In our article we want to tell you about the Mordovia Reserve. It is located in the Temnikovsky district of Mordovia, in the zone of deciduous and coniferous forests, as well as forest-steppe, on the banks of the Moksha River. The total area of the reserve is more than thirty-two thousand hectares of land.
From the history of the reserve
Mordovia Nature Reserve named after. P. G. Smidovich was organized in March 1936, and it received its name in honor of the state worker of that time, who de alt with environmental issues in the country.
The primary task of creating the reserve was to restore the number of forests affected by logging and burned in fires. In 1938, the taiga zone lost about two thousand hectares of trees. At present, a struggle is being waged to preserve the natural landscape of the region.
Mordovia Nature Reserve named after. P. G. Smidovich, as well as its environs contain many historical monuments. For example, here you can find settlements andhuman sites from the Neolithic era. In the seventeenth-twentieth centuries, the southeastern part of the Murom forests belonged to monasteries, whose ministers tried to preserve and increase forest we alth. They built special ditches to drain wetlands. The remains of their activities have survived to this day.
Regular monitoring of the state of the rarest species of flora is carried out in the reserve at stationary registration sites.
Location of the protected area
Mordovia State Reserve named after. P. G. Smidovich is located on the right bank of the Moksha. The border of the northern part of the protected area runs along the Satis, which is a tributary of the Moksha. The western border is delineated by the Chernaya, Moksha and Satisu rivers. From the southern side, the forest-steppe rises, which naturally outlines the boundaries of protected lands. It turns out that the forest areas of the reserve are included in the zone of coniferous and broad-leaved forests on the very border with the forest-steppe.
As for the climate, the protected area falls into the Atlantic-continental region. The frost-free period in a year is up to 135 days. Minus temperatures begin in November. The maximum warm temperature here reaches forty degrees, and the minimum in winter is up to -48 degrees.
Water system
The water system of protected lands is represented by the Bolshaya and Malaya Chernaya, Pushta and Arga rivers. There are also streams flowing into Moksha. All of them also have their tributaries. However, during the summer period, some rivers partially dry up. Summer rains have little effect on water levels in rivers. Only heavy rains can lead to an increase in the water level of rivers. Most of the reserve is the catchment area of the Puszta River. In the southwest there are lakes, and there are quite a lot of them, about two dozen. There are large and small sizes.
Flora of the reserve
The Mordovian nature reserve is completely covered with forests. Half of them are pine. But in the eastern and western parts, birch massifs predominate, while in the central part - linden. Oaks grow in the floodplain of the Moksha River, the age of which is one hundred and forty - one hundred and fifty years. Sometimes there are more ancient giants, whose age reaches three hundred years.
The flora of the reserve is represented by 788 species of vascular plants, as well as 73 species of mosses. The most common type of vegetation is subtaiga (light coniferous) forests of various types. Pine-oak and pine-linden forests are specific for this region. Humidity and soil provides such a wide variety of forest areas. Here you can see dry lichen forests, wet spruce forests, and black alder poplars.
I must say that the Mordovia Reserve (photos are given in the article) has preserved quite a lot of forests in its natural state on its territory. Pine forests dominate. There are no clear boundaries between the varieties of forests.
Fauna of the protected area
In 1930, the Smidovich Mordovia Reserve was engaged in the introduction of new species introduced into the protected area. So desmans were released into the lakes,spotted deer brought from Primorye, which not only took root in these parts, but also became quite common for this region, and the most numerous of the ungulates. Marals were brought here from the Voronezh region and Kherson (Askania-Nova). Roe deer were introduced in 1940. Later, bison and bison, Ukrainian gray cattle were also brought. They even created a special bison park, which existed until 1979. Unfortunately, further work was stopped, the bison park was destroyed, and the animals themselves were sent to live freely.
Recovery of beaver numbers
Over the years of its existence, the Smidovich Mordovian State Reserve has restored the number of almost completely exterminated beavers. Work began at the end of the thirties. Now, beavers have become quite numerous in the Moksha river basin.
Eight hundred individuals were sent for further resettlement in Mordovia, Ryazan, Arkhangelsk, Vologda and Tomsk regions.
Beavers are very interesting animals. They fell trees for fodder and construction. They gnaw the branches, and then divide the trunk into separate parts. Imagine that they are able to knock down an aspen in just five minutes. And a tree with a diameter of forty centimeters is slowly butchered overnight. By morning, after their active work, only a stump and a bunch of sawdust remain. Beavers gnaw, standing on their hind legs, and at the same time rely on their tail. Their jaws work like a saw. teeth in animalsself-sharpening so they always stay sharp.
Branches from a fallen tree are partially eaten by beavers on the spot, and the rest are floated down the river to their house or to the place where they will build a new dam. Sometimes animals even dig channels that serve to transport food. The length of such a channel can be a couple of hundred meters, and a width of up to fifty centimeters. The depth at the same time reaches one meter.
Beavers live in minks, or so-called huts. The entrance to their house is always under water. Animals dig holes in the banks. They are a complex system of labyrinths with four or five entrances. Walls and floors are very carefully processed by beavers. In general, the dwelling itself is located at a depth of no more than one meter, has a width of up to a meter and a height of up to fifty centimeters. Animals think over the dwelling so that the height of the floors in the house is twenty centimeters higher than the water. If suddenly the water level in the river rises, then the beaver immediately raises the floor, scraping building material from the ceiling.
Hatki same animals build in those places where it is impossible to dig a hole. These are either low swampy shores or shallows. The walls of the house are coated with silt or clay, it becomes strong and impregnable for any predator. Air enters the hut through the ceiling. There are many passages inside. With the onset of frost, animals insulate their homes and maintain a positive temperature throughout the winter. The water in the manholes never freezes, and therefore beavers can always go under the ice.reservoir. In the period of severe frosts, steam can be seen above the huts. This suggests that the house is inhabited. Sometimes the settlement of this animal simultaneously consists of holes and a hut. Why do you think beavers build dams? Everything is very simple. Although they are large, they are rodents. They have a lot of enemies: bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx. To prevent enemies from reaching them, the entrance must be flooded. For a beaver, this is not an obstacle, and predators will not get to it. However, these animals cannot live in water all the time.
Lynx in the Mordovia Reserve
In the reserve, the lynx is a protected animal. An increase in the number of this animal is currently expected. According to the staff, this is due to the fact that this year there is an increase in their main food hare.
In addition, researchers have recorded an increase in the number of other animals such as squirrels and spotted deer. I must say that in recent years the number of squirrels, roe deer, foxes, and martens has also increased. All these data were obtained thanks to route accounting, which allows you to track changes in the number of certain individuals.
In general, the lynx is a very beautiful and hardy animal, which is a symbol of the reserve. The Mordovian Nature Reserve first discovered a lynx in March 1941 following the traces of its vital activity. Then, in 1942, the hunters killed three individuals at once (it was a female and two young lynxes), and later an adult male as well. And since then, for six years, no trace of this animal is morenot found.
And only in 1949, the Mordovsky Reserve began to repopulate the lynx.
This animal is characterized by a dense and strong physique, has very developed legs. The fur of the animal is beautiful and thick. The lynx's sense of smell is not highly developed, but hearing and vision are excellent. Like all cats, she remarkably climbs trees, moves quietly and silently, and, if necessary, makes a big jump for her prey. In general, the lynx feeds on hares and some birds (grouse and hazel grouse). However, sometimes they are able to attack prey much larger than themselves, if they see that they can overpower it. So recorded cases of attacks on roe deer, deer. The lynx is a night hunter.
There are rumors that cats are very strong and bloodthirsty, but talk of attacks on people is extremely exaggerated. If the animal is not touched, then it itself will never attack first. The lynx, on the contrary, tries to bypass the person.
Unfortunately, there has been a decrease in the number of feral cats in the past. But now the population has increased significantly.
The tasks assigned to the reserve
Mordovian State Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich takes measures to preserve the natural state of natural complexes (biotechnical, fire-fighting and other measures), measures to protect and protect forests, fire extinguishing measures, equipping territories with signs and information boards.
BeforeThe reserve's employees are faced with the task of identifying and suppressing any violations of the regime of the protected area. The Mordovsky Reserve conducts environmental education work, including with schoolchildren.
In addition, research work is being carried out. The administration of the sanatorium organizes educational ecological tourism. First of all, this is the creation of special ecological trails with places for tourists to rest.
Mordovian nature reserve and ecological tourism
The purpose of the reserve is to preserve and increase natural resources, and not to hide them from the human eye behind seven locks. Therefore, the Mordovsky Reserve is actively engaged in the development of ecological tourism. This is primarily a journey into the world of the new and unknown. Such tours are organized in forests untouched by man for cognitive and educational activities.
As part of such tourism, ecological trails, specialized recreation areas, visitor centers and many other interesting objects have long been created in the reserve. However, the territory of the reserve is closed, its visit is prohibited. But tourist excursions are possible, but by prior arrangement with the administration.
Since 2013, the reserve has also become a tourist operator of the Russian Federation. It offers its visitors eight different tour programs for every taste:
1. "Visiting the Reserve" - a one-day program with a visit to the central estate and thematic events.
2. "Reserved Mordovia" - a one-day excursion route with a visit to the mainattractions of the reserve.
3. Expedition to the Inorsky cordon. A seven-day hike with visits to monasteries, picturesque places, as well as educational activities and programs.
4. Expedition to the Pavlovsky cordon. For five days, guests live in wooden houses, go on excursions, visit monasteries and the main estate.
5. Forest Survival Course. This trip is designed for five days with accommodation and meals in hiking conditions. Instructors will teach you the basics of survival in the wild, and master classes await you.
6."Our animals". An exciting journey into the world of wildlife. The guide will introduce you to the life of birds and animals. Also in winter, vacationers can ride snowmobiles.
7. Family tour. This tour is for the weekend. In two days you will not only visit reserved places, but also a number of monasteries.
8. Tour "National Cuisine". You can not only enjoy the beauty of protected lands, but also taste national dishes.
Instead of afterword
Mordovian nature reserve named after. Smidovich keeps and protects the we alth of nature. If you decide to visit it and admire the local beauties, then you can choose one of the eight sightseeing tours currently provided. All of them are very different and everyone will be able to choose the right option for themselves. We wish you a good rest from everyday life and enjoy the local beauties.
