State natural biosphere reserve "Khankaisky", Primorsky krai: description

In this article we want to talk about the "Khanka" nature reserve. It is located in the West Primorsky Plain of the Khanka, Chernigov, Khorol, Kirov, Spassky districts of Primorsky Krai. A reserve was established in 1990 in order to protect wintering and nesting sites for birds.

Location of the reserve

"Khankai" State Nature Reserve is located in the south-eastern part of Primorsky Krai, on the shores of Lake Khanka, near the Russian-Chinese border.

The territory of the biosphere reserve is dominated by grassy swamps with meadows. Altogether, there are forty-eight species of mammals, and four of them are generally listed in the Red Book of Russia. The reserve "Khankaisky" has an area of more than 39,000 hectares. Here came the water area of the great fresh lake Khanka, which is surrounded by fairly extensive grassy swamps.

The coastal lands of Lake Khanka are rich in marsh, meadow and forest vegetation, the most important are herbaceous meadows and swamps. The coast is covered with numerous thickets of reeds, sedges, and meadow grasses.

But as for forest plants, they have a fragmentary character. Most of them are concentrated on Luzanova hill. In this area grow aspen, Mongolian oaks, limes, velvet.

History of the creation of the protected area

As far back as 1971, Lake Khanka and adjoining territories were recognized as aquatic lands of international importance. The very idea of creating a protected area appeared in the twenties of the last century. And only in 1990 the reserve "Khankaisky" was created here - very young, you can even say that it is the youngest in the Primorsky Territory.

In April 1996, the governments of Russia and China signed an agreement on the establishment of the international reserve "Lake Khanka" on the basis of the Chinese protected area "Sinkai-Hu" and the Khanka Protected Areas.

A number of wildlife sanctuaries were organized on small marshes. One of them is the Sosnovy site. It was organized in 1965. There are also such reserves: "River" (1948), "Khanka" (1963), "Spassky" (1962).

It must be said that the entire protected area is divided into five completely isolated parts:

1. The plot is "Pine" with an area of 375 hectares.
2. Section "River". Its area is 12 494 hectares.
3. Plot "Melgunovsky" with an area of 300 hectares.
4. Site "Devil's Marsh". Its area is 16 641 hectares.
5. Section "Crane". Its area is 9479 hectares.

Climate

The Khankai Reserve is located in the monsoon climate zone. Therefore, there are large seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations here. Winter in this region is little snow, and spring is dry and cool, summer is rainy and warm. During the year precipitation falls very unevenly. The coldest month in the year is January, the temperature can drop to -20 degrees. But the warmest time is July, when the thermometer is set at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Soils

The Prihantian lowlands have an alluvial character. They are formed from lake sediments, mainly loams and clays. The bottom of the lake is covered with sand. On the elevated parts are loam. But on the plain territory marsh and semi-bog soils prevail. The peat horizon is not very large - no more than fifty centimeters. And under it is clay, which is a waterproof layer, which determines the marshiness of soils.

Nature reserve

As we have already said, the general protection zone of the "Khankaisky" reserve is, first of all, low-lying meadows with marsh and forest vegetation. The coast of the lake was overgrown with reeds and sedges. Trees grow mixed with shrubs. At the foot of the hills, you can see grasslands. There are very few forests. On the coast of the river Sungach you can see the areas of rare oak and ash wood. The eastern shore of Lake Khanka covers broad-leaved thickets. I must say that the flora of the reserve includes 712 varieties of vascular plants: 32 - tree species, 43 - shrubs, 3 - tree creepers, 9 - semi-shrubs, 625 - herbaceous plants.

Mires occupy about seventy percent of the protected areas. A characteristic feature of them is an uncomplicated structure. This is manifested in the fact that, as a rule, one or two marsh plants dominate , which completely cover the occupied area. There are four types of bogs: sedge, reed-sedge, coarse grass and cotton grass-sedge.

If we talk about big-bog swamps, they basically consist of reeds, cattails, wild rice, ara of the common. This is the first stage of the overgrowth of the reservoir. With the subsequent drainage, sedge, and then reed-sedge marshes develop, which subsequently change into reed meadows. It is these water bodies that are of great importance for waterfowl, who here find not only protection, but also the necessary food.

Meadows, in turn, are divided into two types: raw, moist. So, the grassland meadows make up less than one percent of the total area. They are located mainly on wetlands. Humidified abundantly or strongly. Typical plants for them are the skullcap, the narrow-leaved reed grass, the Langsdorff reed. Herbs here grow tall and thick.

But the Langsdorfinikovye meadows are concentrated on the marshy ground. There are only twelve species of plants. Cereals and meadow grasses also have no more than ten varieties of vegetation.

But vein-grass and meadow grasses are represented by twenty grasses, among them: a polecat, a vasilist, a narrow-leaved reed grass, a crane.

Birds of the reserve

The Khankai Reserve is a paradise for waterbirds and water birds. A total of 336 varieties are recorded here. In addition, there are six species of amphibians and seven species of reptiles, among them there is a well-known Far Eastern tortoise listed in the Red Book.

The reserve is very important in terms of nesting and seasonal migration of birds. In this region, there are 110 species of birds. Annually there are about 25 pairs of Japanese cranes here, 8 pairs of Duar cranes. The total number of each species of cranes reaches one hundred individuals. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Far Eastern storks, now they are nested to 25 pairs. During the mass spring flight of birds, Hanke stops up to 500 thousand varieties of ducks, geese and swans. In fact, this is an incredible sight. Just imagine what an incredible number of birds are concentrated at the same time within a single, even a large pond.

In Russia, only the "Khankaisky" Reserve nests the average white heron and the reed suture.

There are 69 species of fish in the nature reserve, 9 of them are listed in the Red Book. In the reservoirs of the reserved places, a small-scaled yellowfin, a perch-aucha, a black Amur bream, and also a som Soldatova spawn.

Animal world

"Khankai" nature reserve, whose animals differ in species diversity, can boast of very rare specimens. It should be noted that many rare species registered in the Red Data Book of Russia and the Red Data Book of Primorye have been registered on the territory of the nature protection zone, much more than in other reserves. The Khankaisky reserve occupies the first position among the nature protection zones of Primorsky Krai. Of the 112 rare animals of this region, 60 is found in the reserve.

There are also registered 45 species of mammals. The list of those who permanently inhabits this territory includes 8 species of insectivores, 12 rodents, 9 species of birds of prey, 2 hares and one ungulate. Rare mammals are represented by four species. They are all listed in the Red Book.

On the territory of the reserve, rodents such as field mouse, gray rat, Far Eastern vole, Daurian hamster, Amursky hedgehog, and large white belly are the most common. In meadows with tall grasses, many roe deer live. In these places are just the transitions of brown and Himalayan bears. Also on the territory of the protected zone live animals listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. Among them, the famous Amur tiger, as well as the red wolf, the Far Eastern leatherback turtle.

There are also such animals that regularly or occasionally come from the adjacent territory: Himalayan and brown bears, American mink, wild boars, tigers, spotted deer and izyubri.

Parking of ancient people

An ancient people's camp was found in the reserve on Ryabokon Island. The earliest finds belong to the ancient Stone Age, they number about 15 thousand years.

In addition, found the early Neolithic monuments, numbering 7,5 thousand years, as well as the late Neolithic (5 thousand years), the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

Scientists consider the reserve a unique place, where in a small area are concentrated many archaeological finds, belonging to a variety of epochs.

Such an amazing place is Khankai Reserve. The Primorye Territory has nowhere more such archaeological sites.

Unique places on the territory of the reserve

From a scientific point of view, there are completely unique objects on the territory of the reserve. One of them is the community of the Khankai Island, which lives on the Arsenyev Cape, the Cape Przewalski and the Sosnovy Island.

In addition, on the reserved lands grow (at the mouth of the Ilista River) unique thickets of lotus Komarov.

But the mouth of the Melgunovka River boasts the largest colony of herons in the Far East. During spring flights this place is a huge bird cluster.

On the island of Ryabokon, on the southern shore, is the only place in Primorye, where licorice grows pale-colored, listed in the Red Data Book of Primorye.

How to get to the reserve?

The nearest town to the reserve is Spassk-Dalniy. It is here that the administration of Khankai reserve area is located. It is located 220 kilometers from Vladivostok. From it to Spassk-Dalniy can be reached by bus. He only walks once a day.

Administration address: Primorsky Krai, Spassk-Dalniy town, Ershova street, 10.

Instead of an afterword

"Khankai" reserve is the youngest in Primorye. However, Lake Khanka, located on its territory, has long been a reserve for birds of international importance. Actually, the purpose of creating the reserve was to study and preserve natural phenomena and processes, to multiply and preserve the gene pool of the animal and plant world. On the conservation regime of the territories, a large concentration of endangered and rare plants and animals is affected. The reserve is a unique place with a huge concentration of birds, which makes it unique and extremely important for migratory birds.