Landscape resources. Eastern coast of Crimea Eastern Mediterranean landscape of Crimea

The Eastern Coast of Crimea is a huge tourist region covering the coast Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov from the steppe shores of the Dzhankoy region to the Kerch Strait, a wide strip of the Black Sea coast - from Cape Opuk on the Kerch Peninsula to the village of Morskoye on the southern outskirts of Sudak. Length coastline is 160 km. The eastern coast of Crimea unites large resort cities - Kerch, Feodosia and Sudak, small resort villages, connected by transport infrastructure.

Climate

The region's territory covers several climatic zones. In the region of the Kerch Peninsula, a moderately warm climate of the steppe zone reigns - the air here is drier, there is very little precipitation, the summer is sultry and sunny, and the winter is relatively cold for Crimea. To the south, towards Koktebel and Sudak, the climate is becoming more and more Mediterranean. The air is more humid, summer heat is softened by sea breezes, and winters are warm.

Seasonality

Beach season on the Eastern coast of Crimea, from May to September - on the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, from May to October - on the Black Sea. At this time, sea waters warm up to marks of 18-26 ° C, and the average air temperature is 24 ° C. Summer is a time of active rest, most of the excursion falls on this time of the year. The “velvet season” in Crimea - the beginning of autumn, when the sea is still warm in summer and daytime temperatures are more comfortable - has its fans. Everything for year-round recreation is on major resorts Eastern Crimea - Kerch, Feodosia and Sudak. In the off-season, a number of hotels, boarding houses with treatment and sanatoriums operate. Music and dance festivals, holidays, a large number of attractions and excursion programs make the Eastern coast of Crimea an increasingly popular destination for recreation in autumn, winter and even early spring. Small resorts focused on beach vacation, work only in high season.

Landscape

The Eastern Coast of Crimea is a rivalry between mountains and steppe. The north of the region is represented by a plain overgrown with fescue and feather grass, cut by gullies and ravines. A chain of hills runs in the Kerch region. The shores here in places form picturesque sandy cliffs, and in places they gently go under the water. From Koktebel to the south along the coast, the nature of the relief changes dramatically - the ridge of the Crimean Mountains begins. Above resort villages and cities rise mountain peaks, rocky capes cut into the sea, the coast becomes rocky, indented by numerous bays. The Mediterranean flora dominates here, it is enough to climb the mountains a little to see relict juniper groves, Crimean pine on the rocky outcrops of the mountains, vineyards.

Ai-petri

Crimea is a place where there are many miraculous objects that have an unusual shape or content and are valuable for the ecosystem and for the whole of mankind.

These non-man-made objects are called landscape monuments... Landscape monuments include mountains, reserves, forests, rocks, caves, trails, and more. Feature of the Crimean landscapesit is also unusual that common European plants grow alongside typical Mediterranean and Asian plants.

Our peninsula is a territory where plants growing here in the pre-glacial period are still found - small-fruited strawberry, high juniper, Comperia Comper's orchid. Scientists have identified 142 plant species that are not found anywhere except Crimea.

Landscape The peninsula can be divided into the northern part, which is occupied by a plain in size, it is approximately three quarters of the entire area of \u200b\u200bCrimea, and into the southern part, which accounts for ¼, where the main ridge of the Crimean mountains (outer) passes.

The Crimean ridge can be divided into inner (northern) and outer (southern). The inner ridge with a length of 125 kilometers begins from the Mekkenzievy mountains, near Sevastopol and passes in the Belogorsk region, to Mount Agarmysh, in the Old Crimea.

The inner and outer parts of the Crimean mountains are separated by flat areas, natural basins are Baydarskaya valley, Kyzyl-Koba valley and others. These valleys surrounded by mountains create a unique natural landscape... The Crimean mountains are rich in vegetation and form beautiful mountain-forest landscapes with their slopes.

2.Landscapes of the southern coast of Crimea

Waterfall and cave in the valley near the Red Cave

Perhaps the most famous and one of the most beautiful landscape monuments is Big Yalta, which represents 80 kilometers of the Black Sea coast. The winding coast, coming close to the sea, as well as the unique main ridge of the Crimean mountains, plus a dry warm climate, attract many connoisseurs of natural earthly beauty with their landscape.

There are many of the most unique and unusual extreme places here Crimeaand even Ukraine. Cape Sarych is located on this territory - this is the southernmost point of the country, Alupka is the warmest place in Ukraine, here, according to scientists, there is the largest number of sunny days per year, and Mount Ai-Petri is considered the windiest mountain, there are the most winds here. The most high mountain Crimea is also located here - this is the Roman-Kosh mountain.

And not only big Yalta, for many millions of years the entire Black Sea coast has taken on such bizarre outlines, stunning in their beauty in the form of rocky cliffs, pebble and sandy beaches, cozy bays.

The fabulous landscape changes along the entire coast of Crimea, washed first by the Black Sea, then by the Azov Sea, and then by Lake Sivash. Palm trees, laurels and cypresses, which were brought to Crimea much later, and which add to the natural wealth, are well combined with local landscape monuments. harmony and beautythe landscape of Crimea.

The main ridge of the Crimean mountains stretches along the Crimean coast from the southwest to the east, and has a length of about 160 km and a width of 40-50 km. The mountains descend to the sea like an amphitheater, forming beautiful "yayla" - this is the Yalta yayla reaching a height of 1406 m, where the city of Yalta is located.

Ai-Petrinskaya yayla reaches a height of 1320 m, Alupka and Simeiz are picturesquely spread here. Gurzuf Yaila has a height of 1540 m - Gurzuf is located, Nikitskaya Yaila has a height of 1470 m, Nikitsky Botanical, famous far beyond the Crimea, is located here. garden.

Babugan Yayla has the most highest point Crimea 1545m, located on the Roman-kosh mountain. The amphitheaters of these yayls have been inhabited by people since ancient times; ancient human sites have been discovered here.

Crimean pine

On the southern side of the Main ridge of the Crimean Mountains, two zones of vegetation stand out: at the top, Scots pine is more common, and below, at an altitude of 300-400 m above the sea, there are Crimean pine forests. Then, dropping down towards the sea, comes the so-called shibliak belt.

Here vegetation of the Mediterranean type - high juniper, fluffy oak, butcher, strawberry wood, wild pistachio, etc.
In forests South Shore Crimea preserved relict conifers - berry yew and high juniper, Juniperus excelsa, some specimens reach 3-5 meters in volume.

Some of these relics are 1000 years old. They can be found in the Laspi tract, at Cape Sarych, Ai-Todor, Martyan, Montedor, in the Kanak Balka. Thanks to the relief, in the Crimea you can see a wide variety of landscapes and various vegetation.

3.Landscape of the inner ridge of the Crimean mountains

The northern part, the inner part, of the main ridge of the Crimean mountains descends to Bakhchisarai, and is called the Crimean foothills. Her landscape indented by amazing canyons, mountain ranges and table-shaped mountain plateaus, as if by nature intended for human settlements... This is evidenced by the most ancient cave cities.

The Crimean mountains formed over millions of years, understood from the bottom of the ancient sea, where sedimentary rocks such as limestone, sandstone, marl, clay and shale accumulated. Having risen from the day of the sea, the mountains were exposed to wind, water and different temperatures.

In places of geological faults, under the influence of water, river valleys, canyons and mountain ranges appeared. A characteristic feature of the interior of the Crimean Mountains is the gentle slopes called cuesta (slope). From the dense limestones of the upper layers of the cuesta, ledges-cornices were obtained. In the process of erosion of rocks, the most bizarre figures appeared on the inner ridge: "sphinxes", "mushrooms", "ribs", grottoes, mountains - outliers.

4.Landscapes of the steppe part of Crimea

Landscape the plain part of the Crimea is relatively monotonous, to the north stretches the steppe plain, sometimes there are small hills. In the west is the Tarkankhut peninsula, it is also treeless, and in spring and early summer it is covered with green vegetation and beautiful flowers, which fade under the hot Crimean sun by the middle of summer.

The coast of the sea is steep, high, there are caves, grottoes. Moving inland from the Crimean mountains and the sea, you find yourself in the steppe zone, where unusual and fast rivers become calm, large tracts of gardens and vineyards appear, there are large strips of meadows with bright poppies and other vegetation.

The plains gradually descend from south to north, occupying the northern and central parts. The nature of Crimea is unique due to the combination of flat landscapes and mountain ranges. In this part of Crimea, there are many garden and park complexes, built after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, natural landscapes are, as it were, decorated and exalted with landscapes of parks created by human hands. I wrote about one such park complex here.

5. The seas washing Crimea

In the south, Crimea is washed by the Black Sea, and in the east is the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Between these two seas lies Kerch Strait, 5 to 15 km wide. The depth of the Black Sea in some places reaches 2200 meters and has no noticeable ebb or flow. The depth of the Azov Sea is about 13.5 meters.

6.Rivers of the Crimean Peninsula

Crimean rivers, as a rule, are not large and full-flowing, they are meandering and fast. Most of the rivers, under the scorching rays of the summer sun, almost dry up, or go underground into karst cavities. The largest Crimean river is Salgir, and the deepest is Belbek.

Crimean rivers passing through constantly changing mountain reliefs, canyons and gorges, then falling, then rising, then spreading over the plain, often form whole cascades of waterfalls, attracting numerous groups of tourists.

Crimean rivers are small mountain streams that resemble streams. In the summer, most often, drying up rivers bare their channel, which is dotted with boulders, stones of various sizes and shapes. Sometimes a thin stream of a brook breaks through these boulders, then hides under the ground and suddenly reappears on the surface of the earth.

But if a heavy rain falls in the mountains, the rivers instantly fill with water, overflow the banks, breaking into numerous streams, rushing rapidly downward, then merging into one stream they capture both large stones and twisted by the roots trees.

Tourists need to know this when choosing a place to sleep and place their tourist equipment away from seemingly harmless streams. Crimea is also rich in salt lakes.

7 peninsula caves

Caves of the Crimean Peninsula

In Crimea Many karst caves have been discovered, which, in their beauty, are attractive to speleologists all over the world. On the Chatyr-Dag mountain, a cave called "Marble" is open and equipped for tourists. This name was given to her because of her unique beauty, reminiscent of the intricate pattern of marble.

The cave has several, equipped for visitors, halls and galleries, about one and a half kilometers long. The depth of the cave is 60 meters, and the explored length is more than two kilometers. The unique Marble Cave ranks fifth in the world among the most beautiful caves on the planet.

Well, the longest karst cave Crimea is Krasnaya, its length is 16 thousand meters. The record for the depth is set by the Soldatskaya cave, which goes 517 meters deep. Emine-Bair-_Khosar cave, which is located near the Marble Cave, is also considered one of the unique in Europe for its unusual underground coloring.

It is quite possible to organize a visit to many Crimean landscape monuments on your own, since the infrastructure in the Crimea is developed and you can get everywhere by public transport, the roads are not bad.

Visit land landscape monuments it can be paid and free, as a rule, visiting the monuments is available from April to October, but there are also winter visits. Many landscape monuments are protected by the state or a lot of assistance is provided to individuals who make the landscape of Crimea unique, such as .

Categories: / from 12.02.2013

Crimea is distinguished by a wide variety of soil and vegetation cover, which is directly dependent on the peculiarities of the geological structure, the diversity of parent rocks, relief and climate. A characteristic feature of the distribution of the soil and vegetation cover of Crimea is a combination of latitudinal and vertical zoning.

Most of the Steppe Crimea is covered southernlow-humus and carbonate(Priazov type) chernozems,which are replaced in the north chestnutsoils. Sivash and Karkinitsky Bay have developed salt licksand salt marshes.

In the central part of the plain Crimea and in the northeastern part of the Kerch Peninsula, heavy loamy and clayey southern chernozems are widespread. These soils were formed on loess-like rocks under thinned grass vegetation and contain little humus (3-4%). Due to the peculiarities of their mechanical composition, the southern chernozems float during the rain, and when they dry, they become crusty, however, despite this, they are still the best soils of the plain Crimea. With the right agricultural equipment, southern chernozems can provide good harvests of grain and industrial crops, grapes. The southern part of the lowland Crimea adjacent to the mountains and partly the northeastern region of the Kerch Peninsula.

The belt of southern chernozems to the north is gradually replaced by a belt of heavy loamy dark chestnut and chestnut solonetzic soils formed under conditions of high standing of saline groundwater on loesslike rocks. The humic content in these soils is only 2.5-3%. Chestnut soils are also typical for the southwestern region of the Kerch Peninsula, where they formed on saline Maikop clays. With proper farming techniques, chestnut soils can provide fairly high yields for various crops.

On the low-lying coast of the Sivash and Karkinitsky Bay, where the groundwater is very close to the surface and is highly saline, salt licks and salt marshes are developed. Similar soils are also found in the southwestern region of the Kerch Peninsula.

The natural vegetation cover of the plain Crimea was a typical steppe. In the herbage, the main background was sod grasses: various feathery feathergrass, feather grass (tyrsa), fescue (or steppe fescue), tonkonog, steppe keleria (or kipts), wheatgrass. Forbs were represented by sage (wilted and Ethiopian), kermek (Tatar and Sarepta), alfalfa yellow, spring adonis, katran steppe, yarrow, etc. A characteristic element were plants of a short spring growing season - ephemera (annual species of fires, barley and hare and etc.) and ephemeroids (tulips, steppe irises, etc.). Considerable areas were occupied by the so-called deserted steppe on chestnut-type soils. Along with the predominant grasses (fescue, wheatgrass, tyrsa, etc.), Crimean wormwood was very widespread there as a result of increased grazing. Ephemerals and ephemeroids were also quite characteristic.

Petrophytic (rocky) steppe is located on the stony-gravelly slopes of the ridges and hills of the Tapkhankut and Kerch peninsulas. Here, along with grasses (feather grass, fescue, wheatgrass, etc.), xerophytic shrubs (wormwood, dubrovnik, thyme) are widespread. There are shrubs of wild rose, hawthorn, blackthorn, etc.

Saline vegetation (sarsazan, saltros, sveda) is widespread on the saline soils of the coast of the Karkinitsky Bay, Sivash and the southwestern part of the Kerch Peninsula. On drier and less saline soils, grasses grow there (volosnets, ratites, riparian).

Currently, the Crimean steppe has lost its natural appearance. It is almost entirely plowed up and is occupied by fields of wheat, corn, various vegetables, as well as vineyards and orchards. Recently, rice has become more and more widespread in Crimea. A characteristic element of the cultural landscape of the plain Crimea are shelter belts of white acacia, birch bark, ash maple, ash and apricot.

The expanses of the Steppe Crimea with chernozem and chestnut soils are almost completely plowed up, the steppe vegetation has been preserved only in small patches on the slopes of hills and near roads. In the northern and northeastern parts of the Sivash, dry feather-grass-fescue-wormwood and fescue-wormwood steppes dominate, in places turning into wormwood and saltwort semidesert. The most characteristic is the Crimean wormwood. The prevailing association of Crimean wormwood with ephemera from bulbous bluegrass in the Sivash region, according to botanist M.S.Shalyt, is secondary. This is evidenced by the reserved virgin areas of the steppe with a predominance of grasses (wheat grass, feather grass, fescue) and an admixture of wormwood. With increased grazing, cereals disappear.

On the Kerch and Tarkhankut peninsulas, hilly-steppe landscapes are presented.

Dry-steppe landscapes with fragments of semi-deserts are widespread in the Sivash part of Crimea. The presence of semidesert fragments in the Sivash region is obviously associated not with zonal climatic conditions, but with purely local natural features, with the influence of Sivash on salinization of groundwater and soil. For the low-lying areas of the Sivash coast, salineros are characteristic - an annual hodgepodge, the thickets of which are distinguished by red spots, and sarsazan, which grows in the form of green squat cushions.

The bad smell of Sivash is associated with hydrogen sulphide, which is formed during the rotting of the algae thrown on the shore - the filamentous plant. At present, the landscapes of the Steppe Crimea are agriculturally developed.

Steppe Crimea inhabited mainly by the same fauna as the steppes of the Russian Plain.

Mountain Crimea. In the mountains of the Crimea, landscape high-altitude zoning is clearly manifested. On the southern slope of Yaila, the lower altitude zone corresponds to the southern coast of Crimea. By climatic conditions it can be attributed to the region of the northeastern margin of the Mediterranean climate.

On the southern coast of Crimea, red-brown(transitional from mountain-forest brown to red soil) and brown soils.

Often, the soil is skeletal - its main mass is made up of small weathered shale gravel. There are vineyards on such "slate" soils. There are areas of relict red earth soils.

The flora of the southern coast of Crimea is distinguished by great species richness. On a small area of \u200b\u200bthe southern coast and the southern slope of Yaila, almost 1,500 plant species grow, out of 3,500 species known throughout the European part of Russia. The vegetation of the South Coast is close to the Mediterranean.

A xerophytic oak-juniper low-stemmed forest with undergrowth of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, with a rich and varied grass cover, rises to a height of about 300 m. The main forest-forming species are treelike juniper, fluffy oak, turpentine tree, or wild pistachio, in the second tier and undergrowth are evergreens: strawberry tree, cistus, butcher's tree, ivy from lianas, a lot of deciduous liana - clematis. In some places there is a pine close to Pitsunda.

Oak-juniper forests are interspersed with shrub thickets of the shibleak type, formed by shrubs of fluffy oak, hornbeam, hold-tree.

Vineyards, tobacco plantations, and garden and park vegetation have displaced natural vegetation on the South Bank over significant areas. Many Mediterranean, East Asian, American and other foreign plants have perfectly taken root here: cypress, laurel, cherry laurel, magnolia, fan palm, Lankaran acacia (incorrectly called "mimosa"), holly, boxwood, eucalyptus.

A particularly rich collection of plants from various countries of the world is represented by the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, located on the slope of the Nikitskaya Yayla between Yalta and Gurzuf.

To the east of Alushta, due to the increasing dryness of the climate, the nature of natural vegetation changes: evergreens disappear, the species composition of the forest becomes poorer, and gradually the forest is completely replaced by shrub thickets of the shiblyak type. On dry shale slopes, sparse thickets of dry-loving grasses and dwarf shrubs are widespread here, mostly hard, thorny or pubescent, reminiscent of the Eastern Mediterranean frigana in their appearance. Further to the east, the vegetation acquires a steppe character.

Faunathe southern, mountainous part of the Crimean peninsula, according to I.I.Puzanov, belongs to the Mediterranean subregion and is its northeastern outpost. At the same time, it bears the features of the island fauna, expressed in the presence of endemics and in the incompleteness of many groups of animals. An endemic Crimean gecko is known among the lizards on the southern coast. The fauna of invertebrates of the southern Mediterranean type is richly represented; cicadas, praying mantises, scolopendra, the Crimean scorpion, phalanx are widespread; from small dipterans, mosquitoes are characteristic of these places.

As you move from the South Coast up the slope of Yaila, the climate gradually becomes cooler, the amount of precipitation increases, the soils acquire the features of typical mountain-forest brown,oak-juniper forests of the lower belt are replaced by broad-leaved forests with a predominance of downy oak, on limestones of rock oak and forests of Crimean pine; both grow approximately within 300-900 m.

The upper part of the Yaila slope is occupied by a belt of beech forests. Crimean pine and mainly hooked pine, hornbeam, maple are mixed with beech. Usually, beech forests rise up to the very edge of the slope (more than 1000 m) and abruptly break off at the edge of the summit plateau, on which they meet only in isolated areas.

The vegetation of the Yaila summit surface belongs to the uppermost landscape belt - stony mountain meadows, meadow steppes and dwarf juniper on a karst limestone surface.

Soils on the treeless summit surface of Yaila mountain meadow chernozem,in the east passing into mountain chernozems.The nature of the soils refutes the widespread opinion about the secondary deforestation of the Yaylinsky plateaus. Obviously, the forests, parts of which have survived to this day, were formerly wider, but significant areas of the Yaila karst plateau should be considered treeless since ancient times.

On the treeless areas of the Yaylinsky plateaus, herbal vegetation includes fescue, thin-legged, bonfire, feather grass, widespread steppe sedge, creeping clover, bedstraw, cuff, Crimean "edelweiss" - an endemic species from the carnation family). There are alpine plants - fluffy breaks, grains, alpine violets. At the same time, in the driest areas, meadow-steppeassociations. In the highest areas, tree and shrub vegetation is absent, but below (at an altitude of up to 1200 m) trees and shrubs are found under the protection of rocks and in the depressions of karst sinkholes and wells, and sometimes they form small forests on the plateau itself. Such vegetation can be called forest-meadow-steppe.

The herbaceous vegetation of the eastern karst plateaus is steppe, stronger than the western ones. In open treeless spaces, dominate here steppe meadowsand meadow steppes,which at lower altitudes turn into mountain steppe.Some researchers consider the vegetation of the eastern plateau to be a mountain forest-steppe.

The northern slope of Yaila, like the southern one, is covered with forests with mountain-forest brown soils.In the upper part of the slope, the forests are dominated by beech, hornbeam, in places oak (on the slopes of the southern exposure), hooked pine. Below 700-600 m, they are replaced mainly by oak forests. Mountain-forest brown soils here gradually turn into brown.Even lower, on the spurs of Yaila and in the strip of cuestas, a low-growing fluffy oak begins to dominate. Further to the north and north-west, there is a transition to the southern forest-steppe, where thickets of undersized oaks, hornbeams, grizzly trees and other tree and shrub species alternate with areas of steppe vegetation.

Mountain forest fauna Crimea is richest on the northern slope of the Yaila, especially in the dense forests of the Crimean reserve (in the sources of the Kacha and Alma). The Crimean deer (endemic subspecies), roe deer, badger, marten, fox, water cooler, wood mouse, bats are characteristic; from birds - black-headed jay, woodpeckers, tits, blackbird, wild pigeons, black vultures, eagles, owls.

As can be seen from the description of the landscape features of the northern slope of the Crimean Mountains, Mediterranean landscapes are absent here. In the lower altitude zone, the southern forest-steppe is developed, and in the middle there are no Crimean pine forests characteristic of the southern slope. More similarity is observed, as is usually the case in the mountains, in the landscapes of the upper parts of the slopes. Nevertheless, in general, we can talk about a different structure of the altitudinal zoning of the landscapes of the northern and southern slopes of the Crimean Mountains. The existing differences are due to the climatic barrier role of Yaila.

LANDSCAPE TYPES (option 2)

Brown and partly brown forest soils are developed on the southern coast. Brown soils are common under dry sparse forests and shrubs and are formed on clay shales of the Taurida series and red-colored weathering products of limestones; brown forest soils are typical for less dry places.

The special landscapes of Crimea are the southern coastal ones - Mediterranean and cultivated (with vineyards and tobacco plantations, gardens, parks, resorts).

In this part of Crimea, Mediterranean features are most clearly manifested in the soil and vegetation cover. Altitudinal zoning is well developed on the slopes of the Crimean Mountains. There are numerous subtropical plants (up to 50% of the species composition), which makes it possible to classify the plant formations of the region as a sub-Mediterranean type, similar to the vegetation of the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The southern regions of Mountainous Crimea are characterized by exceptionally high biodiversity - in this small area there are almost 1,500 plant species, including endemic (Crimean edelweiss) and relict (Stankevich pine).

At the southern foot of the Crimean Yaila, low-stemmed oak-juniper forests grow with undergrowth of deciduous and evergreen shrubs - strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne), cistus (Cistus tauricus), butcher's broom (Ruscus ponticus), intertwined with ivy and clematis. To the east, the forests are replaced by shrub thickets of the Shiblyak type made of fluffy oak, hornbeam and grizzly tree (Paliurus spina christi), which in the driest areas are replaced by thickets of xerophytic grasses and dwarf shrubs. Massifs of relict pine trees have been preserved in the vicinity of Sudak and in the extreme west of the coast. The soil cover is represented by red-brown and brown soils of the subtropics; there are areas of relict red earth soils. On significant areas, the natural vegetation of the coast has been replaced by vineyards, tobacco plantations and fruit crops. Numerous resort areas have garden and park vegetation, which includes many introduced species: laurel, cypress, magnolia, fan palm, boxwood, holly, etc. A huge collection of plants from all over the world is collected in the unique Nikitsky Botanical Garden, located near Yalta on the slopes of Nikitskaya Yayla. Typical forest and shrub communities are protected in the Yalta and Cape Martyan nature reserves.

On the southern slopes, oak-juniper forests are replaced by broad-leaved (mainly oak) and pine from the Crimean pine on mountain-forest brown soils. Above 900 m, beech forests appear, which, in addition to beech, contain pines, hornbeam, and maple. The summit surfaces of the Yaila are occupied by stony mountain meadows, meadow steppes and thickets of juniper elfin, mainly on mountain meadow chernozem soils. The northern slopes of Yaila and the adjacent cuesta ridges are covered mainly with oak forests. In the middle of the slopes, rock oak predominates in their composition, below the dominance passes to a more xerophilic fluffy oak. Shyblyak thickets are widespread in the foothills.

The vegetation of the South Coast is distinguished by its xerophytic character, richness of Mediterranean forms and many alien cultural forms. The most common are forest formations, shrubs, and thickets of dry-loving grasses and dwarf shrubs. The forests are undersized and are formed by a fluffy oak, tree juniper, wild pistachio, Crimean pine, hornbeam, and wild strawberry. Shrub thickets, which are an analogue of the Eastern Mediterranean shiblyak, consist of shrubby forms of fluffy oak, hornbeam, grip-tree, scumpia, sumach, shaggy pear, dogwood, orchid, cistus, etc. Open, dry and stony areas are covered with semi-woody grasses Crimean analogue of the East Mediterranean freegans. The parks are home to cypresses, cedars, spruces, pines, sequoias, firs, laurels, magnolias, palms, cork oaks, plane trees, and Lankaran acacias. Vineyards, orchards and tobacco plantations are also characteristic of the landscape of the South Coast.

Orographic and climatic differences in individual parts of the Main Ridge determine the diversity of their soil and vegetation cover. The western part of the ridge is characterized by brown mountain forest soils, mountain brown soils of dry forests and shrubs, and alluvial meadow soils of river valleys and ravines. Due to the low-mountainous relief and its large fragmentation, the vertical zoning of the soil-vegetation cover is poorly expressed here. Forests of fluffy oak, treelike juniper, wild pistachio (kevo tree) with undergrowth of hornbeam, dogwood, hold-tree and thorn prevail. Stunted juniper forests grow on rocky soils and rocky areas. Higher on the slopes, there are more tall mixed deciduous forests of beech, oak, hornbeam, and ash. Lots of wild grapes and ivy. The valleys and hollows are characterized by herbaceous meadow-steppe vegetation. To a greater extent, the hollows have been developed for fields, vineyards, orchards, and tobacco plantations.

The slopes of the middle part of the Main Ridge are occupied by brown mountain forest soils and their podzolized varieties. The vertical vegetation zoning is quite well expressed here.

The lower part of the northern slope of the Main Ridge is occupied by a low-stemmed oak forest, which is heavily sparse. The forest is formed mainly by fluffy and rocky oak and partly by pedunculate oak. In the underbrush, dogwood and hornbeam. Occasionally there are small areas of pine, oak-pine and juniper forests. The open areas of the slope are occupied by forest and steppe herbaceous vegetation partially penetrated here (sealer, kupena, bluegrass, fragrant woodruff, feather grass, fescue, wheat grass, etc.). Higher up the slope (up to 600 m), a tall oak forest with an admixture of ash, field maple, aspen, and large-fruited mountain ash grows. In the undergrowth, hornbeam, dogwood, hazel, buckthorn, hawthorn, scumpia. Even higher (from 600 to 1000 m) a tall-trunked beech forest with an admixture of hornbeam dominates, there are rare areas of Crimean pine, and on the slopes of the southern exposure, there are tree-like juniper groves and single yews. At altitudes over 1000 m, already a dwarf beech forest grows with rare areas of Scots pine.

On the southern slope of the Main Ridge, above the dry forests and shrubs of the Southern Birch, at an altitude of 400 to 800-1000 m, there is a Crimean pine forest. Fluffy oak and tree and shrub juniper are found as an admixture. To the east of Gurzuf, the distribution of the Crimean pine is already of an insular nature, and to the east of Alushta, only individual specimens of this tree are found. Pine forests give way here to forests of fluffy oak, hornbeam, tree juniper, wild pistachio and dogwood. Above 1000 m there is a forest of beech, Scots pine and partly Crimean pine, oak, maple, linden, hornbeam.

Yayly, as a rule, are treeless and covered with grassy meadow-steppe vegetation on mountain chernozems and mountain-meadow chernozem-like soils. The eastern part of the Main Ridge is characterized by low-stemmed open woodlands of oak, beech, ash, hornbeam and shrub thickets of dogwood, hawthorn, hold-tree, scumpia on brown mountain forest soils and steppe varieties of mountain brown soils.

The foothills are occupied by a forest-steppe with a mosaic alternation of treeless (steppe) and forest areas. Soils are calcareous chernozems, crushed soddy-calcareous and brown soils. Treeless areas are characterized by herbaceous grasses and herbs: feather grass, fescue, wheatgrass, wheatgrass, saffron, adonis or spring adonis, sage, peon, yarrow, immortelle, etc. They are mostly plowed and developed for fields, vineyards, tobacco plantations and - oil-bearing plants. Orchards and vineyards are widespread in the river valleys. Forest areas consist of low-growing trees, forest bushes (downy oak, rocky and pedunculated oak, field maple, ash, elm, hazel and dogwood). Shrubs include scumpia, hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose, buckthorn, etc.

- December, 21st 2005

It is the landscapes - steppes, forests, mountains, meadows and “mountain meadow steppe” - that make Crimea an excellent place for those who like to explore and learn the unknown. You can wander through the woods with your camera, dive somewhere on Tarkhankut or Balaklava, practice paragliding or study the history of the estates of the Russian nobility on the South Bank. For those who are interested in plants, for whom names such as "satirioid steveniella" or "Bieberstein's jaskolka" sound like music, Crimea is what you need. Flora of Crimea is very diverse, everyone knows that.

You don't need to be a professional botanist to admire the blooming magnolia or pine that miraculously keeps on a rock. There are 1,450 species of algae in the Black Sea. More than 2,700 plant species grow on the peninsula. This is more than half of the flora of Ukraine and almost twice as much as in Poland. The Crimean flora is inferior in diversity to the Italian and Greek ones. We will catch up and overtake Sicily and Pelloponnes!

90% of plants are found in the mountainous Crimea. Interesting feature Crimean landscapes in the fact that ordinary Central European plants are here side by side with typical Mediterranean and natives of Western Asia. The peninsula is a special territory, where some relics have survived - plants of the preglacial period (strawberry small-fruited, high, the rarest orchid Comperia Compera). But the beauties observed by vacationers on the South Bank - palm trees, laurels and cypresses - were brought to Crimea much later. For researchers, the “native” Crimean plants and rarities, which are enough in the Crimea, are more interesting: 142 plant species are not found anywhere except on the Crimean Peninsula. They are endemic to the Crimea.

The most interesting things are usually found in the mountains. Of course, the steppe plants are also diverse, but amazing things can be seen in the mountain forests. It is good to travel in spring, summer and autumn. True, by July, many plants have already finished blooming and are fading, but others are blooming. There is always something to see.

For example, Pontic butcher. What can the butcher's be compared to? Probably with the famous Christmas holly (as they paint on postcards). Tough dark green leaves and red berries, even in winter. It's good that they don't try to put the butcher in vases or decorate the door frames with it for Christmas. This exotic Mediterranean species exists on a narrow strip of the South Coast, its range is very small. The fact that the butcher's tree looks like leaves is not at all leaves, but special flat twigs. Real leaves are located in the center of these plates and are almost invisible.

Butcher's broom is because it is prickly. Sometimes the “cushions” of butcher's broom somewhere under the trees resemble a special kind of wire, onto which someone has specially strung orange and red balls. It looks very unusual and beautiful. See for yourself!

The darkest, mysterious forests -. These are not even forests, but halls with colonnades of gray trunks, and only somewhere up there, if you lift your head, you can see how green light breaks through the leaves. You need to be a very shade-loving plant to grow under the canopy of a beech forest. Even if there is water (some mountain river or stream), there is still not enough light: beech leaves create an almost impenetrable "roof". The land in the beech forest is completely covered with fallen leaves, from which, like fountains, lush ferns make their way. After school stories about the Carboniferous period, ferns, horsetails and moss evoke a persistent association: a prehistoric forest. Strangely curved feathery twigs, along which a special, prehistoric life flows ... And now, with a growing roar, maneuvering between the trunks, you are overtaken by a giant meganerve dragonfly, and there is no escape from it. What? Somewhere in the beech more often you come across such places that take your breath away. It seems that there is no man, and there has never been in the world, the water is so crystal clear, which gushes right out of the ground, among the boulders and green, unnaturally bright green moss saturated with moisture. These are hidden folds of nature, and only when you see them do you understand exactly how the forest lives when no one bothers it.

Anyone who has been to the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens probably remembered the ancient knotty tree that bent like a giant snake over the very path along which the tourists are led. This tree seemed to come out of the "Divine Comedy", from the gloomy depths, where on the bank of the stream there was a forest of people turned into trees. Strawberry - this is the name of this plant, instead of bark, as if dressed in suede. Looking at it, you can study the anatomy: its flesh-colored branches are strangely similar to a system of blood vessels or veins, and they are soft to the touch like skin. An interesting impression is produced by some kind of inscription cut deeply in this warm pinkish bark. It must be a special pleasure of a sadist that is not accessible to everyone - to carve his name in such a living surface, which both in color and appearance resembles human flesh. Small-fruited strawberry, or coral tree, is the only evergreen deciduous tree in the Crimean flora. Even when snow falls on the South Bank, the leathery leaves of the strawberry can withstand this inconvenience. You may not even notice a young strawberry tree, but in Crimea there are giant strawberries that are more than one hundred years old.

In addition to wild plants, in various places of the Crimea, you can see wild apple or pear trees among low sunny thickets. They say that in ancient times, even before the annexation of the Crimea to Russia, the Tatars used special irrigation systems known to them alone. People who lived in Crimea appreciated water very much, they literally extracted it drop by drop and carried it through clay pipes to their gardens. In the cities there were many fountains (of course, not the same as at VDNKh, but still fountains!) Water was pumped from the ground, and in the cave cities rain was collected and sent through special troughs. But turbulent historical events forced to forget about ingenious irrigation systems, and many orchards went wild.

And some inconspicuous plant can be very interesting! ... There is such a landscape (especially on the coast, where there is nothing but thousand-year-old stones, cicadas and antique columns against the background of a piercing blue sky) that it is not clear what century you were in and whether you were in Crimea at all. Or is it Hellas already? Low stone labyrinths are the remains of a city excavated by archaeologists. These yellow ruins on the seashore themselves give rise to a strange feeling, as if they are lying on the edge of the world and there is nothing beyond the waves. And then, in the dilapidated stone halls, I began to come across some bouquets with berries that grew right from the walls. Sometimes they resembled a very beautiful forester's beard, in which raspberries grew, but they always made their way on bare stones. Nothing else grew on the walls; it was necessary to find out what kind of grass it was. It's good that the guide knew. “It's ephedra,” he said. Later it turned out that ephedra is so unlike any other plant that the only one in our flora forms a separate Ephedra family. Ephedra has no leaves, only twigs, which resemble a beard. Chersonesus and Ephedra - look amazing together!

Unfortunately, I have never seen orchids in Crimea. And they are, all reference books and the Red Book of Ukraine speak about it. 47 species of orchids, about 20 are found in Laspi Bay. Of course, these are not orchids of the tropics and not those that are sold in flower shops. Crimean orchids are like precious stones: small, but they have no price. The rarest of them is the Comperia. Once a botanist, the Frenchman Comper, who had an estate in Laspi, discovered this species. Comperia flowers are pinkish brown, and each flower seems to be thinning, ending in fine filaments. This flower is not found anywhere else, except for the Crimea and some regions of Asia Minor. Other Crimean orchids have interesting names: orchis, lyubka, dremlik; orris, whose flowers look like bumblebees. If you are lucky enough to see small but very beautiful Crimean orchids, can you share photos?

The most valuable thing in Crimea is the variety of landscapes. Some plants can be seen somewhere in the steppe, near Sivash, and completely different ones - on Demerdzhi. And if you climb Ai-Petri, Chatyrdag, in general, some mountain - there is a world there, with its own air, colors and way of life. The flat, treeless peaks of the Crimean mountains are called yayls (from the Turkic "dzheilyau" - mountain pasture). They have long loved to graze livestock and graze them so much that the cattle trampled (or ate) many valuable plant species. Now the yayly are protected areas, but nevertheless cattle penetrate there from time to time, justifying the Turkic name. The Crimean mountains do not rise into the sky with peaks, we are not the Himalayas. Their surface is flat. You will climb such a mountain, get lost in the fields and completely forget that you are at the top of the mountain, 1000 meters above sea level.

Limestone underfoot; it absorbs water very well, and the water erodes and "cuts" the surface of the yayla: karst funnels and whole "karr fields" are formed: a lunar landscape. There, in the depths of the mountains, there are water-washed halls and corridors, the thinnest passages through which no one and nothing can penetrate except for water drops. Yayla, like a huge pumice stone, eternally absorbs and redistributes water, passes moisture through itself and gives birth to springs and rivers down there. And here, on the surface, a unique landscape appears - the so-called. mountain meadow steppe. It's hard to describe. If you climb Chatyrdag, you yourself will understand everything. At first it seems that it is still a steppe. Then it seems that these are meadows, smooth, as if trimmed. But why, then, suddenly, in the middle of a flat green surface, do you come across some depressions, small ravines, where strange trees grow, flat like tents or flying saucers? Sometimes it looks like an endless park high above the world, which is subtly thought out and belongs to a great but invisible master. This is not even a meadow, it is a myriad of grasses and flowers, on top of which are completely flat thorny clumps of juniper. They are so reminiscent of skillfully grown ikebana that it is impossible to believe that they grow here on their own.

The air smells of hundreds of fragrant herbs, and this mixture is just as impossible to describe as the overall impression of the yayla. It breaks off, and at the very feet, in the blue bowl of the sun, air and sea, sometimes a small dot is visible - a soaring black vulture. This quaint park is full of names, signs and paths. Dark green indicates where the mine might be: more moisture collects in the ravine, and trees can grow. The paths, like a net, cover the entire yayla: tourists tirelessly run along it in search of adventure. But Chatyrdag is so big that it accepts everyone. There is a wild pear on which the pears are very small and sweet. But there can be no sources here, so it is better to take water with you. In the spring on Chatyrdag you can see the Crimean lumbago (dream-grass). These lilac fluffy flowers grow close to the ground. They often appear in guidebooks, but not all have seen them, as well as the fine-leaved peony. Small Mediterranean shrubs give a special flavor to the yayla. Due to the fact that the yaila plants are mostly undersized (the tall ones will not withstand the mountain wind and will not receive enough water), the whole yaila springs when you walk on it. The most complex interlacing of twigs, roots and leaves. Solid fragrant carpet.

Another landscape is on the Demerdzhi plateau. On the plateau there are amazing places where, among the reddish grass, thin birches bent by mountain winds stand in separate clumps. Their branches all point in the same direction. How they got here is unknown. A very unusual landscape. On a gray rainy day, it seems that these deserted places are on another planet.

It is interesting that the Crimean landscapes can be seen not only in Crimea. Due to the fact that there are many Mediterranean plants and even more ornamental, "imported" plants, the Crimean corners are found in Greece, Italy, on the French Riviera, even in England. Yes, yes, sometimes the Alps are somewhat similar to Ai-Petri (this was noticed by one Swiss who, back in Soviet times, rested at the Polyana Skazok camping site). If you are in Switzerland, check it out. And you are welcome to Crimea at any time. Any time, as they say.

Landscape complexes are territories of various sizes, similar in their natural conditions, formed as a result of the impact of zonal and azonal factors on the earth's surface (12, p. 18).

There are few areas on the globe where so many different types of landscapes would be concentrated in such a small area. This is explained by the position of Crimea on the border of geographical zones, at the contact of various flora and fauna, the influence of the seas washing it, and a complex history of development.

Landscapes are classified according to different criteria:

1.By the nature of the contact of geospheres (earth's shells);

2.According to climatic differences;

3.By the nature of the relief;

4. By the nature of the vegetation.

The territory of Crimea is located in the southern part of the belt of temperate latitudes, therefore, its landscapes are subboreal, in the extreme south, elements of subtropical landscapes are observed. Boreal (from Latin - northern) landscapes are formed in an area with a boreal (temperate) climate characterized by well-defined seasons - snowy winters and relatively short summers.

Classification of landscapes

(compiled from the textbook L.A. Bagrov, V.A.Bokov, N.V. Bagrov. Geography of Crimea, p.107)

Departments (the nature contact geospheres)

Terrestrial Amphibian Aquatic

Systems (for climatic differences)

Subboreal

Subtropical

Classes (the nature relief)

plain

foothill

mountain

plain

foothill

mountain

(the nature vegetation)

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

forest

forest-steppe

steppe

Consequently, the main landscapes are distinguished in Crimea:

Semi-desert steppes and salt marshes;

Real steppes;

Foothill forest-steppe;

Northern macroslope forests;

Mountain meadows and yayl steppes;

Forests of the southern macroslope;

The sparse forest of the south coast.

Features of the main Crimean landscapes (compiled from literary sources No. 5, No. 6)

4.1. Steppe landscapes.

Plain-steppe landscapes occupy most of the plain Crimea, these are real steppes. Most of the natural vegetation has been destroyed and replaced by agricultural fields, orchards, vineyards (70-80%). Steppe vegetation (depleted) is preserved mainly on Tarkhankut, the Kerch Peninsula and in the Sivash region (semi-desert steppes). These areas are characterized by hot dry summer and relatively warm winter. The amount of precipitation ranges from 450-550mm. in year. The soils are southern chernozems, in the Sivash region - desert and chestnut. The overwhelming part of the territory of the flat Crimea has been turned into agrolandscapes - alternating agricultural fields (40-50%), pastures (20-30%), orchards and vineyards (10-12%), settlements (4-5%), transport routes. Carried out in the early 70s. XX century The North Crimean Canal made it possible to create 400 thousand. ha of irrigated land. Grain crops prevail among agricultural crops.

4.2. Seaside landscapes.

4.2.1 .. Plain-coastal steppe landscapes

These include a narrow strip (5-10 km) at the junction of the sea and plain steppe landscapes. These landscapes are characterized by relatively rugged relief. There are breezes here. The soils are thin and not very suitable for economic use, but this also contributed to the preservation of many species of plants and animals here. The recreational load on the territory is very high here.

4.2.2. Changing dry steppe landscapes.

They occupy a strip along the Sivash and Karkinitsky Bay, small areas near the Sasyk and Donuzlav lakes, as well as on the Kerch Peninsula. They are characterized by exceptional lowland, close occurrence of mineralized groundwater (they often come to the surface, forming a salt crust on it). Under such conditions, only saline plants, as well as wormwood-fescue steppes and halophytic meadows, can grow on salt marshes.

4.3. Foothill landscapes.

Foothill forest-steppe landscapes are located to the north of the mountains at an altitude of 250-300 m. To 500-600 m. At the transition of the Main Ridge to the flat part of the peninsula. Their main feature is the alternation of areas of forests, shrubs and steppe communities. Each of these types of vegetation occupies the most favorable habitat for it: forests are located on the slopes of northern exposures and low river valleys, steppes - on drier southern slopes and on surfaces with thin soils. Good water availability, favorable transport - geographical position caused the development of large cities in the foothills of the network of roads and railways. Agriculture has a diversified specialization: around cities - suburban farming; in the river valleys - gardens; on the slopes of the mountains - vineyards, essential oil crops. The modern appearance of the foothills is characterized by alternation of natural and anthropogenically transformed landscapes.

4.4. Forest landscapes.

Mountain (mid-mountain) forest landscapes are located at an altitude of 350-600m and higher (up to 1545m). They are represented by beech, oak, pine forests and occupy most of the Crimean mountains. The most humid areas are covered with beech forests. In drier conditions - usually at an altitude of 400-700m - oak forests grow. These areas have long been mastered by people, so the forests were cut down and now almost all oak forests are coppice, characterized by low growth, often dry tops and sparseness. The main reserves are located within these landscapes. These landscapes constitute the main ecological resource of Crimea. The most beneficial use of these landscapes is their conservation with moderate use for recreation.

4.5. Landscapes of Crimean Yailas.

Mountain meadow-forest-steppe landscapes - landscapes of flat-topped surfaces of the Crimean mountains - yayl - are characterized by high atmospheric humidity (600-1500 mm per year) with evaporation - 600-700 mm per year. Cold winters (-5-70C) and warm summers (+ 16 + 170C) are observed here. This combination of meteorological elements usually corresponds to coniferous and beech forests. However, mountain steppes, forest-steppes and meadows dominate on the yayls.

The azonal nature of the yaila landscapes is associated not with the climatic zonal conditions, but with the rocks composing them. The precipitation falls through the cracks - due to the karst nature of the yayls, their infiltration (seepage) occurs in the limestone mass. On the mountain tops, the amount of moisture available to plants decreases, and drier habitats are formed, suitable for steppes and forest-steppes. Isolation contributes to the development of endemism. A significant part of the river runoff is formed on the yayls. Their great water conservation value requires the prohibition of intensive economic activities here - grazing livestock, intensive recreation, military exercises, etc.

4.6. Karst landscapes.

Karst landscapes are located on the Main ridge of the Crimean Mountains. The most typical karst landscapes are on the easternmost yayla - Karabi-yayla. Here, on an area of \u200b\u200b113 km 2, there are more than 1.5 thousand karst sinkholes, 254 karst cavities. But the most famous are the landscapes of Chatyrdag (Marble Cave, Emine-Bair-Khosar Cave) and Dolgorukovsky Massif (Red Cave).

4.7. South coast landscapes.

Mountain-coastal sub-Mediterranean landscapes are confined to the southern coast - from the sea to an altitude of 350-400 m. They are characterized by warm, humid winters (the climate resembles the Mediterranean), dissected relief, general slope of the surface to the south, strong influence of the sea (breezes, warm winters), low moisture content, thin soils, and an abundance of local climates. Natural vegetation (it is preserved on 20-30% of the territory) - moss-oak forests, shibliaks, thick-leaved pistachio groves, small areas with Mediterranean species: small strawberry, Pontic butcher's broom, etc. The vegetation of the South Coast includes several hundreds of plants imported into Crimea, among which cypress, trachycarpus palm, magnolia. The South Coast has all the conditions for the development of recreation, viticulture and winemaking. Over the past two centuries, many palaces, resort complexes have been built here, parks have been created. Resort towns and villages (Alushta, Gurzuf, Yalta, Alupka, Simeiz, etc.) form an almost continuous strip along the coast. A special landscape has formed here, which combines small cozy towns, parks, sanatorium buildings, vineyards, surrounded by sparse oak, pistachio and juniper forests, which are replaced by pine and oak forests higher.

The modern landscapes of the peninsula are largely the result of human activity. On the South Coast it is difficult to imagine the appearance of the coast without parks, palaces, resort complexes and resort towns. The overwhelming part of the territory of the flat Crimea has been turned into agricultural landscapes. Residential landscapes have been formed in cities, towns and villages. These landscapes do not form a background, but are interspersed with the background landscapes listed above. In Crimea, they occupy 2-3% of the territory. A significant part of urban areas is occupied by asphalt concrete pavements and stone buildings. There is almost no natural vegetation in cities; it has been replaced by park vegetation. Almost no natural soil cover remained in the cities; here a special local climate is formed with a large amount of fog and atmospheric precipitation, less solar radiation, higher temperature, lower wind speed. Urban landscapes are characterized by high traffic pollution (especially cars), littering the territory (garbage dumps), landscape pollution (primitive architecture).

The interrelation of components in the landscape (rocks, relief, climate, soil, water, vegetation, fauna) makes it necessary to handle any of them very carefully. You should remember the principle formed by B. Commoner: "Everything is connected with everything." Even the processes that we call unfavorable: water and wind erosion, abrasion, talus, floods, etc., in certain sizes, are necessary for the functioning of the landscape, maintaining its dynamic balance. The termination of all processes means the death of landscapes.

Topic №5 Nature reserves

The problem of environmental protection has acquired particular relevance in the second half of the XX century in connection with the catastrophic consequences of the development of production and growth of population on the planet. Scientists of the world reasonably argue that two-thirds of existing plant species and a huge number of animal species are threatened with extinction, which may occur in the next 100 years. In order to preserve landscapes, genetic funds of plants and animals of various geographical zones, populations of rare and endangered representatives of flora and fauna, reserves, zakazniks and other specially protected areas are created, completely or partially withdrawn from direct economic use. This fully applies to the nature of the Crimea, which is distinguished by especially valuable qualities and very high vulnerability. The first state-protected territory in Crimea appeared in 1923, when it was decided to create the Crimean State Reserve. Now in the Crimea there are over 150 territories and objects of the natural reserve fund with a total area of \u200b\u200b1415.3 sq. km., including 47 territories of national importance and 105 objects of local importance. In general, the share of the reserve fund in Crimea accounts for 5.4% of the peninsula's territory. This is 2.5 times higher than the same average indicator for Ukraine, but 2 times lower than the UN recommended optimal level of reserve saturation for regions of the world.

There are several categories of protected areas:
1. reserve- specially protected area, where all types of economic activities are excluded;
2. national park - a vast territory with preserved natural landscapes, where some activities are allowed within limited limits;
3. preserve- an area where certain types of economic activities are prohibited (hunting, construction, etc.).
4.reserved tract - a small section of a protected area with a remarkable object (waterfall, pistachio grove, habitat of rare fauna, etc.).
Reserves of Crimea

The basis of the protected fund of the Crimea is 6 state natural reserves (5, pp. 135-137) .:

Crimean with a branch of the Swan Islands, Yalta, Cape Martyan, Karadagsky, Kazantipsky, Opuksky.

Reserves of Crimea

Name	Year established	Total area, ha	Including			Number of plant species, pcs.		Number of species of fauna, pcs.
			Forest area, ha	Meadows, ha	The area occupied by reservoirs ha	Total	Including rare	Beasts	Birds	Fish
1.Crimean	1923	44 175	28 373	2 451	9 629	1 165	58	37	250	7
2.Yalta	1973	14 523	10 976	---	1	1 363	138	33	91	8
3. Cape Martyan	1979	240	120	---	120	50	27	28	146	66
4.Karadag	1949	2 874	1 232	---	1	1 103	37	42	204	48
5. Kazantip	1998	450,1	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	---
6.Opuksky	1998	1592,3	---	801,7	534,4	325	45	5	53	15

Compiled from the book Beydik O.O., Padun M.M. "Geography. Reference book
for those entering higher educational institutions. "- Kiev: Lybid, 1996.

5.1. Crimean nature reserve

Located in the center of the mountainous Crimea, it is considered the oldest on the peninsula. The beginning of the reserve was laid in 1917, when 3000 hectares of the forest of the former royal hunting were declared National Reserve... In 1923, a decree was issued "On the establishment of the Crimean State Reserve and Forest Biological Station". Forests covering an area of \u200b\u200b16350 ha were transferred to the reserve. Now the area of \u200b\u200bthe reserve has been expanded to 44175 hectares (with a branch of the Swan Islands).

On the territory of the reserve, in the middle, there is the Central Basin, which is sandwiched between the Babugan, Bolshaya Chuchel, and Chernaya mountains. The territory of the reserve comes close to the Chatyrdag plateau, the peak of which Eklizi-Burun (1525m) dominates the entire eastern part of the reserve. To the west of the Chuchel pass, dense beech forests are spread. They climb the slopes of the highest peak of the Crimea - Roman-Kosh (1545m). Here are the second and third highest peaks of Crimea - Demir-Kapu (1540m) and Kemal-Egerek (1529m).

The reserve is home to 1165 species of higher plants (and 84 on Swan Islands), 39 species of mammals, 120 species of birds live (on the Swan Islands - 20 and 230, respectively). Of particular value are relict beech, hornbeam, oak and pine forests (6, p. 172).

The forests of the reserve are represented by a wide variety of tree and shrub species. The most widespread here are English oak, rock oak, downy oak, beech, Crimean pine, hooked pine, hornbeam, ordinary ash, Steven's maple, field maple, Crimean linden, Caucasian linden, black alder, juniper, and also shrubs: hornbeam, dogwood , hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, euonymus, etc.

All trees are characterized by a belt distribution depending on the height above sea level. So, the pedunculate oak grows in the valleys of the rivers Alma, Kacha and rises to a height of 450m above sea level. On the northern slopes, rock oak prevails at an altitude of 450-700m. The oak forests are 150-250 years old. The height of the trunks of individual trees is 28-30m, the diameter is 30-40cm.

The belt of beech forests starts at an altitude of 450-500m and reaches 1300-1400m above sea level. In the zone of beech forests, in the Uzen-Bash gorge, where the transparent waters of the Golovkinsky waterfall constantly rush down, a section of a birch forest has been preserved as a witness to the harsh nature of the distant past. Birch naturally does not grow anywhere else in Crimea. One of the most valuable representatives of relict vegetation, the berry yew, has also been preserved here.

The protected forest is valuable for its water protection role. There are about three hundred springs that have arisen in rocky faults. The most important rivers of Crimea - Alma, Kacha, Ulu-Uzen - originate from them.

The fauna of forests is an integral part of the protected natural complex. Deer and roe deer are the original inhabitants of the mountainous Crimea. Deer were hunted 5,000 years ago and were almost exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, there are over 1000 heads of deer in the reserve. They are swift, easily overcome forest debris, dense jungle, rock deposits and steep slopes. During the day they can be seen in the clearings and in the forest. In the evening, deer usually go to alpine pastures... In the reserve, work is underway to study the physiology of the deer, its influence on the habitat.

The roe deer is the smallest representative of the wild ungulates in the reserve. The animal is surprisingly graceful, slender and graceful. Roe deer live everywhere in the forests of the Crimea, but their number is small. The reserve is home to about 300 animals.

Mouflon is an animal acclimatized in Crimea. The European mouflon is a wild relative of the domestic sheep. His homeland is the island of Corsica. It was brought to the Crimea in 1913 and released in the amount of 13 individuals on the slope of Mount Bolshaya Chuchel. Currently, mouflons are found on the peaks and slopes of the Black and Bolshaya Chuchel mountains, on the slopes of Babugan-Yaila. Herbaceous and shrub vegetation serves as food for them.

In addition to them, the reserve is also home to: wild boar, fox, stone marten, badger, squirrel, etc.

5.2. Yalta mountain-forest reserve

Located to the east of Cape Sarych, up to Mount Ayudag, it covers mainly wooded slopes of the western South Coast and partly forest-meadow-steppe landscapes of the western yayls of Mountain Crimea. It was created in 1973 with the aim of preserving the forests of the southern slope of the Main Ridge and the Yaylinsky natural complexes. In terms of area, the reserve is relatively small - 14,523 hectares, which is 0.5% of the territory of the peninsula (6, p. 172) But the flora of this reserve includes 1363 species of higher plants, (more than 55%), which is more than 55 of all species inhabiting Crimea ... Plants from the Caucasus, the Balkan Peninsula, and Asia Minor are widely represented here; more than half of the flora of the Yalta reserve (55%) is of Mediterranean origin (18, p54). There are wide-stemmed, mainly pine forests (they make up 56% of all forests in the reserve), as well as beech and oak, in places with evergreen sub-Mediterranean undergrowth. The populations of the only aboriginal evergreen tree of Crimea - small-fruited strawberry - are of exceptional value. It is also home to 37 species of mammals, 113 species of birds.

Within the reserve there are many independent natural monuments of great scientific and educational interest. This is a shelter of small-fruited strawberry on the slopes of the Baidaro-Kastropol wall (at an altitude of 500-700 meters above sea level); Iphiginea rock, Pilyaki mountain; Kuchuk-Koisky landslide and stone stream in the area with. Landslide, Mount Nishan-Kaya; Mount Koshka, Cape Ai-Todor and others (18 p54-59).

5.3. Cape Martyan nature reserve

The state reserve is located in the center of the southern coast of Crimea, on the southern slope of the Main ridge of the Crimean Mountains. As an independent State Reserve, Cape Martyan was organized on February 20, 1973. Its total area is 240 hectares, of which 120 hectares are in the Black Sea water area, 120 hectares are occupied by the Martyan tract, and partly by the Ai-Danil tract. Geomorphologically, Cape Martyan is a continuation of the Nikitsky spur of the Main ridge of the Crimean Mountains.

The main purpose of the reserve is to preserve the southern coastal landscape of the sub-Mediterranean type - a relict pine-juniper-strawberry forest with more than 600 species of plants, and in this small relict forest one fourth of the entire flora of mountain Crimea grows. Among them are 14 endemic species, which are not found in natural conditions anywhere, except for the Crimea. Three species are included in the international Red Book as in need of protection; This is a high juniper, small-fruited strawberry, goat's petals.

Juniper almost everywhere is accompanied by a downy oak and an evergreen tree, small-fruited strawberry. Under the light canopy of these trees, shrubs develop: Crimean cistus, shrub jasmine, Pontic butcher, emerian elm.

As the root type of vegetation of the coastal belt of the southern macroslope of the Crimean Mountains, juniper forests successfully perform a drain-regulating and anti-erosion role, and it also plays the role of a kind of filter in the resort area: one hectare of juniper forest can purify the air of a large city. The essential oils contained in the needles and cones of juniper are used in medicine and light industry. Despite the insignificant territory, the reserve contains the typical Crimean fauna, which is poor in species that are widespread in the neighboring mountain-forest regions and in the continental part of the mainland.

Among the Mediterranean species, scorpions, large venomous centipedes, scolopendras, large cicadas, polyxena butterflies and numerous lizards are also found here. There are spiders and ticks in the reserve. Rare reptiles are of considerable value. In Crimea, 2 ethnic species are distinguished: the Crimean rock lizard and the Crimean bare-toed gecko. A Leopard Snake was also found in the reserve.

There are endemic species here: Crimean jay, Crimean grosbeak, Crimean spruce crossbill, Crimean mountain bunting, Crimean long-tailed tit. Few birds nest. Among them is a black-headed gull from the family of gulls.

There are no large mammals in the reserve, however, very valuable species live: the Crimean stone marten, the Crimean mountain fox, the Crimean forest mouse. In the reserve there are hedgehogs, squirrels, hares, the Crimean shrew, etc.

Cape Martyan is not only a unique corner of the Mediterranean landscape, a monument of the ancient nature of Crimea, but also a kind of open-air laboratory where you can study the complex processes of land and sea.

5.4. Karadag nature reserve

The Kradag nature reserve is located in the east of the Crimean sub-Mediterranean region. Since 1947 - a natural monument, since 1979 - a nature reserve. Created to protect the ancient volcanic landscape and the rarest botanical and zoological objects. This is the only Jurassic volcano in the entire European part of the CIS that has retained the external features of its origin. Lava poured out here at the bottom of the sea. For millennia, volcanic rocks have been subject to displacement, faults, which is reflected in the modern relief. Karadag is essentially a mountain group, which includes several ridges and independent peaks.

At Karadag, 100 mineral species and varieties have been found, there are semi-precious stones: carnelian, opal, agate, rock crystal, amethyst.

All the attributes of a volcano can be observed on this mountain: lava flows and breccias, dikes, mineral veins, volcanic bombs and even a channel that once served as a conduit for lava to the surface.

From the side of the sea, Karadag is cut off by a discharge, its slopes go almost vertically into the sea abyss. One of the vents of the volcano, cluttered with pieces of solidified lava, is clearly visible - the Devil's fireplace.

Opposite the Khoba-Tepe ridge, 85 m from the coast, a basalt arch, crowned with a spire, rises directly from the depths of the sea; this is the famous Golden Gate of Karadag.

The writer S. Elpatievsky noted that "Karadag is the end, the last word of that wonderful mountain tale that stretches from Sevastopol ... And, as it happens, it is at the end that the tale flares up with the most bizarre images, the most unbridled fantasy." (18 s73)

The vegetation of Karadag is peculiar. Light woodland and bushes prevail here. Of the tree species, fluffy oak, rock oak, hornbeam, high juniper are widespread; from shrubs - cornelian cherry, sumac, bladderwort, girdlerevo, etc. Karadag has an extraordinary combination of forest, forest-steppe and Mediterranean flora. About 60 endemics are found here.

The diverse flora of the reserve greatly changes its appearance throughout the year. Already at the end of January, Biberstein's crocus and Suznansky saffron are in bloom. Then the folded snowdrop blooms, in March - double-leaved woodlands and goose bows - Calle, as well as tulips. In April, the common primrose blooms, in May, peonies bloom in the forests and Crimean asphodeline. In June, the reserve resembles a multi-colored lilac-yellow-blue carpet, which is formed by species of thyme, sunflowers, buttercups, flax, etc.

Varied animal world reserve. There are 30 species of mammals (steppe ferret, fox, squirrel, bats, etc.), 80 species of birds (including peregrine falcon, crested cormorant), 15 species of reptiles (leopard snake, yellow snake, rock lizard), many rare insects (praying mantis, Crimean ground beetle). (18 s74)

In the dense oak forests of the Holy Mountain, you can find roe deer, wild blue, tiny shrews, bats. The richness of forest fauna is especially emphasized by the abundance of bird species. This is a burial eagle, a snake-eagle, a griffon vulture, a blackbird, etc. The Karadag reserve is a unique complex museum of land and sea. The protection and restoration of the natural resources of Karadag is the most important task of the reserve.

5.5. Kazantip nature reserve

Located in the north of the Kerch hillside, on the shores of the Azov Sea. Created in 1998, the area, including the adjacent water area - 450.1 hectares. The Kazantip Peninsula is an interesting geological and geomorphological object - it is an ancient reef formed by colonies of bryozoans, bryozoan limestone. Light gray, with a yellow tint, the stone consists of tightly cemented tiny tubes - skeletons of bryozoans. Colonies of these marine animals lived on the bottom in the Sarmatian and Meotic centuries of the Neogene period (11-12 million years ago). With the slow rise of the seabed, a sandbank appeared, well warmed by the sun, where colonies of bryozoans developed in abundance, outwardly similar to moss or shrubs. After the death of bryozoans, skeletal calcareous tubules remained, new colonies settled on the dead bryozoans, then they died out, and so on. As a result of this process, an annular ridge of bryozoan limestones - a reef - surrounded the sandbank. Then the reef began to rise, and then side limestone ridges stretched from it to the receding sea. The space between the side ridges is occupied by clays and marls. The uplift ended with the transformation of the reef into an island. Later, the sandy embankment made it a peninsula.

In relief, the Kazantip Peninsula outwardly resembles a ring reef - an atoll. As a result of weathering, numerous bays and rocky capes of bizarre shapes have formed here. The peninsula is characterized by landslides: huge blocks of bryozoan limestones in grandiose cracks, similar to ditches, break away from the ring ridge and slide down the underlying clay. (37, c 176)

Areas of virgin feather-grass and forb steppes, fragments of rock vegetation, typical Crimean shrubs have been preserved. The flora of vascular plants has more than 628 species.

5.6. Opuksky nature reserve

Located in the southern part of the Kerch Peninsula on the Black Sea coast. It was created in 1998. Its area is 1592.3 hectares, including the sea area and small islands of the Rocks-Ships. The reserve was created with the aim of preserving the unique steppe natural complex "Urochishche Opuk" and the complex of marine coastal biogeocenoses.

Mount Opuk is one of the highest on the Kerch Peninsula. Its height is 185m. It is composed of limestone. The mountain looks like a typical remnant massif, with a flat summit plateau, limited by large ledges and broken into separate blocks, separated from each other by tectonic cracks.

Mount Opuk was formed for a long time in difficult geological conditions. Mud volcanoes were active in the neighborhood. Then, on the site of the mountain, Lake Koyashskoye, the Korabli-Kamen rocks, troughs and depressed synclines formed (Gubanov, 1961; Shlyukov et al., 1986) Later, the trough was replaced by an uplift in the form of a horst. The tectonic block of Mount Opuk is small. It stretches from north-east to south-west for 3.5 km. It is limited from 4 sides by the shores of the Black Sea and Lake Kayash. Mount Opuk is located at the junction of several large structures. Here the meganticlinorium of the Mountainous Crimea ends and the young transverse Kerch-Taman trough begins, separating the uplifts of the Mountainous Crimea and the Greater Caucasus. Live and deep faults pass nearby.

Landslides are developed on steep slopes. Small deposits of native sulfur and gypsum were explored on the territory of the reserve. The territory is famous for mineral salts and curative mud of the Kerch salt lake. Famous Opuk and building materials - white shell rock. The climate of this part of the peninsula is very dry, moderately hot, with very mild winters (8). The amount of precipitation is 300-400mm per year. The aridity of the climate determines the poverty of the territory in fresh surface and groundwater. The largest water bodies are salt lakes: Uzunlarskoe, Koyashskoe. Typical representatives of the Crimean steppe and shrubs - hawthorn, buckthorn, privet - are well preserved on the territory of the reserve. The vegetation of Mount Opuk tends to Crimean mountainsthan to the steppe flora. It is home to 325 species of higher plants, 45 species of rare and endangered Crimean, Crimean-Novorossiysk, mountain Crimean and Kerch endemics. Of these, woodruff is endemic to Mount Opuk. On the slopes of the mountain, there are shrub communities of wild rose, hawthorn, dogwood, blackthorn, and elder, unique for the steppe zone. They contain wild figs, grapes, hops, probably preserved from antiquity.

The fauna of the reserve is represented by various species. There are few amphibians and reptiles. Typical representatives are: green toad, lake frog, nimble lizard, water snake, yellow-bellied and four-striped snake. Among the birds you can find here: crested cormorant, gray heron, mute swan, gray goose, mallard, burial ground, gray partridge, bustard, herring gull, rock dove, blackbird, finch, crested lark and others. Of all the birds, 13 species nest directly on the territory of the reserve, 10 species on the adjacent territory, the rest are migratory. Of the rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, 11 species have been identified in the reserve and the adjacent territories: crested cormorant, ogar, saker falcon, bustard, little bustard, pink starling, black-headed bunting, burial eagle, gray crane and demoiselle crane. Among the mammals in the reserve there are: European hare, ground squirrel, steppe mouse, red fox, white-breasted hedgehog. Of the rare and protected species, the bottlenose dolphin is found.

5.7. Nikitsky Botanical Garden

In 1811, at the request of the military governor A.E. Reshelieu, a decree was signed on the establishment of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The most suitable place for the garden was the territory located 6 km from Yalta in the vicinity of the villages of Magarach and Nikita. Subsequently, the garden became known as Nikitsky. This scientific institution of the Crimea was founded in 1812 by the outstanding scientist-botanist H.H. Steven. It was H.H. Steven who planted the famous groves of cork oak, strawberry, blue cedar, cypress, pine in the garden. For 12 years, he collected a unique collection of ornamental plants, created a valuable herbarium, founded a scientific library, a museum and a school of gardeners.

Since 1826 N.A. Gartvis became the director of the garden. He contributed to the rapid development of horticulture and viticulture in the South Coast. Under him were brought to the Crimea: evergreen magnolias, fan palms, wisteria. Gartvis N.A. has collected a magnificent collection of conifers. They were giants - sequoiadendron and sequoia from California, Atlas cedar, Himalayan and Lusitanian cypresses, Montezuma and Gerard pines. Their three expeditions to the Caucasus were brought: Caucasian fir, eastern spruce, Caucasian linden, rhododendrons.

In 1912, the Seaside Park was founded to commemorate the 100th anniversary. The most thermophilic subtropical plants settled in it from 1914 to 1940. Scientific research was carried out, collection plantings were replenished. So in 1940, over 2000 varieties of peaches, apricots, cherries, sweet cherries, plums, cherry plums, almonds, apple trees, pears and other crops were collected in the garden. During the Second World War, a large number of plants were destroyed, valuable scientific equipment and a rich herbarium were removed. And only in 1944. after the liberation of Yalta, work began to restore the garden. The exported herbarium was found in Germany and delivered to the Crimea.

Now the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, together with its branch, occupies about 100 hectares of land. Its territory consists of four sections - Upper, Lower, Primorsky parks and Montedor park.

In the collections of Nikitsky Garden, there are 15 thousand species, varieties and hybrids of plants. The garden carries out scientific relations with institutions from 80 countries of the world. Departments of flora and vegetation work here; nature protection; dendrology and ornamental gardening; floriculture; fruit crops; subtropical and nut crops; new technical plants; plant biochemistry; plant physiology; agroecology and plant nutrition; plant protection. Scientists of the garden assist in the protection of the Crimean environment, in the preservation and decoration of her green outfit. (41, c197)

5.8. Reserves

1. Mountain range Ayudag landscape reserve, created in 1974. on the territory of the Zaprudnenskoe forestry, with an area of \u200b\u200b527 hectares. Ayudag or Bear Mountain is one of the largest "failed" volcanoes in Crimea. " In the distant geological past, in the Middle Ages, igneous rocks were introduced into the thickness of the clay shale. Unable to break through to the surface, they cooled down, which is why such formations - magmatic diapirs - are called "failed volcanoes." For many millions of years, the cloak of sedimentary deposits has been eroded, and igneous rocks have been exposed, forming on the seashore a dome-shaped mountain more than half a kilometer (572 m) high. On the rocky slopes, you can see numerous outcrops of grayish-green gabbro-diabase. In some places, veins of rare minerals are visible. Ayudag is called one of the natural mineral museums of the South Coast.

The peaks and slopes of Ayudag are covered with the coastal southern coastal forest. Here you can find fluffy oak, hornbeam, high juniper, and tree. Occasionally, alone or in small groups, small-fruited strawberry comes across. Everywhere under the trees you can see typical representatives of the Mediterranean tropics: cistus, butcher, jasmine. The closer to the top, the higher and shaded the forest. Hornbeam, oak, ash, mountain ash, maple grow there. Of interest is a small grove of a kev tree on the isthmus between the "body" and "head" of the Bear Mountain. There are many rare herbaceous plants on Ayudag. (18, p. 65)

2. Grand Canyon of Crimea (landscape reserve, created in 1974 on the territory of the Bakhchisarai region, with an area of \u200b\u200b300 hectares.) The canyon is located on east side Kokkoskoy valley. This wild, majestic gorge is called a miracle of nature, located in the depths of the northern slope of the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla, 4 km south-east of the village. Sokolinogo. The depth of the gorge is 250-320 m, in the narrowest places the width does not exceed 2-3 meters. The main creator of this miracle is water. The stormy river Auzen-Uzen flows along the bottom of the canyon. Using the most ancient fault, fracturing and karsting of limestones, the water infiltrated the rock mass for thousands of years and separated the Boyku table-like massif from the northern edge of the Ai-Petrinskaya yayla by a deep gorge. For centuries, boulders and boulders, moved by water, drill peculiar boilers and baths at the bottom of the gorge. There are more than 150 of them in the canyon. The water in the river and in the baths in winter and summer has almost the same temperature, about 11 degrees. River trout lives in the running water.

The Crimean pine grows on the slopes of the canyon. In the lower part of the gorge, trees form solid thickets. Hornbeam, beech, ash, maple, mountain ash, linden grow here. The underbrush is formed by bushes: hazel, dogwood, barberry, buckthorn, scumpia, hornbeam. More than one and a half thousand copies in the yew canyon. Old trees of this relict species here reach 1.5 meters in trunk diameter and 10-12 meters in height. Of great interest are rare ferns, relic hyoid butcher, endemic saxifrage, orchid Venus's slipper (18, p. 29-31)

3 Mountain karst of Crimea (a geological reserve, created in 1989 on the territory of the Belogorsk region, Karabi-yayla, Novoklenovskiy and Privetnenskiy forestries, with an area of \u200b\u200b4316 hectares). It covers most of the 254 karst cavities and thousands of craters located on the largest Crimean yayla (the so-called "lunar landscape") (6, p. 174).

The main ridge is the land of classical karst, Mediterranean type karst. The Yailinsky massifs of the ridge consist of a thick stratum of Upper Jurassic limestones, on the basis of which peculiar karst relief forms are formed. A special complex of forms of surface and underground karst is observed here, resulting from the dissolution of limestone by water. These are shallow furrows in limestones, tarn fields, craters, hollows, wells, mines, grottoes and huge caves with wall forms of calcite - stalactites hanging from icicles from above, and stalagmites, the same in appearance, but directed upwards. A classic area where you can see the richness of karst forms is the Karabi area. On Karabi, the following are known: Gvozdetsky mine (191m), Molodezhnaya (261m), Soldatskaya (470m), Krubera (280m); and also Tuakskaya cave.

Karst waters mountain range Karabi give life to the entire Belogorsk, most of the Soviet and Nizhnegorsk regions. The rivers Karasu, Kuchuk-Uzen, Orta-Uzen, Alachuk, Suat and others originate on Karabi. At the same time, there is practically no water on the plateau.

Karst cavities are not only original and formed over millennia forms of underground relief, but also important sources for the formation of the peninsula's water resources (40, p. 26-27).

4. The Karabi-Yayla tract (a botanical reserve, created in 1978 on the territory of the Belogorsk district, Novoklenovskoe forestry, with an area of \u200b\u200b491 hectares), a reference site with medicinal plants is protected.

The reserve is located on the eastern outskirts of the Karabi-Yayla, in one of the vast hollows, where thickets of the Biberstein jasmine were found. In total, there are over 500 plant species in the tract, including more than 50 types of medicinal plants. Among all the floristic wealth of great interest is the Bieberstein jaskolka (Crimean "edelweiss"). Its silvery-white leaves, like felt from the thick hairs covering them, really resemble the leaves of Alpine edelweiss. However, the similarities are purely superficial. This plant belongs to the carnation family, it is a relic of the Upper Tertiary time endemic for the Crimea. It blooms in May-August with delicate white flowers. In the reserved basin of Karabi, the Crimean "edelweiss" forms pillow thickets (18, p. 44-45).

5.New Light (a botanical reserve, created on the territory of the Sudak City Council, Sudak forestry, with an area of \u200b\u200b470 hectares), a relic forest of endemic Stankevich pine and high juniper on the rocks of the coast is protected. The main value of the New World coast is the endemic Stankevich pine, which here, as well as on Cape Aya in the west of the South Coast, has been preserved as natural relict thickets. In the Novy Svet region, there are 5,000 specimens of this species of pine, reaching a height of 10-12 m. This pine has dark green needles and large, mainly upright, single cones. It was first described in 1906 by the botanist V.N.Sukachev, and named after its discoverer, the forester V.I. Stankevich. In the past, this pine tree, preserved from ancient times, was much more widespread in the Crimea; in the pre-revolutionary period, large areas of the forests formed by it were cut down, because its wood was highly valued. Here you can find tall juniper, century-old trees, which reach 80 cm in diameter. In sunny places, there are capers (prickly capers) - undersized creeping shrubs. They bloom beautifully, give fruits that resemble cucumbers.

In addition to the Stankevich pine and high juniper, the New World coast is famous for the massive Sokol mountain and the domed Koba-Kaya (Cave rock). These rocky cliffs are reef massifs of marbled limestone.

Mount Falcon (472m) from a distance really resembles the figure of a huge bird with folded wings. There are two cliffs under it - Sokolyata. On the way from the mountain to the Koba-Kaya rock there is a high grotto, worked out by the sea surf. The cove that penetrates deep into the grotto is called the Robber. Its other name is Blue Bay. From the grotto to the west, past Cape Kapchik, there is a trail to the Blue Bay. Behind the Golubaya Bay, the original, with a jagged top, the Karaul-Oba massif (Watchdog Mountain) emerges into the sea. This extreme west Side The New World is called Paradise (Paradise), - the kingdom of wild stone chaos and juniper bushes (18, p72-73).

5.9. Natural Monuments

1. Kizil-Koba tract and cave (a geological monument, created in 1963 on the territory of the Simferopol region, Dolgorukovskaya yayla, Perevalnensky forestry, with an area of \u200b\u200b33 hectares) - the longest (more than 21 km), six-storey system of karst cavities in Crimea with an underground river and a lake.

On the western slope of the Dolgorukovsky massif, 3.5 km from the village. Perevalny, there is a tract and a cave Kizil-Koba (Red). A gorge incised into the thickness of the Upper Jurassic limestones leads to the cave. It was created by the waters of a small mountain river Kizilkobinka, which, carrying out dissolved lime from the depths of the Dolgorukov massif, deposited it in the form of limestone tuffs. Gradually, not far from the entrance to the cave, a vast tuff area was formed, the high ledge of which, like a dam, blocks the gorge.

The upper parts of the slopes are almost steep. They are composed of limestones of a pinkish-red hue (hence the name of the gorge and the Red Cave located in it). The total length of all known passages of the Kizil-Koba reaches 13100 m. This is the country's largest limestone cave. There are six floors in the Kizil-Koba system. The upper floors are dry, where the water has almost stopped working. The lower ones are flooded and are going through an era of active karst development. Several especially beautiful rooms are distinguished in the cave. These are Indian and Chinese. Individual stalactites reach 5-8m in length here. And in the Griboedov corridor, an underground lake and a river have long been known. Kizil-Koba is also known as an archeological monument: bones of cave bears and material traces of people of the so-called Kizil-Koba culture were found here (18, p39-40).

2. Soldatskaya karst mine (landscape and geological monument, protected since 1972). The mine is located on Karabi-Yaila. This is the deepest karst mine in Crimea - 1800/500 m. It was discovered by Feodosia cavers and named after the victorious Soviet warrior. There is a permanent watercourse at the bottom of this mine. This mine is also the deepest cave in Ukraine (517 m).

3. Demerdzhi tract (a geological monument, created in 1981 on the territory of Big Alushta, Alushta forestry, with an area of \u200b\u200b20 hectares) - original forms of weathering of conglomerates that make up the city of Demerdzhi: the Valley of Ghosts, the Big Demerdzhinsky stone chaos. The slopes of Mount Demerdzhi (from the Crimean Tatar “demerdzhi” - blacksmith) are dotted with bizarre stone statues, reminiscent of either people or animals, but more often towers, mushrooms, columns. These statues are the result of centuries of weathering. Demerdzhi is not composed of limestones, like other massifs of the main ridge, but Upper Jurassic conglomerates. Under the influence of weathering, they form bizarre, semi-fantastic figures. Tourists call one of the rocks “Ekaterina's profile”. However, close up this 20-meter rock has a completely different shape. There are especially many bizarre pyramids, pillars, mushrooms, towers on the southwestern slope of Mount Demerdzhi, in the Valley of Ghosts. One of the pillars - the Giant - a stone mass with a diameter of 5m, towering 25m high. On its sides, pillars and columns of smaller sizes are piled up, up to 10-20 m high. There are more than a hundred similar stone "ghosts" here.

At times, as a result of earthquakes on the weathered mountain slopes, grandiose collapses occur, forming huge stone chaos. Such is the chaos that arose in the vicinity of the Valley of Ghosts as a result of the landslides of 1894, 1965, 1966. The vast territory along the steep slope of Demerdzhi turned out to be cluttered with a chaotic heap of pointed conglomerate blocks; some are the size of a three-story house. The total volume of block chaos exceeds 4 million m3. The pebbles and boulders of the local conglomerates are of great scientific interest. These are the oldest rocks, the age of which is determined at 800 million - 1.1 billion years (18, p. 68-69).

4. Outlier Mountain Mangup-Kale (a complex monument, created in 1975 on the territory of the Bakhchisarai district near the village of Zalesnoye; area of \u200b\u200b90 hectares), the natural complex of the original dining room of Mangup-Kale (581 m) is protected on the inner Crimean ridge with broad-leaved forest on the slopes.

Mangup is a large outlier made up of bryozoan limestones, rising almost 600 m above sea level. It rises like an island among three adjacent valleys - Karalez, Dzhan-dere, Aytodorskaya. On three sides, the vast Mangup plateau ends with rocky cliffs, in the western part reaching 70 m vertically.

Mangup was one of the largest fortresses of the medieval Crimea, which, if necessary, accepted significant masses of the population under the protection of its walls (11, pp. 75-76).

It is clear that it was not an easy task to take possession of such a natural fortress, protected by high walls and battle towers. In the 40-meter cliffs of Mangup, there are many artificial crypt caves that have an economic or cult purpose. In the XIII - XV centuries. here was the large city-capital of the principality of Theodoro at that time.

The plateau-like peak of Mangup is pushed to the sides by original capes. From the foot of the mountain, a forest climbs along its slopes: here the fluffy oak, hornbeam, hazel, ivy are abundant, and the Crimean pine is found. On the flat top of the mountain, there are sparse thickets of trees and bushes (18, p. 80).

5.10. Parks-monuments of gardening art

1. Alupkinsky (Vorontsovsky) park (founded in the first half of the 19th century, the reserve regime was established in 1960, area 40 hectares) - part of an exquisite palace and park complex, a masterpiece of architecture and landscape art, located in the city of Alupka.

Alupka Park stretches from east to west for about a kilometer. The creation of the park began in 1824. Count M.S. Vorontsov even before the construction of residential premises. The author of the compositional plan of the park was the German gardener Karl Kebach. The volumetric - spatial composition of the park was created taking into account the natural relief of the area. In the Alupka area, it is an amphitheater, bounded by hills in the west and east, and mountain spurs in the north, and by the sea in the south.

The courtyard part of the park with white marble sculptures and fountains looks especially solemn and festive. The rest of the park is conditionally divided by the road connecting Yalta and Simeiz into the Upper and Lower parks.

The upper park was laid simultaneously with the construction of the palace. The terrain is hilly, with ups and downs. This is the area of \u200b\u200bthe Small Chaos, which begins directly at the palace and extends to the north to the grandiose Big Chaos - detached rocks, small placers of stones and their heaps. All plantings here for the most part serve only as a green background for natural heaps of stones and grottoes. A cascade was created in a boxwood grove, falling from a height of three meters. Waterfalls, cascades, streams are shaded by tall trees, the rocks around are entwined with ivy and moss. Everything here resembles a wild mountainous area. Here grow maple, ash, almond, evergreen boxwood bushes, stone oak groves, small strawberry, juniper, downy oak.

The lower park was created according to the principle of regular parks with a clear plan, curly shearing of plants. There are flat terraces that calmly descend to the sea. A wide diabase staircase, decorated with lion sculptures, approaches the entrance to the palace. On the second terrace, near the library building, there is a “Fountain of Tears”. There are many waterfalls in this park, an abundance of various flowers blooming at different times of the year.

There are now about 200 different plant species in the park. Many of them were imported from America, Italy, China, Japan, Russia and other countries.

2. Livadia Park was founded in the first half of the 19th century, now it is located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the urban-type settlement. Livadia. The park is a part of an outstanding monument - the Livadia palace and park complex. Its area is 15 hectares.

Livadia Park was founded in the 30-40s of the last century by the famous gardener Delinger. By the nature of the layout, the park belongs to the landscape or landscape type. This style was especially widespread in Russian park construction at the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Landscape parks are usually based on natural nature, ennobled, according to the plan of the gardener, by the inclusion of picturesquely arranged groups of various plants. A significant addition to such parks are reservoirs, ponds, lakes or cascades.

It is laid out in a regular style near the palaces. Retaining walls decorated with climbing plants, parterre with low trimmed bushes of laurel, cherry laurel and thuja are successfully combined with architecture. There are many roses on the terraces below the walls. At the southeastern corner of the palace, a magnificent 80-meter long pergola begins. Its metal frame is entirely entwined with roses, wisteria and vineyards. Skillfully arranged viewing platforms and gazebos give the park a special charm - a kind of viewpoints of palaces, mountains and the sea. Such corners as the Pink Gazebo and the Turkish Gazebo with a silver dome are also good.

There are 200 species of shrub varieties in Livadia Park. In the center of the park is a shady grove of mighty oaks. It serves as a background for the blue satin cedar. A giant sequoia with a superbly developed crown grows nearby. The height of the giant is 35 meters. The powerful curved branches of the sequoia resemble the tusks of a mammoth, in connection with which it is called the mammoth tree. Also interesting is a specimen of yew, which grows at the eastern facade of the palace. There are many plane trees, Lebanese and Himalayan cedars, several varieties of pine, fir, magnolia in the park.

3. Gurzuf park (founded at the beginning of the XIV century; the reserve regime was established in 1960; an area of \u200b\u200b12 hectares.) Now it is located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the settlement of t. Gurzuf. The park was created in 1803 on a seaside rock. Olives, palms, laurels and other exotic plants grow here. There are 140 types and forms in total. There are many monuments and sculptures in the park. Not far from the southern gate, you can see a whole sculptural gallery: busts of Adam Mitskevich, Lesya Ukrainka, Fedor Chaliapin, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky. These people have been to Gurzuf at different times, leaving a bright trace in the history of the Crimean culture. The park has preserved original old sculptures and fountains. The fountain "Night" stands out among them for its fabulous beauty. His sculptural group was made by famous Russian masters and is a copy of the sculptor German professor Berger, presented at the international exhibition of fountains in Vienna at the end of the 19th century. The motives of ancient mythology are felt here: the goddess of the night Nyukta is depicted as a naked woman with a torch over her head; she is accompanied by the god of sleep Hypnos and the god of love Eros. In the center of the sculptural group is a ball, surrounded by the signs of the Zodiac and symbolizing the Universe. Below the fountain "Night" is the fountain "Bather"; in the western part of the park - the fountain "Rachel" or the Girl with a jug "(based on the ancient biblical legend about the beautiful Rachel).

A group of olive trees grows not far from the entrance gate - this is one of the places of Gurzuf associated with the name of A.S. Pushkin. Now in the park, in the "House of Richelieu" there is a museum of A. Pushkin. Near the museum there has been preserved "Pushkin's cypress", about which the poet wrote in a letter to Anton Delvich; the tree is over 170 years old (41, p. 190-193).

In the park you can see Lebanese cedars, Sudak pine, magnolia, laurel, cypresses, chestnuts, evergreen viburnum, Japanese sophora, sequoia, spruce. There is a grove of olive trees on the outskirts of the park.

4. Massandra park (founded in the first half of the 19th century, the reserve regime was established in 1960 with an area of \u200b\u200b44.1 hectares; now it is located on the territory of the Yalta City Council in the village of Massandra).

The park was laid back in the 40s of the last century at the direction of M.S. Vorontsov. Several gardeners took part in the work, including Karl Kebakh, the creator of the Alupka Park. There are more than 250 species of tree and shrub forms here. These are shady spreading beeches, Himalayan and Lebanese cedars, evergreen laurel, mighty oak and tall resinous pine. Here there are Italian pine trees, thickets of bamboo, berry yew, and a mammoth tree. Shrubs of walnut, dogwood, evergreen magnolias hide under their shade. The steep cliffs are entwined with creeping juniper bushes. Wild jasmine grows in the crevices of the rocks. On the mountain slopes you can see peonies, wild rose, belladonna. Crimean edelweiss grows on mountain lawns (34, p. 77).

5. Foros park (founded in the first half of the 19th century; the reserve regime was established in 1960, with an area of \u200b\u200b70 hectares) - an old landscape park in the urban-type settlement. Foros with the famous "paradise" among picturesque reservoirs, 200 species and forms of plants grow here.

Foros is located 40 km from Yalta. There was a Greek colony here, and later, in the Middle Ages, the Genoese fortress Fori.

Now in Foros there is one of the best on the South coast - Foros Park. It is divided into three parts. The lower, seaside part is separated from the middle garden road. In the middle of the park, there is a "Paradise" with six miniature lakes, built at different levels and connected into a single cascade with miniature waterfalls. Above the "Paradise corner" along the slope to the highway, a forest park rises.

Foros Park is adjoined by the Tesseli dacha (silence), associated with the name of A. M. Gorky. Behind the dacha there is a juniper forest, a forest of Crimean pine. Behind them is a remarkable geographical point - Cape Sarych (the southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula and Ukraine). From Cape Sarych (44о 23'N) to Cape Kerempe on the Anatolian coast of Turkey is the narrowest point of the Black Sea - 142 miles (41, p. 259).

6. Miskhorsky park (founded at the end of the 18th century, the reserved regime was established in 1960, with an area of \u200b\u200b23 hectares) - a monument of landscape art on the territory of the Yalta City Council, in the urban-type settlement. Koreiz.

Miskhor, which stretches along the coast for 7 km, is the warmest place on the South Coast: the average temperature of the coldest month in winter is + 4.4оС. The fact is that Miskhor is located under the shadow of the Aypetrinsky Yaylinsky massif. Mountains close Miskhor from cold northern winds.

Miskhorsky Park was founded at the end of the 18th century. in landscape style, created by the serfs of the princes Naryshkin, Dolgorukov and Count Shuvalov. On a small area of \u200b\u200b23 hectares, 100 species and garden forms of exotic trees and shrubs are concentrated.

At the beginning of the park on the coast there is a sculptural group - the fountain "The Girl of Arza and the robber Ali Baba", and a little further in the sea on the rock is a sculpture of a mermaid with a child in her hands; it is a single composition. Its author is the Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson. The composition is based on the legend about the kidnapping of a girl by a robber for the sultan's harem (9, p.82).

The history of the park is rich. Many writers, poets, composers and artists have been here. In 1984, a monument to AM Gorky was erected in the park, depicting the writer during his stay in Miskhor in 1901-1902, when he was working on the play At the Bottom.

7. Park "Utes" (founded in the middle of the XIX century; the reserve regime was established in 1960, with an area of \u200b\u200b5 hectares) - located on the territory of the Alushta City Council, urban settlement. Utes, sanatorium "Utes".

"Cliff" is located at the bare tip of Cape Plaka, which in Greek means "flat stone". In 1907. the palace was built here by the princes Gagarins. A park was laid around the palace. Here are concentrated 100 species and garden forms of trees and shrubs.

Section II. Economic development of Crimea