All chapters:

Introduction

Climate

Waters and water management

Ecosystems and ecoregions

Species diversity and use of biological resources

Nature conservation: econet and protected areas

Countries & cultures

Economy

Land use

International policy

Climate

Figure: Precipitation correlated with numbers of breeding pairs of storks and cranes:

Green line - Fall precipitation trend (mm), Red line -- number of Stork breeding pairs,

Orange line - Number of crane breeding pairs.

In the Khingansky Zapovednik (Amurskaya Province, Russia) prolonged drought has been shown to negatively affect reproductive success of Oriental White Stork, and population numbers of White-naped Cranes, Red-crowned Cranes, and other waterbirds.  Their reproductive success in the wild depends on water supply to the breeding areas during nesting and brood-rearing because cranes and storks feed mostly on aquatic organisms.  Declining numbers of frogs and loaches (small fish) are results of low water levels in rivers and streams.  The breeding success of cranes and storks in spring and summer is determined by water retained in streams and soils from the previous autumn (wet season).  There has been a trend of decreasing annual and autumn precipitation during last 10-15 years.  Since 1936, there have been three droughts of six to seven years each and one continuing drought for the past seven years.  This will ultimately threaten the populations of cranes and storks as climate change progresses. (After Parilov, Kastrikin, Ignatenko)