Lazovsky Reserve - a fairy tale Primorsky Territory

What is a reserve? This is a natural zone completely excluded from any kind of economic activity. The purpose of any reserve is to preserve in its natural form natural resources. It can be:

• Flora and fauna;
• Unique landscapes, such as caves, waterfalls, etc .;
• Climatic conditions of the area.

The task of any reserve is to become a standard by which it is possible to determine the correctness and safety of processes occurring in natural ecological systems that are not touched by civilization. That is why the reserves are reserved for territories or water areas with the most typical conditions for the given terrain.

For poachers, protected areas are a tasty morsel. They suffer from the reserves of the Far East, rich in rare and valuable fish, and the reserves of the Caucasus, and the reserves of the middle belt.

In order to protect unique places from illegal activities, the state issued a law "On Specially Protected Territories", which, in particular, points to the need to recognize reserves as a legal entity. According to experts, this will help to give protection to such territories a special status.

Preserve the Primorsky Territory, like all other protected areas of Russia, created to maintain and preserve the ecosystem. There are six such reserves in Primorye:

• Khankai,
• Sikhote-Alin,
• Ussuriysky,
• Cedar Pad,
• Far Eastern Marine,
• Lazovsky Reserve.

Their history shows how the state's concern for the protected territories of Russia is growing.

Lazovsky Reserve is an excellent example of such state care. It was established in 1928, but in the beginning was called the South Ussuriyskoy Suzuhi Reserve. The territory, located on the ridge of the Reserve, was guarded by six watchmen and two (!) Mounted cavalry inspectors.

Today, the Lazovsky Reserve consists of three forest districts, a huge network of cordons, an own scientific department, an environmental education department, and hundreds of employees. The organization has a strong material base, a large fleet of vehicles, its own scientific equipment for studying natural processes. The task of the reserve is to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the Eastern part of Primorye, including rare species of coniferous-deciduous forests, endangered animals: gorals, spotted deer. In 1970 the Lazovsky Reserve was named after L.G. Kaplanova, a former director who died in 1943 at the hands of poachers.

The peculiarity of the relief of the reserve is a considerable difference in heights, the proximity of the sea. It is this condition that makes the Manchurian broad-leaved plant species, more characteristic of East Asia, and the representatives of the Okhotsk taiga flora, coexist on the territory. In addition, there are many species characteristic of the tundra zone, steppes and even subtropics. It is noteworthy that almost all of the flora is secondary, that is, it has changed as a result of human activity.

Nevertheless, many endemics have survived here, plants that are unique to the only region on Earth. This is a real ginseng, a special kind of juniper ("hard"), a large-calf tongue, a dentate oak. In total, there are 1212 already almost extinct species of plants.

The fauna is represented by individuals whose account literally goes to units. So in the reserve there are only 14 Amur tigers, about two hundred gorals, a little more spotty deer.

Rare animals and birds with surprisingly beautiful names settle in the Lazovsky Reserve: the mandarin duck, the hawk sarych, the Ussuri plover, etc.

The name of the insect species inhabiting the reserve is more intricate, for example, Grilloblattida Dyakonov or Saturnia Artemis.

Lazovsky Reserve is a unique corner of Primorye.