National parks and reserves of Baikal. Reserves of Lake Baikal

There are places on our planet that can rightfully be considered the greatest creatures of nature. Among them, a special place is occupied by the majestic Lake Baikal, which locals even call the sea. In its surroundings it is very beautiful: there are many interesting plants growing here. And some of the animals that live nearby, no longer anywhere on the planet. True, some of them, unfortunately, are close to extinction.

Reserves and national parks of Lake Baikal, organized in most of the territory adjacent to the lake, help to protect and preserve all this pristine and in some places a rare fauna and flora.

The most famous lake in Russia

In Russia, Lake Baikal does not know, probably, only a lazy one. However, all over the world this natural object is quite famous.

It is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, near the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. Reserves of Lake Baikal, photos of which only partially convey the beauty of these places, are located here.

The total area of the named reservoir reaches almost 32 thousand square kilometers. This territory is commensurate with such countries as the Netherlands or Belgium! Can you imagine how big Baikal is? In length, the lake stretched for 620 kilometers, and while from space it looks almost like a crescent moon.

According to scientists, the age of Baikal is more than 20 million years. As a rule, the lakes formed during the glacial period exist only about 15 thousand years, and then slowly disappear from the surface of the planet. However, the Baikal, which has turned into a reserve, still does not show any signs of aging. Moreover, scientists have suggested that the lake may well be a nascent ocean.

What is Baikal famous for?

However, not only due to its impressive size and unusually ancient age is famous Baikal. In the whole world it is known as the deepest lake. And this is not surprising, because the maximum distance in it from the surface of the water to the bottom is 1 642 meters! For comparison, another deep lake called "Tanganyika" boasts a depth of only 1470 meters.

Another Baikal is very clean, and for that it was even recognized as the purest repository of fresh water on Earth.

The amazing nature of the nature reserves of Lake Baikal

Wonderful and nature, among which is located this magnificent lake. Near it and under the thickness of its purest water grows about 600 species of various plants. The fauna of Lake Baikal is also full of diversity: there are more than 2000 species here. However, most of the local flora and fauna can be found only here.

For example, an amazing animal of Baikal is the seal, or Baikal seal. He is the only representative of aquatic mammals here, and his closest relatives live in the Caspian and northern seas, as well as in Lake Ladoga.

Bright representatives of the Baikalian fauna are sable, badger, brown bear, ermine, chipmunk, weasel and wolverine. Also here you can meet a huge number of birds, especially waterfowl. After all, for example, numerous swans, ducks, gulls, geese and even gray herons with pleasure fly to such a huge water area.

The nature protection territories of Lake Baikal

In order to preserve the magnificent flora and fauna, special nature conservation areas were created here.

Among them there are several reserves and two national parks. The Baikal Nature Reserve is represented by three separate territories, located in different parts of the lake. Their main task is to protect endangered and rare species of animals and plants, as well as providing them with the best conditions for reproduction.

Baikal zakazniki

There are six reserves in the territory of Lake Baikal. Each of them is called upon to preserve or restore natural complexes and maintain an ecological balance throughout its territory.

The oldest of these is the Kabansky Reserve, founded in 1967. It is located in the delta of the river called Selenga, on the eastern shore of the lake. Its purpose is to protect waterfowl and the places in which they live. In 1975 the Stepnodvoretsky Reserve was established, which is also on the eastern shore. It is designed to preserve and reproduce Siberian roe deer and other animals.

The Upper Angarsk Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1979 on the northern shore of Lake Baikal, in the eastern part of the Upper Angara Delta. Its mission is the protection of waterfowl that live on its territory. In the Pribaikalsky area on the east coast of the lake in 1981 appeared Pribaikalskiy zakaznik, which should restore and preserve the number of wild animals.

In 1988, the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal became the territory of the Frolikhinsky Reserve, which should also support the number of animals that live here. The most recent in 1995 was created Enheluksky reserve on the part of the eastern shore of the lake. His task was to reproduce, preserve and restore animals and birds that are valued in cultural, scientific and economic terms.

National parks on the lake

Previously, Lake Baikal was the site of the Pribaikalsky National Park. It was organized in February 1986, and today its territory is 418 thousand hectares. It includes the entire western coast of the lake, from the extreme southern point to the Sea of Maloy and to the River Heyrem, which is the southern boundary of another protected area called "Baikal-Lena Reserve." On Baikal, the famous island of Olkhon also belongs here .

Most of this whole area is covered with forests. The flora and fauna of the Baikal Park includes more than 500 different species. Some of the animals that live here are listed in the Red Book, and the plants are very rare species that are under special protection.

In September of the same year, another national park was established - Zabaikalsky, with an area of 270 thousand hectares. It occupies the eastern shore of the lake, in the south it is bordered by the Barguzin River. This park adjoins the territory called "Barguzinsky Reserve". On Lake Baikal, the park includes the peninsula Svyatoi Nos, Chivyrkuisky Bay, the archipelago of the Ushkany Islands and even a part of the lake's water area.

The main reason for the creation of this park was the protection of the nature of Transbaikalia, including the Baikal seal, which likes to arrange rookeries on Ushkany islands, and waterfowl that inhabit Lake Arangatui.

Magnificent Baikal Reserves

Thanks to such a large number of specially protected areas, it is possible to preserve Lake Baikal almost in its original form. The reserve is a place where the strictest regime of protection functions, therefore in any such territory hunting, deforestation, harvesting of plants, berries and mushrooms and extraction of minerals are prohibited. Also, the reserve is a real scientific base where animals are studied and scientific materials are collected.

All these territories are protected in a special way, because on each of them, under close observation are both individual plants and animals, and in general all of nature. To get to the reserves of Baikal, you need to get permission from the administration, and this measure is justified.

Barguzinsky nature reserve

On the lake there is a reserve, which is one of the oldest in Russia. It was created in May 1916 in order to preserve and restore the sable population. Its territory occupies 374 thousand hectares and is located near the western slopes of the Barguzinsky ridge on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal.

Barguzinsky Reserve is a true standard of nature and consists directly of the reserve itself and the biosphere polygon. Most of the local space is covered mainly by thick forests and magnificent alpine meadows. A lot of places are also occupied by rocks, there are even swamps. A large number of rare and even listed in the Red Book of representatives of the animal world lives on this territory. In the Barguzin Nature Reserve, 11 rivers flow into the Baikal. Still there are unique thermal springs, the water in which is heated up to 70 degrees and above.

Every year, huge crowds of tourists try to get there, but practically the entire territory of the reserve is closed to them. For parking in specially designated places, a special permission of the directorate is needed here. It can be organized only on one of the cordons. They are in the bay of Sosnovka, on the capes of Kabaniy and Shegnanda, and also just one kilometer north of the mouth of the Bolshaya River.

And on the territory of the biosphere polygon, limited by the mouths of the two rivers - Kabanja and Shegnand - you can stop almost without prohibitions.

By the way, in the village of Dashva, which belongs to the reserve, there is a museum of nature. It can be freely visited by any tourist.

Baikal Nature Reserve

Direct access to the great lake is not located on its south-eastern coast Baikal Reserve. Baikal is separated from it by railroad and highway, which were laid near the shore in the northern boundary of the reserve. It was founded in September 1969, and the area of its territory is almost 166 thousand hectares.

There is a Baikal reserve in the central part of the ridge called Khamar-Daban. There are about 30 rivers flowing, bears, wolves, foxes and sables. Also here you can meet a lot of animals that are listed in the Red Book: a black stork, a crested osoeda, an otter, a hunchbacked beetle and a reindeer.

Baikal-Lensky Nature Reserve

The largest territory, which is 659 thousand hectares, is occupied by the Baikal-Lensky Reserve. Baikal sheltered it on its northwestern coast, in the Olkhon and Kachugsky districts of the Irkutsk region. This conservation area is the youngest, since it was established only in December 1986.

In this reserve there are several famous sights of Baikal: the craters of several ancient volcanoes, the cape called Ryty and the sources of the Lena River. Also this area abounds with bears, there is even a whole shore of brown bears, located between two capes: the Dead and Elokhin. Here, the clumsy go out after awakening from hibernation, in order to properly refresh themselves. Still here you can meet wolves, lynx and deer, as well as a fairly rare black-capped marmot.

Surprisingly beautiful nature and a unique animal world are two main reasons why it is worthwhile to visit Lake Baikal at least once in a lifetime. The reserve of Russia, and one of the most important, - this title can safely endow all of the local territory. Only under close protection and thanks to the care of each person these places can be preserved in their original form.