Bryansky Forest Nature Reserve

Description of Bryansky Forest Nature Reserve

Bryansky Forest Nature Reserve (biosphere reserve of the Nerusso-Desnyanskoe Polesye) is a reserve located in the Suzem and Trubchevsky districts of the Bryansk region of Russia. Bryansky Forest Nature Reserve is a part of the physiographic region of the Nerusso-Desnyansky Polesye, located in the basin of the middle reaches of the Desna River (left tributary of the Dnieper River). The relief of the reserve is flat. The minimum height above sea level is 134.5 m (the water line is in the Nerussa River), the maximum is 189.4 m.

 

History

The need to create a state reserve has been brewing since the middle of the 20th century. In 1959, in the weekly journal of the Union of Writers of Russia “Literature and Life”, an article “In Defense of the Bryansk Forest” by Ivan Debrin, a senior instructor of the Central Council of the Military and Hunting Society, was published, in which he called for the creation of a protected area in the Trubchevsko-Suzemsky forests. However, for 25 years this idea has not been implemented. In 1983, the photographer Igor Shpilenok, who then worked as a school teacher in the village of Novenkoye, began to publish essays “Notes from the Cordon” in the newspaper “Bryansk Rabochiy”. Shpilenok's essays caused a wide response, and after the victory of his story at the All-Russian competition for covering issues of nature conservation, the local leadership listened to the idea of ​​creating a reserve.

In 1984, the natural monument "Suzemsky" was organized on the territory of the Pogoshchensky forestry. The reserve "Bryansk Forest" was officially established in 1987, for 10 years Igor Shpilenok was its director.

November 10, 2001 "Nerusso-Desnyanskoe Polesye", which includes the reserve "Bryansk Forest", its buffer zone and the adjacent network of regional reserves and natural monuments, received the status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

 

Geography

The Bryansk Forest Reserve is part of the physical-geographical region of the Nerusso-Desnyansky woodland, located in the basin of the middle reaches of the Desna River (left tributary of the Dnieper River). The relief of the reserve is flat and flat. The minimum height above sea level is 134.5 m (the water's edge in the Nerussa River), the maximum is 189.4 m. Sandy and sandy loamy soddy-podzolic soils predominate on dry valleys; in the floodplains there are alluvial meadow and lowland bog soils. In the old days, the Bryansk forests occupied a much larger area than now, and were considered dense.

The modern reserve covers an area of 12,280 hectares, the protected zone around the reserve is 9,654 hectares.

 

Climate

The climate is subcontinental. Average annual temperature for the period 1991–2005 was +6.4 °C, which is 1 °C higher than the average annual long-term temperature of the region (+5.4 °C). The average temperature of the coldest month for the same period was −5.4 °C, which is 3 °C higher than the long-term values (−8.4 °C.). The average summer temperature was +17.9 °C, which is 0.3 °C lower than the long-term values of the previous period. The average amount of precipitation is 550 mm, which is 105 mm below the norm (average long-term values of the previous period).

 

Flora and fauna

In zoogeographical terms, the reserve is located in the southwestern part of the Central Russian region of the province of mixed forests of the boreal-forest subregion of the Palearctic region. A feature of the animal population of these places is the passage of the southern borders of the modern distribution of some boreal-forest species. Among them: capercaillie, boreal owl, hare, lynx, brown bear, wild boar, etc.

The Bryansk Forest is the only place in Europe where all 10 species of European woodpeckers are found: large, medium, small, Syrian, white-backed, gray-haired, green, three-toed woodpeckers, yellow woodpecker and wryneck. 868 species of higher plants live on the territory of the reserve, of which five are Red Book species, 23 species of orchids, 280 species of vertebrates, 156 species of birds, 29 species of fish.

In botanical and geographical terms, the reserve is located at the junction of two sub-provinces (Polesskaya and Central Russian) of the Eastern European province of broad-leaved forests, not far from the southern border of the subtaiga region. A feature of the vegetation cover of these places is the wide distribution of pine and pine-oak forests on poor sandy soils, in which spruce plays a significant role. Zonal broad-leaved and spruce-broad-leaved forests are rare.

The reserve conducts programs to restore natural biodiversity. Since 1996, together with the Tver biological station "Chisty Les", a project has been underway to restore the bear population. By 2014, 16 cubs prepared for independent life were released into the Bryansk Forest. In 2014, the reserve launched the Bear Island project, aimed at studying and preserving the local population of these animals. Since October 2011, the bison population has been restored in the Bryansk Forest. By 2022, the number of bison in the reserve has reached 140 individuals.

 

Security regime and buffer zones

The reserve has a protected area of 9654 hectares. On the territories adjacent to the reserve, a network of state reserves and natural monuments of regional significance has been created, the protection of which is carried out by land users together with the reserve. These territories are classified as buffer zones of the reserve. This includes the state nature reserve of federal significance "Kletnyansky" (area 39100 ha).