Rationale for establishing buffer zones around Land of the Leopard National Park and Kedrovaya Pad’ Nature Reserve
This work provides rationale for creating buffer zones in missing areas along the borders of Land of the Leopard National Park and Kedrovaya Pad’ Biosphere Reserve with a total area of 101.7 thousand hectares. The work proposes an environmental protection regime which will not impair the economic activity of land owners and tenants, but will still allow the inspectors of federal protected areas to combat poaching and forest fires. The planned protected zones will minimize negative anthropogenic impact on the reserve and national park, help restore disturbed ecosystems and provide habitat for another 10-15 Amur leopards.