Forest fund Altai Territory occupies a total area of ​​436.4 thousand hectares or 26% of the total area of ​​the region, of which 3,827.9 thousand hectares are forest lands. Covered forest area is 3561.5 thousand hectares or 81.6% of the total area forests(according to forest fund records as of 01/01/98). Forest cover territories Altai Territory is 21.1%.

Forest cover varies by region from 54.6% to 1 percent or less. Highest percentage forest cover in the Zarinsky district - 54.6%, in the Talmensky district - 52.9%, in the Troitsky district - 45.4%. Less than one percent forest cover in Tabunsky, Slavgorodsky, Pospelikhinsky districts.

The total wood reserve is 395 million m 3, the share of burnt areas of the total area forests- 0.141%, share of fellings from the total area forests - 1,08%.

Forests unevenly distributed. They are mainly located in the northeast and east Altai Territory. On sands and sandy soils in the floodplain of the river. Unique rivers stretch across the Ob River and along river beds for hundreds of kilometers. band burs. Significant areas of mountains and foothills are occupied by taiga massifs.

Forests 1 groups occupy 2918.9 thousand hectares. Forests 2 groups occupy 818 thousand hectares. Forests 3 groups occupy an area of ​​625.6 thousand hectares.

According to natural and forestry conditions, role and significance in forests The State Fund has allocated 4 forestry areas:

• Tape-hog - ribbon forests, All forests classified as “especially valuable forest areas”, the total area is 1123.5 thousand hectares, incl. covered forest area - 880.1 thousand hectares;
• Priobsky - attributed forests Priobye: total area 837.7 thousand hectares, incl. covered forest area - 661.1 thousand hectares;
• Salairsky - attributed forests Salair black taiga, total area forests 583.3 thousand hectares, incl. covered forest- 515.6 thousand hectares;
• Piedgorny - foothills forests Altai, total area forests 836.3 thousand hectares, incl. covered forest 646.6 thousand hectares.

The predominant breeds in forests of the Altai region are coniferous - 54% (including cedar - 1.9%), small-leaved - 46%. Average age forests State Forest Fund - 66 years, incl. coniferous - 80 years and deciduous - 48 years. The timber reserve of the entire forest fund is 494.85 million m3, incl. State Forest Fund - 400.08 million m3.

The average annual growth reaches 6.5 million m 3, of which coniferous trees account for 3.5 million m 3 and deciduous trees - 3 million m 3.

The estimated cutting area for the main use is 2040 thousand m 3, incl. for coniferous farming - 331 thousand m3.

The intensity of forest use decreases annually, so in 1994 - 900 thousand m 3, in 1995 - 800 thousand m 3, in 1996 - 500 thousand m 3, in 1997 - 331.3 thousand m 3.

Forests of the Altai Territory divided by fire hazard classes into 5 classes. TO forests Class 1 and 2 natural fire hazards mainly include band burs(middle class 1.8) and Priobsky forests(average class 2.6), in which a large number of dry coniferous plantations are concentrated forests, young coniferous trees and forest crops.

As a result of intensive use forests, especially in the Ob massifs, the area of ​​young coniferous forests has decreased, the area of ​​mature and overmature plantings has increased, dangerous phenomenon replacement of coniferous species with less valuable deciduous ones.

If you look at the map of Russian forests, the forest area of ​​the Altai Territory is extremely small - only 3.36 million hectares. The forests are located in four separate areas. First of all, these are unique in nature - strip burs that have no analogues in the world. Their area is 1.1 million hectares. The Priob forests occupy an area of ​​0.84 million hectares, the forests of the Salair Ridge, the so-called “Chernevaya taiga” - 0.58 million hectares and mixed forests foothill zone of Altai - 0.83 million hectares. The average forest cover of the Altai Territory is 21%. All forests of the region are unique in their own way; they perform important environmental and conservation functions, their role in natural complex not only Siberia, but Russia, is very important. They have historically been intensively involved in forestry and, above all, logging.

Despite the apparent homogeneity at first glance, this is completely different forests, differing primarily in growing conditions and origin. It was these circumstances that left their mark on the species composition, stability and productivity of the plantings growing in them, and, accordingly, on the individual approach to forestry management for each of these forestry areas. Without a doubt, it is necessary to conduct forestry on a scientific basis by competent and professionally trained specialists in various fields of activity.

Ribbon forests of the Altai Territory stretch in the Ob-Irtysh interfluve in parallel strips from northeast to southwest and occupy an area of ​​1.1 million hectares.

The northernmost ribbon, Alleuskaya, has a length of 110 kilometers, with 25 passing through the Novosibirsk region. The width of the ribbon is 5 - 7 kilometers, and the Burla River flows along it, in the floodplain of which there are pine forests and areas of deciduous forest.

To the south of the Aleeu ribbon, Kulundinskaya stretches 120 kilometers with a maximum width of up to 8 kilometers. The Kulunda River flows through most of the ribbon. There are many forest lakes in the region. 30 kilometers from the Kulundinskaya forest belt flows the Kasmolinskaya, 200 kilometers long, and parallel to it, 10 kilometers away, the largest ribbon - Barnaul - 220 kilometers long. The width of these ribbons is from 5 to 10 kilometers. In the Volchikha area, the Kasmalinskaya and Barnaul ribbons join, forming a pine forest 45 kilometers wide. From the eastern part of this massif pine forests in one ribbon up to 25 kilometers wide they go into Kazakhstan, and the southwestern part of the Volchikhinsky pine forest passes into the Mikhailovsky pine forest, and even further north into the Klyuchivsky pine forests. A continuation of the Altai ribbon pine forests are the pine forests of Kazakhstan, which consist of separate massifs of various sizes and shapes.

In the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan there is the Loktevskaya ribbon, 40 kilometers long and about 5 kilometers wide. Previously, it was 80 kilometers longer and extended to Rubtsovsk. Between the Aleusskaya and Kulundinskaya ribbons, in the Bayevo area, there are three small pine forests and around them a large number of birch groves. It is assumed that there was previously another small ribbon 70-100 kilometers long along the tributaries of the Kulunda River.

Ribbon pine forests are a unique natural phenomenon on Earth, and their origin is associated with the last, third glaciation. With the general warming of the climate and the beginning of the melting of huge masses of ice, the glacier began to retreat to the north. The waters dammed by the glacier rushed back along the left tributaries of the Ob, towards the Irtysh. They carried with them a mass of sand, which was deposited in river beds. As the glacier retreated, water flows moved north. At first, the waters flowed along the current Barnaulka River, later along Kasmala, and even later along Kulunda and Burla. At the sites of these water flows, powerful deposits of sand formed, on which pine forests began to grow in the form of separate ribbons.

The vast territory of ribbon pine forests differs sharply continental climate and lack of precipitation. If in the extreme southwest in the Topolny area 250 milliliters of precipitation falls per year, including no more than 200 in the warm period of the year, then as you move to the northeast the amount of precipitation increases, and in the Barnaul area it already falls 450 millimeters, the climate becomes more humid, and forest growing conditions - much better. In summer, however, dry winds are frequent.

Very few tree and shrub species are capable of growing in such extreme climatic conditions - these are, first of all, pine trees, willow shelyuga, broom, acacia (in the lowlands), and birch near water. The unique ecological properties of pine forests are fully manifested in ribbon forests. Growing on shifting sands, pine plantations do not allow them to move under the influence of the wind; they retain sand, which heats up in hot weather. summer days sometimes up to 70 degrees. That is why foresters rely on pine when planting new tracts. Every year they take special care of the seeds.

So, pine is the dominant tree species in strip forests, it occupies 82 percent of the area, but its participation in the composition of plantations is various parts tapes turns out to be different. Thus, in the Barnaul region, the plantings contain 68 percent of pine, in Volchikha - 85, and in the extreme south of the region - near Topolny - almost 97 percent. At the same time, the participation of deciduous species in the composition decreases from 30 to three and, mainly, birch.

And pine forests vary greatly in productivity, and the integral indicator of forest productivity is the quality class. In the conditions where they grow, pine forests reach class I and even class Ia, and in the worst conditions - class V. So, on average, for all pine forests of ribbon forests, the quality class is II. 6, at the same time in the Barnaul forestry enterprise it is I. 8, in Novichikhinsky - II. I, in Lebyazhensky - II. 3, and in the south, in the Topolinsky forestry enterprise - III, 1 quality class. In a word, with movement to the south and with the deterioration of forest vegetation, the productivity of pine forests decreases, but remains higher in comparison with birch and aspen plantations under the same conditions.

Ribbon pine bears fruit almost daily, and self-seeding often appears in large numbers. However climatic conditions the growing season is so unsatisfactory that in the summer months the pine seedlings almost completely die. They are best preserved in the shade cones of mature trees. Under the canopy of birch and aspen, pine self-seeding develops better than under pine. Near ribbon forests, air and soil humidity increases by 20-25 percent compared to the steppe, and the amount of precipitation during the summer increases by 30-50 millimeters.

The preservation of ribbon forests and the restoration of individual ribbons, which have enormous soil-protective, agronomic and climate-regulating significance, this unique natural monument, is a matter of national importance. Meanwhile, there is cause for concern. As a result of forest fires and excessive logging, especially for the needs of the mining industry, the strip forests were extremely damaged. The area covered by forest was only 63 percent, and burnt areas and wastelands occupied 21 percent of the area, and the share of mature and overmature plantings accounted for only 8% of the area. This state of the strip forests was 45 years ago, but currently the forested area is 78 percent, burnt areas and wastelands occupy two percent, and mature and overmature forest stands account for 21 percent of the area. These indicators indicate that a tough position was taken with regard to strip pine forests, both in matters of preserving them from fires and in restoring forests in numerous burnt areas.

The region's stock of fishery reservoirs includes about 2,000 water bodies with a total area of ​​112 thousand hectares. Salt lakes, which have an annual production limit of Artemia cysts of 300 tons, occupy an area of ​​99 thousand hectares. Of the 38 species of fish that live in the reservoirs of the region, 12 species are used for fishing.

The Altai Territory has such a variety of zonal and especially intrazonal landscapes that this could not but affect the number and species diversity of flora and fauna. Each of these landscapes has its own, to one degree or another, special world of animals, birds, and plants.

Plants

Of the 3,000 species of plants growing in Western Siberia, in the Altai Territory there are 1,954 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 112 families and 617 genera. The flora of the region includes 32 relict species. These are Siberian linden, European hooffoot, fragrant bedstraw, giant fescue, Siberian brunnera, floating salvinia, water chestnut and others. The Red Book of Russia includes 10 species of plants growing in the region: Siberian candyk, Ludwig's iris, Zalessky's feather grass, feather-leaved feather grass, feather feather grass, Altai onion, steppe peony, cape flower, Altai gymnosperm, Altai stellophopsis. 144 plant species are included in the Red Book of the region. These are rare species, endemic, reducing their range, and also relict. Species richness flora region is due to the diversity of natural and climatic conditions.

The vegetation cover in the region is subject to strong anthropogenic influence, especially within the steppe zone. The largest areas of steppes have been preserved along forest belts, along the edges of ribbon forests and individual forests, and on saline soils.

A significant proportion (up to 30%) of the flora of the region is made up of a group of weeds found in gardens, fields, orchards, on road embankments, along river banks, wastelands, and fallow lands. Behind last years escapee crop plants appeared, actively invading natural cenoses. Thus, along the banks of rivers and forests, ash-leaved maple and Echinocystis lobeda are often and abundantly found. The proportion of alien plants is steadily increasing from year to year, and currently their number reaches 70. Among them, plants from Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as from North America, predominate.

The useful flora of Altai is rich, numbering more than 600 species of plants, among which there are medicinal - 380 species, food - 149, melliferous - 166, vitamin-bearing - 33, dyeing - 66, fodder - 330, decorative - 215. Particularly valuable species include Rhodiola pink, raponticum safflower, forgotten kopek, evasive peony, elecampane tall, etc.

According to preliminary estimates, the region is characterized by more than 100 species of lichens, 80 species of bryophytes, and about 50 species of macromycete fungi. Among these objects there are also rare ones listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Of the almost 2000 species of vascular plants found in the Altai Territory, 144 species are included in the Red Book.

In early spring, when it is not yet so hot, low yellow hornwort, desert alyssum, palmate buttercup, and coppice bloom. Occasionally there are dark purple hazel grouse and tuberous valerian. Later, in mid-summer, the feather grass blooms. Long panicles sway in the wind, creating the impression of running waves. Due to the plowing of the steppes, its population has greatly decreased.

A wide strip of steppe and forest-steppe vegetation in the middle part is broken by several ribbons pine forests. These are unique natural formations not found anywhere else in the world, confined to the bottoms of ancient hollows of the drainage of melted glacial waters, lined with blown sands. Under the pine canopy, a shrub layer is developed, especially rich as it approaches the Ob valley. Eryngium flat-leaved, meadowsweet, meadow grass, sweet clover, common bedstraw, and gray speedwell grow here.

In the mountainous part of the region, altitudinal zonation is evident in the distribution of vegetation. The types of this zonality, the degree of its expression and altitudinal limits reflect, depending on the position, the features of either Western Siberia and Central Asia, or Mongolia and the mountains of Southern Siberia. It is no coincidence that N.K. Roerich called Altai the heart of Asia, the center of four oceans.

The steppe belt is most developed along the northern and northwestern slopes of Altai, its individual fragments They are widely found inside mountainous countries on the flat bottoms of river valleys and intermountain basins. The height of the steppe areas increases to the southeast of Altai, where at altitudes of more than 2,000 m, peculiar tundra-steppes dominate. There are also steppe areas on the southern, well-warmed slopes of the ridges.

On the chernozem, chestnut and chernozem-meadow soils of the belt, a forb-grass grass cover is developed, interspersed with thickets of caragana shrubs, meadowsweet, honeysuckle, and rose hips. The higher the steppe areas rise, reflecting the increasing continentality of the climate, the poorer the vegetation becomes.

Feather grass, wheatgrass, fescue, and bluegrass grow here. The external plainness is somewhat diversified by yellow alfalfa, Siberian sainfoin, Siberian adonis, and sticky cinquefoil. Among the plants of the rocky steppes of mountain slopes there are feather grass, astragalus, asters, carnations, and wormwood. For most of the summer, the steppe areas are monotonous and dim. Only in spring does the steppe transform for a short time, decorated with the multicolored grass.

The harsher the conditions, the more adapted and outwardly rougher and tougher the plants become. The Chuya Basin is dominated by wormwood, fescue and cinquefoil. Pebble feather grass, desert feather grass, sedges, and astragalus are common. The plants are stunted, the flowers are usually small, many of them have thorns - everything indicates a lack of moisture and the strong influence of cold.

Forests occupy about half the area of ​​the mountains, being the main type of vegetation. The nature of forests varies and depends on the conditions of moisture and heat supply. In Salair and near Lake Teletskoye black forests dominate, the northeastern and western outskirts of the mountains are occupied by dark coniferous taiga, and the low mountains of northern Altai are occupied by pine forests. As we move deeper into the mountains, dominance in the forest stands passes to larch.

Inside the mountainous region, the forest belt is often interrupted, steppe areas appear on the southern slopes, and alpine vegetation appears in the upper part. Through the Salair black forests, the mountain taiga merges with the lowland West Siberian taiga. The lower boundary of the forest belt in the north is 400-600 m, while the upper one changes quite significantly: in the ridges surrounding Lake Teletskoye - 1800-1900 m, in Central Altai - 2,100-2,200 m, and in the southeast, individual massifs rise up to 2,450 m. They consist mainly of Siberian fir, Siberian cedar, Siberian larch, Scots pine, and Siberian spruce.

The most common is larch, adapted to both severe frosts and poor soils. Some specimens reach a height of 20-30 m, with a girth of 2-3 m. Giant larches are especially impressive among green meadows and fields. Park larch forests are good, light, with low shrubby undergrowth and rich herbs. Larch is a long-liver and a great lover of light. Its wood is extremely durable and difficult to process.

Pine forests are confined to low mountains with its dry valleys and sandy soils. Pine does not rise above 600-700 m.

The decoration of the Altai forests is cedar - a tree species with many advantages that have long been appreciated by man. Cedar wood, with a pleasant pinkish tint, has high resonant qualities and is used to make musical instruments. Cedar needles contain essential oils, carotenes, and vitamins. No less valuable are resin and pine nuts, for which cedar is called the taiga breadfruit tree. Nuts are food for many birds and animals and are widely used by humans.

The black taiga is characterized by the predominance of Siberian fir, aspen, bird cherry, rowan, and viburnum in combination with tall grasses. Representatives of relict flora are found here. These are the fragrant woodruff with modest white flowers and whorled leaves, the European hoofweed with hoof-shaped dark green leaves, the woodcrystal with soft hairy leaves and purple flowers, the Siberian brunner with large, conspicuous heart-shaped leaves on long petioles and pale blue flowers, like a forget-me-not. The ground moss cover is poorly developed.

Dark coniferous forests of cedar, Siberian spruce, and Siberian fir usually cover the northern slopes of mountain ranges. Mosses, shrubs, subshrubs grow here - honeysuckle, blueberries, lingonberries. Larch forests dominate in Central Altai, where along river valleys and slopes they form park thickets without undergrowth, with a closed grass cover dominated by grasses (reed grass, Siberian bluegrass, hedgehog grass, meadow foxtail, etc.). On the northern slopes, where there is more moisture, under the larches there is an undergrowth of Siberian rhododendron, meadowsweet, and Altai honeysuckle.

Meadows are widespread in the forest belt, confined to sufficiently moist, leveled areas, clearings and burnt areas. The areas of high-mountain meadows in Central and Western Altai are significant. In subalpine meadows, maral root, thistle, white-flowered geranium, and swimsuits are common. Alpine meadows have low grass cover. Columbine, gentian grandiflora, and cobresia Bellardi are common. The combination of simultaneously blooming orange lights, blue columbines, dark blue gentians and snakeheads gives alpine meadows extraordinary color.

The upper altitudinal zone of mountain vegetation is represented by various tundra groups - gravelly herbaceous, moss-lichen, rocky, shrubby, in which large-leaved birch, alpine bison, Claytonia John, whole-leaved lagotis, and cold gentian are common.

In general, within the region there are about 3 thousand species of higher plants: medicinal, food, fodder, poisonous.

The group of medicinal plants used in the pharmaceutical industry includes about 100 species. However, in folk medicine this list is much wider. In the steppe zone, they collect Ural licorice, spring Adonis, marshmallow, elecampane, creeping thyme, sandy immortelle, multiveined violet, thermopsis lanceolata, and wormwood.

In the forests grow elecampane, marsh white lake, golden capillary, oregano, Maryin root peony, Lobel's hellebore, St. John's wort, and burnet. In the coastal zone of reservoirs, marsh calamus, marsh wild rosemary, three-leafed rosemary, yellow egg capsule, and true rosemary are common.

Maral root, Rhodiola rosea, and bergenia are found in the high mountain zone.

Many plants can be used as food during summer hikes. Among them are sorrel, young nettle, young leaves of quinoa, dissected hogweed, soft honeydew, honeydew, young ( hare cabbage), bracken, leaves and roots of dandelion, etc. The most famous among food plants are wild garlic (flask), and onion. Some plants (wild mint, thyme, peppermint) can be used for seasonings. Leaves of lingonberry, black currant, oregano, strawberry, leaves and inflorescences of meadowsweet, leaves of fireweed (willowherb) are suitable for preparing camping tea. Tea made from dry bergenia leaves has long been known in Altai.

Travelers should also remember about poisonous plants, such as henbane, hellebore, wrestlers, and crow's eye. Along the banks of reservoirs one can find poisonous wedge, black grass, speckled hemlock, and porcupine. And many medicinal plants, used without sufficiently reliable knowledge and doctor’s recommendations, can have a negative effect on the body. The first caution when meeting the majority poisonous plants- beautiful, often bright coloring of flowers and fruits.

Botanical research has identified more than 100 plant species found only in Altai. These are the so-called endemic species that arose here in the process of evolutionary development. The southeast of Altai is especially rich in endemic species. The famous botanist P.N. Krylov noted that in the recent past this area served as an arena for glacial processes, which is why the formation of flora continues here today.

In addition to the endemics of the Altai proper, such as the Altai swimsuit, alpine edelweiss, subalpine violet, purple swimsuit, in Altai there are endemic species with a wider Altai-Sayan range. With them total number Endemic species, according to A.V. Kuminova, reach 212.

Intensive use of vegetation cover leads to a depletion of species composition and a decrease in the population size of individual species. Botanists have noted 120 plant species in need of protection. In recent years, the thickets of Rhodiola rosea (golden root), Raponticum safflower (maral root), spring starube, water chestnut (chilim), and Ural licorice have significantly decreased. Lady's slippers, orchis, lyubka, kandyk, tulips, frying (lights, bathing suits), peonies, lumbago, St. John's wort have become rare.

Among the plants included in the Red Book of the USSR, in Altai there are: large-flowered lady's slipper, true and spotted lady's slipper, Altai wolfgrass, water chestnut, Altai woodsia, unifoliate guldenstedtia, Siberian kandyk, Siberian and tiger iris, feather feather grass, curly lily, onion Altai, leafless grouse, Maryin root peony, steppe peony, checkered hazel grouse, etc.

Most of us don't know what these plants look like. Therefore, it is important, during preparation for the trip, to get acquainted with them through reference books and herbariums, and meet with specialists. In Barnaul there is a botanical garden of Altai University, where many rarities of the region's plant kingdom are collected. Visit it before heading out. It is advisable to find a place in your backpack for a small book by I.V. Vereshchagina “The Green Miracle of Altai”, published by the Altai Book Publishing House.

And most importantly, do not tear (do not destroy!) the flower, branch, or grass you like. It is necessary to remember: the resources of the plant world are not endless, we are all responsible for ensuring that the flowery carpet of Altai herbs, the taiga cedar splendor and the lush greenery of deciduous forests remain for future generations.

Animals

The region is home to about 100 species of mammals, more than 320 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 6 species of invertebrate animals and 7 species of amphibians. The rivers and lakes of the region are home to 35 species of fish.

The Red Book includes 134 species of animals that need protection. The largest number of bird species is 82. Approximately half of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia (demoiselle crane, saker falcon, white partridge, eagle owl, etc.), 10 species are included in the IUCN Red Book (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). These are extremely rare species, such as, for example, the bustard, imperial imperial falcon, peregrine falcon, as well as category zero (probably extinct) little bustard and slender-billed curlew.

In addition to birds nesting in Altai, the Red Book of the Altai Territory includes species that appear during spring-autumn migrations (small swan, lesser white-fronted goose), as well as occasional vagrants (dallas and pink pelicans, flamingos, black cranes, griffon vultures, etc. .).

The forests are inhabited by the chipmunk, flying squirrel, otter, ermine, and sable. There are also moose and musk deer here, almost everywhere - brown bears, lynx, wolverine, badger. The steppes are inhabited by marmots, gophers, and jerboas; you can meet the steppe ferret, fox, and wolf; the Kulundinskaya steppe is home to white and brown hares. Muskrats live in the Ob reservoirs, and the river beaver lives in almost all forest and lowland rivers.

Among forest birds there are many predators, the most aggressive are hawks (goshawk and sparrowhawk), and nocturnal birds are common - owls and eagle owls. On the shores of the lakes you can see demoiselle crane and gray crane. Along the river banks there are numerous waders, white wagtails, and common terns. The rivers and lakes of the region are rich in fish; they contain pike, ide, burbot, sterlet, perch, dace, chebak, and ruff.

There are 17 species of mammals in the Red Book. These are mainly insectivores and rodents (eared hedgehogs, jerboas) and the bats(there are 9 species, including the pointed-eared bat, listed in the Red Book of Russia). Two representatives of the mustelid family entered here - the otter and the bandage (also included in the Red Book of Russia).

The Red Book includes 26 species of insects. These are, among other things, relict butterflies - the variegated ascalafus, the gypsy mother-of-pearl, as well as the Gebler's ground beetle, endemic to Western Altai, possibly extinct at present.

In addition to birds, mammals and insects, the book includes 3 species of reptiles (takyr roundhead, colorful lizard, steppe viper), 2 species of amphibians (Siberian salamander, common newt) and 4 species of fish - lenok, apparently disappeared from the rivers of the region, endemic species Siberian sturgeon, nelma and taimen.

In addition to the main part, the Red Book of the Altai Territory includes 30 species that require special attention. These are, for example, musk deer, gray goose, little gull, quail, carpenter bee and other species.

The objects of hunting are several dozen species of animals, representatives of four orders of birds.

The formation and development of animal resources in the region occurs under conditions of increased anthropogenic influence. A decrease in the bioproductivity of pastures due to overgrazing of livestock, water and wind erosion of soils, and deforestation lead to changes in animal habitats and a reduction in the number of squirrels, marmots, otters, musk deer, Siberian mountain goats, etc. The short-tailed snake eagle, blue-faced bustard, and bustard have disappeared partially or completely. The number of waterfowl, with the exception of the gray goose, is decreasing from year to year. The number of small mustelids, field and forest game is decreasing due to changes in the feeding and nesting conditions of their existence. Intensive development of ungulate resources, and primarily elk, requires a reduction in its production, strengthening of protection and control over production, and in some areas complete ban hunting.

Currently, in the Altai Territory there are practically no original natural landscapes preserved; they are all affected by economic activity or the transfer of substances by water and air currents. The region currently lacks both active reserves and National parks. There are 33 reserves in the region. Their total area is 773.1 thousand hectares or less than 5% of the region’s area, which is significantly lower than the Russian average and is not enough to maintain landscape-ecological balance in the biosphere.

In 1997-1998, the production amounted to 7 wild boars and 11 bears.

The number in 1998 was: elk - 10,930, wild boar - 430, roe deer - 11,000, bear - 500.

Number rare species: Snow Leopard- 39-49 pcs., Pallas's cat - 250-350 pcs., gazelle - herds of 4-5 individuals, Altai mountain sheep - 370-470 pcs.

Each of the Altai landscapes is characterized by a certain species composition of animals.

The fauna of the steppe and forest-steppe lowland parts of the region is least rich. Rodents predominate here: red and bank voles, red-cheeked ground squirrel, steppe pika, and large jerboa. After the plowing of virgin lands, the field mouse became especially numerous. Large mammals include the wolf, fox, steppe polecat, mountain hare, corsac fox, badger, and sometimes the brown hare, and elk can also be found in the forests.

The predominant birds after plowing the virgin lands are the rook, magpie, hoodie, and jackdaw; Of the small passerines, the most common are the skylark, yellow wagtail and stonechat. Numerous and varied waders roam in the swamps and along the banks of reservoirs, ducks, greylag goose and gray heron nest. There are many ducks and coots on the lakes, and grebes are common, especially the great grebes. Numerous colonies of gulls (herring, glaucous, and black-headed gulls) are also often found there.

The fauna of lowland forests is much richer. They are inhabited different kinds shrews, voles and mice. Chipmunk and teledut squirrel are numerous. Typical forest inhabitants are the mole, hedgehog, weasel, ermine, weasel and badger. Mountain hare and fox are common; wolverine, wolf, lynx and brown bear, beaver, roe deer and elk are less common.

The world of small forest passerine birds is colorful and diverse: tits, warblers, warblers, redstarts, thrushes, tree pipit, finches - chaffinch, redpoll, brambling, lentil, crossbill, spruce, goldfinches. Cuckoo, nightjar, and woodpeckers - black, great and small spotted, three-toed, and woodpeckers - are common. Of the small predators, the most common falcons are the hobby, merlin and falcon. There are hawks - goshawk and sparrowhawk, black kite, buzzard, great owl, long-eared owl, and less often - eagle owl. In the flat and foothill zones of Altai, the gray crane is not uncommon. The most common reptiles are the common grass snake, the viper, the Pallas's copperhead, the sand lizard and the viviparous lizard. There are few amphibians: mainly the sharp-faced and grass frogs, gray and green toads.

The mountain steppes of Altai are characterized by burrowers: red-cheeked and long-tailed ground squirrels, Altai and Mongolian marmots. Among the small rodents, voles are numerous. Daurian and Mongolian pikas are common on rocky areas on the outskirts of mountain steppes. In addition, the Chui steppe is home to the jumping jerboa, the Djungarian hamster and the tolai hare, which does not change color in winter (there is very little snow on semi-desert landscapes).

The species composition of birds is very small: skylarks and steppe larks, wheatears - bald-headed and dancer, steppe pipit, hoopoe, steppe harrier, kestrel. However, the fauna of the Chui steppe is distinguished by much greater diversity and originality: these places are characterized by the ogre, Indian bar-headed goose, herring gull, black-throated loon, black stork, whooper swan, Altai gyrfalcon, griffon vulture, black vulture, and bearded vulture. Only here you can find bustard, sajja, thick-billed plovers, and common plover.

The world of mountain inhabitants is especially diverse. This is facilitated by the diversity of natural conditions in the region. 62 species of mammals, more than 260 species of birds, 11 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 20 species of fish live here.

The fauna of mountain forests consists of almost all species found in lowland forests. These are the flying squirrel, chipmunk, sable, bats - the whiskered bat, the Siberian tubebill, the Ikonnikov bat, the rufous noctule and the long-eared bat. There are numerous ungulates that feed on trees and shrubs - elk, red deer, roe deer, musk deer; reindeer are much less common.

Common large predators include brown bear, lynx, wolverine, otter and badger. Small predators from the mustelid family that feed on mouse-like rodents are common: weasel, ermine, solonga, weasel and American mink. Burrowing insectivores - moles, shrews - are found everywhere. The Asian wood mouse is numerous; Water voles and field voles prefer moist habitats.

Among the birds found everywhere in the forests of Altai are jays, jays and nutcrackers. Important commercial species of chickens - capercaillie and hazel grouse - are also common in the taiga zone. In the foothills, along the edges of the forest, grouse are common.

Few animal species are adapted to the harsh conditions of high-mountain open landscapes. These are the Siberian mountain goat, argali (mountain sheep), snow leopard (irbis) - a beautiful and very rare predator. IN summer time The alpine belt is visited by deer, bears, wolverines, and there are also ermine, pika, narrow-skulled and high-mountain Siberian voles, fox, and mountain hare.

Common birds in the lower part of the alpine belt (shrub tundra) are ptarmigan, black-throated thrush, arctic bunting, and bluethroat. Redstart and Altai snowcock live almost right next to the snow.

The rivers of the plains and foothills are inhabited by pike, ide, burbot, sterlet, perch, dace, Siberian roach, ruffe, bream, and gudgeon. During the spawning season, salmon and sturgeon come here. In lakes and oxbow lakes in river valleys, crucian carp and tench predominate.

In mountain rivers, the species composition changes dramatically: taimen, lenok, grayling, char, minnow, spiny loach, spotted sculpin and Siberian sculpin live here. Grayling, char and minnow are found in the upper reaches of small mountain rivers. 13 species of fish have been recorded in Lake Teletskoye, of which two species - the Teletskoye whitefish and the Pravdin whitefish - live only in this reservoir. Numerous mountain reservoirs in the south of the Altai Territory are inhabited mainly by Ottoman people.

The species composition of the Altai entomofauna is very diverse. Travelers coming here should remember that some insects (mosquitoes, ticks) pose a real danger, being carriers infectious diseases. Currently, ten species of ixodid ticks have been identified that can be carriers of tick-borne rickettsiosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Therefore, before you travel, you should get the necessary vaccinations.

During the period of greatest danger of tick bites (May - early June), you need to take basic precautions: have appropriate clothing that prevents ticks from penetrating the body, and systematically examine yourself and your friends.

The maximum danger of infection is characteristic of the indigenous dark coniferous and deciduous forests of the low mountains of Altai and Salair with their rich herbaceous vegetation.

The development of the region's natural resources is accompanied by a reduction in areas suitable for animal habitats, and, as a consequence, their numbers are reduced and the species composition becomes poorer. On the territory of the region, 6 species of mammals and 34 species of birds listed in the Red Book of the USSR have been recorded. These are argali, gazelle, snow leopard, red wolf, bandage, manul; among birds - Altai snowcock, black stork, mountain goose, osprey, steppe eagle, demoiselle crane, etc.

The amazing, mesmerizing landscapes of pristine nature, carefully preserved by local residents, and the cultural and historical heritage that this region is generously endowed with are increasingly attracting tourists from other territories and even from foreign countries.

This is a beautiful Altai region. The nature of the region is surprisingly rich and multifaceted.

general information

This subject of Russia is part of the Siberian Federal District (southwest). It borders with Kazakhstan, the Kemerovo and Novosibirsk regions, and the Altai Republic. The administrative center is the city of Barnaul.

Until 1991, the region also included the Gorno-Altaisk Autonomous Region, but at the moment it is an independent subject of the Russian Federation.

The Altai Territory is presented in more detail below. The nature of the region and the history of its development are of interest to many tourists and travelers who come here. Today, about 120 nationalities live in the region. Most of all - Russians (93.9%). Ukrainians, Germans, and Kazakhs are also well represented here.

How did it all begin?

Russians began to populate the foothills of Altai and the Upper Ob region in the second half of the 17th century. The development of Altai began after the Beloyarsk and Bikatun fortresses were built here, respectively, in 1717 and 1718, for protection from the Dzungar nomads.

In order to explore ore deposits, prospecting parties began to be sent to Altai. It is believed that their discoverers were the father and son Kostylevs; later Akinfiy Demidov, a Ural breeder, took advantage of these results.

Geography, relief

Before we describe the rivers of the Altai Territory, let's consider its geographical location. The region is located in Western Siberia. In the south and west, its territory borders on the regions: East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar, in the northeast and north - on Kemerovo and Novosibirsk. It borders on the Altai Republic in the southeast.

Territory area - 167850 sq. kilometers. From west to east the length is 600 km, from south to north - 400 km. The distance from Moscow to Barnaul by direct air is 3 thousand 600 km.

The relief of the Altai region is the most diverse. Its territory belongs to two physical countries - the Altai-Sayans and the West Siberian Plain. Its mountainous zone covers the flat surface on the southern and eastern sides. These are the foothills of Altai and the Salair Ridge. The central and western parts of the territory are mainly represented by plains - the Kulunda steppe, the Biysko-Chumysh upland and the Priobskoye plateau.

The region is represented by almost all natural zones of Russia - mountains, taiga, steppe and forest-steppe. Moreover, the flat surface is characterized by steppe and forest-steppe territories, with pine forests, ravines, ravines, ridges and lakes.

Rivers

Water resources in the region are represented by both underground and surface sources. The most large rivers Altai Territory: Ob, Katun, Biya, Charysh and Alei. Their total number, including small watercourses, is 17 thousand. There are about 13,000 lakes here, the largest of which is Kulundinskoye (area - 728 sq. km).

The Ob River is the main water artery. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: Katun and Biya. Its length is 493 kilometers. It should be noted that the pool of this great river occupies an area equal to 70% of the entire territory of the region.

The diversity of zonal landscapes of the region contributes to the diversity and species composition of the animal world. There are lynxes, brown bears, and wolverines. Muskrats and river beavers live in reservoirs. Approximately 90 species of mammals and 320 species of birds live in the Altai Territory.

About 2,000 different higher vascular plants grow here (2/3 of the species in all Western Siberia). Especially valuable: Rhodiola rosea, peony, red root, maral root, St. John's wort, oregano, Ural licorice, elecampane.

Forests occupy 26% of the region's territory. The Altai region is rich and beautiful.

Nature

Currently, the natural landscapes of the region are negatively impacted by the results of economic activities. In order to preserve the diversity of fauna and flora, today it is planned to create protected natural areas: reserves, national parks, nature reserves, and natural monuments.

There are currently only 33 reserves on the territory (area 773,100 hectares), occupying 5% of the entire territory, which is not enough to maintain ecological and landscape balance in the biosphere of the region.

In any case, the Altai region is magnificent. The nature of the region is protected by law. Numerous natural monuments have been created. These are protected irreplaceable natural objects of scientific, cultural and historical value (mineral springs, caves, waterfalls, geological outcrops, paleontological objects, ancient centuries-old trees).

In total, there are 100 monuments in the region, 54 of them are geological, 14 are botanical, 31 are water and 1 is complex.

Conclusion

The Altai region is beautiful and rich. The nature of the region includes habitats of rare plants and animals, which are classified as endangered species and are especially protected. Therefore, a decision was made in the region to create the Tigirek and Kulundinsky state reserves. Unfortunately, the organization of work in this direction is delayed by the lack of funding.

Forest ecosystems occupy 28% of the area of ​​the Altai Territory and are characterized by great diversity in species composition, productivity, structure and age structure. Forest fund lands located in the region amount to 4434.0 thousand hectares, including a forested area of ​​3736.0 thousand hectares, of which the area of ​​coniferous plantations is 153.0 thousand hectares with a total timber reserve of 535.0 million cubic meters with an average forest cover of 22.5%. The average stock of plantings per 1 hectare is 143.0 cubic meters. The predominant species of the forest fund are soft-leaved plantations - 59.0%, coniferous trees account for 41.0%.

In accordance with the characteristics of forest growth and economic conditions, the intensity of forestry, the role and importance of forests, the forest fund of the Altai Territory is divided into four forestry areas - ribbon forests, Ob forests, forests of the Salair Ridge and foothill forests. Among the tree species growing in the Altai Territory, birch (34.4%), pine (29%), aspen (20%) predominate, and spruce, fir (8, 10%), larch (2.7%) also occur. , cedar (1%), other species and shrubs (4.8%).

Which species forms the most valuable plantings in the region?

Most of the pine forests are located in ribbon and Ob forests. Growing in different soil and climatic conditions, pine forests are confined to the sites of ancient watercourses on thick sandy river deposits. Pine forms the most valuable and productive plantings in the Altai Territory. Within the region, Scots pine grows on dry and sandy, rich black soils and swamp soils. The root system of pine and its anatomical and physiological characteristics make it an extremely valuable tree species in silvicultural terms, capable of forming plantations in such extreme conditions where none of the other species can grow. The silvicultural qualities of pine include drought resistance, the ability to tolerate excess moisture, wind resistance, rapid growth, as well as the diverse use of its resources.

What are “ribbons” and why are they unique?

The forests of the region are represented by unique ribbon forests; formations of this kind are not found anywhere in the world. On the territory of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve there are five pronounced pine forest ribbons: the northernmost - Burlinskaya or Aleusskaya, 90 km south of it - Proslaukho-Kornilov selection and Kulundinskaya tape, even lower 30 km from Kulundinskaya - Kasmalinskaya and Barnaul ribbons.

The Burlinskaya and Kulundinskaya ribbons extend 100 km from the Ob River to the Kulundinskaya Depression, located in the center of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve. The next two ribbons - Kasmalinskaya and Pavlovskaya - begin in the ancient floodplain of the Ob River and stretch in narrow parallel ribbons for almost 400 km to the southwest. On the border of the Altai Territory and the Republic of Kazakhstan, these ribbons merge with Loktevskaya, forming a vast island of forests (Srostinsky Bor), and then, in the form of a kind of delta of an ancient river, they reach the Irtysh, where they merge with its terraced sands. The width of the ancient drainage basins varies: 6-8 km in the north, 20-60 km in the south, at their confluence.

In the northern part of the ribbon pine forests grow pine forests, A birch forests- in pegs. In the south they are large pine forests. Birch pegs are rare.

Fact

According to all the canons of geographical science here, in the steppe zone of the Altai Territory, there should be no forests. Not only have pine forests invaded the steppe expanses of the south of the West Siberian Lowland, they also have unusual shape their distribution - the forests stretched out in parallel ribbons of different lengths located in relation to each other. That is why they received such a name. Famous German traveler and naturalist of the 19th century. Alexander Humboldt was so amazed by the pine forests he saw that he tried to give his own explanation for this phenomenon. Currently, scientists adhere to the hypothesis according to which pine forests grow on sandy deposits in the hollows of the water flow of a huge ancient reservoir that existed around 10 thousand years ago.

There is a legend that tells how the god of the winds examined the lands and saw beautiful girl Aigul. The beauty charmed the god of the winds, he grabbed the girl and went with her to his heavenly home. Aigul's tears fell down, and where they broke on the ground, lakes appeared. Aigul also lost the green ribbons with which she tied her wonderful hair. In those places where the ribbons fell to the ground, forests appeared.

By the way

In the area where the belt burs are located, two state protective forest belts: Rubtsovsk - Slavgorod, 257 km long with a total area of ​​6142 hectares, and Aleysk - Veselovka, 300 km long with an area of ​​6768 hectares.

Priobye, Salair, foothills

To the east of the Kulunda steppe lies the Pre-Altai forest-steppe. The Ob River divides the Pre-Altai forest-steppe into two unequal parts: on the left bank, occupied by a wavy plain of the Priob plateau, and the right bank, where the Biya-Chumysh upland precedes the spurs in the northeast Salair ridge, and in the south - Altai foothills.

In the northeast of the region, the Biysk-Chumysh Upland is limited by the spurs of the Salair Ridge (up to 590 m above sea level). Ridges Salair ridge strongly smoothed and rounded. The exposure of rocky rocks to the day surface differs only at individual peaks. This area where aspen and fir forests grow, which is determined quite humid climate and the spread of loamy soils.

To the south of the Pre-Salair forest-steppe, one or two ledges, 350-600 m high and with individual ridges up to 1000 m, rise Altai foothills. The Altai foothills are mainly occupied forest-steppe, but the slopes of higher ridges are covered mountain forests. In the southwest they mainly consist of plantations fir, birch, larch, in the eastern part, which is more humid, are represented deciduous and black forests.

Forests not located on forest fund lands

On the territory of the Altai Territory there are also forests located on lands of other categories, namely:

• on the lands Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation— 12.6 thousand hectares;
• on lands of specially protected natural areas managed by Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources(Rosprirodnadzor) - 41.4 thousand hectares (state nature reserve"Tigireksky");
• on lands of urban settlements (urban forests)— 10.0 thousand hectares.

Which areas of the Altai Territory are rich in forests?

All forests are located on the territory 59 municipal districts of the region. The distribution of forests in the region is extremely uneven, and the forest cover of the territory is an indicator of this. If average forest cover of the Altai Territory - 26.3%, which indicates a sufficient share of forest plantations in the overall balance of land, the same cannot be said about a number of municipal districts in the steppe part of the region, which clearly lack the protective role of forests. By municipal districts forest cover ranges from 1% ( Blagoveshchensky, Pospelikhinsky, Kulundinsky, Slavgorodsky, Ust-Kalmansky) to 62.1% ( Zarinsky, Soltonsky). Forest cover is above average in the southwestern regions of the territory: Uglovsky - 33.9% Volchikhinsky 41.7%, Mikhailovsky - 25.9%. This is due to the fact that in this part of the territory the ribbon forests are wider and significant areas of forests are concentrated in them.

Very uneven forest cover in the Priobsky region. The largest share of forests occurs in Troitsky district- 46.1%, as well as in Pervomaisky- 42.0% and Talmensky district- 38.1%. This is due to the spread of the Upper Ob massif along the right bank of the Ob River. As you move away from the river, forest cover decreases: Virgin— 8,4%, Petropavlovsky district- 2.9%. Forest cover in the Altai-Sayan mountain taiga region ranges from 21.5% to 38.6%. In the Altai-Sayan mountain-forest-steppe region, the highest forest cover is observed in Solton district - 53.6%, Krasnogorsk - 41.6%. At the same time in Sovetsky district it is equal to 3.7%.

The forest cover of the Altai Territory by forestry areas is or optimal or close to optimal. At the same time, due to the uneven distribution of forests over the territory, a number of steppe regions are experiencing great inconvenience due to insufficient forest areas and, in this connection, their low environmental protection effect.

Three forest subdistricts

Some existing differences in geomorphology, soils, composition and productivity of forests, as well as climatic features, provide grounds for distinguishing within West Siberian subtaiga-forest-steppe region three forest subdistricts: ribbon forests, Priobskie forests and Salair ridge.

Woody vegetation belt burs It is represented by unique in its nature narrow strips of pine forests and isolated small groups of birch plantations among dry steppes.

To the north of the ribbon forests there is a separate forest area along the Ob River located Priobsky forests. In the Ob forests, forests are represented by relatively large tracts island highly productive pine forests and birch-aspen small-mass tracts, located mainly along low saucer-shaped depressions. Pine forests are located mainly on the third and fourth sandy terraces of the Ob River, where they form relatively large tracts. These are the so-called fresh, or “sweaty” Priob forests. In the Ob region, soddy-podzolic and medium-podzolic sandy and sandy loam soils predominate, which are favorable for the growth of woody vegetation. The pine plantations growing on them achieve high productivity. Often found in the Ob forests admixture of larch and Siberian spruce.

All these forests are under the influence of two environmental factors of opposite action - the proximity of groundwater and the aridity of the steppe and forest-steppe air-temperature regime.

Even further north, along the border of the Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions, plantations grow Salair ridge. In Salair, despite its low altitude, the zonality of the vegetation cover is expressed in relief. The pre-Salair foothill plain is covered birch and aspen forests interspersed with natural meadows. Closer to the watershed, they become predominant aspen and fir-aspen forests. The grass cover is different great height and powerful development. In areas occupied by forests, gray forest and soddy-podzolic soils, as well as mountain-forest gray soils, are widespread; on the western slopes of the low mountains - loamy and heavy loamy; in the east - thin loamy-crushed stones on bedrock.

In the south and southwest along the border with the Altai Republic they are common mixed forests of foothill Altai. The region of foothill forests of the Altai Territory is included in the Altai-Sayan mountain-taiga region of the South Siberian mountain zone.

Foothill forests have been developed by humans over the past 150-200 years, and at present there are practically no indigenous forest types left. Only in remote places, inaccessible to technology, can plantings be found cedar and fir. Secondary forests of the foothills composed of birch, fir, aspen, along the valleys of numerous rivers - willow thickets. In the lower part of the forest belt of the northern and western foothills, along river valleys grow pine plantations of island character.

And if ribbon forests and Priobsky forests are typically lowland forests, forests of the Salair Ridge grow at altitudes of 250-500 meters above sea level, then the forests foothill Altai are distributed up to 1800 m above sea level and are typically mountain forests. Between these 4 large tracts there are a large number of birch groves with an area of ​​0.1 to 5 hectares. They occupy mainly forest-steppe areas. The spaces between the forests are plowed for fields, and the unplowed areas are covered with steppe vegetation.

Based on materials from the “Forest Plan” of the Altai Territory, Barnaul, 2011

Fact

IN XVIII century with development silver smelting production wood was harvested in “ribbons” for burning charcoal . Historians write that logging for charcoal was carried out using clear felling, and thousands of hectares of pine plantations were cut down without observing basic rules. Modern forestry has also not escaped sad pages. Severe fires have repeatedly wiped out thousands of green hectares. The forests of the region began to “come to their senses” only after 1947, when a special Resolution was adopted on the restoration of ribbon forests in Altai and Kazakhstan. Gradually the area occupied coniferous species, began to increase, reaching in 2013 - 700 thousand hectares.

Numbers

4 out of 5 tape pine forests existing in the world grow in the Altai Territory

10 thousands of years ago, according to scientists, there were ancient reservoirs in place of modern “ribbons”

700 In 2013, thanks to large-scale reforestation measures, the area of ​​ribbon forests occupied by coniferous species reached thousands of hectares

Materials on the topic “Forest resources of the Altai Territory”

Yesterday, April 9, the head of the department of the forest holding company Altailes, Oleg Peregudov, photographed a great owl. We managed to take successful shots in the evening in a spruce forest near the village. Southern city of Barnaul. As Oleg said, at first he heard the hoot of an owl and decided to see where she was sitting. Taking a camera, an amateur researcher discovered a great owl in a tree. The bird was wary at first, but after a few minutes it calmed down and began […]

On the eve of Forest Workers' Day, employees of Les Service LLC (part of LHC Altailes) together with students from Klyuchevskaya Secondary School No. 1 held a large-scale sports and environmental event. About two hundred schoolchildren along with their teachers took part in the event. Before the start of the action, the forest protection engineer at Les Service, Viktor Karmash, told the participants about the need to conserve forests.

View on the website Altapress.ru

From September 2-4, in the village of Pavlovsk, Pavlovsk district, the best forest firefighters, fellers, hydraulic manipulator operators and other forest industry specialists will be determined. About 500 participants will compete in both professional categories and sports and creative competitions. The previous Olympics took place in 2011. Organizers: Union of Forest Industry Organizations "Altailes" (non-profit organization) and forest holding company "Altailes".

A twenty-minute film about the activities of the forest holding company “Altailes” is a large-scale project, work on which began in the spring of 2015. The film uses exclusively fresh footage, many of which were made using a quadcopter, that is, from a height of 50-70 meters above the ground. The goal is to show the viewer what the unique ribbon and Priob burs actually look like, which the company has preserved and […]