Novgorod lands are rich in picturesque places. The Rdeisky State Nature Reserve is located on the territory of the Poddorsky district of the Novgorod region. The name of the reserve was given according to its location. Rdeysko-Polistovsky region is the Old Slavonic name of the reserve. The origin of the name came from two lakes: Polisto and Rdeiskoe. The reserve was founded on March 25, 1994. Its area is 36.9 thousand hectares.
In the reserve there is a huge amount of mosses, swamps, undersized shrubs, untouched by man. And also hundreds of species of birds preferred this area.
History
Reserve Rdeisky purpose of creation has the following:
- in vivo support of natural objects;
- conservation of biological diversity;
- scientific research;
- study of flora and fauna;
- environmental monitoring;
- preservation of a unique array of sphagnum bogs;
- chronicle of nature;
- training of scientific specialists in the field of environmental protection;
- introduction of environmental management methods.
The protected area around the reserve, where the nature management regime is limited, is 4,844 hectares.
Physical features
The Rdeisky nature reserve is located in the west of the Valdai Upland, on the border of the Polist and Lovat rivers. The landscape consists mainly of gentle swampy lowlands, so the natural world is very diverse and rich.
One of the features of the Polistovo-Lovatskaya bog system is considered to be many small rivers, streams and lakes. There are several types of rivers: open, buried (flow inside the peat deposits), moss (flow under the moss). The soil is mostly covered with peat, which can reach up to 8 meters.
Weather conditions
The climate in the Rdeisky reserve is temperate continental, similar to the sea. Therefore, it is characterized by warm summers, long autumns, mild winters, cool springs, as well as the predominance of excess humidity. The maximum amount of precipitation falls in summer. The average annual temperature is +5 °C. The duration of the warm period is 143 days.
Marsh area
The Rdeisky nature reserve is part of the Polistovo-Lovatskaya bog system and captures part of the border of the Polisti and Lovat rivers. The swamp has a complex structure and consists of a significant number of natural morphological units, which is partly due to the location of mineral islands, as well asthe formation process and the hydrological regime of the swamp itself.
The Polistovo-Lovatskaya raised bog system is one of the unusual and unique systems, as well as an important ornithological territory of the Russian Federation. In the seventies, it was included in the list of swamps of the international project "Thelma", carried out research work within the framework of the UNESCO project. The aforementioned wetland system will be designated as a Ramsar site once it is designated as an internationally significant site.
Polistovo-Lovatskaya bog system, which is recognized in Europe as one of the largest bog systems, is very often present in the photo of the Rdeisky Reserve. Its area is 140 thousand hectares. The swamp complex was formed due to the confluence of six peat bogs. The Rdeisky swamp system has a huge impact on the environment. The swamps constitute a huge natural reservoir of water, they are involved in the creation of the hydrological regime of the territory, especially in the southwest. And such rivers as Redya, Polist, Hlavica, Kholynya originate here, which is very important for stabilizing the water level in Lake Ilmen, for example, in dry years and during the off-season. The local population is very proud of their swamps and diligently guards them.
Flora
The vegetation of the reserve is diverse. Conifers are widely found on the northern side of the reserve. Small-leaved and spruce and forests on the southern and western side. There are even bicentennial firs. Broad-leaved species predominate in the eastern part and are represented by maple, oak and linden. Ash and Elm can be found occasionally, but in limited quantities.
The bulk of the forests, which is located on the mineral coast, consists of relatively young trees. On the territory of the nature reserve there are two types of mineral islands. High ones can reach 9 m above the swamp level, small hills have gentle slopes, but have a large area. There are 371 plant species in the Rdeisky Reserve, 47 of which are bryophytes.
Here there is a huge number of vascular plants that belong to the families: cereals, sedges, legumes, Compositae, labia, centipedes, rosaceae.
Scientists annually discover new types of mosses, for example, only in the summer of 1999, 50 of them were discovered.
Fauna
Mammals, amphibians, reptiles, more than 100 species of birds live in the reserve, of which 14 are protected by the state. Rare birds have also survived in the swamps, which have disappeared in other places due to anthropogenic impact.
The reserve has the largest curlew population in Europe. Here you can meet typical representatives for these places, for example, siskins, thrushes, finches, oriole. Among the birds of prey, goshawks, buzzards, and honey buzzards are distinguished. A large number of hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie live in the Rdeisky Reserve.
There are a lot of hares, martens, rodents in the reserve. Among predators you can see a bear and a lynx, whichpermanently live in the territory of the reserve. Sometimes wolves wander. Foxes and badgers are represented by a few individuals, since the main part of the territory of the Rdeisky Nature Reserve is not suitable for burrowing.
Wild boars live on the outskirts of swamps and in the center. Roe deer enter the mineral islands. Marten, mink, otter and black polecat are distributed throughout the reserve. Among rodents there are beavers, water rats, bank voles. Fish are dominated by perch and pike.
Interesting facts
On the territory of the Rdeisky Reserve (Novgorod region), on the shore of the lake of the same name, the structure of the Assumption Cathedral of the Rdeisky Monastery is located. The history of its foundation dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Initially, the monastery was entirely of wooden construction. Thanks to the efforts of the merchant A. N. Mamontov, the heyday of the monastery was in 1898-1897. In 1932 the last nun left the convent and it was closed. The cathedral was not maintained in the future, and over time the building fell into disrepair.
Currently, part of the iconostasis made of marble and several paintings have been preserved inside the monastery. The monastery itself is a complete ruin, near which there is an abandoned cemetery. Nevertheless, tourists actively visit and worship these places.
The Rdeisky Reserve in Russia is a unique corner of pristine nature that will be of interest to all lovers of beauty.
