Lapland State Biosphere Reserve, Monchegorsk, Russia:

V. Sh. Barkan, Deputy Executive Officer, e-mail: barcan.valery2010@yandex.ru
S. V. Shestakov, Executive Officer

One of largest European natural reserves (Lapland State Biosphere Reserve) and one of largest metallurgical plants (“Severonickel” Combine) are situated practically close to each other — at a distance of 7 km. They have common interests in saving of natural environment and several corresponding long-term common projects. Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company has been providing the financial support to the natural reserve in equipping with transport facilities for more than 10 years, which makes it possible to provide the proper safeguard of reserve territory. Natural recovery of environment on earlier degraded territories has begun with the beginning of frequent decreasing of industrial discharges of Severonickel. At the same time, together with ecological monitoring, the reserve has been carrying out the inventory of flora and fauna for many years. Results of this work are impressive. Over these years, the number of discovered species of flowering plants and mosses has been doubled, and the number of lischens has increased by 6 times. The number of species of birds, registered within the town territory, has been doubled, in which connection there were defined the rare birds, such as golden eagle, merlin, snowy owl and others. For the first time, more than 260 species of spiders were registered on the big trans-polar territory. Two widely spread species of forest mosses are used for objective and non-instrumental estimation of dynamics of aerogenic and anthropogenic pollution of environment. There was found that for 20 years, average content of nickel in mosses has decreased by 3 times, average content of copper has decreased by 6 times and average content of lead has decreased by 5 times.