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Khankaisky Zapovednik
Facts:
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Animals
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Khankaisky Zapovednik lists 43 mammals among fauna species
found in the reserve. Amur wildcats (Felis euptilura)
prowl lake edges for prey and may encounter raccoon dogs
(Nyctereutes procynonoides) and Siberian weasels (Mustela
sibirica) also on the hunt. Red wolf (Cuon alpinus)
and Amur tiger (Panthera tigris) are two large predators
that have been noted in the reserve. Muskrats (Ondatra
zibethica) inhabit small lakes, and otters (Lutra
lutra) are found in wetlands here as well. As a
red fox (Vulpes vulpes) makes its way through grassy
meadows, it scares up a Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus),
causing it to bound away. Sika deer (Cervus nippon),
wild boar (Sus scrofa), and mountain hare (Lepus
timidus) inhabit the reserve’s few forested areas.
Khankaisky Zapovednik has one of the highest levels of bird
diversity in all of the temperate zone of Eurasia. The
reserve and its buffer zone are home to 327 migratory, nesting,
and wintering birds. Khankaisky Zapovednik offers protection
to more than three-quarters of the birds listed under the
international convention on protection of migratory and endangered
species of birds. Forty-nine of the bird species found
in the zapovednik are listed in the Russian Red Book and
12 are on the IUCN International Red List. Rare and
endangered species for the region include cattle egret (Bubulcus
ibis), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia),
Japanese crested ibis (Niponia nippon), swan goose
(Anser cygnoides), lesser white-fronted goose (A.
erythropus), Baikal teal (Anas formosa), Chinese
merganser (Mergus squamatus), Mandarin duck (Aix
galericulata), Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana),
red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), hooded crane
(G. monachus), white-tailed sea-eagle (Haliaëetus
albicilla), Steller’s sea-eagle (H. pelagicus),
and others. Khankaisky Zapovednik also protects the
only nesting grounds for the Yangtse parrotbill (Paradoxornis
heudei) and the intermediate egret (Egretta intermedia)
in all of Russia. Common birds in the zapovednik include
quail (Coturnix coturnix), pheasant (Phasianus
colchicus), yellow-legged buttonquail (Turnix tanki),
northern hobby (Falco subbuteo), common kestrel (F.
tinnunculus), and northern, marsh, and pied harrier (Circus
cyaneus, C. aeruginosus, C. melanoleucus). Common
shorebirds found along Lake Khanka include little ringed
and long-billed plovers (Charadrius dubius, C. placidus),
redshank (Tringa totanus), sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos),
black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa), and Eastern curlew
(Numenius madagascariensis).
The largest population of the extremely rare Chinese soft-shelled
turtle (Trionyx sinensis) in the Russian Far East
is found in Khankaisky Zapovednik. Sosnovy Island in
Lake Khanka is one of the turtles’ preferred places
to lay eggs. Other amphibians found in the reserve
include the Chinese bell toad (Bombina orientalis),
Asiatic grass frog (Rana chensinensis), and Japanese
tree toad (Hyla japonica). Reptiles include
the short-tailed viper (Agkistrodon blomhoffi) and
brown mamushi (A. saxatilis), among others
Lake Khanka has been well known for its bounty for centuries. In
the middle ages, fish from Lake Khanka was served at the
tables of Chinese emperors. Today, huge kaluga fish
(Huso dauricus) weighing 600 kg still swim in the
lake. Altogether, there are 74 species of freshwater
fish in Lake Khanka; of these six are rare and endangered. Fish
requiring protection include the black carp (Mylopharyngodon
piceus), the black Amur bream (Megalobrama terminalis),
the small-scale carp (Plagiognathops microlepis) – an
endemic of the Khanka and Ussuri regions, as well as the
Soldatov catfish (Silurus soldatovi), and Chinese
bass (Siniperca chuatsi).
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Vegetation
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The landscape in Khankaisky Zapovednik is primarily open
lowlands with grassy meadows, swamps, and numerous small
lakes. Meadow-bog communities on the eastern shore
of Lake Khanka are home to unique assemblages of plants and
animals found nowhere else in the Far East. Meadows
cover nearly a fifth of the reserve and wetlands cover 60
percent of the area.
Forest lands are few and far between in the zapovednik. Fragments
of forests are made up of Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica)
mixed with other broadleaf species such as Amur oak (Phellodendron
amurense), linden (Tilia spp.), elm (Ulmus spp.),
and Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica). The
only real stand of forest on the southern shore of Lake Khanka
is found on Luzanova Hill, on the Ryabokon Peninsula in the
mouth of the Ilistaya River. It is also the only place
in the Primorye Region where the rare licorice grass (Glycyrrhiza
pallidiflora) grows.
In all, 322 species of aquatic plants and 620 vascular plants
have been identified in the zapovednik, including 16 rare
species. Sosnovy (Pine) Island, with an area of 1.5
km2, has the only population of rare Japanese red pines (Pinus
densiflora) on the Russian part of Lake Khanka. The
large pink blossoms and thick green leaves of the rare Komarov
lotus (Nelumbo komarovii) cover the water near lake
shores in summer. Other warmth-loving rare aquatic
plants in the zapovednik are prickly water lily (Euriale
ferox) and Manchurian water chestnut (Trapa manshurica). |
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Geographical
Features
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Khankaisky Zapovednik is situated in the central part of
the western Primorye plain on lowlands surrounding Lake Khanka
and the Sungacha River basin. Khankaisky Zapovednik
consists of five different territories, situated on the western,
eastern, and southern shores of Lake Khanka and in the upper
reaches of the Sungacha River. The five sections are: Sosnovy
(375 ha); Melgunovsky (300 ha); Rechnoy (12,494 ha); Zhuravliny
(9,479 ha); and Chyortovo Boloto (16,641 ha). The sections
fall under six different administrative districts (Khankaisky,
Khorolsky, Chernigovsky, Spassky, Kirovsky, and Lesozavodsky). Most
of the zapovednik is lowlands dotted with wetland areas,
although there are some hills in the reserve or on its borders
(Luzanova, Siny Gay, Cheremshovaya, and Zmeinaya hills). Five
low ridges extend parallel to the eastern shore of Lake Khanka – these
are previous coastlines of the lake, now separated by swamplands. Two
small islands (Sosnovy and Vasilevsky) are protected in the
zapovednik in the southwestern part of Lake Khanka.
Khankaisky Zapovednik includes part of Lake Khanka, its
floodlands, numerous small lakes, several rivers flowing
into the lake, and the only river flowing out of it (the
Sungacha). Khanka Lake is one of the largest bodies
of freshwater in Asia. It extends 90 km in length,
with a maximum width of 70 km. The overall surface
area of the lake is 4,070 km2, and the average depth is 4.7
m, with a maximum depth of 10.6 m. One of the ancient
names of the lake is Khankai-Omo, which means “Sea
of feathered birds” in Chinese. Major rivers
in the zapovednik are the Sungacha, Spasovka, Ilistaya, Melgunovka,
Komissarovka, and Bolshie Usachi. The largest peat
bogs are found on the eastern shore of Lake Khanka in the
Zhuravliny (Crane) and Rechnoy (River) sections of the zapovednik,
and in the Chyortovo Boloto (Devil’s Swamp) section
in the lowlands along the Sungacha River.
The climate around Lake Khanka is generally monsoon type,
with large variations among seasonal and even daily air temperatures. The
winter has little snow, spring is dry and cool, and summer
is warm with large amounts of precipitation. Annual
precipitation ranges from 500-650 mm per year. January
is the coldest month of the year (-20oC), while July is the
warmest (+20oC). Winds prevail from the south and southwest
throughout the year. Ice covers Lake Khanka beginning
in November.
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Conservation
Status
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Lake Khanka has attracted people to discover its secluded
beauty for centuries. The lake first gained international
fame in the 19th century after explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky
visited the area in 1868 and wrote about his travels and
the animal and plant life of Lake Khanka. In 1902,
Vladimir Arseniev, a well known explorer and ethnographer
of the Russian Far East, made his first expedition to Lake
Khanka. In the 1970s, the famous film “Dersu
Uzala” by Japanese producer Akira Kurosava was shot
here, and in 2000, the producer’s son visited the lake
to work on a film about his father.
In the second half of the 20th century, intense agricultural
development resulted in pollution of Lake Khanka’s
waters, particularly as a result of run off from rice fields. Drainage
of neighboring wetlands also impacted the lake’s ecological
balance. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union,
however, economic crises have resulted in less widespread
use of herbicides and pesticides. Flows of wastewater
into the lake have eased up, and drainage of wetlands has
been halted. As a result, the lake has had a chance
to restore itself. However, human pressures still impact
the lake and surrounding ecosystems, mainly from agriculture,
factories processing agricultural goods, fish farms, and
tourism.
Khingansky Zapovednik, which is made up of five strictly
protected sections, has played an important role in conserving
and restoring wetland ecosystems of the Lake Khanka region. Several
of the reserve’s clusters are joined by a buffer zone
of significant size where wetland drainage and use of pesticides
are prohibited. The Khankaisky Regional Zakaznik (Sanctuary)
also falls under the jurisdiction of the zapovednik. As
much of the zapovednik is located within the border zone
between Russia and China, it is given an added level of protection
due to stringent guarding of the national border.
Lake Khanka received the status of a Ramsar wetland of international
importance in 1971, nearly 20 years before the zapovednik
was established. In 1996, Russia and China signed a
bilateral agreement on creating the Lake Khanka International
Nature Reserve, combining Khankaisky Zapovednik in Russia
with Sinkai-Khu Nature Reserve (57,700 ha) in China. The
two reserves share borders in areas. Khankaisky Zapovednik
has hosted delegations from the Chinese reserve and has participated
in joint scientific research projects. A joint Russian-Chinese
Commission was established to coordinate cross-border cooperation,
and the members meet twice annually.
Today, Khankaisky Zapovednik is promoting monitored ecotourism
to allow visitors from Russia and beyond experience the pleasures
that Lake Khanka has to offer. The reserve has organized
eight tourist routes, many of which offer excellent bird
watching opportunities, particularly in late spring and early
fall, when migratory birds flock to the Khanka wetlands. River
rafting, boating, horseback riding, and hiking are also offered. Visitors
can view archeological monuments from a range of eras, the
oldest dating back 15,000 years, on the Ryabokon Peninsula
in the zapovednik’s buffer zone.
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References
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Internet site: www.khanka.nm.ru (Russian)
Directory of Wetlands of International Importance: www.wetlands.org/RDB/Ramsar_Dir/RussianFed/RU003D02.htm (English)
Zabelina, N.M, L.S. Isaeva-Petrova, and L.V. Kuleshova. Zapovedniks
and National Parks of Russia. Logata, Moscow, 1998
(Russian and English).
Text prepared by Laura Williams
Thanks to Yuri Darman and Yuri Bersenev of the World Wide
Fund for Nature-Russian Far East Office (www.wwf.ru)
for providing information on this reserve.
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