Bastak Nature Reserve
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Bastak Nature Reserve (russian: Бастак заповедник) (also Bastack) is a Russian '
zapovednik Zapovednik (russian: заповедник, plural , from the Russian , 'sacred, prohibited from disturbance, committed o protect committed o heritage; ) is an established term on the territory of the former Soviet Union for a protected area whi ...
' (strict nature reserve) located in the
Amur River The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's List of longest rivers, tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China, Northeastern China (Inne ...
basin in the
Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admini ...
. The reserve's territory covers the south-eastern spurs
Bureya Range , photo = Korbohon.jpg , photo_alt = , photo_caption = View of Korbokhon lake at the northern end of the range , country_type = , country = Russia , country1 = , count ...
and the northern outskirts of the Sredneamurskaya lowlands. The reserve is situated in about 10 km north of the city of
Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджа́н, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; yi, ביראָבידזשאַן, ''Birobidzhan'') is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, near th ...
in the
Birobidzhansky District Birobidzhansky District (russian: Биробиджа́нский райо́н, yi, ביראָבידזשאַן סקי דיסטריקט) is an administrativeLaw #982-OZ and municipalLaw #227-OZ district (raion), one of the five in the Jewish Auton ...
, and is the only national reserve in the
Jewish Autonomous Oblast The Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO; russian: Евре́йская автоно́мная о́бласть, (ЕАО); yi, ייִדישע אװטאָנאָמע געגנט, ; )In standard Yiddish: , ''Yidishe Oytonome Gegnt'' is a federal subject ...
.


Topography

The reserve can be pictured as divided into two halves, mountainous to the northwest, lowlands to the southeast. The highlands of the northwest are south-eastern spurs Khingan-Bureya mountain system, an ancient crystalline massif. The southeast lowlands of the reserve are part of the
Sikhote-Alin The Sikhote-Alin (russian: Сихотэ́-Али́нь, , , ) is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok. The highest summits are Tordoki Yani at ...
Mountain fold system. The mountain ridges run north-south, which is typical for the Far East. In the north of the reserve, the mountains range up to 1,207 meters in altitude (Mt. Byrdyr), with an average altitude of 800 meters; the slopes are steep and the river valleys deep. To the south, the altitudes average 400–500 meters, and the terrain is hilly with more rounded and flat tops than steep valleys. The lowest areas at 200 meters are alluvial floodplains. The Amur River runs across the southern border of Bastak, and the reserve itself has a complex network of short rivers and few lakes. The rivers and streams generally run from northwest to southeast with the upper half in rocky valleys and lower courses in meandering floodplain. Spring floods can be significant. The longest river is the Bastak River at 73 km.


Climate and Ecoregion

Bastak is located in the ''
Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests The Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0443) covers a mountainous areas above the lower Amur River and Ussuri River in Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in the Russian Far East. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with ...
'' ecoregion. The
Ussuri River The Ussuri or Wusuli (russian: Уссури; ) is a river that runs through Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais, Russia and the southeast region of Northeast China. It rises in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, flowing north and forming part of the ...
region is in the middle Amur River basin, on the west slope of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. Mixed broadleaf species such as Manchurian ash and Japanese elm in the lowlands, Korean pine and broadleaf forests in the middle elevations, and fir and spruce up to the subalpine levels. The climate of Bastak is '' Humid continental climate, cool 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 ...
'' (Dwb)''). This climate is characterized by high variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with dry winters and cool summers.


Flora and fauna

Most of the territory is forested, with some marshy floodplains in the lowlands, and tundra (moss, lichen, mountain herbs and small shrubs) on the top of Mt. Bydyr. Plants in the Bastak Reserve belong to three different floristic complexes: Sea of Okhotsk, East Siberian, and Manchurian. The middle belt of the mountains are old-growth cedar-broadleaf forests, with birch, walnut, elm, and linden. The understory in the middle belt can be thick with bushes such as Viburnum sargentii, Siberian ginseng, and honeysuckle. The lowest altitudes are typically alder, birch, and rhododendrum, with grassy meadows. The reserve has recorded 543 species of vascular plants. The birds of the reserve (195 species reported), reflect the diversity of terrain and the location at the meeting points of different ecoregions. Forest birds are the most numerous, with representative species and types being buzzard, grouse, black grouse, jays, crows, woodpeckers, thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, and nutcrackers. The mammals are those typical of the Ussuri forests (roe deer, wild hogs, brown bears, Himalayan bears). The most common mammals of prey are the
Raccoon dog The common raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides''), also called the Chinese or Asian raccoon dog, is a small, heavy-set, fox-like canid native to East Asia. Named for its raccoon-like face markings, it is most closely related to foxes. Common ...
and the
Sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
. The endangered
Amur tiger The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies ''Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inhabit ...
is known to be resident.


Ecotourism

As a strict nature reserve, the Bastak Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with 'environmental education' purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. There is one educational hiking trail in the reserve, however, that is open to the public, but it requires permits to be obtained in advance, hikers must have vaccinations against tick-borne infections, and visitors are limited to 40 per month. The main office is in the city of Birobidzhan.


See also

* List of Russian Nature Reserves (class 1a 'zapovedniks')


References


External links


Map of the Bastak Reserve, OpenStreetMap
{{Authority control Nature reserves in Russia 1997 establishments in Russia Protected areas established in 1997 Geography of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Zapovednik