Sokhondinsky nature reserve: climate, flora and fauna

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

One of the best places in Russia is the Sokhondinsky nature reserve, which is located in the southern Transbaikalia. It is notable for the peculiar atmosphere of the wild nature of this region. The Sokhondinsky nature reserve of the Trans-Baikal Territory is intended for the conservation and study of endemics, as well as for the protection of the territory.

Goals and objectives of the reserve

The main tasks of the reserve are:

• protection of the territory is needed primarily to preserve and increase the number of rare animals;
• studying wildlife and maintaining the Chronicle;
• environmental monitoring of the area;
• environmental education;
• training new scientists and specialists in the field of nature conservation.

Due to the fact that most of the territory is practically untouched by man, nature has retained its original appearance. With its virginity, the Sokhondinsky Reserve is interesting, the description of which defies words. Many Trans-Baikal rivers also originate here, belonging to the basins of the Pacific, Arcticoceans.

A Brief History

It is generally accepted that the Sokhondinsky Reserve was founded in 1973. In 1772, Sokolov climbed the Sokhondo char. There he collected many plants and gave them to Russian science. Thanks to this, many endemics, characteristic only for this area, were discovered. Subsequently, the herbarium was transferred for study by English scientists. Turchaninov also took care of flora, having collected valuable collections. Unfortunately, the notes left with the Great Patriotic War.

In 1856 G. I. Rudd. He noted that six altitudinal belts were observed on the ground.

Professor V. I. Smirnov. He collected a rather large herbarium, which subsequently migrated to St. Petersburg University and has been there until our time.

In 1914, P. N. Krylov and L. P. Sergievskaya, whose herbariums joined the ranks of Tomsk University.

UNESCO in 1985 assigns the status of "Biosphere Reserve" to the reserve.

Physical features

This reserve includes Sokhondinsky, Balbasniysky and Sopkoyansky loaches. The area is just huge. The Sokhondinsky mountain range itself has a length of almost 20 kilometers, and its width is 14 kilometers. The entire territory is located on the periphery of the Khentei-Chikoi highlands. This char has two peaks: the height of Big (2500.5 meters) and Small (2404 meters). The pass between the peaks is located at a height of 2000 meters. Tsagan-Ula is located in the southwestern part of the massif. And in the west, the Sokhondinsky Reserve borders on the Dzherm altai-Ingodinsky depression, which is famous for its mineral water.

Climate

The climate in the Sokhondinsky Reserve is sharply continental. Winter is dry and snowy. The average monthly temperature in January ranges from 22°C to 28°C, depending on the altitude. However, at the peaks themselves it reaches minus 50 °C.

Summer is very short and even then there may be frosts with heavy snow. The temperature stays up to plus 14°С. The hot month is July. The general average annual temperature is about minus 1.9 °C. The average amount of precipitation per year is about 430 mm.

Climatic conditions are quite severe, but many representatives of flora and fauna feel quite comfortable. Sokhondinsky reserve in Russia is one of the richest in species of living organisms.

Mammals

The uniqueness of the Sokhondinsky Reserve is indicated by large differences in plane and temperature, as a result of which a large amount of diversity of flora and fauna is distinguished. Here you can meet a fox, sable, brown bear, squirrel, white hare, etc.

One of the most interesting animals is the Siberian musk deer. This is a small artiodactyl animal, resembling a deer in appearance. Characteristic features of this individual: thick brown or brown hair, sharp thin hooves, lack of horns, in males long fangs peek out from under the upperlips, as well as the abdominal gland that produces musk. The home of the musk deer is the beautiful Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve.

Where is he? As mentioned above, the reserve is located in the southern Transbaikalia. The Siberian musk deer lives at an altitude of 600-900 meters. Such an animal jumps very briskly and is able to change the trajectory of movement in flight by 90 °. It feeds on ground lichens, fir and cedar needles, horsetails and other plant foods.

On the territory you can meet ermine - a small furry animal of the weasel family. Its body weight ranges from only 70 to 260 g. It has a long neck, triangular head and small round ears. Winter color is white. It feeds on small rodents and prefers to live alone. The animals delimit the site with a liquid that is secreted from the glands. The ermine lives mainly in burrows, but does not dig them itself, preferring to occupy the houses of the rodents it has killed. The predator is very brave and bloodthirsty. In critical situations, it can also attack a person, despite its size.

The most dangerous predators in the reserve are red wolves, which belong to the canine family. The beast is large with a body length of 76-110 cm. Weight up to 20 kg. They have a short muzzle, high-set eyes and large erect ears. Red color with black tail. Lives in a flock of 5 to individuals. They eat rodents and small herbivores. Although a large flock can hunt large individuals. Predators are not aggressive. The person is avoided. Due to the peculiarities of the sounds they make, they are called singing mountainwolves.”

The listed special animals, unfortunately, ended up in the Red Book. Sokhondinsky reserve is home to more than 10 species of animals that are on the verge of extinction. For this reason, many areas of the territory are closed to humans.

In addition to the above, I would also like to mention ground squirrels, marmots, jerboas and mole rats.

Birds

There are more than 125 families of birds. The inhabitants of the taiga area are represented by pale and motley thrushes, grey-headed bunting, stone capercaillie, buzzard, scops eagle owl. In the mountainous part of the taiga, one can meet the ptarmigan, mountain pipit, hawker, Siberian finches, pika, etc. There is a fairly large variety of birds near the forest lakes. Among them are the gray crane, black stork, black-throated diver, red-necked grebe, red-headed pochard, coot, etc.

Pisces

Taimen lives in rivers and flowing cold-water lakes. Doesn't go out to sea. Due to the huge commercial value, a few individuals remained, as a result of which it is listed in the Red Book. Taimen is the largest species of the salmon family. The length can reach up to 2 meters, and weighs up to 90 kg. Lays about 20,000 eggs at a time.

Another exclusively freshwater inhabitant is the burbot. The body is long, rounded, laterally compressed along the edges. The color has the color of the ground and changes with age. Becomes more active as the temperature decreases.

Also in the territorythere are Siberian grayling, rotan or firebrand, Amur pike and minnow.

Plants

The flora is very rich and is represented by high mountain tundra, small-leaved forests, deciduous and mountain-pine. 923 representatives of higher vascular were registered. More than 71 species of plants and mushrooms are protected in the reserve. Thanks to such plants, such as the glandular columbine, cold gentian, large-flowered snakehead, Rhodiola pinnately cut and four-cut, onion odnobratnogo, golden rhododendron, the landscape becomes truly picturesque.

Gymnosperms are represented by Siberian pine, elfin cedar, Siberian fir, false Cossack juniper and Siberian spruce. Forests of related trees are closely located in the reserve - these are Gmelin larch (Daurian) and Siberian larch.

Reptiles and freshwaters

These categories of animals are not so numerous. The Sokhondinsky Reserve is the home of the patterned snake, the common muzzle, the common grass snake, the common viper and the viviparous lizard. These reptiles have taken root in this reserve due to their adaptability to this climatic environment.

Representatives of freshwater animals are even less. Although there are reservoirs and there are many of them, however, the variety of this class of animals was not affected. There are only Siberian salamander, Siberian and moor frogs. The list is exhausted with these three types.

How to get to the reserve?

Tourist,who has never visited the Sokhondinsky Reserve, probably does not know how to get there. There are special tourist routes for this. The beginning is located in the village of Kyra. The length of the routes depends on the level and places visited: from 3 km to 80 km. Large hikes can take a week.

The most famous route is called "Pallas Trail". It exactly repeats the route of the discoverer Sokolov. It takes several days to walk along this path, and its length is 70 kilometers. It starts from the lowlands of the Sokhondo char in the highlands. During this time, travelers can observe all the transitions of mountain latitudes and the magnificence of the diversity of flora and fauna.

Tourists are very fond of this route to the Sokhondinsky Reserve of the Trans-Baikal Territory. Photos and images of these areas are simply breathtaking in their beauty and diversity. The trails for visitors are only a tiny part of the entire territory of the reserve. There are also places where access is prohibited. This is partly a precautionary measure, as rare animals are becoming fewer and fewer, and it is everyone's duty to save them.

If there is a desire to visit picturesque areas with a wide variety of animals and plants, then a trip to the Sokhondinsky Reserve is an ideal solution. No one can remain indifferent to such nature.