TRENDS AND THREATS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE BAIKAL NATURAL TERRITORY IN RUSSIA

References: 17th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2017, www.sgem.org, SGEM2017 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7408-06-5 / ISSN 1314-2704, 29 June - 5 July, 2017, Vol. 17, Issue 41, 693-700 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgem2017/41/S19.086

ABSTRACT

The Baikal natural territory is an interesting object to research for many groups of scientists since from its state the protection of Lake Baikal, which is a natural World Heritage Site depends on. Climate change in the area does not only comply with the general trends, but has its own characteristics due to the highly broken relief and the presence of a large storage of fresh water – Lake Baikal. Drastic changes in air temperature and a significant amount of precipitation can cause emergencies in the region. Temperature rise of air and water, especially in the summer, increases the recreational load and contributes to the emergence of invasive species. Within the recreation area of Lake Bakoni the prevailing environmental situation (the forced closure of the recreational area for visiting and a ban on bathing because of the manifestations of allergic reactions such as rash and temperature) apparently is the result of a complex chain of dependencies due to the active development of long-term water plant Elodea Canadensis, which is invasive for Eurasia. Ecological problems of the beach recreation zone of the city of Severobaykalsk are also associated with the accumulation of a huge mass of decaying algae of Spirogyra genus in the coastal waters of Lake Baikal and on the surface of the beach.

Keywords: climate change, environmental consequences, Lake Baikal, Baikal natural territory, Russia