Dnieper-Oril Nature Reserve ( ua, Дніпровсько-Орільский природний заповідник) is a strict

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

of Ukraine located in the center of the country in the valley of the

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

River. Administratively, the reserve is located in

Dnipro Raion Dnipro Raion ( uk, Дніпровський район), until 2016 Dnipropetrovsk Raion ( uk, Дніпропетровський район) is a raion (district) of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, southeastern-central Ukraine. Its administrative centre ...

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ( uk, Дніпропетро́вська о́бласть, translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna ( uk, Дніпропетро́вщина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, obla ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Topography

The reserve protects a portion of the Middle

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

Valley, and floodplains of the Oril River. It covers two river terraces, the first a strip 2 km wide along the left bank of the Dnieper, and the second a higher inland terrance. The construction of the

Dnieper Hydroelectric Station The Dnieper Hydroelectric Station ( uk, ДніпроГЕС, DniproHES; russian: ДнепроГЭС, DneproGES), also known as Dneprostroi Dam, in the city of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is the largest hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper river. ...

in the 1940s raised water levels 2 meters in the boundaries, affecting the character of floodplains.

Climate and ecoregion

The climate of Dnieper-Oril is '' Humid continental climate, warm summer'' (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

(Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over , but no month averaging over . The reserve is located in the ''

Pontic–Caspian steppe The Pontic–Caspian steppe, formed by the Caspian steppe and the Pontic steppe, is the steppeland stretching from the northern shores of the Black Sea (the Pontus Euxinus of antiquity) to the northern area around the Caspian Sea. It extends ...

'' ecoregion, a region that covers an expanse of grasslands stretching from the northern shores of the Black Sea to western Kazakhstan.

Flora and fauna

The reserve is 30% water, and the floodplain are 89% covered with forests, much of which is oak. The site is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.

Public use

As a strict nature reserve, Dnieper-Oril's primary purpose is protection of nature and scientific study. Public access is limited: mass recreation and construction of facilities is prohibited as are hunting and fishing. Reserve staff conduct ecological excursions and educational sessions for local school children, and the scientific department hosts visiting researchers.

References

External links