Pasvik Nature Reserve
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Pasvik Nature Reserve (; ) is a bilateral
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
located along the
Norway–Russia border The border between Norway and Russia consists of a land border between Sør-Varanger Municipality, Norway, and Pechengsky District, Russia, and a marine border in the Varangerfjord. It further consists of a border between the two countrie ...
. It is located in the
Pasvikdalen Pasvikdalen () is a valley in Norway and Russia. The Norwegian side of the valley belongs to Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county and the Russian side is located in the Pechengsky District in Murmansk Oblast. The valley contains large ar ...
valley in
Sør-Varanger Municipality Sør-Varanger (; ; ) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Finnmark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Other settlements in the municipality include the vill ...
in
Finnmark Finnmark (; ; ; ; ) is a counties of Norway, county in northern Norway. By land, it borders Troms county to the west, Finland's Lapland (Finland), Lapland region to the south, and Russia's Murmansk Oblast to the east, and by water, the Norweg ...
county,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
and in the
Pechengsky District Pechengsky District (; ; ; ; ) is an administrative district (raion), one of the six in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.Law #96-01-ZMO As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Pechengsky Municipal District.Law #539-01-ZMO It is located in the north ...
in
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the northwestern part of the country, with a total land area of . Its only internal border is the Republic of Karelia to the south, and it is bor ...
,
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 ...
. The nature reserve was established in 1992 (Russia) and 1993 (Norway), and it covers an area of . The Norwegian part covers , while the Russian part covers . The nature reserve includes unexploited parts of
Pasvikelva The Paatsjoki River (, , , , , , ''Paz or Patsoyoki'') is a river that flows through Finland, Norway, and Russia. Since 1826, the river has marked parts of the Norway–Russia border, except from 1920 to 1944 when it was along the Finland–N ...
and has a rich birdlife. Along with
Øvre Pasvik National Park Øvre Pasvik National Park (, , ) is located in the southeastern part of the Pasvikdalen valley in southern Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. Covering an area of , the national park is dominated by Siberian-like taiga consis ...
and
Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area (), is located in the Pasvikdalen valley in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The landscape protection area was established in 2003, and covers an area of . At the same time the adjacent ...
in Norway and
Vätsäri Wilderness Area The Vätsäri Wilderness Area (, ) is located along the northeastern shore of Lake Inari in Inari, northern Finland, stretching all the way to the Finland–Norway border. The landscape is dominated by taiga forests of Scots pine, bog and bodie ...
in Finland, Pasvik Nature Reserve constitutes part of
Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park is a continuously protected wilderness area in Finland, Norway and Russia. It consists of the Vätsäri Wilderness Area in Finland, Øvre Pasvik National Park and Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area in Norway and t ...
.


Geography

Pasvik Nature Reserve consists of two legally separate but geographically adjoined protected areas, with a combined area of . Located in the valley of Pasvikdalen, it protects the river of Pasvikelva and its vicinity, straddling the
Norway–Russia border The border between Norway and Russia consists of a land border between Sør-Varanger Municipality, Norway, and Pechengsky District, Russia, and a marine border in the Varangerfjord. It further consists of a border between the two countrie ...
, with of its area being made up by water surface. The Norwegian segment is entirely located within Sør-Varanger. It stretches , from Jordanfoss in the north to the damn at Hestefoss, and is up to wide covering an area of , of which is water. The segment in Russia, located within Peschengsky District, is long and runs from
Svanevatn –, , or is a lake on the border between Norway and Russia. The lake is located in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county in Norway and the Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast in Russia. Svanevatn has an area of , a circumferenc ...
in the north to Hestfoss. The nature reserve covers the area of this stretch which is located within the Border Security Zone—i.e. from the national border to the border fence near the highway. The Russian reserve has an area of , of which is water surface. The nature reserves center on the reservoir of Fjærvann, one of the few parts of Pasvikelva which remains intact largely as it did prior to the construction of the seven hydroelectric power stations along the river. The lake and its surrounding wetland areas are among the richest Nordic areas for
wader 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s,
duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
s,
geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...
and
swan Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...
s. Fjærvann remains the most important such area along the river, in part because it is one of the first parts of the watershed to be ice-free. On the Russian side the reserve also includes a comparatively large area of pine forest area which is not directly related to Fjærvann, while the Norwegian side only include the reservoir and its immediate surroundings.Wikan: 12 The geology of the area formed at the transition of the
Mesoarchean The Mesoarchean ( , also spelled Mesoarchaean) is a geologic era in the Archean Eon, spanning , which contains the first evidence of modern-style plate subduction and expansion of microbial life. The era is defined chronometrically and is no ...
and
Neoarchean The Neoarchean ( ; also spelled Neoarchaean) is the last geologic era in the Archean Eon that spans from 2800 to 2500 million years ago—the period being defined chronometrically and not referencing a specific level in a rock section on Ear ...
Eon, 2.8
billion years ago bya or b.y.a. is an abbreviation for " billion years ago". It is commonly used as a unit of time to denote length of time before the present in 109 years. This initialism is often used in the sciences of astronomy, geology, and paleontology. The ...
. It contains areas which are mineral-rich, which has resulted in an iron ore mine at
Bjørnevatn , , , or is a village in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies about south of the town of Kirkenes and about west of the Norway-Russia border. The village has a couple of suburbs including Hesseng to the nort ...
and a nickel mine in
Nikel Nikel (, lit. ''nickel''; , , ) is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the shores of Lake Kuets-Yarvi no ...
. A belt known as the Petsamo Formation cuts through the reserve; its limestone-rich rocks give rise to birch, which contrasts the otherwise pine-dominated forests of the area. The landscape consists of hills, moraines and melt-water deposits, supplemented with kettles and
glacial erratic A glacial erratic is a glacially deposited rock (geology), rock differing from the type of country rock (geology), rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by gla ...
s. The landscape has been formed by two periods of ice sheets during the
Quaternary glaciation The Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, is an alternating series of glacial period, glacial and interglacial, interglacial periods during the Quaternary period that began 2.58 Year#SI prefix multipliers, Ma (million ...
, which has rounded all rock features in the area. The areas in the reserve with good drainage are dominated with
podzol Podzols, also known as podosols, spodosols, or espodossolos, are the typical soils of coniferous or boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathlan ...
soil. Areas with less drainage are dominated by
mire A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...
, the most dominating part of the landscape, with high concentration of
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
. In some places there is sand sediment deposits create
heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
s. Near the lakes there are occasional parties of
scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. The term ''scree'' is ap ...
.


Hydrology

Pasvikelva runs through the reserve in the valley of Pasvikdalen. The river has its headwater in
Lake Inari Lake Inari (, , , , , ) is the largest lake in Sápmi and the third-largest lake in Finland. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is above sea level, and is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plan ...
and its mouth at
Bøkfjorden or is a fjord in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The long fjord is a southern branch off of the main Varangerfjord. The river Pasvikelva empties into the Bøkfjorden at the village of Elvenes (which lies only about fr ...
of the
Barents Sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; , ; ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.World Wildlife Fund, 2008. It was known earlier among Russi ...
, experiencing a total fall of . Because of the valley's flat and wide shape, the river is shallow, ranging from , and from several hundred meters to several kilometers wide.Wikan: 41 The river originally consisted of a series of lakes connected by short waterfalls. This was altered during the construction of seven hydroelectric power stations. This has given an even flow of water throughout the year and the original river course has only been preserved in select locations. Each of the damns has created its own reservoir, which have their lowest water levels in April, typically below the peak level. The reservoirs are iced up from October to May.


Climate

The climate is dominated by cold winds from the Arctic Ocean and mild winds from the Atlantic.Wikan: 44 Northern winds are most common during summer, which can occasionally give snow in mid-summer.Wikan: 46 Mean July temperature is , with a peak registered temperature of . Mean January temperature is . There is
midnight sun Midnight sun, also known as polar day, is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When midnight sun is see ...
from 23 May to 20 July and
polar night Polar night is a phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions of Earth, northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth when the Sun remains below the horizon for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phen ...
from 20 November to 23 January. In general there is more low pressure areas in the winter and higher pressure during summer. Most of the annual mean of precipitation falls during summer, qualifying the area as a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
. However, high
groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...
, low evaporation and that most of the rain falls during the growth season results in relatively good growth conditions. The first snowfall arrives in September or October and remains until April. Snow depths normally reach . The reserve's climate classification is '' Humid continental climate, 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 ...
(Dfc)).


Flora

Russian scientists have classified the vegetation as forest
tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...
and
taiga Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. In North A ...
, while Norwegian scientists have classified it as northern
boreal ecosystem A boreal ecosystem is an ecosystem with a subarctic climate located in the Northern Hemisphere, approximately between 50° and 70°N latitude. These ecosystems are commonly known as taiga and are located in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia ...
, with northern parts forming a gradient into an
Alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...
zone. The most common trees are
Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-gr ...
, while the
European spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very clos ...
is less common. Pine trees can reach a height of .Wikan: 48 There are occasional areas with
broad-leaved tree A broad-leaved, broad-leaf, or broadleaf tree is any tree within the diverse botanical group of angiosperms that has flat leaves and produces seeds inside of fruits. It is one of two general types of trees, the other being a conifer, a tree with n ...
s, including
aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...
,
rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya ...
,
alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
and
goat willow ''Salix caprea'', known as goat willow, pussy willow or great sallow, is a common species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook 4. . De ...
. The Russian section contains sections of
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 northernmost parts of the reserve has
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
. The vegetation sees a mix of mountainous species and
Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
n species normally found only as far west as the
Kola Peninsula The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...
.Wikan: 51 Mountainous species not commonly found in such wet and lowland areas include snow saxifrage and
alpine chickweed ''Cerastium alpinum'', commonly called alpine mouse-ear or alpine chickweed, is a mat-forming perennial plant. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennobleme ...
and
marsh Labrador tea ''Rhododendron tomentosum'' ( syn. ''Ledum palustre''), commonly known as marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea, marsh rosemary or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection '' Ledum'' of the large genus ''Rhododendron'' in the fa ...
.Wikan: 52 There are three types of
mire A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...
. The most dominant is rice mire, covered in marsh Labrador tea, cup lichen and heather. The other are grass mires which are dominated by
cottongrass ''Eriophorum'' (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found in the cool temperate, alpine, and Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, primarily in the mi ...
and ''
carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of over 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family (biology), family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of ge ...
'' and string mire which have predominantly ''
Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...
''.
Rubus chamaemorus ''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family. Its English common names include cloudberry, Nordic berry, bakeapple (in Newfoundland and Labrador), knotberry and knoutberry (in England), aqpik or low-bush salmonberry ( ...
are common throughout the mires.


Fauna

Pasvik is at the intersection between western and eastern species, and between the forest tundra and Arctic tundra.
Common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog or simply the frog, is a semi ...
is the only amphibian and the
viviparous lizard The viviparous lizard or common lizard (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara'') is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other non-marine reptile species, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it give ...
is the only reptile.Wikan: 58 There are 34 species of
mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
s in the national park. The only non-wild animals are
reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...
. Mice are the most commons, especially the
Eurasian pygmy shrew The Eurasian pygmy shrew (''Sorex minutus''), often known simply as the pygmy shrew, is a widespread shrew of the northern Palearctic. Description It measures about in length, not including the tail, and has an average weight of .The hair on t ...
. The only true Arctic species is the
Norway lemming The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (''Lemmus lemmus'') is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fell ...
. Larger species include the
brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...
, a declining number of
wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
s, and
moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
, and a growing number of wolves, in addition to other common, smaller mammals. The
American mink The American mink (''Neogale vison'') is a semiaquatic species of Mustelidae, mustelid native to North America, though human introduction has expanded its range to many parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. Because of range expansion, the Am ...
is an
introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...
which has become quite common. The most commons species of fish in the river are ''
Coregonus lavaretus ''Coregonus lavaretus'' is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus '' Coregonus''. There are widely different concepts about the delimitation of the species ''Coregonus lavaretus'' and abo ...
'',
European perch The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man's rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the ...
and
northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...
, all three which have been the basis for sustenance fishing. Less commons species include
burbot The burbot (''Lota lota''), also known as bubbot, mariah, loche, cusk, freshwater cod, freshwater ling, freshwater cusk, the lawyer, coney-fish, lingcod, or eelpout, is a species of coldwater ray-finned fish native to the subarctic regions of ...
, grayling and
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...
. Five thousand trouts are set out each year to sustain the population. Especially the lake Kaskamajärvi has a large trout population. The lower portion of the river previously had some
Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Hucho taimen, Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlan ...
, but these have all but disappeared since the hydroelectric stations were installed. Uncommon fish species include
European river lamprey The European river lamprey (''Lampetra fluviatilis''), also known as the river lamprey or lampern, is a species of freshwater lamprey. Description Adult river lampreys measure from in the marine forms and up to in the lake forms. The very elonga ...
,
three-spined stickleback The three-spined stickleback (''Gasterosteus aculeatus'') is a fish native to most inland and coastal waters north of 30°N. It has long been a subject of scientific study for many reasons. It shows great morphological variation throughout its ra ...
,
nine-spined stickleback The ninespine stickleback (''Pungitius pungitius''), also called the ten-spined stickleback, is a freshwater species of fish in the family Gasterosteidae that inhabits temperate waters. It is widely but locally distributed throughout Eurasia and ...
and
common minnow ''Phoxinus phoxinus'' (known colloquially as the Eurasian minnow, minnow, Channel minnow, or common minnow) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, minnows and related fishes. It i ...
. Vendace is an introduced species in Lake Inari and has spread to the reserve. The area is known for its diversity of birds, with 212 species having been recorded as of 1987. Of these, 68 commonly breed, 30 breed occasionally, and 14 which have bred previously. Common birds include the
black-throated loon The black-throated loon (''Gavia arctica''), also known as the Arctic loon and the black-throated diver, is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere, primarily breeding in freshwater lakes in northern Europe and Asia. It winte ...
, the
bean goose The bean goose is a species complex of goose that breeds in northern Europe and Palearctic, Eurosiberia. It has at least two distinct varieties, one inhabiting taiga habitats and one inhabiting tundra. These are recognised as separate species by ...
and various species of
duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
s. Egg-gathering was previously popular from the
common goldeneye The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (''Bucephala clangula'') is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus ''Goldeneye (duck), Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. Its closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye. The genus name is derived from th ...
. Common predator birds include the
rough-legged buzzard The rough-legged buzzard (Europe) or rough-legged hawk (North America) (''Buteo lagopus'') is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia during the breeding season, and migrates s ...
and
merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...
, while the
white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle', is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also ...
and
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
are less common. The
short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...
is the most common owl. Waders are abundant along the river, the most common being
common ringed plover The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It breeds across much of northern Eurasia, as well as Greenland. Taxonomy The common ringed plover was formally described i ...
,
ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader famil ...
and
spotted redshank The spotted redshank (''Tringa erythropus'') is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a ...
. Other common birds are the
common gull The common gull (''Larus canus'') is a medium-sized gull that breeds in cool temperate regions of the Palearctic from Iceland and Scotland east to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Most common gulls bird migration, migrate further south in wint ...
,
Arctic tern The Arctic tern (''Sterna paradisaea'') is a tern in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe (as far south as Brittany), Asia, and North America (as far south ...
and sparrows.


History

The oldest archaeological finds in Pasvikdalen date to
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...
and the
Komsa culture The Komsa culture () was a Mesolithic culture of hunter-gatherers that existed from around 10,000 BC in Northern Norway. The culture is named after Mount Komsa in the present-day Alta Municipality in Finnmark county, where the remains of the cu ...
. These nomadic people would arrive in the valley during summer and sustained themselves largely on fishing in the river. The oldest historic records of the area date to the 16th century, by which time the
Skolts The Skolt Sámi or Skolts are a Sámi people, Sámi ethnic group. They currently live in and around the villages of Sevettijärvi, Keväjärvi, Nellim in the municipality of Inari, Finland, Inari, at several places in the Murmansk Oblast and in t ...
were inhabiting the area, which had organized the valley as a
siida A is an organisation of humans traditionally present in Sámi people, Sámi societies consisting of several families of reindeer herders whose reindeer graze together. s traditionally encompassed more resources than reindeer, but after changes ...
. The Pasvik area was traditionally located in a common Norwegian and Russian area without a defined national border. When the border was established in 1826, after which the population moved to the Russian side of the border. The valley later received a limited Norwegian population and from the 1850s immigration from Finland, both on the Norwegian and Russian side of the border. The area around the reserved remained unpopulated. The area became part of the
Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
, when Finland secured a corridor to the Arctic Ocean. This was subsequently reverted following the
Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...
in 1939–1940. The first major interest in the ornithology of the area arose following the inspections leading to the border in 1826. Also the flora was found to be rich, as it was in the intersection of the western and eastern vegetation zones, giving a unique mix of vegetation. The most important work was carried out by Hans Tho. L. Schaanning and Johan Koren, who settled in the valley in 1900. The area was also of interest for Swedish and Russian expeditions and scientists. Schaanning remained for twelve years. Norway considered the area for conservation from 1978, with arguments being related to the wetland areas importance for aquatic birds and especially Fjærvann. Fjærvann was subsequently included in Norway's list of possible
Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **
Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...
in 1989. Common inspections were carried out in 1990, after which the Russian authorities indicated that they would include comparatively large areas of pine forest on their side of the river in a protected area.


Management

The rationale to protect the area is to conserve a wilderness area which is important habitat for ducks, geese,
wader 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s and
whooper swan The whooper swan ( /ˈhuːpə(ɹ) swɒn/ "hooper swan"; ''Cygnus cygnus''), also known as the common swan, is a large northern hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan, and the type species for the genu ...
s. The reserve is also in place to protect the original river bed. Coordination of the management on the Norwegian side is the responsibility of the County Governor of Finnmark. Day-to-day management is carried out by the
Kirkenes (Norwegian language, Norwegian; ), (Northern Sami language, Northern Sami; , or is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsu ...
office of the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate, a division of the
Norwegian Environment Agency The Norwegian Environment Agency () is a Norwegian government agency under the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Its primary responsibilities are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage Norwegian nature, and prevent pollution. The agency ha ...
. The same agency is responsible for management of the national park and landscape protection area.Ryvarden (2007): 73 The Russian reserve is managed through separate entity organized to manage the reserve. Management differs considerably, in that the reserve is used as a basis for extensive research. Each year a Nature Chronicle is published about the park.Wikan: 78 Along with
Øvre Pasvik National Park Øvre Pasvik National Park (, , ) is located in the southeastern part of the Pasvikdalen valley in southern Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. Covering an area of , the national park is dominated by Siberian-like taiga consis ...
and
Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area (), is located in the Pasvikdalen valley in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The landscape protection area was established in 2003, and covers an area of . At the same time the adjacent ...
in Norway and
Vätsäri Wilderness Area The Vätsäri Wilderness Area (, ) is located along the northeastern shore of Lake Inari in Inari, northern Finland, stretching all the way to the Finland–Norway border. The landscape is dominated by taiga forests of Scots pine, bog and bodie ...
in Finland, Pasvik Nature Reserve constitutes part of
Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park is a continuously protected wilderness area in Finland, Norway and Russia. It consists of the Vätsäri Wilderness Area in Finland, Øvre Pasvik National Park and Øvre Pasvik Landscape Protection Area in Norway and t ...
.


References


Bibliography

* * {{Commons category, Pasvik Nature Reserve Nature reserves in Russia Nature reserves in Norway Ramsar sites in Norway Protected areas of Finnmark Geography of Murmansk Oblast Sør-Varanger Norway–Russia border Protected areas established in 1992 Protected areas established in 1993 1992 establishments in Russia 1993 establishments in Norway Zapovednik