Baikal is the most endemic body of water on the planet. Its many animals and plants are no longer found anywhere in the world. In total, more than 2600 species of inhabitants can be counted. We learn what constitutes the flora of Lake Baikal, as well as its fauna.
Vegetable world
In Baikal itself, special corals grow, which locals call a sea sponge. In water, they are soft, and harden in the air. In the middle of summer in shallow water mucous and fibrous representatives of the fauna are shown. The coastal zone boasts a wide variety of vegetation. These are relic firs, stilted trees with bare roots, healing cedars, fragrant poplars of a bizarre shape, various lichens, mosses and much more.
The Baikal mountains are mostly covered with dense coniferous forest. It is represented by cedars, larch, spruce, pine, fir and birch. In the lowlands, currant bushes, balsamic poplars, Siberian ledum and low alder grow.
It should be noted that the local vegetation is very diverse. But let us briefly consider the flora of Lake Baikal, which causes the greatest interest.
Siberian cedar
Siberian cedar, growing on Lake Baikal, is a fairly powerful tree. In diameter, it reaches up to 1.8 meters, and in height - about 40 meters. Cedar lives up to half a century, and after six decades it begins to give a rich harvest of nuts. For this, the locals nicknamed him the Siberian bread tree. From one trunk, you can collect more than ten kilograms of nuts. But not every year, because the cones ripen only 14-15 months.
Previously, milk, sour cream, halva and butter were made from nuts (instead of sunflower). But now these crafts are undeservedly forgotten. Today, only nuts themselves are of interest as fruits and cedar wood. It has a mild, but persistent odor that can scare away moths for decades.
Rhododendrons
A unique representative of the flora of Lake Baikal is Ledum, or, as it is also called, Daurian rhododendron. He is considered the harbinger of the Baikal spring, because it blooms the very first when there is no greenery in the district. At this time, rosemary beautifully paints the coastal area in pink shades with the petals of its flowers. Most often, this plant forms thickets throughout Eastern Siberia.
Following the rosemary, the sagaan-dali, Adams rhododendron, begins to bloom. It is popularly known as the "white wing" or grass of longevity. This plant is used to tone and stimulate the kidneys, heart and brain. Adams rhododendron is also famous for its anti-hangover effect. In a glass of tea add no more than five leaves of a flower. The drink is obtained with a strong but pleasant aroma.
You can see the flowering of rhododendron, a representative of the Baikal flora, in the photo above. It is easy to imagine what beauty is revealed if you see the flowering of entire thickets of this plant.
Thyme
This plant is also called Bogorodskaya grass. It grows in steppe meadows, rocky slopes and open sandy areas. Distributed in Transbaikalia and Baikal. All summer pleases the eye with beautiful pink flowers that are perfectly visible on the sandy hills.
Thyme contains about one percent of essential oils. Therefore, it is enough to mash a twig in your hands to feel a characteristic and steady smell.
Decoctions and infusions of Bogorodskaya grass are widely used for medicinal purposes, to strengthen the immune system, eliminate insomnia, nervous diseases and generally to prolong life. To prepare the medicine, usually take one or two tablespoons of dried grass and one hundred milliliters of boiling water. Shamans, who successfully use the Baikal flora, throw only a pinch of thyme into the fire for the rite of purification.
Ramson
Wild garlic grows in almost all areas of Lake Baikal. In some places, it forms very significant thickets.
They begin to collect and sell this representative of the flora in May-June. At this time, the leaves and stems are not yet strong and therefore juicy and soft. Ramson is widely used in cooking. It is used instead of green onions, although it smells like garlic. Also, the grass is added to salads, meat dishes, pie fillings and pickled like sauerkraut.
Rhodiola rosea
Perhaps all the locals know which representative of the flora of Lake Baikal has the properties of ginseng. This is Rhodiola rosea, or the golden root, as it is also called. It blooms in June and July almost all over Lake Baikal on stony slopes, rocks and in mountain cracks.
The plant perfectly relieves fatigue and stimulates all body processes. For therapeutic purposes, only rhizomes are used, which are harvested during the flowering period. Dig up the largest specimens, peel, cut and dry in the shade. After alcohol, a liquid extract is prepared. It is noteworthy that the digging of the roots of the golden root in the same place can be done only once every ten years.
Lingonberry
Very rich in useful and healing flora of Lake Baikal. Another popular home remedy is lingonberry. It grows in Siberian forests, often forming a continuous carpet of dense thickets. With a good harvest, in a few hours you can collect a full bucket of berries. They ripen in August-September.
Lingonberry is good as an antipyretic and diaphoretic. But also it is a great addition to hot meat or tea in the form of jam. The berry is perfectly stored in sugar, water and in the freezer.
Baikal fauna
The diversity and beauty of the animal and plant world of the lake leaves no one indifferent. It is enough to look at the photo of the flora and fauna of Lake Baikal, although the living inhabitants shake even more.
A unique sponge lives in the lake itself, which scientists recently assigned to the class of animals. Thanks to the activity of this creature, the water remains crystal clear. Such conditions have a great effect on the diversity of fish. There are cod, sturgeon, salmon, catfish and carp species in Baikal, as well as omul, golomyanka, grayling, perch, pike and whitefish. But the most famous and popular endemic of the lake can be called seals.
In the forests, such Siberian animals live as bears, wolves, foxes, hares and sables. Also, tourists on their way can meet a ferret, wolverine, ermine, groundhog, squirrel, moose, tarbagan, wild boar, red deer and wild goat.
There are many different animals on Baikal, but we will consider only the most interesting representatives of the fauna.
Omul
Omul is one of the many commercial species of Baikal. This fish is not the largest (weighing up to five kilograms and a length of up to fifty centimeters). But in the lake there is a subspecies, which is endemic. There are four populations in total: Severobaikalsky, Selenginsky, Ambassadorial and Chivyrkuy omul.
Today in Baikal, the flora and fauna of which is very diverse, experts count about thirty thousand heads of these fish. Compared to previous years, their population is growing slightly. Omul lives no more than a quarter century. It feeds on bottom invertebrates, crustaceans and young fish of other fish. The Baikal subspecies is appreciated because of its unique salty and delicate taste.
Golomyanka
The most numerous Baikal fish can rightly be called a golomyanka. Its total biomass and abundance are twice as large as that of other species. Interestingly, the golomyanka gives birth to living fry, and does not spawn like others. A similar method of breeding is no longer found in any of the famous fish in the world.
Also attracts attention to the body of a golomyanka. It is half full of fat and therefore translucent. Through the tail of a large copy, you can even read the text written in capital letters.
Golomyanka lives at all depths: at the bottom and on the surface. Therefore, it is equally dispersed throughout the water column. This fish is the main source of food for the seal, which is as interesting as other endemic representatives of the flora and fauna of Lake Baikal.
Seal
The Baikal seal is the only seal in the world that lives in fresh water. It is distributed throughout the lake, but especially in its middle and northern parts. Today, experts count about one hundred thousand heads of seals. They weigh 50-130 kilograms, and in length the body of the largest individual reaches almost two meters. These seals live 55 years, feed on golomyanka and Baikal bull.
This is a very friendly, curious and easily trained animal. Seals often sail to drifting ships and are around for a very long time. Surprisingly, these seals learned to breathe under the ice through the air. With their front paws, they tear a hole one or two meters in diameter. Moreover, the animal periodically removes ice from it to maintain size. But this is the main product, and smaller additional holes are scattered around.
Nerpa is the top of the food chain of the Baikal ecosystem. The only danger to her is only a person. Poachers destroy even cubs with white fur, which is highly regarded in their circles.
Barguzinsky sable
This legendary animal is found not only on Lake Baikal, but also throughout taiga Russia. Sable is called soft gold, because it has a beautiful, durable, and therefore expensive fur. And the Barguzin look, thanks to the darkest skin, was generally considered a find at auctions. Because of this, the animal almost died out during the Soviet era, when they began to destroy the unique flora and fauna of Lake Baikal.
Sable is not the largest animal, the body reaches a length of about half a meter. But he has a twenty-centimeter fluffy and beautiful tail. He prefers to live in pine forests, in the upper reaches of mountain rivers, thickets and among stone placers. Sable is highly active in the evening and in the morning, during the hunt.
