Tigireksky Reserve
Altai region, Zmeinogorsky region, Tretyakovsky region, Krasnoschekovsky region
History
The Tigereksky reserve is one of the youngest reserves in our country. It was established in 1999, less than 10 years ago, for preservation of disturbed mountain ecosystems of western Altai. Nowadays it covers the area of over 40000 hectares but it may be expanded because chern (Abies sibirica dominated taiga) in the adjacent areas slightly disturbed by human activity also has to be preserved and researched.
Geographical highlights
The reserve consists of 3 separate sectors: one of them adjoins the settlement Tigirek and two others are situated in the upper reaches of the rivers Belay and Bolshay Hankara. Terrain is mid-mountain with dome-shaped peaks. Absolute altitudes may reach 2200 meters above sea level.
There are many rivers in the reserve. The largest river is Belaya (White).
Climate is sharply continental with hot summers and cold winters. In January temperature may drop to -49-52°Ñ. Maximum July temperature is +33-38°Ñ.
Flora and Fauna
The peculiarities of reserve’s vegetation are determined by its geographical location, heterogeneity of the climate and the variety of environmental conditions. Taiga belonging to a relict formation covers the main area.
The reserve is a habitat of such tertiary relics as sweetroot, asarabacca, february daphne, great bellflower. Flora includes a great number of medicinal, forage, melliferous and ornamental plants. Snowdon rose, carthamoid rhapontic, leather bergenia belong to medicinal plants. Spinach dock, blueberry, guelder rose, dog-rose and common asparagus are the most widespread food plants. Male fern, Altai onion, Bludov flag, great bellflower may be found in the Red Book of the RSFSR and Altai territory.
Fauna includes primarily such animals as brown bear, Siberian stag, roe deer, and elk. Sable, kolinsky, ermine, squirrel, chipmunk and bleu hare may be found everywhere. Lynx, weasel, wolverine, Alpine weasel and musk-deer are not so common.
Birds in the reserve are grouse, blackcock, tawny owl, little owl, nutcracker and capercaillie. One can hear singing of European cuckoo and oriental cuckoo, eastern turtle dove, thrush, rubythroat, blue robin, thrush-nightingale and orange-flanked bush robin in summer.
What to see
There are several tours offered by the reserve. One can either walk or ride a horse. These tours will help you get to know the local landscapes: picturesque steppified meadows, mixed birch-aspen-fir forest, areas of chern. Natural observation decks overlook wonderful valleys of the rivers Bolshoi Tigirek and Iny. One may come across birds of prey or hoofed animals like elks or roes between the settlements of Tigirek and Chinet. We strongly recommend you to visit the settlement of Tigirek. It is a former Cossack outpost having an interesting, eventful history.
Reserves of region:
