Acta Geographica Silesiana, 12/1 (29) WNoZ UŚ, Sosnowiec, 2018, s. 55–60 ISSN 1897–5100 УДК 911.2 Alexey V. Sobisevich1 ,Valerian A. Snytko1,2, 1S. I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology RAS, Baltiyskaya street 14, 125315 Moscow, Russia, e-mail: sobisevich@mail.ru, vsnytko@yandex.ru 2V. B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS, Ulan-Batorskaya street 1, 664033 Irkutsk, Russia; e-mail: vsnytko@yandex.ru SOME ASPECTS OF NATURE PROTECTION IN THE SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE OF ACADEMICIAN INNOKENTIY P. GERASIMOV Sobisiewicz A. W., Snytko W. A. Niektóre aspekty ochrony przyrody w naukowej spuściźnie akademika Inno- kientija P. Gierasimowa. Rozwхj przemysуu w Związku Radzieckim i rabunkowe wykorzystywanie zasobхw naturalnych spowodowaуo antropogeniczne zmiany w środowisku naturalnym, a tym samym – pogorszenie wa- runkхw życia ludzkiej populacji. Odpowiadając na te wyzwania I. P. Gierasimow przystąpiу do opracowywania metod ochrony środowiska, ktхre uwzględniaуyby najnowsze osiągnięcia z dziedziny ekologii. Zwracaу on przy tym wielką uwagę na rozprzestrzenianie się substancji zanieczyszczających w уańcuchach troficznych oraz na zdol- ność ekosystemхw do samooczyszczania się. Szczegхlnie interesowaуo go stworzenie listy obszarхw, na ktхrych mogуaby zostać ograniczona antropopresja i rozpoczęto by ochronę siedlisk gatunkхw endemicznych. I. P. Giera- simow podkreślaу konieczność prowadzenia badań nad możliwością utworzenia sztucznych ekosystemхw, ktхre mogуyby speуniać wymagania gospodarcze ludności, bez pogarszania – w trakcie wykorzystywania zasobхw przy- rody – jakości otaczającego czуowieka środowiska. А. ., к . А. Н к ы а к ы х а ы к жа щ ыв а ч а ака ка И к П в ча Г а ва. аз к C з з- з а ка з ж з к . к ка а з , . . - а а аз а а а за к жа ,к а - ж а к . а а а - - а к к к а . а а а , а а a а а ак - а аз аз . . . а к а , а з ж з а к к ,к з - а , з з а ка к - жа . Key words: environmental monitoring, nature environment, biosphere reserves, problems of biosphere, Lake Baikal, Jizera Mountains Sуowa kluczowe: monitoring ekologiczny, środowisko naturalne, rezerwaty biosfery, problemy biosfery, ”ajkaу, Gхry Izerskie К ч вы ва: к к , к жа а а, за к , , з а ка , з к Annotation tion. Responding to this challenge, Innokentiy P. Ge- rasimov developed methods of protection of biosphere Industrial development in the Soviet Union and the that would take into account the latest achievements excessive use of natural resources led to the anthropo- in the field of ecology. At the same time, they paid genic change in the natural environment and deterio- great attention to the distribution of pollutants on tro- ration of the living conditions of the human popula- phic chains and the ability of ecosystems to self-puri- 55 fication. He paid particular attention to the defini- - to pull greater emphasis on the comprehensive tion of a list of territories where the anthropogenic study of the impact of the productive activity of activity would be limited and biodiversity of endemic modern society on the geographical environ- species would be conserved. Innokentiy Gerasimov ment; stressed that it is necessary to conduct research into - to create a general theory of goal-oriented modi- the possibility of creating artificial ecosystems that fication of the natural environment; could meet the needs of the population without de- - to work out a scientific theory of rational natu- grading the environmental quality in the process of ral-technical territorial systems; that economic activity. - to further elaborate scientific principles for re- gional planning and modification of the environ- INTRODUCTION ment in which people could live and work (ARMAND, GERASIMOV, PREOBRAZHENSKY, 1986). Academician Innokentiy P. Gerasimov (photo 1) Innokentiy Gerasimov believed that the new made a significant contribution to physical geogra- integrating role of geography will include the follo- phy, soil science, geomorphology, and paleogeo- wing functions: regulation of biogeophysical and graphy. He was a creator of "constructive geo- biochemical processes taking place in the biosphe- graphy" – a new scientific direction, which was re under the influence of a person in order to main- tain it in a dynamically stable state; determination of the optimal forms of the impact of the technical and economic progress of society on the biosphe- re; rational transformation of existing forms and spheres of human activity to achieve the best ecolo- gical effect of global and regional levels; participa- tion in the process of restoration of a stable dyna- mic state in the system of human–nature interac- tion (ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 39). Those points were a reflection of a special ecological approach, developed by Innokentiy Gerasimov for applied geography, which was focused on natural resour- ces rational usage and environment protection. PROTECTED TERRITORIES On the need of environmental protection, Inno- Photo 1. Innokentiy P. Gerasimov (1905–1985) Fot. 1. Innokientij P. Gierasimow (1905–1985) kentiy Gerasimov spoke at a meeting of the De- . 1. к а (1905–1985) partment of Earth Sciences, Soviet Academy of Sciences, on February 16, 1965. He has discussed focused on the problems of conservation and using the anthropogenic influence of paper industries on nature. According to him, constructive geography ecosystem of the Lake Baikal. In his report, there was formed in the era of the scientific and tech- was an alarming warning about the increase of in- nological revolution, when geographical science dustrial and domestic wastewaters from 11 to 60 had more complicated tasks, which should cover km3 per year during 20 years. Taking into account activity of many branches of the economy and chan- the need for dilution and subsequent self-cleaning ge of many components of nature and society in of 5–10 times the amount of clean water meant a the territory of very extensive and various regions threat of an acute water crisis in especially impor- (ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 188). tant industrial regions of the country. From that According Gerasimov’s ideas the particular point, Innokentiy Gerasimov expressed the opinion directions of geographical research should be as that in future the clean water resourses, not raw follows: materials and energy, will dictate the placement - to continue the work of assessing the need of so- of new industries (ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 24). ciety for natural resources; 56  In 1969, at the State Committee on Science and nion all humans' efforts to preserve natural com- Technology of the Council of Ministers of the munities in their non-anthropogenic forms will fail USSR, a special commission on problems of the bio- (SCHWARTZ, 1986). sphere was created. Innokentiy Gerasimov beca- Innokentiy Gerasimov thought that rational me the head of that commission and paid special using of natural resources can be achieved only attention of making recommendations for Soviet with the help of geographic science, which provides institutions, which will participate in internatio- information on using of the environment and na- nal scientific research concerning problems of the tural resources. The priority task of geographic biosphere. In the same year, he published in the science, in his opinion, would be the answer to journal Communist , the paper on the need of ge- Shwartz's questions: What is a good ecosystem (bio- neral plan for the transformation of nature, whe- cenose)? How can people create artificial ecosystems re special attention will be put to the special role that would fulfill their functions no worse than na- of nature reserves as wildlife keepers. According tural ones? What properties and characteristics to Gerasimov's plan, nature reserves should beco- should have good artificial ecosystems, which are me the basic type of natural ecosystems, which capable of replacing the natural ones? (ARAN. F. will be strictly protected from human activity and 1850, Op. 1. D. 53). transformation into anthropogenic ecosystems. Stanislav Shwarts described the properties of The comparison of natural and anthropogenic eco- artificial ecosystems in the very detailed way. He systems should give an answer to the question how noted that a good human-made ecosystem should perfect those human-made ecosystems are (ARAN. ensure the synthesis of a large amount of oxygen, F. 1850, Op. 1. D. 53). animal and vegetable products. That ecosystem Innokentiy Gerasimov believed that natural re- should have high productivity to compensate for sources should be used in a rational way. In 1979, the loss of its biomass from any external accidents. in his article "Scientific Foundations of Socialist The biosystem that will be created should also ha- Nature Management and the Problems of Funda- ve the stability of ecosystems in a wide range of en- mental Science" he associated the anthropogenic vironmental conditions and have some internal re- change of environment with the over-utilization serves, which will allow the rapid rearrangement of natural resources. He also recognized that the of ecosystem structures, adapting them to society excessive use of natural resources took place in the needs (SHWARTS, 1975). Soviet Union, but it was forced decision. The cre- ation of the Dnieper and Volga cascades of hydro- THE PROBLEM OF THE BIOSPHERE electric power led to the flooding of many settle- ments and agricultural land, but Innokentiy Gera- In September 1972 Supreme Soviet of the USSR simov believed that this was justified by the crea- issued the resolution on the measures for the pro- tion of an energy base for the industrial develop- tection of nature and the rational use of natural re- ment of the country. Considering the problem of sources. In December it was adopted as the reso- reducing the area of the Aral Sea, caused by the re- lution of the Central Committee of the Commu- moval of a significant part of the Syr Darya and nist Party of the Soviet Union and the Council of Mi- Amu Darya rivers runoff to expand the area of ir- nisters of the USSR on strengthening environmen- rigated lands, he called for the launch of measures tal protection. In response to these resolutions in to combat desertification, but only those that did not 1975, Innokentiy Gerasimov initiated the creation impede the growth of cotton plantations and other of the State Committee for Environmental Pro- irrigated crops (ARAN. F. 1850, Op. 1. D. 52). tection under Council of Ministers of the USSR. Gerasimov's viewpoint that natural resourses In his note to Alexander Vinogradov, the vice- should be used for industrial needs, but in the most president of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR rational way, was very close to the approach of the he proposed among the tasks of the committee to Soviet ecologist Stanislav S. Shvarts. He thought distinguish: the control of the services of accoun- that numerous industrial and agricultural activities, ting for natural resources and observations of the which are absolutely necessary for needs of socie- environment; assistance in the introduction of new ty and human population, makes impossible to pre- effective methods for cleaning industrial and hou- serve pure ecosystem. “ccording to Shvarts’ opi- sehold wastes (ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 167). 57  Moreover, at the General Meeting of the Aca- INVESTIGATION OF MODEL AREAS demy of Sciences of the USSR on March 17, 1976, Innokentiy Gerasimov reported about the possibi- The theme of environmental monitoring can be tra- lity of catastrophic changing of the environment on ced in the foreign studies of Innokentiy Gerasimov a large part of the Earth. He warned that in the ne- (photo 2). He visited Liberec and Ostrava model arest future there could be the global changes of the areas during the field part of the scientific sympo- atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere, which will ha- sium of the Commission for Environmental Pro- ve an extremely negative influence on human po- blems of the International Geographical Union, pulation and biota. This gave him the reason to be- which was held in Czechoslovakia from 23 to 31 lieve that modern society has the obligation to pro- May 1977. The leader of that symposium, J. tect the environment to preserve the health and DEMEK (1981), described that the main task of cre- well-being of people (ARAN. F. 1850, Op. 1. D. 53). ating model areas was making measurements of the He also paid much attention to effective environ- most important elements of the environment. mental monitoring, which was connected with the In his impressions after visiting Liberec model understanding by him that anthropogenic influen- area, Innokentiy Gerasimov noted that the territo- ce on the environment will have a bad influence ry of research was located 100–150 km northeast of on people's living conditions (GERASIMOV, 1975). Prague. On that territory, there was a protected area At the general meeting of the Section on Earth the Jizera Mountains, with problems of deforestation Sciences, USSR Academy of Sciences on Decem- due to the long-term anthropogenic pollution. Ho- ber 12, 1983, Innokentiy Gerasimov presented a wever, that anthropogenic change in the structure program of complex fundamental ecological scien- of landscapes did not stimulate the development tific research and scientific and technical develop- of such destructive processes as soil erosion and ments, which was called "Biosphere". The main ob- landside processes. I. GERASIMOV (1981) believed jectives of the program were: optimization of envi- that in that bad conditions the natural environment ronment for the preservation of human health, continued to maintain its properties of self-re- reproduction of natural renewable resources, com- covery. bating natural disruptive natural processes, conser- However, since 1965 the ecological situation vation of wildlife's genetic diversity and preserva- changed in a negative direction when power sta- tion environment from the massive intrusion of tions, which were using fuel from the Turoszхw pollutants or radionuclides (ARAN. F. 1850. brown coal basin, were built north of the Jizera Mo- Op. 1. D. 195). untains. These power stations emitted various harm- Photo 2. Innokentiy Gerasimov during the excursion abroad (phot.: archive of Russian Academy of Sciences) Fot. 2. Innokientij P. Gierasimow w czasie jednej z wycieczek zagranicznych (fot.: archiwum Rosyjskiej Akademii Nauk) Ф . 2. к а за ж з к .: а к Aка а к 58 ful gaseous substances, but the sulfur dioxide (SO2) research functions and gave scientists an opportu- was very dangerous for the local ecosystem beca- nity to compare those protected territories and the use it turned into sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which da- places where the environmental load was very high. maged forests on the slopes of the Jizera Massif. The Gerasimov idea was in supplementing natu- Czechoslovakian government had to reduce emi- re reserves with some research functions, which ssions of pollutants by improving technologies for biosphere reserves already had. neutralizing gaseous emissions. Very useful could A well-established scientific typology of natural be planting forests, which will be more resistant to ecosystem did not exist in the beginning of 1970th. acid precipitation. During that symposium, Inno- Geographers identified major types of natural eco- kentiy Gerasimov noted that the forecast of the systems by using geobotanic, soil-geographic and ecological situation of the territory is impossible physical geographic data. That determined the fact without spatial information. These information geo- that Gerasimov’s ecological approaches were very graphers could obtain from digital maps, which are close to ideas of such Soviet scientists as Stanislav modeling processes occurring in the landscape and S. Shwarts, Victor B. Sochava, David L. Armand in the environment (DEMEK, 1981). and Vladimir S. Preobrazhensky. Innokentiy Gerasimov thought that there we- CONCLUSION re many people in the world, who considered that geographic science was a descriptive, chiefly edu- Ecological approaches of Innokentiy Gerasimov cational and informative field of knowledge with- were a rejection of conquering the nature in favor of out fundamental significance. His efforts were fo- managing environment to create the most favorable cused to provide that people a better understan- conditions for human life and its economic needs. ding of importance geography, because according His proposal on the creation of the Baikal Natio- to him only that discipline have mechanisms to re- nal Park and the development of a network of bio- duce human impact on the environment. sphere reserves had the goal to save natural diver- sity when natural recourses were used by local in- Research was carried out according to the Program of dustry. Basic Research of the Presidium of the Russian Academy The project of Baikal National Park had its main of Sciences (2017 1.28 P) goal to protect drainage basin of the lake and its ul- tra-clean water from pollution. The model areas in LITERATURE Czechoslovakia could support the local industry with water, so protection of forests had great impor- Armand D., Gerasimov I., Preobrazhensky V., 1986: tance because trees could reduce soil erosion and Prognostication and geographical science. Geogra- keep water reservoirs from siltation. The planting phical prognostication: problems and prospects. Moscow: 23–30. of trees, which will have resistant to sulfuric acid, Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ARAN). could provide sustainable development of slopes F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 52. "Scientific foundations of so- of the Jizera Massif. cialist nature management and the tasks of funda- According to Gerasimov's minds, the territories mental science". (in Russian) of rich biodiversity should be protected as the parts ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 24. "The Problem of Baikal." of national parks. Those territories could be visited Report at a meeting of the Bureau of the Division by tourists for recreation purposes. Some renewable of Earth Sciences of the USSR Academy of Scien- resources of national parks (ground and mineral ces". (in Russian) waters, agriculture products, timber, and est.) could ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 53. "Managing the anthropo- genic transformation of natural ecosystems (the ba- be used by local industry, but the anthropogenic in- sis of geosystem monitoring)". (in Russian) fluence of that process should be very limited. ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 167. "Correspondence with Innokentiy Gerasimov also thought that national the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences, parks could not protect those endemic species, Department of Oceanology, Physics of Atmosphe- which were at the risk of extinction. re and Geography, Section of Earth Sciences, etc.". Nature reserves were the main form of conser- (in Russian) vation activity, but their scientific resources were ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 188. "Speeches at general mee- very limited. Biosphere reserves had much more tings of the section on Earth Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the development of rese- 59  arch in the system of the Academy of Sciences of Gerasimov I. P., 1975: Nauchnyye osnovy sovremen- the USSR, the participation of the Institute of Geo- nogo monitoringa okruzhayushchey sredy (Scien- graphy of the USSR Academy of Sciences in ac- tific foundations of modern environmental monito- celerating scientific and technological progress in ring). Izvestiya AN SSSR, Geographic series, 3: the national economy". (in Russian) 13–25. (in Russian) ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 39. "The ecology of science Gerasimov I. P., 1981: Vpechatleniya ot ekskursii po and the new role of geography (geoecology) (Based Liberetskoy model'noy oblasti (Impressions from on the results of the XIV International Congress the excursion around the Liberec region). Ekono- on the History of Science)". (in Russian) micheskaya i vneekonomicheskaya otsenka voz- ARAN. F. 1850. Op. 1. D. 195. "Speech at the general deystviya cheloveka na okruzhayushchuyu sredu. meeting of the section on Earth Sciences of the Moscow: 23–26. (in Russian) USSR AS on the programs of fundamental rese- Schwartz S., 1986: Theoretical principles of global eco- arch: "Biosphere". (in Russian) logical prognostication. Geographical prognostica- Demek J., 1981: Itogi raboty simpoziuma (zaklyuchi- tion: problems and prospects. Moscow: 49–61. tel'noye vystupleniye) [The results of the symposium Shwarts S. S., 1975: Theoretical foundation of global (closing speech)]. Ekonomicheskaya i vneekono- ecological forecasting. Second Joint US / USSR Sym- micheskaya otsenka vozdeystviya cheloveka na posium on Comprehensive analysis of the environ- okruzhayushchuyu sredu. Moscow: 88–93. (in ment. October 21–26. Honolulu, Hawaii, US. En- Russian) vironmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC: 92–97. Received: 17 December 2017 Wpуynąу do redakcji: 7 grudnia 7 П ила акци : 17 ка 2017 60