Sohondinskiy reserve: climate, flora and fauna

One of the best places in Russia is the Sohondinsky Reserve, which is located in the Southern Transbaikalia. It is remarkable for the unique atmosphere of the wild nature of this region. The Sohondinsky Reserve of the Trans-Baikal Territory is designed to preserve and study endemics, as well as to protect the territory.

Goals and objectives of the reserve

The main objectives of the reserve are:

• The protection of the territory is needed primarily to preserve and multiply the number of rare animals;
• The study of wildlife and the maintenance of the "Annals";
• Ecological monitoring of the area;
• Ecological education;
• Training of new scientists and specialists in the field of nature protection.

Due to the fact that most of the territory is not practical man-friendly, nature has retained its original appearance. His virginity and interesting Sohondinsky Reserve, the description of which does not lend itself to words. Here, too, many Transbaikalian rivers originate from the basins of the Pacific and the Arctic Oceans.

Short story

It is generally believed that the Sohondinsky Reserve was founded in 1973. In 1772, Sokhondo climbed the Sokolov ascent. There he collected many plants and passed them on to Russian science. Due to this, a lot of endemics were discovered, which are characteristic only for this area. Subsequently, the herbarium was transferred for study to English scientists. Flora was also engaged in Turchaninov, who collected valuable collections. Unfortunately, the notes left together with the Great Patriotic War.

In 1856 GI went to study the fauna on the char. Radde. He noted that six altitude belts were observed on the terrain.

The research of the Altano-Kirinskaya depression and the Hentei-Chikoy highland was conducted by Professor V.I. Smirnov. He collected a rather large herbarium, which later moved to St. Petersburg University and is located there until our time.

In 1914 the study of the flora involved PN. Krylov and L.P. Sergievskaya, whose herbaria have joined the ranks of Tomsk University.

UNESCO in 1985 assigns the reserve status "Biosphere Reserve".

Physico-geographical features

This reserve includes the Sokhondin, Balbasni and Sopkoyan char. The area is simply huge. The Sokhondinsky mountain range itself has a length of almost 20 kilometers, and its width is 14 kilometers. The entire territory is located on the periphery of the Hentei-Chikoy Highlands. This char has two peaks: the height of the Great (2500.5 meters) and the Small (2404 meters). The pass between the peaks is at a 2000 meter height. On the southwestern part of the massif is Tsagan-Ula. And in the west, the Sohondinsky Reserve borders on the Dzheromaltai-Ingodinskaya depression, which is famous for its mineral water.

Climate

The climate in the Sohondinsky Reserve is sharply continental. Winter is dry and little snow. The average monthly temperature in January ranges from 22 ° C to 28 ° C, depending on the height. However, at the tops it reaches minus 50 ° C.

Summer is very short and even then there can be frosts with abundant snow. The temperature is kept to plus 14 ° C. A hot month is July. The total average annual temperature is about minus 1.9 ° С. The average amount of precipitation a year falls on the order of 430 mm.

Climatic conditions are quite severe, but many representatives of flora and fauna feel quite comfortable. The Sohondinsky Reserve in Russia is one of the richest in the variety of living organisms.

Mammals

The uniqueness of the Sokhondinsky Reserve is indicated by large differences in the plane and temperatures, as a result of which a large number of varieties of flora and fauna are isolated. Here you can find a fox, a sable, a brown bear, a squirrel, a hare, etc.

Among the most interesting animals one can note Siberian musk deer. This is a small cloven-hoofed animal, resembling a deer in appearance. Characteristic features of this specimen: dense brown or brown wool, sharp thin hooves, the absence of horns, male long fangs peep out from under the upper lip, as well as the abdominal gland producing musk. The house of the musk deer is the beautiful Sokhondinsky nature reserve.

Where is he? As mentioned above, the reserve is located in the Southern Transbaikalia. Siberian musk deer live at an altitude of 600-900 meters. Jumps such a small animal very quickly and is able to change the trajectory of flight in flight by 90 °. It feeds on land lichens, fir needles and cedar, horsetails and other plant foods.

On the territory you can find an ermine - it's a small furry animal of the family of cunies. His body weight varies from 70 to 260 g. He has a long neck, a triangular head and small round ears. Color winter white. It feeds on small rodents, and prefers to live alone. A site of a small animal is distinguished by a liquid which are allocated from glands. Gornostai lives mostly in burrows, but he does not dig them himself, preferring to occupy the houses of the rodents they killed. The predator is very brave and bloodthirsty. In critical situations, it can attack a person, despite their size.

The most dangerous predators on the territory of the reserve are red wolves, which belong to the dog family. The beast is large with a body length of 76-110 cm. Weight is up to 20 kg. They have a shortened muzzle, high-set eyes and large standing ears. Color red with a black tail. Lives in a flock from 5 to individuals. The food goes to rodents and small herbivores. Although a large flock can also hunt large individuals. Predators are not aggressive. A man is avoided. Because of the peculiarities of the sounds they make, they were called "singing mountain wolves".

The listed special animals, unfortunately, fell into the Red Book. The Sohondinsky Reserve is home to more than 10 species of animals that are on the verge of extinction. For this reason, many areas of the territory are closed to humans.

In addition to the above, I also want to mention gophers, marmots, jerboas and mole rats.

Birds

There are more than 125 families of birds. Inhabitants of the taiga area are represented by pale and motley thrush, gray-headed oatmeal, stone wood grouse, buzzard, owl filbert. In the mountainous part of the taiga you can find a white partridge, a mountain horse, a devil, a Siberian finch, a pika, etc. Near the forest lakes there is a rather large variety of birds. Among them, a gray crane, a black stork, a black-throated loon, a red-necked grebe, a red-headed duck, a coot, and others.

Fish

Taimen lives in rivers and flowing cold-water lakes. In the sea does not come out. Due to the huge commercial importance, there were a few individuals, due to which they are listed in the Red Book. Taimen is the largest species of the salmon family. The length can reach up to 2 meters, and weighs up to 90 kg. It lays about 20 thousand eggs at a time.

Another exclusively freshwater resident is burbot. Body long, round, with sides compressed at the edges. Color has the color of the soil and changes with age. It becomes more active as the temperature decreases.

Also on the territory there are Siberian grayling, rotan or head, Amur pike and minnow.

Plants

The plant world is very rich and is represented by high-mountain tundra, small-leaved forests, deciduous and mountain-pine. 923 representatives of higher vascular were recorded. More than 71 species of plants and fungi in the reserve are protected. Thanks to such plants, such as the catchment of glandular, the gentian cold, the large-flower serpentine, rhodiolum and the four-pronged rhodiolus, the single-branched rhododendron, the landscape becomes truly picturesque.

Gymnosperms are represented by Siberian pine, cedar stlant, Siberian fir, spoon-juniper and Siberian spruce. In the reserve are closely located forests of related trees - it is larch Gmelin (Daurian) and Siberian.

Reptiles and freshwater

These categories of animals are not so numerous. Sokhondinsky Reserve - the house of a patterned stork, an ordinary shield-moss, an ordinary ghaz, an ordinary viper and a viviparous lizard. These reptiles took root in this reserve because of the adaptability to the given climatic environment.

Representatives of freshwater animals are even smaller. Although there are reservoirs and there are many of them, however, the variety of this class of animals is not affected. Here there are only Siberian angulars, Siberian and sharp-pointed frogs. These three species are exhausted.

How to get to the reserve?

A tourist who has never visited the Sokhondinsky Reserve, for sure, does not know how to get there. For this purpose there are special tourist routes. The beginning is located in the village of Kyra. The length of the routes depends on the level and places visited: from 3 km to 80 km. Large trips can take a week.

The most famous route is called the "Path of Pallas". He exactly repeats the route of the discoverer Sokolov. This path requires several days, and its length is 70 kilometers. It begins with the lowlands of the Sochondo char in the highlands. During this time, travelers can observe all the transitions of mountainous latitudes and the magnificence of the diversity of flora and fauna.

Tourists are very fond of this route to the Sohondinsky Reserve of the Trans-Baikal Territory. Photos and images of these localities are simply breathtaking in its colorfulness and variety. Trails for visitors - this is only a tiny part of the entire territory of the reserve. There are also places where access is prohibited. This is partly a precautionary measure, as rare animals become less and less, and to keep them is everyone's duty.

If there is a desire to visit picturesque areas with a wide variety of animals and plants, then trekking to the Sohondinsky Reserve is an ideal solution. No one can remain indifferent to such a nature.