Bureya Nature Reserve () is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
(
Zapovednik
A zapovednik is an established term on the Post-Soviet states, territory of the former Soviet Union for a protected area which is kept "forever wild". It is the highest degree of environmental protection for the assigned areas, which are strictly ...
) about 200 km northwest of the city of
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...
, in the
Verkhnebureinsky District of
Khabarovsk Krai
Khabarovsk Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krai) of Russia. It is located in the Russian Far East and is administratively part of the Far Eastern Federal District. The administrative centre of the krai is the types of ...
, in the
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...
. The territory is one of mountain tundra, rivers and lakes, and taiga forests. It includes the headwaters of the left and right tributaries of the
Bureya River
The Bureya () is a south-flowing, left tributary of the Amur river in Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its name comes from the Evenk word ''birija'', meaning river.
Course
The Bureya is formed from the junction of the Pravaya ( ...
, part of the lower
Amur River
The Amur River () or Heilong River ( zh, s=黑龙江) is a perennial river in Northeast Asia, forming the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (historically the Outer and Inner Manchuria). The Amur ''proper'' is ...
basin. The reserve was created in 1987, and covers an area of .
Topography
The Bureya Reserve covers the Left Bureya and Right Bureya River, which combine into the Bureya River as it flows south into the
Amur River
The Amur River () or Heilong River ( zh, s=黑龙江) is a perennial river in Northeast Asia, forming the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (historically the Outer and Inner Manchuria). The Amur ''proper'' is ...
. It is located in the central and southern part of the
Dusse-Alin
The Dusse-Alin, is a mountain range in Khabarovsk Krai, in the Russian Far East.
Although it is named after this range, the Dusse-Alin Tunnel of the Baikal–Amur Mainline is located about to the southwest.
History
The range was first roughl ...
. The area is surrounded by mountain ranges - the
Ezop Range
The Ezop Range () is a range of mountains in far North-eastern Russia. Administratively it belongs partly to Amur Oblast and partly to the Khabarovsk Krai of the Russian Federation.
The range is part of the Ezop / Yam-Alin volcanic zone.
Geogr ...
to the northwest, the
Yam-Alin
The Yam-Alin () is a mountain range in Amur Oblast and Khabarovsk Krai, Russian Far East.Google Earth
The range is part of the Ezop/Yam-Alin volcanic zone.
History
The range is located in a remote area and was unexplored until mid 19th century. ...
to the north and the
Bureya Range
The Bureya Range (, ''Bureinskiy Khrebet'') is a mountain range in the Khabarovsk Krai and Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the southern part of the Russian Far East.
The Dusse-Alin Tunnel on the Baikal Amur Mainline crosses the range to enter the A ...
to the south. The mountains in the reserve itself range in height from to , and because the reserve sits at the meeting points of several faults. The tops of the river valleys are often convex-shaped bald mountains.
The headwaters of many streams are glacial cirques, and lower levels along the rivers feature floodplains and lakes; in between the river valleys are generally too steep for terraces and the tributaries of the Bureya are often in rapids. Because the winters are relatively dry, the Spring floods are small; the summer floods are larger due to the seasonal rains. The reserve is remote: the closest town, Sophisk, is 40 km west of the border. There are no roads in the reserve.
Climate and Ecoregion
Bureya is the largest protected area in the "
Okhotsk-Manchurian taiga" ecoregion. This region of coniferous taiga is at the northernmost extent of Manchurian flora communities, while also supporting the southwestern range of Okhostsk-Kamchatka/Beringia communities. It is affected by the climatic influence of the Pacific Ocean, which causes warmer winters and cooler summers than areas further from the ocean. The reserve is important for large mammals including bear, wolverine and sable.
Bureya has a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dwc''). characterized by cool summers, and very dry cold winters, moderated slightly in the case of Bureya by the relative proximity of the ocean.
Flora and fauna
The Bureya Reserve has never been subject to the commercial harvesting of timber; any clearing of tree cover has come from natural causes (fires, landslides). The peaks are bare rock with lichen, below that is a zone of alpine meadows. Below 1,100 meters the forest zone begins; the middle slopes are covered with larch forests, spruce-fir forests, thickets of cedar, and on the lowest level there are floodplain intra-zonal forests.
The animals are represented by the typical Okhotsk-Kamchatka forest species, including brown bear, ermine, sable, hare, squirrel, and wolverine. Upper elevations feature alpine species such as ptarmigan and pika. The reserve has recorded 190 species of birds, with 89 known to nest in the territory.
Management
The reserve has a visitor center and nature museum open to the public. The park sponsors 3-hour helicopter tours of the territory, rafting trips on the Right Bureya River, and allows limited access to three hiking trails in supervised groups with permits. The hiking trails are to notable sights - Bear Lake, Lake Korbohon, "The Kings Highway", and waterfalls of the Kuraygagna River.
See also
*
National parks of Russia
There are currently 64 national parks in Russia. They cover a total of approximately .
Overview
Until the 1960s only nature reserves (''zapovedniks'') and '' zakazniks'' existed in the Soviet Union, so international experience in creating a form ...
*
Nature reserves of Russia ('zapovedniks')
*
Protected areas of Russia
Protected areas of Russia, (official Russian title: , literally "Specially Protected Natural Areas"), is governed by the corresponding 1995 law of the Russian Federation.
Categories
The law establishes the following categories of protected areas:
...
References
External links
Official Website of Bureinsky Nature Reserve (In English)Bureinsky, at Protected Planet.net
{{Russian Zapovedniks
Nature reserves in Russia
Protected areas established in 1987
1987 establishments in Russia
Geography of Khabarovsk Krai
Tourist attractions in Khabarovsk Krai
Zapovednik