two crane species, Whooping crane Grus americana and Sandhill crane G. canadensis, inhabit north America including USA, Canada and Mexico. Seven cranes, common crane species: G. grus, Sandhill crane, Hooded crane G. monarcha, White-naped crane G. vipio, Siberian crane G. leucogeranus, Red-crowned crane Grus japonensis, Demoiselle cranes Anthropoides virgo inhabit Russia. Republic Sakha (Yakutia) territory includes six crane species, 4 nesting (Common, Hooded, Siberian and Sandhill cranes) and two vagrant species. Demoiselle crane appears regularly in the Middle Lena River, Vilui River and Upper Yana River Valleys. The first appearance of White-naped crane was reported in 2014, when a pair of birds was registered in Upper Yana River Valley in 2014. Case of vagrant Brolga antigone rubicunda was described in 90s XIX century by the Moscow State University Museum data. The bird was killed in 80s near Yakutsk city (Central Yakutia). But the information was no confirmed for the whole XX and early XI centuries and later this species was excluded from Yakutia ornithological fauna list due to a possible error in the labeling. Nevertheless, Republic Sakha (Yakutia), situated in the northeastern part of Siberia and is the largest subject of Russia Federation, occupying more than 18% of Russia (3.1 million of km2), is the territory of the crane most diversity in the northern part of Asia-Pacific region. In addition to basic statistics on population and total land area, Table 4 includes FAO estimates of 'exploitable' and 'non-exploitable' forest. Also included are statistics showing the degree of change over the 1981-90 period Asia Pacific Region 480.7 million ha. are reported as 'exploitable' while some 84.5 million ha. are 'unexploitable'. The largest share of unexploitable forest is found in the Temperate-North Asia subregion (33.8 million ha. - primarily in China), and the Developed sub-region (28.6 million ha. - mainly in Australia) (as annual averages) for the combined forest and other wooded lands, natural forests, and plantations. Of the total forest lands the India and Indonesia both also include important areas that are considered 'unexploitable Basic information about the forests of the Asia Pacific Region as compiled from the FAO Forest Resources Assessment reports (1990) is summarized by subregion in Table 3 and Appendix 3 by country.2 As shown, the Asia Pacific Region included a total of 820 million ha. of forest and wooded lands, or approximately 16 percent of the global total. North Asia had the largest total, at just over 214 million ha., followed by Oceania-S. Pacific at almost 201 million ha. In North Asia, the region is dominated by the forest and wooded area of China, at 162 million ha. In Oceania-S. Pacific, Australia accounts for the greatest share, at almost 146 million ha. South Asia contains the smallest total of forest and wooded land, at just over 100 million ha., with India the leading country at 82.6 million ha. For the Continental SE Asia sub-region, Myanmar with almost 50 million ha. is the leading country. For Insular Asia, with 181 million ha. of forest and wooded lands, Indonesia is the leading country with 145 million ha. As shown in Table 3, over 565 million ha. in the Asia Pacific region is considered forest. This also represents just over 16 percent of the global total. Forest lands cover an estimated 20 percent of total land area for the Asia Pacific Region as a whole, ranging from a high of 58 percent for Insular SE Asia to a low of only 10.6 percent for Oceania-S. Pacific. Asia Pacific forest cover is below the global average of 27 percent. Because of the significant differences in forest as a percent of land area, and the variance in population densities, the reported forest per capita differs significantly. For the Asia Pacific Region, forest per capita is 0.19 ha./inh., compared to the global average of 0.64.