Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve (russian
, Kazakh ) is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia
. It is located in the southern province of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It covers the north-western mountain chains of the Tian Shan
. Its name is derived from the biggest river in the area, the Aksu, and the mountain chain Djabagly which is located in the northern part of the area.
. In the West, the area is surrounded by the Kyzyl Kum
, and in the North, by the Karatau Mountains
. The Tien Shan mountains extend further to the East and South. The territory lies within the administrative region of the Tyul’kubaskiy- and Lengerskiy-Rayon, in the South Kazakhstan Province
. The Nature Reserve stretches over an area of 131.934 ha., occupying elevations of 1100 – 4236 m a.s.l. Major mountain ranges are the Djabagly in the North, the Talasskiy Alatau in the central part, the Baldybrektau and the Ugamskiy Alatau in the South. They form steep slopes as well as gentle plateaus. Peak Sayram, in the southern region, is the highest peak in the Reserve. The mountainous area is devided by the Jabagly, Aksu
and Baldyrbek rivers, that all drain in a western direction into the Syrdarya that in turn flows into the Aral Sea
. The Aksu
river forms a canyon 500m deep, that can only be crossed in the southern part of the reserve by walking over a narrow pedestrian bridge.
has accumulated on plateaus and in the foothills. Much less frequent is the siliceous magmatic bedrock of the Perm era.
), wild grape (Vitis vinifera
) and several wild tulip
species (e.g.. Tulipa greigii). The lower parts of the reserve are covered by semi-desert, scrub and steppe, which form a colorful carpet of geophytes in the spring. The montane belt is a mosaic of open juniper
forests with Juniperus seravshanica and Juniperus semiglobosa
, and meadows in which Eurosiberian and Middle Asian plants thrive. The Aksu-Canyon harbors some forest fragments with Malus sieversii und the Turkestan Maple (Acer turkestanicum). Further up, in the subalpine and alpine belt, we find meadows, tall herb vegetation, and small cushion communities with Onobrychis echidna, as well as short grass sods with Carex melanantha and Kobresia persica. Gallery forests of willows and birches grow along the main rivers. Scree vegetation is frequent in the area and home to the rare onion speciesAllium karataviense.
which is, however, rarely spotted. Somewhat more frequent is the Himalayan brown bear
, the Tien Shan Argali
(Ovis ammon karelini), the Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica), and Menzbier’s marmot.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Kazakh ) is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. It is located in the southern province of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It covers the north-western mountain chains of the Tian Shan
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
. Its name is derived from the biggest river in the area, the Aksu, and the mountain chain Djabagly which is located in the northern part of the area.
Geography
The Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve is located in the western mountains of the Talasskiy Alatau, in the western Tien Shan mountains. Its eastern border is delimited by the Kyrgyz Republic, the southern border by the valley of the Maidantal river and the UzbekistanUzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. In the West, the area is surrounded by the Kyzyl Kum
Kyzyl Kum
The Kyzyl Kum , also called Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest desert in the world. Its name means Red Sand in Turkic languages. It is located in Central Asia in the doab between the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, and is divided between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan...
, and in the North, by the Karatau Mountains
Karatau Mountains
The Karatau Mountains are located in southern Kazakhstan just north of the Syrdaria River, and they display a unique geomorphology. The name Karatau means Black Mountain in the Kazakh language...
. The Tien Shan mountains extend further to the East and South. The territory lies within the administrative region of the Tyul’kubaskiy- and Lengerskiy-Rayon, in the South Kazakhstan Province
South Kazakhstan Province
South Kazakhstan Province is the southernmost province of Kazakhstan, with a population of 2,282,500 people. Its capital is Shymkent, with 539,600 people. Other cities in South Kazakhstan include Turkestan, Sayram, Kentau, Arys, Shardara, Jetysu, Saryag'ash and Lenger...
. The Nature Reserve stretches over an area of 131.934 ha., occupying elevations of 1100 – 4236 m a.s.l. Major mountain ranges are the Djabagly in the North, the Talasskiy Alatau in the central part, the Baldybrektau and the Ugamskiy Alatau in the South. They form steep slopes as well as gentle plateaus. Peak Sayram, in the southern region, is the highest peak in the Reserve. The mountainous area is devided by the Jabagly, Aksu
Aksu
Aksu , is a city in the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang and the capital of Aksu Prefecture...
and Baldyrbek rivers, that all drain in a western direction into the Syrdarya that in turn flows into the Aral Sea
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was a lake that lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south...
. The Aksu
Aksu
Aksu , is a city in the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang and the capital of Aksu Prefecture...
river forms a canyon 500m deep, that can only be crossed in the southern part of the reserve by walking over a narrow pedestrian bridge.
Geology
Paleozoic limestone, dolomite and carbonaceous tuff are the most dominant bedrock in the nature reserve Thick loessLoess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
has accumulated on plateaus and in the foothills. Much less frequent is the siliceous magmatic bedrock of the Perm era.
Flora and vegetation
The Aksu-Djabagly Nature Reserve harbors 1312 vascular plants . Some of the largest genera are Astragalus, Gagea, Allium, Carex and Oxytropis. There are 44 rare plant species that are listed as endangered in the red data book of Kazakhstan , including the native wild apple (Malus sieversiiMalus sieversii
Malus sieversii is a wild apple native to the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Northern Afghanistan and Xinjiang, China. It has recently been shown to be the sole ancestor of most cultivars of the domesticated apple...
), wild grape (Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
) and several wild tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
species (e.g.. Tulipa greigii). The lower parts of the reserve are covered by semi-desert, scrub and steppe, which form a colorful carpet of geophytes in the spring. The montane belt is a mosaic of open juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
forests with Juniperus seravshanica and Juniperus semiglobosa
Juniperus semiglobosa
Juniperus semiglobosa, the Himalayan Pencil Juniper, Chinese: 昆仑多子柏 kun lun duo zi bai, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of Central Asia, in northeastern Afghanistan, westernmost China , northwesternmost India, southeastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, western Nepal, northern Pakistan,...
, and meadows in which Eurosiberian and Middle Asian plants thrive. The Aksu-Canyon harbors some forest fragments with Malus sieversii und the Turkestan Maple (Acer turkestanicum). Further up, in the subalpine and alpine belt, we find meadows, tall herb vegetation, and small cushion communities with Onobrychis echidna, as well as short grass sods with Carex melanantha and Kobresia persica. Gallery forests of willows and birches grow along the main rivers. Scree vegetation is frequent in the area and home to the rare onion speciesAllium karataviense.
Fauna
There are 44 mammal species in the Reserve that are enlisted as highly endangered in the red book of Kazakhstan . The most prominent speices are the snow leopardSnow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
which is, however, rarely spotted. Somewhat more frequent is the Himalayan brown bear
Himalayan Brown Bear
The Himalayan Brown Bear , also known as the Himalayan Red Bear, Isabelline Bear or Dzu-Teh, is a subspecies of the Brown Bear. The bear is thought to be the source of the legend of the Yeti....
, the Tien Shan Argali
Argali
The argali, or the mountain sheep is a wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia . It is the biggest wild sheep, standing at the shoulder, measuring long and weighing , with a maximum known weight of...
(Ovis ammon karelini), the Indian Crested Porcupine (Hystrix indica), and Menzbier’s marmot.