I.I. Sprygin Zhiguli State Nature Biosphere Reserve

Description

I.I. Sprygin Zhiguli State Reserve is located in the Northern part of Samarskaya Luka? which is a peninsula formed by the bend in the middle stream of the Volga River, framing the Zhiguli Mountains up to 381 m and forming a singular peninsula. From three sides it is limited by water areas of the Saratovskoye and Kuibyshevskoye reservoirs. The central and southern parts of the peninsula are gently sloping plateau densely indented by ancient valleys. The peculiarity of nature of the Zhiguli, the contrast of landscapes, the richness of the subsoil are caused by their geological structure, abruptly different from that of neighboring regions of the Russian Plain. All Samarskaya Luka is an island of Paleozoic rocks among the ones of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, composing surrounding areas. The Zhiguli Elevation appeared about 7 million years ago in the middle Pliocene. Elevated and partitioned relief provided peculiarity of the climate and specific course of formation of soils and vegetation. According to many scientists: botanists, zoologists, geologists and paleontologists, Samarskaya Luka has a special place in the formation of natural systems of all the Volga region, considered as a refugium of animals and plants of preglacial age. Representatives of flora and fauna of steppe and forest zones, endemic and relict species preserved from the past geological epochs inhabit the area. In Samarskaya Luka the contact of European and Asian biota extends, thus creating a knot of biogeographical regions. The territory of the BR has high biodiversity. The unique ecosystems of limestone mountains are spread very widely here: stony steppes, primeval steppificationed pine forests and mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests on the sod-calcareous and unique brown forest soils. On the plateau indigenous forests (lime-tree forests, birch and oak forest) as well as derivative associations (aspen, maple, elm and birch forests) are presented. Also meadow steppes and mowed meadows, water meadows, pastures and arable lands on chernozems and grey forest soils are here. Inundated oak forests and forests with predominance of black poplar, white poplar, common willow, black alder and purple willow brush woods have been preserved in the territory. Original ecosystems were formed on the places, where limestone had been extracted. One of them is adits – bats’ wintering grounds. nature protection, scientific researches, environmental education

Contacts

ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT
Juriy Krasnobayev
Telephone: 8-(84862) 378-38
email: zhiguli1927@yandex.ru

POINT_OF_CONTACT
Victoria Vekhnik
Telephone: +79372111753
email: ivavika@rambler.ru

I.I. Sprygin Zhiguli State Nature Biosphere Reserve
Zhigulyovskaya str., house 1
Zhigulyovsk city district
445362
Samara Oblast
RU
email: zhiguli1927@yandex.ru