Lake Baikal and the Caspian Sea are on the list of 11 “irreplaceable”
ecosystems of the world, inhabited by unique mammals with 9 “sources
of biodiversity”. The territories cover all existing animal species of
the planet and should be part of the ecological network, Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences said, RIA Novosti reports.
Sandra Pompa from the National University of Mexico and her co-workers
analyzed 129 species of sea and river mammals, starting from Enhydra
lutris, which weighs about 4.5 kg, and ending with the Balaenoptera,
which weighs up to 190 tons. Scientists pointed out 9 key areas where
84% of species are located.
Besides Baikal and the Caspian Sea, the list of “irreplaceable sites”
consists of Hawaii, the Galapagos, the Amazon, the Mediterranean Sea,
the Yangtze River, the Indus and the Ganges, the Chilean Islands of
San-Felix and Juan Fernandez and the French archipelago of Kerguelen.
The 9 “sources of biodiversity” are in Peru, Argentina, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand, the eastern part of North America and the
African coast.
