摘要: Description　　Preparation of a new category “Virgin Komi Forests” (re-nomination) solves two major tasks:　　1. Extend the area of the existing World Heritage site due to the increase of the territory of

Description

　　Preparation of a new category “Virgin Komi Forests” (re-nomination) solves two major tasks:

　　1. Extend the area of the existing World Heritage site due to the increase of the territory of the National Park " Yugyd Va " (an area of over 183 thousand hectares) that is the part of an entire old-growth coniferous forests ecosystem, protected within the National Park "Yugyd Va" New territories, linking and complementing the National Park, act as one of the important elements of ecological frame, designed for protection of a complex of unique ecosystems of the National Park "Yugyd Va" and the Pechora-Ilych State Natural Reserve .

　　2. Streamlining of borders in the northern part of the existing World Heritage site.

　　Total area of the property to be nominated is 3 473 085 ha, including:

　　·The Yugvd Va National Park is 2 029 014 ha;

　　·conservation zone of the Yugvd Va National Park is 228 877 ha;

　　·The Pechoro-llychsky state natural biosphere reserve is 721 930 ha;

　　·buffer area of the Pechoro-llychsky state natural biosphere reserve is 493 264 ha.

　　From October 3 to 11, 2010, by the decision of 34 COM 7B.25 of the World Heritage Committee was implemented the Monitoring Mission of the World Heritage Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Virgin Komi Forests".

　　Mission reviewed the situation with the enclave PL350 (the site between the rivers Shchugor and Podcherye). This site was included in the nomination, but excluded when the property was inserted in the World Heritage List, as the site had no conservation status.

　　Mission had the opportunity to see the forest in the upper reaches of the Ilych River, which separates the National Park and the Reserve. As in the case with the enclave PL350, this area was included in the nomination, but excluded when the property was included in the list of World Heritage sites, due to the lack of protective status.

　　As in the case of the enclave PL350, this site was included in the nomination, but excluded when the object was inserted in the list of World Heritage sites, due to the lack of protective status. Flying over the area, the members of Mission made sure that the area is covered by untouched virgin forest, without any signs of human intervention.

　　Mission considered it important to give protected status to these sites in order to enhance the integrity of the property.

　　Merged to the National Park areas are a part of an entire old-growth coniferous forests ecosystem, protected within the National Park "Yugyd Va”. New territories, linking and complementing the National Park, act as one of the important elements of the ecological frame, designed for protection of a complex of unique ecosystems of the National Park "Yugyd Va" and Pechora-llych State Natural Reserve.

　　Including in the composition of the National Park of new areas will expand the zone of protection of the Podcherye River Basin, which is an important recreational facility of the National Park.

　　Relief

　　In the nominated territory there are three large geomorphological areas according to specific features of relief and geological structure: Pechora Depression, Piedmont hilly (rugged hills) area, Mountainous area.

　　Meridian mountain chains of the Ural have the major impact on the outlook of the park. Major landscape zones of the Park, i.e. plain, foothill (rugged hills) and mountain, differentiating by geomorphologic structure, climate conditions and, as the outcome, soil and vegetation.

　　In the mountain landscape of the reserve there can be segregated three tiers of the plants: mountain forests, subalpine and mountain tundra.

　　Hydrology

　　The territory of the Park is characterized by well-developed hydrographical network that is explained by strong segregation of the relief and significant moisturizing of the western slope of the Ural.

　　The rivers of the park, flowing down from the western slope of the Ural Mountains, perform an important function - deliver “fresh” water to the Pechora, one of the biggest rivers in Europe, flowing into the Barents sea.

　　The major rivers of the National Park are right influxes of the Pechora, the Podcherem and the Schugor (the Northern Ural), the left influxs of the Usa flowing into the Pechora, the Bolshaya Synya (the Big Synya), Kosyu and Kozhim, the right in-stream of the Kosyu (Sub-Polar Ural).

　　The major rivers of the Reserve are Pechora and Ilych, each of them goes along the boundaries of reserve around 200 km.

　　Pechora is the biggest and the best river in the European North, it starts in the territory of reserve with two streams, coming together in the boundaries of mountain tundra belt between the peaks of Engile-Chahl and Pecherya-Talyah-Chaly at the altitude of 896.8 m above the seal level. Its total length is 1809 km, water catchment area is 322 thousand km².

　　Climate

　　The climate of the Sub-Polar Ural and the Northern Ural is severe and extremely continental. It is formed under the impact of the western drifting of the air masses and frequent intrusions of the cold arctic air from the north along the mountain ranges. As a result of such circulation there can be noticed intensive cyclone activities and deformation of the air flows by the mountains, that causes extremely unstable and excessively humid weather. The Sub-Polar Ural and the Northern Ural are the richest in snow and rain water areas of the Ural. Especially a lot of them falls down in the upper lands of the western slope of the Sub-Polar Ural - annual amount of the rain & snow water achieves 1500 mm and more, in the mountain areas of the Northern Ural this parameter is a hit lower - 1000 mm. In the plain and in the piedmont area the annual summary of the rain and snow water reduces significantly and equals 500 - 800 mm. The major part of them falls down in thewarm period of the year (April - October). Up to 40% of the annual amount of the rain and snow water in the form of the snow falls down.

　　Because of long territory of the park in the latitude direction and variety of the relief forms, the temperature mode in its different parts shows significant differences.

　　In the Sub-Polar Ural the average monthly temperature of the coldest month (January) in the south equals -18°C, in the north -21°C. Winter temperature minimum is -55°C. Winter lasts from October to mid-April, in the higher mountains longer. For the winter period are typical strong winds, their speed achieves sometimes 40 - 50 m/sec. Snow thawing starts in March and it is accompanied with rapid fluctuations of daily temperatures: at night air cools down to -30°C, in the day-time warms-up to 10°C. In sunny days there are abnormal temperatures mentioned, it is when in the higher mountain areas air temperature is lower than in the plateau and in the plain land.

　　Average monthly temperature of the warmest month (July) in the Sub-Polar Ural is -10°C, in its piedmont areas 12°C. In general summer is characterized by cool instable weather and frequent returns of colds and night frosts, deceasing of the atmospheric processes. The duration of autumn is 50 - 60 days, in the northern part and in the higher mountains it starts significantly earlier than in the plain land.

　　The Reserve is located in the area where arctic and moderate climatic zones meet. The climate is characterized as continental & oceanic with the difficult process of annual climatic phenomena.

　　Average monthly positive temperatures of the air are noticed within the period of 6 months, but average duration of the frost-free period is 80-83 days. In certain years when there were late spring and early autumn frosts mentioned, the frost-free period is reduced to 50 days. The vegetation period when the average daily temperature exceeds +10°,is 80-85 days in the plain land and 47-80 days in the piedmont area and in the mountains. Average annual temperature of the air in the area of the Yaksha is 0.7^°C, in the north of the mountain area is around -4^°. Average temperature for many years of the coldest month, January is -17,8°; of the warmest month, July -16.3^°. Absolute minimum is -55,5^°C, absolute maximum +35,7^°C°.

　　General annual rainfall is the following: in the plain land area 500-800 mm (coverage annual amount is 635.5 mm), in the mountain area it is up to 1000 mm. major part of the rainfall happens in the warm period of the year (April - October). Almost 40% of the annual rainfall amount in the form of snow falls down.

　　Average duration when the snow cover lays on in the plain land is 200 days, in the mountains it is up to 220 days. Average date of the forming of the stable snow cover in the Yaksha area is October 21st, thawing is May 7th. In the mountains snow falls down at the end of September, thaws quite unevenly, staying sometimes until July. Maximum average decade height of the snow in the pine forests is around 90cm, in the dark softwood taiga it is 90 - 120 cm. In the mountains depending on the conditions of relief and exposure of the slope this number varies between 20 and 200 cm and more. Minimum height of the snow cover is typical for mountain tundra, where snow is normally blown by the wind.

　　Vegetation

　　Flora of the National Park includes more than 600 species of the vascular plants, tens of species of mosses and lichens. Some of them have the status of "red hook" ones. These are yellow lady's slipper and blotched slipper, Woodsia alpina, common peon, Snowdon rose etc.

　　The main role in the picturesque landscapes is played by wood species: Siberian spruce, silver-fir, Siberian pine (cedar), larch, white birch, European white birch, mountain birch and more seldom pine and aspen. In the southern part of the park quite often the one can meet growth of tree-like willows. In the swampy and river-side areas impassable "jungles" are formed by bush willows, and also by dwarf birch and hush alder. At the forest borders and towpaths in the lower parts of the slopes there are many bushes: Spiraea media, prairie weed, hedge rose, Pallas honeyberry. The specific feature of the plant cover of the park is diversity of the shrubs. Normal in the over soil cover of forest and mountain tundra communities are lingonberry, swamp blueberry, blueberry, and crowberry. In the stony exposed surface of the forest belt and higher grow dryad, Alpine bearberry, Harrimanella, Diapensia, fruticulous willow.

　　The specific feature of the park's flora is numerous amounts of ferns and heather. Here gramineous, composite flowers, rose family, buttercup family, buttercup, figwort family belong to ten most multiple families.

　　Of the biggest interest are endemic species of the plants. The other endemic species were formed as a result of hybrids forming of the relative species and isolated geographic plants. To the endemics in the national park are listed Taliev's thyme, mountain anemone, Ural aypsophila, Northern flax etc, all in all more than 10 species.

　　The territory of the Park is represented by virgin forests with rare and endemic species of shrubs and herbs: shrubby cinquefoil, rodiola guadrefida, mountain anemone, etc. Such plant species as arctic paintbrush, yellow lady's slipper, Snowdon rose are included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation. The majority of cenopopulations of rare plants is in a stable state.

　　Specific feature of the plant cover of the Reserve are ruling of the dark softwood forests with wood stand of Siberian species: spruce, fir, cedar. In the lower tiers of the forest undergrown forests and in the above-soil cover there are both European and Siberian species. Specific features of the plant cover is also stipulated by the availability of big Ural mountain system with clearly visible altitude belts. The lay-out of the geobotanical splitting into districts incorporates the areas: 

　　I. The area of pine frests and sphagnum swamps of the Pechora low land (complete territory of the Yaksha district):

　　II. The area of dark soft wood forests of the steeply sloping piedmont sub-area of swampy dark softwood forests and sphagnum swamps of Verhneilych low land (the territory of the Ural area until western slopes of the main mountain range of the Northern Ural, excluding transition stripe);

　　III. The area of mountain dark softwood forests, subalpine crooked forests and meadows, mountain tundra and bare-boulders of the Northern Ural (western sloped, mountain chains, valleys and separate peaks of the Uran range of mountains)/

　　Nowadays the Reserve counts 113 plant species from the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic.

　　In 2012 15 cenopopulations of 7 rare plant species were studied: .Adonis sibirica Patrin ex Ledeb., Calipso bulbosa (L.) Oakes, Epipactis atrorubeas (Hoffm. ex Bernh.) Besser, Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Paeonia anomala L., Polypodium vulgare L., Puisatilla patens (L.) Mill.

　　Wildlife

　　The fauna of vertebrates of the National Park includes representatives of fish (21 species), amphibia (3 species), reptilian (1 specie), birds (around 200 species) and mammals (42 species). Many of them are the most precious properties of the world fauna. Into the Red Data Book of Russia are entered bullhead, red-breasted goose, fish-hawk, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, gerfalcon, peregrin (duck hawk), black stork, common crane etc.

　　Specific feature of the fauna of the region is big share of the Siberian species, many of them have here the western boundary of the aerial.

　　Species diversity of the animal world of the reserve territory and conservation territory in relation to the different endemic taxa is studied unevenly. Sufficient complete inventory fauna reports are available only for water and ground vertebral.

　　Thomas Brockhaus, a German entomologist, visited Pechoro-Ilychsky reserve from July 29 till August 5, 2012. During his trip on the Pechora River (Shaytanovka cordon) he noted 15 species of dragonflies, whereof two species (Somatochlora graeseri, S. pedemontanum) turned to be new for the Reserve and the Republic of Komi.

　　Ichthyofauna

　　Absolutely different place in the diversity of the animal communities of the western slopes of the Northern and the Sub-Polar Urals takes the world of fishes. The fish populations of the National Park as far as it is known, accounts for 21 species out of eleven communities.

　　Ichthyofauna of the Reserve is relatively poor, that is related to the hydrological specific features of the territory: mountain character of the majority of the rivers and small amount of accompanying water bodies. In its content enter the representatives of the round-mouthed fishes - 1 specie, and the fish, 17 species that makes around 53% of the species diversity of fish of the complete Pechora river basin.

　　Birds

　　In the fauna of the Yugyd va National Park are known around 200 species of birds. Out of them, despite of severe ecological surrounding, nest about 150. Some representative of feathered, in majority water fowl and sandpiper, inhabit the area of tundra, can be met also within the boundaries of the park only during autumn and spring migration.

　　Bird fauna of the Yugyd va National Park presents the composite mix of Siberian taiga species. European and Arctic and Alpine species migrating from the plain tundra and also birds, widely spread in the European part of Russia.

　　Avifauna of the conservation area includes 252 species of birds of 18 orders, 50 families which makes 96% of the total number of species recorded within the entire Komi Republic. The species include 170 breeding species (67%), 30 seasonal transient birds (12%), 52 vagrant species (21%). The widest range of species have the Passeriformes (107 species), Charadriiformes (40), Anseriformes (30) and Falconiformes (20): the rest classes are presented by 1 to 8 species.

　　Avifauna is compositionally heterogenic, Siberian bird species prevail (heather cock, hazelhen, Blyth's cuckoo, three-toed woodpecker etc), typically European species are almost twice less in number (chaffinch, warbler, swift, corncrake etc), some species are of arctic ptarmigan, common dotterel, Eurasian golden plover etc) and Chinese (greenish warbler, red-backed shrike, oriental tree pipit) oriuin.

　　Most of breeding birds (77%) are migrating. The highest diversity of species, summer bird numbers and biomass are peculiar to forest hank line habitats, subalpine belt and some pattern bogs. Common and the most numerous species of forest communities are: chaffinch, finch, tree-pipit, thrushes – snowbird, red-winged thrush and song thrush, chiff-chaffs - willow-warbler and arctic warbler, European redstart, buntings - rustic-bunting and little bunting, common and Blyth's cuckoos. The dominating species of wetland birds are: fiddler, grey gull, greenshank, snipe, whimbrel, mew gull, common teal, bullhead, and goosander. The typical representative of mountain tundra is meadow pipit, and this is the unique place for common dotterel, Eurasian golden plover and ptarmigan nesting.

　　The following breeding birds are included in the lists of Red Data Book of the Russian Federation: erne, osprey and golden eagle; transient birds: peregrine and brant goose. Erne, double snipe and corncrake are on the international list of globally rare species. 29 bird species of the reserve are listed among rare and requiring protection on the territory of Komi Republic. 26 species of birds nesting in the conservation are on the list of Red Data Book of Komi Republic:

　　Category I (endangered) - honey buzzard, quail.

　　Category II (shortening the numerosity) - osprey, erne, golden eagle, eagle owl.

　　Category III (species with small numerosity and restricted distribution) - hooping swan, black kite, kestrel, corncrake, spotted crake, double snipe, hawk-owl, Siberian grey owl, short-eared owl, boreal owl, wryneck.

　　Category IV (with undefined status) — common pochard, jack snipe, pintail snipe, dove, pygmy owl.

　　Category V (recovering species) - merlin, common woodcock, curlew, whimbrel.

　　Mammals

　　The territory of the National Park is unique from the point of view of theriology, where European and Siberian faunas come together. The territory of the Park is inhabited by 42 species of the mammals.

　　Out of 52 species of the mammals registered in the territory of the Reserve the biggest one is the order of predators, 17 species (33%), related to the 4 families. Then are the rodents, 16 species, 6 families; insect-eating mammals - 8 species, 2 families; hoofed mammals, 4 species, 2 families; cheiropterous (Chiroptera) animals, 5 species, 1 family; double-toothed rodents - 2 species and 2 families.