The natural world of the Leningrad region is striking in its nature and diversity. It is rich in its sights and beauties, which are truly priceless. This article will focus on environmental facilities in the Leningrad region.
SPNA system
Such territories occupy 570 thousand hectares and make up about 6% of the total area of the region. In total, there are 40 such areas in the Leningrad Region, of which only 2 are of federal importance - these are the Nizhne-Svirsky Nature Reserve of the Leningrad Region and the Mshinskoye Bog Reserve.
The five protected areas are special. They exist under the status of wetlands, which have an international designation. In these places there is a special additional protection regime. It was introduced for the quality protection of waterfowl habitats.
SPNA categories
SPNAs located in the Leningrad region are divided into main categories:
- Natural reserves of St. Petersburg andLeningrad region.
- Parks created by nature.
- Reserves.
- Monuments of nature.
All protected areas - reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region - differ from each other in some characteristics, such as:
- The purpose of creating a protected area.
- Square.
- Environmental regulations.
- Presence or absence of employees, etc.
The highest category of protected areas
If all natural complexes are the object of protection, then all the reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region will belong to the highest category of protected areas. It must have a staff of scientists and, accordingly, a security staff. No economic activity is allowed in this area. There are also strict restrictions on attendance. As mentioned above, the Nizhne-Svirsky Nature Reserve also belongs to this category.
Nizhne-Svirsky Nature Reserve
It was created in June 1980. A museum-reserve was organized in the Leningrad region in order to preserve the rich fauna with rare species of animals on the territory of such a unique reservoir as Lake Ladoga, as well as:
- its coast;
- of the surrounding forest, which has a middle taiga type;
- bogs;
- stations for migratory birds;
- spawning grounds for various fish species.
Nizhne-Svirsky is a natural reserve of the Leningrad region, its location is the Lodeynopolsky district. Squarethe specially protected area is 41 thousand hectares.
Brief description of the reserve
The territory of the reserve belongs to wetlands, they are of international importance. Migrating waterfowl live and nest there. The third part of the protected area is swampy areas, or simply swamps. About 20 thousand hectares are covered with forests. The water area of Lake Ladoga includes 5,000 hectares of forest land. The relief of the reserve is flat, there are sandy coastal ridges and swampy depressions. The nature reserve of the Leningrad region is characterized by podzolic soils, swamp-podzolic and swamp-peat soils predominate. The relief of the reserve, which we see today, was formed under the influence of two factors:
- melting Valdai glacier;
- processes of lacustrine-alluvial accumulation.
The climate of the territories where the Nizhne-Svirsky Reserve is located is continental with the influence of the B altic Sea. In autumn and winter, northwest winds prevail here, and in spring and summer, southwest winds prevail. The internal reservoir of the protected area, which is the reserve of the Leningrad region - Lake Segezha. Its area is 15 sq. km. The greatest depth is 5 meters, the bottom is sandy. The water in the lake, despite its location among mosses and swamps, is clear and bright.
The longest river of the Nizhne-Svirsky Reserve is the Segezha. It flows out of the lake of the same name. Her water is initially clear, then along the way she feeds on marshstreams, and darkens towards the mouth. Basically, all reservoirs originate in peat bogs, and therefore they have very dark water. Main water bodies:
- Lake Ladoga;
- Lake Syarba;
- Lakhta Bay.
Flora of the Nizhne-Svirsky Reserve
In total, there are more than 1300 plant species in the reserve, many of which are endangered and rare. Since Nizhne-Svirsky is located in the middle taiga zone, the vegetation, which is rich in all the reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, is typical of the middle taiga of the European part of Russia. About 80% of all forests of the protected area are coniferous, with a predominance of pine trees. But small-leaved trees also grow in Nizhne-Svirsky, such as:
- birch (fluffy and dangling);
- aspen (trembling poplar);
- alder (black and grey).
In addition, small-leaved forests very often consist of undergrowth with the following trees and shrubs:
- buckthorn;
- viburnum;
- rowanberry;
- raspberries;
- blackcurrant;
- cherry and others
Pine trees thrive in sandy soils. On more fertile lands, spruce dominates - European and Finnish. The grass cover of the forests is quite poor, lingonberries and heather dominate from shrubs.
In addition to the above plants, other representatives of the flora grow in protected natural areas, which are the reserves of the Leningrad Region. List of these plants:
- meadow;
- bracken;
- ledum;
- blueberries;
- blueberries;
- lily of the valley;
- fern;
- marsh myrtle and others
The average age of pine forests in protected areas is about 85 years, spruce forests - about 100 years. In places inaccessible to logging, you can also find forest areas of a more advanced age - about 200 years old.
Wetlands, including the lowlands of Lake Ladoga, are covered with reed beds. Willow grows en masse in less swampy areas. She happens:
- holly;
- three-stamen;
- blackening;
- filikoleaf and others
At the end of summer and autumn, the forest lands of the reserve abound with a variety of mushrooms, these are:
- white mushroom;
- boletus;
- mushroom;
- oiler, etc.
Some species of mushrooms are listed in the Red Book: white aspen, purple cobweb, bristly half-grass, etc.
Pisces
34 species of different fish live in the rivers and lakes of the protected area. Basically, this is a suborder of teleosts, among them there are also predatory fish. In particular, seals are found in the waters of Ladoga, and the following spawn in the Svir Bay:
- Pike.
- Bream.
- Pike perch.
- Cake.
- Perch.
- Rudd.
- Asp.
- Roach and others
Of unusual fish, sticklebacks can be noted: three- and nine-spined.
Animal world of the Nizhne-Svirsky Reserve
The museum-reserve in the Leningrad region is rich in representatives of the animal world. A total of 348 species of vertebrates have been recorded in Nizhne-Svirsky. The diversity of the animal world is directly related to the landscape and vegetation. Below are the animals of the reserve of the Leningrad region, living in forests and not only:
- Brown bear.
- Flying squirrel.
- Moose.
- Wolf.
- Fox.
- Mink.
- Boar.
- Beaver.
- Lynx.
- Wolverine and others
In total, about 44 species of mammals have been recorded on the territory. The greatest diversity of species in rodents is 17, predators - 13. It is clear that the well-being of predatory animals directly depends on the number of mouse-like rodents, because this is their food. Rodents include animals of various sizes, these are:
- Common squirrel.
- Muskrat.
- Root vole.
- Baby Mouse and others
The feathered museum-reserve of the Leningrad region has more than 250 species. Many of them live in the protected area temporarily, while nesting or roaming. Among them there are such birds that are listed in the Red Book, these are:
- White-tailed eagle.
- Oscopa.
- Black stork.
- Filin.
- Rabbite.
- Capercaillie.
- Crane and others
Natural reserves of the Leningrad region have a small number of reptiles. The most common are vipers and three types of lizards.
For todayday in the Nizhne-Svirsky Reserve, several tourist routes have been developed, ranging in length from 6 to 40 km. One of them is water, and the rest are on foot. The routes provide an opportunity to see and appreciate all the natural beauties of the Leningrad Region, as well as enjoy fresh and clean air away from highways and factories.
