We launched an analytical center against the destruction of Russia's ancient forests

Today, we launched the analytical service of the "Russian Taiga" project to combat the destruction of Russia's ancient forests. Based on scientific data that we collect and consolidate into a single database, we visualized the state of intact forest areas on an interactive map, the scale of wildfires in recent years, and combined all this with a registry of bear extermination. We also added data on the expansion of road networks that fragment and isolate sections of the wilderness.

Currently, in the analytical center, you can:

1. View the remaining intact forest areas of Russia on the map. We have added scientific research, data with boundaries from there, and overlaid all this on an interactive map. Now you can see it to scale.

2. Select a specific region and study the location of natural areas within it. Additionally, we have added clusters of regions: the European part of the country and the Russian North, Siberia, the Far East.

3. Examine natural zones and see where the taiga, forest tundra, and tundra are located. For this, we integrated 2017 data, and the authors promise to release an update this year (2026), so we will update ours soon. Thus, you can visually overlay fragments of intact forests on the general forest zone and see their condition.

4. View data on areas that may have been affected by fires in different years. We integrated satellite data on fires from recent years, allowing you to select the desired dates and overlay them on natural zones and intact forests. You can also highlight regions separately and work on each one.

5. Study scientific assessments of road network growth and forest fragmentation. Our team wanted to develop a separate road layer, but the problem is that there is no unified data! However, assessments even in studied regions show enormous pressure. We are currently addressing this issue, gathering more data, and may create a separate layer with roads and road searches in forest areas (including temporary ones for timber removal).

6. View quotas for bear hunting by region and hunting seasons. This shows the pressure on the bear population, which has essentially lost its home.

7. Compare quotas from different years and see how they have changed. We also added the option to download the document if needed! The "Bears" mode on the map is separately highlighted for convenience.

8. Learn how the state of forests is related to bear habitats. The main point is that I unequivocally link the emergence of bears near humans to the destruction and fragmentation of ancient forests. It's easy to talk about a "bear invasion" when their home has been shattered into fragments, depriving them of the right to life.

9. Take a short training and study answers to questions about forests and bears. We created a small training session before launching different map modes: don't skip it, as it contains necessary, useful information.

10. And, of course, you can access author materials and research for a more detailed study of the problem. At the bottom of the analytical center, there are related materials with analyses and questions with answers.

We will continue to expand this, integrating more scientific works, research, and data.

Link to the service: https://pavel-pashkov.com/taiga/en

I believe we are moving in the right direction, comrades! We are succeeding in expanding the infrastructure to protect wildlife, and this will help develop the necessary mechanisms to influence deeply systemic problems. Let's continue our work.