Krustkalni Nature Reserve () is a nature reserve located in eastern

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

that was founded in 1977.Reserves of the USSR: in 11 volumes. ed. V. E. Sokolova, E. E. Syroechkovskogo. M .: Mysl, 1989. T. Zapovedniki Pribaltiki i Belorussii. S. 170—173. It has an area of 2,978 hectares. Since 2004, this institution has been part of

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

, a European Union network of protected areas. The reserve is managed by the

Latgale Latgale ( ltg, Latgola; ; ger, Lettgallen; be, Латгалія, Łathalija; pl, Łatgalia; la, Lettgallia), also known as Latgalia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region and is north of the Daugava River. While m ...

regional administration. The nature reserve was created to preserve the characteristic biodiversity of the complex of water and forest ecosystems, a complex of coniferous forests and meadows, as well as underground springs that form small swamps and lakes. A feature of these springs is high calcium content, due to which limestone soils are formed. They encourage the growth of calciphile plants, which often occur in the coastal areas of the country, but are not typical of eastern Latvia. The reserve has 32 species of plants and 37 species of animals listed in the , and the number of Red Book plants in Krustkalni ranks second among the country's reserves.Reserves of the USSR: in 11 volumes. ed. V. E. Sokolova, E. E. Syroechkovskogo. M .: Mysl, 1989. T. Zapovedniki Pribaltiki i Belorussii. S. 173—179.

History

Before its creation, the lands of the reserve belonged to the Krustkalni forest research station. Even before the establishment of the protected area, both Baltic German and Latvian naturalists, including , knew that this region had the richest flora of eastern Latvia. Due to the difficult terrain, these areas were challenging to cultivate and impossible to apply intensive methods of forestry. At the same time, due to the height differences and the variety of landscapes, this area was characterized by rich vegetation and fauna. Given these two factors, From the 1950s, researchers from the University of Latvia and the university's Institute of Biology began to explore the area, and it became a venue for student field internships. Under the leadership of the Institute of Biology, the first nature reserve in eastern Latvia was established there on April 15, 1977. In total 69

land lot In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in ...

s of the forest became a nature reserve, but temporarily remained in use by the research station. In 1979 the Slītere Nature Reserve was established, to which all other Latvian reserves including Krustkalni were subordinated. In 1982

Teiči Nature Reserve Teiči Nature Reserve ( lv, Teiču dabas rezervāts) is a nature reserve situated in eastern Latvia, spread across Madona, Varakļāni and Jēkabpils municipalities. History The nature reserve was created in 1982. Its purpose is to protect the ...

was organized, also in eastern Latvia. Since the Teiči reserve was located in the same region as Krustkalni, a joint administration was established for the reserves, subordinated to the Latvian Production Forestry Association "Latvias Mejs". Since February 1, 2011, the joint administration of both eastern Latvian reserves has been under the direction of the Latgale regional administration.

Climate

The reserve is located in the transition zone between the Central Vidzeme Upland with its harsh climate and the , which is characterized by warmer continental air. The influence of the coastal climate on its territory is weakened due to the relative separation from the coast of the Baltic Sea and the middle Latvian uplands. The frost-free period, with temperatures above 5 °C, lasts 180 days. The average minimum temperature is -28 °C. 600 mm precipitation falls here annually and is distributed as follows: about 350 mm evaporates, and 250 mm becomes

surface runoff Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...

. The varied terrain determines the diversity of microclimatic conditions in parts of the reserve.

Geography and hydrology

The reserve is located in eastern Latvia, on the border of the Vidzeme and Latgale historical regions. Its territory lies entirely within

Madona Municipality Madona Municipality ( lv, Madonas novads) is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The administrative center is Madona. The total area of the municipality is , and the population in January 2013 was 26,953.Madona municipality Population Register Of ...

, whose center, the city of

Madona Madona (; german: Modohn) is a town with town rights in the Vidzeme region of Latvia and is the center of the Madona municipality. History The surrounding area of Madona had been populated in earlier times, which is confirmed by discoveries ...

, is 15 km from the boundaries of the reserve. The outline of the reserve resembles a triangle, which reaches the village of in the northwest, in the northeast is bounded by the Madona– Jēkabpils road, and in the south the Aiviekste river, which flows on the outskirts of

Ļaudona Ļaudona (german: Laudohn) is a village in Ļaudona Parish, Madona Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. The Ļaudona Parish of the former Madona District was merged into the Administrative divisions of Latvia, municipality (''novads'') of ...

village. The area of the reserve lies on the , however, the nature of the terrain is similar to the nearby Central Vidzeme Upland. During the last ice age, there was significant deposition of glacial material, which formed the Madonsko-Trepsky shaft. Krustalny occupies its narrowest part from Lake Dreimaņa (or Svētes, lv, Dreimaņa ezers, links=no) in the north to the Aiviekste River in the south. Within the reserve, the shaft consists of 2–5 ridges, up to 4 km long, with a total width of 1–2 km at 153 m above sea level. Each of the ridges is 70 to 250 m wide, and has a relative height of up to 50 m and a slope of about 35°. Between the ridges are lowlands (well drained or swampy) and wide ravines. Along the south-eastern slope of the Madonsko-Trepsky shaft stretches the Dooku-Svetes depression, at an elevation of 95–100 m. It is the flat bottom of an ancient lake that existed in the Holocene. A large amount of carbonates were deposited in the lakebed, and for some time lime was mined there industrially. Now on the site of the former quarries some ponds have gradually overgrown and turned into meadows. There are many bodies of water in the reserve, which can be divided into three types: lakes, rivers and springs. The largest in the area are the lakes, of which there are 13. Among them is Lake Dreimaņa, on the southwestern shore of which is a one and a half kilometer peninsula. Like other lakes concentrated in the eastern part of the protected area, Dreimaņa has marshy shores and a bottom composed of limestone with layers of silt. From the lake the Svetupe River flows through the central part of the Dooku-Svetes depression to the south, absorbs the tributary and flows into the Aiviekste. Another river, the , has a spring supply and encircles the reserve from the southwest. All of these rivers are small and winding, with low banks and rich vegetation. The reserves's springs are concentrated at the foot of the hills and on the shores of Lake Dreimaņa.

Geology and soils

The glacial origin of landforms determines the composition of geological rocks. These are large-grained sand, rich in carbonates

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

of fluvio-glacial origin,

pebble A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predominant ...

s with boulders, and less often

loams Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

and dusty material. In some places, these materials are covered with boulder loams or sandstones. In the Dooku-Svetes depression, the carbonate rocks began to form in the

boreal period In paleoclimatology of the Holocene, the Boreal was the first of the Blytt–Sernander sequence of north European climatic phases that were originally based on the study of Danish peat bogs, named for Axel Blytt and Rutger Sernander, who firs ...

and continued to accumulate in the

subboreal The Subboreal is a climatic period, immediately before the present one, of the Holocene. It lasted from 3710 to 450 BCE. Etymology The composite scientific term ''Subboreal'', meaning "below the Boreal," is derived from the Latin ''sub'' (bel ...

period, with their deposition ending in the first half of the

Atlantic period The Atlantic in palaeoclimatology was the warmest and moistest Blytt–Sernander period, pollen zone and chronozone of Holocene northern Europe. The climate was generally warmer than today. It was preceded by the Boreal, with a climate similar t ...

. The limestones of the depression are floury and fine-grained, with a carbonate content of 8890%. The limestone layer reaches 5 m in thickness, covered with medium-decomposed peat, which varies in thickness from 0.1 to 2.5 m. Thus the Dooku-Svetes depression has the largest deposits of lake limestone in Latvia. The soils of the reserve are diverse. In the northern part of the protected area podzol soils predominate, in the rest of the territory peaty podzol, and very small areas are occupied by gleysol and rendzina soils. Among peat soils, the types inherent in fens predominate.

Charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

is found in some of the soil sections, an indicator of forest fires and slash-and-burn agriculture that occurred in ancient times.

Flora

The reserve's ecosystem hosts 604 taxa of plants including 23 species of ferns, 12 species of

gymnosperms The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμνό� ...

and 569 angiosperms. The flora of the reserve is dominated by members of the families Asteraceae,

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' w ...

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

and

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

. The Orchidaceae family is also well represented by 17 species. According to geobotanical zoning, the reserve belongs to the western sub-province of the East Baltic floristic district, but is located close to the border of the eastern sub-province. This is evident by the mixed nature of its flora, which includes both typically eastern Latvian species (for example, '' Ligularia sibirica'') and species that usually grow much further west on the . Species with Eurasian, European and

subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of humid continental regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and the Cairngorms. Generally, ...

habitats make up a significant part of the protected flora.

Forest vegetation

The variety of microclimatic conditions and landforms determine a wide range of plant communities and

vegetation classification Vegetation classification is the process of classifying and mapping the vegetation over an area of the earth's surface. Vegetation classification is often performed by state based agencies as part of land use, resource and environmental management. ...

s. The most common plant communities of Krustkalni are pine and

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

forests, which alternate with small-leaved forests, small meadows, overgrown farmland and swamps of various types. The reserve belongs to the Baltic-Belarusian sub-province of the Northern European taiga province of the Eurasian taiga of the

Holarctic realm The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...

, so the zonal types of forests for it are complex and deciduous spruce. It is these forests that occupy the highest altitude areas, while lower areas are populated with

oak forest An oak forest is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak forests contain the most closed canopy, compared to oak savannas and oak woodlands. Examples * Southern dry-mesic oak f ...

, aspen and birch, and green

mosses Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...

('' Pleurozium schreberi'', ''

Hylocomium splendens ''Hylocomium splendens'', commonly known as glittering woodmoss, splendid feather moss, stairstep moss, and mountain fern moss, is a Perennial plant, perennial Clone (plant), clonal moss with a widespread distribution in Northern Hemisphere borea ...

'' and ''

Dicranum polysetum ''Dicranum'' is a genus of mosses, also called wind-blown mosses or fork mosses. These mosses form in densely packed clumps. Stems may fork, but do not branch. In general, upright stems will be single but packed together. ''Dicranum'' is distrib ...

''), '' Pteridium aquilinum'', and bilberry (''Vaccinium myrtillus''). On the slopes of hills, on fertile soils grow spruce forests with '' Oxalis acetosella'' cover. Extremely rare are oak forests with green moss cover. In former

clearcutting Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/ logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of fore ...

areas, instead of

primeval forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

, a new forest has formed from

grey alder ''Alnus incana'', the grey alder or speckled alder, is a species of multi-stemmed, shrubby tree in the birch family, with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tolerant of wetter soils, it can slowly spread with runners ...

(''Alnus incana''), and in the undergrowth there are many small-leaved lime (''Tilia cordata''), hagberry (''Prunus padus''), rowan ''(

Sorbus aucuparia ''Sorbus aucuparia'', commonly called rowan (UK: /ˈrəʊən/, US: /ˈroʊən/) and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. It is a highly variable species, and botanists have used different Circumscription (taxo ...

''), and

blackcurrant The blackcurrant (''Ribes nigrum''), also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, whe ...

(''Ribes nigrum'') plants. The grass cover of alders is dominated by

common nettle ''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Or ...

(''Urtica dioica''), which forms tall and dense thickets. In contrast, the pine forests appear light because they grow on dry sandy soils, which are not suitable for most forest grasses. Instead, the lower layer of vegetation is formed by cranberry bushes with admixtures of ''

Melampyrum pratense ''Melampyrum pratense'', the common cow-wheat, is a plant species in the family Orobanchaceae. The seed of the plant has an elaiosome, which is attractive to wood ants (''Formica'' spp.). The ants disperse the seeds of the plant when they take ...

'' and rarely ''

Chimaphila umbellata ''Chimaphila umbellata'', the umbellate wintergreen, pipsissewa, or prince's pine, is a small perennial flowering plant found in dry woodlands, or sandy soils. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere. It grows 10–35&nbs ...

''. On the tops of the hills, this cover changes to a thicket of blueberries or a mixture of cladonia lichens (''

Cetraria islandica ''Cetraria islandica'', also known as true Iceland lichen or Iceland moss, is an Arctic-alpine lichen whose erect or upright, leaflike habit gives it the appearance of a moss, where its name likely comes from. Description It is often of a pale ...

'') from Ericaceae. Forests on carbonate soils have a unique composition. They can be of different types (spruce, aspen, birch, very rarely pine or goat willow), but always contain minor amounts of deciduous species: small-leaved lime,

European oak ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus. It is widely ...

(''Quercus robur''), Norway maple (''Acer platanoides''),

European white elm ''Ulmus laevis'' Pall., variously known as the European white elm, fluttering elm, spreading elm, stately elm and, in the United States, the Russian elm, is a large deciduous tree native to Europe, from France northeast to southern Finland, east b ...

(''Ulmus laevis'') and wych elm (''Ulmus glabra''). Undergrowth in such forests is very dense and diverse including European fly honeysuckle (''Lonicera xylosteum''), common hazel (''Corylus avellana''),

guelder rose ''Viburnum opulus'', the guelder-rose or guelder rose () is a species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae) native to Europe, northern Africa and central Asia. Description ''Viburnum opulus'' is a deciduous shru ...

(''Viburnum opulus'') and ''

Daphne mezereum ''Daphne mezereum'', commonly known as mezereum, mezereon, February daphne, spurge laurel or spurge olive, is a species of ''Daphne'' in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae, native to most of Europe and Western Asia, north to northern Scand ...

''. The grass cover of such forests is very similar to the cover of southern oak forests. In particular, it contains a lot of

ground elder ''Aegopodium podagraria'', commonly called ground elder, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae that grows in shady places. The name "ground elder" comes from the superficial similarity of its leaves and flowers to those o ...

(''Aegopodium podagraria''), may lily (''Maianthemum bifolium''), '' Anemone hepatica'',

Dog's mercury ''Mercurialis perennis'', commonly known as dog's mercury, is a poisonous woodland plant found in much of Europe as well as in Algeria, Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus, but almost absent from Ireland, Orkney and Shetland.Asarum europaeum ''Asarum europaeum'', commonly known as asarabacca, European wild ginger, hazelwort, and wild spikenard, is a species of flowering plant in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae, native to large parts of temperate Europe, and also cultivated in ...

'', and sweetscented bedstraw (''Galium odoratum''). In the lowest parts of the reserve grow a variety of swampy forests. Birch forests have ground cover formed by sphagnums (peat mosses, mostly ''

Sphagnum magellanicum ''Sphagnum magellanicum'', commonly called Magellanic bogmoss, Magellan's sphagnum, Magellan's peatmoss or midway peat moss, is a widespread species of moss found in wet boreal forest in the far south and southwest of South America, North America ...

''),

marsh Labrador tea ''Rhododendron tomentosum'' (syn. ''Ledum palustre''), commonly known as marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection ''Ledum'' of the large genus ''Rhododendron'' in the family Ericaceae. D ...

(''Rhododendron tomentosum'') and bilberry; if the forest consists of downy birch (''Betula pubescens''), then common reed (''Phragmites australis''),

buckbean ''Menyanthes'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species ''Menyanthes trifoliata''. The North American form is often referred to as ''M. trifoliata'' var. ''minor'' Michx. It is known ...

(''Menyanthes''),

purple moor grass ''Molinia caerulea'', known by the common name purple moor-grass, is a species of grass that is native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid so ...

(''Molinia caerulea''),

fibrous tussock-sedge ''Carex appropinquata'', known as fibrous tussock-sedge, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as ...

(''Carex appropinquata'') and ''

Carex cespitosa ''Carex cespitosa'' (Tuft carex) is a species of perennial sedge of the genus ''Carex'' which can be found growing in tufts (caespitose), as the Latin specific epithet ' suggests. The name is synonymous with ''Carex cespitosa'' f. ''retorta''. T ...

'', and sedges with their turf form a characteristic bumpy microrelief. In spruce forests the grass cover is dominated by ferns and sedges;

common alder ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations whe ...

forests are rich in such herbs as may lily, common nettle,

chickweed wintergreen ''Lysimachia europaea'' (formerly known as ''Trientalis europaea'') is a flowering plant in the primrose Family (biology), family Primulaceae, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower. It is a small herbaceous perennia ...

(''Lysimachia europaea''), ground elder, cabbage thistle (''Cirsium oleraceum''), and

meadow sweet ''Filipendula ulmaria'', commonly known as meadowsweet or mead wort, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rosaceae that grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia (Near east and Middle east). It has ...

(''Filipendula ulmaria''). Shrubs are sometimes found in the forests of the reserve which are not very common in Latvia. In dry forests single

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

specimens may be encountered, and on more fertile soils

European spindle ''Euonymus europaeus'', the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on ...

(''Euonymus europaeus'') and ''

Euonymus verrucosus ''Euonymus verrucosus'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Celastraceae. Its native range is Central Europe to Central Japan. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q163348 verrucosus ...

''.

Meadow vegetation

The meadows of the reserve are divided into three types: dry, mesophytic (moderately moist) and lowland. Dry meadows are confined to the slopes of the hills, on their dry and barren lands grow common quaking grass (''Briza media''),

common bent ''Agrostis capillaris'', the common bent, colonial bent, or browntop, is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family ( Poaceae). It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world. Colonial be ...

(''Agrostis capillaris'') and sweet vernal grass (''Anthoxanthum odoratum''). The mesophytic meadows are dominated by '' Dactylis glomerata'', and in the lowlands, in addition to '' gramineae'', for example, '' Deschampsia cespitosa'', there are representatives of other families such as ''

Geum rivale ''Geum rivale'', the water avens, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Geum'' within the family Rosaceae. Other names for the plant are nodding avens, drooping avens, cure-all, water flower and Indian chocolate. It is native to the temperate regi ...

'', meadow sweet, ''

Carex panicea ''Carex panicea'', commonly known as carnation sedge, is a plant species in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. It is known as grass-like sedge and can be found in Northern and Western Europe, and also in north-eastern North America. The plant produ ...

'' and blister sedge (''Carex vesicaria''). Two peculiar meadows of the reserve are notable. The first is located at the foot of a hill, where a cold spring precipitates lime on the surrounding ground. In this meadow, tall curtains of

greater tussock sedge ''Carex paniculata'', the greater tussock-sedge, is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. It grows high and can be found in most of Europe (including Britain), Northwest Asia and North America North America i ...

(''Carex paniculata'') grow alongside ''

Dactylorhiza russowii ''Dactylorhiza russowii'' is a species of ''Dactylorhiza''. It is native to the areas from East Germany to Central Russia Central Russia is, broadly, the various areas in European Russia. Historically, the area of Central Russia varied ...

'' and ''Ligularia sibirica'', the reserve containing Latvia's largest population of the latter species. Another meadow occupies Lake Dreimaņa's peninsula, where marshy lime is exposed to the surface, and there are many calcephilic species. Among the

sedge grass ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

(''Carex'') of the peninsula, orchids can be found, namely ''

Epipactis palustris ''Epipactis palustris'', the marsh helleborine, is a species of orchid native to Europe and Asia. Description ''Epipactis palustris'' is a perennial herbaceous plant. This species has a stem growing to 60 cm high with as many as ten ere ...

'', '' Dactylorhiza baltica'' and '' Dactylorhiza incarnata'', as well as

saw sedge ''Cladium mariscus'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names swamp sawgrass, great fen-sedge, saw-sedge or sawtooth sedge. Previously it was known as elk sedge. It is native of temperate Europe and Asia wher ...

(''Cladium mariscus''), which is at the edge of its range. Near the springs on the meadow are green mosses and

Fen orchid ''Liparis loeselii'', the fen orchid, yellow widelip orchid, or bog twayblade, is a species of orchid. It is native to Europe, northern Asia, the eastern United States, and eastern Canada. It grows in fens, bogs and dune A dune is ...

(''Liparis loeselii''), and on the shore many reeds ('' Phragmites'').

Bog vegetation

Krustkalni bogs are confined to either the depressions between the hills or to the shores of lakes. Among them, lowland and fen predominate, and raised bogs are less common. The vegetation of lowland swamps consists of variety of sedge grasses, such as

panic grass ''Panicum'' (panicgrass) is a large genus of about 450 species of Poaceae, grasses native throughout the tropical regions of the world, with a few species extending into the northern temperate zone. They are often large, Annual plant, annual or P ...

(''Panicum''),

black sedge ''Carex nigra'' is a perennial species of plants in the family Cyperaceae native to wetlands of Europe, western Asia, northwestern Africa, and eastern North America. Common names include common sedge, black sedge or smooth black sedge. The ea ...

(''Carex nigra''), yellow sedge (''Carex flava''), blister sedge,

bottle sedge ''Carex rostrata'', the bottle sedge or beaked sedge, is a perennial species of sedge in the family Cyperaceae. Range and habitat The species is native to Holarctic fens and can be found in Canada and the northern part of the United States, and ...

(''Carex rostrata''), and woollyfruit sedge (''Carex lasiocarpa''), as well as broad leaved cotton grass (''Eriophorum latifolium'') and individual species of the buckbean and

marsh cinquefoil ''Comarum palustre'' ( syn. ''Potentilla palustris''), known by the common names purple marshlocks, swamp cinquefoil and marsh cinquefoil, is a common waterside shrub. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout North America, Europe ...

(''Comarum palustre''). In transitional bogs,

blueberries Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

(''Cyanococcus''), cranberries (''Vaccinium oxycoccos''), and marsh Labrador teaLabrador Tea – Rhododendron tomentosum
Lee Petersen join these plants. In contrast the raised bogs are very different, and feature peat moss, especially ''Sphagnum magellanicum'',

Hare's-tail cottongrass ''Lagurus'' is a genus of Old World plants in the grass family, native to the Mediterranean Basin and nearby regions, from Madeira and the Canary Islands to Crimea and Saudi Arabia. It is also naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, the Azor ...

(''Eriophorum vaginatum'') and

insectivorous plants Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants still generate some of their energy from photosynthesis. Car ...

such as English sundew (''Drosera anglica'') and

round-leaved sundew ''Drosera rotundifolia'', the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribution ...

(''Drosera rotundifolia''). In some places in the swamps, there are thickets formed by different species of willow,

and rarely shrubby birch (''Betula humilis'').

Aquatic vegetation

The flora of the reserve includes

helophytes Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (seawater, saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a pl ...

, plants that grow submerged in water, and species that float freely on the surface. Among the common aquatic plants are marsh cinquefoil,

slender tufted-sedge ''Carex acuta'', the acute sedge, slender tufted-sedge, or slim sedge, can be found growing on the margins of rivers and lakes in the Palaearctic terrestrial ecoregions in beds of wet, alkaline or slightly acid depressions with mineral soil. ...

(''Carex acuta''), Calla palustris (''Calla''), buckbean, and

marsh fern ''Thelypteris palustris'', the marsh fern, or eastern marsh fern, is a species of fern native to eastern North America and across Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily ...

(''Thelypteris palustris''), and on some lakes common reeds,

saw grass ''Cladium'' (fen-sedge, sawgrass or twig-sedge) is a genus of large sedges, with a nearly worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions. These are plants characterized by long, narrow (grass-like) leaves having sharp, often serrated ( ...

(''Cladium''), broadleaf cattail (''Typha latifolia'') and narrowleaf cattail (''Typha angustifolia''). The deeper parts of the lakes are inhabited by the

European white water lily ''Nymphaea alba'', the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar , is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia (Jammu and Kashmir). Descrip ...

(''Nymphaea alba''), '' Nymphaea candida'', yellow water-lily (''Nuphar lutea''),

common duckweed ''Lemna minor'', the common duckweed or lesser duckweed, is a species of aquatic freshwater plant in the subfamily Lemnoideae of the arum family Araceae. ''L. minor'' is used as animal fodder, bioremediator, for wastewater nutrient recovery, and ...

(''Lemna minor''), ''

Lemna trisulca ''Lemna trisulca'' L. (syn. ''Staurogeton trisulcus'' (L.) Schur; star duckweed; ivy-leaved duckweed) is a species of aquatic plants in the arum family Araceae. It has a subcosmopolitan distribution. Unlike other duckweeds, it has submerged ra ...

'', and Canadian pond weed (''Elodea canadensis''). Underwater "meadows" may be observed, formed by algae of the genus '' Chara''. Pulsatilla patens in Belarus

Protected vegetation

Within the reserve, scientists have identified 32 species of plants listed in the Latvian Red Book, a list of endangered species. Of these, of particular rarity are the swamp sawgrass (''Cladium mariscus'') and small pasque flower (''Pulsatilla pratensis''), found in only two places. Species such as ''

Gladiolus imbricatus ''Gladiolus imbricatus'' is a '' Gladiolus'' species. Species is found Central and East Europe, also in the countries of Mediterranean Sea, and Caucasus, Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia (russian: Западная Сибир� ...

'', ''Ligularia sibirica'', blue cowslip (''Pulmonaria angustifolia''), and yellow foxglove (''Digitalis grandiflora'') do not appear at all in other reserves of Latvia. Of scientific interest are the eastern pasqueflower (''Pulsatilla patens''),

Siberian iris ''Iris sibirica'' ( commonly known as Siberian iris or Siberian flag), is a species in the genus ''Iris''. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from Europe (including France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, H ...

(''Iris sibirica'') and snowdrop windflower (''Anemonoides sylvestris''), which are located on the western border of their habitats. Less rare, but also subject to protection are the European crab apple (''Malus sylvestris''), European columbine (''Aquilegia vulgaris''), common bearberry (''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi''), yellow coralroot (''Corallorhiza trifida''), and '' Schoenus ferrugineus''. Orchids are worth a special mention. Most of them prefer moist meadows with calcareous soil. In relatively small areas, ''Dactylorhiza russowii'', ''Dactylorhiza baltica'', ''Dactylorhiza incarnata'', '' Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', '' Dactylorhiza maculata'', '' Platanthera chlorantha'' and '' Platanthera bifolia'', ''

Liparis loeselii ''Liparis loeselii'', the fen orchid, yellow widelip orchid, or bog twayblade, is a species of orchid. It is native to Europe, northern Asia, the eastern United States, and eastern Canada. It grows in fens, bogs and dune A dune is a la ...

'', '' Orchis mascula'', and ''

Malaxis monophyllos ''Malaxis monophyllos'', the white adder's mouth, is a terrestrial species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe (Germany, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, Ukraine, etc.), Asia ( China, Japan, Russia, Nepal, Philippines, etc.), and much ...

'' can be found. Only dark-red helleborine (''Epipactis atrorubens'') prefers the dry sunny roadsides and forest edges. Among the more primitive plants under protection are various specimens of clubmoss (''Lycopodiopsida'')— stiff clubmoss (''Spinulum annotinum''), common clubmoss (''Lycopodium clavatum''), fir clubmoss (''Huperzia selago'') and groundcedar (''Diphasiastrum complanatum''). The

species composition Species richness is the number of different species represented in an community (ecology), ecological community, landscape or region. Species richness is simply a count of species, and it does not take into account the Abundance (ecology), abunda ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungi in the reserve has not been sufficiently studied.

Fauna

In the reserve live 41 species of mammals (70% of the country's mammals), 140 species of birds (45% of the country's birds), 5 species of reptiles, 6 species of amphibians, 21 species of fish and about 400 species of insects. Of these, 37 species are listed in the Latvian Red Book. The species of boreal mixed forests are mostly represented in the local fauna, with much fewer purely taiga and forest-steppe species.Reserves of the USSR: in 11 volumes ed. V.E. Sokolova, E.E. Syroechkovskogo. Moscow, 1989. T. Zapovedniki Pribaltiki i Belorussii. S. 179—185.

Mammals

All species of insectivorous mammals in the reserve are common, such as the European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), common shrew (''Sorex araneus''),

Eurasian pygmy shrew The Eurasian pygmy shrew (''Sorex minutus''), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of the northern Palearctic. Description It measures about in length, not including the tail, and has an average weight of .The hair on t ...

(''Sorex minutus''), and European mole (''Talpa europaea''). Bats fly into the reserve only for night hunting, and during the day they hide in buildings outside the reserve, in particular in the villages of

, , and . Among the representatives of this series were observed the

brown long-eared bat The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat (''Plecotus auritus'') is a small Eurasian insectivorous bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It is extremely similar to the much rarer grey long-eared bat which was on ...

(''Plecotus auritus''), northern bat (''Eptesicus nilssonii''), pond bat (''Myotis dasycneme''), and

common noctule The common noctule (''Nyctalus noctula'') is a species of insectivorous bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Description The common noctule's short fur is dark brown after moulting in June (males) or July/August (females); lat ...

(''Nyctalus noctula''). The

mountain hare The mountain hare (''Lepus timidus''), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. Evolution The mountai ...

(''Lepus timidus'') is common in the reserve, and European hare (''Lepus europaeus'') are rare, however, populations of both species tend to decrease. Very numerous small rodents. For example, in forests there are many

bank vole The bank vole (''Myodes glareolus'') is a small vole with red-brown fur and some grey patches, with a tail about half as long as its body. A rodent, it lives in woodland areas and is around in length. The bank vole is found in much of Europe an ...

(''Myodes glareolus''), wetlands are dominated by

short-tailed vole The short-tailed field vole, short-tailed vole, or simply field vole (''Microtus agrestis'') is a grey-brown vole, around 10 cm in length, with a short tail. It is one of the most common mammals in Europe, with a range extending from the A ...

(''Microtus agrestis''), in open spaces - common vole (''Microtus arvalis''), yellow-necked mouse (''Apodemus flavicollis''), and

striped field mouse The striped field mouse (''Apodemus agrarius'') is a rodent in the family Muridae. The range of this species stretches from Eastern Europe to Eastern Asia. Synonyms Accepted synonyms include ''Apodemus albostriatus'' (Bechstein, 1801), ''Apode ...

(''Apodemus agrarius''). The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') also prospers in Krustkalni and successfully breeds there. Fischotter Lutra lutra3

The forests are also a refuge for various predators. In particular, there are numerous species of

least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus '' Mustela,'' family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has bee ...

(''Mustela nivalis''), European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), and stoat (''Mustela erminea''). There are stable populations Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''),

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

(''Vulpes vulpes'') and European pine marten (''Martes martes''). European badgers (''Meles meles'') and raccoon dogs (''Nyctereutes procyonoides'') are quite numerous, they displace badgers from their lairs. Similarly, under the influence of American mink (''Neovison vison''), the population European mink (''Mustela lutreola'') is slowly declining. Territory of the reserve are regularly visited by one or two Eurasian lynxes (''Lynx lynx''). Of the four species of ungulates in the forests of the reserve, the most common are moose (''Alces alces'') and wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), but the population

European roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

(''Capreolus capreolus'') is also large. Its condition largely depends on wintering conditions. In addition, the red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') numbers are also gradually increasing in Krustkalni.

Birds

Of the 140 species of birds found in the reserve, 107 species have been nesting. Given the prevalence of forest biocenoses, the dominant species in this area are small sparrows. Most often seen are the European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''),

common chiffchaff The common chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus collybita''), or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic. It is a migratory passerine which ...

(''Phylloscopus collybita''), wood warbler (''Phylloscopus sibilatrix'') and

willow warbler The willow warbler (''Phylloscopus trochilus'') is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strongly ...

(''Phylloscopus trochilus''), and in some areas dominated by

willow tit The willow tit (''Poecile montanus'') is a passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and across the Palearctic. The plumage is grey-brown and off-white w ...

(''Poecile montanus''), great tit (''Parus major''), European pied flycatcher (''Ficedula hypoleuca''). However, many species of birds are confined to certain habitats. For example, only in coniferous forests it is possible to observe spotted nutcracker (''Nucifraga caryocatactes''), crested tit (''Lophophanes cristatus''), red-breasted flycatcher (''Ficedula parva''), goldcrest (''Regulus regulus''), dunnock (''Prunella modularis''),

song thrush The song thrush (''Turdus philomelos'') is a Thrush (bird), thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive Birdsong, song, ...

(''Turdus philomelos'') and redwing (''Turdus iliacus''), yellowhammer (''Emberiza citrinella''), etc. It nests exclusively on the edges and clearings European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''). The owners of deciduous forests are garden warbler (''Sylvia borin''), spotted flycatcher (''Muscicapa striata''), common linnet (''Linaria cannabina''). The avifauna of open biocenoses is more reminiscent of the steppes and meadows of the south. Among the grasses arrange their nests Eurasian skylark (''Alauda arvensis''), whinchat (''Saxicola rubetra''), meadow pipit (''Anthus pratensis''), northern wheatear (''Oenanthe oenanthe''),

northern lapwing The northern lapwing (''Vanellus vanellus''), also known as the peewit or pewit, tuit or tew-it, green plover, or (in Ireland and Britain) pyewipe or just lapwing, is a bird in the lapwing subfamily. It is common through temperate Eurosiberia. ...

(''Vanellus vanellus''),

western yellow wagtail The western yellow wagtail (''Motacilla flava'') is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident in the milder parts ...

(''Motacilla flava'') and white wagtail (''Motacilla alba''). To some extent, this group also includes synanthropic species, which tend to human habitation. In particular, near the buildings in the reserve were seen

house sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, a ...

(''Passer domesticus'') and Eurasian tree sparrow (''Passer montanus''), barn swallow (''Hirundo rustica'') and common house martin (''Delichon urbicum''),

Eurasian collared dove The Eurasian collared dove (''Streptopelia decaocto'') is a dove species native to Europe and Asia; it was introduced to Japan, North America and islands in the Caribbean. Because of its vast global range and increasing population trend, it ha ...

(''Streptopelia decaocto''). In autumn, only 50 species of birds remain in the reserve for the winter. These are not only sparrows (great and long-tailed tits, field and house sparrows,

European greenfinch The European greenfinch or simply the greenfinch (''Chloris chloris'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This bird is widespread throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia. It is mainly resident, but some north ...

(''Chloris chloris''), Eurasian siskin (''Spinus spinus''), brown-headed nuthatches, and willow tits), but also representatives of other series, in particular,

northern goshawk The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large bird of prey, raptor in the Family (biology), family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harrier (bird) ...

(''Accipiter gentilis''),

black woodpecker The black woodpecker (''Dryocopus martius'') is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region. Its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the ...

(''Dryocopus martius''), lesser spotted woodpecker (''Dryobates minor'') and

great spotted woodpecker The great spotted woodpecker (''Dendrocopos major'') is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found acros ...

(''Dendrocopos major''). At this time, crows become very noticeable: western jackdaw (''Coloeus monedula''),

Eurasian magpie The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (''Pica pica'') is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic ra ...

(''Pica pica''), common raven (''Corvus corax''), hooded crow (''Corvus cornix''). Birds of prey in the reserve, although not represented by too many species, but have stable populations. Of the diurnal predators, the most common are

common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...

(''Buteo buteo'') and the northern goshawk, slightly smaller

Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...

(''Accipiter nisus''). From the surrounding areas to hunt for the reserve is often visited Eurasian hobby (''Falco subbuteo''). Of the nocturnal predators in the forests, tawny owl (''Strix aluco'') and long-eared owl (''Asio otus'') regularly nest. In addition to them,

Eurasian pygmy owl The Eurasian pygmy owl (''Glaucidium passerinum'') is the smallest owl in Europe. It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck. This species is found in the boreal forests of North ...

(''Glaucidium passerinum''), boreal owl (''Aegolius funereus'') and Ural owl (''Strix uralensis'') were observed here. Chicken birds are represented by such species as black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), hazel grouse (''Tetrastes bonasia'') and grey partridge (''Perdix perdix''). But if the first two species in the reserve feel good, nest annually and even to some extent dominate in winter, the gray partridge suffers from the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the surrounding fields. Another species that is vulnerable for the same reason is corn crake (''Crex crex''). Waterfowl and waterfowl, tied to water bodies that are virtually unvisited by outsiders, do not experience anthropogenic pressure. On the lakes of the reserve there are numerous Eurasian coot (''Fulica atra''),

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

(''Anas platyrhynchos''), common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus''), garganey (''Spatula querquedula'') and Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'') . The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') and black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') regularly come here for feeding, although the latter species is quite rare. During migrations in the reserve, large flocks of common crane (''Grus grus'') (single individuals remain for nesting), taiga bean goose (''Anser fabalis'') and greylag goose (''Anser anser'') stop for rest. 2009-08-14Anguis fragilis037

Reptiles

Of the five species of reptiles, Krustkalni has the largest population of viviparous lizard (''Zootoca vivipara''), as well as many

common European viper ''Vipera berus'', the common European adderMallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. . or common European viper,Stidworthy J. (1974). ...

s (''Vipera berus''). The sand lizards (''Lacerta agilis'') prefer the dry edges of pine forests, while the grass snakes (''Natrix natrix'') tend to like water bodies. Only the

slow worm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. Th ...

(''Anguis fragilis'') is a rare reptile of the observed species.

Amphibians

The most numerous species of amphibians in the reserve are the

moor frog The moor frog (''Rana arvalis'') is a slim, reddish-brown, semiaquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. Moor frogs are known for their ability to freeze solid and survive thawing. The frog makes use of various cryoprotectants i.e. antifreeze ...

(''Rana arvalis''), followed by the

pool frog The pool frog (''Pelophylax lessonae'') is a European frog in the family Ranidae. Its specific name was chosen by the Italian herpetologist Lorenzo Camerano in 1882, in order to honour his master Michele Lessona. Description The pool frog is ...

(''Pelophylax lessonae''),

common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...

(''Rana temporaria'') and

marsh frog The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia. Description The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...

(''Pelophylax ridibundus''), as well as the common toad (''Bufo bufo''). In the spring smooth newts appear in the rivers, but at other times of the year they are inconspicuous.

Fish

The most numerous species of fish in protected lakes are predators, including the European perch (''Perca fluviatilis'') and northern pike (''Esox lucius''). There is also a lot of their prey, such as the

tench The tench or doctor fish (''Tinca tinca'') is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also ...

(''Tinca tinca''), common roach (''Rutilus rutilus'') and

white bream ''Blicca bjoerkna'', alternatively called the white bream or the silver bream, is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. Distribution ''Blicca bjoerkna'' is distributed across most of Europe and in adjacent Western Asi ...

(''Blicca bjoerkna''). The ponds formed on the site of the former quarries are dominated by carp:

crucian carp The crucian carp (''Carassius carassius'') is a medium-sized member of the common carp family Cyprinidae. It occurs widely in northern European regions. Its name derives from the Low German ''karusse'' or ''karutze'', possibly from Medieval Lat ...

(''Carassius carassius''), common bleak (''Alburnus alburnus''), European chub (''Squalius cephalus''), and

sunbleak ''Leucaspius delineatus'', known as the sunbleak, belica or moderlieschen is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is currently the only species included in genus ''Leucaspius'', whereas formerly others were included, which no ...

(''Leucaspius delineatus''). Eurasian minnows (''Phoxinus'') and

gudgeon A gudgeon is a socket-like, cylindrical (i.e., ''female'') fitting attached to one component to enable a pivoting or hinging connection to a second component. The second component carries a pintle fitting, the male counterpart to the gudgeon, ...

(''Gobio gobio'') live in the rapid springs. Experimental catches made in small rivers also found

stone loach The stone loach (''Barbatula barbatula'') is a European species of fresh water ray-finned fish in the family Nemacheilidae. It is one of nineteen species in the genus ''Barbatula''. Stone loaches live amongst the gravel and stones of fast flowin ...

(''Barbatula barbatula''), burbot (''Lota lota'') and

weatherfish Misgurnus is a genus of true loaches found in Europe and Asia. The origin of the name ''Misgurnus'' comes from the Greek word (to hate) and the Turkish (loud), a name given to them due to their habit of becoming very active during barometric ...

(''Misgurnus fossilis'').

Insects

About 400 species of insects and 12 species of spiders have been found in the reserve. There are many tiny Protura and

springtails Springtails (Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects (the other two are the Protura and Diplura). Although the three orders are sometimes grouped together in a class called Ent ...

(Collembola) in the forest litter. The most numerous species of dragonfly is '' Aeshna grandis'', the lakes commonly host

beautiful demoiselle The beautiful demoiselle (''Calopteryx virgo'') is a European damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along fast-flowing waters where it is most at home. Subspecies Subspecies include: *''Calopteryx virgo britannica' ...

(''Calopteryx virgo''), and '' Calopteryx splendens'' flies over rivers. Just a few

Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...

species have been found: '' Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa'' distributed on the edges, and Tettigoniidae (''

Chorthippus ''Chorthippus'' is a large genus of acridid grasshoppers with around 230 described species. The genus may be subdivided into subgenera including: ''Altichorthippus'', ''Chorthippus'' and ''Glyptobothrus'', with other species not placed. Spec ...

'') inhabit meadows and bushes. In contrast, Krustkalni has a very large variety of beetles. There are 15 species of

ground beetles Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it is one of the 10 most species-rich animal fam ...

in the reserve, the most common being ''

Carabus granulatus ''Carabus granulatus'' is a species of beetle. It is found across the Palearctic from Ireland to the Russian Far East and has been introduced to North America. It is widespread in Europe. ''C. granulatus'' lives in fields, prairies, taiga an ...

'', ''

Carabus nemoralis ''Carabus nemoralis'' (commonly called the "bronze carabid") is a ground beetle common in central and northern Europe, as well as Iceland and Canada. While native to Europe, it has been introduced to and is expanding its range throughout North ...

'', and '' Carabus arcensis''. In different types of forests live beetles, which feed on corpses. These are members of the genus ''

Nicrophorus Burying beetles or sexton beetles, genus ''Nicrophorus'', are the best-known members of the family Silphidae (carrion beetles). Most of these beetles are black with red markings on the elytra (forewings). Burying beetles are true to their name� ...

'' ( Silphidae). There are relatively many longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) and leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) in the forests. It is not difficult to find whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) and

great diving beetle The great diving beetle (''Dytiscus marginalis'') is an aquatic diving beetle native to Europe and northern Asia, and in the UK is common in Wales, much of England and southern Scotland but less common on chalk and in the far north. The great ...

s (''Dytiscus marginalis'') in the lakes. In addition, in the lakes are numerous other insects, such as predatory backswimmers (''

Notonecta ''Notonecta'', or the common backswimmer, is a genus of backswimmer insects in the family Notonectidae. Species in this genus include: *'' Notonecta borealis'' *'' Notonecta glauca'' *'' Notonecta hoffmanni'' *'' Notonecta indica'' *'' Notonec ...

''), water striders (Gerridae), caddisflies, whose larvae play an important role in the diet of some fish, and mayflies, whose mass flight is observed on Lake Dreimaņa every year in late spring. Papilio Machaon imago 01

In addition to beetles, the second largest group of insects is

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

. 48 species of butterflies from 12 families have been described in the reserve, of which 28 are day and 20 are nocturnal. Among the diurnal species common are

European peacock ''Aglais io'', the European peacock, more commonly known simply as the peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe and temperate Asia as far east as Japan. It was formerly classified as the only member of the genus ''Inachis'' ( ...

(''Aglais io''), mourning cloak (''Nymphalis antiopa''), several species of Pieridae, and a typical moth can be considered'' Ematurga atomaria''. Of the two-winged very common Tachinidae, hoverfly, Cecidomyiidae, crane fly (Tipulidae), horse-fly. Hymenoptera are very useful for the ecosystems of the reserve, of which

wasps A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. T ...

bumblebees A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

and wild

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

act as pollinators of plants, and ants (first of all '' Formica polyctena'' and '' Formica rufa'') and parasitoid wasps regulate the number of tree parasites. Scientists of the reserve pay special attention to the protection of rare species: the turuna ''

Carabus violaceus ''Carabus violaceus'', sometimes called the violet ground beetle, or the rain beetle is a nocturnal species of a beetle, from the family Carabidae. Description The violet ground beetle is a non-shiny, black beetle that has violet or indigo edges ...

''(found only once), the butterfly ''

Lycaena dispar The large copper (''Lycaena dispar'') is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. ''L. dispar'' has been commonly arranged into three subspecies: ''L. dispar dispar'', (single-brooded) which was commonly found in England, but is now extinct, ''L. ...

'', whose flight was observed only near the village of Liaudona, the scarlet tiger moth (''Callimorpha dominula'') can be found on the north-western border of the range, and the

Old World swallowtail ''Papilio machaon'', the Old World swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family, but this speci ...

(''Papilio machaon'') can be found on the northern border of the range.

Invertebrates

Of the other invertebrates in the reserve, only the population studied was the

European crayfish ''Astacus astacus'', the European crayfish, noble crayfish, or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, ''A. astacus'' is restricted to fresh water, livi ...

(''Astacus astacus'').

Scientific and economic activity

Krustkalni attracted the attention of scientists in the 19th century. In 1895, the botanist A. Rapp compiled a list of local flora, which already included 417 species of plants found on the outskirts of Liaudona. Since the 1940s, floristic research in Krustkalni has been conducted regularly by students University of Latvia. In 1972, a thorough study of local mosses was carried out by bryologist A. Abolin, and in 1976 the baton was taken over by the famous florist A. Rasinsh. Based on the results of these studies, it was decided to grant this area the status of a reserve in order to preserve unique habitats and their inherent diversity of plants. After the creation of the reserve, research on its territory was conducted by employees of the Teiči Reserves and, to some extent,

Slītere National Park Slītere National Park ( lv, Slīteres nacionālais parks) is a national park in Talsi Municipality, Courland, on the west coast of Latvia. Although formally established in 2000, it is based on former Slītere Nature Reserve, one of the oldest n ...

. There is a strict protection regime on the territory of the reserve, which prohibits any economic activity: felling of trees, mining, hunting, harvesting of vegetable raw materials, introduced species, etc. Two public roads pass directly through the reserve, and its borders are adjacent to agricultural lands. Visiting the reserve by outsiders, even as part of excursion groups, is prohibited, with special permission, only scientists can do it.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krustkalni Nature Reserve Strict nature reserves in Latvia Protected areas established in 1977 Natura 2000 in Latvia 1977 establishments in the Soviet Union Madona Municipality