|
Alakol Nature Reserve
The Alakol Biosphere Reserve (established 2013) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in Kazakhstan, within the desert zone of Eurasia in the central part of the Alakol inter-mountain depression. The reserve lies on the Central Asian–Indian bird migration route. The wetlands of the reserve are of global significance as a habitat and as a nesting site for water birds. The Alakol State Nature Reserve manages the area. Geographical location The Alakol-Sasykkol system of lakes occupies a desert depression between the mountain systems of the Jungar Alatau and Tarbagatai in the South-Eastern part of Kazakhstan. In the center of the depression is a system of large lakes: Alakol, Sasykkol, Koshkarkol, Zhalanashkol. The territory of the reserve is scattered throughout the basin and is divided into 6 geographical areas: the Northern coast of the lake. Sasykkol and the Thousand lakes system; the Delta of the Tentek river; the Araltobe Islands on the lake. The Alakol lake; the Delta of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971. Every three years, representatives of the contracting parties meet as the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP), the policy-making organ of the convention which adopts decisions (resolutions and recommendations) to administer the work of the convention and improve the way in which the parties are able to implement its objectives. COP12 was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 2015. COP13 was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in October 2018. List of wetlands of international importance The list of wetlands of international importance included 2,331 Ramsar sites in May 2018 covering over . The countries with most sites are the United Kingdo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dalmatian Pelican
The Dalmatian pelican (''Pelecanus crispus'') is the largest member of the pelican family, and perhaps the world's largest freshwater bird, although rivaled in weight and length by the largest swans. They are elegant soaring birds, with wingspans rivaling those of the great albatrosses, and their flocks fly in graceful synchrony. With a range spanning across much of Central Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the West to the Taiwan Strait in the East, and from the Persian Gulf in the South to Siberia in the North, it is a short-to-medium-distance migrant between breeding and overwintering areas. No subspecies are known to exist over its wide range, but based on size differences, a Pleistocene paleosubspecies, ''P. c. palaeocrispus,'' has been described from fossils recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan. As with other pelicans, the males are larger than the females, and likewise their diet is mainly fish. Their curly nape feathers, grey legs and silvery-white plumage are distinguish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Almaty Region
Almaty Region ( kk, Алматы облысы, Almaty oblysy; russian: Алматинская область, Almatinskaya oblast) is a region in Kazakhstan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Its capital, from 1997 to 2022 was the city of Taldykorgan. But with the creation of the new Jetysu Region in 2022, Taldykorgan was chosen to be its capital and the capital of Almaty region was moved to the city of Kunayev. Geography Almaty Region surrounds the city of Almaty. The region borders Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China. The region also touches three other regions of Kazakhstan: Jambyl Region to the west, Karaganda Region to the northwest, and East Kazakhstan Region to the north. Almaty Region has an area of 224,000 square kilometres. Much of the northwestern border of the region runs along Lake Balkhash, whose main affluent, the Ili River, is the most significant river of the region. In the region's northeast, it shares the four lakes of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tugai
Tugay is a form of riparian forest or woodland associated with fluvial and floodplain areas in arid climates. These wetlands are subject to periodic inundation, and largely dependent on floods and groundwater rather than directly from rainfall. Tugay habitats occur in semi-arid and desert climates in central Asia. Because Tugay habitat is usually linear, following the courses of rivers in arid landscapes, Tugay communities often function as wildlife corridors. They have disappeared or become fragmented over much of their former range. Distribution The centre of the range of Tugay vegetation is the Tarim Basin in north-western China, where the Tarim Huyanglin nature reserve in the middle reaches of the Tarim River holds the largest areas of intact Tugay forests, with a 1993 estimate of about 61% of the total. The Central Asian countries hold another 31%, with smaller areas remaining in the Middle East and Pakistan. Tugais also occur in the Caucasus. Vegetation Close to ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tulip
Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm colours). They often have a different coloured blotch at the base of the tepals (petals and sepals, collectively), internally. Because of a degree of variability within the populations, and a long history of cultivation, classification has been complex and controversial. The tulip is a member of the lily family, Liliaceae, along with 14 other genera, where it is most closely related to '' Amana'', ''Erythronium'' and ''Gagea'' in the tribe Lilieae. There are about 75 species, and these are divided among four subgenera. The name "tulip" is thought to be derived from a Persian word for turban, which it may have been thought to resemble by those who discovered it. Tulips originally were found in a band stretching from Southern Europe to Ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ferruginous Duck
The ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca''), also known as ferruginous pochard, common white-eye or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurosiberia. The scientific name is derived from Greek '' aithuia'' an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and ''nyrok'', the Russian name for a duck. Description The breeding male is a rich, dark chestnut on the head, breast and flanks with contrasting pure white undertail coverts. In flight the white belly and underwing patch are visible. The females are duller and browner than the males. The male has a yellow eye and the females have a dark eye. Habitat The ferruginous duck prefers quite shallow fresh waterbodies with rich submerged and floating vegetation with dense stands of emergent vegetation on the margins. In some areas it will use saline or brackish pools or wetlands. On passage and wintering will also frequent coastal waters, inland seas and large, open lagoons. Distributi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Flamingo
The greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe. Taxonomy The greater flamingo was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. It was previously thought to be the same species as the American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber''), but because of coloring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, the two flamingos are now most commonly considered separate species. The greater flamingo has no subspecies. Description The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging tall and weighing . The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to tall and . Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking. Chicks are cover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Spoonbill
The Eurasian spoonbill (''Platalea leucorodia''), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name ''Platalea'' is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill, and ''leucorodia'' is from Ancient Greek ''leukerodios'' "spoonbill", itself derived from ''leukos'', "white" and ''erodios'' "heron". In England it was traditionally known as the "shovelard", a name later used for the Northern Shoveller. Taxonomy and systematics A study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills found that the Eurasian spoonbill is sister taxon to a clade containing the royal and black-faced spoonbills. The Eurasian spoonbill has three subspecies: * ''P. l. leucorodia'' – Linnaeus, 1758: nominate, occupies all the range except as below. * ''P. l. balsaci'' – Naurois & Roux, 1974: found on the islands off the Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania. * ''P. l. archeri'' – Neumann, 1928: found on the coasts of the Red Sea and So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dzhungarian Alatau
The Dzungarian Alatau ( mn, Зүүнгарын Алатау, ''Züüngaryn Alatau''; ; kk, Жетісу Алатауы, ''Jetısu Alatauy''; russian: Джунгарский Алатау, ''Dzhungarskiy Alatau'') is a mountain range that lies on the boundary of the Dzungaria region of China and the Zhetysu region of Kazakhstan. It has a length of and a maximum elevation of . Features The Dzhungraian Alatau consists of foothills, ridges, forts, and alpine meadows of the Northern Tian Shan (Trans-Ili Alatau, Ktmen). It is located at an altitude of 2,000m above sea level, and is over 400km long in the latitudinal direction. The Dzhungraian Alatau consists of two ranges that are distinctly parallel to each other: the northern (or main), and the southern range. The area includes several sub-parallel high mountain ranges, accompanied by low and short ranges and their spurs. It also holds the largest waterfall in Central Asia. A distinctive feature of the Dzunguarain Alatau is a seri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It has 193 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental, intergovernmental and private sector. Headquartered at the World Heritage Centre in Paris, France, UNESCO has 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions that facilitate its global mandate. UNESCO was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nations's International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.English summary). Its constitution establishes the agency's goals, governing structure, and operating framework. UNESCO's founding mission, which was shaped by the Second World War, is to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights by facilitating collaboration and dialogue among nations. It pursues this objective t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarbagatai Mountains
The Tarbagatai Mountains ( mn, , , translit. ''Tarvagatai nuruu'', literally: "range with marmots"; ; kk, Тарбағатай жотасы, ''Tarbağatai jotasy'') are a range of mountains located in the north-western parts of Xinjiang, China, and the Abai Region of East Kazakhstan. The name of the mountain derived from Mongolian word: in Traditional Mongolian alphabet: mn, ( "tarvaga", meaning "marmot") with suffix mn, ( "-tai"; literally "to have" or "with"). Many Tarbagan marmot live in this mountain range. Their name does not have a direct translation from the English in Mongolian, as it would mean "marmot's marmot". An eastern extension of the Tarbagatai is the Saur Range. Drainage As it is common for mountain ranges, there is more precipitation in the Tarbagatai mountains than in the adjacent flatlands. The mountains are thus an important watershed. Streams from the northern slopes of the Tarbagatai flow into Lake Zaysan, which eventually drains (via the Irtysh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Sasykkol
Sasykkol ( kz, Сасықкөл, ''Sasyqköl'') is a lake in eastern Kazakhstan. It is located near . It has an area of 600 km2 (736 km2 when water level is high), average depth of 3.3 m, and maximum depth of 4.7 m. Fishery on the lake is common. Water birds including the mute swan, whooper swan, and spoonbill can be found here. Description Sasykkol lake (translated from the Kazakh language "Sasyk" - rotten, fetid;" Kol " - lake), in the delta of the Alakol Biosphere Reserve, flows the Tentek river in the South, and the river also flows into the Sasykkol lake. The average depth of the lake is about 3 m, and the maximum -4.7 m. The average annual water level varies up to 60 cm due to the fact that the lake is flowing. Through the river Zhinishkesu water goes to Lake Koshkarkol and then flows into Lake Alakol. Since the water in the lake is fresh, its mineralization varies during the year from 0.27 to 2.16 g/L. Lake Sasykkol is part of the Alakol Biosphere Reserve, de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
