The most interesting plants and landscapes of Crimea. Landscape resources Landscape of Crimea
The Crimean Mountains belong to the folded structures of the Alpine geosynclinal belt. They represent a large and complex anticlinal rise - anticlinorium, South part which is lowered and flooded by the waters of the Black Sea.
The Crimean Mountains consist of a main ridge called Yayla and two advanced cuesta ridges to the north of it, clearly defined in the western and middle parts of the Crimean Mountains. Yaila corresponds to the axial zone of the Crimean anticlinorium, cuestas correspond to the monoclines of its northern wing.
The western part of Yayla is an integral mountain range with a plateau-like surface, while the eastern part breaks up into more or less isolated plateau-like massifs (Chatyrdag, Karabiyayla, etc.). The highest peak of Yayla rises in the east of the western part - Mount Roman-Kosh on Babuganyayle (1545 m).
The flat summit surfaces of Yayla are composed predominantly of hard Upper Jurassic limestones, which form steep, often vertical slopes of the plateau (especially along South Bank Crimea) and the steep sides of the canyons that dissect their edges.
The characteristic landscape feature of Yaila is given by karst landforms. The karst of Yayla is very fully expressed and serves as a classic example of bare karst of the Mediterranean type.
Crimea. Yayla from the northwestern side. In the background is Chatyrdag on the left, Babuganyayla on the right. Rice.
N. A. Gvozdetsky
Relief south coast The Crimean peninsula is mainly ridge-erosive, in many places complicated by accumulations of limestone blocks that have fallen from the cliffs of Yayla, sliding along the Tauride shales (Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic) lying at the base of Yayla, large limestone massifs and landslides in the Tauride shales themselves. Landslides damage resort buildings, gardens and vineyards.
In the Crimean Mountains, the altitudinal zonation of landscapes is clearly visible. On the southern slope of Yayla, the lower altitude zone corresponds to the Southern Coast of Crimea, which, according to climatic conditions, can be classified as the northeastern edge of the Mediterranean subtropical climate region. On the southern coast, protected from the winds from the continent by a mountain barrier, the softening influence of the sea is largely affected.
Climate of the Crimean Mountains
Precipitation (the annual amount in Yalta is about 600 mm) falls most in winter. At this time, Mediterranean cyclones penetrate here. In spring, with the weakening of cyclonic activity in the Mediterranean region, the amount of precipitation decreases. The least amount of rain falls in April - May and August. When there is a lot of insolation in the summer, there is a lack of moisture, so you have to resort to watering fruit trees and young tobacco plants. Due to the unevenness of precipitation, the rivers of the South Bank are characterized by a Mediterranean regime with winter and spring floods and stable summer-autumn low water.
Protected from the north by the Yayla barrier, the southern coast is warmer than other regions of Crimea. About 150 days a year the average daily temperature is above 15°. Winter is mild (average January temperature is about 4°), plants do not stop growing. The snow that sometimes falls melts quickly, but more often in winter it rains. Summer and autumn are sunny and warm, the average temperature in July and August is about 24°. The eastern part of the southern coast of Crimea is drier, with annual precipitation of 500-600 mm or less.
The climate of the summit surface of Yayla is characterized by cool summers (at an altitude of about 1200 m the average temperature in July is 4-15.7 °), not very harsh winter(the average January temperature at the same altitude is about -4°, lower in the east), significant amounts of precipitation (in the western part up to 1000-1200 mm per year), strong winds.
In the west, the seasonal distribution of precipitation is the same as on the South Coast, with a maximum in winter. In the east the maximum is summer. In summer, out of three days, one, and in winter, two on Yaila have precipitation. In winter, precipitation falls in the form of snow.
Landscapes of the Crimean Mountains
In the small space of the Crimean Mountains, various landscapes are clearly expressed (see diagram). Particularly characteristic is the karst landscape of the summit surface of Yayla (1) with karrs, sinkholes and other forms of bare karst, with natural mines that often serve as routes into the mysterious underground world. The flat surface, corroded by karst, absorbs rain and melted snow water, so there are no ground watercourses and only in sinkholes with silted bottoms do puddles of standing water form.
Landscapes:
1 - karst summit surface of Yayla; 2 - mountain-forest slopes of Yayla; 3 - forest-shrub and forest-steppe (southern type) cuesta ridges; 4 - Mediterranean forest and cultivated; 5 - Mediterranean xerophytic-shrub-steppe
Carr fields, characteristic of bare karst, are combined on high massifs with rocky mountain meadows and meadow steppes, and on lower ones - with mountain forest-meadow-steppe and forest-steppe vegetation. The karst landscape is widespread in all areas of the plateau of the western monolithic part of Yayla and in the isolated plateau-like massifs of its eastern part, but is especially pronounced in Ai-Petri, Chatyrdag and Karabiyayla. Here, only at the bottom of karst sinkholes and basins do meadow grasses grow green; low areas the tops of trees and bushes protrude from the craters and mouths of natural mines. This adds variety to the landscape of bare rocky spaces and gives them a spotty appearance.
The lower tiers of the Yayly plateau were previously more forested. Deforestation and livestock eating tree shoots, which prevented forest regeneration, as well as excessive grazing of herbaceous vegetation caused a greater spread of bare limestone surfaces and the development of bare karst and deterioration of the regime of springs under the limestone cliffs framing the plateau. Strict implementation of the introduced ban on grazing and carrying out forest-meadow restoration measures will help improve the water regime of Yayla and its karst springs.
The mountain-forest landscapes of the slopes of Yayla (2) with beech and oak forests and mountain brown soils are similar to the Caucasian and Carpathian ones, while forests of Crimean pine on the southern slope are characteristic of Crimea and are repeated only in the northern part Black Sea coast Caucasus. Crimean mountain forests play an exceptionally large anti-erosion and water conservation role. Their protection and restoration are necessary, especially in mudflow-prone basins. The animals inhabiting these forests need protection.
The Mediterranean landscape of the South Coast (4) is unique with its shale slopes, chaos of boulders, landslides, limestone cliffs, and laccoliths. Oak-juniper forests with evergreen undergrowth and red-brown and brown soils have been preserved here. However, in large parts this landscape has given way to a cultivated one with vineyards and tobacco plantations, gardens, parks, beautiful resort buildings and well-equipped beaches. Climatic conditions and the soils of the southern coast of Crimea are favorable not only for viticulture (good table and wine varieties are grown) and tobacco growing, but also for subtropical fruit growing. To protect the cultivated landscape of the South Coast, it is important to combat landslides, erosion and mudflows. The measures recommended for landscapes (1) and (2) should lead to an improvement in its water regime.
East of Alushta, a strip of Mediterranean xerophytic-shrub landscape stretches along the coast (5). It is characterized by vegetation characteristic of the Eastern Mediterranean - shiblyak, frigana, in the east in combination with steppes. Brown skeletal soils develop on weathered shale rubble. The typical erosional relief of the distribution zone of this landscape in Tauride shales is distinguished by intensive dissection of the surface into valleys of the first, second and third orders and is in sharp contrast to the karst surfaces of neighboring Yayla, almost untouched by erosion. For this landscape, it is especially necessary to combat mudflows developing in the belt of Tauride shales and sandstones. We need comprehensive mudflow protection (hydraulic structures, phytomelioration on the slopes of mudflow catchments, etc.
On the northern side of Yayla, there are unique forest-shrub landscapes (dominated by fluffy oak) and southern forest-steppe landscapes of cuesta ridges (3) with brown and humus-carbonate soils. The steep slope of the inner cuesta topped with a cliff and the sharp steep sides of the canyons that dissect it create landscapes in which bare limestone walls, marly slopes with screes, and slopes overgrown with trees and bushes stand out in contrast.
The spectrum of altitudinal zonation on the southern slope of Yayla combines zones of the Mediterranean landscape of the southern coast, mountain forest with belts of oak, pine and beech forests, and karst landscape of the summit surface. On the northern slope there is no Mediterranean landscape; In the lower altitudinal zone, southern forest-steppe is developed, and in the middle (with the exception of the westernmost regions) there are no Crimean pine forests typical for the southern slope. Greater similarity is observed, as is usually the case in the mountains, in the landscapes of the upper slopes. Nevertheless, in general, we can talk about different types of structure of altitudinal zonation of the landscapes of the northern and southern slopes of the Crimean Mountains. Their differences are due to the climatic barrier role of Yayla. In the east, more continental variants of the identified types are observed.
Mountain Crimea is a natural museum, where relatively small area various landscapes and a lot of unique natural monuments are concentrated.
The Eastern Coast of Crimea is a huge tourist region, covering the coast of the Azov Sea from the steppe shores of the Dzhankoy region to Kerch Strait, a wide strip of the Black Sea coast - from Cape Opuk on the Kerch Peninsula to the village of Morskoye on the southern outskirts of Sudak. Length coastline is 160 km. The eastern coast of Crimea unites large resort cities - Kerch, Feodosia and Sudak, and small resort villages connected by transport infrastructure.
Climate
The region's territory covers several climatic zones. In the area of the Kerch Peninsula, a moderately warm climate of the steppe zone reigns - the air here is drier, there is very little precipitation, summers are hot and sunny, and winters are relatively cold for the Crimea. To the south, towards Koktebel and Sudak, the climate increasingly takes on Mediterranean features. The air is more humid, the summer heat is softened by sea breezes, and winters are warm.
Seasonality
Beach season on the Eastern coast of Crimea, from May to September - on the Azov Sea, from May to October - on the Black Sea. At this time, sea waters warm up to 18-26°C, and the average air temperature is 24°C. Summer is time active rest, most excursions occur at this time of year. Has its fans " the Velvet season» in Crimea - the beginning of autumn, when the sea is still warm like summer, and daytime temperatures are more comfortable. Major resorts have everything for year-round recreation Eastern Crimea– Kerch, Feodosia and Sudak. In the off-season there are a number of hotels, boarding houses with treatment and sanatoriums. Music and dance festivals, holidays, a large number of attractions and excursion programs make the Eastern Coast of Crimea more and more popular destination for relaxation in autumn, winter and even in early spring. Small resorts focused on beach holiday, open only during high season.
Landscape
The Eastern Coast of Crimea is a rivalry between mountains and steppe. The north of the region is represented by a plain covered with fescue and feather grass, cut through by gullies and ravines. There is a chain of hills in the Kerch area. The shores here form picturesque sandy cliffs in some places, and in some places they gently go under water. From Koktebel to the south along the coast, the nature of the relief changes dramatically - the ridge of the Crimean Mountains begins. Rising above resort towns and cities Mountain peaks, rocky capes crash into the sea, the coast becomes rocky, indented by numerous bays. The Mediterranean flora dominates here; it is enough to climb a little into the mountains to see relict juniper groves, Crimean pine on the rocky mountain ledges, and vineyards.
- December 21st 2005
It is the landscapes – steppes, forests, mountains, meadows and “mountain meadow steppe” – that make Crimea great place for those who like to explore and learn the unknown. You can wander through the forests with a camera, dive somewhere on Tarkhankut or Balaklava, go paragliding or study the history of the estates of the Russian nobility on the South Coast. For those who are interested in plants, for whom names like “Steveniella satyrioides” or “Bieberstein’s geranium” ring like music, Crimea is just what you need. The flora of Crimea is very diverse, everyone knows this.
You don't need to be a professional botanist to admire a blooming magnolia or a pine tree that miraculously stays on a rock. There are 1,450 species of algae in the Black Sea. More than 2,700 plant species grow on the peninsula. This is over half of the flora of Ukraine and almost twice as much as in Poland. The Crimean flora is inferior in diversity to the Italian and Greek. Let's catch up and overtake Sicily and Pelloponnese!
90% of plants are found in the mountainous Crimea. Interesting feature Crimean landscapes are that ordinary Central European plants are adjacent to typical Mediterranean plants and people from Western Asia. The peninsula is a special territory in which some relics have been preserved - plants of the pre-glacial period (small-fruited strawberry, tall, the rare orchid Comperia Compera). But the beauties that vacationers see on the South Coast - palm trees, laurels and cypresses - were brought to Crimea much later. What is more interesting for researchers is the “native” Crimean plants and rarities, of which there are plenty in Crimea: 142 species of plants are not found anywhere except the Crimean Peninsula. These are endemic to Crimea.
All the most interesting things are usually found in the mountains. Of course, steppe plants are also diverse, but in mountain forests you can see amazing things. It is good to travel in spring, summer, and autumn. True, by July many plants have already finished blooming and burned out, but others are blooming. There's always something to see.
For example, butcher's broom. What can you compare butcher's broom to? Probably with the famous Christmas holly (as they depict on postcards). Tough dark green leaves and red berries, even in winter. It’s good that they don’t try to put butcher’s broom in vases or decorate doorposts with it at Christmas. This exotic Mediterranean species exists on a narrow strip of the southern coast; its range is very small. What looks like leaves in butcher's broom are not leaves at all, but special flat branches. The real leaves are located in the center of these plates and are almost invisible.
Butcher's broom is a butcher's broom because it is prickly. Sometimes the “pillows” of broom somewhere under the trees resemble a special type of wire on which someone specially strung orange and red balls. It looks very unusual and beautiful. See for yourself!
The darkest, most mysterious forests -. These are not even forests, but halls with colonnades of gray trunks, and only somewhere up there, if you lift your head, you can see green light breaking through the leaves. You need to be a very shade-loving plant to grow under the canopy of a beech forest. Even if there is water here (some mountain river or stream), there is still not enough light: the leaves of the beech trees create an almost impenetrable “roof”. The ground in the beech forest is completely covered with fallen leaves, from which lush ferns emerge like fountains. After school stories about the Carboniferous period, ferns, horsetails and mosses evoke a strong association: a prehistoric forest. Strangely curved feathery branches along which a special, prehistoric life flows... And now, with an increasing roar, maneuvering between the trunks, you are overtaken by a giant meganerva dragonfly, and there is no escape from it. And what? Somewhere in the beech thicket, sometimes you come across places that take your breath away. It seems that there is no human being in the world, the water is so crystal clear that it comes straight from the ground, among boulders and green, unnaturally bright green moss saturated with moisture. These are the hidden folds of nature, and only when you see them do you understand exactly how the forest lives when no one disturbs it.
Anyone who has been to the Nikitsky Botanical Garden probably remembers the ancient gnarled tree that curved like a giant snake right above the path along which tourists are led. This tree seemed to come out of the “Divine Comedy”, from the gloomy depths, where on the banks of the stream there was a forest of people turned into trees. Strawberry - this is the name of this plant, instead of bark it seems to be dressed in suede. Looking at it, you can study the anatomy: its flesh-colored branches are strangely similar to a system of blood vessels or veins, and they are soft to the touch like leather. An interesting impression is produced by some inscription deeply cut into this warm pinkish bark. It must be a special pleasure for a sadist, not available to everyone, to carve his name into such a living surface, which both in color and appearance resembles human flesh. Small-fruited strawberry, or coral tree, is the only evergreen deciduous tree in the flora of Crimea. Even when snow falls on the South Coast, the leathery leaves of the strawberry can withstand this inconvenience. A young strawberry tree may not be noticed, but in Crimea there are giant strawberry trees that are hundreds of years old.
In addition to wild plants, in various places of Crimea you can see wild apple or pear trees among low sunny thickets. They say that in ancient times, even before the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the Tatars used special irrigation systems known to them alone. People who lived in Crimea valued water very much; they literally extracted it drop by drop and carried it through clay pipes into their gardens. There were many fountains in the cities (of course, not like those at VDNKh, but still fountains!) Water was pumped from underground, and into cave cities They collected rainwater and directed it through special gutters. But turbulent historical events forced people to forget about ingenious irrigation systems, and many gardens went wild.
And some inconspicuous plant can be very interesting! . There is such a landscape there (especially on the coast, where there is nothing but thousand-year-old stones, cicadas and ancient columns against the backdrop of a piercing blue sky) that it is not clear what century you are in or whether you are in Crimea at all. Or is this already Hellas? Low stone labyrinths are the remains of a city excavated by archaeologists. These yellow ruins on the seashore themselves evoke a strange feeling, as if they lie on the edge of the world and beyond there is nothing but waves. And then, in the dilapidated stone halls, I began to come across some bouquets of berries growing right out of the walls. Sometimes they resembled a very beautiful forest man’s beard, in which raspberries had grown, but they always made their way on bare stones. Nothing else grew on the walls; I had to find out what kind of grass it was. It's good that the guide knew. “It’s ephedra,” he said. Later it turned out that ephedra is so unlike any other plant that it is the only one in our flora that forms a separate family of Ephedraceae. Ephedra has no leaves, only twigs that resemble a beard. Chersonesus and ephedra look amazing together!
Unfortunately, I have never seen orchids in Crimea. But they exist, all reference books and the Red Book of Ukraine talk about this. 47 species of orchids, about 20 are found in Laspi Bay. Of course, these are not tropical orchids and not those sold in flower shops. Crimean orchids like gems: small, but they have no price. The rarest of them is Compera's comperia. Once upon a time, a botany lover, the Frenchman Compere, who had an estate in Laspi, discovered this species. Comperia flowers are pinkish-brown, and each flower appears to thin out, ending in thin threads. This flower is not found anywhere else except Crimea and some areas of Asia Minor. In other Crimean orchids interesting names: orchis, lyubka, dremlik; ofris, whose flowers look like bumblebees. If you are lucky enough to see small but very beautiful Crimean orchids, can you share your photos?
The most valuable thing in Crimea is the diversity of landscapes. Some plants can be seen somewhere in the steppe, near Sivash, and completely different ones - on Demerdzhi. And if you climb Ai-Petri, Chatyrdag, or any mountain in general, there is a world of its own, with its own air, colors and way of life. The flat, treeless peaks of the Crimean Mountains are called yayls (from the Turkic “jeylyau” - mountain pasture). They have long loved to graze cattle there and grazed so much of it that the cattle trampled (or ate) many valuable plant species. Now the yayls are protected areas, but still cattle penetrate there from time to time, justifying the Turkic name. The Crimean mountains do not rise into the sky with peaks, we do not have the Himalayas. Their surface is flat. You will climb such a mountain, get lost in the fields and completely forget that you are at the top of the mountain, 1000-something meters above sea level.
Underfoot is limestone; it absorbs water very well, and the water erodes and “cuts” the surface of the yayla: karst sinkholes and entire “karr fields” are formed: a lunar landscape. There, in the depths of the mountains, lie water-washed halls and corridors, the thinnest passages through which no one and nothing penetrates except water drops. Yayla, like a huge pumice stone, eternally absorbs and redistributes water, passes moisture through itself and gives birth to springs and rivers down there. And here, on the surface, a unique landscape arises - the so-called. mountain meadow steppe. It's hard to describe. If you climb Chatyrdag, you will understand everything yourself. At first it seems that this is still a steppe. Then it seems that these are meadows, smooth, as if trimmed. But why then suddenly, in the middle of a flat green surface, you come across some depressions, small ravines, where strange trees grow, flat like tents or flying saucers? Sometimes it is like an endless park high above the world, which is subtly thought out and belongs to a great but invisible master. This is not even a meadow, these are myriads of grasses and flowers, on top of which lie completely flat, prickly clumps of juniper. They are so reminiscent of skillfully grown ikebana that it is impossible to believe that they grow here on their own.
The air smells of hundreds of aromatic herbs, and this mixture is as impossible to describe as the overall impression of the yayla. It breaks off, and at the very feet, in the blue bowl of the sun, air and sea, sometimes a small dot is visible - a soaring black vulture. This quaint park is full of names, signs and trails. The dark green indicates where the mine might be: there, in the gully, more moisture collects and trees can grow. Paths, like a network, cover the entire yayla: tourists tirelessly run along it in search of adventure. But Chatyrdag is so big that it accepts everyone. Here you can find the wild pear tree, where the pears are very small and sweet. But there can’t be any springs here, so it’s better to take water with you. In spring, on Chatyrdag you can see Crimean lumbago (sleep-grass). These lilac fluffy flowers grow close to the ground. They often appear in guidebooks, but not everyone has seen them, just like the thin-leaved peony. Small Mediterranean shrubs give a special color to the yayla. Due to the fact that the yayla plants are mostly short-growing (tall ones will not withstand the mountain wind and will not receive enough water), the entire yayla springs when you walk on it. A complex interweaving of twigs, roots and leaves. A continuous fragrant carpet.
Another landscape is on the Demerdzhi plateau. There are amazing places on the plateau where thin birch trees, bent by the mountain winds, stand in separate clumps among the reddish grass. Their branches all point in the same direction. How they got here is unknown. A very unusual landscape. On a gray rainy day, it seems that these deserted places are on another planet.
It is interesting that Crimean landscapes can be seen not only in Crimea. Due to the fact that there are many Mediterranean plants and even more ornamental, “imported” plants, Crimean corners can be found in Greece, Italy, Cote d'Azur France, even England. Yes, yes, sometimes the Alps are somewhat similar to Ai-Petri (this was noticed by one Swiss who, back in Soviet times, vacationed at the Glade of Fairy Tales camping). If you are in Switzerland, check it out. And you are welcome to Crimea at any time. Any time, as they say.
Landscape complexes are territories of different sizes, similar in their natural conditions, formed as a result of the influence of zonal and azonal factors on the earth’s surface (12, p. 18).
There are few areas on the globe where so many different types of landscapes would be concentrated in such a small area. This is explained by the position of Crimea on the border of geographical zones, at the contact of various floras and faunas, the influence of the seas washing it, and the complex history of development.
Landscapes are classified according to different criteria:
1.By the nature of the contact of geospheres (earth shells);
2.According to climatic differences;
3.By the nature of the relief;
4.By the nature of the vegetation.
The territory of Crimea is located in the southern part of the temperate latitude belt, therefore, its landscapes belong to the subboreal; in the extreme south, elements of subtropical landscapes are observed. Boreal (from Latin - northern) landscapes are formed in an area with a boreal (temperate) climate characterized by well-defined seasons - snowy winters and relatively short summers.
Landscape classification
(compiled from the textbook by L.A. Bagrov, V.A. Bokov, N.V. Bagrov. Geography of Crimea, p. 107)
|
Departments (the nature contact geosphere) |
Terrestrial Amphibians Aquatic
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Systems (according to climatic differences) |
Subboreal |
Subtropical |
||||||||||||||||
|
Classes (the nature relief) |
lowland |
foothills |
mountain |
lowland |
foothills |
mountain |
||||||||||||
|
(the nature vegetation) |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
forest |
forest-steppe |
steppe |
Consequently, the main landscapes in Crimea are:
Semi-desert steppes and salt marshes;
Real steppes;
Foothill forest-steppes;
Forests of the northern macroslope;
Mountain meadows and yayl steppes;
Forests of the southern macroslope;
Open forests of the south coast.
Features of the main Crimean landscapes (compiled from literary sources No. 5, No. 6)
4.1. Steppe landscapes.
Plain-steppe landscapes occupy most of the plain Crimea; these are real steppes. Most of the natural vegetation has been destroyed and replaced by agricultural fields, gardens, and vineyards (70-80%). Steppe vegetation (depleted) has been preserved mainly on Tarkhankut, the Kerch Peninsula and in the Sivash region (semi-desert steppes). These areas are characterized by hot, dry summers and relatively warm winters. The amount of precipitation ranges from 450-550mm. in year. The soils are southern chernozems, in the Sivash region they are desert and chestnut. The vast majority of the territory of the Crimean plain has been converted into agricultural landscapes - alternating agricultural fields (40-50%), pastures (20-30%), orchards and vineyards (10-12%), settlements (4-5%), and transport routes. Conducted in the early 70s. XX century The North Crimean Canal made it possible to create 400 thousand. hectares of irrigated land. Among agricultural crops, grain crops predominate.
4.2. Coastal landscapes.
4.2.1..Plain-coastal steppe landscapes
These include a narrow strip (5-10 km) at the junction of the sea and flat steppe landscapes. These landscapes are characterized by relatively dissected relief. Breezes are clearly visible here. The soils are thin and unsuitable for economic use, but this also contributed to the preservation of many species of plants and animals here. The recreational load on the territory is very high here.
4.2.2.Lowland dry steppe landscapes.
They occupy a strip along Sivash and Karkinitsky Bay, small areas near lakes Sasyk and Donuzlav, as well as on the Kerch Peninsula. They are characterized by exceptional lowland, close occurrence of mineralized groundwater (often they come to the surface, forming a salt crust on it). In such conditions, the only plants that can grow on salt marshes are saltworts, as well as wormwood-fescue steppes and halophytic meadows.
4.3. Foothill landscapes.
Foothill forest-steppe landscapes are located to the north of the mountains at an altitude of 250-300 m to 500-600 m at the transition of the Main Ridge to the flat part of the peninsula. Their main feature is the alternation of areas of forests, shrubs and steppe communities. Each of these types of vegetation occupies the most favorable habitat for it: forests are located on northern slopes and low river valleys, steppes are located on drier southern slopes and on surfaces with thin soils. Good water supply, favorable transport and geographical location determined the development in the foothills major cities, road networks, railways. Agriculture has a diversified specialization: around cities - suburban farming; in river valleys there are gardens; on the mountain slopes there are vineyards and essential oil crops. The modern appearance of the foothills is characterized by alternating natural and anthropogenically transformed landscapes.
4.4. Forest landscapes.
Mountain (mid-mountain) forest landscapes are located at an altitude of 350-600m and higher (up to 1545m). They are represented by beech, oak, and pine forests and occupy most of the Crimean Mountains. The most humid areas are covered with beech forests. In drier conditions - usually at an altitude of 400-700m - oak forests grow. These areas have long been developed by people, so the forests were cut down and now almost all oak forests are coppice, characterized by low growth, often with dry tops and sparseness. Within these landscapes are the main nature reserves. These landscapes constitute the main ecological resource of Crimea. The most beneficial use of these landscapes is their conservation with moderate recreational use.
4.5. Landscapes of the Crimean yayls.
Mountain meadow-forest-steppe landscapes - landscapes of the flat-topped surfaces of the Crimean Mountains - yayl - are characterized by high atmospheric humidity (600-1500 mm per year) with evaporation - 600-700 mm per year. There are cold winters (-5-70C) and warm summers (+16+170C). This combination of meteorological elements usually corresponds to coniferous and beech forests. However, the yailas are dominated by mountain steppes, forest-steppes and meadows.
The azonal nature of yayla landscapes is associated not with climatic zonal conditions, but with the rocks composing them. Precipitation falls through cracks - due to the karst formation of the yayls, they infiltrate (seep) into the limestone layer. At the tops of mountains, the amount of moisture available to plants decreases, and drier habitats suitable for steppes and forest-steppes are formed. Isolation contributes to the development of endemism. A significant part of the river flow is formed on the yayla. Their great water conservation significance requires prohibition here of intensive economic activity– grazing, intensive recreation, military exercises, etc.
4.6. Karst landscapes.
Karst landscapes are located on the Main Ridge of the Crimean Mountains. The most typical karst landscapes are on the easternmost yayla - Karabi-yayla. Here, on an area of 113 km2, there are more than 1.5 thousand karst sinkholes and 254 karst cavities. But the landscapes of Chatyrdag ( Marble Cave, Emine-Bair-Khosar cave) and the Dolgorukovsky massif (Red Cave).
4.7. South Coast landscapes.
Mountain-coastal sub-Mediterranean landscapes are confined to the southern coast - from the sea to an altitude of 350-400m. They are characterized by warm, humid winters (the climate resembles the Mediterranean), dissected topography, a general slope of the surface to the south, strong influence of the sea (breezes, warm winters), low humidity, thin soils, and an abundance of local climates. Natural vegetation (it has been preserved on 20-30% of the territory) - juniper-oak forests, shibliaks, pistachio groves, small areas with Mediterranean species: small-fruited strawberry, butcher's broom, etc. The vegetation of the South Coast includes several hundred plants imported to Crimea, including cypress, trachycarpus palm, magnolia. The South Coast has all the conditions for the development of recreation, viticulture and winemaking. Over the past two centuries, many palaces have been built here, resort complexes, parks have been created. Resort towns and the villages (Alushta, Gurzuf, Yalta, Alupka, Simeiz, etc.) form an almost continuous strip along the coast. A special landscape has formed here, which combines small cozy towns, parks, sanatorium buildings, vineyards, surrounded by sparse oak, pistachio and juniper forests, which are replaced by pine and oak forests higher up.
The modern landscapes of the peninsula are largely the result of human activity. On the South Coast it is difficult to imagine the appearance of the coast without parks, palaces, resort complexes and resort towns. The vast majority of the territory of the Crimean plain has been converted into agricultural landscapes. Residential landscapes have formed in cities, towns and villages. These landscapes do not form a background, but are interspersed with the background landscapes listed above. In Crimea, they occupy 2-3% of the territory. A significant part of urban areas is occupied by asphalt concrete pavements and stone buildings. There is almost no natural vegetation in cities; it is replaced by park vegetation. There is practically no natural soil cover left in cities; A special local climate is formed here with a lot of fog and precipitation, less solar radiation, higher temperatures, lower wind speeds. Urban landscapes are characterized by high transport pollution (especially cars), littering of the territory (garbage dumps), and landscape pollution (primitive architecture).
The interconnection of components in the landscape (rocks, relief, climate, soils, waters, vegetation, wildlife) makes it necessary to handle any of them very carefully. You should remember the principle formed by B. Commoner: “Everything is connected to everything.” Even the processes that we call unfavorable: water and wind erosion, abrasion, landslides, floods, etc. - to a certain extent are necessary for the functioning of the landscape, maintaining its dynamic balance. The cessation of all processes means the death of landscapes.
Topic No. 5 Natural protected areas
The problem of protecting the natural environment acquired particular relevance in the second half of the 20th century due to the catastrophic consequences of the development of production and population growth on the planet. Scientists around the world rightly claim that two-thirds existing species Plants and a huge number of animal species are at risk of extinction, which may occur within the next 100 years. In order to preserve landscapes, genetic funds of plants and animals of various geographical zones, populations of rare and endangered representatives of flora and fauna, reserves, sanctuaries and other specially protected areas are created, completely or partially withdrawn from direct economic use. This fully applies to the nature of Crimea, which is distinguished by particularly valuable qualities and very high vulnerability. The first state-protected territory in Crimea appeared in 1923, when the decision was made to create the Crimean State Reserve. Now in Crimea there are over 150 territories and objects of natural reserve fund with a total area of 1415.3 square meters. km., including 47 territories of national importance and 105 objects local significance. In general, the reserve fund in Crimea accounts for 5.4% of the peninsula’s territory. This is 2.5 times higher than the similar average for Ukraine, but 2 times lower than the UN recommended optimal level of reserve saturation for regions of the world.
There are several categories of protected areas:
1. reserve- a specially protected area where all types of economic activity are excluded;
2. national park
- a vast territory with preserved natural landscapes, where certain types of activities are allowed within limited limits;
3. reserve- territory where certain types of economic activity are prohibited (hunting, construction, etc.).
4.protected area- a small section of a protected area with a remarkable object (a waterfall, a pistachio grove, a habitat for rare fauna, etc.).
Reserves of Crimea
The basis of the Crimean reserve fund is made up of 6 state natural reserves (5, pp. 135-137):
Crimean with a branch of Lebyazhy Islands, Yalta, Cape Martyan, Karadag, Kazantip, Opuk.
Reserves of Crimea
|
Name |
Year of formation |
Total area, ha |
Including |
Number of plant species, pcs. |
Number of fauna species, pcs. |
|||||
|
Area covered by forest, ha |
Meadows, ha |
The area occupied by reservoirs ha |
Total |
Including rare ones |
Animals |
Birds |
Fish |
|||
|
1. Crimean |
1923 |
44 175 |
28 373 |
2 451 |
9 629 |
1 165 |
58 |
37 |
250 |
7 |
|
2.Yalta |
1973 |
14 523 |
10 976 |
--- |
1 |
1 363 |
138 |
33 |
91 |
8 |
|
3.Cape Martyan |
1979 |
240 |
120 |
--- |
120 |
50 |
27 |
28 |
146 |
66 |
|
4. Karadag |
1949 |
2 874 |
1 232 |
--- |
1 |
1 103 |
37 |
42 |
204 |
48 |
|
5. Kazantipsky |
1998 |
450,1 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
6.Opuksky |
1998 |
1592,3 |
--- |
801,7 |
534,4 |
325 |
45 |
5 |
53 |
15 |
Compiled from the book by Beidik O.O., Padun M.M. "Geography. Directory
for those entering higher educational institutions." - Kyiv: Lybid, 1996.
5.1.Crimean nature reserve
Located in the center of the mountainous Crimea, it is considered the oldest on the peninsula. The reserve began in 1917, when 3000 hectares of former royal hunting forest were declared a National Nature Reserve. In 1923, a decree “On the creation of the Crimean State Reserve and Forest Biological Station” was issued. Forests covering an area of 16,350 hectares were transferred to the management of the reserve. Now the area of the reserve has been expanded to 44,175 hectares (with the Lebyazhye Islands branch).
In the middle of the reserve there is the Central Basin, which is sandwiched between the Babugan, Bolshaya Chuchel, and Chernaya mountains. The territory of the reserve closely approaches the Chatyrdaga plateau, the peak of which Eklizi-Burun (1525m) dominates the entire eastern part of the reserve. To the west of the Chuchelsky pass there are dense beech forests. They climb the slopes of the most high peak Crimea - Roman-Kosh (1545m). Here are also the second and third highest peaks of Crimea - Demir Kapu (1540m) and Kemal Egerek (1529m).
1165 species grow in the reserve higher plants(and 84 on Swan Islands), 39 species of mammals, 120 species of birds live (on the Swan Islands - 20 and 230, respectively). Of particular value are relict beech, hornbeam, oak and pine forests (6, p.172).
The forests of the reserve are represented by a wide variety of tree and shrub species. The most widespread species here are pedunculate oak, sessile oak, downy oak, beech, Crimean pine, hooked pine, hornbeam, common ash, Steven maple, field maple, Crimean linden, Caucasian linden, black alder, juniper, as well as shrubs: hornbeam, dogwood , hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, euonymus, etc.
All trees are characterized by a zonal distribution depending on the height above sea level. Thus, pedunculate oak grows in the valleys of the Alma and Kacha rivers and rises to a height of 450m above sea level. On the northern slopes sessile oak predominates at an altitude of 450-700m. The age of oak forests is 150-250 years. The height of the trunks of individual trees is 28-30m, diameter 30-40cm.
The belt of beech forests begins at an altitude of 450-500m and reaches 1300-1400m above sea level. In the zone of beech forests, in the Uzen-Bash gorge, where the clear waters of the Golovkinsky Falls constantly fall, a section of birch forest has been preserved as a witness to the harsh nature of the distant past. Birch does not grow naturally anywhere else in Crimea. One of the most valuable representatives of relict vegetation, the yew berry, has also been preserved here.
The protected forest is valuable for its role in water conservation. There are about three hundred springs that arose in rock faults. The most important rivers of Crimea - Alma, Kacha, Ulu-Uzen - originate from them.
The fauna of forests is an integral part of the protected natural complex. The original inhabitants of the mountainous Crimea are deer and roe deer. Deer were hunted 5,000 years ago and were almost exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, there are more than 1,000 deer in the reserve. They are swift and easily overcome forest debris, dense wilds, rocky outcrops and steep slopes. During the day they can be seen in clearings and forests. In the evening, deer usually go out to high mountain pastures. In the reserve, work is being carried out to study the physiology of deer and its impact on the environment.
Roe deer is the smallest representative of wild ungulates in the reserve. The animal is amazingly elegant, slender and graceful. Roe deer live everywhere in the forests of Crimea, but their numbers are small. The reserve is home to about 300 animals.
Mouflon is an animal acclimatized in Crimea. The European mouflon is a wild relative of the domestic sheep. His homeland is the island of Corsica. It was brought to Crimea in 1913 and 13 individuals were released on the slope of Mount Bolshaya Chuchel. Currently, mouflons are found on the peaks and slopes of the Black and Bolshaya Chuchel mountains, on the slopes of Babugan-Yayla. Their food is herbaceous and shrubby vegetation.
In addition to them, the reserve is home to: wild boar, fox, stone marten, badger, squirrel, etc.
5.2.Yalta mountain forest reserve
Located east of Cape Sarych, up to Mount Ayudag, it covers mainly the wooded slopes of the western South Coast and partly the forest-meadow-steppe landscapes of the western yayls of the Crimean Mountains. It was created in 1973 with the aim of preserving the forests of the southern slope of the Main Ridge and the Yaila natural complexes. The area of the reserve is relatively small - 14,523 hectares, which is 0.5% of the territory of the peninsula (6, p. 172) But the flora of this reserve includes 1,363 species of higher plants (more than 55%), which is more than 55 of all species living in Crimea . Plants from the Caucasus, the Balkan Peninsula, and Asia Minor are quite widely represented here; more than half of the flora of the Yalta Reserve (55%) is of Mediterranean origin. (18, p54). Tall forests are common here, mainly pine (they make up 56% of all forests in the reserve), as well as beech and oak, in places with evergreen sub-Mediterranean undergrowth. Of exceptional value are the populations of the only indigenous evergreen tree of the Crimea - small-fruited strawberry. 37 species of mammals and 113 species of birds live here.
Within the reserve there are many independent natural monuments of great scientific and educational interest. This is a refuge for the small-fruited strawberry on the slopes of the Baidaro-Kastropol wall (at an altitude of 500-700 meters above sea level); Ifigineya rock, Pilyaki mountain; Kuchuk-Koi landslide and rock flow in the area of the village. Opolznevogo, Mount Nishan-Kaya; Mount Koshka, Cape Ai-Todor and others (18 p54-59).
5.3. Cape Martyan Nature Reserve
The state reserve is located in the center of the Southern Coast of Crimea, on the southern slope of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains. Cape Martyan was established as an independent State Nature Reserve on February 20, 1973. His total area– 240 hectares, of which 120 hectares are in the Black Sea, 120 hectares are occupied by the Martyan tract, partly by the Ai-Danil tract. Geomorphologically, Cape Martyan is a continuation of the Nikitsky spur of the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains.
The main purpose of the reserve is to preserve the southern coastal landscape of the sub-Mediterranean type - a relict pine-juniper-strawberry forest with more than 600 species of plants, and a quarter of the entire flora of the mountainous Crimea grows in this small relict forest. Among them are 14 endemic species that are not found in natural conditions anywhere except Crimea. Three species are listed in the International Red Book as being in need of protection; These are tall juniper, small-fruited strawberry, and goat's rose petal.
Juniper is almost everywhere accompanied by downy oak and the evergreen tree small-fruited strawberry. Under the light canopy of these trees, shrubs develop: Crimean cistus, bush jasmine, Pontian broom, emerial elm.
As an indigenous type of vegetation in the coastal zone of the southern macroslope of the Crimean Mountains, juniper forests successfully perform a runoff-regulating and anti-erosion role, and they also play the role of a kind of filter in the resort area: one hectare of juniper forest can purify the air big city. Essential oils contained in juniper needles and cones are used in medicine and light industry. Despite the small territory, the reserve contains the typical Crimean fauna, which is depleted of species widespread in neighboring mountain forest areas and in the continental part of the mainland.
Mediterranean species also include scorpions, large poisonous scolopendra centipedes, large cicadas, polyxena butterflies and numerous lizards. Spiders and ticks are found in the reserve. Rare reptiles are of significant value. In Crimea, there are 2 ethnic species: the Crimean rock lizard and the Crimean bare-toed gecko. A Leopard Snake was also discovered in the reserve.
Endemic species are found here: Crimean jay, Crimean grosbeak, Crimean crossbill, Crimean mountain bunting, Crimean long-tailed tit. Few birds nest. Among them is the black-headed gull from the gull family.
There are no large mammals in the reserve, however, very valuable species live: Crimean stone marten, Crimean mountain fox, Crimean forest mouse. In the reserve there are hedgehogs, squirrels, hares, the Crimean small shrew, etc.
Cape Martyan is not only a unique corner of the Mediterranean landscape, a monument to the ancient nature of Crimea, but also a kind of laboratory for open air, in which complex processes of land and sea can be studied.
5.4. Karadag Nature Reserve
Kradag Nature Reserve is located in the east of the Crimean sub-Mediterranean region. Since 1947 it has been a natural monument, since 1979 it has been a nature reserve. Created to protect the ancient volcanic landscape and rare botanical and zoological objects. This is the only Jurassic volcano in the entire European part of the CIS that has preserved the external features of its origin. Lava flowed here at the bottom of the sea. Over the course of thousands of years, volcanic rocks have been subject to movement and faulting, which is reflected in the modern relief. Karadag is essentially a mountain group, which includes several ridges and independent peaks.
100 mineral species and varieties have been found on Karadag, semi-precious stones are found: carnelian, opal, agate, rock crystal, amethyst.
On this mountain you can observe all the attributes of a volcano: lava flows and breccias, dikes, mineral veins, volcanic bombs and even a channel that once served as a conduit for lava to the surface.
From the sea side, Karadag is cut off by a fault; its slopes plunge almost vertically into the depths of the sea. One of the vents of the volcano, cluttered with pieces of hardened lava, is clearly visible - the Devil's Fireplace.
Opposite the Khoba-Tepe ridge, 85 m from the coast, a basalt arch topped with a spire rises directly from the depths of the sea; this is the famous Golden Gate of Karadag.
Writer S. Elpatievsky noted that “Karadag is the end, the last word that wonderful mountain fairy tale that stretches from Sevastopol... And, as it happens, it is at the end that the fairy tale flashes with the most bizarre images, the most unbridled imagination.” (18 p73)
The vegetation of Karadag is unique. Woodlands and bushes predominate here. Common tree species include downy oak, sessile oak, hornbeam, and tall juniper; Among the shrubs are dogwood, sumac, bladderwort, dwarf tree, etc. On Karadag there is an extraordinary combination of forest, forest-steppe and Mediterranean flora. About 60 endemics are found here.
Various vegetable world The reserve changes its appearance greatly throughout the year. Already at the end of January, Colchicum Bieberstein and Suznan saffron are in bloom. Then the folded snowdrop blooms, in March - two-leaved scillas and goosebumps - Calle, as well as tulips. In April, the common primrose blooms; in May, peonies in the forests and Crimean asphodelina bloom. In June, the reserve resembles a multi-colored lilac-yellow-blue carpet, which is formed by species of thymes, sunflowers, buttercups, flaxes, etc.
Diverse animal world reserve. There are 30 species of mammals (steppe ferret, fox, squirrel, the bats etc.), 80 species of birds (including peregrine falcon, crested cormorant), 15 species of reptiles (leopard snake, yellowbell, rock lizard), many rare insects (mantis, Crimean ground beetle). (18 p74)
In the dense oak forests of the Holy Mountain you can meet roe deer, wild blue deer, tiny shrews, and bats. The richness of the forest fauna is especially emphasized by the abundance of bird species. These are the imperial eagle, the short-tailed snake eagle, the griffon vulture, the blackbird, etc. The Karadag Nature Reserve is a unique comprehensive museum of land and sea. The protection and restoration of the natural resources of Karadag is the most important task of the reserve.
5.5. Kazantip Nature Reserve
Located in the north of the Kerch hills, on the shores of the Azov Sea. Created in 1998, the area, including the adjacent water area, is 450.1 hectares. The Kazantip Peninsula is an interesting geological and geomorphological object - it is an ancient reef formed by colonies of bryozoans and bryozoan limestone. Light gray, with a yellow tint, the stone consists of firmly cemented tiny tubes - the skeletons of bryozoans. Colonies of these marine animals lived on the bottom during the Sarmatian and Meotic centuries of the Neogene period (11-12 million years ago). With the slow rise of the seabed, a sandbank appeared, well warmed by the sun, where colonies of bryozoans, outwardly similar to moss or shrubs, developed in abundance. After the death of the bryozoans, skeletal calcareous tubes remained, new colonies settled on the dead bryozoans, then they died off, and so on. As a result of this process, a ring ridge of bryozoan limestones - a reef - surrounded the sandbank. Then the reef began to rise, and then lateral limestone ridges stretched from it towards the retreating sea. The space between the side ridges is occupied by clays and marls. The uplift ended with the reef turning into an island. Later, a sand bar made it a peninsula.
In terms of relief, the Kazantip Peninsula looks similar to a ring reef - an atoll. As a result of weathering, numerous coves and rocky capes of bizarre shapes were formed here. Landslides are typical for the peninsula: huge blocks of bryozoan limestone in huge cracks like ditches break away from the ring ridge and slide down the underlying clays. (37, p. 176)
Areas of virgin feather grass and mixed-grass steppes, fragments of rock vegetation, and typical Crimean shrubs have been preserved. The flora of vascular plants includes more than 628 species.
5.6. Opuk Nature Reserve
Located in the southern part of the Kerch Peninsula on the Black Sea coast. Was created in 1998. Its area is 1592.3 hectares, including the sea area and small islands of rock-Ships. The reserve was created with the aim of preserving the unique steppe natural complex “Urochishche Opuk” and the complex of marine coastal biogeocenoses.
Mount Opuk is one of the highest on the Kerch Peninsula. Its height is 185m. It is composed of limestones. The mountain looks like a typical remnant massif, with a flat summit plateau, limited by large ledges and broken into separate blocks, separated from each other by tectonic cracks.
Mount Opuk was formed over a long period of time in difficult geological conditions. Mud volcanoes were active in the neighborhood. Then, in place of the mountain, Koyash Lake, and the Korabli-kamen rocks, troughs and depressed synclines formed (Gubanov, 1961; Shlyukov et al., 1986). Later, the trough was replaced by an uplift in the form of a horst. The tectonic block of Mount Opuk is small. It extends from north-east to south-west for 3.5 km. It is bordered on 4 sides by the shores of the Black Sea and Kayashsky Lake. Mount Opuk is located at the junction of several large structures. Here the meganticlinorium of the Mountainous Crimea ends and the young transverse Kerch-Taman trough begins, separating the uplifts of the Mountainous Crimea and the Greater Caucasus. There are living and deep faults nearby.
Landslides are common on steep slopes. Small deposits of native sulfur and gypsum were explored on the territory of the reserve. The territory is famous for the mineral salts and healing mud of the Kerch salt lake. Opuk is also famous for its building materials – white shell rock. The climate of this part of the peninsula is very arid, moderately hot, with very mild winters (8). The amount of precipitation is 300-400mm per year. The aridity of the climate determines the poverty of the territory in fresh surface and groundwater. The largest water bodies are salt lakes: Uzunlarskoye and Koyashskoye. Typical representatives of the Crimean steppe and shrubs - hawthorn, buckthorn, privet - are well preserved on the territory of the reserve. The vegetation of Mount Opuk is more similar to the Crimean Mountains than to the steppe flora. It is home to 325 species of higher plants, 45 species of rare and endangered Crimean, Crimean-Novorossiysk, Crimean Mountain and Kerch endemics. Of these, hairy woodruff is endemic to Mount Opuk. On the slopes of the mountain there are shrub communities of rosehip, hawthorn, dogwood, blackthorn, and elderberry, unique for the steppe zone. They contain wild figs, grapes, and hops, probably preserved from antiquity.
The fauna of the reserve is represented by various species. There are few amphibians and reptiles. Typical representatives are: green toad, lake frog, sand lizard, water snake, yellow-bellied snake and four-striped snake. Among the birds found here are: crested cormorant, gray heron, mute swan, gray goose, mallard, imperial eagle, gray partridge, bustard, herring gull, rock pigeon, blackbird, chaffinch, crested lark and others. Of all the birds, 13 species nest directly on the territory of the reserve, 10 species nest in the adjacent territory, and the rest are migratory. Of the rare species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, 11 species have been identified in the reserve and adjacent territories: crested cormorant, skelly falcon, saker falcon, bustard, little bustard, roseate starling, black-headed bunting, imperial eagle, gray crane and demoiselle crane. Among the mammals found in the reserve are: brown hare, ground squirrel, steppe mouse, common fox, white-breasted hedgehog. One of the rare and protected species is the bottlenose dolphin.
5.7. Nikitsky Botanical Garden
In 1811, at the request of the military governor A.E. Reshelye, a decree was signed on the establishment of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The most suitable place for establishing a garden turned out to be an area located 6 km from Yalta in the vicinity of the villages of Magarach and Nikita. Subsequently, the garden began to be called Nikitsky. This scientific institution of Crimea was founded in 1812 by the outstanding botanist H.H. Steven. It was H.H. Steven who planted the famous groves of cork oak, strawberry, blue cedar, cypress, and pine in the garden. Over the course of 12 years, he collected a unique collection of ornamental plants, created a most valuable herbarium, and founded scientific library, museum and school of gardeners.
Since 1826, N.A. Gartvis became the director of the garden. He contributed to the rapid development of horticulture and viticulture on the South Coast. During his time, evergreen magnolias, fan palms, and wisteria were brought to Crimea. Gartvis N.A. collected a magnificent collection of conifers. These were giants - sequoiadendron and sequoia from California, Atlas cedar, Himalayan and Lusitanian cypresses, Montezuma and Gerarra pines. Their three expeditions to the Caucasus brought: Caucasian fir, oriental spruce, Caucasian linden, rhododendrons.
In 1912, to commemorate the 100th anniversary, the Primorsky Park was founded. The most heat-loving subtropical plants settled there from 1914 to 1940. Scientific research was carried out and collection plantings were replenished. So in 1940, over 2000 varieties of peaches, apricots, cherries, cherries, plums, cherry plums, almonds, apple trees, pears and other crops were collected in the garden. During the Second World War, a large number of plants were destroyed, valuable scientific equipment and a rich herbarium were taken away. And only in 1944. After the liberation of Yalta, work began to restore the garden. The exported herbarium was found in Germany and delivered to Crimea.
Now the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, together with its branch, occupies about 100 hectares of land. Its territory consists of four sections - Upper, Lower, Primorsky parks and Montedor park.
The Nikitsky Garden collections include 15 thousand species, varieties and hybrids of plants. The garden maintains scientific relations with institutions from 80 countries. The departments of flora and vegetation operate here; nature conservation; dendrology and ornamental horticulture; floriculture; fruit crops; subtropical and nut crops; new technical plants; plant biochemistry; plant physiology; agroecology and plant nutrition; plant protection. Garden scientists provide assistance in protecting the environment of Crimea, preserving and decorating its green attire. (41, p197)
5.8. Wildlife sanctuaries
1. Ayudag mountain range landscape reserve, created in 1974. on the territory of Zaprudnenskoye forestry, with an area of 527 hectares. Ayudag or Bear Mountain is one of the largest “failed” volcanoes in Crimea.” In the distant geological past, in medieval times, igneous rocks were introduced into the thickness of clay shales. Unable to break through to the surface, they cooled, which is why such formations - igneous diapirs - are called “failed volcanoes”. Over many millions of years, the cloak of sedimentary deposits was eroded, and igneous rocks were exposed, forming a dome-shaped mountain on the seashore more than half a kilometer (572 m) high. Numerous outcrops of grayish-green gabbro-diabase can be seen on the rocky slopes. Veins of rare minerals are visible in places. Ayudag is called one of the natural mineral museums of the South Coast.
The peaks and slopes of Ayudag are covered with coastal south-coast forest. Here you can find downy oak, hornbeam, tall juniper, and pine tree. Occasionally, small-fruited strawberry is found alone or in small groups. Everywhere under the trees you can see typical representatives of the Mediterranean tropics: cistus, broom, jasmine. The closer to the top, the higher and shady the forest. Hornbeam, oak, ash, rowan, and maple grow there. Of interest is a small grove of keva trees on the isthmus between the “body” and “head” of Bear Mountain. There are many rare herbaceous plants on Ayudag. (18, p. 65)
2. Grand Canyon of Crimea(a landscape reserve created in 1974 on the territory of the Bakhchisaray district, with an area of 300 hectares.) The canyon is located on the eastern side of the Kokkoz valley. This wild, majestic gorge, located deep in the northern slope of the Ai-Petrinskaya Yaila, 4 km southeast of the village, is called a miracle of nature. Sokoliny. The depth of the gorge is 250-320 m, in the narrowest places the width does not exceed 2-3 meters. Main creator this miracle is water. The stormy Auzen-Uzen River flows along the bottom of the canyon. Using an ancient fault, fracturing and karsting of limestones, water over the course of thousands of years permeated the rock mass and, with a deep gorge, separated the table-shaped Boyku massif from the northern outskirts of the Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla. For centuries, blocks and boulders moved by water drill out peculiar cauldrons and baths at the bottom of the gorge. There are more than 150 of them in the canyon. The water in the river and in the baths in winter and summer has almost the same temperature of about 11 degrees. River trout live in running water.
Crimean pine grows on the slopes of the canyon. In the lower part of the gorge, trees form continuous thickets. Hornbeam, beech, ash, maple, mountain ash and linden grow here. The undergrowth is formed by shrubs: hazel, dogwood, barberry, buckthorn, mackerel, and hornbeam. More than one and a half thousand specimens of yew berry in the canyon. Old trees of this relict species here reach 1.5 meters in trunk diameter and 10-12 meters in height. Of great interest are rare ferns, relict butcher's broom, endemic saxifrage, lady's slipper orchid (18, pp. 29-31)
3 Mountain karst of Crimea(a geological reserve created in 1989 on the territory of the Belogorsky district, Karabi-yayla, Novoklenovsky and Privetnensky forestries, with an area of 4316 hectares). Covers most of the 254 karst cavities and thousands of sinkholes located on the largest Crimean yayla (the so-called “lunar landscape”) (6, p. 174).
The main ridge is the edge of classical karst, karst of the Mediterranean type. The Yaili massifs of the ridge consist of a thick layer of Upper Jurassic limestone, on the basis of which unique karst relief forms are formed. Here there is a special complex of forms of surface and underground karst, which arose as a result of the dissolution of limestones by water. These are small grooves in limestone, tar fields, funnels, basins, wells, mines, grottoes and huge caves with wall-mounted forms of calcite - stalactites, hanging like icicles from above, and stalagmites, the same in appearance, but directed upward. The classic area where you can see the wealth of karst forms is the Karabi area. The following are known in Karabi: Gvozdetsky mine (191m), Molodezhnaya (261m), Soldatskaya (470m), Krubera (280m); as well as the Tuakskaya cave.
The karst waters of the Karabi mountain range give life to the entire Belogorsky, most of the Sovetsky and Nizhnegorsky regions. The rivers that originate in Karabi are Karasu, Kuchuk-Uzen, Orta-Uzen, Alachuk, Suat, etc. At the same time, there is practically no water on the plateau.
Karst cavities are not only original forms of underground relief formed over thousands of years, but also important sources of formation water resources peninsula (40, pp. 26-27).
4. Karabi-yayla tract(a botanical reserve created in 1978 on the territory of the Belogorsky district, Novoklenovsky forestry, with an area of 491 hectares), a standard area with medicinal plants is protected.
The reserve is located on the eastern outskirts of Karabi-yayla, in one of the vast basins where thickets of Bibershtein's moth were found. In total, there are over 500 plant species in the tract, including more than 50 medicinal species. Among all the floristic wealth, the Biberstein's cherry (Crimean "edelweiss") is of great interest. Its silvery-white leaves, as if felt like from the thick hairs covering them, really resemble the leaves of the Alpine edelweiss. However, the similarity is purely external. This plant belongs to the clove family; it is a relict of the Upper Tertiary period endemic to Crimea. It blooms in May-August with delicate white flowers. In the Karabi reserve basin, the Crimean “edelweiss” forms cushion thickets (18, pp. 44-45).
5.New World(botanical reserve, created on the territory of the Sudak City Council, Sudak forestry, with an area of 470 hectares), protected relict forest from the endemic Stankevich pine and high juniper on the cliffs of the coast. The main value of the Novy Svetsky coast is the endemic Stankevich pine, which here, as at Cape Aya in the west of the South Coast, has been preserved in the form of natural relict thickets. In the New World region, there are 5,000 specimens of this species of pine, reaching a height of 10-12 m. This pine has dark green needles and large, mostly vertical, single cones. It was first described in 1906 by the botanist V.N. Sukachev, and named after its discoverer, the forester V.I. Stankevich. In the past, this pine, preserved from ancient times, was much more widespread in Crimea; in the pre-revolutionary period, large areas of forests formed by it were cut down, because Its wood was very highly valued. Here you can find tall juniper, centuries-old trees that reach 80 cm in diameter. In sunny places there are capers (thorny capers) - low-growing creeping shrubs. They bloom beautifully and produce fruits that resemble cucumbers.
In addition to the Stankevich pine and tall juniper, the Novy Svetsky coast is famous for the massive Sokol Mountain and the dome-shaped Koba-Kaya (Cave Rock). These rocky cliffs are reef-like masses of marble-like limestone.
Mount Falcon(472m) from a distance it really resembles the figure of a huge bird with folded wings. Below it there are two cliffs - Sokolyata. On the way from the mountain to the Koba-Kaya rock there is a high grotto, carved out by the sea surf. The bay penetrating deep into the grotto is called Razboinichaya. Its other name is Blue Bay. From the grotto to the west, past Cape Kapchik, there is a path to the Blue Bay. Behind the Blue Bay, the original Karaul-Oba massif (Watch Mountain) comes out into the sea with a jagged peak. This extreme West Side The New World is called Paradise (Paradise), a kingdom of wild stone chaos and juniper thickets (18, p72-73).
5.9. Natural monuments
1. Kizil-Koba tract and cave(geological monument, created in 1963 on the territory of the Simferopol region, Dolgorukovskaya yayla, Perevalnenskoye forestry, with an area of 33 hectares) - the longest (more than 21 km), six-story system of karst cavities in Crimea with an underground river and lake.
On the western slope of the Dolgorukovsky massif, 3.5 km from the village. Perevalny, there is a tract and a cave Kizil-Koba (Red). A circus-shaped gorge cut into the thickness of the Upper Jurassic limestone leads to the cave. It was created by the waters of the small mountain river Kizilkobinka, which, carrying dissolved lime from the depths of the Dolgorukovsky massif, deposited it in the form of calcareous tuffs. Gradually, not far from the entrance to the cave, a vast tuff platform formed, the high ledge of which, like a dam, blocks the gorge.
The upper parts of the slopes are almost vertical. They are composed of pinkish-red limestone (hence the name of the gorge and the Red Cave located in it). The total length of all known passages of Kizil-Koba reaches 13,100 m. This is the largest limestone cave in the country. There are a total of six floors in the Kizil-Koba system. The upper floors are dry, where the water has almost stopped working. The lower ones are flooded and are experiencing an era of active karst development. There are several particularly beautiful halls in the cave. These are Indian and Chinese. Individual stalactites here reach 5-8 m in length. And in the Griboedov corridor, an underground lake and river have long been known. Kizil-Koba is also known as an archaeological monument: bones of cave bears and material traces of people of the so-called Kizil-Koba culture were found here (18, pp. 39-40).
2. Soldatskaya karst mine(landscape and geological monument, protected since 1972). The mine is located on Karabi-Yayla. This is the deepest karst mine in Crimea - 1800/500 m. It was discovered by Feodosia speleologists and named after the victorious Soviet warrior. At the bottom of this mine there is a constant watercourse. This mine is also the deepest cave in Ukraine (517 m).
3. Demerdzhi tract(a geological monument created in 1981 on the territory of Big Alushta, Alushta forestry, with an area of 20 hectares) - original forms of weathering of the conglomerates that make up the city of Demerdzhi: Valley of Ghosts, Big Demerdzhinsky stone chaos. The slopes of Mount Demerdzhi (from the Crimean Tatar “demerdzhi” - blacksmith) are dotted with bizarre stone sculptures, reminiscent of either people or animals, but more often than not, towers, mushrooms, columns. These sculptures are the result of centuries of weathering. Demerdzhi is not composed of limestone, like other massifs of the main ridge, but of Upper Jurassic conglomerates. Under the influence of weathering, they form bizarre, semi-fantastic figures. Tourists call one of the rocks “Catherine’s profile.” However, up close, this 20-meter rock has completely different outlines. There are especially many bizarre pyramids, pillars, mushrooms, and towers on the southwestern slope of Mount Demerdzhi, in the Valley of Ghosts. One of the pillars is the Giant - a stone mass with a diameter of 5 m, rising 25 m high. On its sides there are pillars and columns of smaller sizes, up to 10-20m high. There are more than a hundred similar stone “ghosts” here.
At times, as a result of earthquakes, huge landslides occur on the eroding slopes of mountains, forming huge stone chaos. Such is the chaos that arose in the neighborhood of the Valley of Ghosts as a result of the collapses of 1894, 1965, 1966. A vast area along the steep slope of Demerdzhi turned out to be cluttered with a chaotic pile of pointed conglomerate blocks; some of them are as big as a three-story house. The total volume of blocky chaos exceeds 4 million m3. The pebbles and boulders of the local conglomerates are of great scientific interest. These are the oldest rocks, the age of which is estimated at 800 million - 1.1 billion years (18, pp. 68-69).
4. Remnant mountain Mangup-Kale(a complex monument, created in 1975 on the territory of the Bakhchisaray district near the village of Zalesnoye; area 90 hectares), protected natural complex the original dining room of Mangup-Kale (581m) on the inner Crimean ridge with deciduous forest on the slopes.
Mangup is a large outlier composed of bryozoan limestones, rising almost 600m above sea level. It rises like an island among three adjacent valleys - Karalez, Dzhan-dere, Aytodor. On three sides, the vast Mangup plateau ends with rocky cliffs, in the western part reaching a vertical height of 70 m.
Mangup was one of the largest fortresses medieval Crimea, which, if necessary, accepted significant masses of the population under the protection of its walls (11, pp. 75-76).
It is clear that capturing such a natural fortress, protected by high walls and battle towers, was not an easy task. In the 40-meter cliffs of Mangup there are many artificial cave-crypts that have economic or religious purposes. In the XIII – XV centuries. here was the capital city of the Principality of Theodoro, large at that time.
The plateau-shaped peak of Mangup is pushed out to the sides by its original capes. From the foot of the mountain, a forest climbs up its slopes: downy oak, hornbeam, hazel dominate here, ivy is abundant, and Crimean pine is found. On the flat top of the mountain there are sparse thickets of trees and bushes (18, p.80).
5.10. Parks-monuments of landscape art
1. Alupkinsky (Vorontsovsky) park(founded in the first half of the 19th century, the reserve regime was established in 1960, area 40 hectares) - part of the exquisite palace and park complex, a masterpiece of architecture and landscape art, located in the city of Alupka.
Alupka Park stretches from east to west for about a kilometer. The creation of the park began in 1824. Count M.S. Vorontsov even before the construction of residential premises. The author of the park's compositional plan was the German gardener Karl Kebach. The volumetric-spatial composition of the park was created taking into account the natural topography of the area. In the Alupka region it is an amphitheater, bounded by hills on the west and east, mountain spurs on the north, and the sea on the south.
The palace part of the park with white marble sculptures and fountains looks especially solemn and festive. The rest of the park is conditionally divided by the road connecting Yalta and Simeiz into Upper and Lower parks.
The upper park was laid out simultaneously with the construction of the palace. The terrain here is hilly, with ups and downs. This is the area of the Lesser Chaos, starting directly from the palace and extending north to the grandiose Greater Chaos - free-standing rocks, small scatterings of stones and their heaps. All landings are here for the most part They serve only as a green background for natural piles of stones and grottoes. A cascade has been created in a boxwood grove, falling from a three-meter height. Waterfalls, cascades, streams are shaded by tall trees, the rocks around are covered with ivy and moss. Everything here resembles a wild mountainous area. Maple, ash, almonds, evergreen boxwood bushes, holm oak groves, small-fruited strawberries, junipers, and downy oaks grow here.
The lower park was created according to the principle regular parks with a clear layout, curly trimming of plants. There are flat terraces, calmly descending to the sea. A wide staircase made of diabase, decorated with sculptures of lions, approaches the entrance to the palace. On the second terrace, near the library building, there is a “Fountain of Tears”. There are many waterfalls in this park, an abundance of various flowers blooming in different time of the year.
Now there are about 200 different plant species in the park. Many of them were imported from America, Italy, China, Japan, Russia and other countries.
2. Livadia Park founded in the first half of the 19th century, now located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the urban settlement. Livadia. The park is part of an outstanding monument - the Livadia palace and park complex. Its area is 15 hectares.
Livadia Park was founded in the 30-40s of the last century by the famous gardener Delinger. By the nature of the layout, the park belongs to the landscape or landscape type. This style was especially common in Russian park construction at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Landscape parks are usually based on natural nature, ennobled, according to the gardener’s plan, by the inclusion of picturesquely arranged groups of various plants. A significant addition to such parks are reservoirs, ponds, lakes or cascades.
Near the palaces it is laid out in a regular style. Retaining walls decorated with climbing plants and parterres with low trimmed bushes of laurel, cherry laurel and thuja successfully combine with the architecture. There are many roses on the terraces below the walls. At the south-eastern corner of the palace there begins a magnificent pergola, 80 meters long. Its metal frame is completely covered with roses, wisteria and vineyards. The special charm of the park is given by skillfully arranged viewing platforms and gazebos - unique viewing points of palaces, mountains and the sea. Such corners as the Pink Gazebo and the Turkish Gazebo with a silver dome are also good.
There are 200 species of shrubs in Livadia Park. In the center of the park there is a shady grove of mighty oaks. It serves as a backdrop for blue atlas cedar. A giant sequoia with a superbly developed crown grows nearby. The height of the giant is 35 meters. The powerful curved branches of sequoia resemble the tusks of a mammoth, which is why it is called a mammoth tree. Also interesting is the yew tree that grows near the eastern façade of the palace. There are many plane trees, Lebanese and Himalayan cedars, several varieties of pine, fir, and magnolia in the park.
3. Gurzuf Park(founded at the beginning of the 14th century; the reserve regime was established in 1960; with an area of 12 hectares.) is now located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the urban settlement. Gurzuf. The park was created in 1803 on a seaside cliff. Olives, palm trees, laurels and other exotic plants grow here. A total of 140 types and shapes. There are many monuments and sculptures in the park. Not far from the southern gate you can see a whole sculpture gallery: busts of Adam Mickiewicz, Lesya Ukrainka, Fyodor Chaliapin, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky. These people visited Gurzuf at different times, leaving a bright mark on the cultural history of Crimea. The park has preserved original old sculptures and fountains. Among them, the “Night” fountain stands out for its fabulous beauty. His sculptural group was made by famous Russian masters and is a copy of the sculptor German professor Berger, presented at international exhibition fountains in Vienna at the end of the 19th century. Here you can feel the motifs of ancient mythology: the goddess of the night Nyukta is depicted as a naked woman with a torch above her head; she is accompanied by the god of sleep Hypnos and the god of love Eros. In the center of the sculptural group is a ball surrounded by the signs of the Zodiac and symbolizing the Universe. Below the “Night” fountain is the “Bather” fountain; in the western part of the park there is a fountain “Rachel” or the Girl with a Jug” (based on the ancient biblical legend about the beautiful Rachel).
Not far from the entrance gate there is a group of olive trees - this is one of the places in Gurzuf associated with the name of A.S. Pushkin. Now in the park, in the “house of Richelieu” there is a museum of A. S. Pushkin. Near the museum, the “Pushkin cypress” has been preserved, about which the poet wrote in a letter to Anton Delvich; the tree is more than 170 years old (41, pp. 190-193).
In the park you can see Lebanese cedars, pike perch pine, magnolia, bay laurel, cypresses, chestnuts, evergreen viburnum, Japanese sophora, sequoia, and spruce. On the outskirts of the park there is a grove of olive trees.
4. Massandra Park(founded in the first half of the 19th century, the reserve regime was established in 1960 with an area of 44.1 hectares; now located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the urban settlement of Massandra).
The park was laid out back in the 40s of the last century on the instructions of M.S. Vorontsov. Several gardeners took part in the work, including Karl Kebach, the creator of Alupka Park. There are more than 250 types of tree and shrub forms. These are shady spreading beeches, Himalayan and Lebanese cedars, evergreen laurel, mighty oak and tall resinous pine. Here are Italian pine trees, bamboo thickets, yew berries, and mammoth trees. Walnut and dogwood bushes and evergreen magnolias hide under their shade. Steep cliffs are entwined with creeping juniper bushes. Wild jasmine grows in rock crevices. On the mountain slopes you can see peonies, rose hips, and belladonna. Crimean edelweiss grows on mountain lawns (34, p. 77).
5. Foros Park(founded in the first half of the 19th century; the reserve regime was established in 1960, with an area of 70 hectares) - an ancient landscape park in the urban settlement. Foros with the famous “paradise” among picturesque reservoirs, 200 species and forms of plants grow here.
Foros is located 40 km from Yalta. There was a Greek colony here, and later, in the Middle Ages, the Genoese fortress of Fori.
Now in Foros there is one of the best on the South Coast - Foros Park. It is divided into three parts. The lower, seaside part is separated from the middle by a garden road. In the middle part of the park there is a “Paradise” with six miniature lakes, built at different levels and connected into a single cascade with miniature waterfalls. Above the “Paradise Corner”, a forest park rises along the slope towards the highway.
Adjacent to Forossky Park is the Tesseli dacha (silence), associated with the name of A. M. Gorky. Behind the dacha there is a juniper forest and a forest of Crimean pine. Behind them you can see a remarkable geographical point - Cape Sarych (the southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula and Ukraine). From Cape Sarych (44o 23’ N) to Cape Kerempe on the Anatolian coast of Turkey - the most bottleneck Black Sea - 142 miles (41, p. 259).
6. Miskhorsky Park(founded at the end of the 18th century, the reserve regime was established in 1960, with an area of 23 hectares) - a monument of landscape art on the territory of the Yalta City Council, in the urban settlement. Koreiz.
Miskhor, stretching along the coast for 7 km, is the warmest place on the South Coast: the average temperature of the coldest month in winter is + 4.4 ° C. The fact is that Miskhor is located under the shadow of the Aypetrinsky Yaili massif. The mountains shield Miskhor from the cold northern winds.
Miskhor Park was founded at the end of the 18th century. in landscape style, it was created by the serfs of the princes Naryshkin, Dolgorukov and Count Shuvalov. 100 species and garden forms of exotic trees and shrubs are concentrated on a small area of 23 hectares.
At the beginning of the park on the coast there is a sculptural group - the fountain “The Girl of Arza and the Robber Ali Baba”, and a little further into the sea on a rock there is a sculpture of a mermaid with a child in her hands; this is a single composition. Its author is Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson. The composition is based on the legend of the kidnapping of a girl by a robber for the Sultan’s harem (9, p. 82).
The history of the park is rich. Many writers, poets, composers, and artists have visited here. In 1984, a monument to A. M. Gorky was erected in the park, depicting the writer during his stay in Miskhor in 1901-1902, when he worked on the play “At the Depths”.
7. Park "Cliff"(founded in the mid-19th century; the reserve regime was established in 1960, with an area of 5 hectares) - located on the territory of the Alushta City Council, urban settlement. Utes, sanatorium "Utes".
The "cliff" is located at the exposed tip of Cape Plaka, which means "flat stone" in Greek. In 1907 a palace was built here by the princes Gagarins. There is a park around the palace. 100 species and garden forms of trees and shrubs are concentrated here.
Section II. Economic development of Crimea
On the relatively small territory of the Crimean Peninsula, a variety of mountain and lowland landscapes are very clearly expressed (see diagram).
Landscape scheme of Crimea
1 - karst summit surface of Yayla;
2 - mountain slopes of Yayla with a forest landscape;
3 - Mediterranean landscape of skirts;
4 - eastern part of the southern coast (Mediterranean landscape);
5 - southern forest-steppe and forest-shrub landscapes of cuesta ridges;
6 - steppe Crimea, agriculturally developed flat landscape;
7 - Sivash region, dry steppe landscape with fragments of semi-desert;
8 - Tarkhankut Peninsula and Kerch Peninsula, hilly-steppe landscape
Particularly interesting in in terms of tourism karst landscape Yail (1) with characteristically developed forms of bare surface karst, with its inherent mines, sometimes serving as roads to penetrate mysterious dungeons, with the usual absence of surface watercourses for karst, with rocky meadows and steppes at high mountain ranges and with mountain forest, forest-steppe and meadow-steppe vegetation. This karst landscape is widespread on almost all the peak plateaus of the western part of Yaila and on plateau-like massifs scattered from each other in its eastern part, but is most clearly represented on Karabiyayla, Chatyrdag and Ai-Petrinskaya Yaila. Here, between the bare carr surfaces, only at the bottom of karst basins and sinkholes are green meadow grasses visible on the higher parts of these plateaus, and in low places the tops of bushes and trees protrude from the mouths of natural mines and sinkholes. Undoubtedly, this brings exoticism to the landscape of bare rocky areas and gives them a spotty appearance.
The lowest levels of the plateau previously contained more forests. Deforestation and the consumption of tree shoots by livestock, which prevent forest regeneration, in fact, as well as the destruction of grass in meadows by very large grazing, caused the development of bare karst and the strong spread of bare limestone surfaces, as well as the cause of a disruption in the regime of sources under the limestone cliffs bordering the plateau. Of course, in a karst landscape it is simply necessary to carry out forest-meadow restoration work, which will definitely improve the water regime of the karst sources of the yayla.
The karst summit surface of Yayla is bordered by the mountain-forest landscape of the slopes of Yayla (2) with oak and beech forests and mountain-forest brown soils, which in its structure is similar to the landscapes of the Carpathians and the Caucasus, and the Crimean pine forests growing on the southern slope are unique specifically for the Crimea and have an analogue only in the northern part of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The forests of the Crimean mountains have a very important water protection and anti-erosion role. Very close attention must be paid to their protection and restoration, especially in the areas of mudflow-prone basins. Animals inhabiting the forests of the mountainous Crimea also need protection.