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Marine flora

In Kamchatka and the Commander Islands, the basis of the flora of commercial algae is formed by 5 species of kelp of the genus Laminaria and 1 species of the genus Arthrothamus, as well as some representatives of brown and red algae. Currently, despite the sufficient condition of reserves, there is no specialized fishing for algae.

Sushi flora

The vegetation of Kamchatka is determined by a number of important factors: the geographical location of the territory, the influence of a humid oceanic climate, predominantly mountainous terrain, the history of landscape development, the strong influence of volcanism and related phenomena.

Corresponding to the latitude of the peninsula coniferous forests from Cajander larch and Ayan spruce , so common in the mainland of the Far East, were largely destroyed in Kamchatka during the glaciation, which ended about 10 thousand years ago. Currently, they are distributed mainly in the Central Kamchatka depression, fenced from the east and west by high mountain ranges. Here, as an admixture to coniferous forests, they grow aspen and white-trunked birch .

On the eastern coast (the mouth of the Semyachik River) there is a small area coniferous forest, educated Sakhalin fir .

The main forest-forming species in the mountain forests and plains of Kamchatka is Erman birch , also called stone birch . It forms pure rare birch forests, so-called “park” forests. Near the seashore or at the upper border of the forest in the mountains they give way to stone birch forest from low-growing trees with bizarrely curved trunks.

More diverse in the range of tree species are floodplain forests where they meet hairy alder, sweet poplar, choicenia , several varieties ive .

Common in the shrub layer of forests rowan elderberry, cedar and alder dwarf trees, blue honeysuckle and Chamisso, blunt rose hips, Siberian juniper . IN river valleys, on waterlogged soils, thickets are common beautiful willow And spear-shaped, meadowsweet .

On the slopes of the mountains in the subalpine zone dominate dwarf cedar and shrubby alder (elf dwarf) , often forming impenetrable thickets. They are accompanied by shorter shrubs: golden and Kamchatka rhododendron, Bover's meadowsweet, arctic willow .

Even higher the bushes give way to belt of mountain tundras, in which spread out low-growing shrubs and shrubs predominate, alpine meadows , interspersed with extensive snowfields, stone screes and placers, rocks, where plants are found in small scattered groups or singly.

Meadows to one degree or another, widespread in all altitudinal zones.

One of the plant groups characteristic of Kamchatka is thickets of tall grass, often reaching 3 m in height. They are usually located along the valleys of rivers and streams, in valleys, on slopes in places where groundwater is close. Most often these are clean thickets meadowsweet Kamchatka , which is often mixed with Woolly hogweed, Kamchatka hogweed, forest carrot grass, hemp-leaved ragwort, Kamchatka thistle etc. Sometimes such tall grass develops under the canopy of a stone birch forest, but here it is usually lower.

forb meadows widespread on river terraces, forest edges, clearings, edges of swamps, coastal slopes in both forest and subalpine zones. Reed meadows predominate in clearings between alder thickets in the subalps. Widespread in the mountain tundra belt short grass alpine meadows.

Swamps are found throughout the altitudinal profile, but are most common in the forest belt. Swamps are mainly located in the Western Kamchatka Lowland, in the valleys large rivers Central and Eastern Kamchatka.

A strip of coastal meadows, turning into mixed-grass meadows and Shikshevniks.

Most complete altitudinal zone vegetation is expressed on the volcanoes and mountains of Central Kamchatka: spruce forests found at an altitude of 300 m above sea level (occasionally higher), larch forests and white birch forests- up to 500 m, stone birch forests- from 300 to 800 m.

Higher, up to 1200 m above sea level, they dominate bush thickets from alder and cedar elfin wood , which replace mountain tundra and then - sparse vegetation high mountain deserts.

Average zone height eternal snow in the mountains of Central Kamchatka is 2400-3500 m above sea level. In other areas, this border is much lower, and the belt of spruce, larch and white birch forests is completely absent. Disturbances in zonation and the placement of plant groups in unusual conditions are quite common in Kamchatka. Sometimes there are vast areas within the forest belt shrub tundra. Sometimes along mountain terraces in places sheltered from the wind, groves of Erman's birch are found within the subalpine belt. In Southern Kamchatka, due to the cross-effects of air masses from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the ocean, the climate is more humid and cold than in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky region. The snow melts here and plants develop much later. The boundaries of all altitudinal zones are lower.

Impact of volcanism on vegetation is expressed in a variety of manifestations. Thus, as a result of the explosion of the Ksudach volcano in 1907, vegetation on tens of square kilometers north of it was completely destroyed. Currently, part of this area is occupied by almost lifeless pumice-slag fields, in other areas lichen tundra has developed, alder thickets and (only in river valleys) stone birch forests are being restored. Large disturbances of vegetation occur as a result of large eruptions, outpouring of lavas, mudflows, activity of dry rivers, etc.

According to the latest data flora of Kamchatka includes 90 families, over 300 genera and about 1300 species. The latest glaciations led to the extinction of a number of heat-loving species, but they also contributed to the massive penetration of many arctic-alpine and even alpine species into Kamchatka. The modern Kamchatka flora is formed by species with different types of distribution, among which circumpolar, Far Eastern and Asian-American species predominate. There is also a small group of endemics - plants found only in Kamchatka.

The most numerous are representatives of three families: Compositae, cereals and sedges . Less rich in number of species pink, ranunculaceae, carnation, cruciferous, rush, willow, heather, saxifrage. Other families contain up to 20 species, and many of them are represented by only one or two plant species.

Some Kamchatka plants, due to their relative rarity or destruction by humans, are included in the " Red Book Russian Federation »: sedges - loose and lead-green, pearl mireweed, fimbristilis Okhotsk, grandiflora slipper, leafless mullein, rough bluegrass.

A number of quite rare and interesting species grow in Kamchatka only at thermal sites at the hot springs. Here you can meet Thermal and Alaskan grasshopper, Kamchatka string, Chinese twister, Pauzhet bentgrass, Kamchatka killinga. As a rule, these are relatively inconspicuous plants, and therefore people visiting hot springs do not pay attention to them and simply trample them.

Not less rare species can be found in the Highlands, where they grow dandelion Stepanova and Novokamchatsky (with bright pink flowers), polar astragalus, alpine poppy, spleenworts - Raita and fissile, oxygraphio icy, arnica Ilina, small-leaved heartwood, viviparous fescue, volcanic saxifrage and etc.

It should be noted that the flora of Kamchatka is not so abundant in endemic, rare or some very beautiful plants. The uniqueness of the flora of Kamchatka lies primarily in the fact that stone-birch forests and alder thickets predominate here, occupying insignificant areas on the mainland. Thanks to the mountainous terrain, manifestations of volcanism, the presence of modern glaciation, and the influence of the volcanic climate, disturbances of the vegetation cover acquire a special scope, the diversity and mosaic nature of plant groups, highly enriched with northern and alpine plant species, sharply increases.

Let us dwell in more detail on several groups of Kamchatka plants, which are sometimes of more significant interest to tourists than any rarities. We are talking about wild medicinal, edible and poisonous types. These groups are purely conditional, since all poisonous plants are medicinal, but only a specialist can use them and, of course, not in the conditions of a tourist route. On the other hand, many edible plants are also used as medicinal plants. We mention here only the most common plants, without detailed description without affecting species recommended for protection or too few in number.

Most wild plants cannot compete in taste with vegetable and garden crops, but they surpass them in the content of vitamins and other substances necessary for the body. First of all, attention is drawn to the berries that Kamchatka is rich in.

One of the most popular is blue honeysuckle , which ripens in late July - early August. Its bushes are almost always found in birch forests and on their outskirts, in dry meadows and shrub tundras. Honeysuckle berries vary greatly both in shape (from almost round to spindle-shaped) and in taste (from sour-sweet to bitter).

Common and abundant bog blueberry , growing on shrub tundras, along the outskirts of swamps, and shrubby forests. Its berries ripen a little later than those of honeysuckle, but do not fall so quickly, remaining until almost the end of September.

In the highlands (up to 1400 m above sea level) it is replaced by volcanic blueberry - a lower shrub, often completely spread out on the tundra slopes, partially preserved from last year's dry leaves and greenish-blue round berries.

Widely distributed in Kamchatka cowberry : along seaside pine forests, in dwarf cedar thickets and mountain tundras. It bears fruit most abundantly in the coniferous forests of Central Kamchatka. Lingonberries ripen in September. If the previous year had a good harvest, then last year's berries are preserved on the bushes - slightly wilted, but quite edible.

Cranberry - a common plant of moss bogs, where it is represented by two species: small-fruited - about small berries and small leaves, and swamp - with larger berries and leaves. Cranberries ripen late, in September, but last year's berries are preserved even better than lingonberries.

Common in coastal shrub forests, swamps and shrub tundras shiksha, or crowberry . This is a common shrub with black, watery, slightly sweet berries. It ripens in the second half of August, lasts slightly longer than blueberries, quenches thirst well and is very rich in vitamins.

Sad currant It is found both in the north of the peninsula and in the south, but is most common in Central Kamchatka, in damp valley forests, in clearings, and on rocky screes in the subalpine zone. Its red berries ripen in early August and last until almost September.

Representatives of the Rubus genus are found everywhere, but do not bear fruit very abundantly: raspberries, princelings and cloudberries.

Sakhalin raspberry grows in coastal forests, near rocks, in alder thickets. The berries ripen in August and fall off quickly.

Prince - a common plant of forests, meadows, bushes and tundras. It bears fruit rarely, but its dark red berries, with their unique taste and aroma, fully correspond to the name.

Cloudberry - one of the common plants of moss swamps and damp tundras. The berries ripen in August, changing color from red (for unripe ones) to light yellow. Fruits more abundantly than previous species.

Widely used in food rowan elderberry - shrub up to 2 m tall with clusters of large fruits. Less used Siberian mountain ash (Kamchatka) - tree up to 5 m tall, with smaller fruits.

Along the sea coasts, in shrub forests and seaside meadows, and sometimes in stone birch forests, along the edges of dwarf thickets in the subalpine belt, berries ripen at the end of August Swedish derena . Bright red, collected in small clusters at the top of the stem, they are completely tasteless, but quite edible and quench thirst well.

Otherwise it will be the case with arctous alpine (alpine bearberry) . This prostrate shrub is common on mountain tundras; it attracts attention with its leaves turning red at the first frost and large black berries. Information about the use of this species is contradictory: some claim that the berries can cause vomiting, others that they are completely edible. Their taste is indeed somewhat dubious.

Nuts worth mentioning cedar dwarf . They are quite small compared to the nuts of Siberian or Korean pine, but there are quite a lot of them in volume, and collecting the cones is relatively easy. The nuts ripen at the end of August - September, but they can be consumed earlier, roasted over a fire.

Among various kinds of greens, which can be used raw in salads, boiled as a dressing for soups, cabbage soup or as a side dish, the best ones are first of all onions - Okhotsk onions (ramson), protruding onions and skoroda; flat-leaved nettle, sorrel, Lapland sorrel, hogweed, dandelion, radiant chickweed, spoonwort, wood sorrel, sea mertensia, Japanese china.

Cheremsha - a common plant of stone birch forests, but is also found in mixed-grass meadows. The leaves are collected before the flowers bloom, in June - early July. In the second half of July they become harsh, but even in August you can find more or less fresh leaves (in non-flowering specimens),

Bow of speed Found along the edges of swamps and damp meadows.

Bitter onion grows in dry meadows, on rocky slopes and rocks in the mountains, usually in small quantities.

Nettle - a plant of floodplain forests, banks of rivers and streams, thickets of tall grass. It is rich in vitamins, so it is used very widely not only as a food plant, but also as a medicinal plant. Collect young plants or the upper young leaves on the shoots.

In mixed-grass meadows from the forest to mountain-tundra belts you can find Lapland sorrel , closely related to common sorrel, which is widespread in cultivation. Slightly different from it in taste and sorrel bicolumnar - a common plant of the banks of mountain streams and damp rocky slopes in the highlands (with rounded, kidney-shaped leaves).

Hog parsnip was named so because in Rus' it was used to prepare borscht, or the dish itself was named after this plant. Woolly hogweed it was also widely used by humans for food, like its European-Siberian relatives. We must remember that hogweed juice that gets on the skin sharply increases its sensitivity to sunlight, which can cause severe burns, even ulcers. Some people prone to allergies may have allergic reactions to even a small amount of hogweed greens present in the soup.

Leaves used in salads and soups dandelions , pre-treated in various ways (for example, soaking in water) to reduce bitterness.

Young shoots Chickweed radiata , growing in damp meadows, along river banks, in grassy swamps, just like leaves growing along sea shores sea ​​mertensia , ranks of Japanese (young greens) and spoons , are used mainly as fresh greens in salads. And the leaves common oxalis , found in the forests of Central and Southern Kamchatka, are used in the same way as sorrel.

Spore-bearing spikelets collected in June are used boiled as side dishes or in soups. horsetail , young greens wild rose (carrot grass), Kamchatka meadowsweet, narrow-leaved willowherb, hemp-leaved ragus .

Young, not yet unfurled bracken and ostrich leaves require special treatment (boiled in salted water, washed, and then fried in oil or boiled in soup). Orlyak found in white birch forests (sometimes in stone birch forests, in dry places). Ostrich common and abundant in floodplain forests. Collection time is June.

Wild plants are also used to prepare various drinks. For jelly and compotes, all the edible fruits and berries listed above are used. Vitamin drinks are prepared from rosehip (in early summer - from young leaves, in the middle - from flower petals, in autumn - from ripe fruits), young leaves birch trees (June), leaves lingonberries, meadowsweet, cinquefoil, princelings , tips of young shoots and flowers raspberries , flowers meadowsweet . Very beautiful and aromatic tea obtained from a mixture of dried leaves and flowers fireweed . Here's a simple way: roll the leaves between your palms and dry them by the fire, then use them as tea leaves (can be mixed with flowers). As a rule, vitamin tea is made from a mixture of several components. Often medicinal products are added to it: leaves nettles, watches , young greens ranks of furry etc. Sometimes tea is acidified by adding some leaves sorrel, sorrel or wood sorrel - this way it quenches thirst better. Roots can be used dandelion To prepare a coffee drink, the roasted roots are ground and brewed.

Helpful for tourists to navigate in medicinal properties some common plants, especially non-poisonous ones.

So, for example, for abrasions, scratches, wounds, burns, etc., you can use plants with antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and wound-healing properties - officinalis and fine-leaved burnet, viviparous knotweed, bush quinquefoil, marsh cinquefoil (roots), narrow-leaved pean tea (grass and roots), nettle, hawkweed, impatiens vulgare, ragwort - hemp-leaved and pseudoarnicum (grass), beautiful and Kamchatka sneezer (fresh herb or its decoction), goat willow (bark decoction), cedar dwarf (resin), etc.

Instead of cotton wool, you can use any type sphagnum mosses , common in swamps. Dried moss is highly hygroscopic and has a wound-healing and antiseptic effect. Birch bark and bast are used instead of bandages birch trees , which also have antiseptic properties.

For internal bleeding, swelling, diseases of the bladder and urinary tract, use an infusion of herbs horsetail .

When coughing, use an infusion of petals rosehip , herbs round-leaved sundew, sea mertensia .

For toothache and as an antipruritic for mosquito bites, a decoction is used. marsh cinquefoil . Fresh grass crushed and applied to the skin also helps with mosquito bites. northern tansy and infusion of roots burnets .

For headaches, use herbal infusion pennywort or meadowsweet.

For stomatitis and sore throat, use a decoction as a rinse. burnet and knotweed , crust hairy alder , leaves and roots fireweed angustifolia , leaves Sakhalin raspberries .

For stomach upsets, a decoction of the cones is used as an astringent. hairy alder , rhizomes knotweed, burnet and cinquefoil , young leaves birch, lingonberry .

For constipation, a decoction of the roots is used as a laxative. valerian , leaves three-leaf watch .

For abdominal pain, use a decoction of flowers and roots. sea ​​mertensia .

Number of species poisonous plants in Kamchatka there are not many, but among them there are quite dangerous ones.

One of the most poisonous (all parts, but especially the rhizome) plants of the Far Eastern flora - poisonous wekh, or hemlock . This herbaceous plant up to 0.8 m tall, with bipinnate leaves and an umbrella of small white flowers, is often found in swamps, the shores of lakes and oxbow lakes, and in the shallows of slow-flowing streams. Its most characteristic feature is a swollen rhizome, with a small cavity inside and transverse partitions. At the end of summer or autumn, the rhizome often breaks off from the stem and floats on the surface of the water, resembling a potato tuber in its appearance. Poisonings often end with milestones fatal.

Almost all types Ranunculaceae family - poisonous plants. The most poisonous are aconites and larkspur - perennial herbs with palmately dissected leaves, blue, blue or purple flowers in a compressed or loose inflorescence.

Aconite larkspur is a relatively rare plant of alpine meadows and tundras, endemic aconite Voroshilov with a climbing stem found in Central Kamchatka and in the north-west of the peninsula, Fischer's aconite and greater aconite are common plants of stone birch forests (especially in river valleys) and tall grass meadows in the lower part of the subalpine belt. Larkspur short-spur grows along the banks of streams (mostly in the highlands) and rocky slopes. All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the roots.

The fruits of many poisonous plants turn orange or red when ripe.

Wolfweed Kamchatka - a very poisonous plant. This is a low shrub with erect stems covered with sessile light yellow flowers in the second half of May - June. The berries are also sessile, green, and red when ripe.

Ripens at the end of August red-fruited crow - a herbaceous plant up to 50 cm tall with a racemose inflorescence, which is common in Central Kamchatka.

Found in swampy meadows Lysichiton Kamchatka , in oxbow lakes, stagnant waters of swamps and shallow lakes - swamp calligraphy . Both plants resemble calla lilies in appearance. At the end of summer, their juicy berries ripen, collected in a dense oblong bunch (cob).

Greenish-brown berries two-leaved mynika , growing in coniferous forests and meadows, turn red only in September-October, when their leaves already wither, fall off and it can be difficult to understand which plant they belong to.

Avoiding poisoning from wild plants is quite simple: do not do it eat (both raw and cooked) unfamiliar and unfamiliar plants, and especially their young greens, rhizomes and fruits. Under no circumstances should you consume either poisonous or unfamiliar medicinal plants.

On the pages of the section

Short summers, strong winds, loose volcanic rocks and isolation from the mainland left a unique imprint on the character of Kamchatka vegetation.
Her species composition It is relatively sparse and contains over a thousand flowering and fern plants. There are endemic species that are not found anywhere else.

Forests occupy one third of the peninsula's area. The main types of trees growing here are stone birch, white birch, Kuril larch, spruce, alder, choicenia, poplar, willow, rowan tree, aspen, bird cherry, hawthorn, and among the shrubs - dwarf alder and cedar.
Among the berry bushes, blueberries, honeysuckle, lingonberries, and crowberries are widespread; cranberries are found in swamps. On the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, in the area of ​​the Semyachik Estuary, on an area of ​​only 22 hectares, a unique grove of graceful fir has been preserved.

Dwarf species of birch, willow and alder grow in the highlands. The most characteristic of herbaceous plants is shelomaynik, which prefers moist soils river valleys and dominant over other herbs. Its dense thickets in places exceed two meters in height.
The high mountain plateaus are covered with unpretentious tundra vegetation. Organizers of tours to Kamchatka must first of all warn their clients that a significant part of the peninsula is a protected area, so even minimal damage to that sparse flora is a threat to nature.

Features of the flora of Kamchatka

The historical development of landscapes, mountainous terrain, cold ocean and volcanic activity are the factors that determine the uniqueness of the flora of Kamchatka.
Thus, the ancient glaciation, which ended about 10 thousand years ago, destroyed coniferous forests everywhere except the center of Kamchatka. In the center there remains a “coniferous island” with Ayan spruce and Kayander larch, but birch forests with a predominance of Erman birch (stone birch) are still more characteristic of the peninsula.
The mountains in Kamchatka are quite high and occupy a significant area, so high-mountain flora is also quite typical for the peninsula.
The ocean does not have a warm current near the coast, and it is cold on the coast, just like in the mountains. Well, Kamchatka volcanoes periodically devastate large areas, which then begin to overgrow again.

The vertical vegetation cover of Kamchatka is distributed as follows: on the coast there is alpine-type vegetation. The forest rises up to 800 (1000) m above sea level. Above the forest belt there is a subalpine belt, shrubs; dwarf cedar and shrubby alder (elder dwarf) dominate here. Thickets of elfin trees occur up to an altitude of 1200 m above sea level, and individual spots of elfin trees - up to 1400 m. Above them there is an alpine belt, mountain tundra; and even higher - alpine heaths with sparse vegetation.

In total, there are 1166 plant species in Kamchatka. Compared to other regions, this is not so much. What attracts plant lovers to Kamchatka? There are several reasons, and perhaps the main one is the relative untouchedness of nature. Many plant complexes have NEVER changed by the will of man.
Another reason is the short northern summer. The snow in the forest melts by mid-June, but expect frost at the end of August! And ordinary, background plant species, due to their abundance, produce a huge number of flowers in a short time - a spectacle of rare beauty. Like pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope, waves of color replace and complement each other in the Kamchatka expanses.

Here is an approximate “kaleidoscope” of color effects for the forest belt. Until the first week of July inclusive, green dominates as the background color. Then it is overlaid with lilac (the geranium pilosiflora blooms en masse). The lilac color is first complemented and then replaced by white (it is given by the Ural ribwort). Soon a thick blue-violet color appears (the bristly iris blooms in damp lowlands). Later - red (weak lily, saran bunting), followed by pink (angustifolia fireweed), followed by yellow (umbelliferous hawkweed). Color waves occur at intervals of 2-7 days, each lasting about 10 days.

Additional effects are provided by rose obtuseum, Saussurea pseudotilesii, ragwort hemp-leafed, Fischer's aconite, inverted myrtillus, burnet, viviparous serpentine, northern bedstraw, Volzhanka Kamchatka, black cohosh.
The mass flowering of wintergreen in the forests of central Kamchatka, as well as Rieder’s swimsuit on the border of the forest and dwarf trees, looks impressive. The pride of the region can be considered a beautiful orchid - the lady's slipper grandiflora (blooms at the end of June, flowering lasts 20-30 days).

On mountain tundras, flowering begins as the snow melts and continues until new snow falls, but it is better to admire the alpine carpets before the beginning of the second week of August. The flowering golden rhododendron and Kamchatka rhododendron, as well as other heathers, are very good. In Kamchatka there are beautiful, endless damp mountain tundras on the slopes of the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes, with an unusually rich set of species, with orchids and the famous Kamchatka mytale, spectacular saxifrage, groundsel and edelweiss.
Well, when the flowering is over, it becomes clear that the real feast of colors is just beginning - so rich bright colors autumn in Kamchatka. The peak of golden autumn in the forest belt usually occurs in mid-September (13-18). As a rule, these days the weather is sunny and dry.

Another feature of Kamchatka is the Pacific tall grass. The Kamchatka grass jungle has amazed visitors since the days of the pioneers. The height of the “jungle” is up to 3 m. The main species here is the shelomaynik (Kamchatka meadowsweet), endemic to the Far East.
It accompanies rivers in the forest belt. Through its thickets you can accidentally make a one-day vertical journey from autumn to spring; you only have to climb from the forest to the mountain plateau along a narrow gorge of a stream in the golden beginning of September: the shelomaynik, browned in the valley, gradually, with height, becomes yellow, then green. And suddenly you see a blooming shelomaynik smelling of honey, and a little higher, near the melting snowfield, young greenery and seedlings.
They do not form independent thickets, but woolly hogweed, spear-shaped underripe, and Kamchatka thistle are always present in tall grasses.

Plant lovers also appreciate Kamchatka for its swamps - with thickets of sundews, watchworts, bladderworts, cotton grass, and lyubkas. In developed countries, there are fewer and fewer swamps. This is a unique, original world that is the first to disappear under the steps of civilization.
In Kamchatka you can observe with your own eyes both the creation and destruction of plant complexes. Lava and pyroclastic flows of volcanoes, cinder fields, thermal sites and travertine domes of hot springs are in various stages of overgrowth. The first to settle on the young land are pioneering plant species - Eschscholtz's chickweed, viviparous bluegrass, northern wormwood, Fanston's saxifrage, creeping carnation, and Kamchatka saxifrage. Looking at them, you feel that you are present at the creation of the green world.

Fauna of Kamchatka

Among the mammals that live in Kamchatka are: brown bear, wild deer, bighorn sheep, elk, hare, marmot, gopher, otter, muskrat, mink, sable, fox, wolverine, arctic fox (Commander Islands), and less common are wolves and lynx squirrels. Thanks to this, the organization is especially popular nowadays, which our company can also offer you at an affordable price with a professional hunting guide.
In the coastal areas of the seas there are seals, sea lions, bearded seals, and on the Commander Islands - seals and sea otters.

Some birds stay for the winter, while others fly away. Residents include partridges, wood grouse, crows, magpies, cuckoos, golden eagles, Steller and white-tailed eagles, gyrfalcons, etc., some seabirds, and wintering swans.

Salmon species enter the rivers of the peninsula to spawn - chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, kundzha, and char (char). ), grayling (grayling), mykiss (rainbow trout), crucian carp live in some lakes.
In the surrounding seas cod, flounder, sea ​​bass, greenling, herring, pollock.

Fish of the rivers and lakes of Kamchatka

Most of the fish species living in the fresh waters of Kamchatka are representatives of three genera of the salmon family: Pacific salmon, Pacific noble salmon and char.

Salmonidae

Genus Oncorhynchus - Pacific (Far Eastern) salmon

Species of this genus have relatively small scales, a large mouth with well-developed teeth, and a long anal fin with 10-16 rays.
All Pacific salmon breed in rivers, streams, and lakes in the summer-autumn period, where they migrate after feeding in the sea Pacific Ocean. This is an ecological group of lithophilous egg-burrowing fish, each species of which has its own spawning and feeding grounds.
The eggs develop over several months in the autumn-winter period. Then the hatched larvae emerge from the mounds and rise to the surface. Turning into fry, salmon either remain in fresh water bodies for 1-3 years or slide into the sea.
The marine life period lasts for different species from 1.5 to 8 years.
The feeling of home “homming” leads Pacific salmon to their native reservoir and to the same spawning ground from which they emerged as larvae, where after spawning the salmon die.
This is how Pacific salmon differ from other salmonids - European salmon, Kamchatka salmon, mykiss, kunja, char and others, which spawn up to three times.
Kamchatka is the only place on the planet where all 6 species of Pacific salmon spawn and ideal conditions have been preserved for the reproduction of these ancient inhabitants of the Earth.
allowed, but strictly controlled. Therefore, several especially popular places have been selected for fishing, where tourists like to come.

Pink salmon(Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, English - Pink salmon)

Pink salmon is the most numerous species among Pacific salmon. This is the smallest and fastest growing salmon. The pink salmon's body, thin caudal peduncle and caudal fin are covered with large black spots.
It enters all rivers of Kamchatka and has significant regional differences in areas of reproduction and years; V last years Even years are numerous in Western Kamchatka and odd years in Eastern Kamchatka. The distribution area in the sea is limited to temperatures of 3.5 - 15 °C.
In eastern Kamchatka, entry into rivers occurs at the end of June, and mass entry occurs in the second to third ten days of July. Pink salmon enter the rivers of western Kamchatka on average two weeks later. The duration of the course in the east is about 45 days, in the west it is more than -53 days.
Its dimensions are: length 34 - 62 cm, weight 0.5 - 3.1 kg. Pink salmon live for 1.5 years and return to the rivers the next year after the juveniles migrate. Fish entering rivers have pronounced mating changes and coloring, which intensify when approaching spawning grounds: males grow a hump, sharp teeth appear, and the body acquires a pinkish color. Spawns in August-September on rifts with pebble-sandy soil, with a fast current, at a depth of 0.2 to 1.0 m.
“Homing” in pink salmon is the least pronounced, so the distance from the birthplaces of this species can reach hundreds and thousands of kilometers; cases of returning to a foreign spawning area cannot even be ruled out.
Pink salmon has a large commercial value, but is not popular as a sport fishing object.

Chum salmon(Oncorhynchus keta, English - Chum salmon, Dog salmon)

Chum salmon is the second largest species of Pacific salmon after pink salmon. Chum salmon differs from pink salmon, chinook salmon, masu salmon and coho salmon by the complete absence of spots on the back and caudal fin. Chum salmon that have entered the river may show faint signs of breeding plumage - pinkish or gray transverse stripes. In full breeding plumage, it differs from other salmon in its bright coloring in the form of transverse red-green and black stripes. Males grow teeth so large that their mouths cannot close.
It enters almost all rivers of Kamchatka, especially the Kamchatka River and the rivers of the northwestern and northeastern coasts.
Chum salmon forms two forms - summer and autumn. The autumn variety is larger in size, weight, fertile and has a faster growth rate. In Kamchatka it enters rivers in July-October at 3-10 years of age. Usually 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds take part in reproduction. Spawns in August - September in the upper reaches of rivers and tributaries (springs), higher than pink salmon; on reaches with fine pebble soil, in places with abundant groundwater.
The length of the fish is 62 - 71 cm, weight 2.2 - 5.4 kg. Individuals with a length of 52 to 78 cm and a weight of 1.7 to 5.4 kg usually enter the rivers of western Kamchatka.

Red salmon, or red (Oncorhynchus nerka, English - Sockeye salmon, Red salmon)

Sockeye salmon is different from other salmon slim body silvery in color, with a large number of thin and long gill rakers. In breeding plumage, the fish are bright red (only the head is green).
The main populations of Asian sockeye salmon are located in Kamchatka, in two reservoirs: in the basins of the Ozernaya and Kamchatka rivers (85-90% of reserves). It enters the rivers of the Avachinsky and Olyutorsky bays, the Bolshaya, Palana and other rivers.
Migratory sockeye salmon enter those rivers in the basin of which there are lakes or there were lakes in the geological past. Reaches a length of 84 cm, weight 4.5 kg, average dimensions 57 - 63 cm, weight 2.2 - 2.8 kg. Forms dwarf forms that do not go to sea, reach sexual maturity in fresh water and participate in reproduction along with migratory fish.
Based on the timing of migration and spawning, summer and autumn sockeye salmon are distinguished. The first one spawns in July-August on lake and river spawning grounds, the second - in August-October, mainly in the littoral zone of lakes. The flow into the rivers extends from the end of May to the beginning of September. “Homing” in this species of salmon is clearly expressed: most fish return not only to the same lake, but also to the same spawning ground where they were born.
In addition to the anadromous one, in some lakes there is a residential form - kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi, English - Kokanee, Princess trout), which constantly lives in the lakes and grows slower than the anadromous one. Length 23 - 28 cm, weight 110 - 240 g. In Kamchatka, lives in lakes Kronotsky and Tolmachevsky.

Coho salmon(Oncorhynchus Kisutch, English - Coho salmon, Silver salmon)

Coho salmon differs from other salmon in its powerful body with relatively large spots on the back and sides, and a short and wide caudal peduncle. The mating plumage is monochromatic, without stripes or spots - the fish acquire a red-brown or dark crimson color. At the time of spawning, males grow a large “nose” hanging over the end of the lower jaw.
It comes to spawn in many rivers of Kamchatka, but in the rivers of the western coast, especially in the Bolshaya River, its numbers are much higher than in other areas.
Coho salmon reaches a length of up to 88 cm, weight 6.8 kg; Fish 40 - 80 cm long and weighing 1.2 - 6.8 kg enter the rivers. Mostly in the catch, individuals are 56 - 74 cm long and weigh 3.0 - 3.5 kg.
The flow into the rivers is very extended and lasts from the end of June to December. In Kamchatka, there are summer (spawning in September - October), autumn (spawning in November - December) and winter (spawning in December - February) coho salmon. Spawning grounds are located from the mouths of rivers to their very headwaters, mainly in springs, on reaches, oxbow lakes and channels with groundwater outlet with a flow of 0.3-0.5 m/s. Does not spawn in lakes.
In some lakes (Maloye Sarannoe, Kotelny, Khalaktyrskoye) it forms a residential form that makes up independent populations.

Chinook(Oncorhynchus tschawytscha, English - King salmon, Chinook salmon)

The largest of all Pacific salmon and the largest freshwater fish of the Northeast. It differs from other salmon in its powerful body, which is covered with dark dots and small spots.
This species is very widespread, but in Asia the number of Chinook salmon is high only in the Kamchatka rivers: Kamchatka, Apuka, Pakhacha, Bolshaya. Tigil.
Reaches a length of 147 cm and a weight of 57-61 kg. In the Kamchatka River, individuals are usually caught from 78 to 103 cm, weighing 5.5 - 17.0 kg. Going to the rivers in May-July. Spawning in June-July until the end of August, along the entire length of rivers from the tidal zone to the upper reaches. Chinook salmon enter rivers for spawning at 4-7 years of age.
Chinook salmon is an important commercial species, including for recreational fishing.

Sima(Oncorhynchus masou, English - Masu salmon)

The masu has a body shape similar to the coho salmon, but it is a smaller fish. She has very large teeth, breeding plumage with bright crimson transverse stripes.
Sima is a heat-loving salmon with its main habitat in the rivers of Japan, Korea, and Primorye. In Kamchatka, this species is found mainly in the rivers of western Kamchatka, and is rarely found in the east of the peninsula.
The maximum recorded length of the sima is 71 cm, weight 9 kg, usual length 46 - 67 cm, weight 1.5 - 3.0 kg.
Fish come to spawn in early spring - from May to July, and spawn from late July to September. Spawning grounds are located in the upper reaches of rivers, in key channels.
It has insignificant commercial significance and is not an object of specialized fishing in Kamchatka.

Genus Salmo - Pacific noble salmon

Mikizha(Parasalmo mykiss, English - Kamchatka trount, Mikizha)

This only species living in Kamchatka has several names - Kamchatka salmon, semen, trout, and its belonging to one or another genus of fish is still actively discussed by taxonomists.
The appearance of these fish is very diverse, including fish with a characteristic silver body color with numerous dark spots, and individuals with bright multi-colored colors with and without stripes, in which pink, yellow, red, blue and other tones predominate.
Mykizha is distributed mainly in the reservoirs of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and is found sporadically in the reservoirs of the mainland coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, in the Amur Estuary and on the Commander Islands. The anadromous form (Kamchatka salmon) is found only in the tundra rivers of Western Kamchatka and, less commonly, Eastern Kamchatka. Freshwater mykiss lives everywhere on the peninsula. These forms differ in color. The migratory has a few dark spots, which are located almost throughout the body, but are most numerous on the tail; along the lateral line there is a pale pink stripe that is not always noticeable. In freshwater, the body is covered with many black spots, on the sides along the lateral line there is a bright red or crimson stripe
Kamchatka salmon lives 8-9 years. Reaches sizes up to 100 cm, weight up to 12 kg. Average sizes: length 61-81 cm, weight from 4 to 10 kg. Kamchatka salmon enters rivers in the fall and stays in pits all winter, practically not feeding. Spawning occurs in early June. After spawning it does not die, goes to sea, and returns after 2-3 years.
Kamchatka salmon is a specially protected fish species; in the 80s it was listed in the Red Book.
Freshwater mykiss lives up to 10 years. Body length is about 70 cm, weight up to 3 kg, specimens weighing 0.5 - 1.5 kg are usually found. Spawns annually.
Spawning occurs in the spring - in May or June. Prefers fast currents, rarely found on quiet reaches. Favorite parking places are creases and individual logs in fast currents. And also the washed-out banks where the stream passes.
Mykizha is an object of amateur sport fishing.
Analogs of Asian noble salmon in America are steelhead salmon and rainbow trout.

Genus Salvelinus - Loaches

Loaches differ from other salmonids in having very small scales - the fish appears naked to the touch. Loaches spawn several times during their lives, although after each spawning some of the spawners die. Migratory char spend the winter in fresh water and annually go to sea to feed; resident char constantly live in rivers and lakes. Some species (Dolly Varden, Kunja) form herds of the most different types: anadromous and residential, among which there are river, lake-river, lake and dwarf stream.

Northern Dolly Varden(Pacific char) (Salvelinus malma, English Arctic char, Dolly Varden char)

Dolly Varden has a fusiform, slightly laterally compressed body, on which there are numerous white, red, and, in breeding plumage, spots of a different color.
Malma lives in almost all rivers of Kamchatka and, along with pink salmon, is one of the most numerous species of freshwater fish. The most widespread is the anadromous form, which makes periodic migrations from rivers to the sea and back. Passable Dolly Varden - big fish, in Kamchatka waters there are specimens up to 75 cm in length. Typically, specimens are caught 30-50 cm, weighing 1.5-2 kg, age 6-8 years.
Malma is both an important commercial species and an object of recreational fishing.

Kunja(Salvelinus leucomaenis, English - Siberian char, Sachalin char, Whitespotted char, Kundzha)

Kunja also has a fusiform body covered with large light spots, the number of which increases with age. This is a larger loach than Dolly Varden.
Kundzha is a migratory species with multiple spawnings; it lives only in Asia - from Japan to Kamchatka. Reaches a length of 99 cm and a weight of 11 kg. Residential kunja grows much slower than migratory kunja and is smaller than it - weighing no more than 3 kg.
To spawn, the kunja enters rivers and lakes connected to the sea. In different areas, spawning occurs at different times; in Kamchatka rivers it is the end of August - September.
Kunja has local commercial significance and is an object of sport fishing.

Grayling - Thumallide

Kamchatka grayling(Thumallus arcticus mertensii, English - Kamchatka grayling)

A freshwater river species, found in most rivers in the central and northern parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the west - from the Bolshaya River to the Paren River and in the east - from the Ozernaya River to the Apuka River, as well as to the north.
Kamchatka grayling has a characteristic very long and high dorsal fin, large head and mouth. The body is covered with large, firmly seated scales. The color of the fish is uniform, becoming darker with age.
In rivers, grayling inhabits exclusively their middle reaches. The lower reaches are almost never found in the upper reaches, especially in small and fast streams. It stays under the riffles, near the main stream, but not in a fast current. Nice places, where you can find grayling, areas with reverse flow between the stream and the shore, as well as below snags and boulders. Large graylings can also stand in deep holes.
Grayling reaches a length of 50 cm, a weight of 1.5 kg and an age of 18 years. Mostly fish are found with a length of 30 - 42 cm, weighing 600 g. Grayling matures at 5-9 years. Spawning takes place in the summer - in June (in the Kamchatka River - from late July to mid-September).
Grayling has local commercial significance and is an object of recreational fishing.

"Oh-oh-oh, this strange place, Kamchatka” - this is what the famous Russian poet and performer Viktor Robertovich Tsoi said about the marvelous Kamchatka region.
Few people know that Kamchatka is, indeed, an extraordinary corner of Russia, with its unique and mysterious flora, huge and unique plants and the grandeur of the forests.

Speaking about the flora of Kamchatka, I would like to emphasize its two most important features. And if one of them is completely obvious, striking, then the existence of the other became known only after more than one generation of outstanding people, specialists and botanists, long and fruitful research and decades of work.

The first one largely speaks for itself. Gigantism. There is hardly any other place in the world, much less in Russia, where grasses grow up to two to two and a half meters in height. It is not uncommon for this figure to reach four meters. As a rule, boast such great height Kamchatka umbelliferae can, including: hogweed, bear root, Kamchatka ribwort and others.

The trend towards such tall plants was first noticed by the first Russian scientist who visited Kamchatka, S.P. Krashenninikov. In his notes, he described his observations very vividly and beautifully, and spoke vividly and with great admiration about “tall and lush herbs, the like of which cannot be found in all of Russia.” Many plants are even taller than humans, he mentioned. The scientist found this place most suitable for keeping livestock, as he himself wrote.

Many people associate this rare feature and amazing performance of Kamchatka plants with the local underground waters, cold and hot springs, which contain a huge amount of all kinds of salts and nutrients. Typically, planting cereals on Kamchatka soil promises harvests of the highest quality. Thus, grown on this territory of Russia, having absorbed all the delights and benefits of rich sources, they sprout in much larger sizes.

Another feature of the Kamchatka region is considered to be its relatively small diversity of plant species - only about eight hundred. But you shouldn’t pay attention to the figure, which may seem a little small at first glance, because a huge part of them are representatives of endemic species found only in Kamchatka. As many as one hundred species, exotic in their essence, give every right to consider the factor of the Kamchatka flora as “young endemism”.

This is what specialists call a phenomenon in any plant environment where there is a place for young unique species. One of these young species is considered to be the Gulten willow, a close relative of the goat willow, which occupies large areas on the banks of Siberian rivers. Another species is graceful fir. It is found only in Kamchatka, but in appearance it is similar to the Sakhalin fir, widespread in Sakhalin, and to the white fir, which is in the Amur region.

Quite an interesting fact: on the territory of the Kamchatka region, places where the graceful fir grows have been preserved, but they are so small and rare that it was decided to place them under special control and protection.
The predominant locations of vegetation are altitudinal zones.

Forests are located in the lower belt. The main tree of the forests of the Kamchatka region is stone birch or Erman birch. Outwardly completely different from an ordinary white-trunked birch, Erman's birch is a gnarled tree with tough, small foliage. The bark is black on the outside and light on the inside. Multi-layered, it looks more like rags flapping in the wind.

From the foot to heights of six hundred meters, these trees predominate.

In the valley of the Kamchatka River there is an island of larch and spruce forests. The well-known white-trunked birch also grows there. Starting from a height of two hundred to three hundred meters, thickets of stone birch appear again.
The previous one is followed by a belt of subalpine shrubs - as it is commonly called. In it you can find thickets of dwarf cedar and the Kamchatka endemic, or otherwise - stone alder, common to Siberian people and the regions.

The peculiarities of the flora of Kamchatka are associated with the uniqueness of its climate and geological structure. A large number of mountains, mostly volcanic, the presence of hot springs, an unstable seismological situation, the proximity of the ocean, and the peninsular position determined, on the one hand, the diversity of the flora; on the other hand, they did not provide opportunities for very vigorous growth. According to paleobotany, coniferous forests once grew extensively on this land. But as the landscape and climate changed, they noticeably thinned out; the remaining representatives of the breed now live on mountain slopes and in river mouths in the east of the peninsula. As people develop the territory, the list of endangered plants in Kamchatka continues to grow. Plants of Kamchatka are strongly influenced by the volcanic activity of the peninsula. Eruptions can cause quite a lot of damage large areas, all vegetation on which can be destroyed.

Now scientists have identified about 1,300 plant species in the region, of which rare and endangered species make up a fairly large percentage. Plants of Kamchatka, listed in the Red Book, are protected, but the risk of their complete extinction remains high.

The uniqueness of the geographical conditions of Kamchatka is associated with the vertical zoning of the landscape. The growing zones of various plants directly depend on the altitude above sea level. Therefore, the flora is quite different in the lowlands and in the mountains. In the highest places, up to 3400 m above sea level, there is a zone of eternal snow with extremely sparse vegetation.

Based on the growth zones, it is possible to identify places where forests, shrubs and grasses dominate.

Forests predominate in Kamchatka. The forest belt reaches 800-1000 meters above sea level. The most common tree in the region today is the stone birch, which enlivens both the coasts and the mountains, and received its name because of its ability to grow on stony soil. This tree is also called Erman's birch. As it climbs higher into the mountains, the birch changes its appearance, becomes smaller, and the trunks, already twisted, become more and more curved. It can spread to a height of up to a kilometer above sea level. The oldest representatives of the breed are about 600 years old.

This type of birch is not the only one on the peninsula. There are other species that form entire groves, among them white birch stands out, it is also called Kamchatka.

Other tree species are represented mainly by conifers. The most tall tree in Kamchatka - Kamchatka larch, or Kuril larch, grows up to 32 meters, and its diameter reaches 80 cm. The most prominent among spruce trees is Ayan spruce, reaching a height of 25 meters. It lives half as long as a stone birch.

Kamchatka fir is one of the rare plants of Kamchatka. It can now only be found in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve near the Semyachik River, where the only relict grove has been preserved, occupying 20 hectares. The fir is listed in the Red Book, and reserve specialists have created a nursery where they are trying to preserve and distribute this rare species.

In the mountains, in the subalpine zone, the vegetation is predominantly shrubs and herbs. Among the forest-shrub species, dwarf alder is the most common in Kamchatka. In the mountains you can see continuous thickets of this plant, but there is also a lot of it on the coastal slopes. On average, such elfin trees live up to 60 years. In the subalpine zone, dwarf cedar is also widely found; in the lowlands it forms continuous thickets. He lives for about half a century.

Bush thickets are also formed by rosehip, rowan, honeysuckle, willow and others. Siberian juniper grows throughout Kamchatka. And rhododendron is a rare and specially protected species.

It grows in stone-birch forests, in the tundra, on the sea coast. Locals call it kashkara or katanych. This plant blooms with beautiful delicate flowers, which are located one or two at the ends of the shoots. Flowering occurs in June and July. Because of its pleasant appearance, the shrub has been cultivated all over the world since the end of the 18th century; it can be propagated either by seeds or by division.

In addition to forests and shrubs, various meadows are found throughout Kamchatka. They can be coastal, valley, forest, subalpine and alpine. In the meadows there is a variety of grasses, flowering plants, ferns, including those reaching truly gigantic sizes. Many of them are rare. Rare plants of Kamchatka are under close attention of botanists and ecologists. Among them there are truly unique species that live exclusively near hot springs, for example, Kamchatka killinga, Chinese tortoiseshell or thermal grasshopper. These inhabitants of thermal areas are at great risk due to the fact that visitors, without noticing, simply trample them. Conservationists have long pushed for the creation of special quiet zones where the rare plants that live here could survive without threat from human activity.

Chinese tortoiseshell belongs to the orchid family and is distinguished by its beautiful pink flowers. The fact that it was discovered near thermal springs in Kamchatka is surprising, since this is not a very typical place for it. Botanists do not rule out that this is a relict plant, preserved from a previous, warmer climatic period. There is also a less romantic version, according to which the flower, unique in these parts, was simply brought here by visitors or migratory birds.

There are quite a lot of other representatives of the orchid family on the peninsula, but they are difficult to find near thermal waters. For example, the Lady's slipper, a large-flowered orchid listed in the Red Book of Russia, allows you to admire its flowering for almost a month. It grows in forests, forest and mountain meadows, and mountain tundras.

Many rare plants grow in the highlands. These include Novokamchatka dandelions, astrogals, Wright's spleen and others. In mountain tundras, carpets of flowers last until new snow falls.

Among more than 800 flowering and fern plants, 10% have medicinal properties, and half of them are recognized by official pharmacology.

Kamchatka is a berry region; blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, cloudberries, raspberries, currants, blue honeysuckle and other berries grow here.

The most common Kamchatka berry is lingonberry. It is especially abundant in coniferous forests; it loves the proximity to dwarf cedar trees. Lingonberries reach their full ripening period in September, and the harvest can be so abundant that the berries are stored without fading until next year.

Sad currant grows in various areas of Kamchatka. She loves damp forests, ripens in August, pouring red berries on the branches.

It is also worth mentioning lichens, of which there are more than 1000 species in Kamchatka. Although this representative of the vegetation has been studied here for more than two hundred years, a significant part remains unexplored. The most studied groups of lichens are near the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. Here scientists have found and described about 500 species, many of which are rare. Lichens live on stones, on the bark of trees and shrubs, on wood, and on soil.

Crop farming in Kamchatka is primarily associated with the cultivation of potatoes, vegetables, and fodder. Berries are also cultivated. The southern and central parts of the peninsula are most favorable for agriculture. Since the very nature of Kamchatka ensured that thermal springs were literally underfoot, growing crops indoors in greenhouses is common in the region.

Residents of Kamchatka, thanks to the work of their farmers, despite the fact that sown areas have been decreasing in recent years, have not yet experienced problems with the choice of crop products. The farms of the Elizovsky district work especially effectively, supplying the residents of the peninsula with vegetables and potatoes grown using high-tech methods. But it is worth recognizing that in general Agriculture Kamchatka is experiencing problems, primarily due to funding.

The protection of cultivated plants from pests and diseases is carried out by phytocontrol specialists. The measures they use are soil disinfection, quarantines, and treatment of the plants themselves.

The fascinating nature of Kamchatka needs protection and care. Both wild and cultivated plants are vulnerable to natural disasters and increasingly intensified human activity. Therefore, the development of a holistic environmental consciousness is especially relevant and important in our time.

Watch our new video from the unique tour "Legends of the North"

Rich vegetation Kamchatka Krai due to some factors. Firstly, your geographical location. Secondly, exposure to a humid oceanic climate. Thirdly, the predominance of mountainous terrain. Fourthly, the unique history of landscape development. Fifthly, strong impact volcanic emissions and phenomena.

On the mainland of the Far East, coniferous forests of Ayan spruce and Kayander larch are common at a certain latitude of the peninsula. On the territory of Kamchatka approximately 10,000 years ago, this vegetation was significantly damaged during glaciation. Today Cajander larch and Ayan spruce can be observed in the Central Kamchatka depression among the high mountain ranges located to the west and east. Here you can also see aspen and white-trunked birch. At the mouth of the Semyachik River, which flows on the eastern coast, there is a small area of ​​coniferous forest, which is dominated by Sakhalin fir.

Throughout the entire territory of Kamchatka, both in mountainous areas and on the plains, the forest-forming species is Erman birch, the more common name for stone birch. These trees form rare birch forests (park forests). Such forests can be observed not far from the seashore; on the upper boundaries of the forest in the mountains, such birch forests are replaced by stone birch forests - these are low-growing trees with curved trunks.

Floodplain forests have a richer and more diverse tree species. In such forests you can find hairy alder, sweet poplar, choicenia and some varieties of willows. Among the varieties of shrub flora, you can find elderberry rowan, blunt rose hips, cedar and alder dwarf, Siberian juniper, blue honeysuckle and Chamisso. In river valleys, where due to the abundance of water the soil is quite rich in water (waterlogged), they found their place beautiful and spear-shaped willow and meadowsweet.

They found their place in the subalpine zone on the mountain slopes bush alder and dwarf cedar. Such plants often form impenetrable thickets. It is followed by low-growing shrubs such as: Arctic willow, golden and Kamchatka rhododendron, as well as Bover's meadowsweet. If you rise higher, the bush thickets are replaced by mountain tundras. Here other representatives of the undersized flora are revealed to the eye shrubs, alpine meadows, they grow among vast snowfields, scree, rocks. At this height, plants can be found either growing in small groups or solitary plants. Meadows are widespread to one degree or another in all altitudinal zones.

The most common vegetation in Kamchatka is considered to be a plant reaching about three meters in height - thicket of tall grass. It prefers to grow in the valleys of rivers and streams, in decays on the slopes of mountains, where groundwater is close. Such tall plants include: 1) Kamchatka meadowsweet; 2) Kamchatka ribwort; 3) woolly hogweed; 4) hemp-leaved ragwort; 5) forest carrot; 6) Kamchatka thistle and many other plants. Sometimes such tall grasses can be observed under the canopy of a stone-birch forest. The only difference is that in such places they do not reach such a great height.

On river terraces, forest edges, the edges of swamps, clearings, and seaside slopes, forb meadows are widespread; they can also be found in forest and subalpine zones. Reed meadows have found their place in wetlands, places rich in water, and also in clearings between alder thickets in the subalps. Low-growing alpine meadows spread out in the mountain tundra belt.

Swamps are an integral part of the Kamchatka landscape; they can be found throughout the high profile. Preference is given to the forest belt; swamps are more common there than anywhere else. Mostly swamps can be found in the Western Kamchatka Lowland. In the central and eastern parts of Kamchatka, swamps can be found in the valleys of large rivers.

Grass meadows smoothly turning into mixed-grass meadows and pine forests can be found in low-lying areas of the seashore on sandy coastal ramparts and sea spits.

In the central part of Kamchatka On mountains and volcanoes the altitudinal zonation of the plant world is most pronounced. At an altitude of 300 meters and higher above sea level you can find a spruce forest. At an altitude of up to 500 meters, white birch and larch forests grow. Stone birch forests grow at altitudes from 300 to 800 meters.

Above 1200 meters above sea level, a kingdom of bush thickets of alder and dwarf cedar opens up. Then they are replaced by mountain tundra and finally the rare vegetation of high-mountain deserts.

In the central part of Kamchatka the average altitude of the eternal snow zone starts from 2400 m to 3500 m above sea level. In other parts of Kamchatka, these boundaries are much lower, which is why there are no spruce, larch and white birch forests.

Common for the Kamchatka region is some violation of zonation and placement and the placement of plant groups in conditions unusual for them. Sometimes you can find mixed vegetation. For example, within the forest belt you can find areas of shrub tundra. In mountain terraces in places protected from the wind within the subalpine zone, you can find Erman birch groves.

The climate is wetter and colder in Southern Kamchatka, this is due to the fact that two air currents from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the ocean meet. There is a cross-effect of air masses; here (in the southern part) the temperature differs from the temperature in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In this part of the peninsula, the snow melts much later than in other places and as a result, plants also grow with a significant delay. The boundaries of altitudinal zones are lower here.

Volcanic activity and emissions also have an impact on the flora of Kamchatka. For example, in 1907, as a result of the eruption of the Ksudach volcano, the vegetation around the volcano was damaged over tens of square kilometers. All life north of the volcano was almost destroyed. Even to this day, most of the area that was once damaged by the volcano is still almost lifeless; pumice-slag remains can be observed there. On small areas You can observe the lichen tundra, the alder thickets are gradually being restored, and only closer to the river you can see the reviving stone birch forests. Most of the vegetation suffers due to large eruptions, which are accompanied by abundant release of lava and mudflows.

Research carried out on the peninsula showed that today in Kamchatka from plant diversity you can find 90 families, more than 300 genera and approximately 1300 species. The last glaciation led to the extinction of a number of heat-loving species, and the flora of Kamchatka was transformed into a new diversity. New arctic-alpine and alpine species have appeared to replace plants characteristic of the Kamchatka climate. On the modern territory of Kamchatka one can find formations of species with different types of distribution. Among these species, the circumpolar species is more common, followed by the Far Eastern species, then the Asian-American species. There is also a small group of endemic plants that can be found exclusively on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The numerous families include three representatives: 1) Compositae; 2) sedges; 3) cereals. Not too rich species include: 1) buttercups; 2) rush; 3) pink; 4) willow; 5) saxifrage; 6) cloves; 7) cruciferous vegetables; 8) heather. Other families number about 20 species. There are also species that have survived in one or two copies.

Among Kamchatka plants, there are rare species and families that are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The extinction of such species could be influenced by both the forces of nature and man himself. The following representatives are listed in the Red Book: 1) pearl mire; 2) sedge is loose and lead-green; 3) rough mint; 4) large-flowered slipper; 5) leafless muzzle; 6) fimbristilis Okhotsk.

Near the hot springs on thermal sites grow quite rare and interesting views Kamchatka plants. On such sites you can see Kamchatka string grass, Chinese wild grass, thermal grass grass, Kamchatka killinga, pauzhetka bentgrass and Alaskan grass grass. If we evaluate the beauty of these plants, then they are considered inconspicuous and unattractive. Therefore, when people visit hot springs, for the most part they simply trample down these plants.

In the highlands you can also find many rare species growing there: alpine poppies, Stepanova's dandelions, polar astrogals, mecoleaf cores, Novokamchatka dandelions (has bright pink flowers), viviparous fescue, oxygraphio icy, Wright's spleen, volcanic saxifrage, Ilyin's arch, fissured spleen and many other types.

If you pay attention to all the flora that is located in the Kamchatka region, you will notice that it is not replete with pronounced colorful shades. Most of the flora on the territory of Kamchatka is dominated by stone-birch forests with their diversity and alder thickets, which occupy a small area. Northern and alpine plant species are influenced by many factors in which Kamchatka is rich. These volcanic manifestations, mountainous terrain, the impact of the volcanic climate and the presence of modern glaciation all together contribute to the fact that in some places after the release of lava, the cover completely disappears, while in other places, on the contrary, the vegetation cover increases and surprises with its diversity and mosaic.

Let's talk in more detail about some types of Kamchatka plants that are of significant interest to tourists who find themselves on the peninsula. These are not rare plants that are listed in the Red Book, but wild medicinal, edible and poisonous species. This is a conditional name for the species, since all even poisonous plants can be used in medicinal purposes, the main thing is that this is done by a specialist who knows the mixing proportions. We propose to consider only some types of plants, both edible and poisonous. We will not describe them in detail, nor will we include in the list plants that are scarce or are under state protection.

Most plants that live in natural conditions (wild) are not as tasty and pleasant as garden and horticultural crops, but the advantage of wild ones is that they are much richer in vitamins and other substances necessary for the body. In the first place are berries, which Kamchatka has in abundance.

Honeysuckle blue

One of the most popular berries. Its ripening period ranges from late July to early August. Bushes of this berry can be found in birch forests and on the outskirts of the forest, as well as in shrub tundras and dry meadows. The shape of the berry varies greatly; it can be round or spindle-shaped. The same is true with taste, it can be sour-sweet and bitter.

Swamp blueberry abundant and common

Its habitat is along the edges of swamps, shrub tundras and shikshevnias. The berries ripen slightly later than honeysuckle. The berries do not fall quickly, so they remain on the bush until September.

Volcanic blueberry

Grows at altitudes of 1400 meters above sea level - this lower berry is most often found as a bush spread along the tundra slopes. On its branches you can find last year's dry leaves. The berries are rounded greenish-blue.

Cowberry

The most common berry in Kamchatka. It can be found in thickets of dwarf cedar in the seaside shrub and mountain tundra. The fertility of lingonberries is especially observed in the central part of Kamchatka in the territory of coniferous forests. The ripening period is September. If last year the lingonberry harvest was abundant, then next year you can see last year’s berries on the bushes. They will look slightly wilted and this is the only difference in their taste; they will remain just as edible.

Cranberry

Usually this berry grows in fur swamps; it has two types: 1) small-fruited, 2) swamp. Small-fruited cranberries have small berries and small leaves. Swamp cranberry has large berries and large leaves. Its ripening period begins in September. Thanks to this late ripening, last year's berries are preserved until next year.

Crowberry or shiksha

This berry is usually found on coastal shrub tundras and swamps. This shrub produces black berries that are watery and have a sweetish taste. Crowberry ripens in the second half of August. Blueberries last longer on the bush. The berry is rich in vitamins and relieves thirst well.

Sad currant

It can be found almost throughout Kamchatka. In the north and south, it is mostly found in the central part. Likes to settle in damp valley forests on rocky screes, in clearings in the subalpine zone. The ripening period is the beginning of August, the berries on the bush remain almost until September. The berries are red.

Raspberry, cloudberry and princely

These berries, not so common on the peninsula and not very fruitful, belong to the Rubus genus.

Sakhalin raspberry

Prefers places for breeding and maturation in coastal forests, alder thickets and rocks. The ripening period for raspberries occurs in the month of August. The berry quickly crumbles.

Cloudberry

This berry is favored by damp tundras and moss swamps. This is her usual habitat. The berry ripens in August. The period of its ripening can be determined by the color of the berry. If it is red, then it is an unripe berry. Ripe berries have a light yellow color. Fruiting is much greater than the berries listed above.

Prince

Its usual habitat is meadows, forests, tundra and bushes. Rarely bears fruit. The berries are dark red in color with a unique taste and aroma.

Rowan elderberry

This berry is widely used in the food industry. The shrub reaches two meters in height, has large fruits that hang on clusters.

Rowan Kamchatka (Siberian)

less used for food, the tree reaches five meters in height, has smaller fruits.

Swedish derena

She loves to settle in shikshevniks on the sea coast in seaside meadows in stone birch forests at the edge of dwarf thickets in the subalpine zone. Derain ripens at the end of August. The berries are bright red in color and grow in small clusters at the tops of the stem. It tastes like a berry – tasteless, but edible and will quench your thirst.

Alpine bearberry (Arctous alpine)

This type of shrub can be found in mountain tundras. It attracts attention because when the first frosts occur, its foliage becomes reddish in color, and the berries on the bush are black and large. Many people try not to eat these berries, as they believe that they cause a gag reflex, while others believe that the berries are quite edible. The taste of the berry itself is really questionable.

Cedar elfin wood

amazing walnut tree. The nut kernels are small compared to Korean and Siberian pine. But they win in terms of quantity and volume; there are quite a lot of them. Collecting cones is relatively easy. The fruit ripens at the end of August - beginning of September. You can eat nuts much earlier if you roast them over a fire.

Ramson (Okhotsk onion), speedoda and protruding onion

They have found special use in the cooking of the Kamchatka region. These greens are used in various types of salads. Use raw. It is cooked as a dressing for soups, cabbage soup and side dishes. Also used are flat-leaved nettle, hogweed, spoongrass, Japanese china, sea mertensia, Lapland sorrel, chickweed, sorrel, dandelion and wood sorrel.

Cheremsha (Okhotsk onion)

It usually grows in stone birch forests. Sometimes it can be found in mixed-grass meadows, but much less often than in the forest. The leaves are best collected when the flowers have not yet bloomed. Flowers bloom in late June early July. By the end of July, wild garlic leaves become quite hard and it becomes unpleasant to use them as food. Sometimes in August you can find soft fresh leaves of wild garlic if it has not yet had time to bloom.

Bow of speed

Its habitat borders the outskirts of swamps and can still be found in damp meadows.

Bitter onion

Inhabits dry meadows, rocky slopes, and rocks in the mountains. This onion usually grows in small quantities.

Flat-leaved nettle

This plant has chosen a habitat near the banks of rivers and streams, floodplain forests and thickets of tall grass. Due to its vitamin properties, nettle is widely used as a food supplement and as a medicinal plant. Usually either young shoots or leaves on new shoots are collected.

Hogweed

Hogweed got its name because in Rus' it was often used to prepare borscht, or vice versa, borscht got its name from the fact that hogweed was put in it. Different kinds Hogweed was widely used by humans for cooking. It doesn’t matter whether it was woolly hogweed or its European-Siberian relative. Remember, hogweed juice, if it comes into contact with the skin, causes increased sensitivity to sunlight. You need to be careful otherwise a burn or ulcer may appear on the skin. People prone to allergies may experience allergic reactions. In this case, it is better to refrain from hogweed and not consume it even in small quantities.

Lapland sorrel

Lapland sorrel can be found in forest and mountain tundra belts and mixed-grass meadows. Lapland sorrel is a close relative of common sorrel, which is widely used and widespread in the culture of the region.

Oxalis two-columnar

Two-columnar sorrel is slightly different in taste from sorrel. This common plant grows along the banks of mountain streams and on damp rocky slopes. You can also find rounded, kidney-shaped leaves of the plant in the highlands.

Dandelion

Dandelion has found its way into soups and salads. Before use, its leaves are soaked in water to remove the specific bitterness.

Chickweed radiata

Young shoots of this greenery grow along river banks, in damp meadows, and in grassy swamps. Leaves of chickweed radiata, sea mertensia which grows on the seashore, japonica - only young greens are used and spoonwort - all of them are used in salads as fresh greens.

Common oxalis

Common oxalis is most often found in the forests of Central and Southern Kamchatka. Oxalis is used in the same way as sorrel.

Horsetail, young greens of carrot grass, narrow-leaved willowherb, Kamchatka meadowsweet and hemp-leaved groundsel are harvested in June. They found their place in boiled soups and side dishes.

Orlyak

Bracken is most often found in white birch forests, and stone birch forests are less common. Grows best in dry places.

Ostrich

Its usual habitat is forested areas. Collection time is June. Both bracken and ostrich are edible. To process it, you need to boil it in salted water, then rinse it, fry it in oil or cook it in soup. In fact, young, not yet developed castings are used for food.

Wild plants are usually used to prepare various drinks. To prepare jelly and compotes, you can use all of the above edible fruits and berries.

Vitamin drinks can be prepared throughout the summer. At the beginning of summer, you can prepare a drink from young rosehip leaves. Midsummer from flower petals. In autumn, a drink can be prepared from ripe fruits. You can brew a drink from young birch leaves in June, as well as from the leaves of lingonberry, princeling, meadowsweet, and cinquefoil. The drink is brewed from young raspberry shoots and meadowsweet flowers. Ivan tea produces a very beautiful and aromatic tea if you combine flowers and leaves together. A simple way to prepare this tea: 1) roll the leaves between your palms and dry them by the fire; 2) add water and let it brew to feel the full aroma of the tea. To get delicious tea, it is best to use herbs. Sometimes you can add medicinal herbs such as: nettle and watch leaves, young fluffy greens and other herbs. To acidify the tea, you can add leaves of sorrel, sorrel or sorrel. This tea quenches your thirst. To make a coffee drink, use dandelion roots. To do this, the roots must be fried and ground, then brewed.

It would be good for a traveler if he understands the medicinal properties of the plants he encounters. Especially if these plants are not poisonous.

For example, for abrasions, wounds, scratches, burns and similar wounds, you can use plants that have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, hemostatic and wound-healing properties. Such plants include: viviparous knotweed, burnet and thin-leaved burnet, marsh cinquefoil uses roots, nettle, dwarf cedar uses resin. You can also use bush quinquefoil, umbrella hawkweed, narrow-leaved pean tea, grass and roots are used, goat willow is used in a bark decoction, Kamchatka and beautiful sneezeweed is used in fresh herbs or a decoction of herbs, and many other herbs.

Sphagnum moss

Sphagnum moss can be used if cotton wool is urgently needed; it usually grows in swamps. Dry dried moss has good hygroscopicity. It is a good antiseptic and has a wound healing effect.

Birch and birch bark can be used instead of the usual bandages. It also has an antiseptic effect.

Tincture of horsetail herb is most often used for internal bleeding, bladder disease, swelling and urinary tract.

During a cough, you can use a tincture of rosehip petals, sea mertensia and round-leaved sundew and use herbs.

During colds, you can use meadowsweet tincture, preferably grass and roots, raspberry leaves, princeling herb, and the whole marsh fireweed plant.

During periods of toothache and severe mosquito bites, you can use a decoction of marsh cinquefoil. Even with a mosquito bite, you can use northern tansy as a rub. You need to squeeze the juice out of the grass and rub the bite areas. A tincture of burnet roots is also applicable.

For headaches, you can use an infusion of the herb kopeechnik, as well as meadowsweet.
Stomatitis and sore throat, to relieve the inflammatory process, you can use as a decoction: burnet, hairy alder bark, knotweed viviparous, leaves and roots of narrow-leaved fireweed, leaves of Sakhalin raspberry.

For stomach upset, you can use a decoction of hairy alder cones, cinquefoil, young leaves of birch and lingonberry. These decoctions work as an astringent.

During constipation, it is best to make a decoction of valerian roots and leaves of the trifoliate.
Sea mertensia can be consumed in the form of a decoction when pain occurs in the abdominal area.

Some types of poisonous plants

Although there are not many of them in Kamchatka, you need to pay attention to some, as they are considered quite dangerous.

Hemlock or poisonous weh

One of the most dangerous and poisonous plants. The root of the plant is considered especially dangerous. Belongs to the category of grasses with a height of 80 centimeters. The leaves are bipinnate. The flowers are white, collected in an umbrella. Habitat: swamps, lakes and shallow waters. How to identify hemlock - the rhizome is swollen, there is a small cavity and transverse partitions inside the rhizome itself. In summer and autumn, the rhizome can be seen floating along the river; it looks like a potato tuber. Poisoning is often fatal.

Ranunculaceae family

Almost all are considered poisonous. The most poisonous are larkspur and aconites. These are perennial herbs whose leaves are palmately dissected. The flowers are blue, light blue, violet, the inflorescence is compressed or loose.

Aconite larkspur

This plant is quite rare in the highlands; it prefers to settle in the tundra and meadows. Voroshilov's aconite has a climbing stem and can be found on the northwestern peninsula and in the central part of Kamchatka. Large aconite and Fischer's aconite like to grow in river valleys, as a common plant found in stone birch forests.

Larkspur short-spur

All parts of this plant are poisonous, but especially the root. It grows preferably along the banks of streams and rocky cliffs.

Many poisonous plants, reaching the period of fruit ripening, can be identified by their berries. The berries turn orange or red.

Wolfweed Kamchatka

Low shrub. The plant belongs to the category of poisonous plants. The flowers are light yellow, the berries are red.

Red-fruited raven

This berry ripens at the end of August. Reaches a height of up to 50 cm, has a racemose inflorescence. It can be especially observed in Central Kamchatka.

Lysichiton Kamchatka

Its habitat is in oxbow lakes and marshy meadows. The flower is similar to calla lilies. The berries ripen in late summer and resemble a cob.

Swamp whitewing

The name itself suggests that its favorite habitat is standing waters of swamps and shallow lakes. During flowering it resembles calla lily flowers. The juicy berries ripen towards the end of summer and look like a dense, oblong bunch.

Maynik two-leaf

Its habitat is coniferous forests and meadows. The berries are greenish-brown and begin to turn red in September-October. It can be difficult to determine which species the berries belong to, since by the time the berries ripen, the leaves almost leave the plant.

How to avoid poisoning from wild plants: do not eat berries you are not familiar with. If the plant is unfamiliar, also refrain from eating it.