Magadansky Zapovednik , consisting of four units in the extreme northeastern part of Russia , protects forest, mountain, wetland, and marine habitats of the Magadan Province and the Okhotsk Sea region.   Bears feast in rich salmon streams.   Moose grow to enormous proportions.   Wild reindeer migrate through the nature reserve , as do large numbers of geese, swans, and ducks.

On the Yamskiye Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, noisy seabird colonies and sea lion rookeries occupy the rocky islands, while inland, secluded valleys and floodplains harbor larch, birch, poplar, and Korean willow forests.

Magadansky Zapovednik Images
Magadansky Zapovednik Facts

Images of Magadansky Zapovednik

Click on each photo to see a large version.

© 2004 Yuri Artukhin

A Steller’s sea lion mother and baby lounge on the rocks.

© 2004 Nikolai Pavlov

Ridges on the Yamskiye Islands drop dramatically to the sea.

© 2004 Yuri Artukhin

A rare Steller’s sea eagle adult and juvenile on the lookout.

© 2004 Alexander Andreev

The Kava River is located in the Kava-Chelomdzhinsky unit.

© 2004 Alexander Andreev

An alpine lake glistens in the Koni Highlands.

Top

© 2004 Igor Shpilenok

The brown bear’s coat ranges from golden yellow to nearly black.

© 2004 Alexander Andreev

Groves of rare Erman’s birch dominate south-facing slopes.

© 2004 Yuri Artukhin

The rare black-capped marmot is the largest rodent in northeastern Eurasia.

Magadansky Zapovednik protects faunal communities typical for eastern Siberian taiga (boreal) ecosystems.   Moose (Alces alces ) are found on all sites in the reserve except the islands.   Moose in the Kolyma valley are noticeably larger than those found further west and south – with antlers spanning up to two meters.   While not as plentiful as moose, wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus ) are fairly common summer visitors, but the animals often migrate outside of the reserve in winter.   Bighorn sheep (Ovis nivicola) are rare, but have been noted on the cliffs of Koni and Pyagin peninsulas.   Brown bears (Ursus arctos ) are prevalent, feasting on fish during the salmon runs in late summer, but pine nuts make up the bulk of their diet.   Lynx (Lynx lynx ) occasionally occur here, as well as wolverine (Gulo gulo ).   Wolves (Canis lupus ) have been noted in the reserve, and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes ) are found on all the continental sites and on Matykil Island.   Otters (Lutra lutra ) are found in waterways.

Mountain hare (Lepus timidus ) are numerous but not easily seen in summer.  The shy creatures are more likely to be observed near rivers in the fall, when their coats begin to turn white in time for the first snowfall.   Northern pikas (Ochotona hyperborean ) live on rocky mountain slopes and in piles of fallen trees near mountain streams.  Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus ) are active in summer, but hibernate through the harsh winters.   In August and early September, they gather reserves of more than a kilogram of pine nuts, seeds, and berries to last the winter.   Red and red-backed voles (Clethrionomys rutilus, C. rufocanus ) are common small rodents, and an important part of the diets for boreal and avian predatory species. The Amur lemming (Lemmus amurensis ), found only on the Yamsky unit of the reserve along lakes and rivers, is one of the least known species of rodents in Northern Asia, occurring only in Eastern Siberia.   The wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor ), found in floodplain larch forests, is the only rodent that feeds exclusively on green mosses.   The slender shrew (Sorex gracillimus ) and Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens ) are indicator species for the Sea of Okhotsk region, and are found only in the Yamsky and Kava-Chelomdzhinsky units in the reserve.   The black-capped marmot (Marmota camtschatica ) – the largest rodent in northeastern Eurasia – lives in colonies on the Koni and Pyagin peninsulas.   Bank vole (Clethrionomys galreolus ), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris ), ermine (Mustela eriminaea ), and sable (Martes zibellina ) are common throughout the reserve.   Three species of bats – whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus ), Brandt’s bat (M. brandti ), and northern bat (Eptesicus nilssoni ) are found here.

Sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus ) gather in numbers on Matykil Island, in the Yamsky unit.   Bearded seal (Erignatus barbatus ), larga seal (Phoca larga ), ringed seal (Phoca hispida ), and ribbon seal (P. fasciata ) congregate in the coastal waters off the islands and Koni Peninsula to breed.

There are approximately 210 species of birds in the reserve.   Of these, 170 are nesting species and 30 are regularly noted during migrations.   The zapovednik plays a vital role in protecting birds migrating along the Pacific-Okhotsk Sea coast.   A significant portion of the geese, swans, and some species of ducks nesting in northeastern Russia pass through here annually.   Twenty-five bird species winter in the reserve.  In river valleys, hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia ) and black-billed capercaillie (Tetrao urogalloides ) are common inhabitants.   Willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus ) are abundant in floodplains in winter.   In summer, a number of small birds, such as the olive-backed pipit (Anthus hodgsoni ), several species of warblers (Phylloscopus spp.), buntings (Emberiza spp.), nuthatches (Sittaeuropaea ), and willow tit (Parus montanus ) abound in woodland habitats.   Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes ) and Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus ) are common residents of the reserve.

Seabird colonies on coastal cliffs and islands are made up of common and thick-billed guillemots (Uria aagle, U. lomvia ), kittiwake (Rissa trydactyla ), slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus ), fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis ), and pelagic cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus ).   Their nests are perched in nooks and crannies of cliffs, from nearly surf level to hundreds of meters above the crashing waves.   Higher still, parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula ) and least auklet (Aethia pusilla ) nest on slopes of crumbling rocks.   Rare birds nesting in the reserve include osprey (Pandion haliaetus ), white-tailed sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla ), Steller’s sea-eagle (H. pelagicus ), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus ), and the globally threatened Blakiston’s fish owl (Ketupa blakistoni ).  

There are only two amphibians inhabiting the zapovednik – the Siberian salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii ), found in taiga and tundra habitats of all but the Olsky unit of the reserve, and the Siberian wood frog (Rana amurensis ), which occurs in wooded valleys.   More than 30 species of fish inhabit lakes and rivers in the reserve, including chum, pink (or humpback), and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus keta, O. gorbuscha, O. kisutch ), dolly varden (Salvelinus malma ), East Siberian char (Salvelinus leucomaenis ), and sheefish (Stenodus leucicthys ).   Grayling (Thymallus arcticus ) is plentiful in rivers draining into the Sea of Okhotsk.

Over 1,000 species of higher plants are protected in Magadansky Zapovednik.   Forests are primarily northern boreal mountain open woodlands, made up of larches (Larix gmelinii, L. cajanderii ) and dwarf pine (Pinus pumila ).   Larch forests occupy more than half of the forested area of the reserve.   In lowlands, meadow-bog communities and sphagnum swamps with sparse larch woodlands predominate.   Forests of aromatic poplar (Populus suaveolens ) and Korean willow (Chosenia arbutifolia ) occupy only three percent of the reserve, primarily in the floodplains of large rivers, however these habitats play a major role in the productivity and sustainability of the landscape.   Willow (Salix spp.), alder (Alnus incana ), and mountain ash (Sorbus asiatica ) thickets grow alongside rivers in valleys.   On mountain slopes, forests change to open woodlands, with an understory of dwarf pine, gradually turning to only dwarf pine and Manchurian alder (Alnaster fruticosa ) in the subalpine belt.    Higher still, mountain tundra is well developed, with tundra-shrub and lichen communities.   Alpine meadows are found in the high mountains.   Rare species and species at the northeastern edge of their range include Picea obovata , Monesses uniflora , and Clematis fucsa .

Rich poplar-Korean willow forests and larch stands with a thick and diverse understory are found on the Kava-Chelomdzhinsky unit of the zapovednik.   Underbrush of false spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia ), Siberian mountain ash (Sorbus sambucifolia ), dog rose (Rosa amblyotis ), and honeysuckle (Lonicera caerula ) form impassable thickets.   Here one can only navigate along trails formed by bears, which extend primarily along rivers near salmon spawning grounds.   Mountain plateaus are occupied by alpine tundra with Kamchatka rhododendron (Rhododendron camtschaticum ), mountain avens (Dryas spp.), dicentra (Dicentra spp.), diapensia (Diapensia spp.), and lichens.

Lush floodplain vegetation prevails on the Seimchansky unit, located on the left bank of the Kolyma River.   Here plant communities consist of highly productive poplar-Korean willow, birch, and larch forests.   Red and black currants (Ribes triste ) are widespread in the understory.   On mountain slopes, larch forests become sparser, gradually yielding to dwarf pine.   Low-bush tundra and alpine meadows dominate mountain tops.  

The Yamsky unit includes the floodplain of the Yama River, with its poplar, Korean willow, and alder forests.   Siberian spruce (Picea obovata ) is also found here; it is considered a relic species in Magadan Province – the next region where the spruce is found is 1,000 km to the southwest in Yakutia.   On the Pyagin Peninsula and Yamskiye Islands, coastal habitats consist of crumbling cliffs with lichens and occasional shrubs and grasses.   Endemic plant species for the northern Sea of Okhotsk region found here include Salix magadanensis , Corydalis magadani„ƒa , Potentilla rupifraga , Saxifraga derbekii , and Taraxacum magadanicum.

The Olsky unit, on Koni Peninsula, has alpine relief with average elevations from 800-900 meters above sea level.   Larch forests occupy areas near the coast, while forests of rare Erman’s (or stone) birch (Betula ermanii ) dominate south-facing slopes and shallow valleys on the interior part of the peninsula.   Shrubs such as honeysuckle (Lonicera schamissoi ), dog rose, dwarf cornel (Cornus suecia ), and golden rhododendron (Rhododendron aureum ) occupy the understory.

Magadansky Zapovednik is located in the southern part of the Magadan Province near the western coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in the Olsky and Srednekansky districts.   The reserve consists of four different units:   Kava-Chelomdzhinsky, Olsky, Yamsky, and Seimchansky.   The buffer zone of the reserve includes 93,700 ha, with 38,100 ha of marine habitat.   Nearly the entire mainland territory of the reserve is covered by mountains, rising up to 1,500 meters above sea level.   Lowlands extend along the coastal and interfluvial regions.

The Kava-Chelomdzhinsky unit (624,456 ha), situated between the Kava and Chelomdzhinsky rivers near the border of Khabarovsk Province, has swampy habitats in lowlands, with numerous large and small lakes.   Mountains here range from 1,200-1,300 m above sea level.   Scattered spots with permafrost soils are found in areas.   The Olsky unit (103,153 ha), located on the western part of the mountainous Koni Peninsula, has ridges reaching 1,500 meters above sea level.  The largest rivers in this section are the Burgali, Antara, and Khindzha.  The Yamsky unit (38,100 ha) is located in the southeastern part of Madagan Province, and includes three sections.   The largest is a section of floodplain and foothill habitats on the mainland.   The second section occupies a one-kilometer wide strip of coastline along the Pyagin Peninsula.   The third section includes the small archipelago of five Yamsky Islands.   The Seimchansky unit (117,839 ha), in the interior of Magadan Province on the left bank of the Kolyma River, includes primarily plains, with low hills along the western and northern borders within the range of continuous permafrost.

The Sea of Okhotsk plays a significant role in determining weather patterns in the reserve.   Ice covers the northern part of the sea for more than half the year and summer surface temperatures rarely rise above 12 degrees Celsius.   The climate here is extremely harsh, with average temperatures in January plummeting below -25 degrees Celsius, accompanied by strong winds.   Summers are short and cold, with frequent rain showers and fog.   The average temperature in July is 12-15 degrees Celsius.   Precipitation amounts to 300 mm annually.

Soviet geologist and naturalist Aleksei Vaskovsky (1911-1979), who headed the Nature Conservation Laboratory of the Institute of Biological Problems of the North, first lobbied for creation of a strictly protected nature reserve in the far northeast of Russia.   Work on creating the zapovednik began in 1973, but the reserve was established nearly a decade later.  Shortly after its creation, scientists recommended that the Kava-Chelomdzhinsky unit be expanded to include the entire watershed of the left bank of the Chelomdzha River, where pristine poplar and Korean willow woods are found.   Some of the most productive larch forests in all of Magadan Province have also been preserved here, although in other areas larch forests have been heavily impacted by logging.   Additionally, all the tributaries of the left bank of the Chelomdzha River are salmon spawning streams requiring protection.   Scientists also called for expanding the Olsky unit to include unique mountain larch forests on the Koni Peninsula. However, these areas remain outside the reserve boundaries.    

The natural hydrological regime of the Kolyma River, which borders the Seimchansky unit of Magadansky Zapovednik, has been disrupted by a hydroelectric station since the mid-1980s.   Recent pressures on river ecosystems come from poaching salmon in spawning areas of the Chelomdzha River to provide fish eggs to hatcheries.   This has lead to the virtual emptying of the Khuren spawning area, one of the major regeneration sites in the Chelomdzha River basin.   Fishing in coastal waters, illegal hunting for moose, and unsanctioned logging in the buffer zone also pose threats to protected habitats.

Sokolov, V.E., and E.E. Syroechkovsky, Zapovedniks of the Soviet Union:   Zapovedniks of the Russian Far East.   Mysl Publishing Agency, Moscow, 1985 (Russian).

Text by Laura Williams.  

Text kindly reviewed by Dr. Alexander Andreev of the Institute of Biological Problems of the North.   Dr. Andreev provided photographs for this site (alexandrea@mail.ru).

Nikolai Pavlov, the director of Komandorsky Zapovednik, also provided photographs for this reserve.