Altai Nature Reserve (, also called ) is a Russian ('sanctuary, strict nature reserve') in the

Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The ...

of south Siberia,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "

Golden Mountains of Altai Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of an UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain, and the Ukok Plateau. As stated in the UNESCO description of the site, "the region ...

", recognized as an area of high biodiversity and isolation from human intrusion. It is also included in the UNESCO

World Network of Biosphere Reserves The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) covers internationally designated protected areas, known as biosphere or nature reserves, which are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature (e.g. encourage susta ...

. The Altai Reserve includes the east bank of

Lake Teletskoye Lake Teletskoye (; ) is the largest lake in the Altai Mountains and the Altai Republic, Russia, and has depth up to 325 meters. Situated at a height of above the sea level, the lake is long and wide and lies between the mountain ridges Korbu ...

and stretches into the high mountains to the southeast of the lake. It is situated in

Ulagansky District Ulagansky District (; , ''Ulagan aymak'') is an administrativeLaw #101-RZ and municipalLaw #10-RZ district (raion), one of the ten in the Altai Republic, Russia. It is located in the east of the republic and borders Turochaksky District, Choysky ...

and

Turochaksky District Turochaksky District (; , ''Turaçak aymak'') is an administrativeLaw #101-RZ and municipalLaw #10-RZ district (raion), one of the ten in the Altai Republic, Russia. It is located in the north of the republic. The area of the district is . Its ad ...

in the north and east of the

Altai Republic The Altai Republic, also known as the Gorno-Altai Republic, is a republic of Russia located in southern Siberia. The republic borders Kemerovo Oblast to the north, Khakassia to the northeast, Tuva to the east, Altai Krai to the west, as well ...

Topography

The reserve has an elongated shape running from the northeast to southwest along the Teletskoye basin and into the high interior. Elevations rise to . This territory averages wide through its length. Lake Teletskoye is in the upper northwest end. The

Chulyshman River The Chulyshman (; , ''Çolışman'') is a river in Altai Republic in Russia. The river is long, and its drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth ...

runs into the lake, with the Chulyshman valley forming part of the western border of the Altia Reserve. Most of the reserve is the plains and alpine ridges of the Chulyshman Highlands. Over 20% of the territory is rock, scree and gravel. On the high plateaus there are over 1,000 alpine lakes greater than in size.

Climate and ecoregion

Altai is located in the '' Sayan montane conifer forests'' ecoregion. This ecoregion is characterized by mountains dissected by river valleys, high levels of precipitation, and high biodiversity. Flora is generally dependent on the elevation and terrain, with forest having three main subzones based on altitude: light needle-leaf sparse taiga, dark needle-leaf taiga, and dark taiga. The Altai reserve has been for the most part undisturbed by human activity, and is one of the few remaining pristine areas of this ecoregion. It covers 9.4% of the entire Republic of Altai, and there are no roads in the reserve. The climate of Altai is a

Humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, with a cool summer (

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 ...

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 ...

, ''Dfc''). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1–3 months above ) and cold, snowy winters (coldest month below ). Over the past 50 years in the Altai reserve, the warmest month has been July (), the coldest month January (), and the average rainfall has been .

Flora and fauna

The most common trees in the Altai Reserve coniferous species: Siberian larch, Siberian cedar and Siberian fir. On the slopes near Lake Teletskoye there are some secondary forests of birch and alder, but most of the reserve to the south is untouched — cedars on the site have been measured up to in diameter and 400–450 years in age. Scientists at the reserves have recorded over 1,500 species of vascular plants, including 22 species listed as 'vulnerable' in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. There are over 70 species of mammals in the reserve, including two endangered species, the

Snow Leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...

and the Altai argali. There are 19 species of fish, mostly in Lake Teletskoye, including pike, perch, and whitefish. In the streams the most common fish is the grayling. Of the 331 species of birds found in the reserve, most (48%) are passerine (159 species), waders (48 species), Falconiformes (30 species), and geese (29 species). The remaining 66 species account for only 20%.

Ecotourism

As a strict nature reserve, the Altai Reserve is mostly closed to the general public, although scientists and those with "environmental education" purposes can make arrangements with park management for visits. There are six "ecotourist" routes in the reserve, however, that are open to the public, but require permits to be obtained in advance. Park management recommends allowing 2–3 months in advance for obtaining permits. The main office is in the city of Gorno-Altaysk. The six ecotourist routes open to the public (permits required) are: # Chichelgansky Zigzag. Overlook of Lake Teletskoye, ethno-cultural visitor center, Yaylyu waterway hike
(website (in Russian)
# Belinskaya Terrace. Ancient monuments of the Turkic period - "Kaeser-Tash" (stone warrior), "IT-Bash" (stone-dog).
(website (in Russian))
# Corbou Waterfall. 25 km boat ride and hike. 13 meter waterfall.
(website (in Russian))
# Cordon Chelyush - Waterfall. Softwood forest, overviews of Altai.
(website (in Russian))
# Kokshe Waterfall. Orientation by reserve ranger, hike to Kokshe Waterfall on the Koskhe River (largest right bank tributary of Lake Teletskoye.
(website (in Russian))
# Great Falls of the Chulchinsky. Hike for experienced mountain hikers only.
(website (in Russian))

References

External links