Rostovsky Biosphere Reserve

Description

The Rostovsky Biosphere Reserve is a specially protected natural territory that includes natural complexes and objects of a special environmental value. The territory of the reserve is situated within the boundaries of the Kuma-Manych Depression (Kumo-Manychskaya Vpadina) and the spurs of the Salo-Manych Ridge where one of the major continental natural geographic divisions of the global scale takes place – that is the result of a tectonic downfold that separated morphostructurally the base of the Russian platform in the south and the Epihercynian (Scythian) plate of the Caucasus foreland in the north. Due to the fact that vast areas of land were not ploughed up or affected in any other way by human transformation, a wide biodiversity has been preserved. The reserve appears to be a reference area for zone steppes of Eurasia, i.e. the very natural environment that existed here before an intensive human intervention. The flora includes at least 503 species of plants, among them seven species are in the Endangered-Species List of the Russian Federation. The fauna is represented by more than 34 species of mammals and more than 256 species of birds, 30 of which are in the Endangered-Species List of the Russian Federation. Nine species of reptiles and three species of amphibians. The reserve is situated within the limits of the biggest flyway in Eurasia connecting the European part of Russia and Western Siberia with Northern and Eastern Africa, Middle East and Indochina which is why the reserve and its buffer area make part of the Lake Manych-Gudilo Wetlands of International Importance. The Island sector of the state natural reserve and part of the adjacent buffer zone are a part of the Key Ornithological Territory of Russia of international importance under the Important Bird Areas Programme developed by BirdLife International. Coordinates of the central point of the Rostovsky State Nature Reserve: 46° 16' – 46° 57' N; 42 42' – 43 50' E. Size of Core Area(s): 9464.9 thousand ha. Size of Buffer Zone: 74 350 ha. The nearest major cities are the regional capital – Rostov-on-Don and the capital of Kalmykia – Elista. The territory of the reserve stretches from west to east on the northern slope of the right bank of the Manych valley on the first and second terraces above the flood-plain in the Kuma-Manych Depression. The Northern part of the reserve occupies the branches of the Salo-Manych Ridge. Terraces above the flood-plain are partially destroyed and only the second terrace is clearly seen. It is 7 km wide and is dissected by numerous gullies. Its height varies between 15 and 35 metres above the floor of the valley. The first terrace is 3-6 metres high above the floor of the valley. Highest elevation above sea level - The nearest highest elevation is the top point of the Salo-Manych Ridge – 131 meters above sea level situated 12 km to the North-West of the planned reserve. Lowest elevation above sea level - 8 metres (level of Lake Manych-Gudilo). Climate - The climate in the reserve region is arid, transitional from steppe to desert type. Its main features are long hot summers and cold winters with little snow. According to the data provided by the Manych-Gruzskaya meteorological station, the average annual air temperature is 9.3С. Easterly winds prevail, often provoking dry hot winds and dust-storms. During summer, more westerly winds blow often bringing precipitations. Average temperature of the warmest month - Average temperature of July + 23.8С. Average temperature of the coldest month - Average temperature of January – 5.6С. Mean annual precipitation - 359 mm. If a meteorological station is in or near the proposed Biosphere Reserve, indicate the year since when climatic data have been recorded: a) manually: 1928 b) automatically: 1997 c) Name and location of station: Manych-Gruzskaya meteorological station (on the books of Hydrometeoservice of the Russian Federation, Rostov-on-Don) is situated in the Buffer Zone of the reserve on the shore of Lake Manych-Gudilo 8 km from the nearest inhabited locality Manych. Characteristic species: Vascular plants: Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Typha angustifolia L., Potamogeton perfoliatus L. Lotus tenuis Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd., Batrachium rionii (Lagger) Nym., Galatellf villosa (L.) Reichenb. Birds: Podiceps grisegena (Boddaert, 1783), Pelecanus onocrotalus (Linnaeus, 1758), Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758), Egretta alba (Linnaeus, 1758), Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766), Ardea cinerea (Linnaeus, 1758), Platalea leucorodia (Linnaeus, 1758), Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758), Cygnus olor (Gmelin, 1789), Anas platyrhynchos (Linnaeus, 1758), Anas strepera (Linnaeus, 1758), Anas querquedula (Linnaeus, 1758), Netta rufina (Pallas, 1773), Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758), Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758), Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758), Fulica atra (Linnaeus, 1758), Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758), Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus, 1758), Larus ichtiaetus (Pallas, 1773), Larus genei (Breme, 1840), Larus сachinnans (Pallas, 1811), Gelochelidon nilotica (Gmelin, 1879), Sterna hirundo (Linnaeus, 1758), Acrocephalus palustris (Bechstein, 1798), Acrocephalus scirpaceus (Hermann, 1804), Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Linnaeus, 1758), Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758). Mammals: Neomis fodiens (Pennat,1771), Ondatra zibethica (L.,1766), Arvicola terrestris (L.,1758), Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray,1834), Vormela peregusna (Guldenstaedt,1770), Sus scrofa (L.,1758). Amphibians: Bufo viridis (Laur), Pelobates fuscus (Laur), Rana ridibunda (Pall). Reptiles: Emys orbicularis orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), Natrix natrix natrix (Linnaeus, 1758), Natrix tessellata tessellata (Laurenti, 1768).

Contacts

POINT_OF_CONTACT
Marina Vakurova
Telephone: (86375) 3-14-10
email: gzr@orlovsky.donpac.ru

Rostovsky Biosphere Reserve
102 per. Chapaevsky
Orlovsky village
347510
Orlovsky district, Rostov region
RU
email: gzr@orlovsky.donpac.ru