Nature Preserves of Primorsky Territory

Made by T.M.Tarasenko,the English teacher of the basic school of Khorol, Primorye

2011

Diversity of flora and fauna

Primorye has no equal among all Russian regions in diversity of flora and fauna. This is a consequence of the fact that Primorye is situated in the astonishing nook on the Earth - at the juncture of the biggest continent - Eurasia and the biggest ocean - the Pacific, in between the North Pole and equator.

Maximum mixture

The least global climate changes, which can’t be noticed to the south or to the north, become vividly apparent in this territory. Animal migratory ways conditioned by ice and interglacial ages ran here and this is the place where maximum mixture of heat-loving and cold-loving species appeared.

Main Information about Primorsky Territory state preserves

According to the World Wildlife Fund Far Eastern branch, six preserves work in Primorye. Total area of Primorye preserves is 684508.3 hectares (including the water area of the Sea of Japan and of the Khanka Lake).

1. Sikhote Alin Biosphere Preserve

Location: Ternei, Krasnoarmeysky, Dalnegorsky districts

Year of foundation: 1935 Area (in hectares): 401

428, including 2900 of area of sea water

Its most exotic inhabitant is the Ussury tiger, the largest feline and tiger subspecies.

2. Lazovsky Preserve

Location: Lazovsky district

Year of foundation: 1935

Area (in hectares): 120 998

Its virgin taiga hosts about 60 mammal species and over 340 bird species

3. Ussuriysky Preserve Location: Ussuriysky,

Shkotovsky districts Year of foundation:

1934 Area (in hectares):

40 It has the only Far

Eastern rehabilitation center for orphaned bear cubs.

4. Khankaysky Biosphere Preserve

Location: Khankaysky, Khorolsky, Chernigovsky, Spassky

districts Year of foundation: 1990 Area (in hectares): 39 289, including 5690-water area of

the lake In addition to the lotus

blooms, herons, storks, and the other rare birds inhabit the Khanka Natural Preserve

5. “Kedrovaya Pad” Biosphere Preserve

Location: Khasansky district

Year of foundation: 1916 Area (in hectares):

18 045 It is famous for the Far

Eastern leopard. There are also Ussury

tigers, wildcats, Manchurian wapiti, and many other animals inhabiting this preserve.

 6. Far Eastern State Biosphere Sea Preserve

Location:

Bay of Peter the Great in the Sea of Japan, insular areas

Year of foundation: 1978 Area (in hectares): 64

316.3, including 63000 of water area of the sea

The Preserve is a home to over 3000 plant and animal species and more than 360 bird species

Specimens of priamur okhotsk-kamchatka, eastern-Siberian, daur-mongolian and mountain fauna can be met in the area of Primorye preserves.

One can see brown bear and his southern congener Himalayan bear in the same taiga areas.

Amur serow, dappled deer, dikusha, fish eagle owl and other endemic, rare and endangered species are spread here.

Plant world is no less diverse. There are over 2500 of just species of vascular plants here.

Primorye Territory Red Book

Total number of rare and protected species is 283 animal species (mollusks -51, insects - 50, freshwater and sea fish - 31, amphibians -2, reptiles - 4, birds - 112, mammals - 33) and 343 plant species and 55 mushroom species.

Primorye fauna riches

Amur tiger and Far - Eastern leopard live only here.

Amur tiger

Amur tiger: the number was 431-529 in Russia in the beginning of 2005

Far Eastern leopard

Far Eastern leopard: today there are about 30 leopards in whole Russia. In 2002-2003 8 leopards were killed because of high demand on the body parts, which are being used in Oriental medicine. One leopard was killed in 2006.

Situation with bioresources usage has become more acute in the last fifteen years.

Poaching and consequent smuggling brought damage to over 160 species of wild flora and fauna.

Preservation

Preservation of unique biodiversity of rare and endangered species and subspecies is provided through especially guarded areas, anti-poaching groups" activities and restrictions imposed by Red Books of IUPN (International Union for Preservation of Nature and Natural Resources), Russian Federation and Primorye Territory.

What are State preserves?

State preserves are nature-protective, scientific-research and ecological-educational institutions, which are aimed to preserve and to study natural course of natural processes and phenomena, genetic fund of animal and plant world, some species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecosystems.

Primorye, like most of the regions in our country, faces ecological problems. Many species have been listed as threatened because of its shrinking habitat and pollution. Nature preserves are to help to solve the problems

Let’s save birds not only because of their nice singing, animals for their beauty, but for our sake!

Tiger’s Day in Primorye

Thank you!