One of the greatest rivers of our country flows through the steppes and forests, through plains and mountains, from the southernmost latitudes to the Arctic Ocean - 3487 kilometers of the path, during which we have to trace which animals and plants of the Yenisei River revive the banks.
Geography
Ionesu (in Evenki - "big water"), the Russians called the word closer to their native language. Throughout the whole of Siberia, the Yenisei current penetrates from top to bottom, starting in the Sayan Mountains from Kara-Balyk Lake, absorbing the tributaries, breaking into the Tuva Basin with many branches and leaving the already powerful stream that crushes the mountains. The rocks of the Western Sayan left a small gap in the middle of the cliffs of the Yenisei, but the river broke.
At the exit, people built the dam of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, therefore the Great threshold that was noisy like a racing train, the Joy threshold and the Kabachok rock are present only in old photographs. Now there is a reservoir with bays formed by the confluence of mountain streams and rivers. The whole Yenisei is easily divided into three parts - Vekhniy, Middle and Lower. The channel from the source to the reservoir is the upper, then the middle section from the reservoir to the Angara, and the lower part of the Yenisei, after merging with the Angara, reaches two and a half kilometers in width.
Taiga
The animals and plants of the Yenisei River are numerous and diverse, as these protected areas are typical taiga. In the river valley, mainly coniferous forests - spruce, cedar, pine. On the Central Siberian Plateau, vegetation is peculiar, since altitudinal zonation sharply changes. Dense larch and cedar forests of the lower zone are replaced by more rare-growing fir and cedar-spruce.
On half a kilometer mountain peaks pronounced mountain tundra and alpine meadows. The animals and plants of the Yenisei River feel at ease in these places, since there are entirely reserves: Central Siberian, Krasnoyarsk pillars, Sayano-Shushensky, then Putoransky, Taimyr, Tungusky, Big Arctic, national parks "Shushensky Bor" and "Ergaki", three state order of federal significance and 27 - of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Pillars
On the border with the Central Siberian Plateau in the northwestern spurs of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, there is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the world - Pillars, founded in 1925. Its area is almost 50 thousand hectares. Animals and plants of the Yenisei River of this belt live in the reserve. There are more than 750 species of vascular plants and 260 - mosses. In the fir taiga, 290 species of only vertebrate animals live: squirrel, chipmunk, sable, forest vole, hazel grouse, musk deer and others.
However, forest-steppe animal species are also abundant: steppe polecat, roe deer, long-tailed gopher , etc. In the Red Book of Russia, cirrus feather grass, helmet-bearing orchis, calypso bulbous - a very beautiful flower, large-flowered shoes and real - are still listed in the plants growing here. more beautiful from the orchid family. There are also many animals and birds listed in the Red Book of Russia: golden eagle, peregrine falcon, osprey, saker, and others.
Arctic
This reserve is very large, it is not in vain that it is called the Big Arctic, the largest in Eurasia. And the Yenisei River is its central part. Here, for the most part, migratory birds are protected that nest on the territory (various waders, black geese, geese (four species), swans, four species of ducks and many others). It also noted many animals and plants of the Yenisei River, which are protected by the state.
162 species of higher plants from 28 families: cereals, cloves, cabbage, sedge, saxifragia. Pillow-shaped poppy is very beautiful. Also, 70 species of lichens and 15 species of mushrooms grow here. 16 species of mammals live in the reserve - foxes, wolves, arctic foxes, wolverines, lemmings, musk ox, reindeer and polar bears, and when the Yenisei flows into the Kara Sea, belugas, walruses and other marine animals are found.
Sayans
The biosphere reserve located in the Western Sayan of the Krasnoyarsk Territory is Sayano-Shushensky. Here they guard the most valuable fur-bearing animal - sable, and also study the flora and fauna of the Sayano-Shushensky reservoir. The Yenisei River is very rich - the famous river in Siberia, called the "father", because from time immemorial the Yenisei has been the breadwinner for all the people living on its banks: fish, meat, nuts, berries with mushrooms - it will treat everyone, feed everyone.
It is noted that in the reservoir itself, the fauna changes very much: lovers of cold water have disappeared - beautiful grayling, lenok, taimen, but new species have appeared, simpler: crucian carp, pike, bream, roach, perch and some others. In the reserve there is a Museum of Nature, which tourists of all ages willingly visit on excursions. What are the plants and animals of the Yenisei River, the 4th grade of schools in the Krasnoyarsk Territory can study clearly.
Putorana Plateau
The uniqueness of the Putorana Reserve - in its location - runs across the Yenisei zoogeographic border, therefore there is an increased diversity of species: plants and animals of the Yenisei River have significantly enriched the list of Siberian flora and fauna. The reserve has 36 species of fish, amphibians, 184 species of birds, 34 species of mammals, and the list of only higher plants includes about 400 species.
Plants and animals of the Yenisei River Grade 4 will be even more interesting than the school curriculum provides, because such rare species as snow sheep, white tailed eagle, gyrfalcon, small swan, golden eagle, osprey and many others are protected here. There are a bear, a wolf, a fox, as well as a lynx, sable, columns, wolverine. There are almost 400 species of plants here, among them such rare ones as Rhodiola rosea, spotted slipper (also a Siberian orchid), Asian swimsuit, various poppies, and marigolds - all cannot be listed.
Yenisei Valley
What plants and animals of the Yenisei River are found in the Central Siberian Reserve, you can see the list:
- more than 650 species of higher plants;
- seven species of conifers;
- 35 species of horsetail, ferns and podunov;
- more than 150 species of mosses;
- 223 species of lichens;
- 45 species of mammals;
- 274 species of birds;
- four species of reptiles and amphibians;
- 35 species of fish;
- more than 700 species of insects;
- More than 420 species of spiders.
This reserve covers both banks of the Yenisei River in its middle section.
Shushenskoe
On the right bank of the Yenisei is a national park called "Shushensky Bor". Boron is also a forest, only pine, which grows mainly on sandy soils. Here the forest grows on the sand dunes - these are the tape forests, left to us a very, very long time after the end of the ice age. The relict forest is always extremely rich and beautiful. Why do plants and animals of the Yenisei River feel at ease here? The answer is simple: reserve, nothing can be destroyed. Only guard!
Many animals live here: only terrestrial vertebrates 254 species, of which 45 are mammals, more than 200 species of birds, five species of reptiles, four amphibians. Most of all there are hares, squirrels, bears, foxes, sables, red deer, roe deer, musk deer, elk, and wild boar are a little less common. Wolves, lynxes, and wolverines, as well as ermines, columns, the steppe polecat, otter, and American mink live here . Preserving nature in its rich diversity is the main task and the main question for the reserve. Plants and animals of the Yenisei River should not die out due to environmental problems or hunting greed of humans.
Ergaki
Lynxes (many of them), badgers, wolverines, foxes and wolves live in this reserve on the banks of the Yenisei. There are really a lot of sables here. In other places, he was ruthlessly exterminated almost completely before reserves were formed. There are many ungulates in this reserve: moose, taiga reindeer, musk deer. A lot of birds! There are purely taiga species, and many species of waterfowl, some very rare - whooper swan, taiga bean grouse, for example.
On the steep banks of the Yenisei, you can see the nests of the white-tailed eagle. Also, birds of prey are represented by hawks, kites and celestials. And in the Yenisei itself, it is in these places that the endangered fish from the Red Book - the Siberian sturgeon and sterlet - have been preserved. Found in the river and nelma, and omul, and muksun, and whitefish, and smelt. And, of course, there are many not so rare and expensive species: burbot, pike, perch, crucian carp.
Along the hunting trails
Ergaki Nature Reserve has tourist areas. Particularly interesting excursions are held in the taiga, where you can personally appreciate the taiga variety, although, of course, not all plants and animals of the Yenisei River will catch your eye. Photos that tourists bring from such excursions still amaze the imagination of those who have never walked on Siberian hunting trails.