Koryaksky Reserve is a state natural reserve located in the
northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The total area of the
reserve is over 327 hectares. The Koryak State Nature Reserve is a
federal nature conservation, research, and environmental education
institution.
The nature reserve was founded in December 1995.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) took an active part in its
establishment. The main purpose of its creation was the protection
of the places of mass migration and nesting of various species of
waterfowl, the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems in the
south of the Bering Sea, as well as the entire complex of ecosystems
in the northern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The reserve
consists of two sections - the Goven Peninsula and the Parapolsky
Dol. The area of the first site is about 151 thousand hectares,
and the second - over 176 thousand hectares. The Govensky site is
located within the Pylginsky ridge, characterized by steep slopes,
rocky sheer walls, pointed ridges and peaks. The territory of this
site is washed by the waters of the Olyutorsky Bay and the Korf Bay,
which belong to the Bering Sea basin. As for the "Parapolsky" site,
it stretches along a huge lowland, swampy and dissected by vast
river valleys.
The Koryaksky Reserve is located in the Koryaksky District of the
Kamchatka Territory. It consists of three cluster sections: Cape Govin,
Lavrov Bay (Olyutorsky District) and Parapolsky Dol (Penzhinsky
District). The latter is significantly removed from the rest and is
located in the Parapolskaya lowland.
"Govena Cape" and "Lavrova
Bay" are relatively close to each other, they are united by a common
protected area and are located on the Govena Peninsula, which belongs to
the mountain system of the Koryak Highlands.
The Govena peninsula
is washed by the waters of the bays of the Bering Sea: Korf in the west
and Olyutorsky in the east. The area of the reserve is 327,156 hectares,
of which 83,000 hectares are the waters of the Bering Sea. The Cape
Govena and Lavrov Bay sites are surrounded by a protected area with a
total area of 588,954.751,799 ha.
The cluster site "Cape Govena" borders on the protected zone of the
reserve. Its border runs from the mouth of the Galinvilanvayam River in
the Gulf of Corfu upstream to the very source, then along the watershed
north to the source of the Ivatysvayam River and downstream to the very
mouth. Further along the coast, going around Cape Govena, to the mouth
of the Galinvilanvayam River, including a 6-mile zone of the sea area
(up to a depth of 60 m), starting from the traverse of the river.
Ivatysvayam in the Olyutorsky Bay to the fishing area Ν 438 of the
Koryaksky fish factory that does not exist now in the Korfa Bay.
The Lavrov Bay cluster site has a common border with the protected zone.
It starts from the mouth of the stream that flows into the sea between
Lavrov Bay and the Tinticun lagoon, goes upstream the stream to the
watershed surrounding the bay. Further, the border runs along the
watershed around the Lavrov Bay to the headwaters of another stream that
flows into the sea between the Lavrov Bays and the nameless lagoon into
which the Balina River flows. Then the border goes southwest along the
coast, goes around Lavrov Bay along the contour of the coast and closes
at the mouth of a stream that flows into the sea between Lavrov Bay and
the Tinticun lagoon. The site does not have a protected marine area.
The extreme southern point of the "Parapolsky Dol" site is located
below the headwaters of the Kuyul River (traverse to height 402). The
border follows the course of the Kuyul River to the north along the
fairway (in this part the boundary of the buffer zone completely
coincides with the boundary of the protected area), then downstream of
the Akalkinyavayam River (a tributary of the Kuyul River). Then traverse
to height 89, crossing almost perpendicularly the rivers Maelgovayam,
Yantapyntovayam, Tylakkylvayam. Further to the place where the Razvayam
river flows into the Viairavayam river. Then traverse to height 78,
crossing the Tundrovaya, Tyngynvayam, Veselaya, Tikhaya, Amocha rivers
(left tributaries of the Kuyul River), then to the confluence of the
Tynynkvayam River into the Yygtylavayam River. Further downstream
Yygtylavayam to its confluence with the Kuyul River, then downstream the
Kuyul River to the confluence of the Unneivayam River. Then upstream the
Unneivayam River to the confluence of the left tributary Yvtylutvayam.
The southern boundary of the site runs parallel to the boundary of the
buffer zone, is traced along heights 437, 386, 390, 265, 88, 126, 402
(the boundary of the site crosses the upper reaches of the Yyngavayam,
Kaitsyngayam, Yetylkuyul rivers, the channels in the middle reaches of
the Katalyanayvayam, Ichiginnyvayam rivers, the sources of Gillanvayam,
Kuchavayam , Kuntyklyavayam).
The characteristic common features of the climate of Koryakia are:
• Long cold winters, short and cool summers, even shorter springs and
autumns;
• Widespread negative mean annual air temperature;
•
Thin, uneven snow cover in open areas of plain and mountain tundra;
•
Strong year-round winds;
• The ubiquitous distribution of permafrost
(continuous or insular).
No studies of the temperature regime in
the Koryaksky Reserve were carried out, but the data obtained at the
weather station in the village of Tilichiki in 2015 are known. The
temperature distribution in the area of the meteorological station is of
a continental nature, which is confirmed by low temperatures in winter
and relatively high temperatures in summer (abs. max. 22.3 ℃,
30.07.2015; absolute min. -28.1 ℃, 12.12.2015). However, the proximity
of the Bering Sea has a significant impact on the climate of the region.
The average duration of the frost-free period in the continental part is
90-95 days, on the coast - 130-145 days. The area is characterized by
intense wind conditions. In winter, the prevailing winds are northern
and northwestern with an average speed of 7-10 m/s, and in summer -
southeast with an average speed of up to 6 m/s. Windless periods are
very rare (2% of the time). The features of the snow cover are greatly
influenced by its redistribution by winds and fairly frequent thaws
during the winter.
Relief
The cluster sites of the Koryaksky Reserve "Govena Cape"
and "Lavrova Bay" are located in the zone of the Koryak Highlands, and
the "Parapolsky Dol" site is in the Penzhino-Anadyr Lowland.
The
“Parapolsky Dol” section is stretched along the Parapolskaya Depression,
a vast lowland composed of loose sedimentary deposits. The Parapolskaya
lowland is heavily swamped and has a network of wide river valleys (2-13
km).
The Koryak highland combines mountain ranges and ridges of
fold-block origin. Ranges and mountain ranges are strongly dissected by
river and glacial erosion, with graben-like depressions and deep
intermountain depressions. The relief of the Koryak Highlands is
characterized by deep dissection (from 400 to 1000 m), heights of
2000-2500 m in its axial part and modern glaciation with an area of
about 200 km².
The Koryak Upland consists of a system of mountain
ranges cut by deep trough valleys. The intramountain basins of the
Koryak Highlands have a gently hilly, small-ridged, accumulative relief
of lacustrine-alluvial plains with a large number of lakes up to 0.5,
less often 1 km² in area, with traces of Late Pleistocene glaciation in
the form of sands and moraine ridges. Their peripheral parts adjoining
the slopes are covered with a mantle of modern deposits of deluvial and
alluvial-proluvial origin.
The tectonic structure of the Koryak
fold zone is complex and varied. Structures from horst-block uplifts and
anticlinoria to troughs, linear synclines and superimposed depressions
are developed within its boundaries. The great complexity of the
geological and tectonic structure of the Koryak mountain country
determines the diversity of relief forms and hydrogeological structures.
The Koryak Range is a very young formation with manifestations of Upper
Cretaceous Tertiary volcanism.
Soils
The Parapolsky Dol and
Cape Govena sites with the Lavrov Bay are located in different
landscapes, so they are characterized by different types of soils. On
Parapol, these are mainly peaty, swampy, frozen soils. In the Lavrov Bay
and Cape Govin sites, there are peaty soils of plain and mountain
tundra: soddy, loamy, frozen soils under thickets of dwarf pine;
fragmentary and skeletal - on steep slopes and barrens under areas of
dry tundra and stony wastelands with patchy vegetation.
In
general, the soils of the reserve, although formed in harsh climatic
conditions under the influence of tundra and forest-tundra vegetation,
have satisfactory natural water-physical and biochemical qualities for
the normal functioning of ecosystems.
The Koryaksky Reserve is distinguished by a rich hydrological
network. This is especially true for the Parapolsky Dol section. Rivers
and streams are numerous and full of water most of the year, their food
is mainly snow. The density of the river network in Parapol is 1 km/km²,
almost all large reservoirs are connected to each other.
There
are about 10,000 lakes in the Kuyul River basin, the largest of which is
Lake Talovskoye with a surface area of 43.8 km². There are numerous
lakes, both in river valleys and in intermountain depressions. The
largest of them are Lake Potatgythyn (section of the Govin Peninsula)
and Talovskoye (section of Parapolsky Dol). The valleys of the
watercourses of the Govin Peninsula and Lavrov Bay sections are
gorge-like, often with canyons and waterfalls. Most of the streams are
mountainous.
On the territory of the Koryaksky Reserve, 332 species of vascular
plants, 92 species of bryophytes and 16 species of fungi, lichens and
mushroom-like organisms have been noted. The vegetation of the study
area is relatively poor in species. This is due to the isolation of the
region in the postglacial period. The composition of tree species is
dominated by species that have managed to survive from the pre-glacial
period.
Flora and vegetation of the reserve are typical for the
region as a whole. The northern part of the Kamchatka Territory, within
which the Koryaksky Reserve is located, is included in the tundra zone
with a transitional belt of pre-bald bushes and forest tundra. The belt
of tall forests is represented here only by insular stone-birch forests
and ribbon floodplain forests.
By the nature of the vegetation
cover, the upper parts of the slopes of the mountain ranges of the Cape
Govena and Lavrov Bay areas are part of the Berengian forest-tundra
geobotanical region. The vegetation cover of the Parapolsky Dola site is
also typical of the Beringian forest-tundra. In the mountains, the
vertical zonality of vegetation is clearly expressed: sedge-cotton grass
tundra and forests along river valleys in the forest belt; subalpine
belt of elfin shrubs; alpine belt - alpine tundra, alpine meadows, nival
vegetation of the bald belt. In general, forest-tundra prevails in the
vegetation cover from the zonal vegetation, and swamps and meadows of
various types from the azonal vegetation.
The appearance of the terriofauna of the Koryaksky Reserve is
significantly depleted, primarily in true forest species. Typical tundra
species are also poorly represented here. Of the predatory mammals in
the reserve, the most common are the East Siberian brown bear and the
Anadyr fox. Bears are found everywhere here: from the sea coast to the
alpine belt. The fox prefers coastal and low-mountain habitats.
The polar wolf is rare, although before the extermination of this
species in the late 60s of the last century, the wolf was distributed
throughout the Koryak Upland. The mainland fox enters the reserve during
migrations, when a significant number of animals descend from the
northeastern regions of the Koryak Uplands and the Anadyr region to the
Korfa Bay and the Parapolsky Dol. Sable and East Siberian (Yakutian)
lynx occasionally visit the reserve.
Of the small predators on
the territory of the reserve, the most common species is the East
Siberian stoat. He lives everywhere, with the exception of lifeless
mountain peaks and slopes. The Siberian weasel is rare in the reserve,
and the northern river otter is also small in number.
Of the
artiodactyls in the Koryak reserve, the Koryak bighorn sheep and
Buturlin's (Kolyma) elk live. The Koryak Highlands is one of the
powerful habitats of the bighorn sheep in the North-East of Asia, and
one of the local groups is located within the borders of the Govena
Peninsula. Elk is found mostly in the Parapolsky valley in the valleys
of the Kuyul and Uinevayam rivers.
On Cape Govena there is one of
the largest, but non-permanent coastal rookeries of sea lions, numbering
from 300 to 2.5 thousand individuals. Animals lie here in spring and
summer. On the coast of Cape Govena there are temporary feeding grounds
for the Pacific walrus.
Ornithological complexes of
moss-herbaceous tundras and valley forests are characteristic of the
Parapolsky Dol, and an ornithological complex of rocky seashores is
characteristic of the mountainous peninsula of Govena. The lake-marsh
landscapes of the Parapolsky Dol are inhabited by 21 species of
anseriformes, 15 of which are nesting. Among them are the black scaly,
long-tailed duck, pintail, and wigeon. The total number of ducks is
100-120 thousand individuals. 14 species of waders nest in the reserve,
the most numerous of which are fifi, dunlin, round-nosed phalarope. The
ornithological complex of the lake-marsh landscapes of the Parapolsky
Dol is one of the richest in the North-East of Asia.
Significant
areas of poplar-chozenia forests grow in the lower reaches of the large
rivers of the Parapola, where typical taiga species nest - remez
bunting, lentil, brown warbler, nuthatch, small flycatcher and others.
Their populations are mosaic, divided into separate "islands", but the
total number of species is quite high. The white-tailed eagle nests in
the floodplain forests. In general, 35 nesting bird species are
represented in the forest complex of the reserve.
About 30
colonies of seabirds with a total number of more than 12 thousand pairs
are located on the rocky seashores of the Gauvin coast. Peregrine
falcons nest near bird markets, and gyrfalcons nest along the rocky
slopes of river valleys.
On the territory of the reserve lie the
main ways of passage of birds. Mostly auks, cormorants, gulls, waders
and sea ducks migrate along the coastal strip of the Bering Sea, and
geese, ducks and swans migrate along the Parapolsky Dol. The passage
along the Parapolsky Dol reaches its greatest intensity in spring.
Autumn migration passes gradually and is not so noticeable.
The
reservoirs of the Parapolsky Dol - Lake Talovskoye and the Kuyul River -
are distinguished by a special wealth of freshwater ichthyofauna. They
are inhabited by about 20 species of fish, among which pike predominates
in abundance. Whitefish are represented on Parapol by such species as
pyzhyan, Penzhinsky omul, teal, valek and Siberian vendace. Whitefish
are not represented anywhere else in this composition in Kamchatka.
The Penzhina omul is an endemic of Northern Koryakia - it is not
found anywhere except for the Penzhina and Talovka basins (including
Lake Kuyul). From anadromous salmon to Lake Talovskoye, chum salmon,
pink salmon and sockeye salmon rise in small numbers. In addition, kunja
and char are constantly living here. In the Kuyula basin, Kamchatka
grayling is common, minnow, burbot, lake and small-mouth smelt, nine-
and three-spined stickleback, lamprey, and sculpin goby are found. In
the rivers and lakes of the Govena Peninsula, pink salmon, chum salmon
and sockeye salmon are the most abundant. Almost all the rivers of this
region are spawning.