MARKAKOLSKIY STATE NATURAL RESERVE

The natural-science substantiation of the territory expansion of the Markakolskiy State Natural Reserve is executed by the CRS and GIS «Terra», within the limits of the project «Working out of the natural-science and technical and economic assessment of the territory expansion of the Markakolskiy State Natural Reserve» in 2005.

The Markakolskiy State Natural Reservewas organized in 1976 for preservation in natural state of the natural complexes of the South Altai. It is located in the Kurchumskiy district of the Eastern Kazakhstan region, in a hollow of the Markakol Lake (the Alpine lake ), on a total area of 75048 hectares (30598 hectares of a land and 44450 hectares of the water area of lake). The territory of the MSNR consists of three sections: the northern and southern section, the mountain- forest section and the lakeside section. Around the reserve, the security zone of 2 km wide is allocated.

 The Markakolskiy Hollow is bordered by the Kurchumskiy and Azutau Mountain Ridges. In the northeast it is jointed with the Bobrovskiy Hollow, and in the southwest (along the Kalzhir River) it has an exit to the Zajsanskiy Valley. The lake (is situated at a height of 1447 m. above sea level) has a ovate-oblong shape and it is stretched from the northeast on the southwest. A length of the lake is-38 km, a width-19 km, an area – 455 км2, the length of the coast line – 106 km , the average depth  -14,3 m, the maximum depths -24-27 the m. The lake basin contains -6,5 km³ of water. The catch water basin is about 1180 sq. km. Totally, 95 channels run into the lake, among them the biggest are: Topolevka, Tihushka, Elovka, Karabulak, Zhirenka. Only the Kaldzhir River flows out of the Markakol Lake.

The origin of Markakol Lake is connected with the glacial stage of the Quaternary period of the alpine tectonic cycle. The area is formed of the metamorphic rocks, the outcrops of the basal basaltic rocks and small massifs of alkaline granite.

          For a hollow of the Markakol Lake, the peaked, steeply inclined, strongly partitioned relief ( of the middle- mountain character) is typically. The slopes of the mountain ridges are strongly partitioned and deeply cut by the river valleys. For the Kurchumskiy Ridge , the rocky peaks and ridges are typically. The hilly relief of watersheds is more typical for Azutau, with the smoothed and arched shapes of the mountain peaks. The western, south and southeast lake shores are the lakeside plains of 1-2 km wide, in the south and southeast  they are rather narrow coastal strips.

The climate of the Markakol Hollow is of acutely continental type, with the severe high -snow winter and the temperate warm damp summer. Here the lowest average annual temperature of air (-4,1^оС), and the lowest average temperature of July14,1^о С, at the average temperature of January -25,9^о С are fixed, on the Southern Altai. In summer, the air temperature rises to 29^оС, and in winter it falls to-40-44^о С , sometimes to– 53^оС. Duration of the frost-free period is about 60-70 days. The radiative balance is about 22,1 kcal/cm² in a year. The annual rainfall is from 321 to 731 mm.

In the Markakol Hollow, the soil cover is characterised of the vertical zonality from the meadow- turfy- alkaline, forest- meadow ,chernozem — forest unsaturated soils ,of the meadow-steppe zone, to the mountain- tundra podzolic and raw soils of the mountain- tundra zone. On the lake shore there are meadow-marsh varieties in combination with the floodplain –meadow soils. In the mountain-forest zone there are the mountain — acid in combination with the mountain –turfy, forest- meadow, mountain-forest and chernozem soils. In the mountain- meadow zone there are the mountain- meadow subalpine soils,  higher they are changed by the alpine- turfy, podzolic raw and infantile soils(on the southern slopes).

A floristic variety has more than 700 species of the higher plants from 79 families here, it is stipulated of the region position: at the border of the Kazakhstan steppes, the semi-deserts of the Central Asia and the taiga woods of the Southern Siberia, of the mountain relief and the various climatic conditions. Here prevail over other families: the Compositae, the Gramineae, the Rosaceae, the Cruciferae, the Ranunculus.

Among the higher vascular plants of the reserve there are 70 species, which are in need of the special protection. From them in the Red Book of Kaz.SSR (in1981) are added 10 species: an Altaic rhubarb (Rheum altaicum), a safflower rhubarb(Rhaponticum carthamoides), a stemless smooth-seed (Leiospora exscapa), a foxfeet (Huperzia selago),a Siberian adder's-tongue, a heteropetalous tulip(Tulipa heteropetala), a hybridous peony(Paeonia hybrida), a snow macropodous(Macropodium nivale), a snowdon rose(Rhodiola rosea), an Altaic sweetshade (Gymnospermium altaicum).Of them in the Red Book of Kaz.SSR (in1978) are added: an Altaic rhubarb (Rheum altaicum), a safflower rhubarb(Rhaponticum carthamoides), a stemless smooth-seed (Leiospora exscapa) . In the reserve there are the following Altaic endemic plants: a slender onion, an Altaic rhubarb, a larkspur, an Altaic aconite, a large-leaved crowfoot, an Altaic crowfoot, a geranium, a snowdon rose, a stemless smooth-seed.

On the territory of Markakol Hollow there are 5 altitudinal belts of plants, and the vegetative cover of the northern and southern slopes is strongly differs in domination of the forest and meadow- steppe conenoses. For the slopes with the intermediate expositions of plants the great variety, for the herblike conenoses-the mosaic vegetation, are common.

The meadow- steppe altitudinal belt (is situated at the height of 1450-1600 m. above sea level) is presented by the grass- herb meadows and the shrubby tangles. On the southern slope there are the fescue- meadow conenoses. On the rocky slopes, such plants as the following grow: a gooseberry, a Siberian barberry, an Altaic rhubarb, a steppe peony, etc.

In the mountain-taiga altitudinal belt (is situated at the height of 1450-1900 m. above  sea level) the larch forests prevail. In the upper part of the northern slopes there are the dark coniferous forests, with the vigorous herbage and the following plants: a Siberian fir, a larch, a common birch, a Siberian aspen, a Siberian mountain ash. At the upper border of wood, on the rocky slopes, the Siberian fir forms the  wood formation. Along the river valleys and coastline of the lake, there are the mountain- valley spruce- mossy forests. Through the reserve territory it is passed the southern border of the area of a cedar distribution, that’s why it is rare here.

The subalpine belt (is situated at the height of 1900 -3000 m. above sea level) is presented by the high-grass subalpine meadows, where you can see: a South- Siberian tick trefoil, an albiflorous geranium, a safflower rhubarb, etc.

             The alpine belt (is situated at a height of 2000-3000 m. above sea level) includes the alpine meadow and the mountain- tundra zones. On the most beautiful short grass alpine meadows, among the grasses and sedges prevail the following plants: a glandular columbine, a large-flowered gentian, a South- Siberian tick trefoil, an Alpine forget-me-not, a narrow-leaved, a light- yellow edelweiss. Above the alpine meadows, the mossy-liche, shrubby ( yernik), herb and stony tundras are placed.

            The nival belt (is situated at a height above 3000 m.) is located on the mountain peaks of the Kurchumskiy Ridge. There are no the higher plants here. Only on the stones and rocks it is possible to notice some lichens. In the samples of snow, the spores of funguses and diatoms were found.

            In waters of the Markakol Lake 30 species of the higher water plants inhabit. On the coastline you can see: a lady grass, a reed grass, a bladdery sedge, a rostelliform sedge, a marsh groundsel. On the shallow water there are: a horsetails, a cowbane, a narrow-leaved cat's-tail, a duckweed, a spike rush. On the more deeper areas there are: a beach arrowhead and a hydrilla multicipital. On the whole water area of the lake- a morass-weed is widespread.

        The fauna of the reserve is extremely various. Among the invertebrate there are 283 species, also there are some rare species (an apollo butterfly, a swallowtail). In the lake there are 6 species of fishes: a lenok, a grayling, a stoneloach, a gudgeon, a common minnow, an Amur ide. Of them there are such endemic species as: a lenok, a grayling, a stoneloach a gudgeon. Of the amphibians here you can find: a moor frog and a common toad. Of the reptiles here there are: a common northern viper, sand lizard, a common lizard; and such rare species as: a water snake, a copperhead snake.

           The fauna of the mammals of the reserve includes 55 species, such as: a common shrew, a mountain hare, a cony; 20 species of the rodents(a squirrel, a chipmunk, a marmot, a vole, a zokor), a brown bear, a common wolf, a fox, a weasel, a least weasel, a polecat, a badger, a skunk bear, a sable, an American mink, a lynx, a maral, a roe deer, a moose deer, an Asiatic ibex. Sometimes, a snow leopard and a wild hog are found here.

           The avifauna of the reserve includes 260 species of birds, of them -143 are nesting, 60- are wintering and 14 species are the birds of passage .Here you can see: a tufted duck, a goldeneye, a gadwall, a mallard duck, a lapwing, a little ringed plover, a snipe, a gull, a heath cock, a partridge, a quail, a hobby, a black kite, a harrier, a kestrel, a hoopoe, a cuckoo, a woodpecker, a crow. There are rare species: an osprey, a black stork, a golden eagle, a white-tailed sea eagle, an eagle-owl, a common crane, an Altaic snowcock.

           The condition of the natural ecosystems on territory of the reserve, in whole, is satisfactory. For the past time, from the moment of the organisation of the reserve, the partial conenoses recruitment of the meadow- steppe, subalpine, alpine- tundra belts, which had a strong influence of the man's impact (a ploughing up, a haymaking, cattle pasture) is observed. In conditions, when there are no the tree felling, the cattle pasture here, and the preservation of the young growth is carried out, then forests are revived. In the conditions of a reserved, the number of all the rare species of birds has increased, the condition of a maral population was stabilized, the number of a moose deer increased. The number of the representatives of the endemic ichthyofauna is increased. At the same time, the negative influence of fires (in 1997, on area 846 ha) became evident, here the increase of number of the injurious insects of forests, is observed.

For the preservation of the unique ecosystem of the Markakolskiy Hollow, it is necessary to attach to the territory of the MSNR, the areas of the hollow near its watershed:  Zhirenka -Topolevka, from Lubjazhiha to Kaldzhir ( except the territories of Nizhnyaya Elovka ,Verhnyaya Elovka settlements), Chumek, the Matabay Ridge(wood lands), and also valley of the Kaldzhir River, from its source to falls, which are situated near Prirechnoe settlement . Expansion of the territory of the reserve, will allow to protect the invertebrate rare species of animals, fish, birds, mammals, plants and their conenoses.