Siysky Zakaznik is the federal zakaznik

Zakaznik

Zakaznik is a type of protected area in Russia and other former Soviet republics such as Ukraine that meets World Conservation Union's category III, or more frequently category VII criteria....

, a nature protected area, in the north of Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, located in Kholmogorsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast

Arkhangelsk Oblast

Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....

, north-west of the selo of Yemetsk. It was established in 1963 and transferred to the federal jurisdiction (thereby becoming a federal zakaznik) December 30, 1988. The zakaznik is created to protect flora and fauna (in particular, rare species) of the pine-tree forest environment.

Location and geography

Siysky Zakaznik is located in the southern part of Kholmogorsky District, on the left bank of the Northern Dvina River. The northern part of the park is adjacent to the Northern Dvina, whereas the southern part is limited by the Yemtsa River, one of the biggest tributaries of the Northern Dvina. The northern part contains a number of lakes as well, the biggest of them being Lake Ploskoye and Lake Punanets. On the south, the zakaznik is crossed by the Vaymuga River, a tributary of the Yemtsa. The whole area of the zakaznik is crossed from north to south by the M8

M8 highway (Russia)

The Russian route M8, also known as the Kholmogory Highway or Yaroslavl highway, is a major trunk road that links Moscow to the Russian North in general and the sea harbour of Arkhangelsk in particular...

, which connects Moscow and Arkhangelsk. There are a number of villages in the limits of the zakaznik, as well as the Antoniev Siysky Monastery.

The zakaznik is located on the plain. There are karst formations present, including karst lakes. In total, there are 52 lakes and 16 swamps in the zakaznik.

Flora

The area of the zakaznik is covered by woods, of which 80% is coniferous forest (mostly pine

Pine

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...

s and fir

Fir

Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...

s).

Fauna

Mammals present in Siysky Zakaznik include moose

Moose

The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...

, wild boar, brown bear

Brown Bear

The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...

, lynx

Lynx

A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...

, wolverine

Wolverine

The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...

, badger

Badger

Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...

, beaver

Beaver

The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...

, European mink

European mink

The European mink , also known as the Russian mink, is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to Europe. It is listed by the IUCN as Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers, having been calculated as being more than 50% over the past three generations...

, European otter

European Otter

The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....

and others.