The Poronaysky State Nature Reserve , whose area is 56.7 hectares, is located on the eastern side of Sakhalin Island, in the Poronaysky district. The borders of the reserve, founded in 1988, stretched for 300 km by water and 60 km by land. The main goal of its creation is to preserve the natural landscapes typical of Sakhalin.
The scientific activity carried out in the reserve is focused on the conservation of mountain, taiga and bog ecological systems of Sakhalin Island. And besides, to protect wintering and migratory birds.
To preserve nature, a conservation zone has been established around the state reserve, where fishing, tree felling, the use of chemicals, and tourist activities are prohibited.
Climate
About 700 mm of precipitation falls in the reserve throughout the year. The period without frost lasts an average of about 130 days. At a level of 80% and above, air humidity is kept. The Poronaysky Nature Reserve in the Sakhalin Region has flat, swampy lands. The direction of the wind is affected by the landscape. In winter, northerly winds prevail in the Poronai river valley. On the coast, the wind flow changes direction. Storms and blizzards are possible. During the winter months, a significant amount of precipitation falls on the territory of the Poronaysky Reserve.
The height of the snow cover in winter reaches an average of 600 mm or more. With the beginning of spring, an invasion of air masses, bearing the south and southeast direction, begins from the Pacific Ocean.
The temperature rises very slowly. Differences in heat and cold are characteristic. In early April, a damp, cold, lingering spring begins.
Snow completely melts in May. As summer approaches, cloudiness and precipitation increase. Summer is rainy, cool, with frequent fogs and strong winds, typhoons.
In autumn, cloud cover decreases, the period of fogs and rains ends. The wind changes course to the northwest. In autumn, berries and mushrooms ripen. At the end of September, the first frosts are possible. In October, the first snow begins to appear. Beginning in November, cyclones with warm and moist air masses coming from the Sea of Okhotsk are observed in eastern Sakhalin. They carry snowstorms with which the wind speed is 50 m / s.
Water element
The Poronaysky nature reserve consists of Nevsky and Vladimirsky sites. Its area also captures the Terpeniya Peninsula, located in eastern Sakhalin, on which there are 20 beautiful lakes of lagoon origin. In summer, spring, autumn, the water level in them rises due to rainfall. Part of the lakes is connected to the sea bays, because of this the water in them is brackish. Many rivers flowing into waterfalls give the peninsula indescribable beauty.
Mountain rivers predominate in the Poronaysky nature reserve. The spread of bogs is facilitated by the proximity of groundwater, a large amount of rainfall, poor-quality filtration properties of soils, high river floods. Swamps freeze to mineral soil in December, and thawing occurs only in July.
Vegetation
Most of the Poronaysky nature reserve is covered with taiga, and the remaining sections are covered with mountain tundra. And only a few coastal parts are strewn with oceanic moons. In total, about 400 species of higher plants, 100 mosses and lichens are recorded in the nature reserve. 17 rare plants, for example, Venus slipper, as well as 2 species of lichens and mushrooms, are listed in the Red Book of Russia.
Dark coniferous forests are mainly represented by Sayan spruce, Sakhalin fir. In the forest part, taiga and broad-leaved species prevail.
Plants on the Patience Peninsula are mainly from forest-forming species: larch, fir. An abundance of forest berries: blueberries, blueberries, cranberries.
Fauna
The animal world is diverse. Mouse-like rodents are represented by the largest number of individuals.
Nest and live on the rocks:
- white-belly
- black-tailed gull.
White-tailed eagle, white and pink gull (it is also called the "northern pearl"), Sakhalin musk deer are protected by the state.
The Poronaysky Nature Reserve is inhabited by more than 200 different species of animals. There is a sable, a reindeer, a bear.
Forest fauna: hares, chipmunks, field voles, flying squirrels. Artiodactyls: reindeer and Sakhalin musk deer.
Interesting places
The bird market on which the mandarin duck, the peregrine Falcon nests, is located on Cape Terpeniya. More than a hundred thousand birds can be observed on the cape.
15 km from the reserve is a natural monument - the island of Tyuleniy. On it lies the rookery of the northern fur seal, seals. In the summer you can see thousands of these animals.
Ecological and educational tourism is developed in the reserve. This type of tourism makes it possible to observe nature, wildlife, to trace the relationship in ecosystems, without exerting a detrimental effect on all this wealth. The dense green-dense dark coniferous forests, swamps and green meadows, mixing with each other, make the northwestern part of the reserve an unusually picturesque place.