Padyshatinsky State Nature Reserve

Padyshatinsky State Nature Reserve is a specially protected natural area in Kyrgyzstan.

The territory of the Padysha-Ata State Nature Reserve is one of the favorable regions for the compact habitat of various species of animals and the growth of diverse plant communities.

According to the resolution of the government of the Kyrgyz Republic dated July 3, 2003, No. 405, the Padysha-Ata State Nature Reserve was established to preserve the unique juniper forests, the Semenov fir, which is listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic, and biodiversity in general. IUCN category – Ia (Strict Nature Reserve).

The total area of the reserve is 30,560 hectares, of which the specially protected area is 15,846 hectares, and the buffer zone is 14,714 hectares. Thus, the area of the specially protected zone of the reserve is 15,846 hectares, including forested area - 4,419.6 hectares, non-forested area - 1,298.6 hectares, pastures - 2,158.8 hectares, estates - 1.1 hectares, and other lands - 7,967.9 hectares.

The reserve was established on the basis of the Avletim forestry, where scientific research was not conducted. The latter only began after the establishment of the reserve.

Climate. The climate of the Padysha-Ata Reserve is characterized by moderately cold winters and hot summers. According to the Padysha-Ata hydrometeorological station, the average annual air temperature in July is +18.6 °C, while in January it is -3.4 °C. The transition of the average daily air temperature through 0° is observed from February 16-23 and December 13-30, while the transition through 10° is noted from March 28-30 and October 20-29, respectively. Thus, the growing season lasts 204-218 days.

The last spring frosts are observed in the second decade of April, while autumn frosts sometimes begin in the second decade of October.

The average annual precipitation is 355 mm. The snow cover is stable, forming in the second decade of November and lasting until mid-April.

Relief. According to data from the Southern Kyrgyz Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences, out of six types of morphological landscape, only four types are present in the reserve:
Desert low mountains;
Colorful low mountains;
Massive smoothed mountains;
Rocky mountains (high mountains).

Soils. The soil cover of the reserve's territory, according to data from the Southern Kyrgyz Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences, is considered within five belts: foothill plains, adyrs, low mountains, mid-mountains, and high mountains. Three of these belts: low mountains, mid-mountains, and high mountains make up the territory of the reserve.

The territory of the reserve is located within the southern Kyrgyz mountain West Tien Shan soil province, characterized by a desert type of soil formation with a predominance of carbonate weathering crust.

Hydrography. The main water artery of the reserve is the Padysh-Ata River, flowing through the valley from north to south. The source of the Padysh-Ata River is considered to be the Muz-Top stream, which in turn flows from the mountain range of the same name. Other rivers contributing to the water artery of the reserve include Kashka-Suu, Olzhoke, Chytty, Ak-Korgon, Kaman-Arka, Kok-Ala-Teke, Karagayly, Joon-Bakan, Zhilandy, Kok-Dobo, Kainy-Bulak, Tostu, Olon-Bulak. In the Minzhylky valley, there is the Padysha-Ata waterfall. According to local residents, this waterfall is considered the source of the Padysha-Ata River.

Almost all valleys show traces of mudflows. They are particularly pronounced in the valley of the Minzhylky River. As a result of mudflows and snow avalanches, a whole dam of fallen trees - Semenov firs - has formed in the floodplain.

Fauna. Wild animals found in the territory of the reserve are represented by various species of wild mammals and birds. The terrain and climate of this area (the basin of the Padysh-Ata River) are favorable for many representatives of the wild fauna, but anthropogenic factors, expressed in excessive and improper logging of conifers and grazing of livestock during the existence of the Avletim forestry (until 2003, Padysha-Ata forestry), significantly limited their numbers and distribution ranges.

During the existence of the forestry, domestic livestock of the local population grazed throughout the territory (the lands were used as summer pastures). With the arrival of spring, many representatives of the wild fauna left their settled places (Siberian ibex, roe deer, wild boar, along with them the snow leopard, wolf, Turkestan lynx). In bird nesting areas (chukar, pheasant), livestock camps were established, resulting in their numbers during the spring-summer count decreasing to a minimum.

Among large mammals, the reserve is home to the snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, bear, ibex, roe deer, wild boar, wolf, badger, porcupine, mountain goats, fox, marmot, jackal, marten, weasel, and stoat.

During the census, a few individuals of the snow leopard, lynx, and wolf were noted, which is related to the movement of the food base. Thus, ibex, which make up the main diet of the snow leopard, have moved to the glaciers (due to the influence of anthropogenic disturbance). For the bear, the food base is satisfactory (wild raspberry, currant, diverse herbs, and marmots).

Species listed in the Red Book: Tian Shan brown bear, snow leopard, Turkestan lynx.

Birds. The reserve is home to 51 species of birds belonging to 6 orders. The most numerous order is the sparrows, which includes 29 species. The order of diurnal raptors is also numerous (8 species). The owl order is represented by two species, and the galliformes by four species. Resident birds - 28 species, migratory birds - 14 species. Among the rarest are the saker falcon, bearded vulture, and white-headed vulture. Rare bird species include the merlin, Eurasian sparrowhawk, and griffon vulture. The golden eagle, griffon, owl, harrier, and thrush are also found.

Bird species listed in the Red Book: saker falcon, golden eagle, bearded vulture, kumai.

Vegetation. The plant cover of the Padysha-Ata Reserve is rich and diverse in terms of floristic composition, morphological structure, and ecological groups of plants. A common feature of the reserve's plant cover is the sharp predominance of woody and shrub species, with the juniper and fir forests being particularly unique.

The main masses of juniper forests are distributed in the valleys of the rivers: Ak-Sai, Ergash-Sai, Kainy-Bulak, Boru-Bulak, Orobash, Komur-Sai, Kok-Dobo, Mazar-Sai, Taldy-Bulak, Ak-Tash, Bektemir. Here, mainly three species of juniper grow: semi-spherical, Zeravshan, and creeping. The densest thickets are occupied by the semi-spherical juniper. These beautiful forests attract human attention from afar with their beauty and their "trimmed" conical crowns. All juniper forests are exceptionally even-aged, with an average height of 6 m, and natural regeneration is uneven, approximately 250 individuals per hectare.

The most common tree species in the Padysha-Ata Reserve is the Semenov fir. This endemic, relic, boreal species, which grows only in our republic, is listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is an evergreen tree of the pine family with a dense conical narrow-pyramidal crown. The fir, like the walnut, is a representative of the flora that grew on our planet during the Tertiary period. The area of the fir forest here is 1,546 hectares. The Semenov fir is a very valuable, beautiful tree, distinguished from others by many properties. It is an endemic species but has aesthetic and recreational significance and has been protected in the republic since 1975.

Juniper and fir forests are unique, have ecological, sanitary-hygienic, health-improving, and soil-protective significance, and serve as moisture accumulators. These forests represent a peculiar natural "botanical garden" with a large variety of woody and shrub species, constituting a rich genetic fund.

In the lower zone of the reserve, nut forests are scattered. In the floodplains of rivers, birch and willow grow, while hawthorn is found on terraces and mountain slopes. Shrubs are found everywhere: on mountain slopes and among forests. Characteristic species include sea buckthorn, rowan, dogwood, barberry, honeysuckle, spiraea, rosehip, clematis, currant, raspberry, myricaria, and other plants.

The herbaceous cover is distributed across altitude belts. The steppe belt is characterized by fescue, burnet, couch grass, wormwood, St. John's wort, sedges, eryngium, vetch, horse sorrel, burdock, and others. In the forest belt, common species include common hedgehog, fescue, ligularia, geranium, fox-tail, vetch, rhubarb, and others. The subalpine meadows are the richest in species composition, where common hedgehog, fescue, fox-tail, fescue, couch grass, galium, ligularia, shemura, geranium, buttercup, knotweed, and many others are found. The alpine belt is characterized by communities of fescue and fescue, cobresia and onion, and fescue and knotweed, with dominant species including aster, poppy, sedge, fescue, cobresia, taran, and fescue.

Types of habitats. The territory of the reserve is represented by the following types of habitats: glaciers, rocky outcrops, scree, alpine meadows, subalpine meadows, juniper thickets, juniper-deciduous forests, mountain-deciduous forests, mountain-floodplain forests, dark-coniferous mountain forests, dark-coniferous-deciduous forests, nut forests, shrub forests. The types of habitats are divided according to feeding and protective remizes.

On the territory of the reserve, there is a shrine - the mazar "Padysha-Ata".

It should be noted that due to its geographical isolation, richness of biodiversity, especially the unique juniper forest and Semenov fir listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Padysha-Ata State Nature Reserve deserves to be a benchmark for natural-territorial complexes of the Western Tien Shan.