Which forests evaporate more water? Meaning of forest
The Malaya Sosva State Nature Reserve was created in 1976 in the Sovetsky district of the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug. Part of the territory of the Kondo-Sosvinsky Nature Reserve that previously existed here was allocated for it, which made a significant contribution to the preservation of aboriginal populations of river beaver in North Asia and to the development of scientific research into the study of the flora and fauna of Western Siberia. Separate settlements of beavers in the Sosvinsky Ob region in the basins of the Konda and Malaya Sosva rivers mainly determined the territory of the reserve. In addition to the North Asian beaver, the reserve protects the white-tailed eagle, osprey, golden eagle, Siberian crane, peregrine falcon, and red-breasted goose. Objects of protection are also sable, wild reindeer, elk, brown bear, otter, and wolverine.
State natural reserves of federal significance
Verkhne-Kondinsky - organized in 1971. It is complex. It is located mainly on the territory of the Sovetsky district, southwest of the Malaya Sosva state nature reserve. The purpose of the creation is to preserve, reproduce and restore the number of wild animals in need of protection along with their habitat, as well as maintaining the overall ecological balance. The fauna in the reserve is represented by a typical complex of inhabitants of the West Siberian taiga. There are 42 species of mammals, 183 species of birds, 2 species of reptiles and 3 species of amphibians. It is home to elk, reindeer, bear, wolf, fox, lynx, racer, sable, ermine, weasel, mink, weasel, common squirrel, flying squirrel, muskrat and other smaller mammals. The most common birds are capercaillie, black grouse, ptarmigan, and hazel grouse. Various species of waterfowl are found on rivers and lakes. The Konda River and its tributaries are inhabited by pike, perch, roach, dace, ide, burbot, and in the lakes and oxbow lakes - crucian carp and minnow. The upper reaches of the Konda and its tributaries are wintering grounds for fish. Since the beginning of the organization of the reserve, the North Asian river beaver, included in the Red Books of the IUCN and the Russian Federation, has been under special protection as a rare species being restored. About 300 beavers live in the reserve. The osprey, the white-tailed eagle, listed in the Red Books of the IUCN and the Russian Federation, the whooper swan, rare in the Tyumen region, and the gray crane nest in the reserve. Red-breasted goose and Siberian Crane are encountered on migration. Valuable archaeological monuments of history and culture were discovered on the territory of the reserve.
Historical monuments
Historical and cultural natural park “Kondinskie Lakes”. In 1995, the first historical and cultural natural park in Russia was created on the territory of the Sovetsky district. The goal is the preservation and use of historical and cultural monuments, natural landscapes. And also the creation of conditions for recreation of the local population, the development of tourism, the development and application of effective methods for maintaining the ecological balance in conditions of recreational use of the territory. The abundance and diversity of archaeological sites, their wide chronological range, make the territory of the park unique.
Today, it is probably impossible to find places that can compare with the grandeur and natural beauty of the picturesque complexes of Siberia. And clear evidence of this is the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra. It is this region that combines unique natural monuments, nature reserves, parks, reserves and unsurpassed landscapes of the Polar Urals. The diversity of fauna, which have learned to live peacefully in one territory, makes Ugra an island of peace and natural beauty untouched by man.
Flora of Ugra
Over 800 species of various flora grow in the district. In the northern subzone of the taiga-swampy part of Ugra, cedar, spruce and larch predominate. You can often find pine and birch trees in this area. Features of the territory are the alternation of swampy areas and peat bogs with forests.
As for the second, middle subzone of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, its vegetation is more diverse. Here swamps are more common, and land areas are occupied by coniferous forests and birch groves. Moreover, in the latter, it is not uncommon to find aspen and larch. The undergrowth, in turn, consists of thickets of rose hips, willows and rowan trees.
The lower tier of vegetation is formed by such representatives of the flora as flora, horsetail and other grasses.
Among the green colors of the taiga you can find a lot of mushrooms and berries: lingonberries, cranberries, currants, cloudberries, princelings and blueberries grow here. However, all these gifts of nature are practically not used by local residents, so they become an everyday delicacy for wild animals.
Fauna of Ugra
The mammal fauna of the district can rightfully be called a typical taiga complex. Here you can find representatives of more than 60 different species, 16 of which are predators. Elks, deer, wild boars, foxes, ermines, squirrels, martens and many other animals coexist safely throughout the taiga. The largest and most ferocious resident of the district is the brown bear, which many call the “master” of the taiga.
There are many animals in Ugra that are listed in the Red Book of Russia. Thus, the wolverine, the European mink and the Western European river beaver are under state protection, the numbers of which in the wild are constantly decreasing.
Studying the diversity of the fauna of Ugra, it is worth noting that this territory is rich in animals of a certain economic value. These include: squirrel, sable, arctic fox, fox, hare, otter, weasel and many other fur-bearing animals.
The avifauna of the district is also surprising in its diversity, because it consists of more than 250 different species of birds. For many of them, the taiga is a permanent habitat where they breed and raise their offspring. Wood grouse, partridges, black grouse, waders, hazel grouse and geese have not only adapted well to the conditions of the taiga climate, but have also become the basis of the hunting fauna of Ugra.
Climate of Ugra
The formation of climatic conditions of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug is significantly influenced by geographical location. The territory protected from the west by the Ural ridge is completely open to the penetration of Arctic cold masses from the north. The nature of the flat terrain with many natural reservoirs and swamps is also important.
The continental temperate climate of Ugra means sudden changes in weather, especially during transition periods. The long, harsh winter inherent in this climate begins in October and subsides only at the end of April. The taiga summer lasts from June to mid-September. However, there are no frosts only in the first two months.
Nature reserves of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
The reserves of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug cannot be ignored.
They were created for the purpose of studying, and most importantly, preserving the animal and plant world without disturbing natural processes. Hunting and economic activity are prohibited on the territory of the reserves. This is necessary to preserve ecosystems.
Surely many are wondering what nature reserves there are in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. On the territory of this autonomous region there are two natural sites that are worth visiting. The unique species composition of flora and fauna, beautiful nature, rich in incredible beauties, will not leave anyone indifferent.
Yugansky reserve.
Established as the largest taiga landscape reserve. It occupies an area of 648.7 thousand hectares, has a two-kilometer security zone with an area of 98.9 thousand hectares along the perimeter. The territory of the reserve includes part of the basins of the Negusyakh and Maly Yugan rivers - the right tributaries of the Big Yugan. The central estate of the reserve is located on Utug, the largest nearby settlement. Not far from the borders of the reserve, a small number of Khanty families traditionally live along the rivers.
The Yugansky Reserve is located in the middle taiga subzone, where the most typical areas are full-moss dark coniferous forests combined with long-moss and sphagnum forests. Along the valleys of rivers and streams there are unique taiga formations - urmans, in which spruce or cedar predominate in the vicinity of fir, birch, rowan, and bird cherry. Pine forests are also widespread, sometimes combined with sphagnum bogs (ryams). The slopes of ridges and river valleys are covered with picturesque shrub forests with a predominance of lingonberries and wild rosemary.
Birch and aspen forests with an undergrowth of rose hips and goat willow, combined with areas of meadow vegetation, are confined to the river floodplains. Grass-forb, sedge-canary grass and marsh-sedge meadows extend here. About 40 species of taiga mammals live in the Yugansky Nature Reserve. The most common species are elk, brown bear, sable, squirrel, chipmunk, otter, pine marten, ermine, mountain hare, fox, weasel and wolverine. In some years, visits by Arctic foxes and wild boars are noted.
Acclimatized species - muskrat and American mink - have spread widely. The avifauna includes more than 180 species, of which the predominant species are wood grouse, black grouse, hazel grouse, ptarmigan, waders, woodcocks, snipe, ducks, owls of prey, cuckoos, and woodpeckers. There are also rare birds: eagle owl, black-throated loon, gray crane, black kite, goshawk, sparrowhawk, whooper swan, black swift.
Occasionally, birds listed in the Red Book come into the field of view of naturalists - white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, osprey, black stork, red-breasted goose, peregrine falcon. Reptiles are represented by the common viper and viviparous lizard, amphibians - the Siberian frog, the sharp-faced frog, and the Siberian salamander. The permanent habitat of ten species of fish is noted on the territory of the reserve. In various reservoirs of the reserve you can find pike, perch, ruff, roach, ide, dace, gold and silver crucian carp, as well as gudgeon and minnow. In the Greater Yugan, salmon and burbot are sometimes caught.
Reserve "Malaya Sosva"
The reserve is located in the valley of the Malaya Sosva River. In the Malaya Sosva and Konda watershed, relief-forming processes have become especially intensified over the past 10-15 thousand years with climate warming. Powerful streams gave rise to Prososva and Prokonda, which at that time were obviously powerful rivers. This is evidenced by extensive river valleys - the result of water-glacial and river activity.
Due to the elevation of the territory, the abundance of moisture characteristic of taiga is “dumped” here by the river network more intensively. The landscapes of the region receive more heat compared to those located in the east, and a significant proportion of moisture, due to the dissected relief, is removed from the territory by runoff. This is the uniqueness of the region, which is a kind of “thermal oasis” of the vast taiga spaces of Western Siberia, oversaturated with moisture and cold. The climate of the Kondo-Sosvinsky Ob region is less continental than the eastern regions of Western Siberia. The elevated position does not prevent the penetration of both northern and southern winds here, and the Urals often create directed flows of warm air along its eastern slopes. The height of snow cover in the Kondo-Sosvinsky Ob region is slightly lower than in the eastern regions of Western Siberia, averaging 62 cm. This facilitates the winter existence of large mammals (such as elk, reindeer, lynx, wolf). Due to the special foothill position of the protected taiga, the summer cyclone, circulating across the plain, comes here from the south and brings heated air, while the cold Arctic front invades the more eastern regions.
This natural complex was organized in 1976. The North Asian river beaver has become the symbol of the reserve. This animal was once quite common, and this species was preserved thanks to the Kondo-Sosvinsky aborigines. It was their careful attitude towards valuable representatives of the fauna that made it possible to save rodents, which were completely exterminated almost throughout Siberia, from extinction. This region was quite inaccessible in the past. It is thanks to this, as well as the customs of local peoples, that the nature of this area is well preserved. The flora of the reserve consists of 407 plant species. The vegetation cover is mainly composed of taiga plants, but European, northern, southern and Siberian species can also be found. Relics of the glacial and post-glacial periods are also found on the territory of the reserve: Siberian aster, Lapland buttercup, northern hedgehog, yellow lumbago, crested sedge, obtuse sedge and other equally valuable plants. The fauna of the Malaya Sosva reserve consists of 38 species of mammals. In addition, more than 200 species of birds and 15 species of fish live here. There are also amphibians and reptiles. Elk, ermine, chipmunk, bear, shrews are common inhabitants of the reserve. In addition to them, there are also particularly rare species of animals, such as the West Siberian river beaver. There are also endangered bird species listed in the Red Book: goose, gyrfalcon, eagle owl, etc.
Verkhne-Kondinsky reserve
The purpose of creating the Verkhne-Kondinsky reserve is the protection and reproduction of a unique colony of the West Siberian subspecies of river beaver. The reserve is subordinate to the Malaya Sosva nature reserve ».
Elizarovsky reserve
The goals of creating the reserve are the protection, restoration and reproduction of populations of wild animals and birds, valuable commercial fish, as well as the protection of the habitat of wild animals, rare and valuable plant species. The main objects of protection include: all types of game mammals, birds and conditionally game birds, as well as birds listed in the Red Book. On migration: Siberian Crane, Red-breasted Goose, Barnacle Goose, Lesser Lesser Goose, Tundra Swan, White Goose; White-tailed eagle nests.
Vaspukholsky reserve
The territory of the reserve is located in the western part of the forest-swamp zone of the West Siberian Plain, on the territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk and Kondinsky districts of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. The reserve was created in order to preserve the taiga reindeer population and reproduce valuable game animals. Reindeer forests, places where reindeer are concentrated in winter, are under special protection. The list of protected species also includes elk, bear, sable, otter, wolverine, fox, badger, golden eagle, snowy owl, white-tailed eagle, osprey.
Let's consider influence of forests on water regime. The water regime of any land area is subject to the following water balance equation: precipitation = evaporation + runoff.
In other words, precipitation is spent on evaporation and water runoff. Since evaporation can be physical and physiological, and runoff can be surface and groundwater, the water balance equation, according to G.N. Vysotsky, will take the following form: precipitation = physical evaporation + physiological evaporation + surface runoff + ground runoff ± change in water reserve in the ground.
Let us briefly consider the impact a forest has on the water regime of the territory it occupies. To do this, let us analyze the influence of forests on individual elements of the water balance. The source of precipitation is mainly water evaporated from the oceans and partly from the land surface. In the Earth's atmosphere there is constantly about 12 thousand km3 of water in a vapor state.
According to S.I. Kostin, in the forest-steppe over forested areas there is 10 - 12% more precipitation than over the adjacent open steppe. This has been established for the Khrenovsky and Usmansky forests and the Shipovsky oak forest in the Voronezh region and the Tsninsky forest in the Tambov region. According to A.P. Bochkov, at 30 meteorological stations in the open steppe of the Voronezh region, the amount of precipitation for the year was 472 mm, and at 15 stations located in or near the forest - 529 mm, i.e. more by 12% .
G.P. Kalinin, based on an analysis of observations of precipitation in areas with different degrees of forest cover in the Moscow region, discovered a natural connection between them. The amount of precipitation became greater as the forest cover increased, which was expressed conventionally by the length of the forest contours, that is, forest edges. With an increase in the length of the edges from 100 to 1300 km in the area where meteorological stations were located (the area was equivalent to a circle with a radius of 30 km), the amount of annual precipitation increased by 15%, and summer precipitation by 20%. This phenomenon is explained by the ability of forest edges to raise air masses to a significant height, which causes them to cool. If the amount of water vapor is close to saturation, this cooling can cause precipitation to form.
It is not difficult to calculate that when forest strips are created in the steppe, their length will be about 8000 km over a circle with a radius of 30 km. It can be expected that this will cause a significant increase in the amount of precipitation, which is important for the steppe regions.
According to A. A. Molchanov (1962), the water balance of a 30-year-old oak forest in the Voronezh region is as follows. The forest canopy retains 30% of precipitation and quickly returns it to the atmosphere through physical evaporation; 60% of precipitation is spent on transpiration and 10% on groundwater runoff; therefore, surface runoff is zero.
According to A.P. Bochkov (1954), moisture consumption for evaporation and transpiration in the forest is less than in the field. In open catchment areas, the annual flow of water in rivers usually consists of 80% surface runoff and 20% groundwater. The forest significantly influences the change in this ratio. Due to the high porosity and the presence of forest litter, the soil in the forest is able to absorb water 10 - 20 times faster than in the field. Therefore, there is practically no surface water flow in the forest. Moreover, even a small area of forest in the catchment area of a ravine or river significantly reduces surface runoff from its entire area. Due to the decrease in surface runoff, the underground, or groundwater, flow of water that feeds streams and rivers increases. With an increase in the forest cover of the catchment (within 5 - 30%) for every 1%, the amount of groundwater flow increases by 5%. The ability of a forest to convert surface water flow into groundwater is related to the water-protective properties of the forest. In addition, it determines the soil-protective properties of the forest, since in the absence of surface runoff or its weakening, the soil will not be destroyed. This ability of the forest is also of great importance in regulating the country’s water regime and widely