Kara-Shoro Nature Park ( ky, Кара-Шоро мамлекеттик жаратылыш паркы, russian: Государственный природный парк Кара-Шоро) is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

in Kyrgyzstan established in August 1996. The purpose of the park is conservation of the nature complex including geological formations, hydrological regimes, flora and fauna, and endangered species. It covers 14,440 hectares. Kara-Shoro River passes through the central part of the park.

Topography

The park is situated at the south-western slopes of the Fergana Range, in

Özgön District Özgön or Uzgen ( ky, Өзгөн району) is a district of Osh Region in south-western Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its resident population was 282,981 in 2021.> The capital lies at Özgön (Uzgen). Demographics As of 2009, Özgön District ...

, on the upper course of the river Jazy. The topography embraces rocky mountains with pinnacle summits and cliffy crests, narrow and deep gorges with long and steep-sided slopes and rockslides. The slopes of the ridges are chasmy with numerous branching gorges forming a complex system of the secondary fissures. Slope gradients reach 35-45 degrees and more. The lowest altitude of the park is 1,900 m above sea level and the maximum - 3,500.

Ecology

Flora

The flora diversity is high. Among dominant species supported by the park are subspecies of Schrenk's spruce (Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianschanica), Savin

Juniperus sabina ''Juniperus sabina'', the savin juniper or savin, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of central and southern Europe and western and central Asia, from Spain to eastern Siberia, typically growing at altitudes of .Farjon, A. (2005). ' ...

, Juniperus semiglobosa, Birch, Acer turkestanicum, Malus,

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

, Willow,

Crataegus ''Crataegus'' (), commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, Voss, E. G. 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornacea ...

, Sorbus tianschanica and various shrubs. Additionally, around 50 species of herbaceous plans are reported. Medicinal herbs occurring in the park include Mongolian ephedra, Urtica dioica,

Aconitum soongaricum ''Aconitum soongaricum'' is a poisonous perennial herbaceous plant species of the genus ''Aconitum''. Distribution and habitat ''Aconitum soongaricum'' is endemic to Kashmir.,''Wang Wencai (王文采), Michael J. Warnock''Aconitum soongoricum ...

, Adonis (Adonis chrysocyathus Hook.f. & Thomson), and

Leonurus ''Leonurus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, naturalized in New Zealand, Hawaii, New Caledonia, and much of North and South America. ''Leonurus japonicus'' is one of the 50 fundamental her ...

(Leonurus turkestanicus V.I.Krecz. & Kuprian).

Fauna

The park is inhabited by 12 species of animals, of them 4 are listed in the Red Book of Kyrgyz Republic, specifically Brown bear, Eurasian lynx, Snow leopard, and

Capreolus ''Capreolus'' is a genus of deer, the roe deer. Etymology English ''roe'' is from Old English ''ra'' or ''rá'', from ''raha'', from Proto-Germanic ''*raikhaz'', cognate to Old Norse ''ra'', Old Saxon ''reho'', Middle Dutch and Dutch ''ree'' ...

. Of 21 species of birds occurring the park 8 are included in the Red Book: Saker falcon, Pallas's fish eagle, White-tailed eagle,

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...

, Cinereous vulture, Eastern imperial eagle, Golden eagle, and Great bustard.

References

Protected areas established in 1996 National parks of Kyrgyzstan {{Asia-protected-area-stub