A reserve is a certain natural area or water area, which is defined by a decree or regulation at the legislative level as valuable and protected. To do this, it must have unique properties or it must be inhabited by endangered or one-of-a-kind animals, fish and birds. And also the value may lie in minerals, untouched forests, rivers and mountains. There are an incredible number of reserves and national parks in Russia, but only a few are especially known. Why are these reserves the most famous?
Reserves in Russia and the world
After the boundaries of the reserve are marked on its territory, you can’t just penetrate it. They are often attached to some kind of research institutes, as they make up a chic base for study and discovery. But the primary task is to preserve, not to explore. Zoologists, botanists, ornithologists are obliged to maintain the reserve in its original form. Moreover, with the help of scientific progress, scientists contribute to the reproduction of living creatures and vegetation in it.
The organizational structure of each of them includes: the director of the reserve, the department of protection, the scientific department, the department of ecologicaleducation, the department of accounting and reporting and the department of support for the main activities. In accordance with the Federal Law "On the Fauna" of 1995, under pain of criminal liability, it is forbidden to hunt, take animals with you or collect bouquets on the territory of the reserves. This is strictly monitored by the State Inspector assigned to each of them.
There are a lot of national reserves in Russia, the exact number is 112. Each of them has its own unique features and riches, but some are especially unique. Below is a detailed description of the nine such reserves in Russia: the oldest and most famous.
The term "reserve" is specific to the Russian Federation and the countries of the former CIS, all over the world they are called reservations. In addition to nature reserves, there are national parks and their task is identical, but the visiting regime for national parks is freer, in addition, the tourism industry in this direction is rapidly developing.
Barguzinsky
And opens the list of reserves in Russia, the oldest, which was founded before the revolution, January 11, 1917. Since 1996, it has been part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site “Lake Baikal”. Since 1997, the day of its foundation has been considered the day of reserves and national parks in Russia.
This biosphere reserve is located in Buryatia. It was originally founded as a place to preserve the number of sables and during the years of foundation it was called the "Barguzinsky sable reserve". In 1917, there were just over 20 sables.
On an area of 374,322 hectares there are 19 rivers, 6 capes, 5 bays and 2 lakes. There are countless fish in the rivers and lakes, and 41 species of mammals live in the forests and along the coast. The territory includes part of the water area of Lake Baikal and the western slopes of the Barguzinsky Range. The greatest pride of the reserve, of course, is that it is part of Lake Baikal.
Astrakhan
On April 11, 1919, Astrakhan University founded another biosphere reserve. It is located in the lower reaches of the largest river delta in Europe - the Volga and on the Caspian coast.
His main we alth is birds. 40 species of rare birds, many of which are listed in the International Red Book, nest in its forests and on the coast. In total, 280 species of birds, 60 species of fish and 17 species of mammals live on an area of 67,917 hectares.
Ilmenskiy
In such a seemingly industrial Chelyabinsk region is the third oldest reserve in Russia - Ilmensky. For the Urals, it is of great value and is based at the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was founded on May 14, 1920 thanks to V. I. Lenin. As a special value of the reserve, the leader of the proletariat noted the Ilmensky mountains, which, together with the fauna and flora living there, he bequeathed to preserve in their original form.
To this day, the main value of this protected complex is in the exceptional geological structure and the unique composition of rocks. In the one-of-a-kind pegmat veins, one can also findget an incredible variety of precious and semi-precious stones, as well as minerals. 16 minerals were discovered in the Ilmensky Reserve, two of which are named after him - ilmenite and ilmenorutil.
Flora is mainly represented by pine and birch forests, but in total, 1200 plant species grow on an area of 30,380 hectares, including 50 relict ones. The fauna is represented by 173 species of birds, 57 species of mammals and 29 species of waterfowl.
Voronezh
31053 hectares of this biosphere reserve are located on the territory of two regions of Russia at once - Voronezh and Lipetsk. It was created on December 3, 1923 by the decree of the Voronezh Gubernia Land Department of the Gubernia Executive Committee as the “State Beaver Hunting Reserve”. And in it, for the first time in the world, a beaver nursery was created, the purpose of which was to study this unique rodent, as well as increase its population.
In the future, the reserve became interesting not only because of the beavers. The scientists were attracted by the unique flora of the Usmansky pine forest, as well as the parasitic organisms living there. On the basis of the Voronezh Reserve, a whole laboratory of parasitology was even created. In total, 217 species of birds and 60 species of mammals live on its territory. And in the waters of the Voronezh River there are 39 species of fish and 12 species of amphibians.
Caucasian
In the North Caucasus, in the territories of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia and the Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasian Reserve named after Kh. G. Shaposhnikov is located. May 12, 1924 was founded as the "Caucasian bison reserve". Unique in that it represents natureboth temperate and subtropical climatic zones.
The main part of the territory, 177,300 hectares out of a total area of 280 thousand hectares, is located within the Krasnodar Territory and affects the Sochi regions up to the border with Abkhazia. It is one of the largest biosphere reserves in Russia. Only the yew-boxwood grove of the Khostinsky district of Sochi occupies 300 hectares. There you can find yew berry up to 2500 years old. There are no analogues to such biological diversity in Russia. The flora and fauna of the reserve is represented by the following number of inhabitants:
- 10 thousand species of insects;
- more than 3 thousand plant species;
- about 2 thousand species of mushrooms;
- 248 bird species;
- 100 kinds of shellfish;
- 89 species of mammals;
- 31 species of fish and amphibians;
- 25 species of vertebrates listed in the Red Book;
- 15 types of reptiles.
Countless scientists are studying the species represented on the territory of this reserve, new ones are still being discovered.
Galichya Gora
In the Lipetsk region on the border with Ukraine is one of the world's smallest areas of nature reserves in Russia. But not in terms of importance, but in terms of area. Such an amount of relic vegetation per square meter is difficult to find anywhere else besides these 4963 hectares of land. The reserve was created on April 25, 1925, is divided into six parts, tracts or clusters:
- Morozova Gora is the largest cluster in terms of area (100 hectares), 609 species of plants grow on it, many of whichrelic, there is a museum and a nursery of birds of prey, located along the left bank of the Don.
- Plushan is a canyon-shaped valley on the right bank of the Don, along which the Plushchanka River flows with crystal clear cold water.
- Vorgolsky rocks - the cluster is located in the canyon and, in turn, is divided into two more sections: "Voronov Stone" and "Vorgolskoye", on which 457 species of plants grow, including relict species of ferns, unusual for this strip.
- Bykov's neck is a circle-shaped area that once went around the Dry Lubna River, now 30 species of relict and another 620 species of other species of higher plants grow there.
- Galichya Mountain - this tract is mainly located on the right bank of the Don, has many manholes, bizarre caves made of Devonian limestone.
- Vorov stone - located in a canyon and has a large number of sinkholes and crevices covered with Devonian limestone, an attractive place for speleologists with manholes and caves.
A library, 4 laboratories, a meteorological post, a scientific department, which employs nine scientists and the same number of laboratory assistants, have been opened on the basis of the reserve. Thanks to this one of the smallest nature reserves in the world, many important discoveries in the field of biology and ecology have been made.
Pillars
This reserve was founded on June 30, 1925 thanks to the strength and desire of the inhabitants of the Krasnoyarsk Territory themselves. It got its name due to the large number of bizarre columnar boulders. More than 1 thousand species grow on an area of 47154 hectaresplants, 260 of which are moss.
More than 90% of the area is inaccessible to the public, one of the most closed of all reserves and parks in Russia. But, despite this, it was he who gave rise to such a social phenomenon as the movement of rock climbers and climbers "stolbizm". The movement has its own rock technique, subculture and history, and its essence is to find new routes and climbs in a friendly and informal atmosphere.
Zhigulevskiy
On the largest bend of the Volga River in the Samara region is the Zhiguli Nature Reserve. Founded on August 19, 1927 by disconnecting from the Middle Volga Reserve.
It has an area of 23157 hectares, located in the temperate continental climate zone. Almost all of it is covered with dense forests, in which 832 species of plants grow, many of which are endangered, and the most numerous deciduous tree in it is the small-leaved linden.
Laplandish
This biosphere reserve is located in the North of the country in the Murmansk region and was founded on January 17, 1930. In addition to being one of the oldest, it is also one of the largest, like many northern natural reserves in Russia, its total area is 278,435 hectares. Includes the watershed of the two seas of the White and Barents Seas and the Chunatundra mountain range.
It is unique in that it preserves the northern fauna and its brightest representative - the wild reindeer in its original form, as well as 30 more species of mammals, eventhose that live on the North American continent. It was here that the beaver was first brought from America for acclimatization at that time in the USSR. It took root poorly there, but in Russia it is now quite common. It is also rich in fauna: about 1 thousand species of mosses and lichens, about 300 species of mushrooms and about 600 species of other plants.
