Zheti-Oguz Nature Reserve
Zheti-Oguz Nature Reserve
The Zheti-Oguz Nature Reserve was established in 1958 in the basin of the river of the same name, covering an area of 30,000 hectares. It was created to protect the picturesque natural complexes near the famous resort.
The Zheti-Oguz section occupies the Zheti-Oguz gorge, located 33 km south of the city of Przhevalsk, on the northern slopes of the Terskey Alatau. The Zheti-Oguz gorge is situated at an altitude of 2000—3500 meters above sea level. The high location determines the harshness of the climate compared to the coastal area. The average temperature in January is -8.3°C, in July 14.2°C, the duration of the snow period is about 180 days, and the snow cover can reach 100 cm. However, depending on the altitude, steepness, and exposure of the slopes, the snow cover is distributed unevenly.
In early autumn, cold incursions from the northern latitudes are usually not significant, but later, the passage of cold air masses, as in spring, is accompanied by strong winds and frequent precipitation in the form of rain and wet snow.
In the territory of the Prissykul forest-growing subprovince, the climate changes from hot and dry in the valley to cold, forming eternal glaciers and snow in the high mountain valleys of the Terskey Ala-Tuu. In the mountains, it is more humid and less arid compared to the valley part of the basin. The daily and annual distribution of air temperature across the territory is quite uneven. From January to July, there is a general increase in average temperatures, especially intense in April and May. From July to December, a decrease in temperature is observed. In the spruce belt, the increase in temperature occurs in the same pattern as in the valley. The most significant variability in temperature from month to month is noted in the upper spruce belt from September, and in the valley – from October and less frequently in November. In the conditions of the Prissykul forest-growing subprovince, the warmest month is July (sometimes August), and the coldest is January.
From south to north, a significant number of mountain rivers and streams cross the territory of the reserve. All of them flow down from the northern slope of the Terskey Alatau and belong to the basin of Lake Issyk-Kul. The largest rivers flowing through the territory of the reserve are Zhokuu, Chon-Kyzyl-Suu, Barskoon, and Zheti-Oguz.
On the territory of the forestry, there are several small lakes located in hard-to-reach areas and have no economic significance.
The relief of the forestry area is very complex and diverse. The slopes of the ridges are cut by numerous gorges, branching out and forming a complex system of cliffs. The steepness of the slopes reaches 35-45 degrees or more. The minimum height of the forestry area above sea level is 1609 m, and the maximum is 4808 m.
The following main types of soils are distributed in the territory of the reserve:
1. Mountain-forest dark-colored;
2. Mountain-meadow chernozem-like (subalpine);
3. Mountain chernozems;
4. Meadow-chernozem;
5. Chestnut (dark and light chestnut);
6. Mountain meadow-steppe;
7. Turf-meadow chernozem-like.
The landscape of the Zheti-Oguz section of the reserve is created by subalpine and alpine meadow-steppes, alternating with spruce forests and shrub thickets. Spruce forests grow in small clumps on the northern slopes, in hollows where the soils are richer due to washout from the watersheds of the ridges. The Tien Shan spruce, which forms the forests, is usually mixed with juniper, birch, willow, rowan, and other tree species.
In the underbrush, barberry, wild rose, currant, and raspberry grow. The rich and diverse herbaceous cover on the forest edges and clearings is represented by various buttercups, geraniums, buckwheat, and broad-leaved grasses. Occasionally, cloudberries and strawberries are found, and in some years, there are abundant harvests of mushrooms, mainly milk caps.
The total forested area of the section is about 2000 hectares. Above the tree line, extensive meadows and steppes of the subalpine and alpine belts are formed by kobrezia, lady's mantle, and grasses. At an altitude of over 4000 m, eternal snows and rocks lie, where vegetation is practically absent.
Here, in the territory of the reserve, the snow leopard, the white-clawed bear, and birds of prey, which are listed in the Red Book of the Republic, are under protection. Numerous commercial species of animals are found here: tolai hare, marmot, fox, wolf, stone marten, ermine, mountain goat, roe deer, wild boar, ulars, and chukars.
