The Kaluga Reserves Reserve was established in 1992. It is part of the Ugra National Natural Park. The conservation zone is located in that part of the Kaluga province that in previous centuries served as a notch line of the Moscow state, performing defensive functions during raids by nomadic tribes from the southeast.
Protected Area History
The Kaluga Reserves reserve covers the territory described as impenetrable forests even in the annals of the 9th-10th centuries. During this period, the surrounding peasants began active development of land under which accessible plots went. The forest remained intact and continued to be a natural barrier to the conquerors. And also acquired the status of a protected zone - for more than 500 years, the princes of the region were engaged in its protection.
In the area, tree felling, hunting, fishing, and clearing of rubble were prohibited. Tactical structures — palisades, ditches, ramparts, and traps — were arranged in a natural military barrier. It was forbidden to move around the territory so that the paths were not trampled.
Public administration
Since the 16th century, management of serif forests has been transferred to the Pushkarsky Order. Considerable funds are allocated for maintenance and protection. A staff is being created, the local population is obligated to protect the cut areas of forests.
Since the XVII century, the number of inhabitants begins to grow rapidly. Industry is emerging and serif forests are being poached. In order to prevent illegal activities, in 1659 a decree was issued banning the installation of factories and plants around strategic green objects.
During the reign of Peter I for military purposes, it was allowed to take wood from the notch zone. Soon a decree was issued on the restoration of planting after deforestation.
Later, Anna Ioannovna issued a decree in which permission to use resources was issued. In this case, a prerequisite was the cleansing of cut areas with the subsequent planting of seedlings.
Under Paul I, the Forestry Department was established, and a number of reforms were carried out that improved the condition of the Kaluga settlements. In 1845, the first forest inventory was carried out with the division of the massif into quarters with numbering. This system has been preserved without significant changes to this day.
Recent story
At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, the device of the Kaluga settlements was continued in the active planting of young animals. Security and reforestation completely stopped since 1914.
After the revolution, random felling of trees began. Forests were threatened with total destruction. The state returned to the issue of conservation of natural resources only after 1937, resuming the planting of oaks.
The war caused significant damage to the notches, especially from 1941 to 1943, when the front line ran through the area. Forest restoration began with the planting of coniferous trees.
Until the end of the 80s, spruce crops were actively spreading, secondary development of the sacking was carried out - cattle were grazed, deadwood was collected, dead wood was selected. Despite all the difficulties that fell to his lot, broad-leaved forests, which are of historical and scientific interest, are well preserved in the Kaluga Zaseki reserve.
Description
The Kaluga Zaseki State Nature Reserve is located in the southeast of the Kaluga Region. The protected area includes two sections - the north and the south. The distance between them is 12 kilometers. The total territory is more than 18.5 thousand ha.
The terrain is in temperate continental climate. The average temperature during the year is + 4.4 ° , pressure - 746.5 mm. Hg. Art. The Kaluga Reserves Reserve is territorially related to the East European region, where broad-leaved forests predominate.
Among all the variety of trees, oak forests up to 400 years old stand out. On their territory there are about 15% of the total number of forests.
Flora
Kaluga Zaseki is a nature reserve created to preserve, study and protect indigenous ancient forests, which are few in the region. The territory of nature-conserving sites is covered by various types of plants that live on several types of soils, their diversity is unique to the European part of Russia. Here are preserved dense impenetrable thickets of the ancient forest of secrets, pine trees and spruce forests of the Catherine’s period of planting, light birch forests and much more, which is the subject of close study.
The territory of the reserve "Kaluga Zaseki" is home to a large number of representatives of flora and fauna. There are about 500 names of mushrooms. And the plant fund is represented by a variety of more than 700 species of vascular flora belonging to 94 families. Trees and shrubs 54 species.
There are a lot of possibilities for discoveries - species of algae are almost not studied and not classified. The number of insect classes is calculated only approximately - at least 10 thousand items. In total, about one hundred plant species of the reserve do not yet need to be studied.
Fauna
The fauna of the reserve "Kaluga Zaseki" is very diverse. The most common types of carnivores are hedgehogs and moles. Hare-hare and white hare are not rare in the forests. The largest group of inhabitants is represented by mammals rodents - squirrels, a huge variety of mice (field voles, babies, forest, yellow-throated, etc.), hazel and forest dormouse, beavers.
Predators are also found in the forest. Scientists manage to observe wolves, foxes, martens. Rarely come into the territory of ermines, river otters, badgers and lynxes. Common cloven-hoofed animals of the protected area are wild boars, roe deer and moose. Their number varies depending on the availability of food supply. Occasionally, noble deer wander from the neighboring Orel Polesie reserve, and brown bears come to visit the Bryansk forests .
According to the observations of scientists, 178 species of birds live here, 55 species of mammals live and breed. Over 20 rivers and streams flow through the territory, where 21 species of fish, 11 types of amphibians and 5 classes of reptiles live.
Since 2008, the Kaluga Zaseki Reserve has been implementing a program for breeding and adaptation of bison. These animals were once traditional for these places, but people have exterminated the entire livestock. Now there is a restoration of the population. The best time to observe the forest giants is winter. The number of bison is growing rapidly and in search of additional food, they come to the zoo station, where tourists can admire and photograph them.
Study and conservation
Scientific work in the reserve "Kaluga Zaseki" (Kaluga region) is carried out by a staff of specialists, consisting of 7 employees. They work in the areas of ornithology, forest pathology, mycology, entomology, ornithology, mammology. Scientists are employees of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Kaluga) or university professors. The main tasks of the scientific department:
- Chronicle of Nature - collection of data on changes in natural complexes during a calendar year.
- Inventory as the basis of scientific research. In the process, the components of the biogeocenosis — flora, fauna, soil, community, and ecosystem — are identified and classified. Mapping is underway.
- Scientific research. The directions of this activity are observation of ecosystems and their condition. As well as work to identify habitats and a description of their environmental characteristics.
- Monitoring Includes ongoing ecosystem monitoring. A description and documentation of all changes, tracking the status of plant species, animals, soils, etc.
- Educational activities, scientific substantiation of conservation and environmental work.
Enlightenment
The reserve "Kaluga Reserves" conducts public activities in two directions. This is enlightenment and eco-tourism. The main task of the education department is to disseminate knowledge about the need to preserve the biological diversity of the nature reserve’s species, to prevent violations of the rules of the nature reserve zone, and to educate the public.
A large amount of such information is communicated to the public through the media. The reserve has been cooperating with district and regional periodicals, the central press for many years, a large amount of information is disseminated through its own forces, and interaction with television and radio companies is constantly developing. Employees of the scientific department attend schools with lectures focused on children of different ages. Boys and girls are regular participants in hiking, summer camps, excursions.
Ecotourism
The Kaluga Zaseki Reserve (Kaluga Region) has developed about 10 routes for tourists. Depending on the season, visitors are invited to 3-5 excursions. Hiking trails are laid in places of the greatest concentration of animals, vegetation or other interesting objects. One of the most spectacular and popular routes is a trip to free-living bison.
How to get to the Kaluga Zaseki? The administrative center is located in the village of Ulyanovo, where everyone who wants to visit the protected forests and learn more about animal life comes to. Any visits are possible only with a guide. And only after a preliminary briefing on safety measures and behavior in the environmental zone.
Visitors are invited to excursions:
- "Forest Tale . " The tour is conducted from May to October, in time the trip will take up to 5 hours, the length is more than 4 km. Geographically, the trail runs along the northern borders of the reserve, the main characters are beavers.
- "Berry . " The tour is conducted along short (3 km.) And long (5.6 km.) Routes, duration - from 2 to 6 hours. The period from March to October. Tourists get acquainted with the local nature, the wealth of flora and fauna. The route refers to the type of ring. On the way there are a large number of birds, including a colony of herons.
- "Intersection forest . " The length of the trail is about 3.5 km, the duration of the walk is from 3 to 6 hours. The period of access to the route from March to October. The tour is held in the historical part - Debensky settlement, where ancient broad-leaved forests have been preserved. During the campaign, the excursionists are introduced to the history of the reserve, its defense role in military campaigns and subsequent transformations. Special attention is paid to oaks, whose age has exceeded 300 years.
- "The bison trail . " The tour is conducted from December to March, lasts from 1 to 4 hours. During the trip, tourists visit one of the three tracts - "Bison", "Polushkino", "Narrow Gauge". You can see bison on this route. As well as traces of their stay and biotechnological facilities. Visitors get a unique opportunity - to take photos of bison in the wild.
In addition to these routes, the reserve offers kayaking, horseback riding, short excursions and much more. One of the interesting services is accommodation in a guest tourist house, designed for 5-6 people, where comfortable conditions are created. Rent a house is 3000 rubles per day. The cost of excursions ranges from 1100 to 2900 rubles. (according to the calculation of 2017). Video and photography are charged at a separate price. Sometimes their cost is included in the price of the tour.
Helpful information
Many tourists are interested in the Kaluga Zaseki Reserve. How to get to the place and where to go in search of excursions? Address of the contact center: Ulyanovsk district of the Kaluga region, Ulyanovo village, Bolshaya Sovetskaya street, building 75. You can get here by minibus from Kaluga or the bus of the Kaluga-Ulyanovo route. Flights are carried out three times a day.