russian: Карадагский природный заповедник , iucn_category = Ia , photo = Карадаг 5.jpg , photo_caption = Karadag Nature Reserve , photo_width = 300 , map = Crimea , relief = yes , map_caption = Location in Crimea , location =

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 ...

(de jure) /

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(de facto) , nearest_city =

Feodosia uk, Феодосія, Теодосія crh, Kefe , official_name = () , settlement_type= , image_skyline = THEODOSIA 01.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = Genoese fortress of Caffa , image_shield = Fe ...

, coordinates = , coords_ref = , area = , established = 1979 , visitation_num = , visitation_year = , visitation_ref = , website= http://karadag.com.ru/ , governing_body =

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, embedded = __NOTOC__ Karadag Nature Reserve ( uk, Карада́зький приро́дний запові́дник) (russian: Карадагский природный заповедник) is a protected nature reserve that covers a portion of the southeast coast of the

Crimean peninsula Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...

. Encompassing mountains, forest-steppe, shoreline and marine areas, Karadag is an area of high biodiversity and the subject of much scientific study throughout the past 100 years. It supports a high number of Crimea's endemic species, and important bird colonies. The reserve is 36 km southwest of the city of Feodosia, and is currently administered by the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Topography

The Karadag Reserve is located in on the southeast coast of the Crimean Peninsula, in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

, on the eastern tip of the

Crimean Mountains The Crimean Mountains ( uk, Кримські гори, translit. ''Krymski hory''; russian: Крымские горы, translit. ''Krymskie gory''; crh, Qırım dağları) are a range of mountains running parallel to the south-eastern coast o ...

. The site is on the Kara Dag Mountain, a volcanic massif that formed in the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

. The southern shores of the mountains slope down to the sea, creating an 8 km shoreline of bays, beaches, and grottoes. 809 hectares of the site covers off-shore marine areas. The marine sector plus the pebble-boulder beach and the coastal cliffs up to 120 meters, are a

Ramsar wetland of international importance This is the list of Wetlands of International Importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation movement, conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their econom ...

. The reserve is bracketed by the coastal towns of

Koktebel Koktebel ( uk, Коктебéль, russian: Коктебéль, crh, Köktöbel, formerly known as ''Planerskoye'', russian: Планерское) is an urban-type settlement and one of the most popular resort townlets in South-Eastern Crimea. K ...

on the north, and Kurortne to the south.

Climate and ecoregion

The climate of Karadag is '' humid continental climate - hot summer sub-type'' (

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 ...

Dfa), with large seasonal temperature differentials and a hot summer (at least one month averaging over ) and mild winters. The average temperature in the reserve in February is , and in July. The water temperature varies from to . Annual sunshine averages 2,200-2,300 hours per year, and annual precipitation averages 300 mm. The reserve is in the western extreme of the ''

Crimean Submediterranean forest complex The Crimean Submediterranean forest complex is an ecoregion on the Black Sea coast of Russia and Ukraine. It is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome. Geography The ecoregion consists of two coastal enclaves on northern coast of the ...

'' ecoregion, a small band of territory that stretches from the southern Crimean peninsula to the northern Caucasus Mountains.

Flora and fauna

Because of its variety of habitat and position on both mountain and coast, the area is one of great biodiversity. Over half of the plant and animal species of Crimea are found in the Karadag Reserve, and one third of Crimea's endemic species. 40% of the reserve is forested, mostly with hornbeam, ash, pine and oak. Eight types of feather-grass steppe make up most of the rest. Scientists have recorded 1,154 species of vascular plants, 115 species of fish, 35 of mammals, and 236 species of birds. The area is particularly important for fish-eating birds, including a significant colony of

European shag The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mai ...

(a type of cormorant) on the cliffs.

Public use

As a strict nature reserve, Kara-Dag'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. There is an ecological trail (hiking) through the mountainous part of the reserve, recording over 15,000 users per year. In the nearby village of Kurortne the reserve administers an ecological visitors center with wildlife and plant exhibits, and a

dolphinarium A dolphinarium is an aquarium for dolphins. The dolphins are usually kept in a pool, though occasionally they may be kept in pens in the open sea, either for research or public performances. Some dolphinariums consist of one pool where dolphins pe ...

(aquarium and center for dolphin study). Reserve scientists and staff sponsor educational programs and publications. .

Gallery

Karadag cliffs, Crimea.jpg, Karadag cliffs Karadag coastline, Crimea.jpg, Karadag coastline File:Karadag cliffs in the sea, Crimea.jpg, Karadag cliffs by the sea File:Jurassic landscape with Karadag rocks by the sea, Karadag, Crimea.jpg, View from the top File:Rock formations by the sea 2, Karadag, Crimea.jpg, Jurassic cliffs, View from the top

References

External links

Boundaries of Kara-Dag Nature Reserve on OpenStreetMap.org

Topographical site map of Kara-Dag Nature Reserve at Ramsar Convention website
{{Authority control Nature reserves in Ukraine Geography of Crimea Ramsar sites in Ukraine