Sochi National Park Prepared by a student of group 9Б-11/а Karandasheva Elizabeth
Sochi national Park was established on may 5, 1983 in order to preserve unique natural complexes. Sochi national Park became one of the first national parks in Russia. Its territory covers about 200 thousand hectares. This is a large natural site where subtropical vegetation is adjacent to snow-covered mountain peaks. The Park is divided into two zones. The larger area is mountainous with numerous rivers, while the smaller foothill area along the coast is characterized by a leveled landscape
There are more than 40 rivers and streams that form canyons and waterfalls. One of the most famous is the Walnut waterfall. The fauna is extremely diverse. Representatives of about 70 species of mammals live in the Park. Among them are brown bears, lynxes, deer, wild boars, hares and many others. The natural conditions of the Caucasus provided the appearance of endemics: Caucasian grouse, Prometheus mouse, etc. The leopard recovery center in the Caucasus, opened in 2009, is located in the vicinity of the village of Monastery. This is the first in Russia specialized facility for the breeding of large predators.
The main value of the national Park is the unique beauty of mountain forests. The predominant species is Eastern beech, the trunk of which can reach 50 meters in height. Oaks are common on the southern slopes of the mountains. Only in the Caucasus can you find a relict species-European chestnut. There are also rare and valuable species listed in the Red book of Russia (Lipsky's Tulip, etc.).
