Unfortunately, vigorous and tough human activities on the planet have threatened the extinction of many species of animals and plants. Some of them have already been irretrievably lost, and for the preservation of others special zones have appeared - reserves, where scientists have the opportunity to study the flora and fauna that are not exposed to humans. The environmental policy is quite actively pursued by Russia. The Khabarovsk Territory, for example, has on its territory as many as six reserves, which in general can boast of preserving more than one thousand different species of plants and animals. Not everyone is given a chance in life to visit such a territory, where the wise and simple laws of nature reign. Therefore, today the topic of our article was the Dzhugdzhursky Reserve - the largest in the Far East.
General description of the reserve
It is not in vain that the Dzhugdzhursky Reserve is considered the largest, because its territory exceeds eight hundred fifty thousand hectares. At the same time, more than fifty-seven thousand hectares of marine area are included in the conservation zone. The security zone is two hundred and fifty thousand hectares.
It is interesting, but scientists note that the Dzhugdzhursky Reserve has natural climatic conditions identical to two ecosystems - the mountain tundra and the mountain taiga. The climate in the western part is rather severe, there is little rainfall, and temperature differences are frequent and sharp. On the coast, on the contrary, there is a lot of rainfall, and often winds blow. Fogs are natural at any time of the year. This is a feature of the reserve, which served as the impetus for the creation of this state-protected zone. Indeed, in such conditions a large number of endemic plants and animals live.
Dzhugdzhursky reserve: geographical location
Where is the reserve, and how to get there? To get into this zone, you will need to go to the Far East of the Russian Federation. Scientists and historians believe that these territories are extremely rich and that reserves can be created on many lands in order to maintain the cleanliness of these places in their original form. After all, the loss of this bewitching beauty will be an irreplaceable loss that will change the whole Far East.
In recent years, the Russian Federation has been trying as much as possible to take care of the protection of protected lands. Therefore, for about thirty years, zones with special state status have been emerging in the country. The Ayano-May district became the place where the largest among the reserves of the Khabarovsk Territory was formed, which became the topic of our today's article.
Natural areas of the reserve
The State Nature Reserve "Dzhugdzhursky", as we have already specified, covers a fairly vast territory. It is located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, covering land and several islands.
The Dzhugdzhur Ridge, which divides the reserve into two parts, actively affects the nature of this region. Everyone who comes here for the first time admires the beauties of this mountainous country, which is often given a characteristic similar to the Alps.
The reserve is officially divided into three zones or clusters:
- Malmins islands.
- Coastal.
- Dzhugdzhursky.
Each has its own characteristics, as well as flora and fauna.
In addition, the ridge passing by land serves as a source of the formation of two completely different natural zones. It is quite difficult to get into the southeast, it is mountainous and is located in the coastal strip. The second part is a mountain plateau, where hills, ranges and mountains are found in large numbers.
History of the reserve
The Ayan-May district interested zoologists back in the distant forty-fifth year of the last century. First of all, scientists were concerned about the population of the snow sheep, which was urgently needed to be taken under protection. Periodically, zoologists published their observations on the animals of this region and strongly recommended the creation of a special zone that would be under state protection.
In 1984, work began on the design of the future reserve. This mission was entrusted to Professor S. S. Kharkevich. For five years, he and his assistants carried out activities to form the boundaries of the conservation zone. As a result, his work was approved, and a decision was made to create a reserve.
The official opening date is September 10, 1990. Interestingly, in the seventeen years of its existence, the Dzhugdzhursky Reserve has never changed its director. The permanent leader of these territories is Ten Ho Za.
A year after its founding, the Dzhugdzhursky Nature Reserve expanded its territory, the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk were added to it. Over time, the material and technical database of the territories was updated, and the reserve itself more than once received additional funding from the state.
Goals and objectives of the reserve
It is difficult to overestimate the role that the Dzhugdzhursky reserve plays. Protected species of plants and animals are in many ways unique, and therefore require careful study and protection. In addition, the fate of the water area depends on the purity of the mountain rivers that ensure the influx of water into the Sea of Okhotsk. In addition, many of these aquatic arteries are spawning. A special line for the formation of the reserve is the study and preservation of mountain forests. The most common representative of which is ayan spruce. It is the real pride of Priokhot'e and is carefully guarded by the state.
The tasks of the Dzhugdzhursky reserve can be represented as follows:
- protection of territories for the conservation of biological species and plants;
- conducting scientific work in the reserve;
- environmental monitoring;
- carrying out environmental education of the population;
- active assistance in the training of scientists and ordinary specialists in the field of ecology.
I would like to note that the reserve administration successfully copes with its tasks.
Ecological tourism
Ecological tourism also contributes to the development of the reserve, which in recent years has become increasingly popular among Russians. Here you can travel to separate areas or drive through the entire reserve. In any case, you will have something to see. The most popular places for tourists are:
Lake Baikalenok
It is not without reason that it has such a telling name, because its water is so clear that it is not inferior to its older "brother".
Selenda River
It begins its journey high in the mountains and is distinguished by calmness, but quickly acquires a more rebellious character and bursts out of the cliff with noise, once breaking a hole one and a half meters in diameter. This spectacle is simply impossible to forget, it captivates everyone who saw it with their own eyes.
Tsipadinsky caves
These galleries are great for cavers, they consist of amazingly beautiful calcareous deposits, and real sculptures from stalactites and stalagmites are quite common here.
Rivers where fish spawn
If you have never seen a fish spawn, we advise you to be at the Aldoma and Lantar rivers at this time. Pink salmon and sockeye salmon, which are clearly visible through clear water, come here. Quite often, from their abundance, it is even impossible for tourists to see the bottom of the river, because the fish goes in a continuous and endless dense stream.
Antykan Lake
Beginners and experienced photographers love to come here. They are happy to capture birds on the camera, who have chosen the pond itself and coastal cliffs. The bowl itself is elongated and resembles a beautiful lagoon. The width of the lake is rather ambiguous, in the widest place it is more than three hundred meters, and in a narrow one it does not exceed hundreds of meters.
It is impossible to list all the beauties of the Dzhugdzhursky reserve. But special attention deserves his flora and fauna, which we will now talk about.
Dzhugdzhursky reserve: plants
This territory is one of a kind and in importance exceeds other reserves of the Khabarovsk Territory. According to scientists, the flora is represented by seven hundred and fifty-three species of plants. Despite the fact that the local climate is quite severe, the flora of the protected area is extremely rich. At the same time, thirty-three species are included in the Red Book of the Khabarovsk Territory, and six are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. For example, Valerian Ayan is marked in each of the listed documents. Many plants are not found anywhere else on the planet, they are considered endemic.
Very seriously, botanists are studying such a plant as Ayanska spruce. Outwardly, it looks like an ordinary spruce, but still refers to a different subspecies. The trees reach a height of forty meters, and their life cycle sometimes reaches five hundred years. The diameter of the middle trunk usually ranges from one hundred meters.
Ayan spruce grows in areas where there is a lot of rain and relatively cold summers. Interestingly, this plant is difficult to meet further than four hundred meters from the oceans and the seas. In the mountains, spruce feels very good, it can grow at an altitude of up to five hundred meters. Forests formed by these trees are on the verge of extinction. This is facilitated by the active felling of trees by logging teams. The only thing that saves this species is the inaccessible places of growth. Only in them can the Ayansky spruce grow quietly.
I would also like to tell you about the slipper venere, this plant was once very common in taiga forests, but is now listed in the Red Book.
Taiga orchid
Large-sized venus slipper is an unusual plant that deserves to live on our planet. It is often called an orchid, which has some reasons. After all, the plant belongs to the Orchid family.
Interestingly, the flower perfectly exists in symbiosis with some types of mushrooms. Its root system grows very slowly, often the plant falls into a state of rest, in which it is supported precisely by underground fungal colonies. Surprisingly, the first flowering of a venereal shoe is observed ten to fifteen years after growing from a seed.
At the moment, this species is preserved only in nature reserves; there are thirteen of them in the Russian Federation. This rare plant is actively grown in botanical gardens, which contributes to the breeding of new species.
Fauna of the reserve
On the territory of the Dzhugdzhursky reserve there are more than two hundred and eleven species of animals. Among them, one hundred sixty-six species of birds and forty-two species of mammals. Most often, brown bear and wolverine are found in the reserve. These animals live quite freely on protected lands. They are unparalleled and superior in size to predators, so they breed well and calmly breed offspring.
Stone capercaillie is no less common, it is one of the most common species of birds in the reserve. It has a dark color and feeds mainly on plant foods. Sometimes invertebrates become its prey. The wingspan in males in some cases exceeds one meter.
An incredible delight among tourists is ringed seal. These animals often "sunbathe" on coastal cliffs. They are not at all afraid of people, so they can be photographed, getting very close. Interestingly, ringed seal is a solitary animal. It prefers to live and hunt separately from its relatives. Sometimes tourists manage to see a whole group of these charming animals weighing about seventy kilograms. But usually individuals in such a group are not relatives and just happened to be on the same rock.
Do not forget that the original reserve was planned to be created for the protection of the snow sheep. This is a very interesting animal that lives on our planet for about a hundred thousand years. It is worth telling about it in more detail.
