Ulyanovsk region: nature reserves, specially protected natural territories

In the Volga Federal District is the Ulyanovsk region. Reserves, zakazniks and specially protected areas are not uncommon here. After all, the green heritage of this region is very large. And all thanks to the Volga, which, dividing the territory of the region, gave her two different in terms of natural conditions of the area. That is why a large number of plants and animals can coexist here. Specially protected natural areas in the Ulyanovsk region are under the control of the authorities. And this is not surprising, because the task of mankind is to preserve and increase natural wealth.

Ulyanovsk Region: location, climate

To begin with, let's take a closer look at why such a variety of greenery has become possible, which is the reason for their rapid growth. For this, it is necessary to say a few words about the geographical position of the region and its climate.

The Ulyanovsk region is small in area (37 from a small thousand kilometers), it is inferior to all regions of the Volga region (there are only eight of them). Volga divided the region into two parts: the Right Bank and the Left Bank. The first is dominated by a highland called the Volga, on the second is dominated by a plain.

As for the climate, here it is moderately continental, with fairly frosty winters and a hot, often arid summer.

Soils of the Ulyanovsk region are very rich, black earth. This is especially characteristic of the left bank of the Volga. Here is the most fertile land. There are also gray forest soils. This explains the fact that of the 1,700 species of flora, 400 are adventitive, that is, imported from other regions. Plants are very comfortable on this earth. The Ulyanovsk Region has a fairly diverse world of flora. Reserves of local places - this variety of representatives of both tubular plants and trees.

The region is rich in minerals. Here oil is extracted, glass, cement, silicon production is developed.

The reserve "Sengileevsky mountains"

We will analyze specially protected natural territories of the Ulyanovsk region. "Sengileevsky mountains" - one of these. It has the status of a national park. Often this place on the right bank of the Volga is called local Switzerland. The reserve, which has an area of 5 thousand hectares, is very beautiful. Here there are various landscapes and geological objects: chalk caps of mountains, slopes covered with bright vegetation, picturesque meadows surrounded by a ring of mountains, beams and, of course, meandering mountain rivers with the purest water, winding in gorges.

The most common trees on the territory are deciduous, birch and oak prevail, representatives of coniferous species are few, most often there is a pine. The forests belong to the 1st group of protection.

The heart of the national park is a large watershed that provides the region with clean drinking water, because there is a large amount of groundwater.

The reserve "Shilovskaya forest-steppe"

The territory of the Sengileev Mountains contains several reserves: hunting, paleontological and "Shilov forest-steppe". On the last landscape and talk.

We have already talked about how complex the relief is in the Ulyanovsk region. Reserves also do not look like one another. "Shilovskaya forest-steppe" is a combination of hills and ravines. On the area of more than 2 hectares you can find both forests and steppes. The first in the territory more.

This place is unique also with plants growing here. 79 of the total - rare, of which eight are listed in the Red Book. Two particularly exceptional, endemic (that is, they grow only in this territory).

In the Shilov forest-steppe there live specially protected insects (steppe dib and Armenian bumblebee) and birds (white-tailed eagle, burial ground, golden eagle).

Reserve "Privolzhskaya forest-steppe"

Quite another reserve is the "Volga Forest-steppe". Most of it is in the Penza region. Ulyanovsk region, whose reserves - the subject of our article, contains only a small part of it.

There are no ravines and hills, only wide steppes, stretching for 8.3 hectares. Part of the Ulyanovsk region is a security zone of this facility, where land use is restricted.

Undorovsky mineral spring

Almost 50 kilometers from Ulyanovsk there is a unique place where healing springs are concentrated - the village of Undory. Even the Turkic peoples, which gave the name of the territory, noticed the miraculous power of the local mineral waters. It's not for nothing that they called the settlement. "Ten medicines" is the translation of the word "Undory" from the Turkic one.

The territory of 7.5 hectares in 1997 is recognized as a resort area with all the ensuing security measures. At the moment, there are 20 sources functioning here, which are a deposit of medicinal-table water. They refer to the slightly mineralized.

Undor water helps with urological and gynecological diseases, facilitates conditions in diseases of the urinary system, and can also reduce ulcers. That's why locals call the resort the second Karlovy Vary.

"Relict forests"

There are relic thickets in the Ulyanovsk region - those that were not touched by human activity. They are near the village of Mullovka, Melekessky district.

The nature monument is called "Relict forests". It is included in the register of specially protected territories. The age of trees growing here reaches one hundred years.

The territory is divided into two sections of different stratum. At first, trees grow to a maximum height of 22 meters, on the second - 23-meter. Mostly these are linden - 90% of them, the rest 10% - birch, you can also find a hazel and maples.

For protection purposes, logging, construction and agricultural work are prohibited in the forests.

Ostanets "The Grand Ear"

Majestically rises on the right bank of the Volga is the remains of the "Grand Ear". This isolated elevation of more than three hundred meters high is a specially protected natural monument. It is visible even from the regional center of Ulyanovsk. According to legend, there was an observation deck of Stepan Razin on the outskirts, because the entire plain is perfectly visible from it.

"Ear" in the local dialect is the mountain protrusion, and the "face" is the boundary, the border, hence the name. Ostanets has a round shape, its slopes are covered with vegetation, and on the top is an absolutely empty flat area. Once, 30 million years ago, there was a watershed, but it collapsed, leaving only a solitary highland.

Ostanets is a storehouse of diatomite - the material from which cement is made, so in the 60-70s of the last century the territory was actively used by a local cement plant. But in 1989 the place was recognized as a cultural monument, accordingly, any work on it ceased.

The reserve "Starokulatkinsky"

Starokulatkinsky reserve is of federal importance. This territory of 20.2 thousand hectares needs special protection. The soils here are rather meager, the Cretaceous rocks predominate. The landscape is hilly.

At one time, oak groves were cut to plow lands, so there was practically no forest here-only young growth. That vegetation, which was lucky enough to survive, is trampled by cattle.

The highest point is Mount Gold 340 meters high. Its slopes are poor, because chalk and gravel predominate, which do not imply rich vegetation.

The water supply to the reserve also often causes problems: the rivers flowing here are too shallow and dry out in the heat. There are no larger water bodies on the territory.

The world of animals and birds is very poor. On the one hand, this is due to anthropogenic factors (the reserve is used for agriculture), on the other hand, there are no places for nesting (this primarily applies to birds).

Recently, the national parks of the Ulyanovsk region have been taken under special control. Including in the Starokulatkinsky zakaznik is a large-scale work to preserve the natural heritage.

The reserve "Sursky"

Another specially protected natural object is the Sursky zakaznik. This impressive area of 22 hectares was separated with the aim of preserving extremely rare species of animals. Year of origin - 1982.

The reserve is located on the territory between the rivers Sura and Barysh. Almost all of its territory is covered with forests, and, which is not particularly typical for the Ulyanovsk region, coniferous. Most often found pine, less often - spruce. The rest of the land belongs to state farms, gardening associations, etc.

Here lives a large number of animals and birds, among them many are specially protected. So, here you can see the eagle-burial ground, the big eagle eagle, the golden eagle, and the Red Book Desman. Zakhazhivayut in the reserve and uncharacteristic for the Ulyanovsk region animals, such as bats, otters or gray herons.

Reserve "Orlanov beach"

In order to preserve endangered bird species, including white-tailed eagles, activists opened the "Eagles Bank" reserve.

Here, on an area of 84 hectares, a hilly terrain stretches along which the number of rare birds, animals and plants is controlled. The forests here are mostly coniferous, pine or broad-leaved.

Bans are the strictest: you can not cut down trees, arrange tourist camps, any construction and even the collection of flowers is forbidden.