Crimean natural reserve Swan Islands. Swan Islands are a unique bird paradise. Where did the name "Swan Islands" come from?

In Crimea there are many wonderful and amazing places, which almost all guests of the peninsula have a desire to visit. When planning a vacation in Crimea, many already know in advance where they will vacation, where they will go, and how they will diversify their vacation. One of the places that not only visitors, but also local residents-, a nature reserve and a striking landmark of the Crimean peninsula.

The uniqueness and isolation of the Swan Islands

Approximately 3.5 km from the sea coast, in the Karkinitsky Gulf, are the Swan Islands, well known far beyond the borders of our country. Another landmark for those who want to get here is the village. This is the northwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, where 6 islands stretch along the Karkinitsky Bay at a distance of 8 kilometers. Previously, there was a sand spit here, but it was gradually washed away, leaving only a series of islands. The length of the largest of them is almost 3.5 kilometers, and the width is almost 350 meters. The protected area here is the area around the Swan Islands both on the water and on the coast.

Kulirka penye is one of the thinnest knitted fabrics. Thanks to modern technologies, it turns out to be very light and soft, so it is often used to produce clothing for both adults and children. This type of fabric has a stockinette stitch on the right side, making it easy to distinguish. Adding lycra to the jersey makes the knitted fabric more elastic, soft and pleasant.

It should be noted that the area of ​​the islands can constantly change, since they were formed mainly due to sediments of shells and sand. This variable type of building material of the islands can also influence changes in their number and configuration. The height of the Lebyazhy Islands above sea level is almost 2 meters. The flora of the islands is represented by various herbaceous species and reed thickets.

The inhabitants of the reserve and their regular guests

More than 250 species of birds live on the Swan Islands, and another 25 species nest here. In 1949, the Lebyazhy Islands became an ornithological reserve; 35 species of birds living here are listed in the Red Book.

The mute swan is considered a particularly revered inhabitant of the islands. In summer, up to 6 thousand individuals can be counted on the islands. Mute swans go south to winter - to the lower reaches of the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, to the Volga delta and to the floodplains of the Kuban. Now their number has leveled off, although at the end of the 19th century, when their shooting by hunters was allowed, the number of mute swans was reduced to a very minimum.

A large number of waterfowl are attracted to a large amount of animal and plant food, both in shallow water and on land. On the Swan Islands you can see numerous waders, pelicans, gulls, ducks, gray and white herons. Black seagulls are one of the most numerous colonies on the islands - their number reaches 30 thousand individuals. In just one season, seagulls living on the islands are capable of destroying up to 2 million gophers and almost 8 million mice.

The unique Lebyazhye Islands nature reserve is distinguished by a rather fragile microclimate, almost untouched by human intervention, and a rich fauna, which is preserved due to the remoteness and isolation of the islands. Therefore, the reserve is not always open to public visits, and hunting in the surrounding areas is strictly prohibited.

Although the Crimean Peninsula is the most popular place summer holiday, but not everyone realizes that not only people relax here. Among its guests are many birds that find refuge here during their migration. There are many permanent feathered inhabitants in these places. Seagulls, cormorants, pelicans, flamingos and, of course, swans - Crimea gives shelter to all of them. The Swan Islands of the Karkinitsky Bay are a small bird paradise, preserved by the intelligence and goodwill of man.

Where is the natural monument located in Crimea?

Swan Islands are subordinated Crimean Nature Reserve, but located at a sufficient distance from it. They stretched out in a chain in, behind, slightly north of Cape Tarkhankut. Nearest locality– Portovoye village, but you can only get into the protected area by water.

Lebyazhye on the map of Crimea

History of formation: former spit

The islands do not exist for long - they are a little over 100 years old. Before that, there was a large sand spit overgrown with grass and bushes. Residents of the village Portovoye (at that time it was called Sary-Bulat) cattle were grazed there, there was no talk of any environmental work. But then the sea washed away the spit, after which a chain of islands formed. It became impossible to graze livestock, and as a result, people forgot about this piece of land. Then the formations (they are all small, the largest is now 3.5 km long and 350 m wide) were chosen by waterfowl.

Scientists noticed the presence of a huge number of mute swans on the islands at the beginning of the 20th century. This is how the name Swan Islands appeared, although swans usually do not live there permanently, but stop for molting or to rest during migration. The territory was taken under protection in 1947. Since 1971, it has been considered an ornithological (bird) sanctuary of international importance. In addition to the islands themselves, their unique water area near Crimea is also protected.

Swan Islands: features of the kingdom of birds

Since the Lebyazhy Islands in Crimea are a nature reserve, it’s not possible to come here just like that; special permission and the accompaniment of an employee are required. The existing projects for issuing hunting licenses were successfully failed - this should only be rejoiced,
since hunting cannot take place in a protected area.

The islands are low, flat pieces of land (1-2 m above sea level), covered with herbaceous vegetation. The map cannot give an accurate idea of ​​them: the sea makes its own adjustments all the time, eroding the shores in some places and washing up land in others. Recently, one of the 6 pieces of land completely disappeared, and in its place, as before, a sand spit appeared. But this is a natural process, people do not interfere with it.

Not only birds are protected here, but also wingless inhabitants of land (steppe viper, large jerboa, yellow-bellied snake), and fish (seahorse, Black Sea salmon), and dolphins (all Black Sea species). But the main task is to protect birds, both those making nests on the islands and those migrating.

There are up to 320 species of them here, 49 of which are listed in the Red Book. It is not possible to see pelicans or flamingos in the wild everywhere, but on the Swan Islands this is possible. Cormorants, gulls, waders also live here; wagtails, gray, yellow and white herons and, naturally, swans stop on migration.

The beauty of the protected lands of Crimea

Only young or solitary swans live here, but during migration or during molting there are several thousand of them. Whooper swans stop to rest at the end of autumn, heading to places. Mute swans have chosen calm, safe islands to spend their moulting period - when they cannot fly and are therefore particularly vulnerable.
Before the creation of the reserve, local residents took advantage of this, organizing hunts for flightless birds in order to obtain expensive meat.

IN last years The number of birds on the Swan Islands is increasing significantly - this is the result of reasonable restrictions on the use of chemicals in the treatment of rice plantings. A much smaller amount of poison now ends up in the sea, and as a result, the shallow water around is abundantly overgrown with marine vegetation. The abundance of food and security attract an increasing number of feathered guests.

Employees of the reserve complex and tourists allowed to visit it regularly take beautiful photos of the bird kingdom here, giving preference to swans. But other feathered fashion models are not deprived of attention; they serve as an excellent advertisement for the cause of nature conservation in Crimea.

Swan fidelity: almost like in the song

It may not be very romantic, but everyday life here shatters the beautiful legend of swan fidelity. These birds actually create permanent pairs, but if one dies, the other does not commit suicide at all, but quickly enters into a new marriage. And the Swan Islands serve as a kind of “marriage agency” for singles.

Young birds that have not yet created their own families, and those that have already lost their soul mate, linger here. In Crimea, they start romances and create alliances, quite strong, but rather prudent. Here they do not build nests and do not raise chicks, although 100 years ago it was believed that this was so.

How to get to the islands?

There is no need to delve too deeply into the question of how to get to the Swan Islands in Crimea, since the admission of tourists here is very limited and occurs only with the permission of the reserve administration. If this is received, the group will be taken to the place by a ranger on a boat. Nature reserves are not attractions that everyone can visit!

Location:

87 km east of the village. Chernomorskoye, Razdolninsky district, in the Karkinitsky Bay of the Black Sea, near the village of Portovoye.

Even the Crimean residents will not tell you where they are and why these islands are remarkable. But perhaps this is good, as is the fact that they hid away from noisy resort villages and beaches.

North of Cape Tarkhankut, beyond the Bakal Spit, in the Karkinitsky Bay of the Black Sea, near the village of Portovoye (the old name is Sary-Bulat) there was once, more than a hundred years ago, a spit with lush vegetation and even a source of drinking water. Local residents drove their cattle there all summer as if it were a free pasture. But over the years the braid was washed away and three quite big islands. They began to be called Sary-Bulatsky, and the name Lebyazhy appeared later. Naturally, they stopped grazing cattle there, and birds began to intensively populate the fertile places. Local population began to take advantage of this in every possible way: they obtained the meat of game birds (they also traded delicacy swan meat), but the scale of collecting bird fluff and eggs was such that it made it possible to use eggs not only as a food product, but also in construction solutions for the special strength of buildings.

It must be said that the sea, having created islands from the spit, did not rest on this, and after some time six smaller ones were “constructed” from three islands. And there were such a number of them until recently, when suddenly the restless sea swallowed one of the islands, washing up a small spit in its place. So, after all the vicissitudes of local relief formation, there were five islands. They received the name Lebyazhye from the light hand of the German scientist Brauler, who visited here at the end of the 19th century. The scientist saw a huge colony of mute swans and screaming swans and assumed that this was their nesting site. Apparently, he happened to be on the islands in July-August, since to this day, during these months, thousands of these royal birds fly here in order to shed, as in Andersen’s fairy tale, their old feathers and grow new ones.

During the molting period, swans cannot fly and choose these islands and the waters of the shallow bay, overgrown with grass, which they happily feed on, as the safest. But swans do not build nests here and do not hatch chicks, although some swans live on the islands throughout the year. These are young birds that do not lay eggs until they are 4-5 years old, as well as adults who, for some tragic reason, have lost their mate. There are legends about swan fidelity, and although, indeed, swans create monogamous unions and live in pairs, if they lose a partner, they do not rush to the ground from above, but most often look for their other half again. On our islands there is also such a “dating club” for lonely swans.

Quite a lot of swans come here for the winter (up to 5 thousand individuals), because the bay practically does not freeze, and even if it does freeze, large ice holes always remain. Sometimes, in severe cold weather, some swans fly to the beaches of Yalta, Sevastopol, and Evpatoria. People feed them there. And then the birds return again to their quiet, cozy, safe island kingdom-state, which since 1949 has officially been an ornithological branch of the Crimean State Reserve.

This means that on the Swan Islands it is not only forbidden to hunt birds, but also to disturb them in general, as well as to fish, collect medicinal plants and generally conduct any activity. The area of ​​the islands themselves is 52 hectares, the surrounding shallow waters are 9612 hectares. The adjacent waters of the Karkinitsky Bay and the coastal lands of the Razdolnensky and Krasnogvardeysky districts are also protected. Only gamekeepers and ornithologists who observe birds at different times of the year are allowed to stay here. Indeed, in addition to swans, you can see another 260 species of birds on the islands, 49 of which are listed in the Red Book! Such, unfortunately, are now rare birds as: spoonbill, ibis, yellow heron, white-eyed duck, little cormorant, stilt, chigrava, slender-billed curlew, bustard, steppe kestrel, Dalmatian pelican, etc. There are only 250 of them left in the world 50 individuals. Some of them nest here, others visit only in winter, and others rest during migration. The most numerous colony of birds on the Swan Islands belongs to the order of gulls (among others, the herring laughing gull or martin). There are more than 5 thousand pairs of them.

The largest one, the black-headed gull, is also listed in the Red Book due to its rarity. Their only colony on the Black Sea lives on these islands. And also a colony of the gray heron - the largest bird in the south of the European part of the CIS. Recently, pink pelicans have appeared nesting. Numerous flocks of migratory birds also stop on the islands on their way to Africa, Europe, and Asia: blackbirds, sandpipers, sandpipers, terns, ducks, white-fronted and gray geese, swallows, larks, thrushes, and wagtails. At the same time, there are up to 75-100 thousand of them in clusters, and during the day, at the height of the flight, up to a million! It is not for nothing that the Swan Islands have an international protected status, because preserving this “rest station” on the thousand-kilometer migration route of many birds is an extremely important matter.

Ornithologists are constantly research work to study all these birds and changes in conditions in the reserve. I am glad that these conditions have gradually begun to improve. For example, as a result of a decrease in the intensity of chemical treatment of rice paddies, coastal areas and the seabed are overgrown with grass, but this is the main food supply for birds. There are more fish and other marine life in the bay. The protection of land from poachers has improved: the staff of rangers has doubled, equipment has appeared (cars, boats, although, of course, there are not enough of them). It was also possible to protect these places from attempts to issue hunting licenses, supposedly to earn money for development...

Although the reserve is considered an ornithological reserve, along with birds, it also protects fish (seahorse, thornbill, beluga, and Black Sea salmon are also found) and animals: marine (bottlenose dolphins, Azov and white-sided dolphins) and land animals (large jerboa, white polecat; endangered species of the steppe viper and yellow-bellied snake). But of course, the main dream of local specialists remains the organization of the Karkinitsky reserve, which will include the entire bay, as well as the Bakal Spit and the salty Bakal Lake. Then, instead of a branch, there would be an independent reserve here. Maybe the Swan Islands will be lucky and will be taken under the care of a rich and generous person who is not indifferent to our animals and birds, just as the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve was once lucky with the wonderful Baron Falzfein.

How to get there:

from Chernomorskoye you can get to shuttle bus, walking through the village. Razdolnoe. Next - a walk (8 km north to the village of Portovoe on Karkinitsky Bay), which will not only improve your health, but also give you unforgettable experience from the surrounding landscapes. If you travel by your own transport, then you must first drive 79 km north along the territorial road T0107 to the village. Razdolnoe, in which you need to turn left at the roundabout and drive another 8 km north to the village. Portovoye on Karkinitsky Bay.

Swan Islands are a branch of the game reserve, which is located approximately two hundred kilometers northwest of mountain Crimea, in the Razdolnensky district, near the village of Portovoye, in the Karkinitsky Bay. This area of ​​unafraid birds has long been home to laughing gulls, black-headed terns, many species of ducks, waders, herons and, of course, mute and whooper swans. The shallow waters, surrounded by islands, abound with a variety of algae and sea grass - excellent food for birds. The most interesting time of year here is spring and early summer, the time of active nesting of birds and feeding of babies. Dense reed thickets and even open sandy shores are completely dotted with nests - sometimes carefully paved, sometimes built in a hurry right on the sand, in insignificant depressions.

By the end of May, the first offspring begin to appear - thousands of chicks. Some are sitting in nests waiting for their parents to come with food, others are already scurrying around in the grass on their own. When they see a person, those who are already older, frozen in the thickets, vigilantly watch him with dark points of their eyes, or quickly rush to the water, stumbling and even falling along the way. In fairly dense reeds, herons clumsily shy away, leaving their own nests with half-lowered offspring. There is an incessant hubbub and hubbub in the area. Seagulls with alarming cries hover overhead, anxiously “dive”, almost touching the alien with their wings, chasing him and flying for a long time after the ship retreating from the islands. But as a rule, during this period they try not to disturb the birds. Even rangers and researchers are visiting the islands less and less for their own observations.

At the height of summer, huge flocks of swans gather in the area for seasonal molting. Their numbers usually range from three to five thousand. At this time, they completely lose the ability to fly and are ringed, catching up on a boat at sea. Banding of herons and gulls also takes place here, which provides an opportunity to learn the routes of seasonal bird migrations. At least, the returns of swan rings were from Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and herons and blackbirds - from Central and North Africa.

In autumn, the Swan Islands are less lively than in summer, and at this time both the behavior and species composition of the inhabitants change noticeably. The young offspring have already learned to fly quite well, there are much fewer seagulls, but there are such a huge number of migratory ducks and waders that even if we managed to scare them all together, they would cover the entire sky. If even one large flock of ducks rises, the surrounding area is filled with such loud noise that it seems as if an entire train is passing nearby. The water in the bay becomes darker from such a concentration of birds. From time to time, large flocks take off, make a couple of circles over the islands and again descend to the shallows with a roar and screams. Even at night you can hear the whistling of wings and the hubbub of birds flying overhead from everywhere.

Swans, as a rule, stay away from the islands, and they approach them only in bad weather, in search of calm. Often in the evening, during sunset, you can see a snow-white line of swans flying over the water. Their flight is simply magnificent - the serene and majestic flapping of their wings, the enchanting synchronicity of the movement of the whole formation!

The Swan Islands in Crimea are simply a fertile object for ornithological scientific research. This is an area not only for nesting, molting and wintering of birds, but also for long stopovers for many migratory species. In addition to ringing, observations are made here of their numbers, diet, and behavior; after all, it is a significant reserve for many birds. It is no coincidence that at the IV International Conference on the Conservation of Waterfowl, which was held in Iran in 1971, the Swan Islands were included in the list of protected areas of international level.

Currently, ornithological specialists are monitoring the changes that are taking place on the Swan Islands and surrounding areas in connection with the construction of the North Crimean Canal and the flow of Dnieper water. Due to the reset fresh water The salinity of the Karkinitsky Bay decreased significantly, which led to changes in the diversity of flora and fauna. Directly in the discharge areas, huge thickets of reeds, cattails, sedges formed, freshwater algae, fish representatives, and mollusks spread; Typical inhabitants of the floodplains and floodplains began to settle here - water hens, warblers, crakes, etc. Coots, ibis, great and little egrets, and many ducks also nest. But the flooding of coastal lands also has negative consequences: a decrease in the number of bustards and demoiselle cranes, which until recently were quite numerous in the area of ​​the Swan Islands. Apparently, the process of formation of a new avifauna complex in this area is taking place here.

In case of favorable weather conditions many species of birds, including swans, do not leave the island, continuing to winter here. But when severe cold sets in, the water in the bay quickly freezes, and it’s hard for the birds left without food. Most of them group into small flocks and leave their usual places, heading south. For those individuals who did not leave the Swan Islands and got into trouble, people rush to help...

MUSEUM OF NATURE

The first Museum of Nature on the territory of the Crimean Nature Reserve opened in 1926 in the Central Basin. The museum had two spacious halls: botanical and zoological, and about 2,300 exhibits. Next to the museum, enclosures for wild animals and an aquaterrarium were subsequently created. In November 1941, German-Romanian occupation units passed through the territory of the reserve and burned all the buildings and structures on the territory of the reserve. This is how the first museum died.

After the war, it was decided to locate the administrative services of the reserve in Alushta. For this purpose, on the outskirts of the city, they picked up a surviving house that had belonged to the merchant I.S. Igumnov before the revolution. The building was renovated and one of the rooms was allocated as a museum. The second, revived museum opened for the general public in 1957 (Putsatova St., 29). Zoologist Yu.V. Kostin became the head of the museum, and two years later E.A. Pyasetskaya became the head. The museum had its own taxidermy workshop, and around the administrative building there was a small but wonderful park with old cedars, pines and cypresses. There was a small pool in the park where swans swam.

In 1973, under the leadership of the director of the reserve V.A. The Lushpas are building a new three-story administrative building not far from the old one, where the first floor is being given over to a new, third, museum (Alushta, Partizanskaya St., 42). A team of researchers, headed by forester V.G. Mishnev, is creating a new scientific project for museum exhibitions. The graphic designers were V.A. Sokolov (member of the Union of Artists of the USSR), B.N. Chernyaev, N.G. Bozhko, P.N. Chistilin, V.G. Smirnov, B.A. Nikolin, V.I. Protsenko. On April 15, 1976, the third, updated, nature museum of the reserve was inaugurated. Realistic dioramas of protected areas and stuffed animals give a complete picture of the nature of the Reserve.

Dendrozoo

In 1981, a dendrozoo with a total area of ​​6 hectares was created on the territory adjacent to the management of the reserve. The dendrozoo was created in a landscape style; the enclosures blended harmoniously into the environment without disturbing its picturesque views.

Currently, 370 species of plants grow in this territory, including the Red Book juniper, yew, pistachio obtufolia, limodorum immature, Crimean cistus, folded snowdrop, etc. 15 species of animals are exhibited in the enclosures of the dendrozoo: red deer, European roe deer, mouflon European, wild boar, European fallow deer, rabbits, teleut squirrel, griffon vulture, mute swan, black-breasted goose, ducks, pigeons, pheasants, guinea fowl, buzzard.

The Museum of Nature and Dendrozoo of the Crimean Nature Reserve is an interesting and attractive excursion site, which has been visited by more than 1.2 million people since its opening.

ANIMAL WORLD

Invertebrates of the reserve There are about 3 thousand species and are represented by the following orders: spiders, mites, millipedes, mollusks, insects. Among spiders, the largest, up to 35 mm, is the tarantula, which lives in deep burrows lined with cobwebs. Ticks are represented by a large number of species, of which special attention should be paid to the forest tick - as a carrier of tick-borne encephalitis. Tick-borne viral encephalitis is an acute viral disease characterized by the development of severe clinical forms with damage to the brain and spinal cord, the development of persistent neurological disorders leading to disability and mortality. Prevention is a mandatory examination of the entire body within 3 hours after visiting the forest and contacting a doctor in case of a bite.

Insects are the most numerous and diverse class of animals, a characteristic feature of which is the presence of 3 pairs of jointed legs in its representatives. Among the most interesting units The following can be noted: dragonflies (arrow, yoke, beauty), mantises. Of the orthopterans - short-whiskered fillies, long-whiskered grasshoppers and crickets, the chirping of which begins to be heard an hour after sunset. The largest species is the steppe dyba, whose body length reaches up to 120 mm. Hemipterans include various bugs. The most famous of the order of beetles is the Red Book Crimean ground beetle, which is a Crimean endemic. It feeds on snails, caterpillars and even the remains of human food. The Red Book stag beetle also looks very impressive. From the longhorned family, the reserve contains the large oak longhorned beetle from the lower zone of vegetation and the alpine longhorned beetle from the upper zone. Hymenoptera are wasps, bees, bumblebees, and hornets, as well as ants, huge anthills of which can be found in the Yalta forestry. Butterflies, or Lepidoptera, attract the most attention. Among the most spectacular species are the white-and-black podalirium and the yellow-and-black swallowtail from the swallowtail family, and among the simple, background species, the most common is the burdock. From the order of flies or dipterans, you most often have to pay attention to horseflies, bloodsuckers and deer flies.

Vertebrates. Of the fish (6 species in total), the most famous is brook trout, found in many mountain rivers. Occasionally you come across a Crimean barbel or marinka.

The amphibian fauna includes 4 species: the lake frog - the main “song song” of mountain ponds; green toad; listed on the IUCN Red List, the tree frog, or common tree frog, spends an active life in the foliage of trees and comes down from there only during the breeding season. The Red Book newt Karelin, which has a jagged crest that appears in males during the breeding season, at the beginning of summer, can sometimes be found quite far from its native body of water - in winter it prefers to sleep under stones and snags of the forest.

Of the reptiles, the most commonly seen lizards are the Crimean lizard, the rock lizard and the sand lizard. The fourth, rarer lizard, the yellow-bellied lizard, is often mistaken by ordinary people for a snake and, unfortunately, is persecuted everywhere. Real snakes are also found, these are, in addition to the common grass snake, the common copperhead, so named for its color, and three species of snakes, the most common and most aggressive being the yellow-bellied snake. Its bite can be dangerous due to infection introduced into the wound, and the size of adult specimens reaches a length of about two meters. The four-striped snake is less common, and the Mediterranean relict leopard snake is very rare.

Birds- the most visible and frequently encountered vertebrates. In total, 160 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve in the mountain-forest part of the year in all seasons. In spring they delight us with their wonderful voices. Here is a chaffinch singing. His song is short, but very cheerful and perky. The song of the blackbird is amazingly pure and melodious. However, the best forest singer is the song thrush. The drumming of a woodpecker sounds in the forest, the ringing songs of tits and, of course, the cries of a cuckoo are heard... In the summer, the bird chorus gradually fades away. The birds have a lot of trouble - it's time to feed the chicks. The Red Book birds nest in the Crimean Nature Reserve: short-tailed snake eagle, black stork, imperial eagle, black vulture, griffon vulture, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, and spotted rock thrush. Common nesting species include the spotted woodpecker, black-headed warbler, warbler, robin, blackbird, coon, chaffinch, the most numerous bird of the Crimean forests, and many others. Red-headed and yellow-headed kinglets - the smallest birds in Europe, siskins and common crossbills nest in pine forests. On the yailas are skylarks, quails, spotted rock thrush, the most cautious, mysterious and beautiful bird reserve, one of the best singers. Only the adult male has a bright, beautiful coloring. This is how Alfred Brehm describes it: “The plumage on the head, on the front of the neck, on the back of the head and rump is a beautiful bluish-gray color, on the lower part of the back whitish-blue or white, on the entire lower part of the body a magnificent bright rusty red color... Singing rock thrushes are excellent, rich and varied, loud and euphonious, although at the same time soft and flute-like; Their singing is also distinguished by the fact that clicking and even entire stanzas from the songs of other birds are woven into it.” Females and young birds are more modestly colored.

The black vulture literally amazes the observer. She is one of the largest flying birds, with huge wings, up to two and a half meters in span. Vultures build their huge nests on the tops of centuries-old pines. Possessing exceptional vision, birds are able to see carrion from dizzying heights. Without visible effort, they soar over the mountains for hours using air currents. But the most amazing thing is the dedication with which vultures incubate their only egg and care for the chick. The nesting period continues for four long months. When the chick grows up and flies out of the nest, the “family” does not break up until next spring; the parents take care of the young vulture. Black vultures are listed on the European Red List as a globally threatened species. Given the special importance in the protection of black vultures, the Crimean Nature Reserve is included in the list of territories important for the conservation of bird diversity.

Mammals are represented by 6 orders, numbering 38 species. There are 5 species of insectivores. Of these, 3 species are voracious shrews, the smallest mammals of Crimea: the small shrew, the white-bellied shrew and the small shrew. They have a very intense metabolism and therefore they definitely need to eat someone within a few hours. Shrews' main diet consists of insects and other invertebrates. Shrews easily eat food with a total weight of 2-4 times their own weight per day. The largest of the insectivores is the white-breasted hedgehog. It is not found very often, and mainly in the lower part of the reserve. Chiroptera, or bats - 16 species, the largest of the bats is quite rare - the giant noctule, the wingspan of which is slightly less than half a meter. Another species, one of the most numerous in Crimea, is the dwarf pipistrelle.

Of the lagomorphs, the brown hare is the only representative of the order in the mountainous Crimea. A common but not numerous species. There are 7 species of rodents, of which the most noticeable is the teledut squirrel - the largest squirrel in the CIS. In addition to its large size, the teleduck has one more feature. In winter, its fur is silver-gray, its ear tufts are bright brown, and its tail is gray. All other squirrels have the same color on their ear and tail tufts in winter. After acclimatization in the reserve in 1940, the squirrel multiplied quite well, but during the epizootic of 1984 - 1986. almost completely disappeared from the reserve. Currently, its number ranges from 60 to 110 individuals per year. different years. The squirrel's natural enemies are the goshawk and stone marten.

From the mouse family, in addition to the gray rat or pasyuk, in some places a smaller, black rat has been preserved. Both live near human habitation. The house mouse also tries to stay there. After the snow has melted, in the foothills you can stumble upon traces of the vital activity of other mouse-like rodents leading an active lifestyle in winter - the small forest mouse and the yellow-throated mouse.

Carnivores are represented by 5 species. Of these, 2 species are from the canine family - the fox and, in 2007, the raccoon dog that appeared in the reserve. It was noted that raccoon dogs have been found in Crimea for about the last three decades, and until recently it was believed that only along the North Crimean canal, however, since 2000 they have been seen in Bakhchisarai, and in August 2007 - in the Alminsky forestry of the Crimean natural reserve , on the border with the Pionersky forestry of the Simferopol forestry enterprise. It is quite possible that in the near future these animals may colonize the territory of the entire reserve. The raccoon dog is the only representative of the canine family that lies in harsh winters into hibernation. In Crimea, real hibernation is not observed in these animals, but the metabolic rate in cold weather decreases to 25%.

Perhaps, only the fox can be called a real sedentary wild species from this family in Crimea. Some zoologists believe that two subspecies live in Crimea: the first is the common fox, which usually lives in the steppes, but is also found in the mountainous Crimea. The second is the Crimean mountain fox (endemic subspecies). It is smaller than ordinary, but has fluffier and brighter fur; on the lower part of the back it has a characteristic silvery pattern in the form of motley ripples. Hunters, due to its bright red, fiery color, call it fireweed. It is found only in the mountains and is quite rare.

Wolves have appeared in recent years in the steppe Crimea, and, according to some witnesses, on Karabi-yayla. Wolves have not yet been documented in the reserve. However, their niche has been successfully occupied by stray dogs for many years. The reserve is home to 3 species of the mustelid family - the stone marten, or white marten, which differs from the pine marten in being lighter in color and having coarser fur. It is not as closely connected with the forest as the forest one, and therefore can inhabit rocky ravines and ravines. Often settles in human buildings - barns, attics. The stone marten feeds on mouse-like rodents, sometimes birds and bats, loves to feast on fruits and berries. A relatively small, but incredibly brave and bloodthirsty weasel is the smallest representative of the order of predators. For daily consumption, one mouse per day is enough for her, but obeying the hunting instinct, she pursues more than one rodent a day in the narrow labyrinths of holes, attacking even prey larger than herself!

The Crimean badger living in the reserve is considered a subspecies of the common badger. In autumn, the badger intensively accumulates fat, which is used in folk medicine to treat colds and tuberculosis. Persecuted for this quality of its fat by poachers, the badger found itself on the verge of extinction.

And finally, the largest and most traditionally interesting for people are the 4 species of artiodactyls. When visiting the Crimean forests, you can often notice huge plowed areas of the forest floor. We can say with a high degree of certainty that a wild boar has been here. Boars in Crimea were the original, so to speak, indigenous inhabitants since ancient times. Fossil remains belonging to wild pigs were found in the Kiik-Koba and Skelskaya caves. In the historical era, they have been noted since the Scythian-Sarmatian era, right up to the first half of the 19th century, and were knocked out around this time. On April 23, 1957, on the territory of the Crimean Nature Reserve, in the valley of the Piskur stream, a tributary of the Alma River, 35 wild pigs were released, of which 18 were males and 17 females. The released batch included 2 adult male cleavers (two years old), the rest were young pigs and gilts. The wild boars were caught in the Pozharsky district of Primorsky Krai in January 1957 and belonged to the Ussuri subspecies of wild boar (Sus skrofa continentalis) - the largest in the territory of the former USSR. The wild boar took root well here after reacclimatization in 1957 and soon spread throughout the Crimea. In the spring and summer, when feeding offspring, encounters with wild boars can be dangerous.

European roe deer differs from the Siberian one in its smaller size. The horns, found only in the male, have no more than three branches. The characteristic alarm bark of a roe deer can often be mistaken for the barking of a dog. The main natural enemies of roe deer are the same stray dogs and foxes, from which young animals suffer the most.

Crimean red deer- an endemic subspecies of the European red deer, differing from it in size and details of the structure of the horns. In March - April, male deer's old antlers fall off, and new ones begin to grow in their place. During growth, such horns, covered with velvety skin, are called antlers. By August, after the horns stop growing, the skin dries out and flakes off. At this time, deer scratch their antlers on the trees, getting rid of the remnants of the cover that is no longer needed on the ossified antlers. Now the number of deer in the reserve is about 1,300 individuals.

European mouflons, 10 of which were delivered from Corsica, through the German fur trading company Moritz, and 3 from the Askania-Nova reserve, were released in 1913 on Mount Bolshaya Chuchel, where they acclimatized quite well. By 1917, there were already 30 mouflons here. In the fall of 1917, all the animals kept in the pen were released into the wild. The civil war and poaching almost put an end to the history of the Crimean mouflons. The population had too many weapons, and gangs hunted in the forests. By 1923, when the Crimean Nature Reserve was organized, there were only 6–8 of these animals left. Protection and care have done wonders, and now there are about 300 mouflons.

Senior employee

Parshintsev A.V.

ABOUT THE RESERVE

Crimean Nature Reserve- the largest and oldest nature reserve in Crimea. total area The reserve, including the Lebyazhy Islands branch, covers 88,601 hectares. The reserve occupies the central part of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains from Yalta in the west to Alushta in the east. On its territory in the mountain-forest part there are the most high peaks peninsulas - Roman-Kosh (1545 m above sea level), Demir-Kapu (1541), Zeytin-Kosh (1537). Many of the most important rivers of Crimea originate in the protected mountains: Alma, Kacha, Ulu-Uzen, Avunda, Derekoika, etc. The slopes of the mountains are covered with forests - oak, beech, pine, and the peaks (yails) are occupied by mountain-meadow steppes. The flora of the reserve is represented by more than 2,500 species of plants and fungi, of which 42 species are listed in the Red Book Russian Federation and 22 species are on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The reserve is home to about 250 species of vertebrate animals, including red deer, wild boar, European mouflon, and roe deer. Of the birds, the black vulture (listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation) and the griffon vulture, the largest birds of prey in Europe, attract special attention from scientists.

One of the most popular excursion routes– “Reserved Crimea”, which follows the Romanov highway, built more than a hundred years ago. Business card The reserve is the Museum of Nature and Dendrozoo, located in Alushta.

HISTORY OF THE RESERVE

The history of conservation in Crimea, on the territory of the Crimean Natural Reserve, goes back more than 100 years. The first protected area of ​​Crimea, established by state documents of Russia, was the Mountain Forest Sanctuary in the Crimean Mountains, approved in 1896 Office of Imperial Hunts.

In 1913 during the forest management of the Beshuiskaya forest government dacha, the Administration of the Tsar's Estates, on an area of ​​about 3,700 hectares, organized Imperial Hunting Reserve.

After the February Revolution 1917. The reserve was nationalized and, on the initiative of scientists of Crimea and the Crimean regional government, was created here national reserve. Zoologist V.E. Martino became his first director of the reserve, and zoologist M.P. Rozanov became his assistant. These dedicated people, often risking their lives, fought poaching to protect nature. Despite the political instability of life, devastation, and civil war, in the period from 1917 to 1920, none of the six governments of Crimea canceled the status of the reserve. In 1923 (July 30) it was reorganized into the Crimean State Reserve. Its territory with an area of ​​21,138 hectares was zoned: an absolute reserve (40% of the territory), a security area (45%), and an experimental exploitation site (15%). This was the prototype of modern National Parks. In the 20-30s. Scientific research work is being intensively developed, weather stations, laboratories, and a nature museum are being equipped. Scientific research is carried out by V.N. Sukachev, G.I. Poplavskaya, E.V. Vulf, N.D. Troitsky, L.I. Prasolov, I.I. Puzanov and others.

By 1941, the reserve was experiencing a flourishing of activity. Dozens of scientific articles have been published. The herd of ungulates has grown: deer by 30 times, mouflons by 29 times, roe deer by 10 times. In 1937, bison were again brought into the reserve for acclimatization. In 1940, the Altai Teleut squirrel was successfully acclimatized. There were a popular nature museum, animal enclosures, and a tourist route.

During the Second World War, the reserve's employees fought on the fronts or were in the ranks of the partisan movement. Many gave their lives for liberation native land. Among them are senior forester of the reserve A.P. Rynkovsky and senior researcher V.I. Bukovsky.

The war caused enormous damage to the reserve. All the cordons, the administration building, and the museum were burned. Scientific laboratories and library were looted and destroyed most of animals. Forests covering an area of ​​2,000 hectares were destroyed by special arson and felling.

After the war, activities in the reserve had to start literally from scratch. The reserve healed its wounds: new cordons were built, roads were repaired, and the number of animals increased. In 1949, a branch was added to the reserve - the unique ornithological complex “Swan Islands”, where tens of thousands of waterfowl accumulate annually.

In 1957, the reserve was reorganized into a reserve hunting enterprise (KGZOH), whose tasks included, in addition to scientific research and security work, economic activities. An example of such activity was the creation of trout ponds in the upper reaches of the river. Alma. In the spring of 1957, 35 wild pigs were brought to the reserve from the Primorsky Territory for the purpose of reacclimatization and enrichment of the fauna of the mountainous Crimea. Currently, wild boars are typical animals not only of the mountainous Crimea, but also of some steppe areas of the peninsula.

In the 50-80s. There was a new rise and flourishing of the activity of the hunting reserve. During this period, such scientists as K.K. Vysotsky, P.A. Yanushko, A.A. Tkachenko, V.G. worked fruitfully in the reserve. Mishnev, Yu.V. Kostin, B.E. Garin, L.A. Garina, A.I. Dulitsky and others.

In the early 70s, the scientific part of the reserve developed a project for a nature museum, which took into account the new requirements of the time in the field of natural science and nature conservation. In 1976, the museum was inaugurated.

In November 1976, the game reserve and its Swan Islands became the basis for the International Conference of Ornithologists, which brought together scientists from 33 countries. This became possible after the inclusion of the Swan Islands and their wetlands in the list of International Protected Areas in 1975.

In 1991, the hunting reserve was reorganized into the Crimean State Reserve, and a little later into the Crimean Nature Reserve. As before, its main task is to preserve mountain protected forests, animal and plant diversity; research and educational activities.

SWAN ISLANDS

The ornithological branch of the Crimean Nature Reserve, “Swan Islands” is located in the Karkinitsky Bay of the Black Sea. The area of ​​the islands is 52 hectares. They are on the flyways of many waterfowl species. The water area of ​​the bay with an area of ​​9,560 hectares is allocated for the reserve. The surrounding area of ​​27,646 hectares has been declared a nature reserve.

In 1947, by the decision of the Razdolnensky district executive committee, the Lebyazhy Islands were declared a nature reserve local significance and taken into custody.

In 1949, by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 85 of February 9, the Lebyazhy Islands were declared a state reserve and annexed as a branch to the Crimean State Reserve.

Already in the first years of studying the avifauna of the islands, it became clear that the protection of this most valuable natural object within the existing boundaries cannot be effective, since large clusters birds during molting, wintering and during seasonal migrations should stay in shallow waters and on the mainland shore, that is, outside the protected area. In order to improve the living conditions of birds and more effectively protect them from poachers, the Crimean Regional Executive Committee of the Council of Workers' Deputies, by Decision No. 1006 of September 29, 1961, approved a protective zone around the islands, including shallow waters with an area of ​​3,500 hectares and part of the coast of Karkinitsky Bay with an area of ​​1,500 hectares.

In connection with the construction of the Razdolnenskaya branch of the North Crimean Canal and the formation of two rice fields in the coastal part of the bay, which significantly changed the habitat conditions of birds in this area, the Crimean Regional Executive Committee adopted decision No. 337 of May 20, 1967 “On the expansion of the protective zone around the protected Lebyazhye Islands of the Crimean State Reserve", according to which the area of ​​the protective zone on the coast of the Karkinitsky Gulf increased to 10,000 hectares.

The fame of the Karkinitsky Bay of the Black Sea as a place of concentration of a large number of waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds for molting, wintering, and migration, led to the inclusion of the Karkinitsky Gulf and the Swan Islands Nature Reserve, including in the List of objects of protection of international importance (Iran, Ramsar, 1971, group “ A" MAR). After the ratification of the Ramsar Convention by the Soviet Union, a Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated December 26, 1975 followed. No. 1046 “On measures to ensure the fulfillment of the obligations of the Soviet Party arising from the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as habitats for waterfowl, dated February 2, 1971. "and the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR dated February 26, 1976. No. 106 “On measures to strengthen the protection of wetlands of international importance mainly as habitats for waterfowl.” Based on these decisions, the Crimean Regional Executive Committee made a Decision on March 19, 1976. No. 132 on expanding the protective zone of the Lebyazhy Islands nature reserve on the coast of Karkinitsky Bay to an area of ​​16,780 hectares, of which 15,960 hectares in the Razdolnensky and 820 hectares in the Krasnoperekopsky districts.

In accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR dated January 17, 1978. No. 43 “On the expansion of the Black Sea Nature Reserve, the Crimean State Game Reserve and the addition of the list of state reserves” to improve the protection and weaken the anthropogenic impact on the natural complexes of the Lebyazhy Islands Nature Reserve, its area was increased due to the shallow waters of the Karkinitsky Bay by 9560 hectares. The same decree, in order to strengthen the reserve regime, organized the state ornithological reserve “Karkinitsky” with an area of ​​27,646 hectares, which adjoins the water area of ​​the reserve from the north.

Currently, the lands taken under protection in the Lebyazhye Islands area have a total area of ​​54,038 hectares and consist of three parts with different statuses and protection regimes: the Lebyazhye Islands reserve with an area of ​​9,612 hectares (52 hectares of the islands’ territory and 9,560 hectares of shallow waters around them), ornithological reserve "Karkinitsky" with an area of ​​27,646 hectares and a protected zone of the reserve in the mainland part of Karkinitsky Bay with an area of ​​16,780 hectares. The listed lands are under the protection of the Crimean Nature Reserve.

The attraction of the protected islands is mute swan. This bird is popularly considered to be the personification of marital fidelity. They live as friendly, inseparable couples. In the past, swans were mercilessly shot, which led to a significant reduction in the number of this bird. Measures taken to protect waterfowl habitats have had a positive impact on the increase in both nesting bird species and those arriving here to molt. Suffice it to say that during the molting period alone, more than 5 thousand swans accumulate here in some years.

The species composition of birds on the Swan Islands during migration is diverse. Of the ducks, the most numerous are the red-headed duck, mallard, teal and gabbler, wigeon, and pintail. Coots on their autumn migration near the islands accumulate up to 7-8 thousand birds, white-fronted and gray geese - up to 2-4 thousand. Lesser white-fronted goose, bean goose and red-breasted goose do not form large concentrations here. The abundance of migratory waders, gulls, terns, and waders is high. The most numerous of them are: grey, great and little egrets, red heron, black-headed and glaucous gulls, red-lined and dunlin, mud-billed sandpiper, sandpiper and white-tailed sandpiper, snipe, lapwing, herbal, fifi and dunlin.

In years with mild winters, a large number of birds remain near the islands for the winter. According to census data, from 10 to 30 thousand ducks live here in different years (mallard, teal, wigeon, pintail, shelduck, red-nosed, red-headed, sea and tufted ducks, great merganser, long-nosed merganser, goldeneye, lutok), up to 2 thousand geese (white-fronted and gray), up to 2 thousand coots, more than a thousand gulls (lake, gray, silver), several dozen great white and gray herons, great shelduck, snipe, curlews, more than 2.5 thousand swans (mute, whooper). In the protected zone and on the territory of the islands, in addition to the sedentary wintering species, large numbers of common and reed buntings, great tits, blue tits, greenfinches, whiskered tits, gray shrikes, steppe and skylarks, meadow pipit, common starlings, millet grass, and long-eared owls remain in large numbers.

The list of birds recorded in the area of ​​the Lebyazhy Islands (the territory of the islands, the water area and the protective zone of the reserve) includes 255 species. Some of them (220 species) come here regularly for nesting, molting, migration and wintering. Others are very rare or random. These are the red-throated loon, black stork, common loon, black scoter, common scoter, saker falcon, Siberian crane, little bustard, white-tailed shrike, sandpiper, yellow shank, long-tailed skua, kittiwake, Syrian woodpecker, yellow-headed wagtail, black tit, red-headed shrike, nutcracker, red-headed wren , southern nightingale.

Much more often, but not regularly, at the Swan Islands you can see the little cormorant, roseate pelican, Dalmatian pelican, spoonbill, spotted eagle, white-headed duck, greater spotted eagle, short-eared eagle, imperial eagle, Icelandic sandpiper, slender-billed curlew, white-cheeked tern, warbler, bullfinch.

The Swan Islands area is a natural laboratory for ornithologists. Scientists ornithologists and students come here every year to conduct scientific observations. On the protected territory of the Lebyazhye Islands, researchers and specialists constantly conduct phenological observations and study the influence economic activity on the state of the environment.

Senior Researcher

Crimean Nature Reserve

Tarina N. A.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

A wide range of scientific work has been carried out in the reserve since 1923, with the creation of the Zoological and Forestry Laboratory here. Every year, for many years, students and graduate students undertook internships here under the guidance of the most famous scientists of our country - Academician V.N. Sukachev, professors G.I. Poplavskaya, I.I. Puzanov and others. The period from 1923 to 1945. characterized by the creation of the first herbarium of the reserve, the first list of the flora of the Crimean reserve by G.I. Poplavskaya (1931), which lists 771 species of vascular plants, of which five are new to science species (Scrophularia exilis Popl., Phelipaea helenae Popl., Anthyllis biebersteiniana Popl., Euphrasia taurica Ganesch. ex Popl., Sorbus taurica Zinserl.). The results of geobotanical and forest typological studies were published (Poplavskaya, 1925-1934; Sukachev, 1931; Wulf, 1927-1941; Ivanenko, 1925, Troitsky, 1929).

Modern comprehensive studies of the KrPZ flora and its rare component began in the late 50s. At this time, work was carried out on the description of yaila (Chernova, 1951; Privalova, 1956,1958), beech forests (Mishnev, 1969, 1980, 1986; Mishnev, Kostina, 1970), classification of oak and pine forests (Korzhenevsky, 1982; Didukh, 1990), types of forest vegetation (Vysotsky, 1957; Posokhov, 1963) inventory of the flora of the reserve (Kostina, 2010; Rudenko, 2010, 2014). Populations of some rare species– Cachrys alpina (Kosykh, 1978), Silene jailensis (Ena, 2001; Nikiforov, 2009, 2011, 2012), Sobolewskia sibirica (Nikiforov, 2009), Lamium glaberrimum (Nikiforov, 2005; Ena, 2006), Pulsatilla taurica (Golubev, 2012), Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis, Seseli lehmannii, Solenanthus biebersteinii (Rudenko, 2014). This period was marked by publications and collections concerning floristic discoveries of new species on the territory of the KrPZ: Silene jailensis (Rubtsov, 1974), Allium albidum (Allium denudatum F. Delaroche) (Korzhenevsky, YALT, 1979), Anemone fasciculata (Kostina, 1979), Dryopteris villarii (Immortal, 2011).

Since the late 60s, regular work on the study of mammals began to be carried out in the area of ​​the Lebyazhy Islands (Dulitsky A.I.), and from the mid-70s floristic work has been established (Kostina V.P.), in which in some years the Institute’s employees participated Botany of the Ukrainian SSR. During 10-12 years of stationary work, the ornithologist of the Crimean Nature Reserve Yu.V. Kostin (who worked in the reserve from 1959 to 1982) ringed a large number of nesting and migratory birds, collected most interesting material about the avifauna of the Lebyazhi Islands region and its uniqueness. Due to the large volume of publications using these data, the Swan Islands and Karkinitsky Bay were included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Iran, Ramsar, 1971)

Since the mid-80s, there has been a need to conduct comprehensive studies of the nature, depth and rate of change in the natural ecosystems of the reserve as a result of economic activities in adjacent territories. Workers of the reserve (Tarina N.A.) studied the condition of the habitats of birds of the semi-aquatic complex in the conditions of the Swan Islands, identified environmental factors that determine the dynamics of bird numbers, as well as mechanisms of adaptation of birds to living conditions changing under the influence of anthropogenic factors. And since May 1988 within the framework of household of the contractual topic, hydrochemical toxicological studies of the ecosystems of the Lebyazhy Islands Nature Reserve began by employees of the Radiobiology Laboratory of the Institute of Biology south seas(Sevastopol), which continued with short interruptions until 1996. Over the years, material has been collected on the maintenance of living and non-living natural objects reserve and its protective zone of organochlorine compounds (Zherko N.V., Shchepinova N.A., Chervyakov S.M.), mercury (Svetasheva S.K., Plotitsina O.V.), other materials (Ovchinikova S.S. ), radioactive strontium (Korkishko N.F., Arkhipova S.I.), cesium-137 (Popovichev V.N.); distribution of phytoplankton (Sergeeva L.M.) and zooplankton (Shcherbatenko P.V.) – indicators of environmental pollution; study of the mutagenic activity of water on a yeast biomodel (Tsymugina V.G., Tereshchenko N.N.).

In 1990, for the first time for the reserve, an employee of the Nikitsky Botanical Hall conducted a study of the macrophytobenthos of protected water areas (Maslov I.I.). Since 1996, a complex group of employees from the Nikitsky Botanical Garden (Bagrikov N.A., Kostin S.Yu., Sadogursky S.E.), the reserve (Tarina N.A.) and the Tauride University named after V.I. . Vernadsky (Klyukin A.A.). The influence of colonial bird species on the vegetation of the Lebyazhye Islands was studied, and work began on geomorphology, geobotany, and algology of protected areas. In 1998, a zoological and geobotanical survey of all cadastral sites of the international land of Karkinitsky Bay was carried out under the Wetlands International program.

In protected areas (mountain forest area, the Lebyazhy Islands branch, its protective zone, the waters of the Karkinitsky ornithological reserve), a complex of monitoring work and research is carried out annually under the “Chronicles of Nature” program, approved annually by the scientific and technical council of the Crimean Nature Reserve.

VEGETABLE WORLD

The area of ​​the mountain forest area of ​​the reserve is almost 35 thousand hectares. Forests cover 28.8 thousand hectares or 83.2% of its mountain forest territory. Half of this area (almost 53%) is occupied by oak forests. The most common plant communities found here are sessile oak. Communities of downy oak and pedunculate oak occur in fragments. The age of the trees is 85 – 125 years. They occupy the lower reaches of the mountain range at an altitude of 300 to 600 m above sea level and are distinguished by a richness of plant species. Here grow narrow-leaved and tall ash, Caucasian and heartleaf linden, Stephen and field maple, common hornbeam, aspen, European and warty euonymus, wild apple and pear trees, several types of rowan, wild cherries and plums, dogwood, 9 types of hawthorn, rose hips, privet , svidina, scumpia, barberry, hazel and many others. In summer and autumn there is a real fruit paradise here; the forest generously gifts everyone with the most delicious and valuable products.

Beech forests occupy 7490.1 hectares of the reserve and are represented by plant communities of beech. Beech forests grow on the northern slopes of the Babugan, Chatyr-Dag, Nikitsky massifs and the Sinap-Dag ridge in the upper and middle parts. Today in the Crimean Nature Reserve you can see magnificent tree stands 300 years old, witnesses of bygone eras.

Under the canopy of the beech forest there is a shade-tolerant coniferous plant - yew, which is a relict of the Tertiary period. The species is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. All parts of the tree, except the watery-tasting apiary, are poisonous. The yew is a long-liver; in the reserve there are plants about 1000 years old. Yew wood is durable, hard, does not rot, red in color, beautiful texture, the same famous “mahogany”, because of which people have exterminated the plant for centuries.

The area of ​​pine forests of the reserve is 3.5 thousand hectares. Pine forests are represented by plant formations of Crimean pine (Pallas) and Scots pine. They grow in the middle and upper belt of the Main Ridge, fragmentarily on the northern macroslope of the Main Ridge. Forests dominated by Scots pine are distributed at an altitude of 500-1450 m above sea level. On the southern slopes, pine forests more than 300 years old have been preserved.

There is a unique grove of stinking juniper on the slopes of the Chernaya and Bolshaya Chuchel mountains. The plant is a relict Mediterranean species. The trees reach an age of more than 400 years, have a height of 7-9 m and a trunk diameter of 20-36 cm. Four more types of juniper grow on the territory of the reserve: red juniper, tall juniper and creeping junipers - Cossack and hemispherical. All species of junipers growing in Crimea are listed in the International Red Book (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2011).

The flora of the reserve amazes with its diversity. The list of flora includes 1357 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 535 genera and 114 families (Rudenko, 2010), 183 species of mosses (Partyka, 1995), 59 species of algae (Sadogursky, 2009). According to A.E. Khodosovtsev (2006), there are 344 species of lichenophilic fungi (lichens), 71 species of myxomycetes (Romanenko, 2001), 480 macromycetes (Sarkina, 2011).

Analysis of the geographical structure showed that the flora of the reserve is Mediterranean in nature. Largest number of species higher plants of the reserve (409) belongs to the day-Mediterranean type, which accounts for 30.1% of the total number of species. Adventive taxa are represented sporadically (2.3%). Based on the list of endemics of Crimea published by An.V. Ena (Ena, 2009), 60 species of the reserve are considered endemic (Rudenko, 2014). Among the most common species in the reserve are Steven's maple, Bieberstein's crayfish, Steven's sunflower, taurid saxifrage, large-cupped primrose, Crimean lumbago, yayla's mantle, irrigated saxifrage, etc.

Unique are the narrow local endemics ( Scrophularia exilis), discovered by G.I. Poplavskaya in the upper reaches of the Avunda, as well as the Yailinka (Silene jailensis), growing in the same area.

More than 150 rare species included in protected lists of various levels have been identified on the territory of the reserve. Thus, 42 species of plants and fungi are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2005), including Crimean asphodelina, Onosma multifolia, Crimean saffron, Steveniella satyrium, pale orchis, Belladonna belladonna, etc.

The European Red List lists 127 species of higher vascular plants of the reserve. Of these, 1 species has Endangered status: Steveniella satyrioides; Vulnerable status (vulnerable) – 3 species: purple lagozeris (Crepis purpurea), onosma polyphylla, Iberian fingerroot (Dactylorhiza iberica); Near Threatened status (endangered) – 5 species: small-leaved napkin (Epipactis microphylla), lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus), napkin orchis (Anacamptis morio), round-leaved chin (Lathyrus rotundifolius.), white-flowered onion (Allium albiflorum); Least Concern status (least problematic) – 110 species; Data Deficient status – (insufficient data) – 8 types. The same list includes 9 species protected by the Berne Convention and 38 species protected by CITES.

M.I.Rudenko, Ph.D.,

head of scientific department

REGIME AND PROTECTION OF RESERVES

ORGANIZATION OF PROTECTION SERVICE IN STATE NATURAL RESERVES

According to Article 33 of the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories” dated March 14, 1995 No. 33-F3, the protection of natural complexes and objects in the territories of state natural reserves (hereinafter referred to as reserves) and national parks is carried out by a special state inspection for the protection of territories of reserves and national parks. parks, whose employees are part of the staff of the relevant environmental institutions.

State inspectors were formed to strengthen the protection of natural complexes and objects and monitor compliance with the established regime and other requirements of environmental legislation. In their activities, state inspectors are guided by the legislation of the Russian Federation on specially protected natural areas, other legislative and regulatory legal acts, including regulatory legal acts of the Ministry natural resources of the Russian Federation, acts of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources, these Methodological Recommendations, orders and instructions of the director of the reserve ( national park).

The Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (hereinafter referred to as the Administrative Offenses Code) and the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas” grant state inspectors for the protection of the territories of state natural reserves and national parks the following rights:

Carry out delivery (forced transfer) of an individual for the purpose of drawing up a protocol (if it is impossible to draw it up on the spot), to a police station or to another official premises (Article 27.2 of the Administrative Code). That is, the state inspector also has the right to deliver the violator to the premises of a nature reserve or national park, which was not provided for by previously existing legal acts. Delivery must be made as soon as possible short term. A protocol on delivery is drawn up or a corresponding entry is made in the protocol on the administrative offense.

Carry out a personal search and search of things (Article 27.7 of the Code of Administrative Offences): carried out in order to detect instruments of committing or objects of an administrative offense; a personal search is carried out by a person of the same sex as the person being searched in the presence of two witnesses of the same sex;

If necessary, photography, filming, video recording, and other established methods of recording material evidence are used;

Carry out an inspection (i.e. examination) vehicle(Article 27.9 of the Administrative Code):

Carried out in order to detect instruments or objects of an administrative offense;

— if necessary, photography, filming, video recording, and other established methods of recording material evidence are used;

— Confiscate things and documents (Article 27.10 of the Administrative Code).

— Seize goods, vehicles and other things (Article 27.14 of the Code of Administrative Offences) that were instrumentalities in the commission or subjects of an offense:

— Draw up protocols on administrative offenses (Article 28.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) provided for in Article 8.39 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (violations of the regime or other rules of environmental protection and use of natural resources in specially protected natural areas);

Provided for in Part 1 of Article 19.4. Code of Administrative Offenses (disobedience to a legal order of a person exercising state control);

Provided for in Part 1 of Article 19.5. Code of Administrative Offenses (failure to comply with a legal order of an official exercising state control);

Provided for in Article 19.7. Code of Administrative Offenses (failure to provide data (information), the presentation of which is provided for by law).

— Issue decisions on initiating a case of an administrative offense and carrying out an administrative offense (Article 28.7 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

— Check (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”) permits for the right to stay in the territories of nature reserves and national parks from persons located in these territories;

Documents for the right to carry out environmental management and other activities in the territories of nature reserves and national parks and their protective zones.

— Detain in the territories of nature reserves, national parks and their protective zones persons who have violated the legislation of the Russian Federation on specially protected natural areas (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”).

— Freely visit any objects located in the territories of nature reserves, national parks, their protective zones to check compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on specially protected natural areas (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”).

— When performing official duties (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”):

use special means in the prescribed manner - handcuffs, rubber truncheons, tear gas, devices for forcibly stopping vehicles, service dogs, carry, store and use service firearms.

Also enjoy all the rights of officials of the state forest protection and other federal bodies executive power in the field of environmental protection (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”).

The rights of officials of the state forest protection are provided for in Article 77 of the Forest Code of the Russian Federation and the Regulations on the State Forest Protection of the Russian Federation, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 20, 2006 No. 150.

The rights of officials (state inspectors) of other federal executive bodies in the field of environmental protection are established by Article 66 of the Federal Law “On Environmental Protection” of January 10, 2002 No. 7-FZ, including:

visit, for the purpose of inspection, organizations, objects of economic and other activities, regardless of the form of ownership, including objects subject to state protection, defense objects, civil defense objects, get acquainted with documents and other materials necessary for the implementation of state environmental control;

check compliance with regulations, state standards and other regulatory documents in the field of environmental protection, the operation of treatment facilities and other neutralizing devices, control means, as well as the implementation of plans and measures for environmental protection;

verify compliance with requirements, norms and rules in the field of environmental protection during the placement, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of production and other facilities;

check compliance with the requirements specified in the conclusion of the state environmental assessment and make proposals for its implementation;

make demands and issue instructions to legal entities and individuals to eliminate violations of legislation in the field of environmental protection (in this case, demands to limit, suspend or terminate the activities of legal entities and individuals carried out in violation of legislation in the field of environmental protection are considered by the court or arbitration court);

stop and inspect vehicles, check weapons and other tools for obtaining objects of the animal world, products obtained from them, including during its transportation, in places of storage and processing.

In addition to the above rights, the chief state inspectors for the protection of territories of nature reserves and national parks and their deputies are given the right to:

Consider cases of administrative offenses (Article 23.25 of the Administrative Code) provided for in Article 8.39. Code of Administrative Offenses (violations of the rules for the protection and use of natural resources in specially protected natural areas).

According to Art. 29.6. of the Code of Administrative Offenses, cases of administrative offenses are considered within 15 days from the date of receipt by the official authorized to consider the case of the protocol on the administrative offense and other materials of the case. According to Art. 4.5. Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, a resolution in a case of violation of environmental protection legislation cannot be made after one year from the date of commission of the administrative offense, and in the case of a continuing offense - from the date of its discovery.

In case of refusal to initiate a criminal case or its termination, but if there are signs of an administrative offense in the actions of the violator, an administrative penalty may be imposed no later than a month from the date of the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case or to terminate it.

— Bring claims to individuals and legal entities to recover funds in favor of state natural reserves and national parks to compensate for damage caused natural complexes and objects of nature reserves, national parks, their protective zones as a result of violations of the established regime (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”).

Prohibit economic and other activities that do not comply with the established regime of state natural reserves, national parks, and their protective zones (Article 34 of the Federal Law “On Protected Natural Areas”).

Send materials to law enforcement agencies about violations of the legislation of the Russian Federation on specially protected natural areas.

LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OF LEGISLATION ON SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS

2.1. Administrative responsibility.

2.1.1. General requirements.

The issue of bringing an individual or legal entity to administrative liability must be resolved in strict accordance with the requirements of Art. 1.5. Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (hereinafter referred to as the Code of Administrative Offenses):

In accordance with Art. 2.9. If the administrative offense committed is of minor importance, the official authorized to resolve the case may release the offender from administrative liability and limit himself to an oral remark. In this case, according to Article 29.9. Based on the results of the consideration, the Code of Administrative Offenses makes a decision to terminate the proceedings in the case of an administrative offense.

According to Art. 2.7. The Code of Administrative Offenses does not constitute an administrative offense if a person causes harm to legally protected interests in a state of extreme necessity, i.e. to eliminate a danger that directly threatens the personality and rights of a given person or other persons, as well as the legally protected interests of society or the state, if this danger could not be eliminated by other means and if the harm caused is less significant than the harm prevented.

According to Art. 2.8. The Code of Administrative Offenses is not subject to administrative liability for an individual who, at the time of committing illegal actions, was in a state of insanity, i.e. could not realize the nature and illegality of his actions due to a chronic or temporary mental disorder, dementia or other painful mental state.

Administrative liability for violation of legislation on specially protected natural areas is established by Article 8.39 of the Administrative Code:

Article 8.39. Violation of the rules for the protection and use of natural resources in specially protected natural areas.

Violation of the established regime or other rules for the protection and use of the natural environment and natural resources in the territories of state natural reserves, national parks, natural parks, state natural reserves, as well as in territories where natural monuments are located, in other specially protected natural areas or in their security zones. Involves the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of three thousand to four thousand rubles with or without confiscation of the instruments of committing an administrative offense and products of illegal use of natural resources; for officials - from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand rubles with or without confiscation of instruments for committing an administrative offense and products of illegal use of natural resources; for legal entities - from three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles with or without confiscation of instruments for committing an administrative offense and products of illegal use of natural resources.

2.1.6. Responsibility of foreign citizens.

According to Art. 2.6. Code of Administrative Offenses: foreign citizens, stateless persons and foreign legal entities are subject to administrative liability on a general basis;

the issue of administrative liability of a foreign citizen enjoying immunity from the administrative jurisdiction of the Russian Federation in accordance with federal laws and international treaties is resolved in accordance with the norms of international law.

2.1.9. Failure to pay an administrative fine.

Administrative liability for failure to pay an administrative fine is established by Part 1 of Article 20.25 of the Administrative Code: Failure to pay an administrative fine or unauthorized leaving the place of serving an administrative arrest. Failure to pay an administrative fine within the period provided for by this Code entails the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of twice the amount of the unpaid administrative fine or administrative arrest for a period of up to fifteen days.

2.2. Criminal liability.

Criminal liability for environmental crimes in the field of specially protected natural areas and the protection of biological resources is established by a number of articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Article 256. Illegal extraction of aquatic animals and plants

Illegal harvesting of fish, sea animals and other aquatic animals or commercial marine plants, if this act is committed:

b) using a self-propelled floating vehicle or explosives and chemicals, electric current or other methods of mass extermination of the specified aquatic animals and plants;

c) in spawning areas or on migration routes to them;

d) on the territory of a nature reserve, wildlife sanctuary, or in a zone of ecological disaster or in a zone of emergency ecological situation - punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years, or correctional labor for a term of up to two years, or arrest for a term of four to six months.

2. Illegal hunting of seals, sea beavers or other marine mammals on the high seas or in prohibited zones - shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years, or by correctional labor for a term of up to two years, or by arrest for a term from three to six months.

3. Acts provided for in parts one or two of this article, committed by a person using his official position or by a group of persons by prior conspiracy or organized group- shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to three years, or by imprisonment for a term of up to two years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term up to three years or without it.

Article 258. Illegal hunting.

1. Illegal hunting, if this act is committed:

a) causing major damage;

b) using a mechanical vehicle or aircraft, explosives, gases or other methods of mass destruction of birds and animals;

c) in relation to birds and animals, hunting of which is completely prohibited;

d) on the territory of a reserve, wildlife sanctuary, or in a zone of environmental disaster or in a zone of environmental emergency, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to two hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to eighteen months, or by correctional labor for a term of up to two years, or by arrest for a term of four to six months.

2. The same act, committed by a person using his official position, or by a group of persons by prior conspiracy or by an organized group, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years, or by imprisonment for a term of up to two years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years or without it.

Article 260. Illegal cutting of trees and bushes

1. Illegal cutting, as well as damage to the point of stopping the growth of trees, shrubs and lianas in forests of the first group or in specially protected areas of forests of all groups, as well as trees, shrubs and lianas that are not included in the forest fund or are prohibited from cutting, if these the acts were committed on a significant scale, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to forty thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to three months, or by deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years, or by corrective labor for a term of six months to one year. , or arrest for up to three months.

1. Illegal felling, as well as damage to the point of stopping the growth of trees, shrubs and vines in forests of all groups, as well as plantings not included in the forest fund, if these acts are committed:

a) a group of persons;

c) by a person using his official position;

d) on a large scale, -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to two hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to eighteen months, or by compulsory labor for a term of one hundred eighty to two hundred forty hours, or by corrective labor for a term of one to two years, or by imprisonment freedom for a term of up to two years with or without deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years.

3. Acts provided for in parts one or two of this article, committed on an especially large scale, by a group of persons by prior conspiracy or by an organized group -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to three years, or by imprisonment for a term of up to three years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years or without it.

Note. In this article, significant damage is recognized as damage caused to the forest fund and forests not included in the forest fund, calculated at the rates approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, exceeding ten thousand rubles, large damage - one hundred thousand rubles, especially large amount - two hundred and fifty thousand rubles.

Article 261. Destruction or damage to forests

Destruction or damage to forests, as well as plantings not included in the forest fund, as a result of careless handling of fire or other sources of increased danger -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of up to two hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to eighteen months, or by correctional labor for a term of up to two years, or by imprisonment for a term of up to two years.

Destruction or damage to forests, as well as plantings not included in the forest fund, by arson, other generally dangerous means, or as a result of pollution with harmful substances, waste, emissions or refuse -

shall be punishable by a fine in the amount of one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years, or by imprisonment for a term of up to seven years with a fine in the amount of ten thousand to one hundred thousand rubles, or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for a period from one month to one year or without it.

Article 262. Violation of the regime of specially protected natural territories and natural objects

Violation of the regime of nature reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, natural monuments and other specially protected state natural areas, resulting in significant damage, is punishable by a fine in the amount of up to two hundred thousand rubles or in the amount of the wages or other income of the convicted person for a period of up to eighteen months, or by deprivation the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of up to three years, or correctional labor for a period of up to two years.

PHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS

In Crimea “...there are no two pieces of land, two mountains, two valleys similar to each other... Each Crimean valley has its own winds, its own sunshine, its own humidity and dryness, its own colors, smells, sounds, its own climate, its own soil, its own vegetation” , - this is how the writer S.Ya. wrote about the Crimean landscapes in 1913. Elpatievsky. We find the same diversity directly in the Crimean Nature Reserve.

The main territory of the reserve is a typical mountainous area with inaccessible rocky peaks, gorges, mountain rivers and forests. The total area of ​​the mountain forest territory is 34,563 hectares (excluding the Lebyazhy Islands branch). The southern border of this territory almost reaches the Black Sea, and the northern border partially covers the city of Chatyr-Dag. The reserve occupies the most elevated part of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains. Its northern slopes are longer than the southern ones, which are shorter and steeply descend to the sea. The reserve contains the most high points The main ridge is the city of Roman-Kosh (1545 masl), Demir-Kapu (1541 masl), Zeytin-Kosh (1537 masl). The peaks of the Main Ridge are hilly treeless plateaus covered with grassy vegetation - yayly (from the Turkic “summer pasture”).

The main rocks of the reserve are shales, sandstones, limestones and conglomerates, varying in age, mainly from the Jurassic period. Diversity geological structure causes the diversity of soils, which in the reserve are represented by groups of mountain-forest and mountain-meadow soils.

The reserve is of great importance as an accumulator of fresh water, which accumulates on the yayls and feeds springs and rivers. There are more than 1000 water sources in the reserve. They are located unevenly throughout its territory. The largest number of powerful springs is located in the zone of distribution of tall beech stands. One of the most picturesque places of the reserve is considered to be the Central Basin (700 msl), formed by the wooded spurs of the Konek, Babugan and Chernaya ridges. There is an abundance of water here. The Savlukh-Su spring (Turkish for “healthy water”), which has been covered in legends since ancient times, is especially unique. For two years (1987-1989) it was studied by employees of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine under the leadership of Academician E.F. Shnyukova. Studies have shown that the source water is sulfate-hydrocarbonate magnesium-calcium, of high purity, neutral in acidity (pH 7.6). Water temperature is about +5°C. The water flow is constant - 6 l/sec. Deep waters participate in the source's feeding, as evidenced by geological, hydrochemical and radiochemical data. The source is located in the intersection zone of two deep faults - Alminsky and Demerdzhisky. In the water of Savlukh-Su, silver and zinc were found in elevated concentrations - elements that are not typical for the karst strata of the region. The source water contains 0.08-0.125 mg/l of silver ions. It was also found that when water is stored for more than a year, it chemical composition and the properties do not change. Employees of the Institute of Geological Sciences examined the water of 15 more springs in the reserve. The presence of zinc ions in the Uzen-Bash spring and manganese in the water of the Berezovy spring were discovered. Traces of silver are noted in sources on the river. Babuganka, b. Alma and Berezov. The waters of the Tarier and Uzen-Basha springs were classified as sulfate-hydrocarbonate magnesium-calcium.

Nature has decorated the upper reaches of many Crimean rivers with waterfalls. This is Uzen-Bash, the right tributary of the river. Ulu-Uzeni. At an altitude of 800 m a.s.l. in the wild Yaman-Dere gorge there are cascades of the waterfall named after Professor N.A. Golovkinsky. And although the height of the water fall is small - 12 m, it is breathtaking when you see the colossal work of the stream, escaping from the gorge squeezed by the rocks, making its way through the stones, down there - into the sunny Alushta valley, to the sea.

Reserved springs give rise to many of the most important rivers of Crimea: Alma, Kache, Ulu-Uzeni, Derekoyka, Avunda, etc. The deepest and longest reserve rivers are Alma (84 km) and Kacha (69 km). These are typical mountain rivers with a fast flow and flood character. They contain the most water in spring (when the snow in the mountains melts) and in autumn, when it rains heavily. In winter, the rivers do not freeze.

23 reservoirs were built on the rivers of Crimea, including Kachinskoye, Alminskoye, Izobilnenskoye (on the Ulu-Uzen river). The water problem in the mountainous part of the peninsula was solved solely thanks to them. Development of south coast resorts, Agriculture with its vineyards and orchards it is impossible without this water. Therefore, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the reserve, which conserves forests and water.