The unique nature of the Samara region

The Samara region is unique in its natural resources: on its rather large territory there are more than 300 natural monuments. It is here that the rarest varieties of plants and animals are preserved. This territory produces oil, gas, sulfur, crushed stone, chalk, clay and sand. But still the main attraction of this region is its natural world.

Nature of the Samara Region

The Samara region is first of all the famous Zhiguli mountains (Zhiguli). They are rightfully the title of the most picturesque, because on their slopes stretches the delightful park "Samarskaya Luka". Maples, pine, linden and aspen, bearberry, wormwood, juniper - here you can find more than 700 species of a variety of plants. The animal life of the Zhiguli is much poorer. This is because there is practically no water in the mountains themselves. In total, no more than 40 species of animals can be found on the territory: rodents, predators, rabbits (martens, moose, badgers, black grouses). The region is also famous for its mineral springs, for example, on the basis of Sernovodskoye there is a resort zone Sergievskie mineral waters.

Vegetable world

It is worth noting that the region is located in two zones: the steppe and forest-steppe. That is why the plants of the Samara region are very diverse. Broad-leaved and coniferous forests, meadow steppes, floodplain meadows, marshes and peat bogs - each zone is different for its flora species. I must say that the forest area of the region occupies a very small percentage (12). There are also stony steppes here: they are found mainly on the slopes of the Zhiguli mountains. Strong lighting coming from the Cretaceous sediments, great water resistance and strong heating became a real obstacle to the growth of many plants: only drought-resistant grasses survive here.

In the shadow of the wooden giants

The forests of the Samara region are unevenly distributed. Most of them on the right bank - in the national park "Samarskaya Luka". Here, the climate is suitable, and the humidity is more favorable - that is why the forest cover of this territory exceeds 50% of all forests. On the northern side of the Samara River, the forest cover is only 14%, but the southern side can hardly reach 4% (mostly forests are found in beams, river valleys or ravines).

That is why part of the plantations are specially planted trees. From pine trees on the territory of the region pines were best adopted. The nature of the Samara region is rich in steppes: meadow, feather grass-fescue, feather-grass grass. Once the prevailing shrub steppes over time were destroyed by people. Today, they can only be found on the slopes of river valleys and gullies.

Unique places

How unique is the nature of the native land, the Samara region shows first hand. For example, Ozernaya Mountain: its foot is surrounded by several small reservoirs, and at the very top, archaeologists have found an ancient settlement dating back to the Iron Age. There is even a cave with a waterfall. Girl's tears. Waterfalls in the Samara region - a phenomenon quite rare, and when jets of water fall down from the peak of the cave, in general, unique.

A huge ravine, along which the streams of the waterfall rushes, is covered by an arch, beneath it there is a beautiful lake with a grotto leaving in depth, its ceiling is decorated with natural outgrowths. There are also unusual plants of the Samara region. For example, an oak tree is a performer of desires. There has long been a belief: if you put your hands on the bark of a tree and make a wish, it will certainly come true. "House Aibolita" - a shelter for animals who are in trouble - is also in the "Samara Luka". This is a grandiose project, saving lives of hundreds of birds, animals and their very young cubs and chicks every month.

What else is known about the Samara region?

The nature of the Samara region keeps many secrets and legends. Here there are more than one hundred different natural monuments, which can be told for a very long time. This is the Tsar's burial mound, where the Tatar khan, who dreamed of conquering Russia, was forever buried. It is the Zhiguli Sea and Molodetsky Mound, which forced one of the greatest rivers, the Volga, to turn aside. It is the Strelna mountain, which is the highest among the Zhigulev mountains: it offers magnificent views of the whole reserve.

It is also the cave of the Greve brothers stretching for about three hundred meters, forever resting one of the brothers. Its notable is that even in the hottest summer the air there remains icy, and the walls are always covered with a layer of frost. And how many excitements among the tourists still causes the cave of Stepan Razin, according to ancient legends, just stuffed with plundered treasures. It is impossible not to remember about the Stone Cup - a place where (according to legend) the tears of the Mistress of the Zhigulevsky mountains flowed down. It is here that you can find pure spring water. And there are still many such examples, because the nature of the Samara region is an inexhaustible cradle of unique places and unique impressions, memories of which will remain for a long time.