Kaluzhskiye Zaseki Nature Reserve () (or Kaluzhskie Zaseki for short) is a Russian ''

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 ...

'' (strict ecological reserve). ''Zaseki'' in Russian means

abatis An abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a field fortification consisting of an obstacle formed (in the modern era) of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced ...

es, field

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

s made of felled trees. In medieval times, the Kaluga region was part of the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

between the Russian forests to the north and potential invaders from the south. The reserve has been protected in some form for a thousand years, and remains

old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

. The reserve is situated in the

Ulyanovsky District, Kaluga Oblast Ulyanovsky District () is an administrativeCharter of Kaluga Oblast and municipalLaw #354-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty-four in Kaluga Oblast, Russia. It is located in the south of the oblast. The area of the district is . Its administr ...

. It was formally established in 1992 and has an area of .

Topography

The Kaluzhskiye Zaseki Reserve sits on a mosaic of different soil types—black earth supporting broad-leaf forest, sandy soils supporting pine forests, grey-forest soil of northern forests, and steppe grassland. The terrain is gently rolling hills with riverine gullies and ravines over glacial moraines and eroded soil. The

Vytebet River The Vytebet () is a river that flows through the Bryansk, Oryol, and Kaluga Oblasts in Russia. The river is a right tributary of the Zhizdra, and its total length is with a drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowi ...

passes near the security zone, and there is a network of small rivers and forest streams. There are two sections to the reserve, about equal in size and separated north-south from each other by about 12 km.

Climate and ecoregion

Kaluzhskiye Zaseki is located in the ''

East European forest steppe The East European forest steppe ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0419) is a patchwork of broadleaf forest stands and grasslands (steppe) that stretches 2,100 km across Eastern Europe from the Ural Mountains in Ural (region), Ural, through Volga region, Povol ...

'' ecoregion, a transition zone between the broadleaf forests of the north and the grasslands to the south.. This ecoregion is characterized by a mosaic of forests, steppe, and riverine wetlands. The climate of Kaluzhskiye Zaseki is '' Humid continental climate, warm 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 ...

(Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters. In Kaluzhskie, the average temperature in January is , and in July is . Precipitation ranges from 450 to 700 mm/year, with maximum rainfall in July. The prevailing winds are westerly and south-westerly.

Flora, fauna, and funga

The reserve is 96% covered with forest, of which about 25% is broad-leaf forest characterized by lime, oak, ash, elm and maple. Another 25% of the forest is birch in the secondary forests. Twelve percent of the area is pine forest, and an equal amount in spruce. Scientists on the reserve have recorded over 400 species of vascular plants and over 500 species of mushrooms. Kaluzhskiye is working, along with

Orlovskoye Polesye National Park The Orlovskoye Polesye national park () is a protected area in Russia.Orlovskoye Polesye
a profile It is ...

, to reintroduce the

European bison The European bison (: bison) (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bi ...

to Central Russia. As of 2013, there were 84 bison in the Kaluzhskie herd, which appeared to be healthy and growing. The bison seek forested tracts with small meadows.

Ecoeducation and access

As a strict nature reserve, the Kaluzhskiye Zaseki 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, however, ecotourist routes in the reserve that are open to the public but which require permits to be obtained in advance. The northern sector has 2.7 km of guided trails with information boards and is accessible to casual hikers and children. There are three trails on the southern tract, with over 5 km total on circular routes that highlight the flora and fauna of the region and provide vantages for bird watching. The reserve sponsors a nature education center that is open to the public daily. The main office is in the village of Ulyanovo.

References

External links