What is a nature reserve and national parks? General characteristics and distinctive features

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Everyone knows what a reserve and national parks are. Perhaps, they just do not quite understand the difference between one concept and another. Let's try to figure it out.

What are national parks

To understand what a reserve and national parks are, you need to know the exact definition of these concepts. So, national parks are special natural areas on land or water, where human activity is completely or partially prohibited. The main goal is environmental protection, i.e. the preservation of valuable natural complexes, flora and fauna. These places are open for free visits by nature lovers and tourists.

In addition to their conservation purpose, national parks are research institutions and also perform an environmental education role. It is important to understand that the territories and individual real estate objects that belong to these natural complexes are of particular ecological, aesthetic and historical value for the state. In addition, these are excellent places for organizing an internationalregulated tourism.

All national parks of our country are the property of the Russian Federation. Historical and cultural real estate objects are assigned to them on the basis of the right of operational management. The territory of national parks is limited to a protected area with an orderly regime of nature management and visiting.

What are reserves

Reserves are distinguished by the fact that not only any economic activity, but also the presence of people there is strictly prohibited on their territories. According to the law of the Russian Federation, these territories are transferred to reserves for unlimited use. It is our country that is famous for a large number of state protected areas, while there are only a few of them in the world.

There are reserves and national parks in Russia in almost all regions, therefore they are distinguished by a specific landscape, unique representatives of flora and fauna, most of which are listed in the Red Book and carefully protected by the state.

Tasks of the Reserve

Reserves are objects of federal importance, so annually funds are allocated from the country's budget for their maintenance. What a reserve and national parks are can be understood based on the main tasks they perform. So, the tasks of the reserve are:

• taking all necessary measures to preserve and enhance the biological diversity of protected natural complexes, maintaining them in their natural state in protected areas;
• conducting research work;
• conducting environmental monitoring, as well as the implementation of environmental education of the population;
• assistance in the training of specialists in environmental protection issues;
• participation in environmental state expertise when designing the placement of objects of economic and other activities.

The territories of Russian natural reserves exclude the use of subsoil, water, plants and hunting for animals, since they are of particular value to world science. They are samples of wildlife, typical of a particular region, and contribute to the conservation of the genetic fund of rare representatives of flora and fauna.

Main tasks of national parks

The main tasks of national parks are:

• preserving the integrity and uniqueness of natural sites and historical and cultural sites located within them;
• restoration of damaged historical, cultural and natural sites;
• creating optimal conditions for regulated tourism and cultural recreation of citizens;
• practical use of new scientific methods in the field of nature conservation;
• environmental education.

Reserves and national parks are objects of federal significance, funded by funds allocated from the federal budget.

Natural parks

What is a nature reserve and national parks is understandable. And what is different from themcalled natural parks? The fact is that in their status and tasks they are similar to national ones. The main difference is that they do not have the status of federal significance and are under the jurisdiction of the republic, territory or region in which they are located. Accordingly, funding is provided from the local budget. For example, in the Urals Taganay is a national park, while the Chusovaya River and Deer Streams are already unique natural parks.

National parks of Russia

Currently, there are more than 40 national parks in Russia, each of which has its own special natural attractions, whether animals, birds, unique plants or historical properties.

Leadership in the number of national parks rightfully belongs to the Northwestern Federal District of Russia, especially Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region. There are unique parks here: Vodlozersky, Kenozero, Kalevalsky, "Russian Arctic", "Curonian Spit", Valdai and many others.

Reserves and national parks of the world

More than 38 nature reserves occupy vast, kilometers-long territories of Russia. These include: Altai, Baikal, Bashkir, Barguzinsky, Darvinsky, Zavidovsky, Kandalaksha, Ilmensky, Komsomolsky, Kedrovaya Pad, Kronotsky, Pechora-Ilychsky, Sayano-Shushensky, Caucasian and many others.

Of which are reserves and national parks of the tundra: Kandalaksha, Pechoro-Ilychsky, Taimyrsky,Large Arctic, "Yugyd Va", Lapland, Wrangel Island. Scientists are studying typical tundra ecological systems, as well as observing rare birds (polar owl, ptarmigan, peregrine falcon), a unique population of wild reindeer, arctic fox and representatives of aquatic fauna (whitefish, salmon, etc.).

In Siberia, the tundra stretches along a narrow coastal strip and reaches a maximum width of 500 km (from the northeast of Russia to the south, to the northern part of Kamchatka). Most of the northern part of Sweden is also occupied by the tundra strip of Swedish Lapland. Small patches of tundra are found in Finland, Norway, and Iceland. Therefore, controlled environmental facilities were also created here.

Famous reserves and national parks of the world that protect the flora and fauna of tundra ecosystems: Urho-Kekkonen and Lemmenjoki, belonging to Finland; "Abisko", referring to Sweden; Norwegian "Hardangervidda".