The real heart of the protected areas of the Amur region and the place with the largest livestock of Siberian roe deer in the world, as well as with a unique natural formation in the form of marshy marshes, is this amazing reserve. This territory protected by the state has a rather high status in Russia, and its importance for the conservation and increase in the population of rare animal species is undeniable.
This is the Norsky Reserve of the Amur Region, about which information is presented in the article.
History of creation
For the first time, the reserve was established in this unique territory in 1981. It was called Ust-Norsky. However, the protected area occupied 10 times less area than that assigned to the current reserve. The protected area in 1984 was expanded, the reserve received zoological status and became known as the Norsky Republican.
In 1990, the territory was recognized as the best for the protection of animals of the Far East, and in 1998 a reserve with the modern name - Norsky Reserve was created here. The purpose of the education is to protect the typical southern taiga ecosystems of the Northern Amur Region, as well as the flora, fauna and valuable wetlands of the Amur-Zeya lowland.
Administratively, the reserve is located in the Selemdzhinsky district of the Amur region.
Justification for Creation and Significance
As for most other regions of the Far East, the Norsky Reserve of the Amur Region is characterized by the joint growth and habitat of plants and animals of various natural zones.
What justifies the need to create a reserve?
- Protection of natural territories in order to preserve the biological diversity of natural complexes.
- Conducting research and natural history.
- Conducting environmental monitoring.
- Environmental education.
- Participation in the state environmental review of projects and plans for the placement of economic facilities, etc.
- Assistance in training specialists and scientists in the field of nature protection.
- Experimental work and the introduction of environmental management methods at the sites of the biosphere test site that do not deplete and do not destroy the surrounding biological environment.
General characteristics of the Norsky reserve
The total area of the territory is almost 211.2 thousand ha. It consists of one site. The water area is 2 thousand hectares, and the protection zone is 9.9 thousand hectares.
Basically, the nature of the reserve is formed by hills, rocky coastal cliffs and spacious plains. The absolute heights in this area reach 370 meters. From July to August - the period of heavy rains. At this time, rapid river spills occur, and in some years they turn into real catastrophic floods. The largest rivers of the protected zone are the Selemdzha, Burunda and Nora, which are mountain taiga and characterized by an alternation of rapid rapids and reaches.
The climate in this territory is sharply continental. The time of the most severe frosts is the month of January (the average temperature reaches -30 ºС). The summer period is quite warm, humid, with frequent cyclones bringing heavy rains. The hottest month is July, with an average air temperature of about +20 ºС.
Some features
It is also important to note in which rivers the Norsky Nature Reserve is located. Its main river is the Selemdzha, which got its name from the Evenki language. The name in the translation sounds like "Iron". Due to the intersection of this mighty artery with the Nora River, a very unusual valley was formed here. Huge superficial bogs are spread in it - a unique formation called Mari. They are covered with a shoot of larch and dwarf birches.
Such bogs are formed at the locations of permafrost, which is gradually thawing and forming a permanent layer of water in the soil. The colossal importance of these mares is that they constantly feed water to local streams and springs. Due to this phenomenon, the Far Eastern rivers have a sufficient volume of water.
The Norsky Reserve is the only haze reserve in Russia, and therefore maintaining it in its original form is the main task for the leaders of the Amur Region.
Flora
The protected area is located in a transitional area. This is the place where the zones of southern and middle taiga converge. Here are found Okhotsk, Siberian and Manchu varieties of plants. In these places, the spruces are braided by a Chinese shrubbery, and the Kayander (larch) compete in height with the choosenia.
The territory of the Norsky reserve is more than half occupied by forest vegetation. The main forest-forming species are white birch and larch Gmelin. In the springtime, in the larch forests, Daurian rhododendrons begin to bloom, and in autumn lingonberries ripen violently. River floodplains are especially diverse and rich in vegetation. Here you can find eleutherococcus, Japanese chase, Amur barberry, Bush lilies and water chestnut, as well as a huge number of rare plants.
Rocky vegetation is also peculiar here. Here you can find a unique endemic - Seljeminski saxifrage, growing only in the mouth of the river. Burrows.
Fauna
The vertebrate animals of the Norsky Reserve are represented by 200 species of fish, two species of amphibians, five reptiles, 35 species of mammals and 390 species of birds. In these places, together with teal mallards common for Eurasia, killer whales and tangerines duck, Siberian nightingales are adjacent to larvae and white-eyed.
A special attraction of the Norsky reserve is Siberian roe deer. The largest migratory group of this animal species lives in this conservation area. Their number is about 5-7 thousand heads.
In early autumn, most individuals leave the area southwest. During this period, one can observe a unique phenomenon - the massive movement of animals across the Nora River. For example, in the Maltsev Meadow tract, about 300 km of roe per day cross over the river about 2 kilometers across it. The famous Amur tiger lives in the reserve.
Birds
The reserve is a haven for a huge number of representatives of avifauna. Birds of the Norsky reserve: white-eyes, bluebird (the best singer of the Amur region), white-throated thrush, rather rare ducklings, kloktuny, flycatcher bright yellow. Magnificent whooper swans nest on ponds in the floodplains of the Nora and Burunda rivers. In the swamps you can find many Far Eastern curlews.
Here you can see black, Japanese and Daurian cranes here annually. Every year you can observe flying white cranes. Osprey nests (over 10) and 3 nests of white-tailed eagles are known. The Red Book of the Russian Federation includes 24 bird species of the Nora-Selemdzhinsky interfluve in its lists.
