Rostovsky Nature Reserve, Russia

Rostovsky Nature Reserve or Rostov Zapovednik is a state natural biosphere reserve of federal significance, located in the Southern Federal District, in the southeast of the Rostov Region, 100 km from Rostov-on-Don, in the Oryol and Remontnensky districts.

 

Flora

The valley steppes of Manych are variants of the moderately dry, dry and desert steppe. The soil of the Manych valley is, in addition to the weakly expressed zonal soil, areas of steppe solonetzs, solonetzic soils, and therefore salt-tolerant plant communities have formed here.

410 species of higher vascular plants have been registered on the territory of the reserve. They are represented mainly by the families of legumes, cereals, Compositae, cruciferous, labiate, clove and haze. Of the legumes, the most common in the reserve are 4 types of peas: hairy, Olbia, four-seeded, hairy; common camel thorn. The family of cereals is the feather grass of several species. Representatives of Asteraceae are yarrow (4 species) and dandelion (2 species). Common rape and shepherd's purse are cruciferous family. Sage of 3 types - labiate. Quinoa of 6 species - represents the family of haze. Also on the territory of the reserve there are 6 rare species that are protected in Russia: Schrenck's tulip, Sarmatian belevalia, beautiful feather grass, Ukrainian feather grass, dwarf iris, Volga maikaragan. From the list of the Red Data Book of the Rostov Region, there are many plants: calyx astragalus, bubble astragalus, Bieberstein's tulip, two-flowered tulip, Lessing's feather grass, Sarepta feather grass, rough katran, low iris, two-spiked ephedra, etc.

 

Fauna

Birds
Birds are the most numerous vertebrates in the reserve both in terms of species and quantity. Here you can find rare birds: bustard, little tern, cormorant, pink and curly pelicans, spoonbill, belladonna, black-headed gull, owl, flamingos and others. More than 200 bird species have been recorded on the territory of the reserve and the adjacent steppe and water areas, of which about 120 nest in this area. 63 species are observed here during migrations and migrations, 16 wintering species.

Other animals
Amphibians - green toad, lake frog, garlic.
Reptiles are represented by 8 species, this is an ordinary snake, a water snake, a yellow-bellied snake, a patterned snake, a four-striped snake, a steppe viper, a marsh turtle, a nimble lizard.
There are more than 50 species of 7 orders of mammals here.
Rodents - small ground squirrel, large jerboa, field mouse;
Hare-like hare;
Carnivores - wolf, fox, raccoon dog, ferret, dressing;
Insectivores - hedgehogs (common and eared);
Bats - rufous nocturnal, Mediterranean bat;
Artiodactyls - saiga;
Equid-hoofed - manic mustangs

Insects
There are rare insects in the reserve: the short-winged bolivaria (Bolivaria brachyptera), the steppe bumblebee (Saga pedo), the Hungarian ground beetle (Carabus hungaricus), the steppe and giant scolia (Scolia hirta, S. maculata), the steppe bumblebee (Bombus fragrans), the motley ascalaf Ascalaphus macaronius), giant bump (Satanas gigas).