huge green and quiet of the reserve available and disclosed to the entire living world, preserve it for their warmth and hospitality.World
reserved nature - reserve "Big Kokshaga"
top area "Big Kokshaga" looks like an endless green carpet, stitched Bashers rivers (like pure blue thread), interspersed with sparkling lakes.Here dense forests interspersed with large swamps and with meadows.
Kroon curly pine trees are replaced by dark green pine trees and gentle slender birches.It has this region both beautiful name - Forestry Zavolzhe.
History, geography
In 1993, at p.Volga River (left tributary) was created by the state nature reserve "Big Kokshaga", an area of 21.4 hectares territoryIt is located 40 kilometers west of the capital of Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola) in Kilemarsky and Medvedev areas.Prior to that, in Mari El Mari was a reserve.However, it is completely burned in 1972 in the hot, dry summers.
main goal of the protected area - protection of forests on the border between the southern taiga and deciduous forests.
The territory itself is represented by plains (river and lake-glacial).The highest point of land - 132.2 m above sea level.Total
here Kokshaga Big River is about 20 rivers and streams.
In a conservation area located 3 lakes - Kosheer, Kapsino and Shusher.The latter - the largest.In form it is an oval mirror, its length of 1250 m, width of 600 meters.The lake is very deep (15 m), karst origin.To be completed by river waters during the spring floods.
climatic conditions temperate continental, with fairly hot summers and temperate winters with strong frosts.
Kokshaga Big River, forests
Most Kokshaga - the largest rivers of the country, is a left tributary.Volga.It crosses the territory of the reserve in the most central part of it.
River, whose name was and Preserve is its main water artery.On
amazing emerald green background water on its shores rise the majestic oaks - beauty and pride of the reserve.
unique floodplain oak forests are a sustainable community.Here there are both old, one might say ancient oaks, and young shoots.
Reserve "Big Kokshaga" mainly consists of forests, occupying its huge area - 95% of the territory.The predominant pine forests that grow naturally in various environmental conditions.The second largest are birch.They once appeared on the field cut or burned down in the fires of forests, that is, are secondary.
present shape these places give taiga spruce forests, which occupy 7.5% of the territory and have a considerable admixture of deciduous trees (aspen, birch and linden).
They are mainly located in the valleys of the rivers in the northern part of the reserve.
The diversity of flora and fauna
Reserve "Big Kokshaga" contains in its forests, meadows and marshes more than 700 species of plants, representing about half of all available in the Republic of Mari El.
spacious common marsh lowlands, covered with birch and alder.On a small area of the floodplain meadows are located.
pine forest abounds with mosses and lichens.There is also found about 200 different species of algae, lichens about 250 species.The rarest - Tsetrariya Laurer, Lobar pulmonary and usnea blooming.
But ordinary mushrooms there are many around the reserve, and the territory there are a few of their species: Osinovik white, blackberry staghorn and others.
typical forest fauna of the reserve is represented by the following individuals: many moose, hare, squirrel, wild boars.They live here and carnivores: marten, polecat, ermine, sometimes brown bear and the wolf.
Birds presented grouse, grouse, gray cranes, herons, owl, hawks and many others.al. They live here and the birds of the Red Book: peregrine falcon, black stork, osprey, serpent eagle.
very rich in wonderful gifts of nature reserve."Most Kokshaga" protects and preserves the habitat of the most endangered species of plants.It epipogium aphyllum, Dactylorhiza Baltic and more than 11 kinds of wonderfully beautiful northern orchids.The most famous view of the Republic - a beautiful lady's slipper.Since the germination of the seed of this amazing plant before flowering takes up to 17 years!
Rare ancient plants
cloudberry grows squat in the country only on the reserve.This plant grows from the Ice Age.It is known that she is the favorite berry great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
other representatives of the oldest plants are floating Chilim (or Water chestnut), who lives in a warm lake Shusher.
"Most Kokshaga" - nature reserve.It preserved ancient specimens of vegetation.
most rare type of reserve (wood) - poplar (Populus nigra or) occurring in the floodplain of the river Big Kokshaga.There are many other species of plants listed in the Red Book: moonwort Multiple partition, brambles, Lycopodium-Baranez, Sundew dlinnolistaya (plant-predator) and Carnation lush.
Reserve is valuable in that nature in such areas develops by its own laws, without any human intervention.Moreover, this value increases with age.
Thanking reserves over a period of time when the old forests are cut down almost to be able to compare and analyze how people and civilization influenced the surprisingly pristine nature, and what it could have been without influence on it.
