Communities of waterfowl and shorebirds in the island part of Lake Ladoga are represented by the maximum set of species feasible in these habitats (Chapter 3). The abundance of most of them remains at a continuously high level, for some species (herring, common and little gulls) even showing certain growth. Most insular areas being relatively untouched, feeding resources adequate and habitats large enough, the viability of bird populations can be deemed quite high.
The major human-induced risks for waterfowl are (tab. 8.2.3):
intensifying "unmanaged" tourism on the islands,
poaching (including egg gathering, which is a common practice on Valaam),
pollution and eutrophication are less dangerous for northern Ladoga than for the shallow southern part of the lake.
