The unique fauna of Karelia. Red Book of Karelia stinging and whole grass

It all started with a visit international exhibition orchids in Dresden. It was there, among the riot of tropical beauties, that I, being a resident of middle lane, with some special feeling, she admired the beautiful curtains of specific and hybrid cypripediums - slippers of the middle lane.

No, of course, the fact of the almost worldwide distribution of plants of the orchid family was familiar to me for a long time. Admiring in the forests of the near Moscow region, for example, Lyubka two-leafed, enjoying her delicate aroma, one still had to admit that outwardly she is much more modest than defiant exotic beauties. And here, it was the curtains of cypripediums that threw a completely adequate challenge to all the overflowing colors and shapes of tropical orchids.

Taking advantage of the kind offer of Nina Nikolaevna Burlakova (Landi), I decided to catch the flowering season of one of the Cypripediums growing in the vicinity of the city of Petrozavodsk. With the invaluable help of Nina, a room was booked at the local famous health resort. Tickets have been bought, and now the Moscow-Petrozavodsk train is taking me on an exciting date.

The Republic of Karelia is located within the northern and middle subzones of the taiga zone. Forests make up more than 50% of the total area of ​​the republic, swamps occupy more than 20%, meadows about 1%. The unique features of the region are also due to the fact that the glacier lingered on its territory for a long time and (in the geological sense) melted not so long ago. Until now, the landscapes of the region are decorated with round boulders, from huge to small. This is also due to the fact that the layer of fertile soil is very thin and most plants can be attributed to ground cover. The flora of Karelia is surprisingly diverse. There are many rare plants here, including 33 species of orchids! Of course, many species cannot be called decorative, but flowering Venus slippers are real (Cypripedium calceolus) or Calypso bulbous (Calypso bulbosa) - a truly amazing sight.

The very first one that I met in the Karelian forest is also good, the spotted fingerfish (Dactylorhiza maculatum).

Of the representatives of the genus Cypripedium, which has about 50 species, four are found on the territory of Russia. All of them are included in the Red Russian book, as well as Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. I was in a hurry to meet with Cypripedium calceolus.

It was this slipper, by the way, that was the very first orchid temperate zone taken under protection in Switzerland in 1878.
Unlike tropical slippers, Cypripedium calceolus does not bloom for long. In this regard, I was a little nervous, since the beginning of June 2006 in Petrozavodsk turned out to be quite hot. But the tickets were purchased in advance, and it was not possible to change them.

And so, meeting with Nina at the station, a little rest from the road, and, with the help of Nina's grandfather, Nikolai Borisovich Semyonov, we are heading to the cherished place!

I want to emphasize once again the great gratitude that I feel towards these people. Without their help, there would be one less miracle in my life.

Thanks to the authors of the book Cultivation of Orchids in European Russia, which I carefully read before the trip, I knew that the real slipper grows in small groups. In this regard, it is not so easy to find it without knowing the exact location. “Due to the weak competitive ability in relation to other plant species, it grows in two sharply different types of habitats: on the slopes of ravines and steep river banks with limestone outcrops, as well as in dark coniferous forests on peaty soils (often among sphagnum and green mosses). AT last case, apparently also with the underlying carbonate rocks. Found in small biogroups. Prefers places with moderate light, neutral and slightly alkaline, moist (but drained) soils with a high content of humus. In Russia, it occurs within the forest zone of the European and Asian parts.

But I was lucky with the conductor! The first plants encountered have already faded. This is not surprising with such a limited flowering period. A plant that blooms for a maximum of 3 weeks after pollination fades very quickly. Despite the fact that even non-flowering plants are very beautiful and attract attention with the grace of leaves, of course, I wanted to admire the flowers!

Having chosen for the photo not yet completely withered, but already withered plants for photography, I consoled myself with the fact that I still saw them! But, the place was relatively sunny, and there was hope to find fresher specimens in the shade. It is difficult to describe the feeling when, deepening further into the forest, suddenly, among the chaotic spots of light and shadow, I saw the first flowering curtain of Cypripedium calceolus in my life in its natural environment!

It's hard to tear yourself away from such beauty - it's good that I was given a real "encephalitis" - a special double jacket that protects against the bites of various insects and the encephalitic tick, including.

By the way, Karelian mosquitoes deserve special mention! But even my complicated relationship with mosquitoes, of which there was just darkness, darkness, could not spoil my pleasure!

It is amazing to see how these rather large and bright flowers, perfectly mimic against the background of the environment.

A real slipper in the forest looks like a flashlight. It either flashes brightly, hitting the sun, then goes out and completely disappears in the play of chiaroscuro.

By the way, the slippers grew together with especially large and fragrant lilies of the valley, larger than our ones near Moscow. It also added to the charm.

I will bring scientific description plants taken from the same book by A.I. Shirokova, G.L. Kolomeytseva, A.V. Burova and E.V. Kameneva "Cultivation of orchids in European Russia". So, the real lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) is:

“Perennial, rhizomatous plant up to 25-50 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, elliptical, 3-5 in number, reach a length of 17-20 cm. The flower is one, rarely 2-3, large (4-6 cm in diameter). The lip is bright yellow, strongly swollen, with clearly visible veins. The remaining tepals are dark, red-brown. Flowering is observed in May - June. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Seeds ripen 2-3 months. Vegetative propagation occurs due to the underground rhizome, which grows very slowly (only 2-4 mm per year). It has the ability to go into a state of rest for several years, while leading an underground lifestyle due to mushrooms - symbiotes.

By the way, the rhizomes of slippers are located very close to the surface, so when collecting these rare plants for bouquets, you can easily destroy the entire plant by tearing it out by the root. Honestly, I love picking flowers in the forest. But here - even a hand would not be raised. Because there are so few of them! We wandered through the woods for quite some time before we found a place with slippers. And what is called - a step to the right, a step to the left from the cherished place and there are no more shoes. It is no coincidence that at the moment this orchid is recognized as rare and protected in all countries where it grows. In addition to the Russian Red Book, it is included in the IUCN Red Book. In general, I proudly declare that not a single shoe was damaged during the performance of this photo session!

Even on such a small patch, there were plants that were quite different from each other, which emphasized the uniqueness of literally everyone! Different shades in coloration, specks, longer and twisted petals, a larger or more compact lip, each specimen was very interesting to look at.

It is difficult to photograph general plans on my usual digital camera, so do not judge strictly, I tried to convey the general impression.

These plants are simply mesmerizing from every angle.

Moreover, this amazingly beautiful northern orchid has a very long development cycle. The first years of life pass underground in close symbiosis of plants with a certain kind fungus - the so-called stage of the "seedling" It's scary to say, but the plant blooms only for 15-17 years of life!

Unfortunately, I could not see the beautiful calypso (Calypso bulbosa), which is also found in the old coniferous forests of Karelia. The only leaf of this orchid is located at the very bottom, near the surface of the substrate, so it is very difficult to find this plant in a non-flowering state, even if the place is known exactly. The baby blooms the very first of the orchids, in the second half of May, and by the time the slipper blooms, the real one is no longer found. However, as I already mentioned, in addition to Cypripedium calceolus and Calypso bulbosa, many other species are found in Karelia. On the third day of my stay, I managed to visit the most beautiful place in Karelia - the State nature reserve Kivach. The main exposition of the reserve, of course, is the territory itself. But there is also a small museum. The museum presents a beautiful composition of various types of sphagnum and other mosses. Orchids, however, are represented only by stands with photographs, it looks like this:

The exposition with mosses did not work out, but there are such shots from nature.

There are 25 species of orchids in the flora of the reserve. These are different types of Palcecornicoks, such as Spotted palmacula (Dactylorhiza maculata), whose inflorescences come across quite often. Endangered rare Leafless chin (Epipogium aphyllum), only 13 places are known in the reserve where it occurs.

The Red Book of Karelia This is a book about the protection of rare animals and plants of our Republic. The first Red Book of Karelia appeared in 1985. The Red Book is a list of rare and endangered species (subspecies, populations). The Red Books are the official document for the conservation of species.

The Red Book of Karelia includes the most rare plants and insects, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Mammals - out of 56 species of animals, 26 are rare and endangered; Birds - among 280 species of birds found on the territory of Karelia, 130 can be classified as rare and small; Fish - at present, 57 species of fish live in the reservoirs of Karelia, 28 are rare and endangered species; The flora of Karelia includes 1200 wild species of vascular plants. More than 300 species are rare.

"Ladoga (ringed) seal" - the smallest of all subspecies of ringed seals, lives only in Lake Ladoga. The average life expectancy of a seal is 30-35 years. The seal reaches sexual maturity at the age of 6-7 years. The basis of the nutrition of the seal is small fish (smelt, vendace, roach, perch). During the day, the seal eats from 3 to 4 kilograms. The number of seals has sharply decreased - from 20 thousand individuals to 2 - 3 thousand at the present time.

"Common hedgehog" - a hedgehog is a small animal, its body length is about 30 cm, weight is g. The shell of needles is colored brownish with whitish strokes. And serve him food earthworms, beetles, mouse-like rodents, birds, their eggs and chicks. Hedgehog breeds in spring. The hedgehog gives birth to 6-7 individuals.

"Otter" is a dexterous and flexible animal, quite large, with a streamlined body shape. Size: tail length cm, body cm. Weight kg. Life expectancy up to 10 years. Habitat: Banks of rivers, lakes and streams. Color: brown or dark brown fur, with light brown undercoat.

"Lynx" - the length of the body of the lynx is cm and 70 cm at the withers. Males often weigh between 18 and 30 kg, while females weigh an average of 18 kg. There are long tassels on the ears. The tail is short, as if chopped off. The basis of its diet is made up of hares, grouse birds, small rodents and other medium-sized animals. Lifespan, 1520 years.

LIST OF USED SOURCES AND LITERATURE: 1. Ivanter, E. V. Mammals / E. V. Ivanter. - Petrozavodsk: Karelia, p. 2. Animals of the Red Book of Karelia [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: http: // yandex.ru/yandsearch.clid=14915l Red Book of Karelia / Ministry of Ecology and natural resources RK; KSC RAS ​​Petr. Gos. Univ. - Petrozavodsk, - 286 p. 4. Kutkov N.P. Karelia is the land where I live / N.P. Kutkov, L.I. Shitikova. - Petrozavodsk: Creative Initiative Foundation, - 130 p.

Human greed and selfishness, together with the indifferent attitude of most people to nature, lead to sad consequences. Many species of valuable plants, animals, birds and insects important for maintaining the biological balance are moving into the category of "rare", others are threatened with complete extinction.

This article will focus on the Red Book of Karelia. It is a list of just such - rare and endangered birds, animals, plants and fungi.

Reference

Zero - the saddest - species that have probably already disappeared.

The first - the most "red" - real threat complete disappearance.

The second - alarming - the number of the species is rapidly declining.

The third - dull - began to be rarely seen in the usual places.

The fourth - mysterious - little studied species.

Fifth - encouraging - recovering.

Animals

On the pages of a sad book, about 23 species of animals had to flee.

The hedgehog is not a typo - the most common hedgehog now belongs to the third category. From the northern regions disappeared altogether, in the central - single individuals, a few more hedgehogs can be found in southern regions and closer to Lake Janisjarvi.

The field mouse, like the common hedgehog, is close to extinction in Karelia.

The hare-hare - such a well-known, originally from children's fairy tales, hare-hare is very vulnerable in practice. Most often, traces report its presence. These are found only in the southern regions.

Wolverine - wolverine in Latin means "glutton". This one is pretty large predator- the most valuable orderly of the forest, could not protect himself and ended up in the Red Book.

European mink - this valuable furry animal with a flexible elongated body, unfortunately, fell into the sad first category.

The otter (piston) - a charming, temperamental, sociable predator with a cunning muzzle is also under real threat.

Weasel - in the fourth, little-studied category, brought invisible in winter against the backdrop of a snowy forest, a miniature, but very dexterous predator.

European roe deer - can be called happy addition who will be lucky enough to see this wild beauty!

Reindeer - elk-like rare view- with horns in both males and females, which is a rarity in the animal world.

Ladoga seal (ringed seal) - about 3,000 individuals who love to relax in a bowed boat, are found only in two lakes in Karelia.

The forest lemming is a little-studied animal of the fourth category. Most likely, complete extinction does not threaten him yet. Zoologists suggest that the reason lies in the characteristic features of this species to a sharp increase in the population, followed by a gradual decrease in numbers.

Garden dormouse - a small rodent with big ears has a low global population in principle. In Karelia, it is in category 0.

The common flying squirrel (flying squirrel) - a little smaller than the short-eared squirrel - is a small rodent of the squirrel family.

The black rat is already in the zero category on the territory of the republic.

Brown long-eared bat is a very remarkable variety of bat with a non-standard long ears. Pond, mustachioed and water bats are three more species of bats.

The tiny shrew is a mammal of the shrew family that freely fits on the palm (8 cm). It is not yet clear whether everything is really so bad, or whether it is difficult to accurately count the number of these small, nimble animals. But just in case!

Equal-toothed shrew - found in all areas, belongs to the fourth category.

The baby mouse is a very beautiful, golden-colored mouse with a body length of 5-7.5 cm (excluding the tail) - one of the smallest representatives in its family!

Yellow-throated mouse - nothing threatens this species within the planet, but in Karelia it is in category one on the pages of the Red Book. Since this animal is a peddler tick-borne encephalitis and hantavirus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, it is unlikely that they will increase the population of these mice.

And also a large, graceful lynx, a beautiful fox, a shy white hare, a luxurious ermine.

Birds

On the disturbing pages of the book (not only Karelian, but also world) flew:

Some species of swans and "handsome" black grouse.

The bluetail is a bright birdie, smaller than a sparrow.

A large, diurnal, bearded owl with a one and a half meter wingspan.

Known from old Russian fairy tales, a large kilogram curlew with a curved long beak.

The capercaillie is very careless during the mating season, which is why the hunters practically exterminated the bird.

Fish

About 28 species of fish also ended up on sad pages.

The specially protected by law, of course, include sturgeon, lake salmon and whitefish. Carps, catfish and loaches are also protected. From the mass catch of sterlet, nelma, tench, sabrefish and loach, these fish also had to swim to the pages of the Red Book.

Plants

Plants cry for help from the pages of a sad book!

Openwork ferns - shield, asplenium, grapevine.

Siberian aster is a beautifully flowering ornamental culture.

Wild orchids - among them the rarest cypridin slipper.

Trees and shrubs - hazel, cotoneaster, Karelian birch.

Forest herbaceous plant of alpine tsitserbita (alpina) and rezuha.

Sundew intermediate and fragile caulinia growing in water are swamp plants.

Some medicinal herbs are the well-known St. John's wort, Rhodiola rosea (golden root), Ranunculus anemone.

butterflies

The pages of the Red Book reliably protect all those in need. But without the help of people, they will not cope! Of course, nature reserves and parks are good. Jaegers and fish supervision - not bad. But how you want ordinary people, all without exception, to love nature and take care of it!

Representatives of the fauna of Karelia can give odds in beauty and uniqueness to many regions. You can meet the only one bat, falling into hibernation when the temperature drops to minus seven degrees Celsius or a flying squirrel. Of course, a hike through the forests will provide an opportunity to see many ordinary hares, squirrels, deer, foxes, beavers and other animals found in abundance throughout the country, but with patience and armed with a camera, you can capture unique animals in their natural environment.

Going deeper into the thicket, do not forget that you may encounter brown bear, lynx, ox or other predator that will perceive your presence as an encroachment on the hunting territory. You should respect the owners of the Karelian forests and not bother them with your presence. Numerous lakes can please with waterfowl species of wildlife. Watching games, otters, beavers at work, or European mink hunting, you can gain the spirit of freedom, throwing off the burdens of everyday worries.

If you are lucky, you can see a graceful seal moving easily and smoothly through lead waters. Lake Ladoga. The local world is filled with living creatures and lives its measured and familiar life. Animals are accustomed to the fact that people often invade their territory, in harsh winters do not discredit feeding on city dumps, however, it should be remembered that, despite their seeming harmlessness and attractiveness, they always remain part of wildlife with its own rules of conduct and laws.

The world of birds is just as diverse and interesting. During seasonal migrations, rare Red Book birds can be observed, such as golden eagle, peregrine falcon or tundra swan. At the end of May, lapwings, curlews, corncrakes, bluethroats and other steppe birds move in abundance in the nearest fields.

What rare animals can you encounter

A lizard. It is very rare to meet such a specimen and their luck lives here no more than twenty individuals and Pitkyarantsky and Olonets districts are considered to be the area. For scaly reptiles, the climate is rather cold, which imposes certain restrictions on their life.

Reindeer. They can be considered the hallmark of the region. Proud and very beautiful animals, bewitching with their elegance and grace. During mating games there is something to see. Tournaments of males become an excellent addition to the calm regularity of the surrounding landscapes. Unlike the elk, this animal is much smaller, squat and denser. But well-trained legs help to carry out many kilometers of transitions through the endless tundra.

Some vascular plants listed in the Red Book of Karelia:

Dremlik dark red

Distribution: In Karelia, it grows in Zaonezhie, Priladozhye. It is protected in the Kivach nature reserve and the Paanajärvi national park.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thick horizontal rhizome. The leaves are alternate, oval or ovate, with a pointed apex; flowers dark purple, tepals 6-8 mm long. Collected in a sparse one-sided brush with a pubescent axis, they smell of vanilla. Blooms in July-August.

Spring lumbago

Distribution: In Karelia, it occurs only in the northern Priladozhek south of the village of Lahdenpokhya.

Plant up to 30 cm in height. Solitary bell-shaped flowers, white inside, and lilac or slightly purple outside. They bloom in May and bloom for 20-25 days.

calypso bulbous

In Karelia, it is distributed in the southern part of the republic and in the north of the Loukhsky region. Protected in the reserve "Kivach", national parks"Vodlozersky" and "Paanajärvi", landscape reserve "Zaozerye".

The plant blooms in June-July with large 2-3 cm long flowers with a pink perianth and a delicate pleasant smell. The plant itself is low, up to 20 cm, there is only one leaf on it - a dark green, harsh, wrinkled wintering ovoid on a long stem.

Mammals included in the Red Data Book of Karelia:

flying squirrel

The species is distributed throughout the republic, mainly in the Prionezhsky and Pudozhsky regions. Flying squirrels need old hollow trees for life, where they build nests, therefore, areas of mature forest with hollow trees are being preserved as conservation measures. Feeds in winter on alder and birch buds, cambial layer of alder and birch bark, spruce and pine shoot ovaries, pine needles and cone scales. In summer, leaves of the same trees join this set. herbaceous plants, berries. Cubs are born in May, the second brood is rare, but if born, then in July.

forest reindeer

The modern southern boundary of distribution can be drawn along a conditional line connecting the village of Kuolisma, the southern shore of Segozero, Povenets and further along the shore of Lake Onega.

The number of deer, which in the 70-80s numbered 6,000 heads, is currently reduced to 4.5 thousand. You can meet them in Muezersky, Kalevalsky, Loukhsky and Kemsky districts.

In winter, deer rest on frozen lakes to make it easier to defend themselves from predator attacks, feed on reindeer moss, living in white moss pine forests, lichen swamps and swampy pine forests. In summer, they graze along the shores of lakes, on islands, on the outskirts of swamps or clearings. In summer, they feed not only on reindeer moss, but also on sedges, various herbaceous vegetation, leaves of trees and shrubs, and tree lichens. The rut is in late October-November, and in late April - early May, the female brings one calf.

The limiting factors are the disappearance of reindeer moss due to cutting down forests, poaching and chasing animals on snowmobiles.

Birds included in the Red Book of Karelia:

Broody

Within Russia, it is found only in Karelia, in the world it also lives in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia. The main places of concentration of the species are in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, the skerry northwestern regions of Lake Onega and Ladoga. AT recent times the number of this species is significantly reduced, and the distribution boundary is moving south. The clovers live both on the shores of fresh and salt water bodies, nest in colonies, prefer remote islands adjacent to great depths. Birds arrive in mid-May and raise chicks until the end of August, which hatch in the third decade of June.

small swan

During migration, it occurs throughout the territory of the Republic of Karelia, mainly distributed in the tundra and forest-tundra of Eurasia. In spring in southern Karelia (southeastern Ladoga region) up to 200 - 500 migratory individuals, to the north up to 120 birds, beyond autumn period up to 30-50 birds are recorded in the northern regions. The bulk flies from April 25 to May 10; autumn main flight in October. The small swan flies in large flocks of up to 100 individuals. For rest stops on the rivers and lakes. The limiting factors are the restlessness of flocks on vacation and poaching in places where the birds stop.

barnacle goose

In Karelia, it occurs only during seasonal migrations. They migrate in transit at high altitudes with stops in the Onega Bay White Sea in the last ten days of May - early June, in autumn in the second half of October. The limiting factors are the limited breeding range.

black kite

Distributed in the southern regions of Karelia (Onega-Ladoga watershed), where it nests every 3-5 years. In the northern regions, either single individuals or nomadic pairs are found. The distribution density of the black kite in the territories of the Onega-Ladoga watershed is 1 pair per 100 km2 (in some years 2-3 pairs per 100 km2), in the Pudozh region the density is 1.5-4.5 (on average 2.7) pairs per 100 km2 .

The black kite is called the orderly of the floodplain, so not only mouse-like rodents, frogs, but also young non-flying birds (molting, sick, weakened), dead fish, waste from slaughterhouses and carrion from the coasts serve as food. An inhabitant of floodplain landscapes with a developed network of lakes, oxbow lakes and lowland swamps.

Birds nest near rivers and lakes, most often in trees. conifers. Full clutch consists of 2-4 eggs, brood consists of 1-2 chicks.

Limiting factors are disturbance in nesting areas, human shooting.

Orlan - white-tailed

Currently, about 40 pairs of eagles live in the republic. The basis consists of 3 groups: Vodlozero (12-15 pairs), White Sea (9-10 pairs), Ladoga (9-10 pairs). During the nesting period, it settles on the coasts and islands of large water bodies rich in fish and wetland terrestrial vertebrates. The presence of an old large tree with a flattened top is important. Limiting factors: low level of fertility (puberty at 3-4 years of age, 1 chick in a brood), there are fewer and fewer old trees suitable for nesting, deterioration of the food supply.