Today, in the Altai Territory, famous for its magnificent nature, relatively few natural landscapes have been preserved. Almost all of them have experienced and continue to experience the impact of economic and industrial activities.
The article will talk about the environmental problems of the Altai Territory today, about ways out of this situation, about the history of the region and much more.
Altai Territory: general information
Altai - a region that is a constituent entity of the Russian Federation and bordering Kazakhstan, belongs to the southwestern part of the Siberian Federal District.
It should be noted that until 1991 the Altai Territory also included the autonomous Gorno-Altai Region, which today represents the independent subject of the Russian Federation - the Republic of Altai.
The population of the region is more than 2490 thousand people. The area is 168,000 square meters. km, and this is 1% of the total Russian territory. The administrative center is Barnaul (population - more than 650 thousand people).
It borders with Kazakhstan, Kemerovo and Novosibirsk regions.
The region has 12 cities and urban-type settlements - 14, 67 rural and urban settlements (including the German national region). The South Siberian Railway passes through the region, through which transit goods go to the western regions. The largest railway stations: Aleyskaya, Barnaul, Biysk, Altayskaya, Rubtsovsk.
Location
The territory of the Altai Territory belongs to 2 physical countries (Western Siberia and Altai - Sayan Mountain ). The mountainous area is located in the southern and eastern parts of the plain. This is the Salair ridge and the foothills of Altai. The central and western parts are predominantly flat relief. This Biysk-Chumysh Upland, Priobskoye plateau and Kulundinskaya steppe.
The region is characterized by almost all existing natural zones of Russia - mountains, taiga, steppes and forest-steppes. For the flat part, forest-steppe and steppe natural zones are characteristic, with spikes and lakes, a network of beams and ravines, and ribbon burs.
Not far from the Biya River, which is a tributary of Katun, the largest cities of the region are located: Gorno-Altaysk and Barnaul. Biysk is located directly on the shores of Biya, which divides the city into two parts.
Flora and fauna
Before we find out what environmental problems are in the Altai Territory, we describe its nature.
The richest vegetation in combination with contrasts of diverse relief is accompanied by the diversity of the animal world. The avifauna of the region includes more than 320 species of birds. Mammals are represented by 90 species of animals.
In total, about 2,000 species of vascular higher plants grow in the territory of the region, which makes up 2/3 of the species of plants throughout Western Siberia. Among them are relict and endemic species. The following plants are especially valuable: St. John's wort, oregano, tall elecampane, red root, Rhodiola rosea (golden root), maralia and marin root (or evasive peony), Ural licorice, and many others. other
Forests occupy 26% of the entire territory of the region.
Rivers and lakes of Altai Krai
Water resources in the region are represented by groundwater and surface water. The largest rivers (out of 17 thousand) are Katun, Ob, Alei, Biya and Charysh. The Ob (the largest waterway of the region), formed from the confluence of Katun and Biya, has a length of 493 kilometers. The river basin occupies 70% of the territory of the region.
The lakes of the Altai Territory are numerous, there are only 13 thousand of them. The largest is Kulundinskoye, whose area is 728 square meters. km
Nature
The peculiarities of the nature of the Altai Territory are that a huge number of rare medicinal plants grow here. Most of the raw materials are collected manually, so as not to damage the soil and not violate the harmony of the nature of the Altai Territory. These are truly unique areas with a wide variety of natural resources, attracting many tourists here. And today in the mountains you can meet with shamans, always ready to talk about the beneficial properties of plants growing here.
The region is also rich in natural monuments: pine ribbon forests; place of formation of the great river. Obi; Raspberry, Small Yarovoye, Kolyvanovskoe, Big Lake; Aya Lake; Denisova and Tavdinsky caves; Mount Sinyuha; Shinok River Valley with waterfalls; Katun river.
At first glance, the environmental situation in Altai is not bad. It is famous for its streams and springs, carrying clean water from the mountains to valleys and forests. Thousands of streams and rivers wash the territory of the region, providing richness and purity of soil. It is thanks to the waters of these reservoirs on fertile and healthy soils that a huge variety of forests and other vegetation has grown. However, here too, under the influence of the effects of human activity, environmental degradation is observed.
Protected Areas
One of the important issues today is the solution to the environmental problems of the Altai Territory, because there are no reserves or national parks in its territories.
In total, there are 33 reserves in the region, which occupy 773100 ha, which makes up 5% of the territory of the region. This is not enough to maintain ecological biosphere equilibrium (now it is below the average Russian indicator). Of course, there are environmental problems in the Altai Territory.
In Altai, there are many natural monuments taken under protection and representing irreplaceable natural objects. All of them have historical, scientific and cultural-aesthetic significance (waterfalls, caves, mineral springs, geological outcrops, paleontological objects, etc.). Even individual centuries-old trees, miraculously preserved to this day, represent unique natural monuments.
In total, 100 natural monuments were officially approved in Altai Krai (including geological - 54, water - 31, botanical - 14, and 1 complex).
Rare plants and animals grow and live in some schools in Altai, but these territories do not have protected status. In connection with the prevailing circumstances, a decision was made to create Tigerik and Kulunda state reserves in the region. Work on their organization has been suspended due to lack of funding.
Reasons for environmental degradation
Are there any environmental problems in the Altai Territory? Of course have.
Water bodies of the region are polluted with waste products from engineering, chemical and petrochemical enterprises, and heat power engineering.
The main problem is the conservation of small rivers due to their shallowing and pollution. Due to the reduction of forest areas, water erosion occurs, causing shallowing of the channels. Numerous lakes are also polluted by domestic wastewater from livestock complexes and settlements.
In addition to all of the above, over the territory of the region lie the paths of launching rocket carriers from Baikonur.
Conclusion
Today, UNESCO allocates a lot of funds in order to maintain the ecology of the region. Local authorities are also making every effort to improve the environment and preserve nature. Regularly, educational institutions conduct classes on the topic "Environmental Protection".
Altai, in any case, is one of the most ecologically clean regions of Russia. It is his nature that generously bestows many medicinal herbs that support the health of many people.