West-Altai State Nature Reserve.
Kazakhstan reserves. The Biggest reserves in Kazakhstan

Having passed 15 km from recreation department "Gemma" we are approaching the borders of West-Altai state nature reserve (60 km from Ridder by high road).The reserve is created for preservation and investigation of nature complex typical for mountain – taiga woods of West Altai. The total area of the reserve is 56078 hectares.

It is located within the following nature zones: forests, mountain meadows, mountain tundras, subniveal and niveal belts. The reserve is situated on the territory of the following Rudny Altai mountain ranges: Lineysky, Kholzun, Koksinsky, and Ivanovsky in the sources of ther rivers Belaya, Chyornaya Uba, Barsuk – tributary of Turgusun River.

The reserve's relief is mid mountain, mostly leveled. Only the central part of Ivanovsky mountain range (Vysheivanovsky Belok, 2778 meters) is notable for alpine relief. In the tributaries of Belaya Uba River there are 14 small glaciers which total area is 1.1 square km with the ice-volume of 0.011 cube km. Up to the forest border there are small mountain lakes of ice origin and brooks coming from bogs.
On the territory of the West-Altai state nature reserve there are 4 nature zones: mountain taiga (from 1500 till 1900 meters), mountain-meadow (from 1900 till 2800 meters), mountain tundra ( 200 till 2800 meters).

Deciduous forest zone is spread on the limited territories and characteristic for river vales. The woods consist mostly of birches, aspens, and the undergrowth is notable for bird cherry trees, mountain ash, viburnums. The grass cover is very thick and includes the following species: Siberian cow-parsnip, angelica, peony deviated, larkspur, wolfsbane, dandelion.

Mountain taiga zone varies by its woods: dark taiga, cedar and fur forest, dark coniferous forests.

Dark taiga characterizes by silver furs, aspens, birches; and undergrowth consists of viburnums, mountain ashes, bird cherry trees. Grass cover is rather developed here. It is represented by such species as the annual ground-pine, the wolfsbane, the Siberian clematis, adonis, the Kuriles tea, European wood [wild] strawberry, raspberry-cane, speedwell, valerian, the Siberian adder's-tongue, and cereals.

Cedar-fur forests consisting of the Siberian pine-tree and the silver fur are rich in various species of grassy plants (the representatives of the nearest plant zones).

Dark taiga zone is represented by its constitutive species of conifers: the spruce, the silver fur, the cedar mixed with the larch and the birch.

The subalpine and alpine meadows of the State Nature Reserve are situated at 1800-2000 meters high. There are no definite borders between these zones. The main species of subalpine plants are as follows, the Altai globe-flower, the Asiatic globe-flower, the hellebore, the white flower geranium.

Mountain tundra zone is located at 2000 and more meters high; tundra consists of various plant species fragments which are spread in different conformations and size of spots and stripes. In some places they alternate with the pure rubbly clay soil sections.

Species of the plants included into the Kazakhstan Red Book are under absolute protection of the State nature Reserve. There are 15 of such species (among 40 species displayed in flora of South-East Altai physic and geographical province ; and among 55 species in flora of East Kazakhstan Oblast). According to tentative data these species are: Erythronium sibiricum (Fisch. et Mey.) Ê r ó l. the Siberian adder's-tongue, Rheum altaicum l. osinsk. – the Altaic rhubarb; Gymnospermium altaicum (Pall.) Spach. (Leontice altaica Pall.) , Macropodium nivale (Pall.) R. Br. , Sibiraea aliaiensis (Laxm.) Schneid. – the Altaic anthrax, Altaic group of natural habitats, Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Jlyin , the maral root etc.

Within the reservation area there are about 200 species of herbs. There are the most significant reserves of leather bergenia, the foalfoot, the bilberry-bush, the cowberry, the origanum, the holed St. John's wort, the gold and maral root mentioned above and some others. Some plants form large tracks which have productive significance.

The fauna of the West Altai State Natural Reserve is typical for middle-mountain region of West Altai. Two fish species, 2 Amphibia species, 2 reptile species, 191 species of birds, 52 species of mammals. The invertebrates species are not investigated. Among the birds there are the teal, the big merganser, the black kite, the hen-harrier, the quail-shooter, the common buzzard, the common kestrel, the rough-legged horned owl, the wood grouse, the tundra partridge, the landrail, the Asiatic snipe, the big turtle-dove, the common cuckoo, the woodpecker and many species of sparrow class.

There are about 50 species of the mammals here. They are the common shrew, the Altaic mole, the fox, the bear, the glutton, the sable, the weasel, the ermine, the Siberian weasel, the otter, the musk-deer, the maral, the roe, the elk, the squirrel, the chipmunk, the common dark and red field-vole, the Altaic, the Altaic pika.

The fauna of fish, amphibian and reptiles is rather poor: the umber , the taimen, the gray toad, the common adder, the viviparous lizard.

the are species are as follows: the woodcock Scolopax rusticola L., the snipe Gallinago megala Swinhoe, the Asiatic snipe Gallinago stenura Bonap., the annulate turtle-dove Streptopelia decaocto Friv., the small turtle-dove Streptopelia senegalensis L., the tundra partridge Lagopus mutus Mont., the wood grouse Tetrao urogallus L., the goshawk Accipiter gentiles L., the hen-harrier Circus Cyaneus L., the common honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus L., the marsh owl Asio flammeus Pontopp, the horned owl Athene noctua Scop., the sparrow owl Glaucidium passerinum L., accipitral owl surnia ulula l.

Some bird species dwelling in the reserve are included into the Red Book of Kazakhstan. They are the golden eagle, the peregrine, the baloban, the eagle owl, the black stork.

On the territory of the North (Ridder) recreational zone and the reserve there are some unofficial monuments of nature, culture and history.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"