In today's world, we often forget about the surrounding nature, looking more and more of it every year.Growing city, construction of new motorways, displacing our lives natural and beautiful landscapes.The role of preserving the natural flora and fauna take over the special territories - reserves.In our country, we created more than a hundred protected areas, nature reserves and steppe Russia occupy an important place in this system.
What is Reserve?
Reserve is considered to be the territory of a certain area (or water), within which preserved all natural complex in holistic and natural form.
Historians believe that the first attempts to protect the environment have taken place even in the III century BC in Sri Lanka.It was there that was issued is the world's first law on the protection of wildlife.The first area with conservation status appeared in the XIII century in Ifriqiya, when the dynasty Hafsids banned hunting in the vicinity of one of the lakes.
From the perspective of contemporary Russian law, Russian state nature reserves - a special scientific institution created with the aim of preserving and studying natural processes and ecological systems.
Goals and Objectives
All protected nature reserves Russia have set themselves the same objectives:
- Preservation of the gene pool of flora and fauna.
- Preserving the integrity of natural ecosystems.
- preserving the diversity of plant and animal communities.
- Implementation of research in vivo.
all state reserves of Russia, and not only in Russia, built on the same principle.Their structure can be divided into three main zones:
- core of the reserve;
- buffer (scientific) area;
- protection zone (transition between the actual reserve and the surrounding unprotected areas).
and large reserves of Russia, and small have such a structure.These three areas are characteristic structures of different rank and size.
history of nature conservation Russia
Almost all the reserves of Russia, whose names you will find in this article, one way or another, have a long history of its origin.
first such zone in Russia was formed in 1917.It Barguzinsky reserve in Buryatia.Later, the list of protected areas of the country is only growing.Such large reserves of Russia as Astrakhan, the Caucasus and Ilmensky can also be attributed to the oldest.All of them appeared in the 20s of the twentieth century.But the youngest can be considered reserve "Utrish", which was founded in 2010.In addition, in the period up to 2020 is planned to create in Russia has 11 new protected areas.
Reserves Russia: list of steppe reserves
According to 2014 in the Russian Federation there are 103 nature reserves.All of them occupy a total area of 340,000 square kilometers.This is a huge area that can be compared with the area of the European states, such as Finland.
Of these 11 reserves can be attributed to the steppe.We list these reserves of Russia.List of filed below:
- Astrakhan,
- "Belogorye",
- Voroninsky,
- Voronezh,
- Dauria,
- East Urals,
- "Galichya Mountain",
- Orenburg,
- Rostov,
- "Volga steppe",
- "Black Earth".
All the reserves of Russia, whose names are listed, assigned to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.Two of them - the East and the Urals "Maiden's Mountain" - subject to other agencies.
Phenomenon Russian steppe
Russian steppe - is unique and unique natural phenomenon.Russian steppe reserves, with their wild grasses and tangled silvery feather grass, resemble a horse's mane.
Interestingly, the idea of creating such protected areas was born in the desert.The outstanding soil scientist and agronomist Vasily Dokuchaev spoke about the need for a hundred years ago.However, in Russia there was not a single reserve in the steppe part until the 90s.The first was the Orenburg steppe reserve, which was organized on the initiative of Alexander Alexandrovich Chibilёva in 1989.
Steppe Reserve "Orenburg"
arose in May 1989, today it covers an area of over 21 thousand hectares.
Steppe Reserve "Orenburg" includes 4 separate areas:
- Talovskaya steppe,
- Burtinskaya steppe,
- Aytuarskaya steppe,
- Aschisayskaya steppe (the largest land area of 7,200 hectares).
Within this area you can see not only untouched steppe.There are also many archaeological monuments VII-III centuries BC.It mounds of Sarmatian culture.
The climate - dry, continental.The average annual temperature is 2.5 degrees Celsius and the average annual rainfall is negligible - from 250 to 350 mm.By the degree of wetting the area can be safely attributed to the semi-desert.
flora of the reserve is diverse: there are 14 species of mushrooms, 150 species of lichens, mosses 8 and 1,350 species of vascular plants.No less rich and the fauna of this territory: 48 mammal species, 193 bird species, six species of fish, 526 species of beetles and 184 species of spiders.The territory is occupied mainly grass-sod steppes, hillsides also formed rocky steppe and on saline soils - desert complexes and communities.
In the reserve there are about two dozen plants listed in the Red Book of Russia.Many animals Reserve Russia "Orenburg" are also Red.Among them steppe bumble bee, bird stone curlew, Balaban, golden eagle, steppe eagle, and bustard stilt and European Beaver.
"Belogorye"
steppe reserves of Russia - it is a real treasure of our country.One is the nature reserve "Belogorye" in the Belgorod region, which dates back to 1924.Then it was called "Forest on the Vorskla", and in 1999 was reorganized into the new protected areas under the present name.
This protected area is a scientific and environmental education facilities of federal significance.Its purpose - to preserve and detailed study of natural processes and phenomena in the forest-steppe zone, as well as conservation of individual species and communities of flora, fauna and unique ecosystems in the south of Upland.
Nature Reserve "Belogorye" includes five separate sections, which are located in three districts of the region.It plots:
- Forest on the Vorskla,
- walls Izgorya,
- Bald Mountain,
- Yamskaya Steppe,
- Ostrasevy ravines.
total area "Belogoriya" is 2131 hectares.
within the reserve, scientists There are 149 different species of birds and around 370 species of vascular plants.The fauna is represented by 50 species of mammals, 15 species of fish, 6 species of reptiles and 9 species of amphibians.
Reserve "Voroninsky"
large reserves Russia attracted a large number of tourists and naturalists.One of these is Voroninsky Reserve, located in the steppe zone of the Tambov region.It was created in 1994 to protect the forest steppe systems of Central Russia.The total area - more than 10,000 hectares, while within the reserve is located about 40 kilometers Valley Ravens.
structure Voroninsky reserve is represented by two large clusters - forests "Inzhavinskaya" and "Kirsanovsky", as well as another ten tracts smaller area.
idea of creating this place belonged to another conservation area VPSemenov-Tyan-Shan, the famous Russian geographer.In the early twentieth century, it is proposed to organize the so-called "urёmny Park" (uremia - a special flood-plain forest).It is the study and restoration of the forest is the main task of modern reserve.
However, the real practical work to develop the concept of the reserve began only in the late 80s of the twentieth century.A great contribution to the organization of the reserve have Voroninsky experts Regional Museum and Tambov Pedagogical Institute.
Today the reserve is designed three tourist routes: "Inzhavino lordly mountain", "Protected Lake" and "Protected paths."
One of the famous sights Voroninsky Reserve is the so-called Bald Mountain - not that other, as a spur of the Volga Uplands.Gore has a relative height of about 50 meters.And though today artificial mountain is covered by forests, before it really was "bald", and therefore kept the name.By the way, it is a symbol of this mountain village Inzhavino.
Another attraction of the reserve - a unique willow grove near the village Semenovka.Her age - more than 150 years.However, this is not only known for Willow Grove, because it drew once famous artist Mstislav Dobuzhinsky.And now the picture is stored at the Museum of London.Unfortunately, today only remnants of this willow trees - lots of trees were destroyed during the war, and as a result of the barbaric activities in the 90s.
"Rostov"
amaze and fascinate with its beauty steppe reserves of Russia!In 1995, in the Rostov region of Rostov Reserve was established, although the preconditions for its organization was in the late XIX century.The idea is to create a steppe reserve then expressed scientist Vasily Dokuchaev, who spent a lot of time and effort to the study of the local steppe landscapes.
Rostov Reserve has federal status and its own administration.It includes four separate plots with a total area of more than 9000 hectares.
within the reserve, scientists have counted 410 species of vascular plants - mostly cereals, legumes, Asteraceae, and clove.Here you can find 4 kinds of peas, several species of feather grass, camel thorn.Growing in the nature reserve and the species listed in the Red Book: it Schrenk tulip, dwarf iris, feather grass and other species.
"black earth"
largest reserves of Russia hit its scope pristine land and virgin landscapes.One of the largest in the country is a biosphere reserve with the unusual name "black earth" in which portions of the unique stored Kalmyk steppe.
Reserve was established in June 1990.The main problem - the preservation of the steppe and semi-desert landscapes, as well as the protection of the saiga population.The total area of protected area - more than 120 thousand hectares.It is noteworthy that in 1993, "Black Earth" received the status of a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
flora of the reserve is represented as the steppe and desert plant species.For example, sandy areas can be found camel thorn, lyme grass, sand sagebrush.In the island of the lake Manichev-Gudilo have steppes with feather Lessing.Grow here and rare species of plants: cornflower Taliev and Tulip Schrenk.
fauna is also represented by steppe and semi-desert species.Here usual saiga, eared hedgehog, small gopher, jerboa.It is found in the "black earth" ligation and bright polecat.In recent years, increasing the wolf population in the reserve.
nest in the reserve a large number of aquatic birds.This mute swan, goose, Dalmatian pelican, wild duck, gray duck, pochard and others.Protected here and typical steppe species of birds bustard, bird, bustard, steppe eagle and buzzard.
"Volga steppe"
"Volga steppe" - a nature reserve in the Penza region, comprising five separate sections:
- Poperechenskaya steppe,
- Ostrovtsovskaya steppe,
- Kuncherovskaya steppe,
- Pine Forest on Kadadah,
- Verhnesursky forest area.
It is located in the steppe zone of the Middle Volga.The reserve was established in 1989 to protect the northern steppes and forests.It covers today an area of 8326 hectares."Volga steppe" - is not just a conservation area.The reserve also successfully performs scientific, research, educational and recreational functions.However, the main task of "Volga steppes" is the protection of flora and fauna, as well as individual representatives and their entire ecosystems.
in "Volga steppes" Today, there are about 860 species of vascular plants (which, by the way, 55% of the species composition of the flora of the Penza region).Of these, about 70 species in need of special protection, and nine species even included in the Red Book of Russia.There are four kinds of grasses (feather grass, beautiful, opushennolistny and feather Zaleski), hazel grouse Russian, iris leafless, Cephalanthera rubra, epipogium aphyllum and neottianta cucullata.58 species of the reserve are also included in the Red Book of the field.
interesting object is a nature reserve pine forest on Kadadah, or so-called "Borok", near the village of Shatkino.Plot area of pine forest on the banks of the river Kadadah - almost 400 hectares.Boron is a complex of artificial pine plantations and oak forests.Most of the area is occupied by an object, and alder swamps.
This article describes the most famous nature reserves in Russia.Photos of these magnificent parts of our country can also be found here.In our country, we created more than a hundred protected areas, which aim to protect the surrounding environment, the protection of natural landscapes, restoration and preservation of certain animal and plant species.In addition, the protected areas also perform educational and educational function, instilling a love for the people of Russia in nature.Most of the reserves also has extensive recreational and tourism potential, and some are even trying to implement it by developing special tourist routes and ecological paths.
