Besh-Aral State Reserve

Besh-Aral State Reserve is a true find for naturalists.

Besh-Aral Reserve is located in Kyrgyzstan, in the Chatkal Valley. It was established in 1979. The administration of the Besh-Aral Reserve is located in the village of Yangibazar. According to the decree of the Council of Ministers of the Kyrgyz SSR dated March 21, 1979, No. 140, the territory of the Besh-Aral State Reserve is 116.7 thousand hectares, including 18.2 thousand hectares withdrawn from economic use for scientific research and environmental protection purposes, and 38.7 thousand hectares that are under long-term use by agricultural enterprises and are to be returned to the state reserve after the expiration of the usage period. This reserve is one of six state reserves in Kyrgyzstan and is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as category Ia - strict nature reserve.

Besh-Aral State Reserve is located at altitudes ranging from 1200 to 3900 meters above sea level, and can only be accessed via the Kara-Buura Pass (3305 m) in the Talas Ala-Too and the Chapchama Pass (2840 m) in the Chatkal Range. The terrain is complex, hilly, and rocky. The deeply incised mountain ranges that penetrate the valley are characterized by steep slopes. The mountain ridges feature rocky zigzag peaks and serrated crests and canyons. There are small glaciers in places; significant areas of the highlands are occupied by moraines, firn fields, cirques, karas, and couloirs. The highest point of the Chatkal Range – the peak of the same name – reaches an altitude of 4503 km. As one moves westward, these ridges gradually lower, and the peaks take on soft dome-like shapes, transitioning beyond the reserve into typical foothills. The mountain ranges surrounding the basin are mainly composed of Paleozoic and Cenozoic deposits.

The hydrographic network is quite dense and branched. The main water artery of the reserve is the Chatkal River, which originates on the southern slopes of the Talas Ala-Too and flows into the Charvak Reservoir. This is one of the largest water arteries of the Western Tien Shan. Its length is 144 km.

The source of the river is considered to be the Karakuldja River. In places, the flow deeply cuts into the bottom of the ancient valley. For example, in the area below the village of Akbash, the river's incision is 6-8 m. Its banks are steep and rocky. In wide sections of its floodplain, the Chatkal River splits into separate branches and forms small meanders and gravel islands. Hence the name "Besh-Aral" ("Five Islands").

Two major tributaries of the Chatkal (Chandalash and Ters), as well as 30 small rivers and streams, ranging from 10 to 20 km in length, are fed by glacial and snowmelt waters. The riverbed is obstructed by large boulders for many meters, through which it has carved a narrow passage, forming a gorge that is unique in its picturesque and grand scale (Kapchigay, just before reaching the village of Akbash, starting at the mouth of the Ters River). In the upper reaches of the Chatkal River, there are several lakes of alluvial and moraine origin. The largest and most picturesque of them is Lake Karatoko, surrounded on three sides by high mountain ranges.

Below the mouth of the Ters River, the Chatkal flows through a canyon-like gorge, carving out a unique gorge in the rocks that stretches for several kilometers in grandeur and picturesque beauty. Only in the area of the Besh-Aral tract does the river's floodplain widen somewhat, forming small islands. The major tributaries are the Chandalash River on the right and the Ters River on the left. Within the territory of the reserve, the major side tributaries include the Barkyrak, Besh-Aral, Isfara, Kyrgyz Say rivers, and others.

The Chatkal Valley represents a special area of the southwestern climatic region of Kyrgyzstan. The climate is insufficiently humid with moderately harsh winters and moderately warm summers.

The average annual temperature is 7 °C, the average temperature in January is –7 °C, and in July is 21 °C. Characteristic are sharp fluctuations in air temperature across seasons and throughout the day, with cold winters and warm summers.

Here, ecosystems of high-altitude meadows and unique natural complexes of the Chatkal Valley are protected. The reserve is home to 46 species of mammals. According to various estimates, the reserve hosts between 98 and 150 species of birds and from 700 to 1500 species of plants. The main task of the reserve is to protect the habitat of the endemic of the Western Tien Shan - the Menzbir marmot (Marmota menzbieri), listed in the International Red Book. Among the species found in the reserve, 5 species of mammals, 6 species of birds, 13 species of insects, and 4 species of plants are listed in the Red Book of Kyrgyzstan.

Flora
There is no consensus on the main types of vegetation found in the reserve. According to one estimate, the following types of plant communities are identified: mountain ephemeral semi-deserts, mountain steppes, shiblyak (xerophytic woody-shrub vegetation), grassy mountain semi-savannas, deciduous floodplain forests, mountain coniferous forests, meadow-swamp vegetation, highland xerophytes, petrophytic vegetation, cryophytic vegetation. According to another, they include juniper sparse forests, floodplain and tugai vegetation, large herbaceous semi-savannas, subalpine meadows, and alpine meadows. Key plants proposed for the reserve include Lipsky's prangos (Prangos lipskyi Korov.), hybrid or steppe peony (Paeonia hybrida Pall.), Tian Shan maiqaragan (Calophaca tianschanica (B. Fedtsch) Gorbunova), panicled allochrusa, or prickly allochrusa (Allochrusa paniculata (Regel) Ovcz. & Czuk.), Ungernia sewerzowii (Regel) B. Fedtsch., Maximovich's rhubarb (Rheum maximowiczii Losinsk.), Wittrock's rhubarb (Rh. wittrockii Lundstr.), Kokand morina (Morina kokanica Regel), Turkestan cornflower (Centaurea turkestanica Franch.), Korolkow's arum (Arum korolkowii Regel), and Korolkowia sewerzowii Regel.

Fauna
The territory of the reserve is home to the following key and indicator species: wild boar, ibex, sand hare, fox, wolf, Tian Shan bear, Turkestan lynx, snow leopard, stone marten, American mink, Central Asian otter, ermine, weasel, porcupine, and Menzbir marmot.

Among the birds are the paradise flycatcher and the black stork. The paradise flycatcher is very cautious, rarely seen, and very difficult to photograph. Other bird species include the gray flycatcher, shrike, magpie, black thrush, gray-headed goldfinch, corn bunting, meadow bunting, chukor, and Daurian partridge (chil), as well as predators: golden eagle, hen harrier, kestrel, and snow vulture, bearded vulture, and white-headed vulture.

The herpetofauna mainly inhabits the lower altitude zone and consists of 10 species of reptiles and amphibians, including species such as the steppe agama, desert blind snake, Alai blind snake, multicolored lizard, Nikolsky's lizard (or Kyrgyz lizard), gray gecko, yellow-bellied toad, water snake, patterned snake, and Pallas's horned viper.

The ichthyofauna of the reserve includes 12 species, including the following: common marinka, naked osman, "Syrdarya" loach, Turkestan loach, Talas nase, Turkestan bitterling, scaly osman, Kushakevich's loach, Ters loach, eastern gambusia, acclimatized species, and Chatkal stone loach.

In the reserve and its surrounding areas, there are natural monuments (quirky architectural monolithic rocks, caves, waterfalls, springs, etc.), as well as historical monuments: the graves of Chancharkhan and Kulmeskhan. Near the village of Janibazar is the mausoleum of Idris the Prophet.

It should be noted that the presented reserve is among the most visited reserves in Kyrgyzstan, as a large number of tourists come here. Visiting the Besh-Aral State Reserve will be very useful and interesting for curious tourists and nature lovers, as this reserve encompasses a vast diversity of flora and fauna of Kyrgyzstan.