Ural Mountains and Turgay Plateau

Waterfowl, Mountain Meadows, and Nuclear Legacy

Map of the Month: Ural Mountains-South, Turgay Plateau, and Ishim Steppe

Map boundaries: 50 to 60 degrees North; 56 to 70 degrees East

Countries: Kazakhstan (Akmola, Aktobe, Karagandy, Kostanay, and North Kazakhstan) and Russia (Bashkortostan Republic, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, Perm Territory, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Khanti Mantsia Autonomous Region)

Overview

This map area marks the transition from the Central Asian Desert to the vast boreal forest that covers northern Europe and Asia. In between are the steppes, which in this area contain patches of forests. The European and Asian steppes are separated by the forested Ural Mountains. East of the Urals in Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk are areas affected by the legacy of nuclear weapons production. The boreal forest is separated from the steppe by a band of deciduous forest. East of the Urals, thousands of lakes and wetlands dot the steppe, deciduous, and boreal forest, providing vital habitat for waterfowl in a dry region. The Turgay Plateau is a major watershed boundary, separating north-flowing polar rivers from the temperate Volga or Caspian Sea drainage to the west. To the south of the plateau, the Irghyz and Turgai rivers evaporate in the Central Asian desert.

Ecoregions and Provinces/Political Subdivisions of the Palearctic (PA) Biome

Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests

PA 419, East European forest steppe. Found in Bashkortostan Republic, Perm Territory, and Sverdlovsk. Forests of oak, linden, maple, and ash border grasslands and riverside wetlands.

PA 436, Sarmatic mixed forest. Found in Bashkortostan Republic, Perm Territory, and Sverdlovsk. A taiga-broadleaf forest transition area with pine, oak, and hazelnut.

PA 444, West Siberian broadleaf and mixed forests. Found in Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, and Tyumen. A boreal-broadleaf forest transition area about 150 km in width with birch forests, Siberian fir, black spruce, pine, linden, aspen, and scotch pine.

Boreal Forests/Taiga

PA 608, Scandinavian and Russian taiga. Found in Perm Territory. Boreal forests with juniper, birches, pine, and willow.

PA 610, Urals montane tundra and taiga. Found in Bashkorstostan Republic, Chelyabinsk, Perm Territory, and Sverdlovsk. Boreal woodlands of pine-spruce and fir-spruce.

PA 611, West Siberian taiga. Found in Bashkorstostan Republic, Chelyabinsk, Khanti-Mantsia autonomous region, Tyumen, and Sverdlovsk. Boggy area with belts of taiga forests along rivers.

Temperate Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands

PA 809, Kazakh forest steppe. Found in Bashkortostan Repubic, Chelyabinsk, Kostanay, Kurgan, North Kazakhstan, Orenburg, and Tyumen. Aspen, birch and pine grow in small groves called koloks. Many wetlands.

PA 810, Kazakh Steppe. Found in Akmola, Aktobe, Karagandy, Kostanay, and North Kazakhstan. Grasslands between the Ural and Altai Mountains. Many closed basins.

PA 811, Kazakh upland. Found in Akmola and North Kazakhstan. Low mountains and highly eroded plateaus with sparse pine forests, stony meadows, and shrub steppe vegetation.

PA 814, Pontic steppe. Found in Aktobe and Orenburg. Steppe vegetation with riparian forests along large rivers.

Deserts and Xeric Shrublands

PA 1318, Kazakh semi-desert. Found in Aktobe, Karagandy, and Kostanay. Grassy plains and eroded plateaus, a transitional area between steppe and desert.

Freshwater Ecoregions of the World (Abel et al. 2008)

Europe and Middle East Region

Temperate Floodplain Rivers and Wetlands

410, Volga-Ural. Drains western slopes of the Urals and southern Ural Mountains. Found in Aktobe, Bashkortostan Republic, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Sverdlovsk

Northern Asia Region

Polar Freshwater

602, Ob. Fifth largest drainage basin in the world, includes north and eastern parts of map area. Many steppe lakes in the Tobol drainage are saline. Major tributaries shown on map of Ishim/Esil, Tobol, and Tura.

Xeric Freshwaters and Closed Basins

601, Irgyz-Turgai. Spring-flooding river fish have affinities with Siberian fish flora. Found in Aktobe, Kostanay, and Orenburg east of Mugodzhary Mountains.

World Heritage Sites

Saryarka—steppe and saline lakes of northern Kazakhstan, found in Akmola and Kostanay. The Naurzum and Korgalzhyn nature preserves preserve substantial undisturbed areas of central Asian steppes interspersed with forest patches. Wetlands are critical for migratory waterbirds. Tengiz Lake harbors 15-16 million migratory birds. Also the Saiga antelope is preserved. Ecoregion 810.

Ramsar Sites

Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System, Akmola. See Saryarka under World Heritage Sites.

Tobol-Ishim Forest-Steppe, Tyumen. Ecoregion 809.

Other Sites

Ai, Bashkortostan Republic. Eagle breeding area. Ecoregion 610

Aiskiye Yary, Bashkortostan Republic. Eagle breeding area. Ecoregion 419.

Akh Lakes, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area for yellow-breasted bunting. Ecoregion 61.

Aksuat Lake, North Kazakhstan. Brackish lake important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Aktubek, Karagandy. Steppe area important for sociable lapwind and pallid harrier, near Tengiz Ramsar Site. Ecoregion 810.

Akzhan Lake, Kostanay. Important bird area for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Amangeldy, Akmola . Steppe area important for sociable lapwing, black-winged pratincole, and waterbirds; near Tengiz Lake Ramsar site. Ecoregion 810.

Amankaragay Forest, Kostanay. Pine forest of 60,000 ha, important for eagles and bustards. Ecoregion 810.

Atyazh Lakes, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 444.

Ayke, Orenburg. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809

Balykty Lake, North Kazakhstan. Waterfowl area, part of Smirnovsky State Nature Preserve. Ecoregion 810.

Bashkiria National Park, Bashkortostan Republic. Low mountains and deciduous forests; natural bridge across Kuperlya River. Ecoregion 419. Adjacent is Shulgan-Tash Nature Preserve, which protect brown bears and last wild bees in central Russia.

Bassegi Nature Reserve, Perm. Protects original taiga forests. Ecoregion 610.

Beloe Lake, Tyumen. Pelican, cormorant, harrier, and corncrake breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Birsuit, Chelyabinsk. Breeding for raptors. Ecoregion 809

Burekesken, Kurgan. Waterfowl area and lake. Ecoregion 809.

Butash and Gorkoye, Chelyabinsk. Waterfowl areas. Ecoregion 809.

Cheka, Chelyabinsk. Mountain and important bird area. Ecoregion 809.

Chernoye Lake, Kurgan. Major goose, swan, and duck breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Chuburat, Kurgan. Lake and waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Chusovskoi National Park, Sverdlovsk. Ecoregion 610.

Dikoye and Epanchine Lakes, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area for yellow-breasted bunting. Ecoregion 611.

Gorkoye Lake, Kurgan. Harrier breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Ilmen Nature Reserve, Chelyabinsk. An archaeological reserve with 50 sites, including settlement of Arkaim, 17^th to 26^th century BCE. Also corncrake breeding area. Ecoregion 610

Indra Lake, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area for hazel grouse. Ecoregion 611.

Iremelski, Bashkortostan Republic. Mountain known for taiga zone birds. Ecoregion 610.

Irendyk, Bashkortostan Republic. Ridge known for raptors. Ecoregion 809.

Irnykshinskie, Bashkortostan Republic. Marsh known for breeding eagles. Ecoregion 419.

Ishim River floodplain, Tyumen. Red-footed falcon and corncrake breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Istochnoye, Sredneye, and Schuchiye Lakes, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area for hazel grouse. Ecoregion 611.

Kabeni Lake, Tyumen. Pelican and goose breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Kak Lakes (Big--bolshoy and Little--maliy), North Kazakhstan. Waterfowl areas. Ecoregion 810.

Kamsko, Perm Territory. Wetland known for eagle nesting. Ecoregion 608.

Kamyshovoe-Zhamankol Lakes, Kostanay. Groundwater fed lakes used by waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Katai Lake, Chelyabinsk and Kurgan. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Kochedyksky, Chelyabinsk. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Kokshetau National Park, Akmola. Ecoregion 811.

Koybagar-Tyuntyugur Lake, Kostanay. Freshwater lake surrounded by low cliffs; important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Kraka, Bashkortostan Republic. Ridge known for raptors. Ecoregion 610.

Krutali Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Kuktybiz, Kurgan. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Kulykol-Taldykol Lake, Kostanay. Saline lake important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Kungar, Perm Territory. Ice cave with frozen waterfalls and underground lakes. Ecoregions 419 and 436.

Kurtan Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Kushmurun Lake, Kostanay. On the northern escarpment of Turgay Plateau, a saline lake important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Makushinsky nature area, Kurgan. Goose and duck migratory area. Ecoregion 809.

Maly Nakas, Orenburg. Ridge known for raptors. Ecoregion 419

Manyass Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Mayan Lake, Chelyabinsk. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 444.

Miass, Chelyabinsk. Ballistic missile production area. Ecoregion 611

Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk-44), Sverdlovsk. Uranium enrichment facility. Ecoregion 610.

Okhlebinin, Bashkortostan Republic. Floodplain area, important bird area. Ecoregion 419.

Orenburg Nature Reserve, Orenburg. Protects sites on Kazakh border that are steppe ecosystems. Ecoregions 809 and 814.

Ozersk (Chelyabinsk-65), Chelyabinsk. Large nuclear weapons production facility, currently producing tritium and other isotopes. A 1957 explosion in a radioactive waste storage area dispersed radioactivity into Sverdlovsk and Tyumen. In addition, radiation was dumped into the Techa River on an ongoing basis. Ecoregion 611

Pavlovskoye, Bashkortostan Republic. Reservoir and eagle breeding area. Ecoregions 419 and 610.

Pelym River area, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area for red-breasted goose breeding. Ecoregion 611.

Perm-36, Perm territory. Site of Gulag Museum, former labor camp for political prisoners. Ecoregion 610.

Peschanokoledin, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 444.

Pripyshmenskie National Park, Sverdlovsk. Pine forests, spruce, and aspen forests on ancient river terraces. Ecoregion 611.

Pustoye, Big, Kurgan. Lake and waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Redut pine forest, Kurgan. Eagle nesting area. Ecoregion 809.

Ruskoye Lake, Sverdlovsk. Important bird area known for hazel grouse. Ecoregion 611.

Sakmara River valley, Orenburg. Broadleaf forest with steppe, an Important bird area. Ecoregion 419 and 814.

Saltosarayskoye Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Sankebay Lakes, Kostanay. Spring-fed lakes important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Sarykopa Wildlife Reserve, Kostanay. System of desert lakes, ponds and flooded meadows important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 1318.

Sarykud, Chelyabinsk. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 809.

Schuchye Lake, Kurgan. Gadwall and grebe breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Shaglyteniz Lake, North Kazakhstan. Freshwater lakes and marshes important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Shoshkaly Lake, Kostanay. Important waterfowl area. Ecoregion 810.

Siverga Lake, Tyumen. Harrier and avocet breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70), Chelyabinsk. Home of Russian Federal Nuclear Center for weapons design. Ecoregion 611.

Sorbalyk and Maybalyk Lake, North Kazakhstan. Saline lakes important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 809.

South Urals Nature Reserve, Bashkortostan Republic. Ecoregion 610.

Stekleny Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregioni 809.

Sulukol Lake, Kostanay. Brackish lake known for lesser white-fronted goose. Ecoregion 810.

Syntasty River and Big Karaganda River source, Chelyabinsk. Important bird area. Ecoregion 809.

Taganay National Park, Chelyabinsk. Ural mountain endemics, flower-filled meadows, and spruce-fir forest. Ecoregion 610.

Teniz-Karakamys Lake, Kostanay. Freshwater lakes important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Terenkol Lake, North Kazakhstan. Part of Smirnovsky State Nature Preserve, important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 809.

Tirikul and Kadkul Lakes, Chelyabinsk. Waterfowl area. Ecoregion 444.

Tobol Bottoms, Kurgan. River floodplains and pine forest. Waterfowl and eagle breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Tounsor Hollow State Nature Preserve, Kostanay. Lakes and marshes of Turgay Plateau important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Travykul Lake, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Tri Gusikhi, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg. Eagle breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Tulak, Chelyabinsk. Lake known for white-headed duck migration. Ecoregion 809.

Tundrovo Lake, Tyumen. Dalmation pelican and great cormorant breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Uj, Kurgan. Confluence of Uj and Tobol rivers is a waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Uradki, Kurgan. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 809.

Visim Nature Reserve, Sverdlovsk. Waterfowl and owl important bird area. Ecoregion 610.

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk. Site of murder of Tsar Nicholas and Tsaritsa Alexandra, Ural Geology Museum. Ecoregion 611.

Yuzhno-Uralsky Nature Reserve, Bashkortostan Republic and Chelyabinsk. Protects taiga forests of spruce-fir. Ecoregion 610.

Zaikovo Forest, Sverdlovsk. Waterfowl breeding area. Ecoregion 611.

Zhaltyr Lake, North Kazakhstan. Important area for migrating waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Zharkol Lake, Akmola. Four lakes important for geese and ducks. Ecoregion 810.

Zharsor-Urkash Lake, Kostanay. Forest-steppe region contains salt lakes important for cranes, eagles, and bustards. Ecoregion 810.

Zhumay-Mayshukyr Lakes, Akmola. Lakes and wetlands on eastern periphery of Tengiz Lake system important for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Zhylandy Lake, North Kazakhstan. Dense reed cover provides breeding areas for waterfowl. Ecoregion 810.

Zilim, Bashkortostan Republic. River canyons known for raptors. Ecoregion 419.

Zyuratkul National Park, Chelyabinsk. Ancient temples, prayer stones, mountain streams, alpine meadows and boreal forests. Ecoregion 610.

References

Abell, Robin and 27 others. 2008. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation. BioScience 58:403-414.

BirdLife International. 2008. BirdLife’s Online World Bird Database. Accessed 29/12/2008 at http://www.birdlife.org/

Center for Russian Nature Conservation, Washington, DC. http://www.wild-russia.org/ (accessed October 18, 2009).

Edwards, Mike. 1994. Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R. National Geographic 186(2):70-99.

Gulag Museum at Perm-36. http://www.perm36.ru/eng/

Olson et al., 2001. Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth. BioScience 51:933-938. WildWorld map: www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld

Richmond, Simon. 2006. Russia and Belarus. Lonely Planet.

Riley, Laura and William. 2005. Nature’s Strongholds. Princeton University Press.

Russian Academy of Sciences, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. www.sevin.ru/natreserves (accessed October 18, 2009).

GlobalSecurity.org, Alexandria, Virginia. Russian nuclear weapons site information from www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/ (accessed October 25, 2009).