Kabardino-Balkarski Natural Reserve

Kabardino-Balkaria High Mountain Reserve Made by J. Kim Gymnasium 2, Georgievsk, form – 9C Tutor N. Chistyakova

Kabardino-Balkaria High Mountain Reserve

Kabardino-Balkaria high mountain reserve was established in 1976. It was created to protect the high mountain landscapes of the Central Caucasus, flora and fauna , but primarily the Caucasian tur and leopard.

The area of the reserve is 82649 hectares. It occupies the highest part of the Caucasus and all of Russia. The highest point of the reserve is Dykh - Tau (5204 m), the lowest point is located at 1800 m above sea level. There are 256 glaciers in the reserve's boundaries. The territory consists of three ridges separated by deep valleys of Chegem River, the Cherek-Bezengi River, and Cherek-Balkaria River. The western-most ridge is called Kargashilsky ridge.

 The climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters. The climatic effects in the reserve are highly affected by altitude: at 2000 meters, the minimum temperature in January can reach -30 C degrees, while at 4000 meters the minimum temperature might reach -50 C degrees. Climate

Flora The vegetation of the reserve is very various. This is due to differences in elevation and terrain complexity.  In the nival zone, above 3600 meters, there is no vegetation at all. In the sub-nival zone from 3000 to 3500 the sparse and non-continuous vegetation is that of tundra: lichens, creeping willow, saxifrage. From 2300 meters to 3000 meters is low-grass alpine meadows (up to 30 cm in height). The sub-alpine zone, 1400 to 2600 meters, is alpine meadows of hazel, alder, and rhododendron. From 1000 to 2400 meters is a forest belt of broad leaf trees to 1600 meters and conifers above. Below 1000 meters is pine, birch and oak forest.

Fauna A typical resident of the highlands is the Caucasian tur. It is found in two separate sub-species in the Chegem and Bezengi gorges, representing the Western Caucasus and Dagestan. Brown bears are very common. Other common animals are fox, jackal, wild cat, martens, ermine, weasels, Altai squirrel, hare, and several species of rodents, shrews, and bats. The only fish found in the streams are brook trout.