Vitim Nature Reserve () (also Vitimsky) 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 nature reserve) in the mountains 400 km northeast of

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is a rift lake and the deepest lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia, Russia between the Federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast, Irkutsk Oblasts of Russia, Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...

in the

Irkutsk Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...

region of

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 ...

. It covers the upper reaches of the

Vitim River The Vitim (; , ; , ; Buryat and , ''Vitim'') is a major tributary of the Lena. Its source is east of Lake Baikal, at the confluence of rivers Vitimkan from the west and China from the east. The Vitim flows first south, bends eastwards and the ...

, a left tributary of the

Lena River The Lena is a river in the Russian Far East and is the easternmost river of the three great rivers of Siberia which flow into the Arctic Ocean, the others being Ob (river), Ob and Yenisey. The Lena River is long and has a capacious drainage basi ...

. The reserve protects a wide variety high-altitude, continental climate flora and fauna complexes: larch

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 ...

, cedar thickets,

mountain 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 ...

, and sub-alpine meadows of the

Delyun-Uran The Delyun-Uran Range () is a mountain range in Irkutsk Oblast and Buryatia, Russia, part of the Stanovoy Highlands. The nearest airport is Bodaybo Airport.Google Earth History This remote mountain area was first explored by Peter Kropotkin an ...

and Kodar Mountains. The reserve is located in the southeast of the

Bodaybinsky District Bodaybinsky District () is an administrative district, one of the thirty-three in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia.Charter of Irkutsk Oblast Municipally, it is incorporated as Bodaybinsky Municipal District.Law #67-oz The area of the district is . Its admi ...

Irkutsk Oblast Irkutsk Oblast (; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of the Angara River, Angara, Lena River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is ...

, 150 km east of the regional city of

Bodaybo Bodaybo ( rus, Бодайбо, p=bədɐjˈbo) is a town and the administrative center of Bodaybinsky District in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is located from Irkutsk, the administrative center of the oblast. Geography The town is located in th ...

. It was formally established in 1982, and covers .

Topography

The Vitim Reserve is in rugged mountain terrain with deep river valleys. It ascends from

Lake Oron Lake Oron () is a lake in eastern Irkutsk Oblast (Bodaybinsky District), Russia. Geography It is located in the Kodar Mountains, to the south of the southern slopes of the Delyun-Uran Range. Lake Oron is connected to the Vitim River via a sh ...

in the west to the top of the Kodar Mountain ridge in the south and east of the reserve. The Vitim River runs along the western border of the reserve.

Climate and Ecoregion

Vitim is located in the ''

East Siberian taiga The East Siberian taiga ecoregion, in the taiga and boreal forests biome, is a very large biogeographic region in eastern Russia. Setting This vast ecoregion is located in the heart of Siberia, stretching over 20° of latitude and 50° of longit ...

'' ecoregion. This ecoregion is located between the Yenisei River and Lena River. Its northern border reaches the Arctic Circle, and its southern border reaches 52°N latitude. The dominant vegetation is light coniferous taiga with Larix gmelinii forming the canopy in areas with low snow cover. This ecoregion is rich in minerals. The climate of Vitim is '' Subarctic climate, dry winter'' (

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(Dwc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1–3 months above ) and cold winters having monthly precipitation less than one-tenth of the wettest summer month. Because reserve is in a temperate zone far from the oceans and with mountain terrain, it experiences sharply continental climate. Winter averages 7 months, beginning in October and running through April.

Flora and fauna

The plant life of the reserve is highly dependent on altitude. From the river valley floors to about is a forest zone of primarily larch trees (Larix gmelinii) and some Scots pine on sandy soils. Forest makes up about 12% of the Vitim Reserve. Above the forest zone from 1200 meters to 1500 meters is a belt of shrub with some birch and cedar; the underbrush is typically golden rhododendron (Kashkarov), currant and willow. This zone makes up about 33% of the reserve. Above this is a sub-alpine zone of tundra and alpine meadow. Here there are dwarf birches, moss, and grasses. Above is a bald mountain zone above which the only plant life is a few types of lichen. Scientists on the reserve have recorded 1,085 species of vascular plants. Mammals of the Vitim region include reindeer, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, brown bear, sable; 46 species of mammals have been recorded in the boundaries. About 234 species of birds have been recorded, of which 140 are nesting on the site. Typical birds include Wood grouse ( Western capercaillie). Also recorded are 23 species of fish and 4 species of amphibians.

Ecoeducation and access

As a strict nature reserve, the Vitim 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 several 'ecotourist' routes in the reserve, however, that are open to the public. These require permits to be obtained in advance. The main office is in the city of Bodayo.

References

External links