What number on the map indicates the Caspian lowland. Caspian primary, semi-desert and desert lowland

General characteristics of the Caspian lowland

The northern coast of the Caspian Sea is occupied by a lowland of the same name. Part of this lowland is located in Kazakhstan. It is limited from the north by General Syrt, from the west by the Volga Upland, and from the east by the Pre-Ural Plateau and Ustyurt. The occupied area is about 200 thousand square meters. km and slopes towards the sea.

The northern part of the lowland has heights of up to 100 m, and the southern part lies 28 m below sea level. This flat, drainless plain is composed of rocks of late Quaternary age. There is no permanent hydrographic network within the Caspian Lowland, although it is crossed by such large rivers as:

Volga,
Ural,
Terek,
Kuma.

IN summer period small rivers dry up or break up into basins that form lake overflows, for example, Kamysh-Samarsky lakes, Sarpinsky lakes. Among the salt lakes, Elton and Baskunchak are well known to everyone.

Note 1

The largest river of the Russian Plain, the Volga, crosses the Caspian Lowland in the west. The river has the largest delta in Europe and begins north of Astrakhan. Its main branches are 300-600 m wide, branching into numerous channels and eriks, which are small watercourses up to 30 m wide. Flowing into the Caspian Sea, the Volga is divided into 800 mouths.

The climate of the territory is sharply continental, with average January temperatures ranging from -14 degrees in the north and up to -8 degrees on the coast. July temperatures vary from north to south from +22 to +24 degrees, respectively. Precipitation falls unevenly. In the southeast of the lowlands, precipitation falls no more than 150-200 mm. To the northwest their number increases to 350 mm. More evaporates than falls out. Dry winds often occur.

The vegetation cover of the Caspian lowland is characterized by steppe and semi-desert vegetation. It changes from north to south from the feather grass-forb steppe, south of the feather grass-fescue steppe, to the wormwood-grass semi-desert in the south. Meadow vegetation covers large estuaries and is represented by thickets of wheatgrass. Vegetation cover is thinning in desert areas.

The lowland vegetation is used as pasture for livestock. Melon growing, horticulture, and vegetable growing are practiced in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

Table salt is mined from salt lakes. On the territory of the Caspian lowland there is the Ural-Emba oil and gas region and oil and gas production is underway.

Fauna of the Caspian Lowland

Within Russia, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, the Volga-Ural interfluve stands out, where the best pastures are located, hunting and fishing are developed, as well as the Ural-Emba interfluve with known oil and gas reserves.

The deserts of the Caspian lowland are home to 56 species of mammals, 278 species of birds, 18 species of amphibians and reptiles. A number of species are classified as rare and endangered. The Caspian coast is of great importance for migratory and wintering birds. According to experts, about 1.5 million waterfowl winter within the southern Caspian Sea.

The northern and northeastern Caspian coast is a migration area for about 3 million waders. 2.5 thousand pairs of mute swans nest in the reed thickets, 500 pairs gray geese More than 2 thousand pairs of dabbling ducks gather here to molt in the summer.

In this area, 20 thousand pairs of gulls and terns, and up to 1 thousand pairs of pink pelicans have made their nesting grounds.

Note 2

The main population of commercial ungulate mammals is concentrated in the Volga-Ural interfluve - the saiga, whose population numbers up to 300 animals. At the beginning of 2009, Nature Management and Protection Service environment noted that in the Akhtuba area groups of saigas of 10-12 individuals were recorded. IN Volgograd region their number was up to 100 individuals. In the summer of the same year, 1.5 thousand saigas were recorded entering from the territory of Kazakhstan. This indicates their spontaneous movement from one territory to another, which greatly complicates full monitoring and protection.

The Caspian seal appears in the waters of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in winter and spring, the population of which ranges from 450-500 thousand individuals. Five species of animals are numerous:

fox,
steppe polecat,
wolf,
saiga,
Eversman's hamster.

More than 30 species are common in the region; the remaining species are found in the Caspian deserts.

Endemics include the long-spined hedgehog - a rare species of insectivore, with a body weight of up to 750 g and a nocturnal lifestyle, Ustyurt mountain sheep the family of bovids of the artiodactyl order, the honey badger is the only species in the mustelid family, the Caspian seal is an inhabitant of the entire water area of the Caspian Sea, but in the cold season it concentrates on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Bobrinsky leather seal is bat order of bats. These animal species are endangered.

Very low level of numbers and density of animals such as gerbils and jerboas. IN recent years it is up to 6 individuals per 1 hectare. The number of gophers is even lower - 3 individuals per 1 hectare. A significant role in the region is played not only by valuable commercial species - saiga, fox, steppe polecat, but also by those who carry infectious diseases– jumping jerboa, gray hamster, gerbils.

Environmental problems of the territory

One of the territory’s environmental problems is related to the rising level of the Caspian Sea. The result of this was the flooding of vast areas of the Caspian lowland, flooding of port facilities, settlements, transport communications, etc. The rapid growth of cities, the saturation of industrial enterprises, the activities of which contribute to the pollution of the Volga and its tributaries, the plowing of land and improper agricultural practices accelerate development erosion processes.

The territory of the Republic of Kalmykia is overloaded with pasture lands, where haphazard grazing of livestock is carried out. The result is desertification and loss of grass. In order to prevent desertification of Kalmyk lands, the “Federal Program to Combat Desertification of the Territory” is in effect. There are first positive results in resolving this issue.

Another pressing problem is the pollution of the Volga water. Flowing through the entire Russian Plain and receiving untreated water from enterprises along its entire length, the river carries it into the Caspian Sea, creating an unfavorable environmental situation in this area. As a result of pollution of the Caspian Sea, its biodiversity is reduced, alien bacteria penetrate, and pollution from land-based sources occurs.

Note 3

The main pollutant is oil, which suppresses the development of phytobenthos and phytoplankton. The sea served as a testing ground for the introduction of new species, but with the penetration of alien organisms from other seas, events began to develop along dramatic script. An example of drama is mass reproduction ctenophore mnemiopsis. Appearing for the first time in the Sea of Azov, it literally devastated it, and penetration into the Caspian Sea was not difficult. Feeding on zooplankton, the ctenophore destroys the food base of Caspian fish. Without having natural enemies, rapidly multiplying, it became out of competition with other consumers of plankton.

Oil pollution negatively affects heat-gas-moisture exchange between the water surface and the air basin. The rate of water evaporation decreases several times.

Oil pollution affects waterfowl, whose feathers lose their water-repellent and heat-insulating properties. As a result, birds die in large numbers. Oil spills also affect other animals of the Caspian lowland, for example, the number of sea pike perch is declining.

The construction of hydroelectric power stations on rivers also leads to undesirable consequences - fish are deprived of their natural habitats, river beds begin to silt. Fortunately, a protected area and a corresponding regime was introduced, which provides for the prohibition of any geophysical work.

Note 4

To eliminate or at least somewhat mitigate negative environmental phenomena, large investments are required. But, unfortunately, enterprises do not have available funds for these purposes. The Caspian Sea and its northern shores continue to gradually become polluted

Caspian lowland occupies the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, and is a flat plain sloping towards the sea, among which mountains rise up to 150 meters high.

The lowland is represented by steppe, semi-desert and desert landscapes, which are of scientific and environmental value. Unique water body The Caspian region is the largest salt lake in Europe, Baskunchak, taken under protection in the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve.

In the west, the Caspian lowland is crossed by the Volga.

The Volga Delta is the largest and most environmentally friendly in Europe. It begins north of Astrakhan, where a large branch, the Buzan, separates. Along the entire route from Astrakhan to the rumps of the Caspian Sea, the delta is extremely diverse, the main branches 300 - 600 meters wide branch into numerous channels and eriks - small watercourses up to 30 meters wide. At its confluence with the Caspian Sea, the Volga has about 800 mouths.

Within Astrakhan region About 260 species of birds can be found. Some, sedentary, can be found all year round, others - migratory and nomadic, during migrations. Conditions for birdwatching are especially favorable in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, where you can go to observe the spring and autumn migrations of birds.

Caspian lowland is located on the East European Plain in Russia and Kazakhstan, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian lowland is surrounded in the north by General Syrt, in the west by the Volga Upland and Ergeni, in the east by the Pre-Ural Plateau and Ustyurt. The area of the lowland is about 200 thousand km². The height above sea level is up to 100 m, the southern part of the lowland lies below sea level (up to −28 m). The northwestern part of the lowland between the Ergeninskaya Upland, the Kuma-Manych depression and the Volga is called the Black Lands.

The Caspian lowland is a flat surface, gently inclined towards the sea, among which rise individual hills - the Inder Mountains, Big Bogdo, Small Bogdo and others.

The Caspian lowland is crossed by the rivers Ural, Volga, Terek, Kuma and others. Small rivers (Bolshoy and Maly Uzen, Wil, Sagiz) dry up in the summer or break up into a number of basins, forming lake floods - Kamysh-Samarsky lakes, Sarpinsky lakes. There are many salt lakes (Baskunchak, Elton, etc.).

Geological structure

The Caspian lowland includes several large tectonic structures (Caspian syneclise, Ergeninsky uplift, Nogai and Tersk depressions). In Quaternary times, the lowland was repeatedly flooded by the sea, which left clayey and loamy deposits in the northern part and sandy deposits in the southern part.

The surface of the Caspian lowland is characterized by micro- and mesoforms in the form of depressions, estuaries, spits, hollows, in the south - by aeolian forms, and along the coast of the Caspian Sea - by a strip of Baer hillocks.

Climate and vegetation

The climate is sharply continental. Average January temperatures range from −14° in the north to −8° on the coast, July - from +22° in the north to +24 °C in the south. Precipitation from 200-150 mm in the southeast to 350 mm in the north west, evaporation is about 1000 mm. Dry winds are frequent.

The soils and vegetation of the Caspian lowland are characterized by great complexity. Salt licks and solonchaks are often found.

In the north there are wormwood-grass steppes on light chestnut soils, in the south there are semi-deserts and deserts on brown and sandy soils with a predominance of wormwood.

Economic significance

Used as pasture.

In the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, melon growing, gardening, and vegetable growing are widespread.

Oil and gas production (Caspian oil and gas province), in lakes - extraction of table salt (lakes Baskunchak, Elton, etc.).

The northern coast of the Caspian Sea is occupied by the Caspian Lowland, part of which is located on the territory of Kazakhstan. The northern border of this region is General Syrt, the Volga Upland limits the west, the eastern border is the Pre-Ural Plateau and the Ustyurt Plateau. The area of the territory is approximately 200 thousand square meters. km.

The lowland reaches its maximum height in the north - up to 100 m above sea level; in the south this figure drops to 28 m below sea level. The geological basis of the Caspian lowland consists of rocks of late Quaternary age. This region is crossed by several large rivers: Volga, Ural, Terek, Kuma. But there is no permanent hydrographic network in the region - small rivers dry up in the summer. Some of it forms basins that create lake overflows. Examples of such reservoirs are the Kamysh-Samar lakes and the Sarpinsky lakes. In the lowland there are salt lakes, for example, Baskunchak and Elton. Lake Elton is considered one of the saltiest lakes in the world.

The Volga, the largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea, lies in the west of the Caspian Lowland, its source is located north of Astrakhan. The width of the main branches of the river is 300-600 m. The Volga branches into many channels and eriks. In Europe, the Volga has the largest delta - the river is divided into 800 mouths.

The climate of the Caspian lowland is sharply continental. In the north of the region in January the average temperature reaches -14 degrees, on the coast it fluctuates around -8 degrees. In July, the average temperature in the northern region is +22 degrees, in the south it increases to +24 degrees. Dry winds often occur in the region. The reason for this is the rapid evaporation of water. The precipitation is not enough to properly moisten the soil, and the uneven amount of precipitation that falls in the regions contributes to the dry wind. In the southeast of the Caspian lowland, precipitation falls less than 200 mm, but in the northwest it is almost twice as much.

The flora of steppes and semi-deserts is characteristic of the Caspian lowland. From north to south, the feather-grass-forb steppe gives way to feather-grass-fescue, and the wormwood-grass semi-desert becomes the end point of the flora change. Large estuaries are covered with thickets of wheat grass - a representative of meadow grasses. In desert areas, the amount of vegetation is reduced.

A significant part of the region's vegetation is used as pasture for livestock. The Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is the main agricultural region. They are engaged in gardening, melon growing and vegetable growing.

The salt lakes of the Caspian lowland are the place of extraction of table salt. Oil and gas are developed in the Ural-Emba region.

Fauna of the Caspian Lowland

The Volga-Ural interfluve, located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, has the best pastures. Hunting and fish farming are well developed in this area. The Ural-Emba interfluve in the country is known for rich oil and gas deposits.

The Caspian lowland is a habitat for fifty species of mammals, three hundred species of birds, twenty species of reptiles and amphibians. For migratory and wintering birds, the coast of the Caspian Sea is of high importance. According to biologists, approximately one and a half million waterfowl winter in the southern Caspian Sea.

On the coasts of the north and northeast of the Caspian Sea there is a migration area of 3 million waders. In summer, half a thousand pairs of gray geese, 2 thousand pairs of ducks and 2.5 thousand pairs of mute swans live in the reeds. This area is also home to breeding grounds for gulls, terns and roseate pelicans.

Saigas are commercial ungulate mammals that live in the Volga-Ural interfluve. In the early 2000s, this species was under threat of extinction, so a ban on the shooting of saigas was introduced in order to restore the population of these animals. It is noteworthy that monitoring the population status of this species is complicated by the constant migrations of saigas across different territories.

Animals such as foxes, wolves and steppe ferrets are numerous in the Caspian lowland. In the anthropogenic desert called the Black Lands, there is a reserve of the same name, studying the landscapes of the steppe, semi-desert and desert.

The region is home to several endemic species that are on the verge of extinction. These animals include:

1. Long-spined hedgehog. An insectivorous animal with a small body weight (up to 750 g), leading a nocturnal lifestyle. This species is protected in nature reserves in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

2. Turkmen mountain sheep (Ustyurt mouflon) is an artiodactyl mammal of the bovid family. Listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.

3. Honey badger, a predator from the mustelid family. In the Caspian region it is distributed on the border with the Ustyurt plateau.

4. Caspian seal (Caspian seal), a representative of the family of true seals, which are distributed throughout the coastal region of the entire Caspian Sea. In winter, these animals migrate to the northern coast, forming colonies. These animals are listed in the Red Book as a species that is in danger of complete extinction.

5. Bobrinsky's Kozhanok is a small bat whose habitat is the deserts of Kazakhstan.

Representatives of small rodents - jerboas and gerbils - also have a low level of abundance and density. There are up to 6 individuals per 1 hectare. There are half as many ground squirrels.

For valuable fur-bearing animals and others commercial species important role in the economy of the region. Small rodents distribute plant seeds, while they are prey for predators. Due to the fact that rodents simultaneously carry various infections, the number of predators is naturally controlled.

Environmental problems of the territory

The rise in the level of the Caspian Sea has led to the emergence of a number of problems - flooding of large areas of lowlands, flooding of ports, settlements, transport facilities, etc. The anthropogenic factor plays a significant role in the environmental problems of the region. Active human activity has contributed to the pollution of rivers and the saturation of the environment with waste from large-scale industries. Improper and overuse of land has caused accelerated soil erosion.

In Kalmykia, which is oversaturated with pastures, unsystematic grazing of livestock has led to desertification of the area. To avoid worsening this environmental problem, a number of measures have been taken to prevent desertification. In particular, the “Federal Program to Combat Desertification” was introduced in the republic, with the help of which they were able to achieve the first successes.

Pollution of the waters of the Volga River, which flows into the Caspian Sea, is another environmental problem region. Since this river flows through the entire Russian Plain, all the waste from enterprises located along its entire length gets into its water. As a result, the polluted waters of the Volga led to a reduction in species diversity and the spread of alien bacteria in the Caspian Sea.

Oil, which is the main pollutant, suppresses the development of phytoplankton and phytobenthos in the Caspian Sea. Oil pollution interferes with normal heat and gas exchange, and water begins to evaporate more slowly. Fish, shellfish and other marine life are negatively affected by foreign organisms brought in by seaborne transport. Thus, a real disaster was the introduction of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis into the waters of the Caspian Sea, which had previously devastated the waters of the Azov and Black Seas. By multiplying quickly and uncontrollably, the ctenophore destroys the reserves of zooplankton that Caspian fish feed on. Disruption of food chains has led to a decline in the populations of indigenous inhabitants of the Caspian Sea.

Oil pollution also negatively affects waterfowl. Their plumage loses its heat-insulating and water-repellent properties, which is why many birds die. Oil spills lead to declines in the number of other animals in the region.

The construction of hydroelectric power stations on rivers leads to siltation of the riverbed. The number of fish in the waters is decreasing due to the fact that the natural habitat of fish is undergoing severe changes. Reserve zones located in the north of the Caspian lowland regulate geophysical work, which contributes to the preservation of species diversity.

Environmental problems can be mitigated or even eliminated by investing significant sums of money. Unfortunately, most enterprises, in pursuit of their own profit, are quite dismissive of environmental protection. The Caspian Sea and its coastal areas continue to be polluted.

The Caspian Lowland occupies the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, and is a flat plain sloping towards the sea, among which mountains rise up to 150 meters high.

The lowland is represented by steppe, semi-desert and desert landscapes, which are of scientific and environmental value. A unique water body of the Caspian region is the largest salt lake in Europe, Baskunchak, taken under protection in the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve.

In the west, the Caspian lowland is crossed by the Volga.
The Volga Delta is the largest and most environmentally friendly in Europe. It begins north of Astrakhan, where a large branch, the Buzan, separates. Along the entire path from Astrakhan to the rumps of the Caspian Sea, the delta is extremely diverse, the main branches 300 - 600 meters wide branch into numerous channels and eriks - small watercourses up to 30 meters wide. At its confluence with the Caspian Sea, the Volga has about 800 mouths.

About 500 plant species belonging to 82 families have been identified on the territory of the Volga delta. The richest among these families are the genera of wormwood, pondweed, astragalus, sedge, euphorbia and salt.
Within the Astrakhan region you can meet about 260 species of birds. Some, sedentary, can be found all year round, others - migratory and nomadic, during migrations. Conditions for birdwatching are especially favorable in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, where you can go to observe the spring and autumn migrations of birds.

Astrakhan region, Kamyzyaksky and Volodarsky districts

History of creation
The Astrakhan Nature Reserve was created in 1919 to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the Volga delta. Protected area consists of three sections in the western (Damchiksky), central (Trekhizbinsky) and eastern (Obzhorovsky) parts of the Volga delta with a total area of 63 thousand hectares.
The Astrakhan Nature Reserve not only protects species in a limited area, but also serves as a source of distribution of animals throughout the Volga delta.

The natural complex of the reserve is a classic example of a large delta plain river. The protected area is located in the Caspian lowland, lying 27 meters below sea level. The relief is almost perfectly flat.
The Volga delta is characterized by large and small channels, oxbow lakes, ilmeni - delta lakes in the form of saucer-shaped depressions inside islands, kultuks - extensive shallow bays, bunchins and furrows - beds of future channels, delta front - extensive open shallow water up to 1 meter deep with a smooth bottom topography, extending towards the sea for almost 50 km.
The climate is moderate continental, with hot summers and cold winter. Average temperature January -9ºС, July +27ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
Among the vegetation of the reserve, the most prominent is the lotus, which is also called the Caspian rose. From mid-July to September, when the lotus blooms, vast seas of blue-green leaves and pink flowers emit a delicate scent. Among eastern peoples, the lotus is a symbol of purity and nobility.
There are few mammals in the reserve. These are mainly wild boars, wolves, foxes, otters, field mice, and baby mice.
But the diversity of birds in the protected area is simply amazing. It’s not for nothing that the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is called a “bird hotel” - in different times Every year, more than 250 species of birds can be found in the reserve, many of which are listed in the Red Book. Here you can see the white-tailed eagle, pink flamingo, osprey, spoonbill, mute swan, Dalmatian and pink pelicans. Siberian crane, peregrine falcon and others are seen on migration rare birds. There are many herons in the reserve: white (great and little), gray, red, yellow and also grayish-bluish (night herons). Many birds stop in the Volga delta to eat. They rest here, gaining strength before the long and difficult flight to warmer climes.
The ichthyofauna of the reserve is of great value. These are sturgeon (beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon), herring (Caspian belly, Volga herring, blackback), carp (roach, bream, carp, rudd, asp, sabrefish, golden crucian carp), pike, pike perch, perch, gobies, stickleback and others .

What to watch
It’s worth going to the Astrakhan Nature Reserve to get acquainted with the protected nature of the region: see the unique landscapes of the Volga delta, feel the aroma of a blossoming lotus and watch the birds that live here or stop to rest.
The reserve has developed a number of routes, most of which are water routes. On excursions along the channels of the Volga delta, tourists are accompanied by highly qualified staff of the reserve, who will not only answer all the questions of inquisitive tourists, but also help them spot a hidden heron or an eagle soaring high in the sky.

Astrakhan region, Akhtubinsky district

History of creation
The Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve was created in 1997 with an area of 18.5 thousand hectares to protect intact semi-desert communities and the unique, largest in Russia, drainless salt lake Baskunchak. This lake supplied the whole of Russia with salt for several centuries.
There is a military training ground next to the reserve. This, of course, can have a negative impact on the protected nature, but, on the other hand, the closure of the territory in the past helped preserve valuable ecosystems intact.

Physiographical features
During the Permian period, the territory of the reserve was flooded with the waters of a warm salty ocean; later, during the Khvalynsk transgression, there was a sea here. Only Mount Bogdo, despite all changes in water level, remained an island on which relict species were preserved.
The second part of the name of the reserve is associated with the name of the largest salt lake in Europe and Russia - Baskunchak. Its area is 106 km², and its surface is located below sea level. The lake's salt is almost pure sodium chloride.
The reserve has another unique water body - the closed lake Karasun. It is located in a large karst sinkhole. Its banks gently slope into the steppe, only the southern shore is high and steep. The bottom of the lake is covered with black silt with a pronounced smell of hydrogen sulfide. By the end of summer, the water level drops significantly and the lake almost completely dries up.
The climate of the reserve area is temperate continental, characteristic of the northern desert. In January-February the average air temperature is -8ºС, in July - almost +25ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
The harsh conditions of the semi-desert are suitable only for species adapted to tolerate lack of water and high air temperatures. But at the same time, the reserve still has areas suitable for habitat of species not typical for open semi-deserts.
The flora of the reserve is quite poor in species composition, but there are many endemic (not found anywhere else), rare and borderline plant species.
Rare species include the Red Book tulip Gesner (Schrenk), crimson larkspur and feather feather grass. Endemic species are Eversmannia almata, Indera onion, four-horned four-horned four-horned plant, small plantain and a number of other species.
It is typical for the reserve large number rodents such as small and yellow gophers, jerboas and hamsters. Their abundance creates a good food supply for carnivorous mammals and birds. Foxes, corsac dogs and wolves make dens in numerous gullies and craters.
Of the reptiles, the squeaky gecko is very interesting - a species listed in the Red Book of Russia and found only on Mount Bogdo.
In the Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Nature Reserve, 22 species of birds are registered, listed in the Red Book of Russia, including Dalmatian Pelican, White-eyed Pochard, steppe harrier and others.

What to watch
The reserve has developed two routes that will allow you to get acquainted with the local nature. The first one goes from Lake Kordon to the canyon at the bottom of the Surikovskaya gully, then to Mount Bogdo, from which you will see Lake Baskunchak and the Sharbulak tract. Then going down the eastern slope, you can see interesting shapes weathering and Paleozoic rocks.
The second route begins from the southwestern slope of Mount Bolshoye Bogdo, where you can see rock outcrops of the Permian period and characteristic forms wind erosion - “Singing Rocks”. Next, the route runs along the eastern slope of the mountain to the Surikovskaya gully, along it to Lake Baskunchak and further along the shore of the lake to the Kordonskaya gully.

Republic of Dagestan, Tarumovsky and Buinaksky districts

Founding history
The Dagestan Nature Reserve was organized to preserve in its natural state the most typical section of the Kizlyar Bay for the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, as well as to preserve the rare nature education- Sarykum dune. A special role is given to the study and protection of an important migration route rare species birds, their nesting and wintering grounds.

Physiographical features
Both sections of the reserve are located within the plains of Dagestan. The part of the Terek-Kum Plain adjacent to the Kizlyar Bay lies 28 meters below sea level; until relatively recently it was the seabed.
The Sarykum dune, 262 meters high, is located at the foot of the foothills on the Terek-Sulak Plain.
The climate in the Kizlyar Bay area is arid continental with positive average annual temperature. Most cold month- January with an average temperature of -1ºС, the warmest is July. At this time, the average temperature is about +31ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
The flora of the Kizlyar site contains several rare species: common swordgrass, water chestnut (both are listed in the Red Book of Russia), common bladderwort, and floating salvinia.
The Kizlyar Bay is rich in aquatic vegetation. Underwater meadows are dense and often completely cover the bottom. Shallow waters are overgrown with sea reeds, and closer to the shore - with angustifolia cattails, lake reeds and common reeds.
The top of the dune from behind constant movement sands are devoid of vegetation. In the upper part of the slopes on shifting sands, the first to appear are giant grate, sandy wormwood, and leafless juzgun. At the foot of the dune there are thickets of black and Italian poplars, angustifolia and white acacia.
On the territory of the Kizlyar site, among the mammals in the reed supports, wild boar, raccoon dog, jungle cat, nutria, muskrat, water rat. In the steppes, foxes, wolves, and steppe polecats are common; in harsh and snowy winters, herds of saigas appear.
In the Sarykum area on the dune and in its environs, brown hare, gray hamster, and fox are common; there are eared hedgehogs, hairy jerboa, midday gerbil.
On the Western Caspian migration route, rare bird species listed in the Red Book of Russia are noted: flamingos, Dalmatian and pink pelicans, Sultan's hen, red-breasted goose, little bustard, bustard and others.

Rostov region, Oryol and Remontnensky districts

Founding history
Proposals to create a reserve in the Rostov region were raised at the beginning of the 20th century, but plans were realized only in 1995, when the state steppe reserve"Rostovsky", consisting of four separate plots with a total area of 9465 hectares.
The reserve was created to protect the few remaining areas of indigenous steppe vegetation, and also, along with the Chernye Zemli reserve, it protects part of the wetland "Lake Manych-Gudilo", which is a place of mass nesting, molting and migratory concentrations of waterfowl.

Physiographical features
Lake Manych-Gudilo stretches as a narrow ribbon in the Kuma-Manych depression. It is the largest of a chain of brackish-water lakes that occupy the lowest part of the Manych depression. In the geological past, this hollow was a strait connecting the Caspian and Black Seas.
The largest section of the reserve - Ostrovnoy - is located in the northwestern part of the lake and includes the islands Vodny (Yuzhny) and Gorely, the adjacent water area of the lake and 10 hectares of the mainland shore. The islands and mainland coast are covered with steppe. Tsagan-Khak (990 hectares) consists of the tract of the same name, which is a salt marsh flooded in the spring with small islands and capes jutting into the lake.
The reserve area has a temperate continental climate, cold winters with little snow, hot and dry summers. The average monthly temperature in January is -5.5ºС, minimum -35ºС, in July +24ºС, maximum +42ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
The reserve is located in the Western Manychsky natural region of the fescue-feather grass steppe zone. The grass stand is dominated by fescue, feather grass and wheatgrass. The halophyte communities are dominated by hairy milkweed, splayed saltwort, yarrow yarrow, prickly zopnik, noble and bristly yarrows, and in more saline habitats - Gmelin's kermek, camphorosma, and warty quinoa.
From rare plants In the reserve, Zalessky's feather grass, Schrenk's tulip, cheerful colchicum and others are noted.
Diverse fauna reserve. Mammals include the corsac fox, steppe polecat, wolf, and saiga antelope and elk. The Island site is home to a free herd of feral horses. Wolves were noted in the Starikovsky area.
The avifauna is dominated by nesting waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds - grebes, grey-cheeked, black-necked and little grebes, Dalmatian and pink pelicans, great cormorants and others. Within the reserve there are colonies of water birds, in which several dozen “Red Book” spoonbills nest annually. One of the largest flyways of Anseriformes passes through the area of the reserve, forming mass concentrations here during the periods of spring and autumn migration. In addition to the most abundant white-fronted goose, huge concentrations of red-breasted goose, a species listed in the Red Book, are formed here every year.

What to watch
It is better to start getting acquainted with the territory of the reserve along one of the trails developed by the reserve: “Azure Flower” or “Mysteries of the Manych Valley”. During the excursion “Azure Flower” you will learn the history of the creation of the reserve, get acquainted with its flora and fauna, the features of strip afforestation, see the largest body of water in this place - Lake Manych-Gudilo, and hear a story about a herd of feral horses.
During the second excursion you will learn about the origin of the Manych Valley, about the rare plant species of the reserve, and about the birds that are found here. You will also visit Lake Gruzskoye, one of the famous medicinal areas of the Rostov region, where you will be told about the properties of medicinal mud and mineral springs.

Republic of Kalmykia, Yashkul and Chernozemelsky districts

Founding history
The Black Earth Nature Reserve is the only testing ground in Russia for the study of steppe, semi-desert and desert landscapes, as well as for the protection and study of the Kalmyk saiga population. The reserve occupies two distinct territories - on the main site “Chernye Zemli” the protection and restoration of the saiga population is carried out, and the site “Lake Manych-Gudilo” is a wetland of international importance, here are the nesting and wintering grounds of many rare species of waterfowl and semi-aquatic species birds.
The reserve was created in 1990, and three years later the territory received the status biosphere reserve UNESCO. His total area is 121.9 thousand hectares.

Physiographical features
The territory of the reserve is a gently undulating low-lying plain where vast tracts of hilly-ridge sands are common. They are deposits from periods of transgression of the Caspian Sea, so they are saline almost everywhere. The Manych depression, where the “Lake Manych-Gudilo” section is located, is an ancient strait almost 500 km long, which once connected the Azov and Caspian lowlands. Before artificial watering, Lake Manych-Gudilo was a shallow, highly mineralized reservoir; during dry periods it almost completely dried out or remained as a series of isolated or connected by channels salt lakes. Currently, the width of the lake ranges from 1.5 to 10 kilometers, the depth in the central part, where the maximum depression of the relief has been preserved, is 5-8 meters.
The climate of the territory is sharply continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are usually snowless. By the way, this is what explains the name of the reserve, and not the color of the soil - it is light brown. The average temperature in January is -6.5ºС, in July +24.5ºС degrees. The minimum temperature in January is -35ºС, maximum temperature July +42ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
The territory of the reserve is located at the junction of two zones - dry steppe and desert, in the driest region of the European part of Russia.
The dry steppe and desert change their colors with the seasons. In spring they are characterized by ephemera flowers - Bibirstein and Schrenk tulips, irises; The green of the cereals is complemented by the gray-green shades of regrown wormwood. In early summer, a brownish-purple background of bulbous bluegrass and bromegrass predominates, with silvery-whitish islands of flowering feather grasses. By the end of summer, the most noticeable yellow-brown tones are from some types of wormwood, flowering yellow alfalfa and drying wheatgrass and tonguing. Autumn is characterized by a grayish-brown color created by black wormwood, dried grass vegetation and saltwort communities that change dark green color to blood red.
In the Black Lands area, the main protected species is the saiga antelope. Its numbers sharply decreased in the 1980s due to poaching, but thanks to the creation of a number of protected areas (the reserve itself, the Harbinsky, Sarpinsky and Mekletinsky nature reserves), its numbers have recovered and now number 150 thousand individuals.
Lake Manych-Gudilo with its 12 islands is extremely important for nesting waterbirds. More than 190 species of birds nest, molt and migrate on the pond. On the islands, adjacent to gulls, spoonbills, and cormorants, pink and Dalmatian pelicans form the only lake colonies in Europe. Against the backdrop of regression of water bodies in Kazakhstan, the lake is becoming one of the largest resting areas in Eurasia for geese migrating from wintering grounds: red-breasted goose, white-fronted and gray geese.

What to watch
During your stay in the reserve you will be able to get acquainted with the amazing nature of these places. So, the staff of the reserve will tell you about saigas, small, mobile antelopes with a large head with a swollen, humpbacked muzzle ending in a small proboscis. They will definitely introduce you to the features of the feather grass steppe, and for bird watching lovers they will organize an excursion to Lake Manych-Gudilo.

The Caspian lowland goes around the north - the largest closed lake in the world. The lowland itself is mostly a waterless, relatively flat space gently inclined towards the sea (the bottom ancient sea), receiving a small amount of moisture in the form of rain, only 10% of the territory of which is available for irrigation. The Terek, Sulak, Kuma, Emba and smaller rivers flow through the lowlands to the Caspian Sea, drying up in places in the summer and forming chains of small lakes.

In aerial photography, the Caspian depression (depression) looks like a crown crowning the northern coast of the Caspian Sea. This territory is a flat plain, the southern part of which lies almost 30 m below the level of the World Ocean, and in the northern part the height rises to 150 m above ocean level (Inderskie, Big and Small Bogdo mountains). The Caspian lowland is located within the boundaries of the Caspian syneclise (from ancient Greek “together” and “inclination”) - a gentle trough earth's crust, formed in the Paleozoic. The folded basement of the syneclise lies at a depth of 3000-4000 m and is covered with a thickness of sediments, the thickness of which reaches here greatest depth for the Russian platform. In ancient times, the Caspian lowland was part of the World Ocean, on modern relief influenced by numerous ups and downs of the Caspian Sea.
In the south of the northwestern sector of the Caspian lowland, between the Kuma-Manych depression, the Ergeninskaya upland and the Volga (at the junction with the Sarpinskaya lowland) there are the so-called Black Lands. This waterless territory with uncomfortable climatic conditions and natural foci of plague, leprosy (the old name is leprosy) and other diseases, it is unsuitable for life. The population density here is extremely low - less than 4 people/km 2 . IN summer time they're raging here dust storms, up to 40 days a year. The only direction agriculture in these places there is transhumance livestock farming.
Having deprived the Black Lands of water, nature did not skimp on minerals: over hundreds of millions of years, sedimentary rocks accumulated here, and now the Black Lands are the region of the richest Caspian oil field, a place of extraction of uranium, titanium, precious metals - gold, silver and platinum, rare earth elements - scandium, yttrium, rhenium, gallium.
Active mining also has a negative effect: the surface of the Black Lands is quickly turning into an anthropogenic desert (especially considering that the soil here began to form only 4-5 thousand years ago, there is almost no turf). To preserve the local ecosystem, a state government was created biosphere reserve"Black Lands".
In the northeast, “Khar Gazr” descends into the Volga delta, to the Caspian Sea, where stripes of Baer’s mounds (first described in 1866 by academician K.M. Baer) stretch along the coast - sand ridges of regular shape with a height of 6 to 45 m, a width 200-300 m and up to several kilometers long, alternating with ilmens (small lakes overgrown with reeds). Economic activity humans could lead to their complete destruction in the near future.
with the vast delta of the Volga River, it crosses the Caspian Lowland in the northwestern part. As it approaches the sea, the main branches of the Volga, 300-600 m wide, branch into numerous channels and eriks about 30 m wide. When it flows into the Caspian Sea, the river has about 800 mouths. The Volga water, saturated with industrial and agricultural runoff, poses a serious threat to the environment in the Caspian lowland.
In 2000, to protect the ecosystem of swamps and nesting birds, it was created natural park“Volga-Akhtuba floodplain”: there are more than 200 species here.
People have settled in these places for a long time. In the area of the Cherepashki farm (Volga-Akhtuba floodplain) burials were found Bronze Age. In ancient times, transit trade was of great importance for the region: one of the routes of the Great Silk Road passed here.
The dry climate of the Caspian lowland and a large number sunny days per year contribute to the development of melon growing, horticulture and vegetable growing in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.
Astrakhan watermelons are considered the best in Russia and Kazakhstan. All other lands are suitable only for pasture or are not suitable at all. An important sector of the economy of the Caspian lowland is the extraction of table salt, mainly in the salt lakes and Elton. Salt lakes are among the protected natural sites in the territory.
In general, the entire lowland is characterized by the landscape, plants (wormwood, feather grass, fescue, wheatgrass, etc.) and animals of semi-deserts and deserts. Among mammals, rodents and hedgehogs predominate; predators feed on them - wolves, foxes, jackals; steppe antelopes - saiga, in the south - wild boars have been preserved; birds - eagles, flamingos, pelicans, Siberian Cranes, larks, gray cranes, ducks, geese, etc. Many reptiles, for example, marsh turtle, copperhead, steppe viper, etc.
The name of Lake Baskunchak in the Astrakhan region is translated from Turkic as “sunny” or “glorious”. The reason is that nearby is the Big Bogdo Mountain - the object of religious worship of the Kalmyks. The area of the lake is about 100 km2, and it is fed by salt springs. In the summer, the lake dries up and becomes like a snowy desert with a hard and dry salt cover. There is an unusual amount of table salt here, which makes up up to 98% of all lake sediments. Salt reserves in Baskunchak are considered inexhaustible.
A relief detail characteristic of the Caspian lowland is salt domes, one of which is Mount Bolshoye Bogdo, 149 m high. This hill near Lake Baskunchak is called a “mountain” because it stands out sharply in the middle of a flat plain. It was formed as a result of the uplift of plastic salt-bearing strata.
Every year, Mount Big Bogdo becomes higher and higher: the salt dome located inside the mountain increases annually by about 1 mm. “Bogdo” in the languages of the Mongols and Kalmyks is something sublime, majestic, in some cases the holiness of the object is implied. The local population is confident that the Big Bogdo Mountain is consecrated by the Dalai Lama, the high priest of the Buddhist church in Tibet, and comes to worship it.
Today, the largest cities in the Caspian lowland are Russian and Kazakh Atyrau.
Astrakhan, the administrative center of the region of the same name in the Russian Federation, stands in the upper part of the Volga delta, stretching along both banks of the river for 45 km. In the VIII-X centuries. Here was Itil - the capital Khazar Khaganate. Itil is also the name of the Volga among the Arabs, and later among the Tatars and Bashkirs. In the XIV century. Astrakhan (Khadzhi-Tarkhan) was the headquarters of the khans of the Golden Horde. In 1556, Tsar Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584) annexed the Astrakhan Khanate to Russia. In 1692, a plague epidemic killed more than 10 thousand people out of 16 thousand inhabitants of the city. Currently, Astrakhan is a large river port and a gas production center.
Atyrau (until 1991 - Guryev) - regional center Atyrau region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, standing on the banks of the Ural River. Founded in the 17th century. like a Cossack fort (fortification). In 1991 it was renamed Atyrau. It is considered the “oil capital” of Kazakhstan: oil production began here back in the 17th century.

General information

Location: in the extreme southeast of the Russian Plain, skirting the Caspian Sea from the north.

Administrative affiliation: Astrakhan region (Russia), Republic of Kalmykia (as part of the Russian Federation), Republic of Dagestan (as part of the Russian Federation), Republic of Kazakhstan.

Origin: tectonic, sedimentary rocks.

Languages: Russian, Kazakh, Kalmyk, Dagestan, Tatar, Bashkir.

Ethnic composition: Russians, Kazakhs, Kalmyks, Dagestanis, Tatars, Bashkirs.

Religions: Orthodoxy, Islam.
Currency: Russian ruble, Kazakhstan tenge.

Large cities: Astrakhan (Russia), Atyrau (Kazakhstan).

Largest rivers: Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Emba.

Largest lakes (salty): Baskunchak, Elton, Manych-Gudilo, Tinaki.

Natural boundaries: in the west it is limited by the Stavropol, Ergeni and Volga hills, in the north - by General Syrt, in the northeast and east - by the Pre-Urape plateau, in the southeast - by the cliff of the Ustyurt plateau and the Mangyshlak peninsula, in the south - by the coast of the Caspian Sea.

Numbers

Area: about 200,000 km2.
Length: from north to south - up to 550 km, from west to east - up to 770 km.

Population: about 2 million people.

Population density: about 10 people/km 2 .

Lowest point:-28 m below sea level.

Highest point: Mount Big Bogdo (149.6 m above sea level).

Climate and weather

Sharply continental.

Severe and little snow winter, hot summer.

Average January temperature:-14°C in the north, -8°C on the coast of the Caspian Sea.
Average temperature in July:-22°С in the north, +24°С on the coast of the Caspian Sea.
Average annual precipitation: less than 200 mm.
Relative humidity: 50-60%.

Economy

Minerals: oil, natural gas, uranium, titanium, gold, silver, platinum, scandium, yttrium, rhenium, gallium, table salt.
Industry: mining (oil and gas, ore, salt mining).

Agriculture: plant growing (melon growing, horticulture, vegetable growing), livestock breeding (pasture - sheep breeding).
Sphere of services: tourism (recreational fishing in the Volga delta), transport.

Attractions

■ Natural: natural park "Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain" and the Volga delta, Astrakhan reserve, natural biosphere reserve "Black Lands", nature reserve“Manych-Gudilo” (salt lake), Kuma-Manych depression (border between Europe and Asia), a strip of Baer mounds, Mount Bolshoye Bogdo (salt dome), Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky reserve (Lake Baskunchak, Baskunchakskaya cave, Surikovskaya gully), Valley lotuses in Astrakhan in the Volga delta, Kordon tract, Burley Sands nature reserve (Kharabalinsky district).
■ Historical: Bronze Age burials (Cherepashki farm, Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain), Golden Horde settlement Chertovo fortification (Ikryaninsky district, XIII-XIV centuries), Sarai-Batu - Selitrennoe fortification (1242-1254), settlement "Samosdelka" - Itil (XI-XIII centuries), Kalmyk temple-monument Khosheutovsky khurul in honor of the victory of Russian troops over Napoleon in Patriotic War 1812 (1814-1818).
■ Cultural: the Russian Watermelon Museum (Kamyzyak), the mausoleum of the poet Kurmangazy (1818-1889) and the Museum of Culture of the Kazakh People (Altynzhar village, Astrakhan region).
■ Cult: Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (village of Solenoye Zaimishche, Astrakhan region, 1906), Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (village of Nikolskoye, Astrakhan region, late XIX- beginning of the 20th century).

Curious facts

■ The thickness of the surface salt deposits on Lake Baskunchak reaches 10-18 m. Only certain types of bacteria live in brine (saturated salt solution). Today, the extremely pure salt of Lake Baskunchak accounts for up to 80% of the total salt production in Russia: from 1.5 to 5 million tons of salt are mined here per year. The Baskunchak railway was built to export salt.
■ The Cordon tract is a natural monument of regional significance (status since 1995): the Mexican prickly pear cactus, blooming with large yellow or pale pink flowers, grows here in natural conditions. The cactus was planted for experimental purposes by scientists from the Khosheutov point of the Republic of Armenia in 1904-1917.
■ Big Bogdo was nicknamed the “singing mountain”: during the weathering process, depressions similar to giant honeycombs were formed on the rocky cliffs. If the wind blows, the holes produce characteristic sounds of different pitches.

■ A lotus flower grows in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. It has been known in the Volga delta for more than 200 years, here it is called the Caspian rose. Lotus blooms from mid-July to September. According to one version, the lotus was brought here by birds during migration. According to another, the lotus was brought to the delta by nomadic Kalmyks, according to whose beliefs the lotus is a sacred plant. And according to the third, the lotus has always grown in the Volga delta since time immemorial. The floating leaves of the nut lotus reach 80 cm in diameter and can withstand small child, almost like the famous tropical Victoria Region.
■ In the vicinity of Mount Bolshoye Bogdo there lives a squeaky gecko - a lizard only 4.1 cm long.
■ Fish living in the Volga delta can reach gigantic size. In 1926, a beluga was caught, 424 cm long, weighing about 1 ton, and 75 years old. In 2003, at the “Catch Fish for History” competition, organized by the Astrakhan State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, a catfish 2.5 m long and weighing 93 kg was presented.
■ The Caspian lowland is characterized by strong winds with speeds of up to 1220 m/sec or more. In June 1985, a tornado with a wind speed of over 40 m/sec passed through the village of Tambovka.
■ In Astrakhan, watermelons have been grown since the 7th century. Translated from Turkic, watermelon (harbyuz) means “big cucumber.” This fruit was not only eaten raw: for the winter, watermelons were pickled and boiled with pepper. In 2007, the Lunar watermelon variety was created here - with lemon-yellow pulp. At the end of August, the city hosts the Russian Watermelon festival and a competition for the most big watermelon, as well as a competition to become the fastest watermelon eater.