Juniper tree Shesharis: description, nature and location

Shesharis juniper woodlands is a unique Russian botanical monument, created by nature itself. This is a pearl, which the Krasnodar Territory and the entire country are proud of. The value of the reserve from the point of view of science, ecology (and not only) is difficult to overestimate.

Shesharis juniper woodlands: the geography of the botanical monument

The Botanical Monument is located two kilometers to the south-east of the resort town of Novorossiysk. The rarer forest occupies the southern part of the slopes of the Markotkh Range and refers directly to two forest ranges: Sheskharis and Kabardin (Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik inter-forest farms, respectively).

The total area of the reserve is 997 hectares. It is located at an altitude of 736 meters above sea level. The relief of this area is marked by pronounced intersection. The soils here are brown, humus-calcareous, characterized by low power and high susceptibility to erosion.

Climate

The Sheshariskoye forest tree is located in a territory dominated by a dry Mediterranean climate. The average temperature for the year here reaches a mark of plus 12.7 degrees Celsius. The number of frosty days is about 135, and in the rest of the thermometer the temperature rises above zero. During the year, about 768 millimeters of precipitation falls.

Trees and Shrubs

The vegetation world of the reserve is extremely rich and diverse. Especially a lot of shrubs and trees. Lower areas (up to two hundred meters above sea level) are "populated" with a hold-tree, a fluffy oak, a grabber, etc. Almost twice as high are the juniper forests, consisting of three types of juniper. Among them, red, smelly and tall. The last two have been preserved since ancient times. They are very rare, common only in the northern part of the Black Sea coast and are listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Shesharis juniper woodlands On its southern slopes is characterized by sparsity. The soils here are limestone, the slopes are steep. They grow juniper-shorty, the highest of which reaches about four and a half meters. These are the old "inhabitants" of the reserve, they are mostly for one hundred and forty years. In general, the average growth of juniper is six meters, the age varies from sixty to one hundred and seventy years, and the diameter of the trunk is from 20 to 30 cm.

The role of the undergrowth is often performed by shrub jasmine, cotoneaster, tannin leather, viburnum-gouged, plants from the group of frigans, tomillars, etc. It is not uncommon on the slopes of the Markotkh ridge - ostepenennye types of juniper, which resemble park vegetation. Of great interest among the botanists is the Penaya Slit, where the pitsunda pine flaunts next to the juniper .

Herbs

Juniperberry woodlands Shesharis - this is also Klondike herbs, which are represented here more than fifty species. Among them, one can find either the monkey orchis and small-dotted, the iris is low, the crane is real, the bell of Komarova, the okrug of the Caucasus, the foxtail vaginalis, the fibrous feces, the multifaceted phybium, the borax tulip, the Crimean carrot, the pontic, the polecat hunter, the astragalus bubbly, the short- Crested, tulip Shrenka, asphodelin the Crimean and others. The lower tier of the reserve looks especially picturesque in May, when many of the above herbs bloom.

The value of the reserve

Juniper forests of Shesharis is not in vain a reserve, which is subject to state protection. Its meaning is enormous, from which side you look.

• This object is water-regulating - deforestation will lead to a violation of the water regime throughout the region.
• Trees protect against soil damage, which is especially prone to erosion.
• Juniper is indispensable in pharmaceuticals (medicine), perfume (essential oils) and even the food industry (it produces spices for fish and canned meat).
• Green plantations seriously "revitalize" the air, releasing a significant amount of volatile substances, which have bactericidal and antifungal effects.
• Some representatives of the flora of the woodlands of Sheskharisky are of great interest for science, since they are relic. Their "roots stretch" even in the period of the Tethys ocean existence. These plants are listed in the Red Book, they must be protected as the apple of the eye.

And of course, we should not discount the aesthetic value of the reserve, which is one of the most picturesque corners of Russia. The nature here is preserved almost in its original form, which attracts tourists from different parts of the country to the territory of Mozhzhevelovy woodlands.

Tourism

Among the cities that are adjacent to the reserve "Shesharis juniper woodlands" - Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk. It is quite natural that many tourists who have a rest on these Black Sea resorts are eager to see the natural pearl. In addition, on the top of the slope there is an observation deck, from which a magnificent view opens on the bay of Gelendzhik and the city itself. This further increases the flow of guests. The reserve organizes regular excursions, which include not only holidaymakers, but also students of schools and students of the region.

Juniperberry woodlands Shesharis: ecological conditions of the Botanical Reserve

Meanwhile, the ecological situation in the reserve leaves much to be desired. Neighborhood with large resort centers negatively affects the "health" of the woodlands. Plants are destroyed as a result of cuttings, fires and numerous buildings. Local residents strive to graze on the territory of the cattle reserve, campers leave garbage after themselves ... And if in the near future the situation does not change, the consequences for the reserve will be irreversible.

In addition to powerful anthropogenic impact, various diseases, age-related drying of plants and pests, in particular a juniper mole, play a negative role. As a result, valuable juniper rocks are becoming less and less; They die, and they are replaced at best by deciduous trees.

The Shesharissa tree spruce forest today is in serious danger. And this situation requires cardinal action. If nothing is done, Russia risks losing one of its most important natural attractions.

How to save a natural pearl?

Shesharis juniper woodlands, the description of which is given above, de jure is a reserve, but de facto - a "courtyard". Experts argue that to save the pearl, even in the form that it has now, will allow decisive and unpopular actions. Namely: the cessation of any work (except research) on the territory of the recreational zone, the complete closure of the road-track system, as well as the immediate restoration of already damaged areas. All this, probably, will bring certain inconveniences to the owners of the tourist business, but it will be possible to preserve the picturesque reserve, the value of which can not be overestimated.