The Komsomolsk State Natural Reserve is a nature reserve in the
central part of the Khabarovsk Territory, created on October 3,
1963.
The protected area covers an area of 64 thousand
hectares, including the water area - 4488 hectares. The area of the
security zone is 9831 hectares.
Occupies the mouth of the
Gorin River - the left tributary of the Amur River. Part of the
territory is the valley of the Amur River. The highest point of the
reserve is Mount Chokkety (789 m).
Forests are the dominant type of vegetation in the Komsomolsky
Reserve. Indigenous spruce forests, cedar forests, larch forests, oak
forests have been preserved here. Large areas are occupied by secondary
birch-aspen forests of different ages, formed on the site of burnt
areas. Of the open habitats, there are floodplain meadows, sphagnum and
grass swamps, glades and wastelands. Approximately 20% of the protected
area is occupied by wetlands. Among the vascular plants on the territory
of the Komsomolsky Reserve, 699 species are registered, among which 9
species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 12 - in
the Red Book of the KhK. One species, Corydalis Gorinskaya, which is an
early flowering plant, is described for science as a new species from
the territory of the Komsomolsky Reserve. 265 species of lichens were
noted in the protected area (7 species are included in the Red Book of
the Russian Federation and the KhK).
There are 52 species of
mammals in the reserve (the Amur tiger is included in the Red Book of
the Russian Federation, 5 species of bats are in the Red Book of the
KhK). Among the animals are common elk, brown bear, red deer, Siberian
roe deer, sable. The avifauna of the reserve includes 285 species (19
species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 34 - in
the Red Book of the KhK). Along the banks of the river Gorin often meets
Steller's sea eagle and white-tailed eagle. In the dense dark coniferous
taiga one can meet wild grouse, waxwings, red bunting. Numerous
reservoirs of the protected area attract waterfowl (ducks and geese).
The list of amphibians and reptiles of the reserve includes 7 species,
among which the Far Eastern tortoise is included in the Red Book of the
Russian Federation and the KhK. The venomous snakes of the reserve
include the eastern and stony muzzle and the common viper. 44 species of
fish have been recorded in the rivers of the protected areas.
Zheltoshchek and Aukha (Chinese perch) are included in the Red Book of
the Russian Federation, along with them Soldatov's catfish is included
in the Red Book of the XK. Recently, 77 species of cryptomaxillas
(Collembolas) have been discovered in the reserve. At present, the
number of insects, the most numerous class of local fauna, is 658
species (1 species, Schrenk's ground beetle, is included in the Red Book
of the KhK). Among the oligochaetes, 1 species is known, Dravida
Gilyarov, included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the
KhK. The list of arachnids includes 19 species. In general, the fauna of
the Komsomolsky Reserve currently unites 1150 species.
The reserve was created in order to protect the slightly disturbed
cedar forests of the lower Amur region and the Far Eastern complex of
flora and fauna characteristic of them, in particular, the endemic of
the south of the Far East - wild grouse.
On the left bank of the
Amur, back in the 20-30s of the 20th century, it was planned to open
first a sable, and in the future - a comprehensive reserve of the
Okhotsk fauna and flora. Finally, it was established in 1963. Initially,
its territory consisted of two sections, one of which - Chermalsky Bor -
completely burned out in the dry summer of 1976, the second section was
actually a park zone of the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
As a result,
in 1977, the reserve completely changed its "place of deployment", and
was re-established this time on the left bank of the Amur. At the
moment, the area of the reserve is 64,413 hectares.
The modern territory of the reserve includes both mountain ranges and
riverine lowlands. On average, the height of the mountains is 500 meters
above sea level. The highest point of the reserve is Mount Chokkety
(about 800 m).
The reserve is located in the mouth part of the Gorin
river basin, the left tributary of the Amur. In addition to the mouth
part of the Gorin with tributaries, the reserve includes a 100-meter
strip of the Amur channel. In the floodplains of these rivers there are
many lakes and oxbow lakes. Most of the lakes are small and shallow. The
largest lake is Beach. Its length is about 2.5 km, width is more than 1
km, depth is up to 2 meters.
The territory of the reserve is located
in the zone of influence of the Far East monsoons. Winters are usually
cold, with little snow, summers are cool and rainy. The average
temperature in January is -25ºС (minimum -50ºС), in July +20ºС (maximum
+35ºС).
There are many interesting places in the reserve. This is the nest of
the Steller's Eagle, adits for the construction of the Talandinskaya
hydroelectric power station in 1939, as well as an ethnographic museum
in the Nanai village of Nizhnie Khalby.
In addition, the staff of the
reserve has developed three hiking and two water tourist routes in the
Gorin water area lasting from 1 to 4 days.
Birdwatchers can come here
to watch the passage of waterfowl. Watching the spawning of salmon fish
can be no less exciting.