And Kazan, Samara and Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan and others. There are currently serious

The nature of the Volga delta in the past

Volga Delta

Water, a sea of ​​greenery, an abundance of fish and birds were in ancient times the main riches of the Volga delta. But as people settled this territory, the natural resources of this region gradually decreased.

The famous Russian naturalist Professor B.M. Zhitkov, long before the creation of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, established that the number of some animals had decreased numerically, and the grebes, terns and other birds of the delta were almost exterminated.

The depletion of such a rich nature of the delta occurred as a result of long-term predatory fishing. So, during the molting period, waterfowl were caught with nets, and up to one and a half thousand ducks were driven in at a time. In the spring, people collected thousands of bird eggs and sent them to soap factories. At the beginning of the 20th century, egg collection reached half a million eggs.

Representatives of French companies bought from industrialists the elongated openwork rump feathers of a great white heron, the skins of grebes, and the wings of terns. The fashion for ladies' hats with feathers raised prices so much that the cost of 3 to 5 skins of a great white heron was equal to the cost of a cow. The feathers of the egret were especially highly prized.

The channels and branches of the delta were repeatedly and tightly blocked with nets during the fish's passage to spawn. Carp were scooped out of wintering pits using all methods. People burned reed beds to drive out wild boars.

As a result of the predatory exploitation of the delta's nature, many species of animals and birds found themselves on the verge of extinction. The mute swan has completely disappeared, great and little white herons, ibis, pheasants, all types of gulls, greylag geese, pelicans, and wild boars have become very rare. The increase in livestock numbers led to the destruction of vegetation.

Laws were passed prohibiting the mass extermination of animals, but they did not have a positive impact on the preservation of nature in the delta. The nature of the delta continued to suffer at the hands of people.

In 1912, a small expedition of scientists established several reserves with a year-round ban on hunting, but these measures were not sufficient to preserve nature. Initiative residents of the Astrakhan region turned to V.I. Lenin with a request to create a reserve in the Volga delta. In April 1919, the Astrakhan Nature Reserve was established.

Location of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

The reserve is located in the coastal part of the Volga delta, 80 – 120 km from the city of Astrakhan. It consists of three sections: Damchinsky in the west, Trekhizbinsky in the central part, Obzhorovsky in the east.

Initially, the area of ​​the reserve was 23 thousand hectares, which was 1.2 times the area of ​​the delta. Later the area increased to 40 thousand hectares, and currently 66.8 thousand hectares. The increase in the area of ​​the reserve occurred due to a drop in the level

Today its area is 66.8 thousand hectares. The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located in the lower part of the Volga delta in three areas: Damchinsky, Trekhizibinsky and Obzhorsky.

Nature of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

Relief

the territory of the reserve occurred as a result of variability in the level of the Caspian Sea. Thus, it became either a bottom, a delta, or land, and accumulations and sediments formed the modern outlines of the territory.

Climate of the Astrakhan reserve

The climate here is warm and there is plenty of sunshine. The warm period lasts more than 250 days, the annual precipitation is 160-180 mm. Winter begins on December 4 and lasts until March 16. The average annual temperature is 4 – 4.6 0C. In spring, air temperatures rise quickly and dry weather begins. Summer lasts from May 5 to September 20. It is hot and dry, with occasional rain showers.

Flora of the reserve

The Volga Delta is a gigantic system of large and small channels and islands. The ground is heavily silted. Wide and narrow channels, shallowing and narrowing, turn into eriki.

The upper zone of the Volga delta is dominated by large channels and islands. The vegetation is dominated by grasses, sedges, and white willow.

The middle zone, which is located downstream, is characterized by many small lakes. The vegetation is dominated by grasses and forbs, reeds in depressions, and willow along the banks.

Closer to the sea, channels often lose their banks and turn into kultuks, these are small stagnant bays, abundantly overgrown with vegetation.

The delta front zone adjoins the sea, where low sea spits and islands are only occasionally visible among the sea expanses.

The coastal delta front is shallow. Depths do not exceed 1 meter. There is a weak current here, the water is more transparent. The bottom is covered with bright green underwater meadows of Vallisneria, and in some places thickets of pondweed stand out as dark spots. Huge clusters of floating white Vallisneria flowers form huge white spots, like foam near the reeds.
Vallisneria is an important plant because young fish live among its ribbon-like leaves. Many species of ducks and swans feed on its leaves and rhizomes during migration.

Floating torn leaves are a clear sign that this is a feeding area for ducks, swans - whoopers, geese, and geese. When the wind blows from the sea, hundreds of thousands of birds accumulate in the kultuks. They feed on Vallisneria leaves, which are abundant here.

In many kultuks, large areas are occupied by water chestnut chilim. Its fruits are eaten by wild boars, water voles, and geese. Chilim is also edible for humans. The average yield of chilim is 2000 kg per 1 hectare of its thickets.

Water fern or salvinia, water lilies, including lotus, also grow in kultuks. The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is the northernmost area where the lotus is distributed.

In the upper zone of the Volga delta, large channels and islands predominate, the vegetation is dominated by cereals, sedges, and white willow along the banks.

The middle zone, which is located downstream, is characterized by many small lakes, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs, in the depressions there are reeds, and along the banks of the channels there are willows.

In the lower zone, meadow soils predominate, and there are solonchaks.

The plant cover of the reserve is extremely dynamic - it changes in accordance with fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea and the intensity of the Volga runoff.

The flora of the reserve is represented by 293 species. Terrestrial species include willows, gray blackberries, southern reeds, coastal and pointed sedges, and creeping buttercup.

Secondary plant species appeared as a result of human activity: tamarisk multibranched and ground reed grass.

Lotus and chilim (water chestnut) are included in the Red Book.

Animals of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

The fauna of the reserve includes 30 species of mammals. These are the brown hare and bats, the muskrat and the jungle cat.

In spring, each site is inhabited by 1–2 wolf families.

In the early 40s, raccoon dogs were released in the river delta. Now their numbers have become very large. They are found throughout the reserve.

The common otter and stoats live everywhere. There are excellent conditions for them, water and food.

The weasel is a rarer species.

The American mink has taken root here very well. Its numbers are so great that it harms the existence of muskrats and waterfowl. She hunts bird chicks and eats their eggs.

There are beavers here, but their numbers are small. Muskrats are found everywhere in the delta.

Wild boars live in the reed thickets. During floods, wild boars die from cold and hunger, so they have to be fed and raised areas built where they can escape the flood.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is home to about 230 species of birds. In 1938, there was only one mute swan nest in the Obzhorsky area, and in the 80s. their population in the entire delta reached 4–5 thousand pairs. Conservation measures have contributed to an increase in the swan population.

The number of gray geese before the creation of the reserve was relatively large and remains so at the present time.

The aquatic parts of the delta front are inhabited by coots and mallards, pintails and teals, gadwalls, gray ducks and shovelers, red-billed ducks and herons, and cormorants.

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. The 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.

Physiographical features
The natural complex of the reserve is a classic example of a large lowland river delta. 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 winters. The average temperature in January is -9ºС, in July +27ºС.

Diversity of flora and fauna
Among the vegetation of the reserve, the most notable 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” - at different times of the 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 other rare birds are seen on migration. 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.

Based on materials from oopt.info and zapoved.ru

Gallery riverine forests

The flora of the Astrakhan Reserve has more than 314 species of vascular plants, related to 64 families. All types of flora, depending on the water regime and their habitat, are divided into the following ecological groups: hydrophilic, hygrophilic, mesophilic, xerophilic and halophilic.

The flora of the reserve, as part of the country's plant gene pool, has a number of traits and properties that are of economic importance. Plants with beneficial properties include: fodder - 118 species, medicinal - 59, melliferous - 41, ornamental - 40, food - 26, technical - 20, essential oil - 10, dye - 9, oilseed - 6 species. There are 77 weeds and 7 species of poisonous plants.

Widespread plants, as well as those of economic importance, include white willow (willow) And tristamen(Salix alba L ., S. triandra L.), gray blackberry(Rubus caesius L.), southern reed(Phragmites australis(Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.), angustifolia cattail(Typha angustifolia L.), ground reed grass(Calamagrostis epigeio s (L.) Roth), creeping wheatgrass(Elytrigia repens L.), reed canary grass (Phalaroides arundinace a L.), stolon-forming bentgrass(Agrostis stolonifera L.), kendyr Sarmatian(Trachomitum sarmatiens e Woodson), straight brace (Sparganium erectum L.), Caspian lotus (Nelumbocaspica (Fisch. ex DC.) Fisch.), umbrella susak (Butomus umbellatus L.), bagel(water chestnut, chilim) (Trapa natans L.), nymphaeum coryfolia (Nymphoides peltata S.G.Gmel.), salvinia floating (Savinia natans L.), common polyroot(Spirodela polyrhiza L.), small duckweed(Lemna minor L.), pondweed pierced-leaved And comb(Potamogeton perfoliatus L ., P. pectinatus L.), Vallisneria spiralis (Vallisneria spiralis L.), and hornwort dark green (Ceratophyllum demersum L.).

The vegetation of the reserve is represented by four types - shrub, forest, meadow and aquatic.

Tree and shrub vegetation

Shrubs in the reserve they are combined into one group - summer green. It includes formations willow tristamen (belothal), Tamarix multibranched (Tamarix ramosissima Ledb.) and amorpha shrubby(Amorfa fruticosa L.).

The formation of three-stamen willow is widely represented, communities of which are confined to islands and spits that form at the mouths of delta channels and eriks.

Tamarix multibranched

Communities of Tamarix multibranch are confined to salt marshes, the formation of which is caused by anthropogenic and natural factors. For the most part, Tamarix multibranch communities form complexes with communities of meadow halophytic plants.

Much less common is the shrub amorpha formation, which is represented by individual specimens and small sparse thickets 2–3 m high. It is confined mainly to the high riverbed banks of islands, flooded only in high-water years, to burnt-out forested areas or communities of fallen overmature willow white.

Woody vegetation is included in the group of deciduous floodplain forests and is represented by the white willow formation (wildweeds: lowland forb-grass-sedge, forb and forb-bramble). Individual communities of white willow, occupying estuarine spits and islands, are transformed over time into continuous riverine gallery forests. The formation of one or another type of forest is associated with the vertical growth of the riverbed areas of the islands. Along the riverbed levees, the vertical growth of which is weakly expressed, forb-grass-sedge willowweeds develop, and along the levees with rapid vertical growth, forb and forb-bramble willowweeds develop.

Along with continuous forest tracts forming riverbed gallery forests, in the process of dying off the willow tree stand, open woodland of trees and shrubs is formed, characteristic of the upper (downstream) part of the reserve territory. It includes white willow, Pennsylvania ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica March.), amorpha shrubby, smooth elm(Ulmus laevis Pall.), white mulberry(Morus alba L.).

Riverbed willow forests They have enormous water conservation significance, promote the accumulation of alluvium, have anti-erosion properties, and restrain the erosion and collapse of the banks of channels and eriks and the shallowing of their channels.

Sarmatian Kendyr

Meadow vegetation forms three types of meadows: marshy, true and gradual.

Swampy meadows include the following groups of formations: coarse-grass - southern reed, reed canary grass, reed manna(Glyceria arundinacea Kunth); large sedge - pointed sedge(Carex acutiformis Ehrh.) and marine tuber(Bulboschoenus maritimus L.); small sedge - swamp soothsayer (Eleocharis palustris(L.) Roem. et Schult.) and squat reed(Schoenoplectus supinus L.); forb - plantain chastukha(Alisma plantago-aguatica L.), Veronica Key(V eronica anagallis-aguatica L.), pepper knotweed(Persicaria hydropiper(L.) Spach) and marsilia quatrefoil(Marsilea quadrifolia L.); large cattail - angustifolia cattail, creeping buttercup(Ranunculus repens L.)

Cinquefoil creeping

True meadows unite the following groups of formations: large-grass - ground reed grass and creeping wheatgrass, small grain - coastal prickly (Aeluropus pungen s (Bieb.) C. Kosh), creeping bison (Hierochloe repens(Host) Beauv.) and stolon-forming bentgrass, low grain - prickly secrecy (Crypsis aculeate(L.) Ait.), large forb - Sarmatian kendyr, broadleaf bug(Lepidium latifolia L.) and saltmarsh aster(Tripolium pannonicum(Jacq.) Dorocz.), small herbs - pinnate bug(Lepidium pinnatifidum Lebed.), sweda pointed(Suaeda acuminata(C.A. Mey.) Moq.) , Argusia sibirica(Argusia sibirica(L.) Dandy) and European saltwort(Salicornia herbacea L.). About half of the true grasslands occur in fire breaks along the northern boundaries of the properties. Their formation is associated with annual mowing of vegetation. The rest of the area is mostly occupied reed grass And kendyre meadows, the appearance of which is due to the vertical growth of islands and the natural change of vegetation.

Steppe meadows are represented by four formations: Poa angustifolia, pigweed palmate(Cynodon dactylon(L.) Pers.), licorice naked(Glycyrrhiza glabr a L.) and Kermek Gmelin(Limonium gmelinii(Willd.) O. Kuntze). Their appearance is due to economic activities such as haymaking and grazing. Bluegrass, pigweed And licorice meadows come to replace Veynikov. Kermek meadows are a halophytic variant of steppe meadows. In low-water years, the area of ​​steppe meadows increases, and in high-water years it decreases.

Aquatic vegetation represented by real aquatic and amphibious vegetation. The present aquatic vegetation of the reserve occupies 6.7 thousand hectares and is represented by four groups: 1) attached plants with floating leaves: water chestnut, water lily pure white(Nymphaea candida J. et C. Presl), yellow egg capsule(Nuphar lutea(L.) Smith), nymphaeum, knotweed pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus Poir);

2) attached by submerged plants: Urut whorled and spicate(Myriophyllum verticillatum L., M. spicatum L.), Vallisneria spiralis, Elodea canadensis(Elodea canadensis Michx.), pierced-leaved pondweed, brilliant (Potamogeton lucens L.), comb, curly (P. crispus L.), mulberry non-rooting (Batrachium eradicatum(Laest.) Fries) and Riona(B. rionii(Lagger) Nym.), caulinia minor (Caulinia minor All. Coss. et Germ.);

3) unattached plants freely floating on the surface of the water: common watercolor (Hydrocharis morsus-rana e L.), salvinia floating, small duckweed, common polyroot;

4) unattached submerged plants: hornwort dark green, pemphigus vulgaris(Utricularia vulgaris L.).

The most widely represented communities of plants with floating leaves are: water chestnut, nymphaeum cotyfolia, pure white water lily, yellow water lily, and from communities of submerged plants - communities Vallisneria spiralis, pondweed comb, shiny and nodular, hornwort dark green.

Amphibious vegetation includes tall-grass and short-grass groups. The tall grass group unites the formations southern reed, tsitsaniya latifolia (Zizania latifolia(Griseb.) Stapf), narrow-leaved cattails, broad-leaved cattails(Typha latifolia L.) and Laxmann(T.laxmannii Lepech.) , lake reed; short grass – Caspian lotus, straight burr(Sparganium erectum L.), Umbrella hornbill(Butomus umbelatus L.), calamus swamp(Acorus calamus L.), common arrowhead(Sagittaria sagittifolia L.), chastuha grass-like(Alisma gramineum Lej.), watermint (Mentha aquatica L.)

Often, communities of amphibian plants (reed, cattail, hogweed, etc.) form complexes with communities of real aquatic plants with floating leaves (water chestnut, nymphaeum, water lily, egg capsule, etc.) and submerged plants (vallisneria, hornwort, etc.).

Six plant species of the reserve are listed in the Red Book of the Astrakhan Region: duckweed (Lemna gibba L.), buttercup (Ranunculus lingua L . ), Nut lotus, water chestnut (chilim), Marsilea Egyptian and Aldrovanda vesica. The last four species are also listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Caspian lotus

Rare plants of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

Of the rare plant species in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, the most notable is Caspian lotus. This relict plant has been known since the Cretaceous period. This species is considered a sacred plant in India and China. There are several hypotheses for the appearance of lotus in the Volga delta. According to one of them, the lotus was brought here by birds during migration. In their intestines they find lotus nuts that can germinate when dropped into bodies of water. According to another hypothesis, the lotus was brought to the delta by nomadic Kalmyks, according to whose beliefs the lotus is a sacred plant. According to the third version, the lotus is an aborigine of the Volga delta, remaining here for many millennia. According to the results of recent genetic studies, Caspian lotus is the name of the local population of nut-bearing lotus, because genetically they are identical.

At the time of the organization of the reserve, lotus thickets were located only in kultuch ponds and occupied only 0.25 hectares. The decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea led to shallowing and overgrowing of the delta front, first with submerged and then with surface vegetation. By 1963, as a result of the development of the shallow waters of the delta front, the area of ​​lotus thickets in the reserve increased to 67 hectares.

The Caspian lotus fascinates with its beauty

Further redistribution of lotus thickets is associated with the regulation of the Volga flow after the commissioning of the Volgograd hydroelectric station in 1958. The decrease in water flow during the flood led to an increase in the overgrowing of the shallow waters of the delta front with aquatic plants, including lotus. In 1970, the area of ​​lotus thickets in the reserve exceeded 200 hectares, in 1978 it was about 1000 hectares, in 1984 - 1500 hectares, and in the entire delta - about 3000 hectares. In recent decades, the area occupied by lotus thickets has continued to increase, and to date it has populated more than 5,000 hectares in the reserve.

Along with their high decorative value, lotus thickets in the last 20–30 years, due to an increase in area, began to play a significant role in the nutrition of waterfowl in the lower reaches of the delta. Geese and swans feed on the nuts and pulp of lotus fruits; Lotus rhizomes are readily eaten by wild boars. In autumn, the lotus thickets in the Damchiksky section of the reserve feed tens of thousands of waterfowl. In addition, ducks take refuge under the canopy of large emergent lotus leaves during the summer molt.

Aldrovanda vesiculata (Aldrovanda vesiculosa L.) is a very rare species. It is found extremely rarely in the reserve, as well as throughout the Astrakhan region, but the habitats preserved here allow this species to increase its numbers.

Marsilea egyptica (Marsiliea aegyptiaca Willd.) is a very rare species. Like Aldrovanda, Marsilea has an extremely low population and places increased demands on the quality of habitats. In the reserve it grows in small clusters in communities of hollow plants in temporarily flooded relief depressions. The predominantly vegetative propagation of this species necessitates the conservation of its habitats, which is only possible in protected areas.

Chilim forms dense thickets on the surface of the reservoir

Water chestnut (rogulnik, chilim)
A relict plant, the appearance of which dates back to the Tertiary period. Water chestnut thickets are confined mainly to flowing areas of water bodies. Until the 30s. it grew mainly in ilmen and kultuks. Currently, the water chestnut is widespread in the kultuks and in the shallow part of the delta front.

Despite its wide range, the area of ​​distribution of the water chestnut and its numbers are declining. The main reason for the reduction of its habitats is the drying out of water bodies due to land reclamation and the collection of nuts to feed domestic animals. The exception is the Volga delta. The presence of a widely developed system of oxbow lakes, eriks, ilmens, kultuks and other reservoirs, which are annually enriched with silty sediments during floods, contributes to the massive development of water chestnut, which serves as an excellent food for wild boars, geese and swans.

Multi-species formations of submerged and semi-submerged vegetation under the conditions of the constantly freshwater regime of the Volga delta are unique centers of dispersal of these species in water bodies of the arid zone. Among the group of plants under consideration, they are of particular value for preserving the gene pool. Urut whorled, Vallisneria spiralis, cauliniasmall, brilliant pondweed.

The diversity of plant communities that have developed in intrazonal conditions makes the flora of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve unique. Due to the increasing anthropogenic transformation of landscapes and increasing pressure on natural ecosystems, the role of the reserve as a reserve is increasing. Currently, the reserve is a place for preserving the floristic and coenotic wealth of the plant world and ensures the optimal functioning of plant communities.

Widespread plants of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve:

Tallest reed

1. Tallest reed- the most widespread plant species in the reserve, covering more than 70% of the land. The height of the stems of this hardy giant grass can reach 6-7 meters. Reed thickets can be very diverse in shape - from rounded clumps and ribbon scenes in the delta front to extensive and completely impassable supports in the depressions of the islands, and often frame the banks of channels and eriks with a border. Along with its phenomenal vitality and unpretentiousness, reed also stands out for its ability to reproduce by rooting creeping shoots, the length of which can reach 15 m. Birds build nests in reed thickets, animals hide from prying eyes, insects swarm in myriads, therefore, despite the apparent simplicity, reed thickets are a whole rich world that needs to be protected.

2. Cattails prefer shallow water areas and often form borders around clumps of reeds. Systematically, it is a very interesting genus, represented on the territory of the reserve by several species (south-eastern, narrow-leaved, broad-leaved, Laksmana) and their hybrids. Notable are the inflorescences of cattails, the male and female parts of which are located one above the other at the top of the same peduncle. Extensive thickets of cattails in the kultuchny zone of the delta front provide shelter for raccoon dogs who like to make paths between its clumps. Cattail rhizomes, rich in starch, are very popular with wild boars. A very important ecological function of cattail thickets is their filtration activity: they retain a significant part of the pollutants coming from the Volga water.

3. Lake reed– despite the wide popularity of the name (reed is popularly called several species of plants that have nothing to do with reed), the reed itself is rare in the reserve and grows in shallow water bodies in separate small clumps of 1-3 sq.m. The leaves of the reed are reduced almost to scales and the clump consists of dark green peduncles with a spreading inflorescence at the top.

Straight hedgehog

4. Straight hedgehog– a common plant species in the reserve, preferring marshy banks and shallow water areas. The name of this species very accurately characterizes its appearance - triangular straight leaves reaching two meters in height, and on branched peduncles numerous fruits - dry nuts, similar to green hedgehogs. The flowers of the hedgehog are also unusual - they are numerous in the inflorescence, both male and female. The hedgehog is an active competitor of the lotus, populating shallow areas of the delta front and underwater spits.

5. Umbrella susak– a species very widespread in the shallow waters of the reserve and in coastal wet habitats. It is interesting that susak forms two life forms - vegetative and generative. The generative form of susak is a full-fledged plant with narrow leaves and graceful umbrella-shaped inflorescences, on which numerous small seeds are formed after flowering. The vegetative form is represented by non-flowering bushes with long narrow leaves creeping along the surface of the water in deeper and flowing areas of reservoirs. Thick creeping rhizomes of susak are rich in starch, which determines its nutritional value.

6. Caspian lotus- perhaps the most famous plant in our region, which has become its symbol. Lotus thickets, occupying vast areas of the shallow waters of the delta front, are covered with a huge number of pale pink fragrant flowers from early July to mid-September. Swans and geese feed on lotus fruits—nuts that ripen in conical boxes (“pods”); wild boars happily dig up and eat the rhizomes; and terns build their nests on the huge floating leaves. People can only admire these amazing flowers - the Caspian lotus is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

7. White water lily, or as it is popularly called “water lily”, is a typical inhabitant of the reservoirs of the reserve with hard leathery leaves and large white, waxy flowers up to 12 cm in diameter. The snow-white petals towards the center of the flower gradually decrease and gradually turn into stamens. In the evening, the water lily flowers close and sink under the water, and at dawn they bloom again on the surface. Water lilies form very powerful clumps, often with leaves raised above the surface of the water, and terns like to build their nests on floating leaves. The water lily is also of food value for waterfowl and semi-aquatic mammals.

8. Yellow egg capsule- a perennial plant common in the reserve, preferring shallow (1.5-2 m) depths. The leaves of the egg capsule with a floating leathery plate reach 40 cm in length and sometimes rise above the surface of the water on long triangular petioles. The egg capsule also has lower underwater leaves - thin and translucent. Very noticeable are the bright yellow flowers rising above the water with five fleshy concave sepals, which are more like petals in shape and color. The numerous petals themselves are much shorter and narrower. The large leaves of the egg capsule are actively used by terns for building nests; their food value is also important for waterfowl.

Nymphaeum coryfolia

9. Nymphaeum coryfolia- a typical species for low-flowing reservoirs of the reserve, preferring depths of up to 2 m. The floating stem bears at the top a section with a rosette of very unusual leaves - rounded with a notched edge, they really resemble a shield. Bright yellow delicate flowers (up to 4 cm in diameter) are arranged in bunches on long stalks. Nymphaeum clumps in the delta front and kultuchny zone often reach significant sizes, forming entire clearings covered with a mass of flowers from June to mid-September. Nymphaeum has significant food value for waterfowl and fish; its thickets serve as a protective shelter for juvenile fish and some mollusks.

10. Chilim (water chestnut, bagel) is a beautiful annual plant with floating rosettes of leaves. In low-flow eriks, chilim forms an openwork green carpet on the surface of the water. Chilim leaves have special porous thickenings in the petioles filled with air, which allows the plant to float on the surface of the water. The snow-white flowers of chilim are small and hidden in the axils of the leaves, but the fruits are very remarkable. Ripe nuts with large hooked spines are hidden on the stems under water, but for such connoisseurs as swans, geese, and wild boars, this is not an obstacle - chilim is their favorite delicacy. And these nuts, rich in starch and protein, helped people survive the hungry war and post-war years. Currently, the water chestnut is protected by the Red Book.

11. Salvinia floating- this very numerous representative of aquatic ferns in the flora of the reserve lives on the surface of watercourses, preferring low-flow and stagnant areas. It should be noted that salvinia has 2 types of leaves - floating and submerged. The floating leaves are elliptical with short petioles, submerged, divided into thread-like lobes, densely covered with hairs. In appearance, the submerged leaf resembles a root, the function of which it performs. Appearing at the end of May, salvinia quickly captures the entire surface of the water between the stems of reeds, cattails, rosettes of chilim leaves and forms dense thickets of a continuous bluish-green carpet.

12. Pondweed is a genus widely represented in the flora of the reserve, the most common species of which are comb-leaved, pierced-leaved, curly, knotty and shiny pondweeds. Among this genus there are species with both floating and completely submerged leaves. Pondweed (with submerged leaves) forms powerful underwater meadows, which serve as spawning sites and refuges for fish, and is also one of the main food sources for waterfowl. Long stems of pondweeds with floating leaves at the mouths of the eriks intertwine on the surface of the water and form dense aspects of reddish leaves with clearly visible peduncles. All pondweeds are rooted plants that are easily propagated by stem fragments.

13. Hornwort dark green– one of the most widespread aquatic plants in the kultuchny zone of the delta front. Curtains of hornworts in shallow areas (up to 1.5 m) form real underwater meadows. The tops of its long stems with dissected leaves (really similar to horns) are very hard and prickly to the touch, usually protruding slightly from the water. Hornwort thickets are a place for mass feeding of juvenile fish - with well-warmed shallow water and shelters from clumps of hornwort. Considering the very high transparency of the water, which is cleared of suspended matter in dense underwater meadows, hornwort thickets represent a kind of aquarium with an abundance of fish and ease of observation.

Persian nightshade

14. Nightshades- a genus represented on the territory of the reserve by Persian nightshade and Kitagawa. Persian nightshade twines over the branches of willows and other semi-aquatic plants, which is why the gallery forests of the reserve are called the “Caspian jungle”. Very powerful, woody at the base, nightshade stems can easily rise to a height of 5 meters. The abundance of inflorescences with bright purple flowers, which are very quickly complemented by green and then red berries, serve as a real decoration of the banks of the reserve’s watercourses. Moreover, ripe berries, which become transparent ruby ​​after the first frost, remain on the fallen stems until mid-December. But you should not try to taste them - like most nightshade berries of these species, they are slightly poisonous to humans.

15. New fence- a powerful vine with long stems and large white flowers. The favorite support for “climbing” the rootstock is the southern reed, and the vines, spreading from one stem to another, sometimes create real reed tents, covered with many flowers until late autumn.

16. Tamarix multibranched– a rather large spreading shrub that prefers saline soils. The main thickets of tamarisk are confined to slightly saline meadows located near the cordons and along the northern border of the reserve. During flowering from May to mid-July, Tamarix, covered with fluffy pink inflorescences, is very beautiful. Very interesting is the ability of tamarisk bushes to absorb salt from deep layers of soil and accumulate it in their leaves. In autumn, the falling leaves of tamarisk cause an increase in the degree of salinity of the soil around the bush. In this regard, only salt-loving plant species can grow together with tamarix.

17. Gray blackberry– a widespread species that prefers to grow on riverbed banks under willows. The intertwined long stems of blackberries, covered with countless thorns, form impenetrable thickets along the banks of watercourses, which, perhaps, only wild boars can overcome. Blackberries bloom all summer, and dark purple juicy sweet and sour berries, covered with a bluish coating, are found until mid-November.

White willow

18. White willow— forms gallery forests along the watercourses of the reserve. The total area of ​​willow forests (wildweeds) of the reserve is small, but it is impossible to overestimate their importance. Powerful branchy willows are a resting and nesting place for many species of birds (cormorants, eagles, herons, etc.); minks and raccoon dogs make their home in the roots and old stumps. Even old trees that have fallen into the water continue to play an important environment-forming role - entire islands of herbaceous plants appear on them and water voles are not averse to settling. And the dried willow trunks, stripped of bark and branches, float downstream to shallow areas of the delta front, becoming a favorite resting place for many birds.

19. Three-stamen willow– a shrubby species of willow, a pioneer among the woody vegetation of the reserve. A distinctive feature of this willow (also called “belotal”) is the absence of one central trunk; the bush always has many trunks and they are the same in power. Seedlings (seed sprouts) of willow tristamen are among the first to colonize young spits, fixing the soil and forming dense thickets (talniks). After the development of the new land by the three-stamened willow, it will be replaced by the white, tree-like willow, leaving small bushes along the water's edge from the former thickets of the willow. And the restless belotal will move further, downstream to new spaces.

20. Pennsylvania ash- a relatively new species in the flora of the reserve, which owes its appearance to the introduction in the mid-twentieth century. There is especially a lot of ash in the upper parts of the reserve, where it replaces (and often displaces) old white willow trees. Tall and slender ash trees, however, do not fit well into the existing biotopes of the reserve - its branches are not very suitable for building nests, and almost nothing grows under the canopy of the crown - the shade is too thick and the roots are closely intertwined near the surface. However, in autumn the ash tree is unusually beautiful - its yellowed crowns decorate the riverine forests throughout October.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is water, water and water. And also islands overgrown with reeds, cattails, and willows. It is surprising that the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located in a desert zone. But the great Volga River flows here. Having covered more than three thousand kilometers, the Volga branches into dozens of branches, channels, and eriks. And between them are islands. On these islands, in three isolated areas, the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located: in the west - Damchik, in the center - Trekhizbinka, in the east - Obzhorovo. Astrakhan is 80-120 km away. The Astrakhan Nature Reserve was organized in 1919. Initially, the area of ​​the reserve was 23,000 hectares. Now, due to the fall in the level of the Caspian Sea, the area has increased almost two and a half times and reaches 68 thousand hectares. The reserve has several different natural areas.

The coastal delta is the front part of the Volga delta, adjacent directly to the Caspian Sea. Nothing grows on the banks. The depth of the delta front is small, usually no more than a meter. The water is clear. At the bottom of the thicket Vallisneria And pondweed.

Island willow forests grow along the banks of the canals. Kultuks are small channels that gradually become overgrown, becoming stagnant, turning into bays. Reeds occupy the central part of the islands. Salt marsh meadows are elevated places where steppe and desert plants grow ( wheatgrass, canary, blackberry, tamarisk bushes). Pheasants hide among them. Elevated saline meadows alternate with depressions overgrown with reeds.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is the kingdom of fish and waterfowl. Many commercial fish live here: carp, som, asp, vobla, rudd, valuable species move along the channels to spawn herring And sturgeon. There are thousands of waterfowl. Birds have to adapt to long-term flooding, which lasts from April to June. Most birds nest in trees (various herons, loaves, cormorants). Some build floating nests ( toadstools, coots). Birds that usually raise their chicks on the ground are having a hard time. Only those who climb trees survive: they move into hollows or old heron nests (some mallards, gray ducks etc.).

The herons in the reserve are of all colors: white (great and small), gray, red, yellow and also night herons - they are also called night herons. Herons live in large colonies. Ducks, geese, geese, swans stop in the Volga delta to feed. They fatten and rest on the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, gaining strength before a long and difficult flight to warmer climes. Some remain on the nesting grounds.

There are few mammals in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. Just like birds, spring floods prevent them from breeding. Some move to trees - to bird nests ( gray rats, water voles).

Amphibians are numerous - green, lake frogs. They fill the evening air with their croaking. A wonderful flower grows in the reserve - lotus- extraordinary size and color. Among eastern peoples, the lotus is a symbol of purity and nobility. There are a huge number of mosquitoes in the reserve. They circle overhead with a squeal and bite painfully. In the lower reaches of the Volga delta there are about 40 colonies of wading birds, about 20 of cormorants. Numbers restored spoonbills, loaves, mute swan, pelican, pheasant. They became numerous egrets. More ducks and geese remain on the nesting grounds. Up to 10 million ducks, geese, and swans fly through the lower reaches of the delta. 400 thousand of them moult here. That's why The Volga delta has been declared a specially protected international bird reserve.

It wasn't always like this. Before the creation of the reserve, even in remote areas of the Volga delta remote from populated areas, egrets, ibis, and mute swans were very rare. During the molting period of waterfowl, when they lose the ability to fly, poachers caught them with nets. During molting, birds lose many feathers at once, and the birds lose the ability to fly. At this time, the birds huddle in the thickets and wait until their wing feathers grow. Now in the reserve, moulting birds are caught in nets, only to be ringed, and then released. They especially hunted for the skins of white herons, which are of great value. During the mating season, males have feathers on their back that lengthen and hang down the sides of their tail. These feathers have a special structure - they do not have a fan, and the beards extend freely from the shaft, without being held together by hooks. And it turns out to be an openwork, lace robe. Such feathers are called aigrette (from the Latin name of the white heron - aigrette). At the beginning of the century, aigrettes were very fashionable. They went to decorate ladies' hats, for the sake of which herons were mercilessly destroyed. As a result, there are very few herons left. Fish was caught using prohibited methods, mainly with nets. Reeds were often set on fire to drive wild boars and pheasants out of the thickets.

And now the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is the largest center for bird ringing. More than 150 thousand individuals were ringed there, which were later found in Greenland, Western Europe, Africa, India and other areas of the globe.

The reserve is home to approximately 2 thousand. boars. Reed supports and willow forests are protected. A set of measures is being carried out in the reserve to restore the hydrological regime. Fish passage channels have been built and aquatic vegetation is being mowed.

Walk through the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

Sailing in a small boat between islands covered with willow, we approach a colony of herons. White, gray, yellow herons are circling in the air ahead. We land on an island overgrown with willow. There are no herbaceous plants on the ground, the ground is white with bird droppings, as if it was watered with lime. Rare and stunted blades of grass on the surface of the earth suffocate and die. Only along the edges of the island is nightshade green with red and black (ripe) berries. The tree trunks are also white. Each willow has several nests. The upper tier is occupied by large birds: great white and gray herons, cormorants. Cormorants nest closer to the edge of the island so that they can immediately rush into the water from the top of the trees for prey. Medium-sized birds nest in the middle tier: pigtails, night herons, and ibis. The spoonbill, or spoonbill, belongs to the ibis family. It is snow-white in color. The beak of the cape widens at the end in the form of a shovel. And when this bird hunts, it walks through shallow water and shakes its head from side to side: left and right, as if mowing down, holding its prey with its wide beak. The smallest birds nest in the lower tier: little white and yellow herons.

The colonies are very noisy, the birds constantly scream and fight. The hubbub can be heard for several kilometers.

Floating further along the channel, we see a fluffy ball swinging overhead. He hangs from the branches of a willow tree that hangs over the water. This is a tit's nest. It is the size of a fist and from a distance resembles a wasp’s nest, made from the fluff of faded willow and poplar. It has a hole on the side. The tiny jug sways in the wind; it cannot be reached either from above or from below.

With difficulty we push the small boat with our pole through the kultuks - shallow, stagnant bays. The entire surface of the water is covered with plants. The floating multi-colored rosettes of leaves especially stand out. They are sometimes green, sometimes yellow, and sometimes purple and even crimson. Rosettes float because there is a lot of air in the leaves. These leaves are attached to the bottom by a long and thick root. And under the leaves there are horned, strangely shaped fruits. This is chilim waternut or devil's nut as it is called. Its shell is hard and difficult to crack. There is a white nucleolus inside. The taste of the nut, although watery, is sweet. There are many who like to enjoy chilim. Wild boars also feed on it. They greatly crush the thickets of chilim and even trample paths. Geese come after the chilim kernels. They crush nuts with their strong beaks, eating the juicy grains.

Water voles also love chilli. These furry, dark brown rodents come for nuts at dusk.

The bottom of the kultuks is covered with Vallisneria. The delicate flowers of this plant float to the surface, resembling foam. Many waterfowl love to eat the leaves and rhizomes of Vallisneria. In these places you can meet shiny black birds - coots with a white bald spot on their forehead. Here young fish gather in large numbers.

White water lilies and yellow egg capsules float on the surface of the water. Their unique aroma, reeking of freshness, intoxicates the head. Bees are circling over the yellow nymphaeum flowers.

On the way there is an impassable obstacle - willow and reeds intertwined with prickly blackberries or loaches. We get into the water and move on foot; the water is just below the knee, in some places reaches the waist. Parting the reeds, we make our way through the willow thickets. Finally, the plants part and fairy-tale flowers appear before your eyes. Huge corollas sway on one and a half meter stems. You can't reach them with your hand. Delicate pink petals are stretched upward, like closed child’s hands, and among them is an amber-yellow palisade of stamens. The diameter of the flower is up to a quarter of a meter, almost like a large plate. This Indian lotus, or Caspian rose, as they call it here. The color of flowers varies, and its intensity depends on age. On the first day of blooming, the lotus corolla is bright red, almost crimson. The next day it brightens and becomes light pink. And before wilting it has a creamy, slightly yellowish tone. The wind blew, and the lotus leaves rustled, rustled, and rustled like paper. Their diameter reaches 80 cm. When the corolla petals fall off, a dull purple cone-shaped box with seeds remains. It sways lonely on a tall stem, and the kernels ring inside it, rolling around like in a baby rattle. In autumn, the box will open and ripe seeds will fall out of the round holes into the water. They will lie for the winter at the bottom of the reservoir, swell, and next year new Caspian rose plants will grow. Lotus is one of the largest and most beautiful flowers on the entire planet. The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is the northernmost area of ​​distribution of the lotus, a wonderful relict plant.

There are many impassable areas in the reserve. But the easiest way to get lost is in the reeds or reed supports, as they are called for their strength. Imagine a reed two to three times taller than a person. The reeds grow one to the other, right next to each other, and they are all the same. A solid wall is created. Only a small piece of sky is visible above. You walk forward, pushing the reeds to the sides, and you have absolutely no idea when they will end. There are no landmarks. If you go astray in the right direction, you look for a tree. You can climb the tree and look around. The easiest way is to follow the paths made by wild boars. Wild pigs look for their favorite food here - rhizomes of burr and susak.

Whiskered tits make nests in reeds. These are unusually graceful and beautiful birds of a soft blue color with ocher-cream tan marks. Black stripes extend down from the base of the beak (in males), as if a mustache hangs down. Whiskered tits have a very short and blunt beak.

Red herons build nests on the creases of reeds. Unlike other herons, they do not nest in trees. The songs of various warblers can be heard from everywhere. There are a large number of green frogs in the reeds. When they croak, transparent bubbles appear in the corners of their mouths. These are external resonators that amplify sound.

Water snakes are common in reed beds. These snakes move easily through the water, bending their flexible body in a zigzag manner. Noticing the danger, the snakes silently disappear into the thickets. Here you can meet another representative of reptiles - the water turtle.

It’s hard for animals to find high, unflooded places. Many animals die when the water rises. Therefore, in order to avoid this, in the middle of the water, the reserve’s staff build embankments (hummocks) - two meters high, 15 - 20 long, 6 m wide, a gentle slope to the water, at the base of logs driven into the ground. On top there is earth, brushwood, sheaves of reeds intertwined with wire. On such an embankment you can see traces of an otter, fox, and vole. But the biggest legacy was the wild boars. The prints of their sharp hooves are visible everywhere. During a flood, wild boars gather on artificial embankments to escape the rising water. That's why the hummocks are called boar hummocks. But animals cannot stay on such hummocks for long. After all, there is no food. If the water does not recede, the animals rush to swim. During high and prolonged floods, reserve staff bring fertilizer to the hummocks.

Birds also have a hard time when there is water all around. A pelican, for example, needs dry soil to lay eggs. Due to its absence, pelicans did not breed in the reserve for a long time. To help them, the reserve staff built rafts from thin light poles and reeds and placed them on the water. The size of the rafts is 28x12m. The birds immediately occupied the artificial islands, began building nests on them and raising their chicks.

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A unique environmental site in the Volga delta

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is located in the Volga delta, in three areas isolated by water: Damchik, Trekhizbinka and Obzhorovo. This conservation site is a must-visit for those who want to get acquainted with the unique nature of the Volga region, watch the numerous birds living near the great Russian river, and see the lotus bloom.

History of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is one of the oldest in our country. It was opened in 1919. By this time, nature in the Volga delta had suffered greatly due to human activity: due to active hunting and fishing, many species of birds, fish and animals disappeared, livestock destroyed a large number of plants - herds of cows, sheep and goats trampled the soil until sandy bald spots appeared where nothing could grow anymore. Local residents collected bird eggs and burned reeds, so by the end of the 19th century, the mute swan was no longer found in the area, and even seagulls and geese became rare. Laws banning hunting and fishing did not lead to any result, which is why it was decided to make the territory in the Volga delta a protected area.

Today, the total area of ​​the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is 66.8 thousand hectares. Active scientific work is carried out on its basis. The Caspian Ornithological Station is known all over the world, which studies birds living on the Volga - their number is about 260 species, many are rare and listed in the Red Book. The staff of the reserve are studying the nature of the Volga delta; the “Museum of Nature of the Astrakhan State Natural Biosphere Reserve” operates on its territory.

Plants of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

The flora of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve is extremely interesting, as it is characterized by unprecedented dynamism - it is influenced by the water level in the Caspian Sea and the intensity of the Volga flow. In total, there are about 293 plant species in the protected area. Initially, willow, blackberry, southern reed, sedge, and buttercup grew in the Volga delta; many other land plants appeared here as a result of fires and grazing. The aquatic vegetation of the reserve is also very rich. Of particular interest are lotus and chilim, listed in the Red Book. Hundreds of tourists come to these places every year to see the lotus bloom - such a beautiful sight simply cannot be missed.

Scientists have been arguing for many years about how the lotus got to the Volga. Some believe that it has been growing here for many thousands of years and is an “indigenous inhabitant” of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. Others suggest that the plant was brought to the delta of the great Russian river by the Kalmyks, for whom the lotus is sacred. There is another version. According to her, the lotus was brought to the Volga by migratory birds. Be that as it may, the lotus now grows on an area of ​​more than 3 thousand hectares and is one of the main attractions of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve.

Animals of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve

About 30 species of mammals live on the territory of the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. You can often find a raccoon dog - it was released into the reserve in the middle of the last century, and it has proliferated greatly over the past years. The same can be said about the American mink - it liked the living conditions in the Volga delta so much that today the number of this animal has to be artificially regulated, otherwise other animals, for example, muskrats or waterfowl, will completely disappear. You can often see otter and ermine in the reserve, but weasels, hares, and bats are few in number. Several families of wolves live in the protected area.

It is quite difficult for many animal species to survive in the Volga delta. For example, wild boars often die from starvation and hypothermia when rivers become isolated at higher elevations during prolonged floods. The staff of the reserve help them survive - they create special mounds with fertilizer that are not flooded with water.

The Astrakhan Nature Reserve is famous throughout the world for its bird population. It consists of more than 230 species. When the reserve was first created, the mute swan almost completely disappeared from the Volga delta. Today there are more than 4 - 5 thousand of them in this area. The reserve is home to a huge number of ducks, geese, seagulls and rarer birds. Also in the protected area you can see marsh turtle, grass snake, carp, sturgeon and herring fish.