The natural world of the Leningrad region is striking in its naturalness and diversity. It is rich in its sights and beauties that are truly priceless. This article will discuss the environmental facilities of the Leningrad region.
PA system
Such territories occupy 570 thousand hectares and make up about 6% of the total area of the region. There are 40 such places in the Leningrad Region, of which only 2 are of federal significance - this is the Nizhne-Svirsky Nature Reserve of the Leningrad Region and the Mshinsky swamp reserve.
Five protected areas are special. They exist under the status of wetlands that have an international purpose. In these places there is a special additional security regime. It is introduced for the quality protection of habitats for waterfowl.
Categories of protected areas
Protected areas located in the Leningrad Region are divided into main categories:
- Natural reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
- Parks created by nature.
- Reserves.
- Monuments of nature.
All protected areas - reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region - differ from each other in some characteristics, such as:
- The purpose of creating a protected area.
- Area.
- Environmental regulations.
- The presence or absence of employees, etc.
The highest category of protected areas
If the object of protection are all natural complexes, then all the reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region will belong to the highest category of protected areas. It should have a staff of scientists and, accordingly, a security staff. On this territory you can not engage in economic activity. There are also severe restrictions on attendance. As mentioned above, the Nizhne-Svirsky Nature Reserve belongs to this category.
Lower Svirsky Reserve
It was created in June 1980. A museum has been organized in the Leningrad Region with the aim of preserving a rich fauna with rare species of animals in such a unique reservoir as Lake Ladoga, as well as:
- its coast;
- the surrounding forest, having a mid-taiga type;
- swamps;
- sites of migratory birds;
- spawning sites of various species of fish.
Nizhne-Svirsky is a natural reserve of the Leningrad region, its location is Lodeynopolsky district. The area of specially protected territory is 41 thousand hectares.
Brief description of the reserve
The reserve belongs to wetlands, they are of international importance. Spawning waterfowls live and nest there. The third part of the conservation area is marshy areas, or simply marshes. About 20 thousand hectares are occupied by forests. The water area of Lake Ladoga owns 5 thousand hectares of forest land. The relief of the reserve is flat, there are sandy coastal shafts and swampy depressions. The nature reserve of the Leningrad region is characterized by podzolic soils, swamp-podzolic and swamp-peat soils prevail. The relief of the reserve that we see today is formed under the influence of two factors:
- the melting of the Valdai Glacier;
- processes of lake-alluvial accumulation.
The climate of the territories on which the Lower Svirsky Nature Reserve is located is continental with the influence of the Baltic Sea. In autumn and winter, northwest winds prevail here, and in the spring-summer period, southwest winds prevail. The internal reservoir of the protected area, which is the reserve of the Leningrad Region - Lake Segezha. Its area is 15 square meters. km The greatest depth is 5 meters, the bottom is sandy. The water in the lake, despite its location among mosses and swamps, is transparent and bright.
The longest river of the Lower Svirsky Nature Reserve is Segezha. It flows from the lake of the same name. At first, her water is light, then along the route she eats swamp streams, and darkens towards the mouth. Basically, all water bodies originate in peat bogs, and therefore they have very dark water. Main reservoirs:
- Ladoga lake;
- Syarba Lake;
- Lahta Bay.
Flora of the Lower Svirsky Reserve
In total, the reserve has more than 1300 plant species, many of which are endangered and rare. Since Nizhne-Svirsky is located in the middle taiga strip, the vegetation, which is rich in all nature reserves of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, is typical of the middle taiga of the European part of Russia. About 80% of all forests of the protected area are coniferous, with a predominance of pine trees. But small-leaved trees grow in Nizhny-Svirsky, such as:
- birch (fluffy and saggy);
- aspen (poplar trembling);
- alder (black and gray).
In addition, small-leaved forests very often consist of undergrowth with the following trees and shrubs:
- buckthorn;
- viburnum;
- Rowan;
- raspberries;
- black currant;
- bird cherry, etc.
Pines feel great on sandy soils. On more fertile lands, spruce dominates - European and Finnish. The grass cover of forests is rather poor, lingonberry and heather dominate from the bushes.
In addition to the above plants, other representatives of the flora grow in protected natural areas, which are the reserves of the Leningrad region. List of these plants:
- meadow
- brack;
- rosemary;
- blueberry;
- Blueberries
- lily of the valley;
- fern;
- myrtle marsh, etc.
The average age of pine forests of protected areas is about 85 years, spruce forests - about 100 years. In areas inaccessible to logging, you can also find forest areas of more advanced age - about 200 years.
Wetlands, including the lowlands of Lake Ladoga, are covered with reed beds. In not so swampy places willow massively grows. It happens:
- Holly
- three-stamen;
- blackening;
- Phylactic, etc.
At the end of summer and autumn, the forest lands of the reserve abound with a variety of mushrooms, these are:
- White mushroom;
- boletus;
- honey agaric;
- grease fitting, etc.
Some types of mushrooms are listed in the Red Book: aspen, white, purple cobweb, bristle bush, etc.
Fish
In the rivers and lakes of the protected area 34 species of various fish live. This is mainly a suborder of bony, among them there are predatory fish. In particular, a seal is found in the waters of Ladoga, and the following spawning occurs in the Svir Bay:
- Pike.
- Bream.
- Zander.
- Chekhonya.
- Perch.
- Krasnoperka.
- Asp
- Roach and others
Of the unusual fish, sticklebacks can be noted: three- and nine-needle.
Fauna of the Lower Svirsky Reserve
The Museum-Reserve in the Leningrad Region is rich in wildlife. In total, 348 species of vertebrate animals were recorded in Nizhny-Svirsky. The diversity of the animal world is directly related to the landscape and vegetation. Below are the animals of the reserve of the Leningrad region, living in forests and not only:
- Brown bear.
- Flying squirrel.
- Elk.
- Wolf.
- A fox.
- Mink.
- Boar.
- Beaver.
- Lynx.
- Wolverine et al.
Total mammals recorded in the territory of about 44 species. The largest variety of species among rodents is 17, and predators - 13. It is clear that the welfare of predatory animals directly depends on the number of mouse-like rodents, because it is their food. Rodents include animals of various sizes, these are:
- Common squirrel.
- Muskrat.
- Red vole.
- Baby mouse, etc.
The feathered museum-reserve of the Leningrad Region has more than 250 species. Many of them live in a protected area temporarily, during nesting or roaming. Among them there are such birds that are listed in the Red Book, these are:
- White-tailed Eagle.
- Osprey.
- Black stork.
- Owl.
- Grouse.
- Capercaillie.
- Gray Crane, etc.
Natural reserves of the Leningrad region have a small number of reptiles. The most common vipers and three species of lizards.
To date, in the Lower Svirsky Nature Reserve, several tourist routes have been developed, with a length of 6 to 40 km. One of them is water, and the rest are on foot. The routes provide an opportunity to see and appreciate all the natural beauties of the Leningrad region, as well as enjoy fresh and clean air away from highways and factories.