Khakassia is a land of picturesque and truly unique nature. The republic is located in the central part of Eurasia. The complex terrain with elevation changes from 250 m above sea level in the flat part to 2969 m in the Western Sayan Mountains, combined with the sharply continental climate of the region, allowed the unique natural landscapes to be preserved in their original form.
Mountains with peaks covered with glaciers and snow, tundra, alpine and subalpine meadows, forests and steppes are concentrated in a relatively small area. The land is rich in swift rivers and deep lakes, grottoes and caves.
Flora
Highly fragmented relief with different types of soil layer, uneven illumination of steep mountain slopes and gorges created conditions for an extraordinary diversity of flora. Over 1,670 species of higher plants grow here, from mighty cedars and larches to quivering forest orchids.
In Khakassia there are plants of all types of vegetation: steppe, forest, meadow,tundra and marsh.
Of the steppe grasses, the most common are sedge, wormwood, feather grass, chi, pikulnik, and plants of the bluegrass family. Meadow plants are represented by forbs and cereals: meadow fescue, clover, yarrow, meadow geranium, Jungar aconite, and others from the family of cereals and legumes.
Among the forest vegetation, coniferous trees predominate: cedars, firs, spruces, larches, and only in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Khakassia do birch trees grow, and very rarely - aspen and poplar forests with an admixture of willows.
Mosses and lichens predominate in the alpine tundra. Swamp vegetation is represented by reeds, reeds, sedges and mosses. Achnatherum and hemp nettle are common on saline soils near mineralized lakes.
Endemic plants
The unique landscape, clean air and virgin environment, untouched by man, are ideal conditions for the conservation of species that are sensitive to anthropogenic impact. Many relict plants grow in Khakassia. 28 species can only be seen here, these plants are endemic to the republic.
These are Saxar birch, Reverdatto backache, narrow-leaved holly, Tatar crail, Khakassian double-leaf, Saussurea Sayan and others.
Fauna
Animals of Khakassia are also diverse and unusual. Giant moose, bears, deer, otters, snow leopards, wolves, chipmunks, etc. live here.
Among the mammals in the mountain dark coniferous taiga one can meet shrews, chipmunks, foxes, squirrels and sables. Sometimes weasel, weasel, ermine are found, but the populations of these animals in Khakassia are small. Bears, marals, Siberian forest reindeer, lynxes, wolverines are typical representatives of large animals in coniferous forests. Hares and minks live in the river valleys. Sometimes you can see an otter. Vole mice, moles, shrews, and Djungarian hamsters are common in alpine meadows.
Unique animals
There are many unique plants and animals in Khakassia. You rarely see them. 281 species of plants and animals of Khakassia are listed in the Red Book. The red wolf, Tuva beaver and manul are listed as probably extinct species. The snow leopard and argali are endangered, and the population of the Siberian forest reindeer is declining. Animals such as the Siberian goat and river otter have become rare.
Protection and restoration of populations of rare and endangered species, preservation of the gene pool of plants and animals is the main concern of the employees of the Khakass State Nature Reserve, established in 1999.
We wish them good luck in the hope of seeing animals from the Red Book of Khakassia in the wild in a couple of decades.
