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Specially protected natural territories of the Russian Federation
Great Arctic State Nature Reserve
The Great Arctic reserve is a state conservational, scientific research and environmental education institution established for the purpose of preserving and studying the unaffected course of natural processes and phenomena, the genetic pool of flora and fauna, particular species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecological systems. The Great Arctic is the largest reserve of Eurasia, in terms of the area covered. It consists of 7 cluster sites: Dixon-Sibiryakovskiy; Islands of the Kara Sea; Pyasinsky; the Gulf of Middendorf; the Nordenskiöld Archipelago; Lower Taimyr; Chelyuskin Peninsula. The Great Arctic nature reserve features 162 plant species belonging to 28 families. Besides, 15 species of mushrooms are identified here, among them – a rare white species of the Inocybe genus; and with lichens considerably widespread (70 species). Comparison of flora indicates that an important botanical-geographical boundary between the West and East Siberian flora runs between Sibiryakov Island and Medusa Bay. This is one of the manifestations of the Yenisei biogeographic boundaries - the largest meridional boundary its kind in the Palearctic. The Great Arctic reserve makes a natural habitat for 124 species of birds, of which 55 species nest on its territory. There are 18 species of mammals (including 4 species of marine mammals) and 29 species of fish. In addition to arctic foxes, weasels and lemmings, the Great Arctic reserve features many large mammals: polar bear, musk ox, wild reindeer (with the world’s largest herd dwelling in Taimyr). The waters of the Kara Sea feature walruses, white whales, true seals and bearded seals.
