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It was founded on April 13, 1960, with the aim of preserving the untouched forests of the central Volga region. The total area of ​​the reserve, taking into account the latest decree of the government of the Russian Federation of 2001, is 10 thousand hectares. Most of the territory is occupied by forests, about 100 hectares are reservoirs and another 100 hectares are meadows. One of the features Volga-Kama Reserve is its division into several sections - Saralovsky And Raifsky which are 100 km apart from each other. The reserve itself is located in Tatarstan in the Zelenodolsk and Laishevsky regions of the republic.

The relief of the protected area was formed long before the glaciers. Raifa section Volga-Kama Reserve its relief is flat. Despite the changes in nature, interesting and beautiful Raifa lake, which feeds many small streams, as well as the largest of them - the river. Bag, r. Sopa and r. Ser Bulak. The soil cover is mainly sandy, sandy-podzolic, loamy-podzolic and loamy.

On the Saralovsky site, it is distinguished by a significant fluctuation in absolute heights, the soil cover is podzolic.

Climate Volga-Kama Reserve predominantly continental. The average temperature for the year is 3°C; the temperature in winter fluctuates around -13 ° C, in summer - 20 ° C; precipitation is more than 500 mm.

IN Raifa section since ancient times there has been no felling forest areas, so the primary forest has been preserved here. More than 90% of the forest is pine, although the influence of three natural areas- deciduous forests, southern taiga and mixed forests. Linden, oak, birch, spruce, aspen, fir, and larch are also common here. Broad-leaved forests are represented by oak forest formations, mixed forests - lime forests with oak and spruce. Of great interest to researchers are birch-sphagnum bogs with marsh myrtle and rosemary growing on them, boletus and cinquefoil, duckweed and heather, salvinia and cranberry, single-leaved pulp and marsh sheikhceria.

Vegetable world Raifa section Volga-Kama Reserve has more than 500 species of vascular plants. Some of the rare plant species are calypso tuberous, pulp unifolia, chaff sedge, calloused schizahna. About 150 moss species have been registered, including 24 sphagnum mosses, 30 liver mosses and 104 brian mosses.

On its second site, it is a continuous forest cover, and most of the forest stand consists of pine and linden. The close presence to the steppe shows the presence of other types of forests in the Saralovsky area - lingonberry, cereal, blueberry, aspen and oak. Vegetable world Saralovsky section represented by Siberian bellflower, sleep-grass, purple goat, Sumy cornflower, intermediate couch grass, Marshall's wormwood, Polissya fescue, sandy astragalus, keleria bluish, etc. Feather grass, drooping gekalia and squat sedge are less common.

Very rich in animals. The fauna of the reserve is more than 80% of the inhabitants of Tatarstan. According to researchers, there are 6 species of insectivores in the reserve - an ordinary hedgehog, shrews, moles, shrews, small and common shrews; There are 9 species of bats: two-color leather, water, pond and mustachioed bat, giant vespers, earflaps, Nathusius' bat.

Of the rodents, flying squirrel and common squirrel, red-backed vole, garden dormouse, river beaver, wood mouse, wood mouse, hare and hare are represented. From predatory there are a bear, a wolf, a lynx, a forest ferret, an ermine, a roe deer, a hamster; common fox. tawny ground squirrel and elk, badger, weasel, raccoon dog, American mink and pine marten.

The world of birds, both nesting and migratory, is rich and diverse. Most widespread received - a black grouse, a gray partridge, a hazel grouse, a quail, a dove, a turtledove, a glutukh, a corncrake, a gray heron, a chariot, a black duck, a woodcock, less often a lapwing, a capercaillie and a gray crane. Of the migratory species, the morodunk, great snipe, oystercatcher, turukhtan, river and little terns, fifi, mallard, pintail, goldeneye, gray duck, wigeon, etc. have been registered. Volga-Kama Reserve you can see the Tawny Owl, the Rough-legged and Passerine Owl, the Brown Owl, the Scops Owl, the Greater Spotted Eagle, the Short-toed Eagle, the Imperial Eagle, the Golden Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the Black Kite, the Hobby, the Marsh and Meadow Harrier, etc.

Of the reptiles, 5 species were found, including spindle, agile and viviparous lizards, common vipers and copperheads.

Of the amphibians, according to recent studies, 10 species have been identified and studied. These are, for example, common and crested newts, common spadefoot, red-bellied toad, green and gray toads, as well as 4 types of frogs. From the ichthyofauna, you can catch roach, tench, ide, gudgeon, bream, silver bream, crucian carp, perch, pike, ruff, asp, sterlet, carp, etc.

Rightfully proud of his garden - Raifa Dendrological Garden. Which is represented by the American (47 species of trees and shrubs), European (65 species) and Asian (60 species) department. The total number of trees and shrubs in the Raifa Dendrological Garden reaches 172.

The main direction of scientific research- the influence of the Kuibyshev reservoir on the Raifa forest.

Volzhsko-Kamsky Reserve - biosphere reserve on Russian territory.

The Volga-Kama State Natural Biosphere Reserve was established on April 13, 1960 by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 510 in order to protect the preserved undisturbed forest and forest-steppe ecosystems of the middle Volga region.

The white hare and the hare are ordinary species for the Volga-Kama Reserve. The hare lives in forests and practically does not go beyond the boundaries of the forest, the hare - in the fields, meadows and forest edges.

Of the rodents, the bank voles are considered the most massive, living in all forest biotopes. Their numbers are very high, especially in broad-leaved forests and aspen forests, as a result of which they play an important role in the cycle of substances, on the one hand, feeding on plants and their seeds, and, on the other hand, being food for predators. Common voles are numerous in fields, meadows and sparse forests.

In reservoirs throughout the territory of Tatarstan, the muskrat lives, which is considered the largest of the voles. The number of squirrels in the Raifa forest depends on the number of pine and spruce seeds. Common in the reserve are wood mouse and wood mouse, characterized by a tenacious tail and a characteristic black stripe on the back, moving by jumping and deftly climbing trees, feeding mainly on invertebrates. Some rodents are quite rare, such as the flying squirrel and the red-backed vole.

Of the carnivores, foxes are the most common, feeding mainly on rodents, hares, birds, and lily of the valley berries. Raccoon dogs are quite rare and are found in the Saralovsky area. Wolves that used to live throughout the reserve now come every year in the winter season.

Badgers are common in the reserve, appearing in the reserve after hibernation at the end of April on thawed patches and along the sides of clearings. They feed on a wide variety of foods from earthworms to small mammals. In the Saralovsky area, the American mink is often found, displacing the European minks that previously inhabited this territory. On the edges of the forest there is a weasel. Ermines, lynx, brown bears are rarely found in the reserve.

In summer, stray cats and dogs enter the reserve. They feed on small rodents and birds in the protected zone, which is unfavorable for the reserve.

Of the ungulates, the elk is considered especially numerous. It lives along the edges, forest clearings and roads where aspen and mountain ash pines grow. Most of the wild boars live in the Raifa area. The number of roe deer in the reserve today is quite small.

30 kinds of fish.

sterlet

Insects and others.

redhead party

On the territory of Tatarstan, as in many areas throughout Russia, there are nature reserves and historical museum-reserves, which preserve the original state of unique natural and historical places.

Natural reserves of the Republic of Tatarstan: Volzhsko-Kama, national park Nizhnyaya Kama, as well as numerous custom sites.

In total, protected zones occupy about 1% of the entire territory of the republic, which is an insignificant amount. A lot of work is being done at the state level to increase such plots in the republic.

Brief description of the Volga-Kama nature reserve

The Volzhsko-Kama Reserve covers an area of ​​more than 10,000 hectares. Its territory is located near the largest and the Volga. The nature of these unique corners of the republic is rich in multiple varieties of flora and fauna.

This biosphere reserve is the only one of its kind on the territory of Tatarstan. It consists of two parts: Raifsky (about 6 thousand hectares) and the Saralovsky section (more than 4 thousand hectares).

The flora of this reserve has only about 844 species of vascular plants (including 51 species of shrubs and trees). Also quite rare species from the Red Book of Russia are noted here: red pollenhead, slipper, lily saranka and so on.

The Raifa section is notable for almost 300-year-old plantings of pines. The most unique here is the dedrosad, which contains about 500 varieties of vegetation from different parts of the world. Natural lakes of amazing beauty are also located here.

The Saralovsky site is notable for the fact that white-tailed eagles listed in the International Red Book live in it. There is no other similar place in all of Europe with such a concentration of these exotic birds. Eight pairs of eagles nest on an area of ​​only 4,000 hectares.

The most unique national state museum-reserves of Tatarstan are also of great interest. Some of them are briefly described below.

Bulgarian Historical and Architectural State Museum-Reserve

This is a kind of historical state located in the Middle Volga region and the Kama River basin (X-XIII centuries). It was created in 1969. This is the oldest historical place in Tatarstan.

The Bulgarian complex is the world's northernmost monument of Muslim architecture of the Middle Ages. This unique monument in the world testifies to the ancient states that disappeared long ago - Volga Bulgaria and the Golden Horde. It is evidence of a vanished culture, the way of life of those times.

Here, during the excavations, numerous valuable archaeological finds were found and continue to be found: various fossils of ancient eras, sites of an ancient man.

Museum-reserves of Tatarstan are still replenished with archaeological exhibits found during endless excavations in these amazingly interesting historical places.

Sviyazhsk Island

In the Zelenodolsk region of Tatarstan, there is a small island at the confluence of the Pike and Sviyaga rivers.

The island-town has been known for almost 500 years. The beginning of Sviyazhsk comes from the fortress. In 1551, behind enemy lines, it was built (in just 1 month). Thanks to her, the capital fell.

Today, only the Trinity Cathedral has been preserved on this territory. In those days, a service was performed in it in the presence of Ivan the Terrible himself before

Today Sviyazhsk is the most popular tourist complex in the republic.

"Old Kazan" ("Iske Kazan")

Museum-reserves of Tatarstan carry the history of the beginning of life of the Tatar people (and not only), the formation of culture, religion.

"Old Kazan" is considered the starting point of the history of modern Tatarstan. These are the most sacred places of worship for Muslims. These are lands, hills and stones that contain answers to numerous questions.

Kazan is a city with 1000 years of history. It was once just a small town. However, the question of the connection between the "Old" and "New" Kazan is controversial.

The existence of the medieval Old (Iska) Kazan is evidenced by the ancient settlements located near three villages: Kamaevo, Tatarskaya Aisha and Russian Urmat (Vysokogorsky district).

According to legend, the city was founded by the Bulgarian princes (seven-year-old Altyn-bek and nine-year-old Alim-bek). It was built on the Kazanka (in the upper reaches), where a large bend (horseshoe-shaped) was formed by its course. Features of the local landscape resemble a huge half-cauldron (half shown). Hence the name of the city.

Beautiful Kazan Kremlin

The cultural historical reserves of Tatarstan also include the main attraction of the capital and the republic - the Kazan Kremlin. It is the most valuable object of the cultural heritage of the republic.

The fortress is a complex of Tatar and Russian styles of architecture.
This includes the following buildings: (X-XVI centuries), the stone Kremlin (XVI-XVIII centuries) and many other architectural structures (XVI-XIX centuries).

Particularly attractive is the "falling" tower of Syuyumbike, which was erected by Ivan the Terrible (1552) after he captured Kazan. There are various myths and legends about this.

There are museums and expositions on the territory of the Kremlin. The unique Kazan Kremlin is a historical monument under the protection of UNESCO.

The national reserves of Tatarstan contain important information about historical events ancient times, about the culture, customs and traditions of peoples.

Saralovskoye forestry (12 thousand hectares) was part of Laishevsky forestry and was located in the floodplains of the Volga and Kama rivers. After the formation of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the territory was reduced to about 4 thousand hectares, of which 3692 hectares were transferred to the reserve.

About intensive economic use of the entire Saralovsky forest in the past is evidenced by preserved semi-decayed oak stumps of large diameter, as well as plantings of pine and oak (there are pine plantations aged 100 years or more). Oak forests were cut down mainly for riveting, which was harvested here back in the 20-30s. With the formation of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the floodplain natural complex disappeared, and instead shallow waters, bays and channels were formed, where from the very first years wetland vegetation began to thrive and favorable conditions were created for fish and waterfowl.

Volzhsko-Kamsky Reserve is a biosphere reserve in Russia .

The Volga-Kama State Natural Biosphere Reserve was established on April 13, 1960 by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 510 in order to protect the preserved undisturbed forest and forest-steppe ecosystems of the middle Volga region.

The reserve consists of two sections - Saralovsky and Raifsky. These sites are separated from each other by 100 km. The Saralovsky site is located 50 km south of Kazan.

On the other side of it is a part of the Kuibyshev reservoir, with an area of ​​1.3 thousand hectares, in the place where the Volga, Kama and Mesha merge. The protected zone in accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan No. 407 of June 21, 1995 is 15,000 hectares.

The territory of the VKGPZ borders on the lands of seven agricultural enterprises, including a poultry farm, a fur farm, and a vegetable farm. Modern tasks the scientific department of the reserve is to study the natural course of processes in the natural complexes of the subzone of the southern taiga of the Middle Volga region; consequences of the introduction of exotic tree species; influence of the Kuibyshev reservoir and other anthropogenic factors on natural complexes reserve; in the development of measures for the conservation and restoration of the natural ecosystems of the reserve.

Plot Reserve It is located in the Pre-Kama region, the climate of which is characterized as temperate continental, with sharp fluctuations in temperature and uneven precipitation.

The frost-free period lasts an average of 128 days. An average of 552.1 mm of precipitation falls annually, mainly in the warm period (April-October) - 319.4 mm.

The average annual temperature is 3.1°, the average of the warmest month (July) is 23.8°, the coldest (January) is -19.3°. The absolute minimum is -48° (in January 1979), the maximum is 36.2° (in July 1981). The average duration of stable snow cover is 146-147 days, the growing season is 162-175 days. Sunshine - about 2000 hours a year.

The territory of the reserve lies on the left-bank terraces of the Volga. Peculiarities of geology, relief and hydrographic network

In the relief of the Saralovsky area, there is a significant difference in absolute heights (50-140 m).

It is divided into two parts: the high terraces and part of the first terrace above the floodplain are included in the mainland, 10 islands are in the island. The shores of the reservoir, formed by ledges of the first (Wurm) and second (Ris) terraces above the floodplain, are now being rapidly destroyed by the Kuibyshev reservoir.

The mainland is composed mainly of sands and clays, under which brown-brown loams occur. The relief of the islands is dune-hilly. Individual dunes rise up to 20 m above the level of the reservoir. The floodplain of the Volga and Kama has turned into a shallow part of the Kuibyshev reservoir. Only manes in the floodplain rise 0.5-1 m above the water in the form of elongated low islands from several tens to hundreds of meters long. In a surface change now leading role erosion-accumulative processes and soil subsidence under the action of groundwater. The growth of ravines and soil erosion proceed most intensively in the buffer zone.

IN reserve mainly soddy-podzolic soils, depending on the location in the relief, parent rocks, woody vegetation, under the influence of which they develop, different degrees of podzolization (from cryptopodzolic to strongly podzolic), humus content (humus - from 0.5 to 5% ) And mechanical composition- from loose sands to loams.

Soils with excessive moisture are also common, and gray forest soils are rare.

In a relatively small area Volga-Kama Reserve forest, meadow, marsh and water landscapes coexist.

The types of vegetation in this section of the reserve are diverse, but forest dominates everywhere. In a small area, almost all the main types of forests of the Volga-Kama region are found. Here the formations of three forest zones of the European part of the USSR are combined - the southern taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests.

The forests are dominated by pine (68% of the forest area), much less birch (13%), linden (11%), oak (5%) and spruce (3%). Some local plantings have been preserved in such a state that there are hardly equivalent places not only nearby, but also among the vast massifs of the Urals and Western Siberia.

The Saralovsky site is 91% covered with forests, of which 60% are pine and linden. Pine forests predominate in the coastal strip of the Saralovsky forestry. Sandy mounds are occupied by dry forests with lichen cover, there are no spruce forests, only occasional solitary spruce trees are found in the lowlands. The steppe vegetation is richer here, especially diverse along the edges of the forest: the slopes of Lysaya Gora are covered with thickets of steppe cherry and feather grass.

Broad-leaved oak and linden forests are characteristic of the northeastern part of the forest area. However, as a result of intensive logging at the end of the last and the beginning of this century, the most valuable oak plantations were replaced by linden and birch forests. Forest-forming species - pine, oak, linden; there are few taiga elements.

The Saralov forests no longer belong to the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests, but to the forest-steppe. They contain more plants typical of the clarified forests of this zone, such as pinnate pinnate, northern bedstraw, etc. Lichen pine forests, lingonberry, lingonberry-moss, lingonberry-cereal with linden, blueberry-moss with aspen, linden with aspen prevail here.

FLOWERING OF THE STEPPE CHERRY

Particularly interesting are the steppe pine forests on the terraces, where there are elements of the steppe flora: Siberian bellflower, purple goat, sleep-grass, Sumy cornflower, Marshall's wormwood, intermediate wheatgrass, Polissian fescue, cornflower head, sandy astragalus, gray keleria, spiked speedwell, and also rare species: feather grass, sedge squat, drooping hakelia.

In the Saralovsky forestry, original "grass" cereal pine forests are common, representing a transition from lingonberry-moss to complex lime pine forests. In the group of mixed forests, linden forests with oak and spruce are interesting, with a well-defined layering. In a very lush grass cover, there are usually a lot of goutweed and perennial woodland, medicinal lungwort, budra and ferns - male boletus, crepuscular boletus, female kochedyzhnik. There are also linden aspen forests with pine, oak forests with sedge and sedge with pine and sedge with snot.

The ground cover of the forests of the reserve combines elements of coniferous and broad-leaved forests. In the spruce forests there are oxalis, blueberries, gout and green mosses. In lichen pine forests, the soil is covered with a carpet of bushy lichens of cladonia, in lingonberry forests there are a lot of lingonberries, flattened club moss, wintergreens; edible mushrooms. Blueberry-moss pine forests are characterized by blueberries, lingonberries, stone berries, round-leaved wintergreen, moliniya, hairy oyster, two-leaved mullet, European seven-leafed, northern linnaea, etc .; hylocomium is common from green mosses. IN best conditions blueberry-moss pine forests are replaced by sour-moss with large-leaved mosses (mnium, pink rhodobrium) and rare plants coniferous forests of the Volga region: one-flowered large-flowered and tuberous calypso. In complex pine forests with a thick grass cover, goutweed, bramble and forest sedges dominate.

MOUTH OF THE RIVER MESH - KUIBYSHEV RESERVOIR

Fauna Volga-Kama Reserve characterized by a mixture of taiga, oak and steppe faunas with a clear predominance of northern forest species(Popov, 1969). There are 55 species of mammals from 17 families in the reserve. These are taiga species (hare, flying squirrel, red-backed vole, lynx, elk), species of broad-leaved forests (hazel dormouse, yellow-throated mouse), steppe species (hare, reddish ground squirrel, field mouse, steppe polecat). Just as in the vegetation, the Raifa site has more taiga elements of the fauna, while the Saralovsky site has more forest-steppe elements.

VIEW OF THE RESERVE FROM THE SIDE OF THE KAMSKY STATE - THE RIGHT BANK OF THE VOLGA

Of the insectivores, the hedgehog, the mole, and the common shrew are common in both areas. The hedgehog appears in the spring, in late April - early May, even at the end of March, often feeding on the outskirts settlements, at forest cordons; sometimes up to 12 hedgehogs gather at the same time. IN forest ecosystems the role of moles is very significant (Voronov, 1958), especially in the formation of the soil cover and the regulation of the abundance of soil invertebrates. Wormholes serve as migration routes and shelters for small vertebrates and invertebrates. common shrew found in all types of forest, but very numerous in broad-leaved.

RACCOON DOG

Characteristic for the reserve are both types of hares - hare and hare. The white hare almost does not go beyond the boundaries of the forest, the hare is an inhabitant of fields, meadows, usually does not go deep into the forest far from the edges. The number of rabbits varies significantly. In 1983-1984 there were 50-150 hares of both species in the reserve.

Of the carnivores, foxes are the most common. They prey mainly on mouse-like rodents, hares, birds, sometimes May chafers and large night butterflies, eat lily of the valley berries, and collect “emissions” along the shore of the reservoir. Wolves and raccoon dogs are rare in the reserve. Raccoon dogs released in 1934 for the purpose of acclimatization in Tataria are more numerous in the Saralovsky area, where the banks and channels of the reservoir provide them with more favorable living conditions. Wolves lived in the Saralovsky forests back in the 50s. But now they only enter the territory of the reserve almost every year and most often in winter.

Badgers are the largest of the mustelids and are common in the reserve. They are the only mustelids that fall into hibernation. The first digs of badgers on the thawed areas appear along the northern roadsides of the clearings at the end of April. Their food is varied - from earthworms and beetle larvae to small mammals. Especially willingly and a lot they eat dung beetles and May beetles. In spring, badgers catch numerous frogs and spadefoots. American minks are not uncommon, especially in the Saralovsky area. For 50 years, these animals have mastered the entire territory of Tatarstan, displacing native European minks. Weasels are constantly found, more often along the edges of the forest. These small predators are able to overcome even yellow-throated mice, and voles are hunted right in their burrows. Stoats are rare in the entire reserve - only 3-5 animals, in some years they are completely absent. The lynx is very rare - the only feline in the reserve. Lynxes are usually seen in summer, no more than 1-2 times a year. The permanent habitats of bears in Tataria are unknown.

GOLDEN bee-eater

There are 195 species in the reserve's list of birds, of which 176 are found in the Raifa area, 153 in the Saralovsky area. It is on birds that one can see a mixture of taiga faunas (wood grouse, hazel grouse, upland owl, long-tailed owl, deaf cuckoo, three-toed woodpecker, song thrush, bullfinch, nutcracker, etc.), broad-leaved forests (glutukh, green and white-backed woodpeckers, blackbird , white-necked flycatcher, etc.), steppes (quail, gray partridge, common kestrel, field harrier, roller roll, hoopoe, field lark, meadow chaser, wheatear), including meadow Asian species (dubrovnik oatmeal).

IN reserve there are 9 species of birds listed in the Red Books of the USSR and the RSFSR - white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, imperial eagle, short-toed eagle, osprey, peregrine falcon, saker falcon, black stork, black-headed gull. In 1984, a feeding stork was first seen on Saralovskoye, but the nest was not found. Every year, more than a dozen white-tailed eagles keep in this area (in the summer of 1981, 12 eagles fed at the same time). Some eagles stay for the winter, feeding most often on the landfill of the neighboring poultry farm. Whitetails nested in different years in 12 places.

In the Saralovsky area, the golden eagle nested in the early 50s. And the osprey in the Saralovsky area - in 1971, 1979, 1981 and 1983.

In the floodplain of the Volga and Kama, before the formation of the reservoir, the osprey accounted for 2.4% of birds of prey, and near the banks of the reservoir in the 60s, already 4.4%.

The saker falcon nested in the Saralovsky area until 1971 and was recorded there in 1982 and 1983. The black-headed gull flew to the Kuibyshev reservoir in 1975.

Small passerines are the background group of birds of the reserve. IN different types forests are - chaffinch, forest pipit, common bunting, willow warbler, starling, white-throated flycatcher, lentil, blackhead warbler, mocking, rattle warbler, nightingale. In the main forest types, each of these species makes up more than 5% during the nesting period. Of the non-passerine birds, this group includes the common dove.

Before the flooding of the Volga and Kama floodplains by the Kuibyshev Reservoir, Dubrovnik bunting (27%), yellow and yellow-headed wagtails (16%), meadow chasing (9.2%), common bunting (7.4%), badger warbler (6 .9%), lentils (5.9%).

After the formation of the reservoir, the chaffinch, the forest pipit, the common bunting, in some years the common redstart, the brown-headed tit, the willow warbler, as well as the oriole, the gray flycatcher, the green warbler, and the mockingbird began to predominate. On the Ornithological Island, which is the remains of a cape between the Volga and the Kama, in the forested areas, the background species are the chaffinch, starling, hooded crow, common bunting, and sometimes magpie, finches, field sparrow, field thrush, and great tit. In the drying shallow waters of the reservoir, 29 species of birds nest, among which the skylark, yellow wagtail, reed bunting, hooded crow, badger warbler, light-winged tern, mallard, teal gadfly, lapwing, common tern, black tern, black-tailed godwit, marshmallow, lake gull. There are more aquatic, semi-aquatic and diurnal birds of prey, as well as migrants, on the Saralovsky site.

Of the passerine birds, the wren is considered rare for Tataria. Sometimes the nutcracker appears in the reserve in August (it feeds on fillies and grasshoppers), which disappears in November-January. In 1972, the Thrush warbler nested for the first time in the Saralovsky area, and in 1977, 2-3 pairs already nested there.

There are 6 species in the herpetofauna of the reserve - spindleworm, agile and viviparous lizards, common snake, copperhead and common viper. The most widespread species of reptiles, the common snake, is found in various biotopes: from the shores of reservoirs to settlements where it can do without reservoirs, since it finds suitable conditions for feeding, breeding and wintering near human habitation. Heaps of manure and rotting garbage serve as excellent incubators, ensuring the development of embryos in eggs, even in cold and rainy summer, and snakes hibernate in buildings. Sometimes snakes die en masse on the roads during migrations to wintering grounds. They feed mainly on moor frogs and spadefoots. The period of activity of snakes almost coincides with the period of activity of these amphibians, averaging; 124 days, which is close to the number of frost-free days.

In the Saralovsky area, especially on the islands, vipers are still quite common, although not numerous. After the floodplain was flooded by the reservoir, the number of rodents decreased, and vipers began to destroy the nests of low-lying and ground-nesting birds (garden warbler, marsh warbler, eastern nightingale).

All 10 species of amphibians of Tataria live in both parts of the reserve. These are common and crested newts, red-bellied toad, common spadefoot, gray and green toads, lake, pond, grass and moor frogs. Of these, lake and pond frogs and spadefoot are background on the Saralovsky site; moor and pond frogs. The green toad and common frog are rare everywhere, and in Saralovskoye the common toad is rare.

The common toad is rare in the Saralovsky area, which is less common than the green toad. Common frog is rare at both sites. All these amphibians are found singly and not every year. Due to the fact that in Tatarstan and in the entire southern half of the Volga-Kama region, the common toad - rare view and practically disappears as the area of ​​old forests decreases and the general drying up of the territory,

There are 30 species of fish in the ichthyofauna of the reserve (28 in the Saralovsky area, 14 in the Raifsky area). Of the sturgeons in the waters of the Saralovsky area, only the sterlet has survived. Tyulka, peled and smelt appeared after the formation of the Volga reservoirs. There are fewer pike in the reservoir. Also in the reservoir - catfish, pike perch and bersh. Perch and ruff are found in both sites. Carp fish (9 species in Raifa reservoirs and 17 species in the reservoir) make up 78-87%, of which more than 66% are roach, silver bream and sabrefish.

In the 1950s and 1970s, V.A. Popov is the organizer of the country's first department of nature protection at Kazan University, one of the initiators and active creators of the Volga-Kama Reserve. His works are devoted to the fauna and ecology of terrestrial vertebrates of the reserve.

In the Saralovsky area, zoological research began in 1946. The ecology of the raccoon dog, bank and red-backed voles, badger, and the influence of the Kuibyshev reservoir on the formation of coastal biogeocenoses were studied.

Determined that plant communities the shallow waters of the Kuibyshev reservoir go through three stages: the dominance of free-floating plants (lesser duckweed, salvinia, multi-rooted); violent development of air-water and submerged species (broad-leaved and narrow-leaved cattail, pondweeds); displacement of broad-leaved aquatic forbs by narrow-leaved ones.

Forestry research began in the 1940s. Since 1932, after the transfer of the Volga Forest Engineering Institute to the city of Yoshkar-Ola, Mari ASSR,

The relief, hydrology and landscapes of the reserve were studied. Scientific research the nature protection department of Kazan University also conducts in the reserve. The main and obligatory in the reserve is the maintenance of the "Chronicle of Nature". The first book of the "Chronicles of Nature" included materials from 1960-1963, in subsequent ones - for individual years. A total of 22 books "Chronicles of Nature" have been prepared.

The modern tasks of the scientific department of the reserve are to study the natural course of processes in the natural complexes of the southern taiga subzone of the Middle Volga region; consequences of the introduction of exotic tree species; the influence of the Kuibyshev reservoir and other anthropogenic factors on the natural complexes of the reserve; in the development of measures for the conservation and restoration of the natural ecosystems of the reserve. Comprehensive studies cover geomorphology, hydrology, soil science, floristry, geobotany, forest science, all sections of zoology and ecology. About 200 permanent test plots, permanent observation points for the height of the snow cover, 40 permanent profiles for monitoring the destruction of the banks of the reservoir, permanent counting routes for animals, black grouse and waterfowl have been established. A meteorological station has been operating since 1975.

SARALOV SECTION

The main bird of the reserve

Everything is still covered with snow: the endless expanse of the reservoir, and the channels, and the forest. Only the day became longer and the sun shone brighter from a cloudless blue sky. You hardly feel spring yet, but in the morning, despite the frost, you can already hear the drumming of woodpeckers in the forest. Crows in the sky with a spring cry make deft pirouettes, and from somewhere above, from the boundless blue, the scream of eagles is heard. So spring comes to the reserve.

From time immemorial, the wide floodplains of two great rivers with many lakes, channels and marshes, with huge black-tailed eagles along the banks, have been home to many generations of white-tailed eagles, as well as to other near-water birds and animals. But with the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, all this turned out to be under water. The fate of the animals that inhabited the flooded floodplains developed differently. Some species, like the muskrat, have completely disappeared, others have more or less adapted.

White-tailed eagles are lucky. With the organization of the Volzhsko-Kama Reserve in 1960, they had a small, only 4,000 hectares, forest area where they could live and raise offspring in complete safety.

The white-tailed eagle is the largest raptor in Tatarstan. Powerful wings in a span of about 2.5 meters allow him to soar in the air for hours. He looks a little heavy. The color of the plumage is rather dull, dirty brown. The head of old birds is whitish, very light with a large, also light beak. No wonder the white-tailed eagle is the closest relative of the American bald eagle. The wedge-shaped tail of adult birds is bright white. The weight of the eagles reaches 5 - 6 kg. Here are the main "passport" data of this wonderful bird.

This is not surprising. Eagles build nests in very large old trees. Usually these are pines, aspens and poplars. The nest itself, 1.5 meters in diameter and up to 1 m in height, is located in a fork of thick knots at the top of a tree. Birds annually complete it and often have 1-2 more non-residential nests in stock. It is interesting that lodgers - field sparrows - settle in the thickness of the nests. At the very beginning of April, the female lays two small white eggs, and after a month of joint incubation, two white fluffy chicks are born. Often only one hatches. In July, the young begin to fly.

There are now 7 residential nests in the Saralovsky forestry of the reserve.

Nests are located at a distance of 1.5-3 km from each other. This is a very high density. Young eagles have to choose a place for a nest already in an unprotected area. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Difficult to find big trees near the shore, and there were a lot of vacationers near the water in the summer. So there are few quiet places on the coast. So white-tails have to build a nest far from the water and fly for food for many kilometers. This happened in the Raifa forestry, where the eagles built a nest, and fly to feed on the Volga, to Sviyazhsk.

The eagles are especially fond of the channels of reservoirs, sometimes you can see more than a dozen birds in the sky at the same time. Once in shallow water during fish spawning we counted 28 whitetails. It is difficult to say whether the number of eagles is growing or, on the contrary, decreasing. Serious work on the study of white-tailed eagles has not been carried out in Tatarstan for a long time.

Orderlies of the forest - wolves

By the 60s of the last century, the number of wolves in the country had sharply decreased everywhere. The ideas of nature conservation became more and more popular. In scientific circles, the question arose: how bad is the wolf in wild nature. The concept of nurse wolves was born, removing only sick and old animals. Television and newspapers helped this idea to take root deeply among the people.

Restrictions on hunting generally led to a weakening of the hunt for the wolf. It didn't take long to show up. In the 70s, during the years of the highest "fashion" for fighting in defense of the wolf, an unexpected explosion in the number of these animals occurred. They have again become common in densely populated areas of the country. How strong were the ideas of the usefulness of the wolf among the people, is evidenced by the fact that in our republic people seriously believed that in their area wolves were released into the forest.

But let's get closer to our wolves. Wolves have not been seen in the Raifa Forest for a long time. But they returned to the Saralovsky section of the reserve after a long absence. A pair of wolves spent the whole winter in the Saralovsky forest, but in the spring the male died. The next year, the female found herself a new friend, and they raised two wolf cubs.

The appearance of wolves in the reserve is very welcome. Any hunting in our reserves is prohibited by law, and the wild boars that appeared in the 80s of the last century live by their own laws. They literally plow up the entire reserve, changing the living conditions for many plants, destroy anthills, do not disdain either dead fish or snakes. They had no control long years. The wolf, as a predator, is simply necessary in the reserve.

(Evgeny Prokhorov, head of environmental education department)

Nurse of the forest dwellers

Spruce seeds, which are in cones, are very nutritious and serve as excellent food for many animals and birds. Some of them simply cannot exist without spruce.

Spruce crossbill.

Even the name of this bird speaks of their inseparable connection. In harvest years in spruce forests in winter you can hear his simple song. And no wonder. Thanks to the abundance of cones, it is in the cold winter months able to incubate offspring and feed their chicks with spruce seeds.

The very appearance of the crossbill is somewhat awkward. The edges of the beak, crossing, go beyond each other. In addition to peeling fir cones, such a beak is no longer adapted to anything. So the crossbill has to drop a lot of cones on the ground untouched, where in summer months he looks for them among the moss under the firs, waiting for a new harvest.

Some of the cones that have fallen to the ground are found by voles. For them, spruce seeds are also a long-awaited delicacy.

The squirrel also feeds mainly on spruce seeds in winter. It is not difficult for her to climb to her top for cones. On the ground, under the crown of old fir trees, on which the squirrel fed, scales of gnawed cones are scattered like small coins.

At first glance, it may seem that squirrel crossbills are food competitors. But in nature, not everything is so simple. By dropping untouched cones down, crossbills also provide food for squirrels for a long period. Squirrels hunt for cones on the ground and eat their seeds.

The great spotted woodpecker, the most numerous of our woodpeckers, is also a big fan of spruce seeds. Every now and then a black and white silhouette of a woodpecker flickers, flying from the top of a spruce to a gnarled tree. Here, having fixed a bump in the crevice of a knot, the woodpecker crushes it with its strong beak, extracting tasty and nutritious seeds. Having chosen a comfortable tree, the woodpecker drags cones to it for a long time. Far in the frosty air, the steady sound of a woodpecker is heard. No wonder people call this place the woodpecker's forge. In spring, a whole bunch of crushed cones gather on the ground near the trunk ...

The cones that remained on the trees open up in the spring under the rays of the sun and the seeds, spinning, fall on the still lying snow. Here immediately begins a feast for small birds. Gaiters, crested tits, siskins and tap dances search for seeds, covering the surface of the snow with intricate laces of their footprints. Voles and shrews also collect seeds from the snow cover - scientists have noted about 40 species of birds that eat spruce seeds ...

(Evgeny Prokhorov, Head of the Environmental Education Department of the Volga-Kama

state reserve).

About boars

A meeting in the forest with a wild boar, even for a person not from a timid one, causes unpleasant sensations when the gaze stops at a tightly built body, weighing up to 350 kilograms, reaching a height at the shoulders of one meter, and a length of up to two meters. Rigid bristles on the ridge, standing on end, ten-centimeter trihedral fangs curved and wrapped upwards, and small slanting prickly eyes complete the formidable appearance of this "barmaley".

The boar does not tolerate being annoyed, and quickly goes on the offensive. Wounded, he is dangerous even for an experienced hunter. The boar attacks with incredible speed. In such situations, the main thing is not to lose composure, to give him the opportunity to come up to a close distance, and then quickly jump to the side - there is a chance that the boar will run past, since he is not dexterous enough to turn sharply.

The author of these lines had to make a similar maneuver while hunting for wild boars. As I remember now: the dogs stopped a rather large billhook. After the shot, the shaggy carcass fell down like a mowed down. Satisfied, the hunter slung his gun over his shoulder and moved towards the fallen beast, drawing a knife as he went to slit his throat. And suddenly the billhook quickly rises and briskly runs at the hunter. Having torn off the gun from his shoulder, the hunter jumped aside and fired a fatal shot at point-blank range for the boar.

The portrait of our hero would not be complete without mentioning that this aggressive monster is also a polygamist. The harems of the most "cool" bulls have up to eight concubines.

If before the beginning of the 70s there was no wild boar in Tataria, then today it already lives in Udmurtia, Kirov, Vologda, Arkhangelsk regions, in the Komi Republic. What is the reason for such a rapid and successful expansion of territories that were previously unsuitable and suddenly became suitable for a wild boar? It is believed that the main factor limiting its expansion to the north is the height of the snow cover. Well, in the last thirty years, the snow has become less or the legs of the boar have lengthened? No, most likely our Agriculture More precisely, the increasing number of “uncompressed strips” providing additional food everywhere encourages growing wild boar populations to expand their range.

The Volzhsko-Kamsky nature reserve liked the wild boar, since the crops of agricultural crops almost completely encircle its territory.

And the abundance of oak forests, hay meadows, river valleys, swamps offer him to diversify the “menu”. In the period of deep snow, the wild boar finds favorable habitats in the dense undergrowth of spruce, which occupies a quarter of its area in the Raifa section of the reserve. Here the depth of the snow cover is much less than in other parts of the forest. In addition, the wild boar is practically not disturbed in the reserve. Although this beast is not one of the timid, frequent meetings with a person do not add to his comfort.

How many wild boars can be found in the protected Saralin forests? Until 1972 - not a single one, in 1980-81. - up to thirty animals, and in 1984 - already more than two hundred. Later, the number of wild boars began to decline steadily and in 1994 fell to forty individuals. For recent years the wild boar population is relatively stable and varies within 40-50 animals.

In nature, there is a pattern called the acclimatization effect. It consists in the following: the newcomer occupies a free ecological niche- speaking in the usual language, a free apartment with a plentiful table. Under such favorable conditions of existence, at first there is an increase in the number of new settlers. But after some time, the apartment becomes cramped, and the table is poor. And part of the settlers, in our case, wild boars, with numerous offspring that they managed to acquire (the female brings up to twelve piglets a year) is forced to either go in search of new habitats, or fight for a place under the sun in the old place.

But the law of nature is harsh - the strongest survive. So, ladies and gentlemen, be careful if you decide to cross the border of the reserve - only the strongest wild boars live here.

(Yuri Gorshkov, director of the Volga-Kama Reserve)