Dubossary District, January 11. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. January 11 is the Day of Reserves and National Parks. The creation of specially protected natural areas is the traditional and most effective form of environmental protection.
Day of Reserves and National Parks was celebrated for the first time in 1997 at the initiative of the Wildlife Conservation Center and the World Wildlife Fund. Today, its implementation is supported by many environmental organizations and movements.
The date of January 11 was not coincidental. On this day the first Russian reserve was created on the eastern slope of the Barguzin ridge in Buryatia. Its goal was to preserve the population of the Barguzin sable and other animals on the Baikal Lake. The Barguzinsky Reserve was granted biosphere status by UNESCO in 1986.
In Pridnestrovie, there are nine protected areas with rare plants and species of animals. These are reserves, protected areas and a botanical garden. They are included in the list of objects of the nature reserve fund
A real ecological jewel is the Yagorlyk State Reserve, located in the Dubossary District. Its territory includes the Yagorlyk backwater with the estuary part of the Yagorlyk River, the adjacent Litvino and Balta tracts, as well as partially the Tsybulovka tract. It covers the reserve and the site of the left bank of the Dubossary reservoir and the lower part of the valley of the small Sukhoi Yagorlyk river with a channel pond with the Sukhoi Yagorlyk tract with the same name.
The reserve has scientific status. Its area reaches 1,044 ha, and the proportion of the water surface is more than 20%. There is a security zone around with a limited regime of environmental management.
“The uniqueness of the reserve lies in the fact that it explores the possibility of restoring ecosystems (flora, fauna, etc.) after prolonged anthropogenic impact,” Tatiana Sharapanovskaya, Director of the Yagorlyk Reserve, said in an interview with Novosti Pridnestrovya news agency.
She also noted that in Yagorlyk there were favorable conditions created for the reproduction of rare and endangered species of animals and plants.
At the moment, there are 101 species of rare plants subject to state protection that have been identified in the reserve. 16 species are red-listed: genista, lavender Jurinea, Moldavian Koeleria, greater pasque flower, several species of astragalus and feather grass, Hungarian leopard's-bane, hazel grouse and others.
“Last year, several new plant species were discovered in Yagorlyk. These include the Russian sea kale, a rather rare plant, included in the red books of many countries of the world. Two new species of cinquefoil plant, as well as several types of briar,” the head said.
Since 20% of the territory of Yagorlyk is occupied by water resources, one of the main tasks of the reserve is to maintain the natural complex of the water area and coastal zone of the Yagorlyk backwater in its natural state. The ichthyofauna is represented by 33 species of fish, 2 of them are represented in Red Book.
“In 2019, a spawning campaign was successfully conducted. There have been restored more than 350 artificial gravel nests. In the future we plan to carry out such work on a larger scale,” the Director emphasized.
Currently, there are fish species such as pike, ram, roach, asp, bream, white-eyed bream, red-eye, bleak, tench, carp, crucian carp, silver carp and bighead carp, grass carp, pike perch, river perch, ruff and many others that live in the Yagorlyk backwater. Silurus is rare. The proportion of non-target fish species is high: needlefish, three-spined stickleback, and bitterling. Sterlet and bester are found in smaller quantities.
There are also rare animals in the reserve. For example, otter, European wildcat, badger, pine marten, steppe polecat, European ground squirrel. Of the 40 species, 10 are rare, Red Book. Among them, there is the pond bat - a small bat, who is listed in the Red Book of the World.
Yagorlyk is also valuable for its ecosystems, various biotopes, which include near-water space, marshland, slopes, meadows, where there are about 900 species of local flora grow. Mycoflora is represented by more than 100 species of mushrooms, 2 of which are Red Book. There are a large number of insects are in the Red Book.
You can also see birds in the reserve. The local avifauna includes 182 species of birds. Rare birds include: Arctic loon, black stork, osprey, beetle, white-tailed eagle, Montagu's harrier, tawny owl, crossbill, great grey shrike, corncrake, long-tailed tit, stock dove, Eurasian nutcracker, black swift, cedar waxwing and others.
Everyone can see the ecological jewel of Pridnestrovie. The reserve is available five days a week. There are tours guided for schoolchildren and students.
