The Kabardino-Balkar Reserve with its rich vegetation and diverse fauna, as well as with special climatic conditions, is of great scientific value. This is a kind of natural natural laboratory. Its employees, together with educational and scientific institutions, monitor all the changes taking place on its territory.
The dynamics of changes in the number of animals of the Kabardino-Balkarian State Reserve, the change of vegetation (the disappearance of certain species and the emergence of new ones), the change in natural landscapes and much more are studied under a single program - "Chronicles of Nature", which combines numerous studies of geographers, soil scientists, botanists and other professionals.
General information
The Kabardino-Balkar high-mountain state reserve was organized to protect the landscapes of the Central Caucasus, as well as vegetation andsome members of the animal kingdom. First of all, this concerns the leopard and the Caucasian tur.
During its existence, the boundaries and areas of the protected area have changed many times. Expanding, the reserve became more and more “alpine”: cutting off the meadow lower sections was compensated by the rather generous addition of alpine zones. Today, its total area is more than 358 thousand hectares.
Geographic features
The reserve occupies the territory of the highest part of the Caucasus Mountains and all of Russia. In addition to Kazbek and Elbrus, it includes all the other "five-thousanders" of the North Caucasus. The highest point of the reserve is Dykh-Tau (5204 meters), and the lowest is at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level.
In the Kabardino-Balkar high-mountain reserve there are a huge number of glaciers (256), the total area of which in the aggregate is approximately 61% of the protected area. This includes the neighboring rocky outcrops of the nival lifeless belt.
Through the entire territory of the buffer zone, numerous rivers flow, originating from glaciers. The largest rivers of the reserve are the Cherek Balkar, Chegem and Cherek Bezengi, starting from the glaciers of the Main Range of the Caucasus.
In terms of climate reserve belongs to the highland zone of the Greater Caucasus. The temperature regime is determined by the features of the circulation of atmospheric masses and a rather large range of altitudes. The minimum temperature at an altitude of 2 kilometers is -30 ºС, and in places morehigh (4000 meters and further) - -50 ºС. The warmest month is July (average air temperature +13 ºС).
Features of nature
The world of plants and animals in the reserve is unique not only for this region, it is unique for the entire planet Earth.
The Kabardino-Balkarian alpine reserve extends among rocks and glaciers, mountain forests and meadows growing on the northern slopes of the Main Range of the Caucasus, and it occupies more than 74 thousand hectares. His possessions include the two Cherek and Chegem gorges, where some of the highest peaks of the Caucasus rise.
Natural conditions in these places are quite harsh. Spring here begins only in mid-May, and autumn comes at the end of July. The duration of summer is only a month, while the winter period is about 6 months. Transparent and rarefied air transmits the sun's rays well, but warms up little on its own.
Flora and fauna
Plants of the Kabardino-Balkarian alpine reserve are numerous and diverse, and this is due to the complexity of the relief and differences in altitude. The altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed here: the forest belt is replaced by the belt of forest meadows, then the subalpine zone is replaced by the alpine zone. Starting from a height of 3000 meters, a continuous vegetation cover ends. Rocks and stones are covered with lichens, creeping willow, mustachioed saxifrage, bicolumnar oxalis and other types of vegetation grow here.
The flora of the reserve is represented by many valuable endemic plantsand rare varieties and forms. Among them, you can find relatives of cultivated plants, for example, Bieberstein's currant, mountain raspberry, wild rose, meadow strawberry, hawthorn, Caucasian mountain ash.
A typical representative of the fauna of the highlands is the Caucasian tur, and in each gorge, animals of this species have their own characteristics: color, size, shape of horns, etc.
Almost everywhere on the entire territory of the reserve you can meet a brown bear, the number of which is quite high here, so there are often cases of attacks on domestic animals. The lynx feels quite comfortable here. There is also information about the presence of the Caucasian leopard in these places.
What birds live in the reserve? It should be noted that each zone is characterized by the presence of its inhabitants. Literally the entire forest space was mastered by woodpeckers and thrushes. Choughs and jackdaws live in the alpine heaths near the rocks, and among the sparse vegetation there are large lentils and alpine convert. The stone sparrow is found almost everywhere.
In conclusion
The Kabardino-Balkar high mountain nature reserve is ideal for observing the nature of the Caucasus Mountains. The peaks of the Caucasus have long attracted lovers of sports tourism, but fans of natural beauties have something to admire here.
Various vegetation, impressive landscapes and encounters with rare animals will not only allow you to relax, but also learn a lot about the many creations of nature.
