Kalmykia. Reserve "Black Lands". Chernye Zemli Chernye Zemli State Nature Reserve

Kalmykia is in many ways a unique region, a territory of endless steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, with an area (75.6 thousand sq. km.) larger than many European states. In order to study and protect the unique nature in 1990 on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia, the only such testing ground in Russia was established - the State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Chernye Zemli".

Traveling through the steppe expanses of the Black Lands is an almost instant immersion in the world of wildlife.

At the entrance to specially protected areas, you can meet groups of peacefully grazing camels.

Camels are not representatives of wildlife, they are not allowed in protected areas, performing rather agricultural functions, but these charming guys bring a lot of joy to guests and travelers, especially with children.

Only at first glance the steppes seem monotonous, after a few hours of walking around the reserve you understand that the landscape is constantly changing, life around is in full swing. This is especially felt in the spring - the vegetation blooms, and many steppe inhabitants have offspring.

The cubs are very curious, they enthusiastically meet a slightly tired mother returning to the hole in the evenings and are happy to explore the world around them.

Above the emerald fields of flowering feather grass, steppe eagles circle in search of prey (usually small rodents).

Steppe eagles usually nest on the ground or low bushes, so if you are careful, in the seemingly lifeless steppe, you can watch family life this bird of prey.

If you are lucky enough to find a nest, it is better to look from afar, using binoculars or a telephoto lens, it is important not to disturb the birds in any way.

In addition to the steppe eagles, among the large birds of prey in the reserve, there are black vultures and griffon vultures listed in the Red Book. These are typical scavengers, often they gather in large groups, which looks a little scary. Their permanent habitat is the Caucasus, they fly to Kalmykia “on tour”, in spring and summer.

The black vulture belongs to the hawk family, it is the largest bird in Russia and one of largest birds world fauna: the wingspan of the vulture reaches three meters.

Walking through the steppe in the early morning, you can hear loud, melodic trills, but it is extremely difficult to notice their performers. These are field larks: small, slightly larger than a sparrow, birds. Skylarks choose flat, open spaces for building nests, but due to their protective coloration, they are almost invisible among steppe grasses. Within a couple of weeks after birth, the chicks are completely independent, leave the nest and learn to get their own food.

Graceful demoiselle cranes, the smallest and third largest representatives of the crane family in the world, are a kind of living attraction of the reserve.

This romantic couple is the inhabitants of the Kalmyk steppe in the vicinity of the Atsan-Khuduk cordon.

Demoiselle cranes are monogamous, that is, they choose partners for themselves once and for life, only if courtship does not bring offspring, the crane "marriage" can break up.

But this couple with family life is all right.

Also, in the vicinity of the cordon, small and nimble Wheatears live in abundance.

At the end of May, not far from the cordon, in the middle of the bare steppe, the inspector found ... a small kitten. The kitten is not simple, it is a wild steppe cat, whose family died, and the kitten was left alone.

The kitten is a little over a week old, but soon it will turn into a real steppe predator.

But the main living symbol of the Black Lands is the saiga, even the logo of the reserve is a stylized image of the head of a saiga. These antelopes, the same age as mammoths, and known for their original appearance - a muzzle with a nose resembling a trunk - are endangered, although in last years, thanks to active protective actions, the number of livestock is increasing.

The “trunk” of the saiga is functional, it helps to survive in the hot summer, playing the role of a kind of filter in the conditions of summer sandstorms, and harsh winter, - the icy steppe air, passing through the nasal passage, has time to heat up.

In May, calving takes place in the reserve - a mass birth of young saiga. Young saigas already 3-4 days after birth stand well on their feet, and a week later they run excellently, but they prefer to spend the first days of their life lying on the ground, remaining inconspicuous among the steppe vegetation, rising only at the call of their mother.

In the early morning hours, saiga females roam the steppe and call their saigas. A real miracle is to watch the walks of saigas in wild steppes, and go unnoticed by these wary animals.

You have to watch the saigas literally with bated breath: one awkward movement, a slight rustle, and the saiga immediately takes off, in a matter of seconds, speeding up to 80 km/h!

And this female with a mysterious “smile” defiled along the sandy embankment, as if on a catwalk, and all the males followed her with their eyes; it was the first time I had a chance to observe a saiga so closely - it looks like she also posed.

The saiga is a herd animal, and in the spring in the verdant steppes of Kalmykia one can observe an amazing phenomenon - the migration of herds of saigas, numbering hundreds, and sometimes thousands of individuals of all ages.

In addition to the steppes, the reserve includes water areas, as well as deserts and semi-deserts.
You should move carefully along the reserved paths - for example, a scarab can fuss on a sandy area, carried away by its, no doubt, titanic work.

Nimble round-headed lizards of the Agam family run among the dunes.

In the water areas there are nesting sites for many rare species of waterfowl and near-water birds.
In the thickets of coastal plants, you can see flocks of buntings and black-breasted sparrows.

Red herons often fly overhead.

Another interesting meeting is the stilt walker. The bird is easily recognizable by its unusual bright pink legs. Of all the waders, the stilt has the longest legs - in search of food, the bird wanders through shallow water and catches mollusks and small aquatic insects with a long thin beak.

Of course, to appreciate all the biodiversity and uniqueness of the Kalmyk steppes, a few days, weeks, or even months will not be enough. But the reserve, in addition to security and scientific work, carries out active educational and excursion activities, and even in a few hours you can immerse yourself in wildlife, watch flying cranes, and, if you're lucky, meet a herd of saigas running past - for such moments it is worth visiting hospitable Kalmykia.

In the Kalmyk steppes, a region that can hardly be called comfortable for wildlife, there is reserve "Chernye zemli". This is one of the youngest nature reserves, created to protect and replenish the population of rare representatives of flora and fauna, in particular the saiga and the unique tulip. Also, the reserve is interesting in that it consists of two different purpose areas, ornithological and steppe, significantly distant from each other.

I will tell you about this little-known corner of life in the desert region, about its animal and plant inhabitants, the main attractions, and also about why the reserve was called the Black Lands.

Where is the Black Earth Reserve located?

The State Natural Biosphere Reserve "Chernye Zemlya" is located at the address: Republic of Kalmykia, Chernozemelsky district, Komsomolsky village, Nekrasov street, 31. Phone +78474391254.

How to get there

The village of Komsomolsky, where the administration of the reserve is located, can be reached by car. To do this, you need to move along the P216 highway, from in an easterly direction, from the side of Astrakhan - in a western direction. In the village of Yashkul, turn south.
In order to visit the ornithological site, it is necessary to move along the P216 highway from Elista to the southwest, from to the northeast. In the village of Divnoye, turn towards Manychskoye and drive to the village of Yashalta.

visit

A visit to the territory of the Black Lands reserve is allowed subject to agreement with the administration. To do this, you must apply no later than two weeks before the date of the visit with a written application or by e-mail.
Travelers can visit the following ecological routes:

1. "Birds of Lake Manych Gudilo". Duration 11 kilometers, designed for 3.5 hours. Available from April to October, the most successful season is April-May. Excursion to the ornithological site of the reserve. During the route, travelers get acquainted with natural environment bird habitats of the reserve. They observe such representatives of the avifauna as pink pelicans, spoonbills, loaves, red-breasted gooses, lesser white-fronted gooses. In addition, there is a large settlement of marmots on the territory of the site. One of the main attractions of the reserve is the Schrenk tulip, which blooms in the spring.
2. "The path of the saiga". Duration 12 kilometers, designed for four hours. Available all year round except for May, the period of birth of offspring of saigas. The route passes through flat terrain. On the way, visitors observe the steppe vegetation. In the dune sand blowouts, traces of ancient burials of various cultures of the 16th-4th centuries can be observed. BC. On the route you can meet various representatives of fauna, such as fox, hare, corsac. There is a high chance of seeing a saiga. In addition, numerous rodents are observed: hamster, vole, gerbil. Also, travelers meet many representatives of birds: larks, cranes, steppe eagles, swallows, starlings. Tourists will also visit the visitor center, where they will receive information about the reserve, its history, inhabitants, as well as research and educational work.

Pelicans on Lake Manych Gudilo.

Animals and plants of the Black Lands Reserve

Flora

Plants of the reserve are represented by 291 species. Characteristic representatives are feather grass, wormwood, prostrate prostrate, camel thorn, grate, chamomile, potash saltwort.
One of the interesting representatives is Parmelia wandering, a type of lichen. This plant was used in traditional Kalmyk medicine as an anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and bactericidal agent.
In total, 13 species of protected plants grow on the territory of the reserve, including Schrenk's tulip, dwarf and leathery iris, Korzhinsky licorice, crimson larkspur and Sarmatian belvalia.

Tulip Schrenk on the ornithological site of the reserve during flowering.

Fauna

The following representatives of the animal world are observed on the territory of the reserve:

• fish - 22 species;
• amphibians - three species;
• reptiles - 12 species;

• mammals - 36 species;
• birds - 245 species.

There are a large number of rodents: ground squirrel, marmot, jerboa, tarbagan, hamster, gerbil, vole. In addition, common hare, white-breasted and eared hedgehog, white-toothed, muskrat. Representatives of predators: wolf, corsac, fox, marten, weasel, ferret. There are also wild boar, badger, raccoon dog.
are guarded: 15 species of nesting birds, including pink and curly pelican, steppe eagle, white-tailed eagle and demoiselle crane.

saigas at a watering place, a symbol of the reserve and one of the most protected inhabitants.

Interesting facts about the Black Earth Reserve

• Interesting origin the names of the reserve. Before its creation, a group of scientists studied satellite images of the territory. By coincidence, it was at that time that there was no snow on the ground, which was in particular contrast with the snowy surrounding areas. Over time, the situation with snow ceased to differ from other places, but the name stuck.
• saiga is a symbol and one of the most protected animals of the reserve. At one time they were on the verge of extinction. All the “fault” of saigas is in their horns, which were highly valued in China as a raw material for medicines, which especially attracted poachers. After the saigas were taken under protection, their numbers began to increase. On this moment there are about 15 thousand of them, which is still considered insufficient for the full existence of the population.
• Lake Manych Gudilo, on the banks of which the ornithological section of the reserve is located, has a salty composition of water, which allows us to speak of its marine origin.

Reserve "Chernye zemli" - video

Blooming tulip steppe and saigas in the Black Earth reserve. The Black Lands is the only man-made desert in the world, which is the object of study by hundreds of scientists from all over the world.

I am impressed with visiting this nature reserve. I was pleased that we managed to visit both sites, and especially that we managed to catch the flowering of tulips. Unfortunately, when visiting the steppe area, we did not manage to see saigas, although there was something to see anyway.

Artemisia white (Lerche)

Artemisia white (Lerche)

Wormwood Lerche, or white Artemisia lerchiana- a white-toment plant from the family. Compositae, xerophyte, grows on grassy clay slopes, dry meadows, in dry alkaline steppes. Indicator of dry and desert steppes. Semi-shrub 20-40 cm high, with a strong specific smell, gray from thick cobweb hairs, which in July-August come off in tufts from the lower part of the stem, forming bald spots with a light brown bark.

The type of above-ground shoots is erect or ascending; on old specimens, in the place of basal branching, the woody part of the stem is strongly developed, 3 times the diameter of the fruiting shoots. In the Caspian Sea, wormwoods are a zonal type of vegetation. On the territory of the Black Lands reserve, wormwood Lerhe can be found on the steppe section of the Mekletinsky nature reserve.

Wormwood Lerche, or white, is characterized by ecological plasticity, resistance to lack of moisture, mineral nutrition, high temperature air, excessive insolation, alkalinity of soils. Wormwood has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, immunomodulatory, antispasmodic, antioxidant effects. Increases mental performance. Pronounced antidepressant. On pastures in spring and summer it is a plant of medium fodder value, in autumn and winter it is well eaten by livestock.

Belvalia Sarmatian

Belvalia Sarmatian

Sem: Hyacinthaceae - Hyacinths

Genus: Bellevalia - Belvaliya

View: Bellevalia sarmatica (George) Woronow- Sarmatian Belvalia, or Sarmatian Hyacinth

On the shores and islands of Lake Manych-Gudilo, a wonderful plant Belvalia Sarmatian grows. This flower can be found on the mountain slopes of the Mediterranean coast, in Iran, Turkmenistan and Turkey. The plant was named Belvalia in honor of Pierre Richer de Belval, the founder of the world-famous botanical garden in the French city of Montpellier.

Belvalia Sarmatian reaches 30-40 cm in height. Raceme many-flowered, cone-shaped. The perianth is tubular-campanulate, the flowers look like bells, hanging on long, horizontally spaced legs. Corolla yellowish-white, turns brown after flowering. Pedicels long, several times (upper) or many times (lower) the length of the perianth. Anthers on long filaments attached to the tube. Three-celled boll: more than 2 seeds in each nest. Bulbs are ovoid, semi-tunic and tunic (fused at the base), large, up to 5-6 cm in diameter. Leaves in a surface bunch, usually shorter than the arrowhead, broadly linear to lanceolate, pointed, ciliate along the edge with a white cartilaginous edge.

The development of plants from seeds is slow, the first flowering occurs 5-6 years after sowing. Flowering occurs in early May. The duration of flowering depends on the air temperature. In most plants, it is 12–14 days. During the flowering period, with prolonged exposure to temperatures above 25 ° C, plants experience a sharp reduction in vegetation, the dying off of the flowering shoot and corking of the outer scales of the replacement bulbs. Under normal temperature conditions, 4–5 weeks pass from the end of flowering to the end of the growing season. When the fruits ripen, the inflorescence takes the form of a tumbleweed, breaks away from the plant and rolls over by the wind, scattering the seeds along the way. This is one of the rare cases of seed dispersal by the wind in plants of the monocotyledonous class.

The species is listed in the Red Books Russian Federation and the Republic of Kalmykia. In Kalmykia, it is found in Kumo-Manychskaya, along the Ergeny.

Ephedra two-spike, or Ephedra two-spike

Ephedra family - Ephedraceae

genus Conifer - Ephedra

View: Ephedra two-spike, or Ephedra two-spike - Ephedra distachya L.

Ephedra two-spike - evergreen yellowish-green shrub 20-30 cm in height. The stems are strongly branched, the branches are furrowed along, rough, outwardly somewhat reminiscent of horsetail. Leaves are reduced to small membranous sheaths, young shoots are green, internodes are 3-5 cm long. Dioecious plant. Male spikelets (microstrobiles) up to 1 cm long, axillary, almost sessile, rounded or branched, yellow, formed by 2-5 pairs of imbricate superimposed scales covering microsporangia. female cones(megastrobili) on axillary twigs, with 1-3 ovules, surrounded by 2-4 pairs of imbricately superimposed scales, growing and becoming fleshy, juicy, orange or red when ripe; mature fruit 6-8mm long. When growing on loose soil, it can spread to large areas. It reproduces vegetatively by root offspring, forming extensive shoots from plants of the same sex. Wind pollinated plant. Dispersion of pollen in V-VI. Fruiting (seed ripening) in VII-VIII. Contributes to the fixing of loose slopes and sands. The cones serve as food for partridges and other birds. Non-lignified shoots play a role in the diet of the saiga. In the past, the Kalmyks used to prepare a jam-like dish called “ball” from the cones of the coniferous conifer. Medicinal. Food. Poisonous. Fanerofit. Xerophyte.

In Kalmykia, it occurs in Ergeny: Sarpinsky district (Godzhur settlement, Plodovitoe village), Tselinny district (Elista city, Arshan settlement, Maksimovka and Khar-Buluk); V Caspian lowland: Oktyabrsky district (settlement of Tsagan-Nur), Yashkulsky district (settlement of Ulan-Erge); in the Kumo-Manych depression: Chernozemelsky district (village Komsomolsky). In the reserve "Chernye zemli" it is found in the steppe area of ​​the reserve. Local spots in the wormwood-cereal steppe.

Ephedra two spikelets listed in the regional Red Book, a species that is endangered. A relic of the tertiary flora.

Wormwood sandy

Wormwood sandy - Artemisia arenaria D.C.

Sem. Aster (composite) - Asteraceae Dumort

Genus wormwood - ArtemisiaL

In the Kalmyk language - үmka sharlҗn

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Sand Wormwood ( Artemisia arenaria), semi-shrub of the Compositae family, 20-100 cm high. The stems are woody at the base, vegetative shoots are shortened. The leaves are green, slightly fleshy, almost naked, dissected into narrow segments and linear-lanceolate terminal segments; the lower ones are long-petiolate, the rest are sessile. Baskets are ovoid, sessile or on shortened legs, collected in a spreading panicle. Flowers are bisexual, ovoid baskets are collected on short stalks, straight or penetrating; the fruit is a seed.

Sandy wormwood is a dominant feature on weakly fixed sands, an indicator of wind erosion in desert steppes on brown and sandy soils. It occurs in the Caspian Sea on the Chernozemel and Kizlyar pastures; it is a subdominant of sand-sagebrush-kiyakovy and sandy-sagebrush-dzhuzgun communities, often forms pure thickets. Due to rapid vegetative propagation Artemisia arenaria well fixes loose sands, forming unproductive pastures - sand wormwood. In the Black Lands reserve, sandy wormwood is found in the northern part of the steppe area, on overgrown sands.

Beneficial features: phytomeliorant, fodder.

The view can be used as a fixative of moving sands, steep slopes. On pastures, in spring - the plant has a low fodder value, and in autumn and winter - good.

Astrogalus long-petal

Sem. Legumes - Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Genus. Astragalus

View. Astrogalus long-leaved - Astragalus longipetalusChater

Herbaceous perennial 10-25 cm high. Shortened stems (stemless plant). Leaves in a basal rosette, 10-25 cm long, with protruding-hairy petiole and 8-16 pairs of ovate or round-ovate leaflets up to 2 cm long, glabrous above, hairy below. Flowers 6-10 in elongated loose racemes. Bracts linear, 10-11 mm long, pubescent. Calyx 15-20 mm long. Petals yellow, without pubescence, flag 30-35 mm long. The beans are large, ovoid-swollen, glabrous, with a straight, pointed nose. Plant of the sandy steppes. Blossoms in May, seed reproduction.

Astragalus longipetalus listed in the regional Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Distributed in the Ciscaucasia, the Lower Volga region, the Trans-Volga region, in the southwest of the Western. Siberia, northern Kazakhstan. Xerophyte, psammophyte.

On the reserve "Chernye zemli" can be found in the steppe area and in the protected zone. Often. On sands overgrown and fixed by dzhuzgun in feather grass, wheatgrass and psammophyte forb-grass associations.

Schober's saltpeter

Sem:Nitrariaceae— Saltwater

Genus:Nitraria — Selitryanka

View:N. schoberi L. – Nitrogen Schober

Saltweed Schober shrub 30-80 cm tall with white prickly branches at the ends, sometimes partly modified into thorns. The leaves are simple, oblong-spatulate, narrowed at the base, alternate, often collected in bunches with whole, entire, slightly fleshy blades. The flowers are bisexual, actinomorphic, five-membered, collected in loose inflorescences and located in the axils of small deciduous bracts. Perianth double: from five sepals fused near the base and 5 free whitish petals. Stamens 10-15 with subulate filaments; of these, 5 are opposite to the sepals, and the rest are arranged in pairs or one at a time against the petals. Gynoecium of 3 carpels, ending in a short ovoid stigma. Drupes are ovoid, with reddish juice, 6-7 mm long.

The species was noted by N.N. Kaden and others in the north of Yergeni in the Maloderbetovsky district in 1948-1950. Yashkul.

The only place of growth of this species in the territory of the reserve was noted in the steppe area near the old artesian well near the 4th structure of the Tingutinsky oil field. In 2007 and 2014, this site was subject to fire, but the population has survived and is now successfully regenerating.

In nature, Schober's saltpeter propagates by seeds. Shoots appear from the end of March to May and by the end of the first year of vegetation reach a height of 10-12 cm. Flowering has to wait a long time: in nature, plants usually bloom for 7-8 years. Small up to 1 cm in diameter, white flowers open throughout the day, and although they usually wither on the 2nd or 3rd day, the overall flowering continues for quite a long time. The plant stands covered with flowers for about a month. On the 35th-40th day, small, somewhat similar to dogwood, ovoid fruits ripen, painted in red, dark cherry or almost black. Less common are forms with pink drupes. Rich in ascorbic acid and sweetish in taste, they can be used for cooking compotes and jams and for filling sweets. Saltweed Schober is a natural sand binder, one of the few fruit and berry plants that can grow on salt marshes and tolerate sand falling well. Together with tamariks and sarsazan pineal, it settles on alluvial sands covering saline clay soil. Although the sand periodically fills up the plant almost entirely, it gives more and more new shoots and again appears on the surface of the sand mounds. The height of such mounds often reaches 3-4 m.

The species is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kalmykia. The limiting factors that prevent the spread of the species are: the narrow ecological confinement of the species to specific habitat conditions, low competitiveness, economic development of territories.

Adonis summer - Adonis aestivalis L.

Ranunculaceae family Ranunculaceae

Adonis summer - Adonis aestivalis L.

The genus Adonis or Adonis belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, and, according to various sources, includes from 20 to 45 species of herbaceous annuals and perennials growing in Europe and Asia with a temperate climate.

In Kalmykia, summer adonis is found in humid places. On the territory of the state reserve "Chernye zemli" it grows in the buffer zone of the steppe area and in the ornithological area in steppe ravines and microdepressions. As an annual, it is highly dependent on moisture conditions, and therefore its abundance varies significantly. Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kalmykia.

A distinctive feature of summer Adonis is the color of the flowers. Usually, the five-membered flowers are bright red, even fiery, very rarely orange, with a black spot in the very center, somewhat reminiscent of an ember in a flame, which is why the popular name of this plant is “ember on fire”.

Adonis summer is an annual herbaceous plant. Stems erect, simple or branched, furrowed, hairless, 10-50 cm tall. Leaves sessile, lower petiolate, twice or thrice dissected into small lobules. Flowers solitary at the ends of stems, 2-3 cm in diameter. Fruits - polynuts; nuts with a hooked, down-curved spout, 2-3 teeth. Blooms in May - June.

Latin name Adonis, according to the myth, received in honor of the son of the Cypriot king - the young man Adonis, beloved by Aphrodite, who died hunting from a blow of a boar. The blood of Adonis dyed flowers and plants red, so the name "Adonis" should refer only to species with red flowers, although there are not so many of them in the genus. According to another version, the name of the flower comes from the name of the Assyrian god Adon.

Adonis became a popular plant in culture only by the end of the 17th century, but since then decorative adonis has been constantly grown in parks, gardens and flower beds. The plant is slightly poisonous, contains adonin glycoside.

Wandering parmelia lichen - Parmelia vagans (Nyl.)

The uniqueness and originality of the flora of the Black Earth Reserve lies in its border location at the junction of two natural areas: steppe and desert. In total, 291 species of plants are registered on the territory of the reserve, and one of them is an inconspicuous lichen - Wandering Parmelia.

Fig.1. Parmelia vagans

In the practice of Kalmyk emchi, various herbs that grow in our vast steppe were widely used. Exploring the recipes of grandmothers - herbalists who treat us and our children, we found that they were widely used as part of their herbal preparations lichen Parmelia vagans - wandering parmelia, which the Kalmyk emchi call Shaha budg. Healers used this lichen in the form of various extracts, lotions, taken orally as remedy in diseases respiratory tract, as an antiscorbutic agent, for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases. Parmelia decoction has astringent, bactericidal, antiseptic, hemostatic and good wound healing effect.
All parts of the plant have medicinal properties and raw materials can be harvested throughout the summer period.
Lichen Parmelia wandering - a ground lichen 3-5 cm high, which has the appearance of gray-green forked-branching plates, is characterized by the ability to swell after rain. The lichen thallus is leafy or semi-bushy, not attached to the substrate. Lobes 2-4 mm wide, separate, branched, rising above the substrate, often folded into a tube. The upper side of the thallus is yellowish or grayish-greenish, smooth, slightly shiny, convex, without soredia and isidia; the lower one is dark brown, with or without remnants of rudimentary rhizins. Apothecia are very rare. Thallus from exposure to potassium hydroxide becomes dirty yellow.
It grows in steppes and semi-deserts on saline chestnut soils and on steppe slopes.
The species is listed in the Red Book of the Rostov Region. Special security measures have not been developed in Kalmykia.

Tulip Gesner

Sem: Liliaceae - Liliaceae

Genus: Tulipa - Tulip

View: T. gesneriana L. - Tulip Gesner (T. Schrenk)

Tulips Gesner. Photo by D.G. Oldvurov

Tulip Gesner is one of the most beautiful tulips in our country. It was first described in 1873 by the director of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden, Eduard Ludwigovich Regel, and named after famous traveler and researcher Central Asia Alexander Shrenka. However, it turned out that the garden tulip, known among flower growers as the Gesner tulip, and our Schrenk tulip are the same plant. Back in the 15th century, the wild-growing Schrenk tulip was taken out by the Turks from the subordinate Crimea and introduced into culture at the Sultan's court in Istanbul. From here, through Western European merchants, he got to Holland and gave the variety of cultivars that can be observed at the present time. The great Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus described this plant as Gesner's tulip (in honor of the famous 16th-century Swiss naturalist Konrad Gesner) as early as 1753, and according to strict priority rules, this plant should now be called Gesner's tulip.

In Kalmykia, the species is scattered throughout the Ergens; in the Kumo-Manych depression: Yashalta, Priyutnensky districts in the Caspian lowland: Yustinsky district (settlement of Tsagan Aman).

On the territory of the Black Lands reserve, it is rarely found in the steppe area. A significant number of populations are located in the ornithological area.

Tulip Gesner - herbaceous bulbous perennial. The bulb is ovoid, up to 2.5-3 cm in diameter, with black-brown, from the inside, along the entire surface, appressed-hairy scales. Stem up to 20-30 cm tall, glabrous. Leaves, including 3 (rarely 4), spaced, bluish, slightly wavy along the edge, shorter than the flower. Cup-shaped lily type flower up to 7 cm tall, very variable in shape, with a light pleasant aroma. Coloring - from pure white, yellow to reddish-burgundy, lilac and almost purple, with or without a yellow or black spot in the center. Variegated forms are not uncommon. The filaments, like the anthers, are yellow or black. The fruit is a capsule up to 4 cm long and 2.2 cm wide, the number of normally developed seeds is up to 240.

Life expectancy is 30-50 years. IN natural conditions in the 3rd–4th year, single seeds can germinate, and flowering occurs no less than six years from the moment the seed germinates. Ephemeroid. It blooms in late April - the first half of May for 6-12 days.

It occurs in steppe and semi-desert communities, in the steppe, along the slopes of gullies, along the outskirts of fields and fallows.

The species is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Red Book of the Republic of Kalmykia. Economic activity (intensive grazing, plowing of virgin lands, development), as well as a powerful recreational load, led to a sharp reduction in the number of the species. Annual collections lead to the weakening of the bulbs, disruption of normal flowering and fruiting, and, ultimately, the death of plants.

The species is considered one of the founders of the first cultivars (Duc van Toll class), known since the end of the 16th century. It is widely grown as an ornamental cultivated plant and is included in the living plant collections of many botanical gardens. A. Pavord cites historical data that in 1574, by order of Sultan Selim, 300,000 bulbs of this species were planted in the Imperial Gardens of Constantinople, delivered from Kefe (now Feodosia).

tulip bieberstein

Sem: Liliaceae - Liliaceae

Genus: Tulipa. - Tulip

View: T. biebersteiniana Schult. et Schult. fil. – Tulip Bieberstein

Tulip Bieberstein. Photo by I.P. Shpilenok

The species was described in 1829 by Joseph Schultes (1773-1831) and Schultes Jr. (1804-1840) based on specimens from North Caucasus. The name of the species is given in honor of the first collector, a prominent Russian botanist Fyodor Kondratievich Biberstein - Marshall (1768-1826), who studied the flora of the Caucasus.

Tulip Bieberstein - herbaceous bulbous perennial 20-30 cm long, with 2-4 recurved narrow-lanceolate leaves and usually with one apical flower. Bulb oblong, narrowed upwards, solitary, 22-25 mm long, bulbous scales brownish, appressed bristly on the inner side in the upper and lower parts. Flowers solitary, erect or slightly inclined before flowering, yellow. Filaments of stamens at the base are pubescent, short. Anthers oblong, 2-3 times shorter than filaments. Capsule is round-ovoid, with a sharp point at the apex. Seeds dark brown, flat, triangular.

In Kalmykia, the Biberstein tulip is found scattered around the Ergeni, in the Kumo-Manych depression, in the Caspian lowland. On the territory of the reserve "Chernye zemli" is found everywhere.

It grows in various types of landscapes as part of steppe, semi-desert and desert communities. Blooms in April. During flowering forms a colorful aspect. Pollinated by bees, flies, beetles, wasps. This species has low seed productivity, which is replenished by vegetative propagation by the formation of a daughter bulb on a stolon growing from the mother bulb, which then dries up.

Seed dispersal according to the type of ballista, which is typical for species of open spaces. An indispensable condition for this method of dispersing seeds is an upright, elastic stem at the time of fruiting, which sways from wind blows and throws out seeds, like shells from ancient siege weapons.

Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kalmykia. A fairly significant number of populations are known, located almost throughout the entire territory of the republic. Populations located near settlements experience extremely negative recreational pressure. The limiting factors are: recreational load (gathering for bouquets), economic activity (plowing of virgin steppes, intensive grazing and, as a result, mechanical damage to the vegetative and generative organs of plants).

tulip biflorum

Sem: Liliaceae - Liliaceae

Genus: Tulipa. - Tulip

Species: Tulipa biflora Pall. – Two-flowered tulip

Two-flowered tulips. Photo by A.D. Lipkovich

The species was described in 1776 by Peter Pallas (1741-1811) based on specimens from the Caspian deserts. The location of the type specimens is unknown, however, Alexander Shrenk's collections of 1842 from the territory of Kazakhstan (Tersakan tract, Kokshetau mountains) are stored in the herbarium of St. Petersburg.

Two-flowered tulip is a herbaceous bulbous perennial with 2-3 recurved or crescent-shaped narrow-lanceolate leaves. Stem 10-20 cm tall, most often forms 1 axillary shoot, which, like the main shoot, ends with a single flower, very rarely there can be 1 or 3 flowers. Tepals are white, yellow at the base, outer narrower than inner, outside dirty purple , 13-25 mm long. Filaments yellow, with a hairy ring at the base; anthers small, only 2-3 mm long. The bulb is ovoid, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, covered with grayish-brown papery scales, pubescent from the inside with cobweb-woolly hairs. The integumentary scales of bulbs from 2-3 previous years often remain on the stem. The fruit is a round capsule up to 2.6 cm long and 1.7 cm wide.

In Kalmykia, it occurs in Ergeny: Tselinny district (Elista, Maksimovka settlement), Iki Burulsky district (Lysy Liman lake, Ut-Sala b.), in the Caspian lowland: Sarpinsky district (Sarpinsky lakes), Yashkulsky district (settlement Yashkul, Utta), Lagansky district (settlement Ulan-Khol); in the Kumo-Manych depression: the Chernozemelsky district (the settlements of Prikumsky and Andratinsky). It is found throughout the reserve.

Grows in dry solonetsous meadows, as part of black wormwood associations on crusty solonetzes, on plains in the steppe, on gravel, gypsum, clay slopes. Propagated by seeds. Seed dispersal by ballista type. Blossoms in late March - early April, bears fruit in May-June. Early spring short vegetative ephemeroid.

The species is listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Kalmykia. In Kalmykia, 10 populations are known. All populations are small and are represented by scattered specimens over a rather large area. Near populated areas, the species disappears. The limiting factors are: recreational load (collection for bouquets); economic activity (plowing of virgin steppes, intensive grazing); weak competitive ability, narrow ecological amplitude.

According to the information given in the book of Anna Pavord, already in 1876 it was grown in countries Western Europe, in particular, in Erfurt (Germany). In the Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg it has been known in culture since 1875. In Kazakhstan, it has been tested in the Botanical Gardens of the cities of Almaty and Leninogorsk (since 1978). However, in both cases it turned out to be weakly resistant - it falls out after 3-4 years.

steppe sage

Sem. Lamiaceae - Lamiaceae

S Alvia t esquicola Klok. & Pobed - Steppe Sage

Steppe sage. Photo by B.I.Ubushaev

Sage is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae family and is widely distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical areas Palearctic.

Steppe sage was described by M.V. Klokov and E.G. Pobedimova in "Flora of the USSR" (1954) as an independent geographical race, isolated from Salvia nemorosa L. (oak sage) - a species with a vast range, described by C. Linnaeus from Central Europe.

This is a perennial herbaceous plant 30-60 cm high with a stem pubescent from the base with long simple and glandular hairs. The leaves are wrinkled, oblong-lanceolate, serrated at the edges. The inflorescence is apical, simple or with 1-2 pairs of lateral branches, with false 4-6-flowered whorls. The bracts are purple or reddish, which makes the inflorescence brightly colored even before the flowers bloom. The calyx is densely pubescent, 5-6 mm long, the corolla is blue-violet, rarely whitish, 10-12 mm long, with a sickle-shaped upper lip and a three-lobed lower one. The fruits are trihedral-spherical (1.5 mm long) dark brown nuts with dark stripes. Blooms in May-July. Propagated by seeds.

Distributed in the south-east of Europe, it enters Western Siberia (south) and Northern Kazakhstan. In Kalmykia, it is found everywhere in meadows, the outskirts of forest belts, steppe slopes, and sands. On the territory of the reserve, it grows in the forb-grass steppe of the ornithological and steppe areas.

An old Gaulish saying says: "He who has sage in his garden does not need a doctor." It is no coincidence that the name of this beautiful fragrant plant comes from the Latin word "salvare" - to be healthy. The ancient Greeks highly valued healing properties sage, which was called the "grass of immortality." Hippocrates and Dioscritus called sage the "sacred herb".

In ancient Egypt, this plant was also considered an invaluable "savior of life", it was valued for its tonic and rejuvenating properties, as well as its ability to fight infections (and even plague).
And the Druids (Celtic priests) believed that with the help of sage, you can even resurrect to life. An ancient belief is known, which says: "Sage supports and revitalizes everything that was conceived."

Steppe sage, like sage officinalis, has astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. It is used for gastrointestinal diseases, inflammation Bladder, for the treatment of angina, stomatitis. Medicinal properties sage are mainly associated with the presence of essential oils, tannins and phytoncides in the plant., or bear's ear

ayun chikn — bear ear

Latin genus name Verbascum came from the Latin "barba", which translates as "beard", probably because the stamen filaments or the whole plant have, as it were, a bearded pubescence.

The genus Korovyak has about 300 species growing in Eurasia, with the center of species diversity in the Mediterranean. Eight species of this genus grow in Kalmykia, and one of them is the common mullein or bear's ear.

V erbascum thapsus was first systematized by C. Linnaeus in 1753 in the Species Plantarum. The name "thapsus" was used by Theophrastus (as "thapsos"), giving such a name to a plant growing near the small Greek settlement of Thapsos, near modern Syracuse in Sicily, although some authors associate the name with the ancient Tunisian city of Thapsus.

Mullein is a biennial plant. Corolla funnel-shaped, 10-20 mm. in diameter, with transparent dots. Two stamens are smooth, the other three are densely covered with long white hairs. Flowers 4-7 in bunches, on very short stalks, with lanceolate bracts. Whole plant with ash-white, rarely yellowish dense felt pubescence. The leaves are oblong, soft tomentose, descending from one leaf to another. Stem erect, ribbed, densely leafy. The inflorescence is a dense, thick spike-shaped brush. Flowering in June-July, fruiting in July-August.

In Kalmykia, it grows in dry herbaceous steppe communities singly or forming islands; it is found in specially protected areas. natural area of federal importance - the Sarpinsky reserve, where this year there was a rapid flowering.

The common mullein is known by many names. In the 19th century, more than 40 different names were in use on one English language, for example, the most bizarre "Adam's rod", "Hare's beard" and "Ice leaf". The name "bear's ear" is most likely given by the shape of the leaf.

It can grow in very different environmental conditions, but prefers well-lit areas with disturbed soil. Seeds are able to remain in the soil for a long time and germinate as soon as they are in the light. Despite its fecundity, like other mulleins, it cannot be considered an aggressive weed. Although in some countries it is classified as an undesirable grassland plant (this species is legally listed as a noxious weed in the US state of Colorado (Class C) and in Hawaii, in the Australian state of Victoria, where it successfully naturalized).

In the Middle Ages, the mullein stem, dipped in resin, was used as a long-burning torch for lighting, the German name Koenigskerze is translated as “royal candle” (one of the popular names for mullein). In addition, mullein was used for dyeing fabrics. The flowers produced bright yellow or green dyes, and were sometimes even used for hair dye.

The plant contains sugars ascorbic acid, carotene, essential oil, tannins, flavonoids.

Traditional medicine has been using this for many years. medicinal plant. The plant has expectorant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Certain elements of the plant can be used to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, whooping cough. The plant is also used for emphysema and pneumonia. For the treatment of the herpes virus, influenza, the initial degree of hypertension and atherosclerosis, mullein decoctions are useful. The leaves of the plant can be used for gastritis, inflammation of the bladder, edema, and kidney stones.

The bear's ear is literally translated into the Kalmyk language as "ayun chikn".

The first stage of the succession process is ephemeral-annual associations with a predominance of roofing unequal (Anisantha tectorum) and bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa). Further demutation leads to the restoration of feather grass in this place. The formation of modern vegetation cover is dominated by hairy feather grass (Stipa capillata) with a slight admixture of steppe forbs (Phlomis pungens, Tanacetum achilleifolium, Dianthus leptopetalus, etc.). Various variations of cenoses, where the hair-like feather grass is dominant, are widespread in the central and southeastern parts of the Stepnoy site. Here, along the eastern and southeastern margins of the site, there are often associations with the dominance of wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), which include species such as Stipa capillata, Prangos odontalgica, Achillea leptophylla, Carduus hamulosus, etc.

Wormwood (Artemisia lercheana), wormwood-white wormwood (Kochia prostrata, Artemisia lerchiana), and wheatgrass-wire-wormwood (Agropyron cristatum and A. fragile, Kochia prostrata, Artemisia lerchiana) associations, which are characteristic of the desertified steppe zone, are less widespread and confined to mainly to microdepressions of the relief.

The most valuable in terms of growing conditions and the number of rare species is the buffer zone of the Manych-Gudilo cluster. In this area, the vast majority of rare plants are concentrated in a narrow strip along the coastline and in tracts that go far into the lake. Manych-Gudilo in the form of peninsulas (14 species), as well as along the bottoms and slopes of wet beams. In these places, species-rich, intact plant groups of meadow steppes are still preserved, with a predominance of mesophytic and xero-mesophytic vegetation in summer, ephemera and ephemeroids in spring.

• Tulip Schrenk -Tulipaschrenkii (CC RF 2005, category 2)
• Kasatik dwarf -irispumila
• Belvalia Sarmatian - Bellevalia sarmatica
• Crimson larkspur - Delphinium puniceum (KK RF 2005, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Leathery iris - Iris scariosa (KK RF 2005, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 3)
• The most beautiful feather grass - Stipa pulcherrima (KK RF 2005, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Feather feathery - Stipa pennata (KK RF 2005, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Bow low - Allium pumilum (CC RF 2005, category 3)
• Maykaragan Volga - Calophaca wolgarica (KK RF 2005, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Couch grass - Elytrigia stipifolia (KK RF 2005, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Short-leaved asparagus - Asparagus brachyphyllus (CC RF 2005, category 3)
• Zingeria Bieberstein - Zingeria biebersteiniana (KK RF 2005, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 2)

Red Book of the Republic of Kalmykia - plants

• Tulip two-flowered -Tulipabiflora (KK Kalmykia, category 3)
• Koch poultry farmer -ornithogalumkochii (KK Kalmykia, category 3)
• Saline iris -irishalophila (KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Hernia of Besser -Herniariabesseri (KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Rough katran -Crambeaspera (KK Kalmykia, category 3)
• Saltpetryanka Schober -Nitrariaschoberi (KK Kalmykia, category 3)
• Ephedra two-eared -Ephedradistachya (KK Kalmykia, category 1)
• Strawberry clover - Trifolium/Amoria fragiferum
• Fenugreek straight - Trigonella orthoceras
• Licorice naked - Glycyrrhiza glabra

In 2004, the reserve recorded: 91 species of insects (including 7 species of the RF RC), amphibians and reptiles - 15 species, birds - 223 species (of which 34 species of the RF RC and the IUCN list), mammals - 31 species.

Red Book of the Russian Federation - insects

• Steppe Dybka -Saga pedo (CC RF 2004, category 2; CC Kalmykia, status 2; IUCN-VU, European Red List, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). P prefers grass-forb and, above all, feather grass virgin steppes; also occurs in other arid landscapes (shrub-stony or wormwood steppes), where it inhabits only ravines and other depressions with abundant grass-herbaceous vegetation, as well as areas overgrown with shrubs.
• Hungarian ground beetle - Carabus hungaricus (KK RF 2004, category 2; KK Kalmykia, status 2). Usually lives in unplowed steppes with sagebrush-cereal vegetation, in adjacent biotopes (forest belts, meadow forbs along the bottom of the beams, etc.) and in mountain steppes ( up to an altitude of 1200 m a.s.l.). It disappears in crop rotation fields.
• Ascalaf motley - Ascalaphus macaronius (KK Kalmykia, category 2)
• Sailboat machaon - papilio machaon (KK Kalmykia, category 1)
• Bolivaria short-winged - Bolivaria brachyptera (KK Kalmykia, category 2)

Red Book of the Russian Federation - birds

• Bustard -Otis tarda dybowski (KK RF 2000, category 2; Kalmykia KK, category 3; IUCN-VU; Appendix 2 of CITES). Protected in 4 reserves. The typical biotope is cereal steppes and wide meadows, does not avoid dry ridges among wetlands and sands with meadow-like areas. Often nests in swampy meadows along river valleys and around forest lakes surrounded by larch taiga. It nests in agricultural fields (wheat, barley, millet, corn, sunflower, potatoes), arable lands and pastures. Transient view for the reserve.
• Demoiselle Crane -Anthropoides virgo (KK RF 2004, category 5; KK Kalmykia, category 5). Inhabits flat and slightly hilly steppes and semi-deserts. Breeds in foothill plumes along steppe river valleys and upland steppes. The East Asian population is known to nest on steppe forest edges. Prefers fescue-feather grass and wormwood-grass steppes, with low herbage, pebble, gravelly, hard clay areas or solonetzes. Settles in sandy deserts. In the last decade, the species has begun nesting in agricultural fields. Nests in the reserve.
• Spoonbill -Platalea leucorodia (CC RF 2000, category 2; CC of Kalmykia, category 3; Annex 2 of CITES, Annex 2 of the Bonn Convention, Annex 2 of the Berne Convention). It lives in floodplains and river deltas, on fresh and salt lakes. Nests in the reserve.
• Gyrfalcon -Chettusia gregaria (KK RF 2000, category 1; KK Kalmykia, category 1). In nesting time, it is associated with landscapes of semi-deserts, dry and mountain steppes. In the northwestern part of the range, it penetrates into forb-cereal steppes. Favorite habitats - Various types sagebrush and sagebrush-cereal low-growing associations with patches of solonchaks and bald patches devoid of vegetation. In dry mountainous and stony steppes there are areas with gravelly soils and very sparse herbage. In recent decades, it has mastered pastures and fallows in places where fodder grasses are sown.
• Curly Pelican -Pelecanus pelecanus (CC RF 2000, category 2; CC of Kalmykia, category 3; IUCN-VU; Appendix 1 of CITES; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention; Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). It prefers delta flowing water bodies rich in fish, fresh and brackish lakes with thickets, islands of salt lakes devoid of surface vegetation. Nests in the reserve.
• Buzzard – Buteo rufinus (KK RF 2004, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 5), protected in 6 reserves. The main nesting habitats are steppes, semi-deserts and deserts with sparse vegetation. Nests in the reserve.
• burial ground -Aquila heliaca (KK RF 2004, category 2; KK Kalmykia, category 1; IUCN-VU; Appendix 1 of CITES; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention; Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). Typical nesting biotopes are dry forests with tall pines surrounded by open areas, forested ravines, island forests of birch, oak, and poplar. A prerequisite for habitat is an abundance of food supplies: settlements of ground squirrels or marmots, large colonies of rooks, etc. Nests in the reserve.
• White-tailed eagle -Haliaeetus albicilla (KK RF 2004, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 5; IUCN-LR; Annex 1 of CITES; Annex 2 of the Bonn Convention; Annex 2 of the Berne Convention). Nesting habitats are confined to coastal landscapes (sea coasts, valleys major rivers, lake shores and islands). Meets annually on migration.
• Piskulka -Anser erythropus (CC RF 2004, category 2; CC of Kalmykia, category 2; IUCN-VU; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). Prefers narrow V-shaped stream valleys and areas of valleys with high steep slopes or even rocks, where nests are most often located. Flight view.
• Pink Pelican -Pelecanus onocrotalus (CC RF 2000, category 1; CC of Kalmykia, category 3; Appendix 1 of the Bonn Convention, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). It lives in river deltas - flowing reservoirs with developed thickets of reeds, interspersed with open reaches. On salt lakes Manych-Gudilo and Manych, devoid of surface vegetation, nest exclusively on the islands. Nests in the reserve.
• Savka -Oxyura leucocephala (CC RF 2004, category 1; CC of Kalmykia, category 3; IUCN-VU; Appendix 2 of CITES; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention; Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). Inhabits water bodies with dense thickets of reeds and quagmires. Nests are located at the water's edge. On the lake Manych-Gudilo prefers deep-water (up to 3-5 m) bays, formed at the confluence of small brackish rivers with developed reed borders. Periodically nesting species in the reserve.
• Steppe kestrel -Falco naumanni (CC RF 2000, category 1; CC of Kalmykia, category 3; IUCN-VU; Appendix 2 of CITES, Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). Inhabits various types of flat and hilly landscapes of steppes and semi-deserts. In a small number it penetrates into the southern forest-steppe and deserts. Transient view for the reserve.
• Steppe Eagle -Aquila nipalensis ( RF CC 2004, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 2; Appendix 2 of CITES; Annex 2 of the Bonn Convention), is protected in 14 reserves. Settles exclusively in open spaces, avoids agricultural land. Nests are made on the ground or on old straw stacks. Breeding success depends on fluctuations in the number of main foods, mainly ground squirrels). Nests in the reserve.
• Little bustard -Tetrax tetrax (KK RF, category 3; KK Kalmykia, category 5; Annex 2 CITES ), protected in 7 reserves. Prefers virgin, fallow areas of the steppe, steppe semi-deserts with low sparse, but diverse herbaceous vegetation. Nests in the reserve.
• stilt -Himantopus himantopus (CC RF 2004, category 3; CC of Kalmykia, category 5; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention). Breeds on open muddy shores of brackish and fresh water bodies of steppe and desert zones, sometimes on grassy swamps, salt marshes in river and lake valleys, etc. Willingly populates all kinds of accidental spills in meadows and steppes, sedimentation tanks and other artificial reservoirs, often in close proximity to human habitation. Nests in the reserve.
• black-headed gull – Larus ichthyaetus (KK RF 2004, category 5; KK Kalmykia, category 5). Breeds on islands of the seas, estuaries, large (mainly saline) lakes and, more rarely, reservoirs of the steppe, semi-desert and desert zones isolated from land-based predators; during non-breeding time, it keeps along the sea coasts and shores of large reservoirs. Nests in the reserve.
• Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta (CC RF 2004, category 3; CC Kalmykia, category 3; Appendix 2 of the Bonn Convention, Appendix 2 of the Berne Convention). Inhabits open islands and coasts of brackish lakes and seas in the steppe and desert zones - both silty and sandy or shell. Nests in the reserve.

mammals

• Saiga -SaigaTatarica (IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered (CR); CITES Appendix 2; Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Appendix)
• Dressing - Vormela peregusna (RF CC, category 1; Kalmykia CC, category 1; IUCN-VU). It is confined to steppe undisturbed biotopes, and therefore this species is characterized by a mosaic distribution within the range and its modern range in Russia is a lacy network of individual areas. It has been observed that ligation disappears in all areas used for crops. It is protected in 3 more reserves, in addition to the Chernye Zemli reserve.

State nature reserve"Black Lands" is located on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Yashkul and Chernozemel regions. The nature reserve was established on June 11, 1990, later a large section of Lake Manych Gudilo was attached to it in May 1996.

State natural reserve "Chernye zemli" and its climate, relief and general information

When creating the reserve, several goals were set. The first goal is to preserve and protect saiga populations which is on the verge of extinction. The second goal is to study the steppes and deserts, because this is the only place in Russia with this type of landscape.

Reserve Chernye zemli located in the Caspian lowland, so the relief is flat with small hills of sand. The site "Lake Manych Gudilo" is located in the Kuma-Manych depression, which was once a strait and connected the Azov and Caspian lowlands.

In the main area reserve Chernye zemli sharp continental climate with hot, dry summers and little snow in winters. The temperature in January is 6.5ºС below zero, in July - +24.5ºС. Due to the fact that there is little precipitation in winter and the land remains not covered with snow, the reserve got its name.

State natural reserve "Chernye zemli" and its flora and fauna

For desert areas undergoing the process of overgrowing, camel thorn, grate, potash saltwort are characteristic.

I would also like to note rare plants on the territory of the reserve - Taliev's cornflower, Schrenk's tulip, the most beautiful feather grass and Zalessky.

In the fauna, the largest number is saiga. In the early 80s of the last century, its numbers dropped sharply due to the actions of poachers, but the change in the status of these lands played an important role. To date, the number of saiga is 150 thousand individuals.

The territory of the reserve is an excellent habitat for many reptiles, such as multi-colored and fast foot-and-mouth disease, sand boa, round-eared and flirty-tailed, yellow-bellied, steppe viper and lizard snake.

Of the mammals, one can distinguish the Horsak fox, the hare, the small ground squirrel, the eared hedgehog, the small and large jerboa, the wolf and the light polecat.

Nature Reserve Black Lands It is a nesting and wintering place for rare species of birds. The most common mute swan, red-throated goose, gray goose, pink and curly pelicans, gray duck, pintail, mallard, red-headed pochard, shoveler, crested duck.

Birds of prey are represented by the steppe eagle and long-legged buzzard.

IN reserve Chernye zemli Ecotourism is rapidly developing. On the territory of the reserve there are enclosures with wild saigas, and on the site "Lake Manych Gudilo" you can watch rare species birds in their natural environment.

Contact Information:
Address: 359240, Russia, Republic of Kalmykia, Chernozemelsky district, Komsomolsky settlement, st. Nekrasov, 31
Phone: 8(84743)91254