Altai Reserve- a natural zone, distinguished by its uniqueness, located on the territory of Russia, in the Siberian mountains and under special protection from the state. It has an impressive area of ​​881,238 hectares and is located on the waters of Lake Teletskoye.

In fact, the Altai Reserve is the central and eastern part Altai Territory. It is distinguished by the incredible picturesqueness of rivers and even waterfalls of the Altai Mountains, as well as incredible landscapes.

The climate is continental, but precisely because of the special relief of this region, here you can observe a variety of climatic conditions such as: humid summers or mild winters. It all depends on the part of the Altai Republic occupied by the reserve.

The reserve was founded in the 60s of the XX century and the purpose of its creation is quite understandable - to preserve the beautiful Teletskoye Lake, cedar forests and fauna. Until now, for scientists remains important issue study of the nature of this region. Their attention is occupied by: the ecosystem and natural processes, plants and animals.

It is represented by forests, occupying 45% of the territory, tundra, meadows, swamps and steppes. Most unusual plants are only here.

Of the common and well-known prevail: pine, fir, spruce, larch, birch and a huge number of cedar forests - the most environmentally friendly in the world. It is even hard to imagine that the age of one such tree in the forest can reach up to 500 years.

In general, we can say that the plants here are very diverse and make up an incredible amount. different types- up to 1500, more than 100 species of mushrooms and almost 700 species of various algae. Many of them are listed in the Red Book and are incredibly rare.

The variety of landscapes is given by the climatic diversity that is present here, as well as the diversity of the relief with a huge number of heights that reach heights of up to 3500 meters.

The richest animal world of the reserve

The reason for the wide diversity of fauna is the fact that the reserve is located at the junction of the Altai, Sayan and Tuva mountain systems. Places with diverse climatic conditions favorably influence the development of the animal world and the increase in their numbers.

Sable is the most bright dweller reserve, living in the taiga and eating pine nuts. Hoofed representatives of the fauna: elk, deer, deer, roe deer, Siberian goat, musk deer and mountain sheep - and these are only the most popular.

Two residents of the Altai Reserve were included in the World Red Book: an incredibly beautiful snow leopard and Siberian musk deer. And the total number of rare, and most importantly, endangered species of animals, is about 59.

The Altai Reserve is an indispensable home for such large and wild predators as: bears, wolverines, lynxes. The bird fauna includes 300 species and 16 varieties of fish. More than 50 kinds rare birds also listed in the Red Book. In Lake Teletskoye live: perch, burbot, grayling, whitefish, taimen and pike.

Tigirek Reserve

Important and extraordinarily beautiful nature reserve"Tigireksky" is a kind of continuation of the Altai. Its location can be traced on the map in the southwestern part of the Altai Republic.

The purpose of its creation in 1999 is to preserve the Altai-Sayan territory, which is characterized by mountainous area. In fact, this is the youngest reserve in Russia and the Altai Territory.

Taiga and forest-steppe bear main value in this colorful nature reserve. Unlike Altai, its relief is low and mid-mountain. The climate of the reserve is characterized by hot summers and cold winters.

Due to natural and climatic conditions, a large area is occupied by the taiga, in the depths of which the most useful plants for pharmaceuticals grow, such as blueberries, viburnum, wild rose, bergenia, rosea rhodiola and others.

Representatives of the fauna, first of all, the largest animals: bears, deer, elk and roe deer. The number of such animals as: sable, squirrel, chipmunk, lynx, weasel, wolverine is also large.

The Tigirek Nature Reserve is one of the few in Russia that owns ecological path 70 km long, called the "Big Tigirek". The great news is that the Tigirek Nature Reserve is of tourist value and the possibility of conducting various excursions, which is what numerous researchers use.

Kulunda Reserve

Quite small, in comparison with the previous ones, is the Kulundinsky reserve (reserve), located in the western part of the Altai Territory near the village of Kulunda in Russia.

The purpose of creating this small reserve was the reason for the preservation and protection of the quasi-natural territory, the largest in Russia, as well as Lake Kulundinskoye itself and the solonchak meadows and steppes surrounding it.

These places and the lake carry great value, as a permanent habitat for near-water birds that regularly migrate and nest here.

Katun Biosphere Reserve

The beauty and originality of the Altai Mountains is impressive. First of all, its primitiveness and untouchedness by man is shocking. Katunsky biosphere reserve It is located on the territory of the Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic in Russia, it is located in the highest mountain point - the Katunsky ridge.

Flora of the Katun natural unique reserve includes more than 700 plant species. The animal world is also diverse and worthy of close attention. There are about 400 glaciers in the high mountains of the Katunsky ridge, and ancient cultures are represented here by archaeological sites of different times.

Reserve "Swan"

It is also known that a special swan subspecies spends the winter in the Altai foothills - whooper swans. The Swan Reserve is a temporary home for more than 300 swans and 2,000 wild ducks.

An interesting fact is that such birds as peregrine falcon, steppe harrier, oystercatcher, saker falcon. The territory of the unusual reserve "Swan" is in the utmost proximity to people and civilization, but still develops and is not touched by a human hand.

Heritage of Russia

The Altai Reserve is the property of not only a separate republic, but of the whole of Russia. Only here you can observe a wonderful combination of mountain landscape and picturesque lowlands. Nowhere else does this kind of beauty and perfection of wild nature exist.

Here is the most fresh air, the highest mountains, the most beautiful animals and the most useful plants. If you study the map of the world in detail, you can be sure that there is no other similarity to the Altai Reserve in the world.

It will be a great pleasure to visit any of the natural areas: nature reserves or sanctuaries, whether it be "Swan", "Katunsky", "Kulundiysky" or "Tigireksky". Every piece of this living land is steeped in history and incredible love to all living things.

A visit to each reserve is quite possible for tourists upon agreement with the administration. Ecotourism is a new direction of a wonderful and useful pastime, and the impressions of such a trip will remain for a lifetime.

The nature of Altai is full of wonders and incredible discoveries. The reserve of the Altai Territory fascinates with its unpredictability and mountain-taiga landscapes. Everyone should see such beauty at least once in their life.

Between the Urals and the Yenisei stretches a vast West Siberian Plain, along which the Ob flows - one of the greatest rivers in the world. It is formed from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers, originating in the Altai Mountains. Altai means "golden". To the east of Lake Teletskoye is the Altai Reserve. It was organized in 1932. Its area is currently 881 thousand hectares. After the Kronotsky Reserve, the Altai Reserve is the second largest in the country. In the village of Yailu, on the northeastern shore of Lake Teletskoye, there is the base of the Altai Reserve. The village is located in one of the most warm places Siberia. This is the only place in Siberia where there are suitable conditions for ripening walnut, grapes, prunes, apricots, antonovka six hundred grams and pears. More than 1000 species of plants grow in the moss-shrub tundra, in high-mountain alpine meadows, in the taiga, in small steppe areas. The taiga near Teletskoye Lake is called black taiga. The dark coniferous forest consists of cedar (Siberian pine ), firs, ate. Gigantic grasses grow between the trees, in which the rider can hide. In the undergrowth impenetrable thickets black and red currant, raspberries, mountain ash, viburnum, bird cherry. On talus and rocky slopes of mountains grow gooseberry and evergreen shrub Daurian rhododendron, local name maral. In early spring, when maral is in bloom, the rocks seem to be covered with pink-purple foam, which sways from the wind, and it seems that the mountains are covered with a transparent colored blanket. More than half of the forests are cedars. In all areas, herbaceous plants create a colorful living carpet that changes colors. Bloom in early spring white and bright yellow buttercups, large white and blue anemones. Golden and dazzling yellow silky flowers adonis are replaced by purple meadows kandyka, lungwort, orange lights are blazing everywhere Zharkov. In summer more blue background from watersheds or red from scarlet poppies and pink from carnation. Within the Altai Reserve, there are up to 20 species of relic plants: these are european hoof, woodruff, crow, Circe and others preserved from the Tertiary period. Right by the water on the shore of Lake Teletskoye on the sand, pebbles, and also high in the mountains, onions grow, on dry rocky areas - badan.

A large amount of vegetation creates favorable conditions for the life of animals. Animals are distributed along high-altitude natural zones. There are nomadic species that move from one mountain belt to another. Scientists of the Altai Reserve registered 66 species of mammals, 331 species of birds, 3 species of amphibians and 6 reptiles, 19 species of fish.

Anywhere in the taiga you can meet bear. Restored in the forest zone sable, the number of which in the Altai Reserve exceeds 1000 individuals. For a long time in the forests Gorny Altai lives deer (Noble deer). In summer, the head of males is decorated with young unossified horns - antlers. Often there is a graceful nimble ermine. In the valleys of Kamga and Oyeru you can meet roe deer. come across wolverine, speakers, weasel, lynx other. Moves quickly from one tree to another squirrel. A flying squirrel flies from tree to tree. Rare specially protected animals of the reserve - siberian ibex and Snow Leopard.

Constantly heard clatter and whistle chipmunk living everywhere. Herds have been preserved in the mountain tundra zone of the reserve reindeer. Several species live in the Chulyshman valley, in the taiga near Teletsk. bats . They hibernate in caves, hollows of trees, even in bear dens. Bats are very voracious. They eat more in a day than they weigh. By destroying harmful insects (mosquitoes, flies), they are of great benefit to humans.

There are many birds in the Altai Reserve. Often the silence of the forest is broken nutcrackers (nuts). They feed on pine nuts, which are often not eaten, but hidden by burying them in the ground. A few years later, a cedar grows on the site of the pantry. Thus, nutcrackers help the reproduction of this tree. In the colorful colors of the forest is not visible grouse in his protective plumage. In the Chulyshman valley live gray partridge and quail.

Most of the reserve is occupied by the Chulyshman Upland, where mountain ranges and single uplifts with rocky slopes rise. At an altitude of more than 2000 m, winter is still in May, then a short bright spring. June is cold, at the beginning of it there is still snow. The warmest month is July. In August it's cold again.

Vast flat areas occupied by swamps are overgrown with mountain tundra bushes. Saucer-shaped recesses are filled with water - here is the realm of small lakes. Among them is a giant lake - Dzhulukul, which gave rise to the Chulyshman River. Lives in the Chulyshman Highlands white partridge. It is distributed in places of growth dwarf birch. There are up to 140 of these birds per square kilometer near Dzhulukul Lake. Less common tundra partridge. Stop at the lakes migratory birds. On Lake Dzhulukule, two small, slightly noticeable, islands are called bird colonies. In the spring, various waders that remain to nest. There are 16 species of ducks in the reserve. The smallest - teal whistle nests in lakes and swamps of the Chulyshman Highlands. On the Shapshalsky Ridge in the rocky tundra lives Altai Snowcock, a very rare bird.

The entire natural complex is protected in the Altai Reserve: the richest vegetation of mountain landscapes, animal world, lakes, rivers, caves.

Lake of the Altai Reserve

Teletskoye Lake, located on the territory of the Altai Reserve, is one of the most beautiful lakes in our country. They say about the lake that it is a "blue wonder", "the pearl of the Altai Mountains", "the younger brother of Baikal", and the Altaians call it "Altyn-Kel", which means "Golden Lake".

Teletskoye Lake is located at an altitude of 436m above sea level, its greatest depth is 325m. It ranks fourth in depth among the largest lakes in the country. The Teletskaya basin is shaped like the root of a giant plant: rivers and rivers (and there are more than 70 of them), like hairy roots, stuck around the lake from all sides and feed it with their waters. In the south, the Chulyshman River flows into Lake Teletskoye, originating from the high-mountain lake Dzhulukul, and in the north, the Biya River flows out of it.

On a clear sunny day, boaters on the greenish surface of the lake can see silver ribbons descending from the slopes of the mountains - these are rivers. White and foamy water, along stony and rocky channels with steep ledges, rushes down with a roar, forming waterfalls and raging whirlpools. Some waterfalls are located near the shore of Lake Teletskoye, for example, in the northeast, on a tributary of the Kamga River, there is a beautiful waterfall Big Shaltan. Not every daredevil manages to get to it: sheer cliffs go into the skies, and below they rise directly to the river. Huge boulders cover the bottom of the gorge, and the water rushes through the dams in such a roaring stream that even a gun shot is not heard. When you approach the waterfall through a gorge, a strip of water 20m high closes the exit. It seems that the strip is moving towards us, hitting the ledges, breaking up into tiny splashes, rising like a cloud and falling again.

13 species of fish live in the lake: taimen, whitefish, graylings, yelets, groupers, loaches, sculpins etc. The smallest fish is found here - teletsk sprat(its average weight is -13 g, and the length is 12 cm) and the most big fish- taimen (weighing more than 40 kg and almost 2 m long). The Teletsk sprat is poorly studied and it is not known where it lives. It is caught in the deep part of the lake and is considered very rare. There are cases when it accumulated in in large numbers in the shallow bays of the lake and at the source of the Biya River. After severe storms a dead sprat is found on the shores of the lake. It is not clear why the wave throws a deep-sea fish ashore.

most valuable commercial fish Teletskoye lake - taimen. Taimen is a voracious predator, he eats everything he comes across in the water: fish, waterfowl, frogs, even squirrels, if they start to swim across the river flowing into the lake. With a huge mouth, the taimen captures prey and holds it with sharp teeth in powerful jaws. Taimen's teeth are arranged in two rows in a semicircle. In spring, this fish accumulates at the mouth of Chulyshman, where its spawning grounds are located. Large copper-colored fish with fiery red fins move upstream to spawn.

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Photo: Altai State Nature Reserve

Photo and description

The Altai State Nature Reserve is a unique specially protected area in Russia, which is an object of the world natural and cultural heritage UNESCO. The history of the reserve began on April 16, 1932.

In terms of biological diversity, the Altai Reserve occupies one of the leading places among protected areas countries. The reserve is located in the north-east of the Altai Republic, in Turachaksky and Ulagansky districts. The central estate of the nature reserve is located in the village of Yailu, and the central office is in the capital of the Republic, the city of Gorno-Altaisk. To date, the Altai Reserve consists of four departments: the department of science, the department environmental education, department of protection, economic department.

The total area of ​​the reserve is more than 881,235 hectares, including the water area of ​​Lake Teletskoye with an area of ​​11,757 hectares. The territory of the Altai Reserve gradually rises towards the southeast. The main ecosystems of the reserve are lakes, the Siberian taiga, taiga low and middle mountains, alpine and subalpine high and middle mountains, glacial-nival high mountains, tundra-steppe high mountains, tundra high mountains and middle mountains.

Everywhere in the mountains are scattered the purest springs, streams with cold water. The largest alpine lake is Dzhulukol, located at the headwaters of Chulyshman. Its length is about 10 km. Among the most common tree species are pine, cedar, spruce, fir, birch. The real pride of the reserve are cedar alpine forests. In general, the flora of the reserve consists of more than 1500 species of higher vascular plants, 111 species of fungi and 272 species of lichens.

One of the main animal species living in the Altai taiga is the sable. Of the ungulates, reindeer, maral, Siberian goat and Siberian roe deer, mountain sheep, musk deer and so on live here. On mountain ranges, Siberian is very common. Mountain goat. Altai mountain sheep live in the south of the reserve and in the adjacent territory.

The Altai Reserve was founded in 1932, the modern borders were marked in 1968. It is located in the Chulyshman river basin and is included in the top ten largest reserves in the Russian Federation. The area is 881,238 hectares, of which 13 thousand hectares are in water bodies and 247.8 thousand hectares are in the forest zone. The Altai Nature Reserve is part of the Altai territories included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The purpose of creating a protected zone is to protect the natural complex of Siberia, to study the ecosystems of the region.

Features of the landscape and climate

The Altai Reserve of Russia, stretching for 230 km, strikes the imagination with its variety of landscapes. Here there was a place for taiga forests, and steppes, and tundra, and meadows. The pearl of the protected zone is Lake Teletskoye (water area - 223 km2). 70 rivers flow into it, the largest of which is Chulyshman. The coast of the lake is decorated with 150 waterfalls.

The main part of the Altai Reserve lies at an altitude of 1,450-1,650 m above sea level, the ridges rise to 3,000-3,500 m. The mountains are characterized by a pronounced altitudinal zonality: coniferous taiga, where cedars, larches and firs grow, is replaced by woodlands. Above are alpine meadows and tundra dominated by low shrubs and lichens. The mountainous regions are rich in springs, springs and lakes, covering an area of ​​15 thousand m2.

The territory of the Altai Reserve is dominated by continental and mountain climate. The first is due to the location - the protected area lies in the central part of the mainland, where the weather is affected air masses Arctic and anticyclones of Asia. The mountainous climate prevails in the zone of the Altai ranges.

The formation of climatic conditions also depends on the specifics of the landscape of individual regions. So, southern part, where the valleys of the Chulyshman River and Lake Teletskoye are located, is characterized by mild winters and short cool summers. There is almost no snow here, the annual precipitation is 400-500 mm. In the northern part of the Altai Reserve and the mid-mountain zone of the taiga, on the contrary, cold winters prevail. Snow falls already at the end of October. In summer, the air temperature rises to +30 °C. The amount of precipitation per year is 800-900 mm.

Plants of the Altai Reserve

According to botanists, the number of vascular plants growing in the Altai Reserve is 1,480 specimens from 107 families. Among them there are endemics and relics: friable sedge, circe, Siberian kandyk, black cohosh and notched dendrantema. The visiting card is cedar forests. The diameter of some trees is 1.8 meters, and the age reaches 500 years!

The plant world of alpine meadows enchants with its diversity. Numerous violets, azure gentians, raspberry kopeks, golden adonises and rare edelweiss bloom here. The herbs are dominated by saxifrage, cinquefoil, cotoneaster, cinquefoil, bergenia and beautiful flowers. The slopes of the mountains are decorated with raspberries, gooseberries, sea buckthorn, viburnum and Dahurian rhododendron. The steppe belt is represented feathery feather grass and typchak. The swampy area is covered with ferns. From lower plants in the Altai Reserve, about 100 species of fungi, 668 species of algae and 272 species of mosses and lichens are known, carpeting the soil of the tundra.

Animals of the Altai Reserve

The fauna protected by the Altai Reserve is typical of the taiga forests of western Siberia. However, due to the variety of reliefs and climatic conditions, there are also animals that inhabit mountains, tundra and steppes. According to research in 2010, the reserve has:

• 73 species of mammals;
• 15 thousand species of invertebrates;
• 10 species of amphibians and reptiles;
• 334 bird species;
• 18 kinds of fish.

mammals

Among the animals of the Altai Reserve, representatives of three families of insectivores and eight varieties of bats are of interest. The most rare are the Siberian shrew, found in the protected area only in 2003, brown long-eared bat, mustachioed bat, great tube-billed whale and northern kozhanok.

The mustelid family is represented by the badger, weasel, ermine and mink, and to a lesser extent by the otter and wolverine. Sable, which was practically exterminated in the 30s of the XX century, now lives everywhere in the taiga. Of the ungulates, musk deer, maral, elk, and roe deer are widespread. The forest reindeer is extremely rare. Argali and Siberian mountain goats live in the southern regions. Everywhere you can see the white hare, the Altai pika, the Asian chipmunk and the common squirrel. The theriofauna includes 16 predators, the characteristic representatives of which are the brown bear, wolf and fox.

On the territory of the Altai Reserve, there are 59 endangered representatives of the fauna. This is 52% of total animals protected in the region. Here you can still see the snow leopard, which is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of the world and the Russian Federation.

Invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles

The world of invertebrates of the Altai Reserve is extremely rich, but little has been studied due to the diversity of species. Of greatest interest are day and night butterflies: Kindermann's erebium, Apollo Phoebus, swallowtail, peacock eye and Hebe the she-bear.

The reptile fauna includes six species. The agile and viviparous lizards, the muzzle, the common viper and the patterned snake are ubiquitous. Occasionally found gray viper. Lives in interfluves and floodplains common toad. At an altitude of 2,140 m, the moored frog lives in humid places.

Birds

Frequently encountered representatives of the avifauna of the Altai Reserve of Russia include the titmouse, corncrake, crane, kuksha, hoopoe, pipit and rock pigeon. The special pride of the employees is the appearance in the steppes of the sandpiper, which until 2013 was not included in the list of birds in the region, and the growing population of the pink starling listed in the Red Book.

Gulls, bitterns, black storks, whooper swans, goldeneyes, mallards and herons nest on the shores of lakes and rivers. In the forests, you can observe the life of hazel grouses, cuckoos, woodpeckers, capercaillie, partridges and nutcrackers. The tundra zone was chosen by the Altai snowcock, horned lark, tundra partridge and red-bellied redstart. As for raptors, the eagle owl, osprey, kite, falcon, white-tailed eagle, peregrine falcon and golden eagle live in the Altai Reserve.

Ichthyofauna

Fish in the Altai Reserve are represented by 18 species. The most valuable are taimen, Siberian char, osman and grayling, which are found in the Chulyshman River. For spawning, they come to the high-mountainous lake Dzhulukul - the most "fishy" reservoir in Russia. In Teletskoye Lake, which is not distinguished by a variety of food, burbot, sculpin, pike, dace, lenok, Pravdina whitefish, perch and a rare Teletsk sprat live.

Ecotourism

The Altai Reserve protects the integrity of the landscape and all kinds of plants and animals located on its territory. It conducts monitoring observations of the dynamics of natural processes, as well as Scientific research. Their goal is to study Altai ecosystems, assess changes in fauna, flora and the seismic state of the region.

Staying without a special pass in the protected areas of the reserve is prohibited. An exception is granted only to tourist groups making excursions designed to get acquainted with nature, ecological features and historical monuments region, such as mounds, stone tombs and ancient statues of the Turkic peoples. Popular routes are:

• Belinsky terrace and orchard;
• waterfall impregnable;
• Bascon waterfall;
• Chichelgan zigzag;
• Uchar waterfall and Chulcha river;
• cordon Kokshi;
• Yailyu village and Minor pass.

Also, viewing platforms located at the foot of the Korbu and Kishte waterfalls are available for visiting tourist groups.

Animals and plants listed in the Red Book of Russia

Plants:

• Polusnik lake - Isoetes lacustris L.
• Feather feathery - Stipa pennata L.
• Stipa zalesskii Wilensky
• Kandyk Siberian - Erythronium sibiricum
• Venus slipper swollen - Cypripedium ventricosum Sw.
• Real lady's slipper - Cypripedium calceolus L.
• Venus slipper large-flowered - Cypripedium macranthon Sw.
• Leafless chin - Epipogium aphyllum
• Neottiante klobuchkovaya - Neottianthe cucullata
• Liparis Lezel -Liparis loeselii (L.)
• Baltic Fingercorn - Dactylorhiza baltica
• Helm-bearing orchis - Orchis militaris L.
• Rhubarb Altai - Rheum altaicum Losinsk.
• Wrestler not found - Aconite decipiens
• Pasco wrestler - Aconite paskoi
• Chuya holly - Oxytropis tschujae
• Siberian zubyanka - Dentaria sibirica
• Thick Dendrantema - Dendranthema sinuatum
• Volodushka Martyanova - Bupleurum martjanovii
• Rhodiola rosea - Rhodiola rosea L.
• Kostenets Altai - Asplenium altajense

Insects:

• Polyubyanka Rhymn -Neolycaena rhymnus
• Common Apollo - Parnassius apollo
• Erebia Kinderman - Erebia Kindermanni

The Center for Coordination and Management of the Altai Reserve is located at the address: 649000, Russia, Gorno-Altaisk, Naberezhny lane, 1.

ALTAIC
reserve

Location and history of the Altai Reserve

The reserve was officially established in 1932, although the need for its creation was from 1920. For almost 12 years, the government of the country could not determine the size of the reserve, as a result, its actual area was more than 1.3 million hectares. In 1951, it was liquidated due to the difficulties of logging. After 7 years, it was restored, but with significant territorial losses. Some time later, in 1961, the reserve was liquidated for the second time and after 6 years it was restored again. To date, the area of ​​the reserve is 881,238 hectares. The Altai Reserve is located in the central and eastern parts of Altai, including the water area of ​​Lake Teletskoye. High ridges are located along the boundaries of the reserve, most of them are characterized by high-mountainous alpine relief with narrow ridges and sharp peaks, the rest have high- and medium-mountain slightly dissected relief. Most of the rivers of the reserve begin on the Abakansky and Shapshalsky ridges, they cross the entire territory in width. Among the most long rivers the rivers Chulcha (98 km), Bogoyash (58 km), Shavla (67 km), Chulyshman (241 km, 60 km in the reserve) are distinguished. Most of the river valleys have steep, forested slopes. The rivers of the reserve are very picturesque, more than ten have waterfalls, the height of which varies from 6 to 60 km. The most beautiful and largest is considered "Impregnable" on the river. Chulche. The main part of the lakes is located in the highlands, there are 1190 of them in the reserve, the largest is in the Dzhulukul basin and bears the same name. The most beautiful lake in Altai is Lake Teletskoye with surrounding mountains and dark coniferous taiga, its length is 78 km, and its area is only 232 km2, but it contains 40 billion cubic meters. m of pure fresh water.

Nature of the Altai Reserve

The climate is continental in nature, due to the position of the reserve near Asia, but in different parts climatic conditions are not the same. For example, in the northern part, summers are warm and humid, average temperature+ 16.0 0С in July, winters are snowy and mild (the average January temperature is 8.7 0С), while in the southeastern part the temperature drops to -50 0С in winter, and to 30 0С in summer. The soil cover of the reserve is diverse. It varies from chernozem - along the steppe slopes to acid cryptopodzolic - in the taiga. More than 20% of the area is covered with scree, pebbles and rocks. Vegetation is represented by steppes, mountain forests(fir, cedar, larch, spruce forests), subalpine shrubs and woodlands, meadows and mountain tundra. In the reserve there are plants listed in the Red Book: from mushrooms - double net-bearer, umbrella griffon, coral blackberry, girl's umbrella mushroom; from lichens - lobaria pulmonary and reticulate, bordered stikta; from bryophytes - Krylov's campillium.

1480 species of vascular plants are known on the territory of the reserve. Dahurian goldenrod is common in meadows and forests throughout the entire reserve. Of the specially protected, there is a majestic dendrathema - a semi-shrub with white and lilac inflorescences-baskets, found on the rocks of the coast of Lake Teletskoye and the right bank of Chulyshman. Among the cereals, sphagnum fescue, fluffy oatmeal, fragrant alpine spikelet, meadow foxtail are common, the most rare are Kitagava's snake, Sobolevsky's bluegrass, Mongolian oatmeal, Vereshchagin's reedgrass, as well as feather grass and Zalessky. In the meadows and glades there are rare species from the orchid family, listed in the Red Book - Lezel's liparis, Baltic palmate root, helmet-bearing orchis, real and large-flowered lady's slipper, leafless chin. Of the specially protected, there are the Altai onion, used for harvesting, Martyanova's volodushka and the vesicular arthropod - recently appeared plants, Altai rhubarb, widely used in breeding. Such a rare species as the amazing bedstraw, which is found only in the reserve, and the Siberian brunner, which does not grow in other reserves. Real and meadow steppes are the most common in the reserve. Real steppes are common on gentle slopes. Look especially interesting in early spring purple flowers shot of the dubious against the background of dry, yellowed grass, bathed in the rays of the first sun. Forests are mainly conifers. Larch forms sparse forests, sometimes there are separate, lonely standing trees in the highlands. Cedar forms dense stands in the reserve and is the main tree species. Siberian spruce and Scotch pine do not play in the reserve leading role, but their stands are sometimes found along river banks and sphagnum bogs. Silver birch and common aspen are typical for the Teletets region, they are also found on steep slopes and in the depths of the taiga, where there has never been clearings. Meadow vegetation is extremely rare in forests, upland meadows can be seen in separate areas, and low-lying meadows developed in floodplains occupy a small area. Only in certain areas of the Abakan Range, the upper reaches of the Chulcha and the right bank of the Shavla, subalpine meadows are well represented, distinguished by their colorfulness and variegation. The soils of the dwarf birch-moss tundra are completely covered with mosses, creating the effect of a carpet creeping underfoot. Stony and gravelly tundra occupy the largest area of ​​the highlands. Swamp plants occupy insignificant areas of the reserve, since real swamps are extremely rare. But on the territory of the reserve there are many lakes, rivers, streams, but they are not rich in aquatic vegetation.

Animals of the Altai Reserve

The fauna of the reserve includes 73 species of mammals, 310 birds, 6 reptiles and 2 amphibians. The specially protected insects of the Altai Reserve include only the Pravdin Galloisiana, which lives under stones in coniferous-small-leaved forests. The Red Book includes Apollo, Phoebus, Gero's sennitsa, swallowtail, as well as Eversmann's Apollo and the butterfly blue ribbon.

There are 16 species of fish in the reserve. Pike, perch and burbot live in Lake Teletskoye. Along the coast of Lake Teletskoye there are gobies that feed on burbot. The most common species in water bodies is the grayling. The largest fish in the reserve is the taimen, and the smallest, the Pravdina whitefish, does not exceed 20 g in weight from the salmon family. Through the thin ice in November at the mouth of the Chulyshman, you can see a flock of fish, called the Teletsky dace. If frightened off, she swims to the most small places and rolls over on its side, moving between the ice and the bottom.

All kinds of amphibians and reptiles of the reserve are found in the Chulyshman valley. moor frog common for the reserve, but it lives much higher than in other places, so if in Altai - from 400 to 1800 m, then in the reserve it is found at an altitude of 2140 m. The steppe viper is quite rare, but the viviparous lizard and common viper are widespread everywhere .

The bird fauna includes 311 species, of which more than 50 species are listed in the Red Book of the Altai Republic. The black-throated diver lives near large fishless reservoirs, and the red-necked grebe can be seen on thermokarst lakes. On the islands of Lake Dzhulukul, colonies of great cormorants and herring gulls nest among large boulders. Various types of ducks are found throughout the reserve: goose geese live in the most remote corners, and ordinary geese descend to the Kamginsky or Kyginsky bays during autumn migrations, filling the area with their cackle. On Lake Teletskoye at this time you can meet kluuknov swans. Of the 28 species of diurnal birds of prey, 9 are included in the Red Book of Russia - golden eagle, steppe eagle, bearded vulture, peregrine falcon, saker falcon, osprey and black vulture. Almost everywhere there are small falcons, black kite and common buzzard, in the forest zone - goshawks and sparrowhawks. There are 10 species in the reserve chicken birds and so many waders. Partridges feed on the seeds of cereals and other herbaceous plants, capercaillie lives in the taiga, the number of hazel grouse is greatest at an altitude of 1200 to 1400 m above sea level. The quail population has unfortunately declined over the past 40 years. From the middle of May, the voice of the cuckoo is usually heard and deaf. There are 7 species of woodpeckers in the Teletsky region: yellow woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker, big motley white-backed, gray-haired and small motley are distributed evenly throughout the territory, and only the wryneck appears in early May.

The Siberian mole lives in the valleys up to the subalpine zone. In the northern half of the reserve in the caves are common the bats. From the order of rodents there are forest and gray voles, in settlements – gray rats and common hamster. ubiquitous common squirrel and the Asian chipmunk. From predatory mammals wolves and foxes are common. Wolves live along the eastern shore of Lake Teletskoye and in the lower part of the Chulyshman basin, in winter they feed on deer, and in summer on rodents, birds and their clutches. Foxes are found in the southern part of the reserve. In the sun on the slopes of Lake Teletskoye from April to May they roam brown bears and eat insects and the remains of deer after winter. The number of badgers for the reserve is small, and the otter is a rarity. Wolverine is the strongest and most agile animal that lives in the forest zone, feeds on the remains of wolf prey, sometimes kills young deer. Sable is a valuable fur animal, for the sake of preserving the species of which the Altai Reserve was created. In 1930 it was almost completely exterminated. Currently, nothing threatens the sable population and it can be found throughout the reserve in forest lands and shrub tundra. The American mink has appeared in the reserve since the 1930s and now its traces can be found in the taiga. Of the ungulates, the deer are the most numerous, their number in the reserve is 2000 individuals. Moose are found throughout the reserve. Roe deer enough for today rare species, but its numbers are currently growing. Since 1970, a wild boar entered the territory of the reserve from Tuva and successfully settled there, its number is increasing every year.