Dzherginsky Nature Reserve
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dzherginsky Nature Reserve (russian: Джергинский заповедник) is a Russian ' zapovednik' (strict nature reserve), located about 100 km east of the northern section of
Lake Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
. It covers the source and upper reaches of the
Barguzin River The Barguzin (russian: Баргузи́н; bua, Баргажан, Bargajan) is a river in Buryatia, Russia, long, flowing into the Barguzin Bay of Lake Baikal, the largest and deepest bay of Baikal. Barguzin is the third (by the flow amount) in ...
, the second largest tributary to Lake Baikal, and is at the junction of three mountain ranges - the
Barguzin Range Barguzin Range (russian: Баргузинский хребет) is a range in Buryatia, Russia along the northeastern shore of Baikal. Its length is 280 km, height up to 2,840 m. It is mostly covered by larch taiga. The range bounds the Barg ...
to the west of the reserve, the Ikat Range and the
Southern Muya Range The Southern Muya Range (russian: Южно-Муйский хребе́т, translit=Yuzhno-Muyskiy khrebet) is a mountain range in Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai Zabaykalsky Krai ( rus, Забайкальский край, r=Zabaikal'skii krai, p= ...
. The reserve's mountainous territory is dominated by larch forests. It is situated in the
Kurumkansky District Kurumkansky District (russian: Курумка́нский райо́н; bua, Хурамхаанай аймаг, ''Khuramkhaanai aimag'') is an administrativeResolution #431 and municipalLaw #985-III district (raion), one of the twenty-one in the ...
of
Buryatia Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia (russian: Республика Бурятия, r=Respublika Buryatiya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə bʊˈrʲætʲɪjə; bua, Буряад Улас, Buryaad Ulas, , mn, Буриад Улс, Buriad Uls), is ...
. The nearest city, Ulan-Ude, is 560 km to the south. The reserve was formally established in 1992 to protect the biodiversity of the upper Barguzin valley, and to study natural processes of the area. It covers an area of .


Topography

The Dzherginsky Reserve covers both mountains and river valleys. The upper Barguzin River valley begins in the southwest of the reserve, the
Barguzin Range Barguzin Range (russian: Баргузинский хребет) is a range in Buryatia, Russia along the northeastern shore of Baikal. Its length is 280 km, height up to 2,840 m. It is mostly covered by larch taiga. The range bounds the Barg ...
enters the reserve from the west, the Ikat Range to the east. The territory also covers parts of the South Muya Ridge and the Amutskaya Basin. The valleys and river basins are generally oriented towards the northeast. Glacial origin is evidenced by cirques and lateral moraines in the Barguzin valley. The Barguzin Ridge itself has not been subject to glaciation. The Ikat Ridge (350 km long and up to 100 km wide) intersects the South Muya Ridge within the boundaries of Dzherginsky, and reaches a height of .


Climate and Ecoregion

Dzherginsky is located in the '' East Siberian taiga'' ecoregion. This ecoregion covers the area between the Yenisei River and
Lena River The Lena (russian: Ле́на, ; evn, Елюенэ, ''Eljune''; sah, Өлүөнэ, ''Ölüöne''; bua, Зүлхэ, ''Zülkhe''; mn, Зүлгэ, ''Zülge'') is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean ...
down to the Okhotsk Sea. Its northern border reaches the Arctic Circle, and its southern border reaches 52°N latitude. The dominant vegetation is light coniferous taiga with Dahurian larch
Larix gmelinii ''Larix gmelinii'', the Dahurian larch or Gmelin larch, is a species of larch native to eastern Siberia and adjacent northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China (Heilongjiang), South Korea and North Korea. Description ''Larix gmelinii'' is a me ...
forming the canopy in areas with low snow cover. This ecoregion is rich in minerals. The climate of Dzherginsky is '' Subarctic climate, dry winter'' ( Köppen climate classification
Subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
(Dwc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1–3 months above ) and cold winters having monthly precipitation less than one-tenth of the wettest summer month. Dzherginsky is far enough from Lake Baikal that the moderating effects of the lake are not felt in the reserve. The important factor within the reserve is altitude. At the valley floor, precipitation is 250–300 mm/year, but up to 1,000 mm/year in the highlands. Temperatures in July can average from to .


Flora and fauna

The flora of Dzherginsky is heavily affected by altitude. At the high-altitudes there are three belts of vegetation: the mountain-steppe at the lowest, mountain taiga in the middle, and higher with alpine sub-zone and bald mountain. In the river valleys the floral communities are those of meadows, in combination with sedge and willow marshes. The current inventory of animals in the reserve shows 201 species of vertebrate: 6 fish species, 3 of amphibians, 4 of reptiles, 145 of birds, and 43 species of mammals


Ecoeducation and access

As a strict nature reserve, the Dzherginsky 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 are four significant 'ecotourist' routes in the reserve, however, that are open to the public. These require permits to be obtained in advance. The main office is in the city of Ulan-Ude.


See also

* List of Russian Nature Reserves (class 1a 'zapovedniks') *
National Parks of Russia There are currently 64 national parks in Russia. Together they cover approximately . Overview Until the 1960s only nature reserves and ''zakazniks'' existed in the Soviet Union, so international experience in creating a form of protected areas i ...


References


External links

*
Map of Dzherginsky Reserve, OpenStreetMap
{{Authority control Nature reserves in Russia Geography of Buryatia Protected areas established in 1992 1992 establishments in Russia Zapovednik