Animal world of Ossetia. Nature of North Ossetia. Animals listed in the Red Book of the Caucasus

Olga Gazzaeva
Red Book of North Ossetia Alania

slide 2 Throughout his life, man hunted animals directly and destroyed their habitats, cut down forests, and polluted the environment. All this was a consequence of the fact that some species of animals began to disappear.

Over the past 400 years, 113 species of birds and 83 species of animals have disappeared from the face of the Earth through the fault of man.

Slide 3 In the middle of the twentieth century, the "Red Book" appeared - a list of rare and endangered animals, plants and fungi. Its mission is to protect rare and endangered species.

slide 5 The Red Book is an alarm signal and a set of data characterizing the situation with animals in trouble.

The tangible effect of the Red Book is determined not by its publication, but by the implementation of those ideas and provisions on which it is based.

All people must accept Active participation in that from year to year more number animal species was excluded from the Red Book.

slide 6 North Ossetia has a diverse flora and a great variety of animals and birds. This diversity includes rare animals listed in the international Red Book and the Red Book of Russia.

Chamois, or black goat. Currently, the Caucasus is the only region of its habitat in our country. Most readily chamois inhabit the elevated forest belts, in summer they often rise even higher into the mountains. If she is too much annoyed below, she rises to rocky areas almost inaccessible to humans, from where she makes forays into mountain meadows between rocks in the early morning. In winter it descends into the woods. The natural enemies of chamois are lynxes, wolves and bears. Sometimes young chamois become prey for golden eagles. Danger for chamois is also presented by stones and fragments of rocks rolling down, as well as avalanches, in which, first of all, cubs die. In severe winters, many chamois become victims of starvation.

Slide 7 West Caucasian, or Kuban tour. The habitat of the Kuban tur is a small area, which has decreased over the years due to human impact. Especially for recent times the number of the West Caucasian tur fell. The number of these animals in the wild today is not large (10 thousand individuals).

Slide 8 Recently, snow leopards appeared in North Ossetia, which were brought in with the aim of restoring the population. Snow leopard or irbis is a characteristic representative of high rocky mountains. Due to the inaccessibility of habitats and the secretive lifestyle of the snow leopard, it is not known exactly how many of their individuals are left. Due to constant human persecution, the number of snow leopards is continuously declining. Poaching - hunting for the fur of the snow leopard has significantly reduced its population.

Slide 9 In the northeastern part of the Mozdok steppes lives corsac- a small steppe fox, agile, dexterous, beautiful. Korsak looks like red fox, but noticeably smaller, with larger ears and high feet. Its thick, light fawn fur is highly valued, but its keen sense of smell, excellent hearing, and eyesight make it difficult to hunt. Unlike ordinary foxes, corsacs keep far from human dwellings and do not hunt in sheds and poultry houses.

Slide 10 AT last years appeared in the republic mediterranean tortoise listed in the Red Book.

slide 11 The fauna of Ossetia includes ancient species that lived in broad-leaved tertiary forests. it belovezhsky bison. Bison is the heaviest and largest land mammals Europe and the last European representative of wild bulls.

slide 12 Through the territory of the republic passes the path of flight of many birds - the gray crane, as well as the steppe eagle and the imperial eagle (included in the Red Book Russian Federation).

steppe eagle Migratory in the north and resident in the south. Nests are arranged on the ground, small bushes and rocks, haystacks, less often on trees and power line poles. It feeds on rodents of medium size, mainly ground squirrels, also hares, small rodents, sometimes chicks of birds, willingly eats carrion, sometimes reptiles. Few species, the number continues to decline almost throughout the range.

slide 13 burial ground- eagle, large predatory bird. It hunts medium-sized game - ground squirrels, gerbils, marmots, small hares, some medium-sized birds.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the burial ground in Russia was simply called "eagle". The name "burial ground" appeared later, when scientists often met this eagle sitting in trees near cemeteries.

The main causes of extinction are the loss of suitable nesting sites due to economic activity human, mass extermination, death on power line supports, ruin of nests. In addition, the main food supply for eagles - ground squirrels and marmots - disappeared in a number of regions, which also affected the decrease in the number of these birds.

Slide 14 Gray crane. The population of the Common Crane is slowly declining. The main reason is considered to be a decrease in the area of ​​territories suitable for nesting. This problem is especially acute in Europe, the European part of Russia and Central Asia, where swamps are drained and dried up.

Although the common crane is not yet listed in the Red Book, but in the near future it will happen. Already in many countries domestic law banned the hunting of these birds.

Slide 15 Another rare bird that lives on the territory of Ossetia is the Bearded Dachshund. bearded man or lamb- a bird from the hawk family. Only a few dozen individuals of this very large bird, listed in the international Red Book, lives in our mountains.

slide 16 Of the most ancient inhabitants of the Earth - bats-in Ossetia noted 17 species. Of these, 2 are listed in the Red Book (giant evening and ordinary long-winged).

Evening gigantic- the largest bat in Europe and in Russia. Giant nocturnals settle in several individuals in hollows of trees, among colonies of other bats. Estimating the abundance of the giant nocturnal is difficult due to the peculiarities of the nocturnal lifestyle.

Special measures for the protection of the species have not been developed, since the nature of human impact on the abundance of the species is unclear. More precise studies are needed.

Slide 17 Common long-winged. Inhabits mountain-foothill regions, deserts and tropical forests. Shelters - caves, cracks in rocks, ruins, cellars, attics of buildings. Is under the threat of extinction. Significant population declines have been recorded in many habitats, and although population numbers are stable in the Balkans and Turkey, there is a degree of population decline throughout.

Slide 18 The world of insects is also diverse, full of secrets and amazing colors. Butterflies, bumblebees, grasshoppers and other insects adorn meadows and forests. Here you can see a rare odorous beetle, the Caucasian ground beetle from the Red Book.

Krasotel odorous- a large beetle. It is distinguished by beautiful golden-blue-green elytra and a pungent smell that the beetle emits in case of danger. The number is unknown. There is a direct dependence of the number of krasotel on the number of silkworm caterpillars and other leaf-eating insects that serve them as food.

Slide 19 Caucasian ground beetle. Recently, the number of the species has been decreasing and depends on the amount of precipitation and food (terrestrial molluscs, for example, snails). The number is declining due to uncontrolled fishing by collectors and vacationers.

In the 19th century, in some areas, the species was the subject of fishing, and was used in the manufacture of jewelry.

We got acquainted with some representatives of the Red Book in the territory of North Ossetia. It should be noted that in addition to insects, animals and birds, not a small number of plant species grow in our republic. But this is a topic for another work.

Slide 20 Thank you for your attention.

The following main species of wild animals live on the territory of the republic: deer, bison, tour, wild boar, roe deer, bear, hare, marten, fox, jackal, wolf, chamois

Biological resources of the land of the republic:

Plants.

The flora of the republic is diverse and is of great economic importance. Vegetation is represented by the main types characteristic of the Greater Caucasus and Ciscaucasia: steppe, forest-steppe, forest, upland xerophyte, subalpine, alpine, nitrazonal.

The flora consists of 4030 species, incl. algae - 300, lichens - 250, mosses - 122, vascular introducers - 471, vascular native species - 2437, fungi - 362 species, cultivated plants- 88. Such families as Asteraceae, Ranunculaceae, Mintaceae, Lamiaceae predominate - typical for Northern Eurasia: there are aroid, vervain, euphorbia families characteristic of the tropics. Of the largest genera, primacy belongs to sedges, astragalus, and saxifrage. There are families represented by 1-2 species: yew, ephedra, dogwood.

About 100 species of wild relatives of cultivated plants have been registered. Among them, 20 are endemic, 15 of which are very rare. With the reduction of the areas of wild-growing fruits, nuts, berries, fodder, melliferous herbs and others, these rare species are also being destroyed. There are plants that are unique to the area. Rare plant species are included in the Red Books of Russia and North Ossetia-Alania.

The assortment of medicinal plants is dominated by herbs, of which there are more than 130 species. More than 50 species of trees and shrubs are used in traditional and folk medicine, which, in addition to native species, also includes introduced species (mulberry, quince, sumac, etc.). There is a great opportunity in the republic for the procurement of environmentally friendly medicinal raw materials.

On a relatively small territory of the republic, animals characteristic of almost all regions of the Russian Federation live: from steppe species in the north to high-mountain species in the south. The habitat of 298 species of soil animals (terrestrial) was registered, among them more than 70 species were identified, classified as rare, requiring inclusion in the Red Book of North Ossetia-Alania.

Ecosystems are most saturated with rare animal species: mountain, steppe and floodplain. The mountains as a whole have retained their natural appearance, the floodplain ecosystems have been significantly changed, natural landscapes preserved in fragments, while the steppe ones are practically destroyed, transformed into agrocenoses.

In the forest zone, the felling of the main forest-forming species - oriental beech and uprooting of the pre-forest zone continues, which contributes to a decrease in the number of many species of wild animals. The plowing of the forest-meadow zone, burning stubble, burning and unauthorized, uncontrolled grazing in the forest led to the degradation of habitats and the destruction of the food base of the main species of wild animals.

Animals.

The main form of economic development of wild animals in the republic is hunting management, specialized in the protection, reproduction and rational extraction of hunting fauna objects. The total area of ​​hunting grounds and specially protected natural areas is 596.5 thousand hectares, of which 404.4 thousand hectares are assigned to game users and 192.1 thousand hectares are occupied by specially protected natural areas.

The following main species of wild animals live on the territory of the republic: deer, bison, tour, wild boar, roe deer, bear, hare, marten, fox, jackal, wolf, chamois.

Aquatic biological resources republics:

20 species of fish live in the natural fishery reservoirs of the republic: barbel, murzak barbel, blow, carp (carp), brook trout, rainbow trout, chub, grass carp, silver carp, crucian carp, perch, roach, bleak, verkhovka, bystryanka, catfish, pike, gudgeon, tench, lamprey. The main species that form the ichthyofauna are trout, barbel, and podust. In addition, such especially valuable fish species as kushum, Caspian salmon, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon rise to spawn from the Caspian Sea to the dam of the Tersko-Kuma hydroelectric complex. However, in recent years, the approach to spawning of sturgeon species has been difficult due to their predatory fishing on the territory of the Republic of Ichkeria, and especially near the Kargaly dam.

Fish resources of natural reservoirs have no commercial value, but are the basis of sports and recreational fishing.

Stocking plans are carried out by the Ardon fish factory through the cultivation of rainbow trout.

Since 1994 in the river. The Terek annually in March-April began to rise a new species for the reservoirs of Ossetia - kutum. Kutum is a semi-anadromous fish of the southern and southwestern basin of the Caspian Sea, belongs to the cyprinid family and has in the Caspian commercial value needs special protection. Spawns in spring collectors of the Mozdok region.

Floods cause great damage to fish stocks, because. fish, especially juveniles, are washed into the lower reaches of the Terek River. Rising to the upper reaches of habitats and spawning is impossible, because this is prevented by the dam of the Tersko-Kuma hydroelectric complex, the Maisky (KBR) and Elkhotovsky inter-republican main canals, which have large elevation differences from the upstream to the downstream. In addition, only the dam of the Elkhotovsky MMK has a fish passage, the construction of which was completed in 1997. Other dams do not have fish passages.

To view a presentation with pictures, design, and slides, download its file and open it in PowerPoint on your computer.
Text content of presentation slides: Nature, plants and animals of Ossetia Flora of Ossetia Genaldon gorge Alpine clover Belous Karmadon gorge Buttercups Primroses Anemones with forget-me-nots Poppies, bluebells Mountains Chizhdzhity-khokh Sage, sainfoin, thyme Small-leaved bellflowerCold-loving bell Smolevka Markovich Nomad blue Animal world of OssetiaMountain goats-tours Mountain turkey Fox Chamois From rodents to deciduous forests prevails wood mouse. The baby mouse, the Caucasian mouse and the dormice (forest and dormouse) are not numerous. The bush vole lives along the edges and bushes. More often the squirrel can be found in oak forests and hazel forests. The hare avoids solid forest areas and keeps along the edges and forest clearings. Of predators in deciduous forests, they are common pine marten and the American mink and raccoon dog acclimatized in 1951. The otter, unfortunately, has practically disappeared, only single and irregular visits to the reserve are noted. Marten Raccoon dog Mink Otter Wall climber Most mass view beech forests - blackbird. The song thrush and robin are also numerous. BlackbirdSinging Thrush Robin Wren is also common here, especially willingly inhabiting moist forests in the floodplains of rivers and streams, but unlike thrushes and robins, it also nests in higher belts, up to rock masses at the Tsey glacier. Wren The woodpecker (5 species) and the tit are characteristic of the forest belt: the great tit, the moskovka, the long-tailed tit. The bearded vulture and the vulture nest. Griffon vultures are often found, and some black vultures are known. Nesting of these birds has not been recorded. Vulture Bearded Vulture The floodplains of Ardon and Fiagdon are distinguished by a special complex of birds. Here, the Caucasian shrike nests in the thickets of wild rose and sea buckthorn. Among the grass in stony soil, the carrier oystercatcher nests. Dipper is found everywhere along rivers and streams, from the highlands to the plain. AT in large numbers gray cranes, steppe eagles, buzzards, black kites fly by. Imperial eagles, white-tailed eagles, field harriers, sparrow hawks and goshawks, kestrels, mute swans, gray geese also fly, different types herons. Quail, golden bee-eaters, woodcocks, etc. overcome the axial ridges of the Caucasus in large flocks. Steppe eagle Yellow-bellied snake. The number is declining - "Yellow Page". Non-hazardous to humans and a very beautiful inhabitant of the steppe belt. Its uniqueness lies in the ability to quickly (up to 4 km per hour) move through any terrain: rocky, ravine, overgrown with shrubs. It also dexterously moves through the trees and in the water. Able to jump high. He likes to settle along the steep banks of the steppe rivers. Its main food is rodents, birds and lizards, less often it eats amphibians, snakes, large insects. The main reason for the decrease in numbers is the undershirt of the steppes. Often dies when meeting with people. Machaon. The number is declining - "Yellow Page". It occurs in small groups in the steppe and alpine belts. Extraordinarily beautiful and bright diurnal butterfly, whose wingspan reaches 7 cm. It pollinates flowering clover and other meadow plants. Gives two generations a year: in spring and summer. Caterpillars are yellow-green, with black and orange spots, live on various types umbrella plants and feed on them. The causes of death are degradation of pastures and capture by collectors-entomologists. Caucasian river otter. Disappearing view - "Red Page". This is a medium-sized predatory animal that lives in the river. Terek on the territory of the Mozdok region of the republic. The otter has a wonderful shiny and absolutely waterproof skin. The main food of the otter is fish, but it is not an enemy, but a friend of the fisherman, as it cleans water from weakened and sick fish, acting as a nurse. A decrease in the number of otters in a river is usually accompanied by a decrease in fish stocks in it. Among the reasons for the decrease in the number of otters in our republic are hunting, pollution of water bodies, lack of food. Caucasian grouse. The number is declining - "Yellow Page". Like all grouse, the Caucasian grouse is a master of beautiful mating games, which are called currents. Starting from May, elegant red-browed males can show off for hours in front of modest gray females, proving their superiority over other males. at the top of the forest. It feeds on berries and shoots of blueberries, lingonberries, clover leaves, and in spring - birch buds. Nests are built on the ground, they are often trampled down by cattle or ruined by shepherd dogs and people. Black vulture. Disappearing view - "Red Page". Occasionally observed RNO-A over Lesistoy, Pasture basins. Very large (weight up to 12 kg., wingspan up to 3 meters), beautiful with dense plumage, scavenger bird. The main food is fallen cattle, therefore vultures are called predators, not sowing death, but waiting for its arrival. They eat all the corpses of animals that get in their way, which they can easily see even from a height of 3-4 cm. Bison. The number is recovering - "Green Pages" These are very beautiful, large (up to 1 ton in weight) calm herbivores. Once upon a time there were a lot of them in the mountains of Ossetia, but people completely exterminated them. They began to breed again and now their number is 70 heads. They live in the State Nature Reserve, located in the Alagir district. Roe. Small deer. Males have small double-branching horns. The coloration is dark red in summer, gray-brown in winter, with a white spot in the tail area; the tail is very small. In the western part of the Palearctic, the European roe deer (Latin Capreolus Capreolus) is common, further to the east lives the Siberian roe deer (Latin Capreolus pygargus), which differs more large size(shoulder height over 80 cm) and large, widely spaced, strongly tuberculate horns. The roe deer is a valuable hunting (commercial in Siberia) animal. Lives in deciduous and mixed forests and in open areas along the bushes, typical for the forest-steppe, in the mountains it rises to a strip of eternal snow. Vulture. Total population in Russia 65-70 pairs, of which in Krasnodar Territory- 4-5 pairs, in Stavropol Territory- 30 pairs Several pairs seem to breed in the Rocky Ridge system. North Ossetia and in the foothill and mountain districts of Dagestan. Probably nests in the Elbrus region. A population is characterized by the presence of groups of individuals that do not participate in reproduction. In the Krasnodar Territory, from 7 to 22 individuals were noted in such groups, and most of the birds were sexually mature. The reduction of the range and number of the species occurs as a result of the economic development of nesting habitats, direct destruction. Recently, in some districts (for example, in the Western Caucasus), the trophic conditions for the habitat of the vulture have deteriorated significantly due to the reduction in pastoral cattle breeding and a decrease in the number of cattle burial grounds. catchy appearance and less caution compared to other necrophagous birds of prey determines the vulnerability of vultures as potential victims of illegal shooting. The eagle owl is one of the largest owls in the world. The sizes of males vary geographically from 50 cm and 1100 g to 65 cm and 2800 g, females are larger: 60-75 cm and 1700-4200 g. The wingspan is from 160 to 188 cm. two back. This helps the eagle owls to grab prey easily. Sometimes, for comfortable sitting on a branch or perch, the third finger of a bird can turn forward. The intensity of the dark plumage pattern is different, a thin transverse ripple on the belly and black wide longitudinal streaks on the chest and neck are characteristic. In nature, eagle owls live up to 20 years or more, in in captivity - up to 60. Owl - one of the most common representatives of owls in Russia. It is second in size only to the fish owl. The eagle owl is easily identified by its size, dark beak, paws pubescent to the claws and feather ears tilted outward. It differs from the fish owl in a more saturated pigmentation of plumage and iridescent eyes, feathered paws and silent flight. The eagle owl is characterized by deep and measured flapping of wide wings. As a rule, this bird flies slowly over the ground, looking for prey, alternating flapping flight with short gliding. Eagle owls living in mountains and gorges can use ascending air currents and soar for a long time, describing circles in height, but such a flight is not characteristic of it . If necessary, the eagle owl is able to fly at a speed sufficient to easily overtake the crow. He also has the ability to develop full speed almost instantly, from the first stroke. Sitting down to rest on a tree or the ground, keeps the body upright. Yew berry. Its number is declining - "Yellow Page". Surprisingly beautiful and valuable relic (very ancient) coniferous plant, can live up to 3000 years. Some trees growing in the Caucasus are about 1500 years old. It differs from other conifers in that the seeds do not ripen in cones, but in special bright red formations resembling berries, hence its name - "berry". It has a very dense reddish wood that does not rot for centuries. For this it is called the "non-pus-tree." High-quality yew wood from ancient times to the present is used by people in construction, the manufacture of furniture and household items, is one of the reasons for the reduction of its reserves in North Ossetia-Alania. Yew grows as single trees or small groves on the Wooded, Pasture and northern slopes of the Rocky Range. Intermediate hoof. Rare view - "White Page". A very interesting relic plant with evergreen leaves resembling a horse's hoof print in shape. It grows in shady forests, rarely found in lighted places. Blooms in early spring with red-brown flowers. Remarkable in that it has the taste and smell of black pepper. Is poisonous, but also medicinal plant, folk healers used it to treat heart disease. In North Ossetia-Alania, wild hoof is known only in places: on the Forest Range near the city of Vladikavkaz, and in the vicinity of the village of Bekan (at the foot of the southern slope of the Zmeysky Mountains). Snowdrop narrow-leaved. Its number is declining - "Yellow Page". It occurs only in the North Caucasus. It grows in deciduous forests, among shrubs and along the edges in the mountains and foothills of the republic (in the Zmeysky mountains, on the Woody, Pasture, Rocky and Side Ridges). Very beautiful early spring plant with a delicate aroma. It begins to bloom in February - March, when the snow has not yet melted, and when warm winter– already in January. Disappears due to the massive collection of flowering plants, mainly for sale. To save the plants, such collection must be completely stopped. It can be grown as an ornamental garden plant. In the Red Book of North Ossetia-Alania there are 3 more types of snowdrop: Caucasian, Lagodekhi and broad-leaved. Ossetian bell. The number is declining - "Yellow Page". This very beautiful fragile plant with pale purple flowers can only be found in the Central and Eastern Caucasus. Possesses amazing ability settle on sheer limestone cliffs, sometimes found in mountain meadows. Distributed in the republic on the Rocky Range, less often on the Pasture Range, from the river. Urukh to the upper reaches of the river. Kambileevka at an altitude of 700 to 2400 m above sea level. Another 6 species of bluebell are included in the Red Book of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania: Ardon, Dolomite, and others. Their numbers are restored with great difficulty, and therefore the preservation of these wonders of our flora is especially important. Top 10 beautiful places OssetiaTseyskoe gorge Skazsky glacier Midagrabinskie waterfalls Mamison gorge Male Orthodox monastery Tsmiti Combat fortress Dargavs Reservoir

Attached files

Despite all the diversity, there are those species of animals, birds and plants that are considered rare today. The reason, most often, is not a natural reduction of one or another species, but irrational, and even simply criminal human behavior in relation to flora and fauna. And, unfortunately, the Red Book of the Caucasus is replenished from time to time with the names of those representatives wildlife who needs to be protected and cared for.

Features of the flora and fauna of the Caucasus

It should be immediately clarified that, as such, the Red Book of the region has not yet even been approved. This is because it is made up of lists of protected plant and animal species by region - Dagestan, Stavropol Territory, etc.

The Caucasus is really diverse - and, in all manifestations. Here you can find a variety of landscapes, climatic zones and, of course, such animals and birds that are not found anywhere else. covered with snow and ice, and deciduous forests spread in the foothills. There are also alpine meadows here, as well as subtropics and even steppes.

Since the landscape looks multi-tiered, the region has its own originality. For example, those plants that usually grow in subtropical latitudes, can sometimes be found in the foothills, that is, in areas where you do not expect to meet this vegetation. This happens because of the relatively small area - after all, mountains and plains literally intersect here.

Many plants and animals from the Red Book of the Caucasus are endemic, that is, those species and subspecies whose distribution is very limited. There are also rare natural representatives belonging to endangered species.

Animals listed in the Red Book of the Caucasus

The world of the Caucasian fauna is striking in its diversity. The Red Book includes animals that are typical only for this region, but there are also those whose distribution can be observed in many other Russian territories. Here settle muskrats, roe deer, bears, lynxes, raccoon dogs, reed and forest cats, chamois, wolves, badgers.

There are also small representatives of the fauna like squirrels, voles and other rodents. Among the birds, one can list the imperial eagle, the Caucasian nuthatch, the tawny owl, the black woodpecker, not to mention the most common Russian pichugs.

What kind of animals and birds of the Red Book are under state protection? There are quite a lot of them, we will list some of them.

• Caucasian toad.

Amphibious, tailless squad. It is endemic to forests and southeastern Transcaucasia. In Russia, one of the largest toads, the size of males reaches 73.5-97 mm and the size of the female is 91.5-124 mm. Above the surface is gray or light brown with dark spots, and the belly is light brown or yellow color. The skin of this toad is poisonous, and it is covered with rounded tubercles. There are about 100 individuals per 1 ha of land.

• Bezoar goat.

An artiodactyl mammal belonging to the bovid family lives in the North Caucasus. They feed on herbaceous plants, leaves, shoots of trees and shrubs. This type of goat is little valued as a trophy, and is rarely used for dressing, but this does not reduce the interest of poachers in them. Hunting for them is a laborious process, as they keep close to the bottoms of the rocks. In recent years, poachers have become more active, and in connection with this, there is a sharp decrease in livestock. Protected in three reserves of Dagestan.

• giant mole rat

A mammal belonging to the order of rodents, the mole rat family. It is a rare species with small numbers and distributed in a limited area, endemic to the northeastern Ciscaucasia, protected in Dagestan and. The mole rat is the largest of the Georgians, body length is about 40 cm, lives in the clay and sandy deserts of the Caspian regions.

A feature of the mole rat is that he digs a hole not with his paws, but with his incisors, they are very well developed in him, especially the lower ones, protruding forward. At the same time, the mouth opening is always closed with lips wrapped inward, which is why the earth does not enter the mouth. The factors that influence the decrease in the population are: irrigation and subsequent soil salinization, overgrazing, plowing, as well as low reproductive potential of animals.

• Caucasian leopard.

Many people call him snow leopard, however, in fact, its name is - Persian leopard. A powerful and very beautiful animal, graceful, like other cats, is listed in the Red Book. The leopard is found in the North Caucasus, it usually settles in the foothills. Most often, the habitats of the Caucasian leopard are deciduous forests, where it hunts and rests.

This animal is extremely rare both for the Caucasus and for other territories. Worldwide, there are about 1300 individuals of this species. Perhaps it was with such a beast that Mtsyri fought in Lermontov's poem. Apparently, because of the beautiful skin, as well as the dangerous temper of the Caucasian leopards, they were ruthlessly exterminated, therefore, for example, in the whole of 2013, only one representative of leopards was noted. In Russia, a state program for the restoration of the Persian leopard has been adopted today.

• Bison.

This is one of the largest animals of the Caucasus, which are on the verge of extinction. Once upon a time, there was a whole subspecies of bison, which people hunted uncontrollably for centuries. As a result, by 1924 there were no more than 10 individuals, and three years later the subspecies became extinct. Currently, they are breeding European bison, which are the closest relatives of the disappeared Caucasian bison. These animals settle in the fore forests, without going deep into forests, but at the same time they try not to appear on flat places.

• Griffon Vulture.

A bird from the hawk family of the order Falconiformes. Belongs to a rare species with a limited distribution. Distributed along the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, lives in the mountains, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Georgia, and also lives in, but there it is on the verge complete disappearance. It mainly leads a sedentary lifestyle, nesting places are located on rocky cliffs along river valleys, or where mountain ranges converge with forests and meadows. They live in colonies of 30-50 individuals. The breeding cycle is 6 months, in laying 1 egg. It feeds on carrion, preferring their internal organs.

• Sharp-eared night.

This is a species of chiropteran mammals, its number is decreasing due to anthropogenic factors. In Russia, distributed throughout North Caucasus from the western regions Krasnodar Territory. The maximum life span of this animal is 13 years. It feeds on orthopterous and nocturnal butterflies. It lives in foothill treeless areas. They hibernate in dungeons, forming large clusters of individuals.

• Caucasian grouse.

It belongs to endemics and therefore is included in the Red Book. During the years of the USSR, the state did everything to increase the number of the species, and in 1984 the black grouse was assigned to category V, that is, to those species for which the danger of extinction has passed. However, even today the bird is quite rare. She settles on the border between alpine meadows and forests, usually nests in bushes.

Plants in need of state protection

Not only the fauna, but also the local flora needs protection. Many of the plants that are here are either endemic or on the verge of extinction due to the fact that for many years people considered them extremely useful and used them, preventing them from spreading. The plants of the Caucasus, listed in the Red Book, include:

• Wolfberry Baksan - a plant of the angiosperm or flowering class, a species that is endangered, a narrow-local endemic;
• Ossetian bell - from the family of bells, flowers purple. Grows on the territory of the republics of the Chechen Republic and Ossetia;
• The Caucasian lily is a vulnerable subspecies that grows in damp, shady places in forests. It grows on the northern and southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, also in;
• Pitsunda pine - an endemic race of the Black Sea coast, grows on steep coastal slopes;
• Yew berry from the section of voiceless, found mainly in the foothill forests (in the upper reaches of the river Netkhoy);
• Porphyry false birch (mushroom) - rare view from the family of cone-fungal plants, distributed in the Krasnodar Territory, on the territory of Georgia, found most often in coniferous and displaced forests;
• Letaria wolf from the lichen section, grows in North Ossetia and in, can also be found in the Stavropol Territory and in Karachay-Cherkessia, grows on tree trunks and branches conifers in mountain forests;
• Usnea blooming - a vulnerable species of lichen with a disjunctive range, used in the pharmaceutical industry;
• Crifea multidirectional refers to moss plants, grows on the bark of trees, reproduces by spores;
• Kostenets Dagestan - fern plant, rare species. Narrow-local endemic, grows in cracks in shadow rocks;
• Caucasian snowdrop - flowering plant. White snowdrop flowers are rare due to mass gathering for bouquets.

Consider some more plant species listed in the Red Book:

1. Caucasian cyclamen - small, but very beautiful plant, which is in danger of extinction because people collect these flowers for bouquets or dig them up for medicinal purposes. Feels good on the slopes of the mountains, as well as in the forests. bright coloring it is visible from afar. Man uses it to fight disease digestive system, despite the fact that cyclamen is a poisonous plant.
2. Veronica Imeretian. Veronica's pyramids of inflorescences attract the eye with their brightness. It grows closer to forests, it "likes" meadows with good moisture.
3. Adiantum venus hair. It is found in rock crevices closer to streams and springs, as well as along river banks or near waterfalls. It belongs to the class of ferns. Its stems are quite thin and long, completely covered with small openwork leaves. Adiantum looks very elegant, so most often this plant is used for floral decoration of the holidays.

Of course, this is not the whole list of animals and plants that are on the verge of extinction. In the category "" we will acquaint you in more detail with the fauna and flora protected by the state.