Oka Nature Reserve (russian: Окский заповедник) (also Oksky, or Okskiy) 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 which ...

' (strict nature reserve) located in the Meschera lowlands, the floodplain of the Oka River and the

Pra River Pra River may refer to: *Pra River (Ghana) The Pra River is a river in Ghana, the easternmost and the largest of the three principal rivers that drain the area south of the Volta divide. Rising in the Kwahu Plateau near Mpraeso and flowing sout ...

. With extensive lowland rivers and forested peatlands, the reserve is an important area for waterfowl and waders. The reserve hosts breeding centers for bison and for crane. The site is situated in the

Spassky District Spassky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. The name is generally derived from or related to the root "''spas''" ("savior")—usually alluding to the concept of the Christian faith. * Spassky District ...

Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast ( rus, Рязанская область, r=Ryazanskaya oblast, p=rʲɪˈzanskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Geo ...

, about 60 km northeast of the city of

Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Cens ...

. In 1994, the "Flood plains of Rivers Pra and Oka" was designated a

Ramsar wetland The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

of international importance. The site was designated a UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) reserve in 1978. The reserve was formally established in 1935, and covers an area of .

Topography

The Oka Reserve has a terrain that is mostly forested peatlands (about 90%), swamps (5%), and dryland (5%). The floodplains are along the Pra, which is a tributary of the Oka. The Oka area feature more meadows, with forest islands. Aside from the Oka and Pra rivers, the reserve also includes the Lamsha River and Black River. The altitude ranges from 80 to 200 meters. The buffer zone around the boundaries is used for low-impact agriculture such as haymaking.

Climate and ecoregion

The reserve is in the ''

Sarmatic mixed forests The Sarmatic mixed forests constitute an ecoregion within the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature classification (ecoregion PA0436). The term comes from the word "Sarmatia". Distribution This e ...

'' ecoregion, a band of mixed oak/spruce/pine forests stretching from southern Sweden to the Ural Mountains. The climate of Oka is '' humid continental climate, warm 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 ...

(Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters. The average temperature in the Oka reserve ranges from in February, to and average of in July. Precipitation is highly variable - averaging from 347 mm/year to 918 mm/year. Prevailing winds are from the west and southwest.

Flora and fauna

Oka has different forest types across its territory: pine forests (''Pinus sylvestris'') with birch (''Betula'' sp.), oak (''Quercus robur'') and alder (''Alnus glutinosa''), oak with lime and maple undergrowth, and spruce forests. There are sphagnum bogs and flood-plain meadows. Scientists on the reserve have recorded over 880 species of vascular plants in 109 families. The animal life of the reserve is typical of the central European forests. The most common mammals are voles (60% of the rodents), field mice and forest mice. Predators include foxes, wolves, and badgers. Hoofed animals include roe deer, elk, and wild boar. Scientists on the reserve have recorded 61 species of mammals, 266 of birds, 11 of amphibians, 6 of reptiles, 39 of fish, and 3883 species of invertebrates. The reserve hosts a European Bison Breeding Center, established in 1959, and a Crane Breeding Center that was founded in 1979.

Ecoeducation and access

As a strict nature reserve, the Oka Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with 'environmental education' purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. Tourists are welcome in Birkin forest buffer area. There are also a number of 'ecotourist' routes open to the public; these require permits to be obtained in advance. The local office is in the village of Birkin Bor.

References

External links