Russian Zapovedniki in 1998: recent progress and new challenges for Russia's strict nature preserves.

209 In: Watson, Alan E.; Aplet, Greg H.; Hendee, John C., comps. 2000. Personal, societal, and ecological values of wilderness: Sixth World Wilderness Congress proceedings on research, management, and allocation, volume II; 1998 October 24–29; Bangalore, India. Proc. RMRS-P-14. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. David Ostergren is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Center for Environmental Sciences and Education, Box 5694, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011U.S.A., e-mail: david.ostergren@nau.edu. Evgeny Shvarts is Professor, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science. He is past Director of the Biodiversity Conservation Center and now with the World Wide Fund for Nature in Moscow, Russia, e-mail: eshvarts@wwfnet.org Abstract—Zapovedniki are pristine ecosystems that restrict all economic utilization and are designed to act as areas for ecological research and “natural controls” for comparison to other land uses such as agriculture or resource extraction. The most recent threats to zapovedniki originate from the dissolution of the Soviet system and resultant economic instability. Since 1991, zapovedniki have maintained their role in Russian society by increasing contact with international nongovernment organizations, using legislation to increase their ability to enforce the law, expanding environmental education, and diversifying funding strategies. Despite their efforts, the reduction in federal support overrides most efforts to fulfill the mandate of biodiversity conservation, ecological monitoring, and environmental education.