ORNITHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN RESERVES OF THE FORMER SOVIET-UNION

Russia and its neighboring countries, formerly included in the USSR, h ave a vast network of protected areas. Located in a diversity of lands capes, these reserves provide a unique opportunity to conduct coordina ted observations over the whole area of the former Soviet Union. A uni fied monitoring program with a large ornithological component is carri ed out in all the reserves. Specially designated ornithological reserv es are located at major concentration sites for birds. A series of suc h reserves has been developed along the Far Eastern Coastline, forming a corridor of protected areas along the routes of mass bird migration . This paper describes the reserves and the research and management th at occurs there, with the goal of alerting Western specialists to coop erative research opportunities.