Wildlife of
Novosibirskaja oblast'

Primary Threats

• Flow regulation and altered sediment/ice regimes from the Novosibirsk Hydroelectric Station and reservoir change floodplain flooding patterns, erode/reshape banks, and degrade spawning/nursery habitats for native fish; water-level fluctuations also affect reedbeds and colonial nesting sites on lakes.
• Drainage/fragmentation of wetlands and floodplains (including reedbeds and shallow-lake margins), conversion of forest-steppe to fields, and shoreline development around the Ob reservoir reduce breeding and stopover habitat for waterbirds and raptors.
• In forest-steppe areas, field expansion and consolidation remove shelterbelts and meadow-steppe patches, reducing habitat for steppe-associated birds (e.g., eagles, harriers) and increasing disturbance near nest territories.
• Municipal and industrial discharges from the Novosibirsk agglomeration, plus diffuse agricultural runoff (nutrients, pesticides) into tributaries and the reservoir, contribute to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and degraded water quality in the Ob system and large lakes.
• High fishing pressure (commercial and recreational) in the Ob/Reservoir and connected waters, including illegal take, reduces vulnerable long-lived fish populations (notably sturgeon and salmonids) and disrupts age structure.
• Poaching and poorly controlled take (especially of waterfowl and occasionally raptors) is most acute around accessible wetlands/lakes and during migration periods; lead shot remnants can also affect waterbirds.
• Dense transport infrastructure (Trans-Siberian rail/roads, bridges, shoreline roads) and expansion of dacha settlements around the reservoir increase fragmentation, wildlife mortality, and disturbance; dams/culverts impede fish movement in tributaries.
• Expansion of Novosibirsk and satellite settlements drives shoreline hardening, loss of riparian vegetation, increased light/noise near nesting areas, and higher recreation pressure on the Ob reservoir and riverbanks.
• Recreation (boats, off-road vehicles, ice fishing, shoreline camping) near colonies and nesting sites on Lake Chany-type wetlands and along the reservoir can cause nest abandonment and lower breeding success for sensitive waterbirds and raptors.
• Increasingly variable precipitation and hotter summers can lower water levels in shallow lakes, intensify steppe/peatland fire risk, and shift wetland hydroperiods-reducing reedbed stability and concentrating pollutants during low-water years.
• Large congregations of migratory waterfowl at major stopover lakes elevate risk of avian influenza and other outbreaks, which can trigger die-offs and complicate management of hunting and protected bird colonies.
• Non-native/introduced aquatic species and widely spread synanthropic predators (and, in some areas, invasive mustelids like American mink) can increase predation pressure on ground/colony-nesting birds and alter fish community composition.
• Localized logging and fuelwood cutting in accessible forests (including pine forests near recreational areas) can simplify forest structure, reduce old-tree nesting opportunities for raptors, and increase erosion on sandy soils.
• Sand/gravel extraction and quarrying near river terraces and construction-demand areas can disturb riparian habitats, increase turbidity, and damage spawning grounds; peat extraction where present can degrade wetland function.
• Conflicts occur around fisheries (predation by birds/otters), beaver-driven flooding of infrastructure, and occasional depredation by large carnivores on livestock in rural districts-sometimes leading to retaliatory killing.