In our article, we want to talk about one stunningly beautiful place of Ossetia called "Alania". The national park was established in 1998, and since then its employees have not stopped their activities, which have many directions.
History of the park
“Alania” is a national park created to preserve the unique natural complexes of North Ossetia. In addition to the environmental function, active educational and scientific activities are carried out in the reserve. One of the main areas of work of the park’s employees is the creation of good conditions for the development of tourism in this area.
The question of creating a national park in this region has been raised repeatedly since the fifties. The first step taken in this direction was the organization of the first Tseisky Sanctuary, located in the foothill zone. Subsequently, as a supplement, hunting farms were also organized: Turmon, Makhsky, Saursky, Zmeisko-Nikolaevsky, Zamankulsky. And in 1967, the North Ossetian Nature Reserve (state) was still organized.
Regarding the need to organize the park, a lot of talk was conducted in different circles and at different levels. And only in 1998 the corresponding decree on its establishment was signed. According to him, “Alania” is a national park in which research, educational and environmental work is underway. The reserve has a fairly large number of cultural and historical monuments.
Location
National Park of Russia "Alania" is located on the northern slope of the central part of the Caucasus. On all sides, its territory is surrounded by a chain of high ridges. You can get there only by one single mountain road passing through the Akhsinta canyon along the Urukh river valley. "Alania" is a national park located in an alpine region. The minimum height of its land is 1100 meters above sea level, and the maximum is 4646 meters (this is Mount Wilpat). The total area of the reserve is 54926 ha.
The southern lands of the park border Georgia along the Main Caucasian Range, and the western lands - with the Kabardino-Balkan Reserve, the eastern border runs along the North Ossetian Reserve.
On the territory of "Alanya" a differentiated security regime has been established taking into account historical, cultural, natural, economic and other features. The park is divided into the following areas: economic, security, special regime, specially protected and protected.
Climatic conditions
In the mountainous regions of the North Caucasus, a special mountain climate is observed. It is characterized by long cold winters and short cool summers. In addition, there is vertical zoning with a variety of microclimates. The higher the altitude, the lower the air temperature and atmospheric pressure, and the amount and frequency of precipitation will increase accordingly. The climate of Alanya is temperate continental. Precipitation prevails here in the spring and summer. Spurs and mountain ranges, gorges and intermontane basins, as well as solar radiation significantly complicate the general circulation, which leads to the existence of a variety of microclimatic conditions.
With height, there is an increase in radiation by an average of ten percent every 1000 meters.
Relief
National Park "Alania" (photo is given in the article) has a heterogeneous territory. The lands of the reserve consist of complex systems of mountain ranges that are separated by narrow canyons, as well as valleys of mountain streams, overgrown with woody and grassy vegetation. Forests cover only 21% of the entire territory, but herbs - about 75%. Three groups of mountain ranges stand out sharply on the territory, which extend almost parallel to one another relative to the other from the northwest to the southeast.
In the south of the region is the highest of them - the Main Dividing Line, further to the north lies Bokova, and beyond it are the Rocky Ranges.
Rivers of the reserve
The Urukh River is the main waterway of the reserve. Its largest tributaries are Nargidon, Songgutidon, Bilyagidon. Rivers have mainly glacial nutrition. There are more than 70 rivers and streams in the park. But the lakes of the reserve are very small, they are of glacial origin. The most famous of them: Mikelay and Fastgaskoy.
Vegetation
What is interesting about Alania (national park)? The description of the reserve would not be complete, if not a few words about the vegetation. This region is characterized by altitudinal zonation. All kinds of mountain pine forests, juniper woodlands, pine and birch forests, beech and hornbeam plantations, alpine and subalpine meadows are widely represented here. In general, forests occupy almost a fifth of the entire territory. They cover almost all the slopes. And in the valleys grow alder forests. Beech forests grow in small groups on the northern slopes. But with height they are replaced by birch forests and maple trees. The southern slopes are covered with hazel and oaks.
Above the belt of forests are subalpine meadows on which cereals grow: reed reed, fescue, timothy. In general, the flora of the park consists of more than a thousand varieties of various plants. Here you can find about 200 endemic to the Caucasus, among them there are those that are found only in North Ossetia. In the reserve, there are only more than 70 species of trees. As for the shrubs, juniper, barberry, sea buckthorn, and dog rose grow in the mountains.
More than 130 species of mushrooms were found on the territory of the park, among which the most numerous are brown boletus, porcini, boletus, russula and butter.
Alanya (National Park): animals
The fauna of the reserve is very rich and diverse, due to the presence of different landscapes. In the park, 34 species of mammals only were recorded, among them the East Caucasus tours and chamois are of the greatest interest. But in the mixed forests brown bears, wild boars and roe deer live. The smallest predators in the reserve can be considered a fox and a marten. Ermine also lives in stone talus. In moist deciduous forests, shrews are found.
The bird's world of the park is no less rich. In total, there are 116 species of birds, among them there are representatives of the northern species that came here from the taiga: bullfinch, crossbill, owl, blackbird. Also in the park live birds of European fauna, the Mediterranean and Central Asia. This diversity of species is due to the geographical location of the Caucasus. Even those birds that came here back in the Ice Age and have since formed dozens of subspecies live here.
But amphibians are not so numerous in the park. Here they are inhabited by only three species.
Employee Activities
Park workers are engaged not only in scientific activities, but also in educational activities, and school, preschool, secondary and even higher education institutions are involved in this process whenever possible. To help the reserve’s employees, a volunteer group was established to protect the Alania National Park, whose participants help organize all kinds of actions and events to attract the attention of people and organizations to the problems of the region. The employees of the reserve have a difficult task not only to preserve and increase the flora and fauna, but also to conduct educational activities among all segments of the population.
Unfortunately, such a large amount of work is beyond the reach of employees, so volunteers try to help them to the best of their ability.
Natural attractions
The park has many natural attractions. One of them is the Karagum glacier, which covers the entire northern region of the Wilpat massif. Its area is more than 35 square kilometers. A feature of the glacier is the fact that it descends much lower than all the Caucasian valley glaciers.
Instead of an afterword
Visiting the park by outsiders is strictly prohibited. However, the administration accepts applications for group tours conducted only in a certain territory. It is also worth remembering that the park is located in the border region, and therefore it is strictly guarded even from the point of view of border control. In general, it is necessary to emphasize the incredible importance that, from a scientific point of view, "Alania" (national park) has. Briefly, in the framework of a short article, it is impossible to convey how rich the world of the reserve is, which can rightfully be called the pearl of Ossetia.