What is the reserve and national parks? General characteristics and distinctive features

What is the reserve and national parks, everyone knows. Perhaps, only not quite accurately understand the difference of one concept from another. Let's try to figure this out.

What are national parks?

To understand what a reserve and national parks are, you need to know the exact definition of these concepts. So, national parks are special natural territories on land or water, where human activity is completely or partially prohibited. The main goal is the protection of the environment, i.e., preservation of valuable natural complexes, flora and fauna. These places are open for free visits by nature lovers and tourists.

In addition to nature protection, national parks are research institutions, and they also perform an ecological and educational role. It is important to understand that the territories and individual properties that belong to these natural complexes represent a special ecological, aesthetic and historical value for the state. In addition, these are excellent places for organizing international regulated tourism.

All national parks of our country are the property of the Russian Federation. Historical and cultural real estate objects are assigned to them on the basis of operational management. The territory of national parks is limited to a security zone with an orderly regime of nature use and visiting.

What are reserves?

Reserves are different in that in their territories, it is strictly forbidden not only to do any economic activity, but also to find people there. According to the law of the Russian Federation, these territories are transferred to reserves for perpetual use. It is our country that is famous for a large number of state protected areas, while in the world there are a few.

Preserves and national parks of Russia are available practically in all regions, therefore they are distinguished by a specific landscape, unique representatives of flora and fauna, most of which are listed in the Red Book and carefully guarded by the state.

Tasks of the reserve

Reserves are objects of federal significance, therefore every year from the state budget funds are allocated for their maintenance. What is a reserve and national parks can be understood on the basis of the main tasks that they perform. So, the objectives of the reserve are:

• Taking all necessary measures to preserve and enhance the biological diversity of protected natural complexes, keeping them in a natural state in protected areas;
• Carrying out research work;
• Carrying out of ecological monitoring, and also realization of ecological education of the population;
• Assistance in the training of specialists in the field of environmental protection;
• Participation in environmental expert examination when designing the location of economic and other activities.

The territories of Russian nature reserves exclude the use of mineral resources, water, plants and animal hunting, as they have special value for world science. They are specimens of wildlife typical of a particular region, and contribute to the conservation of the genetic stock of rare representatives of flora and fauna.

The main tasks of national parks

The main tasks of national parks are:

• Preservation of the integrity and uniqueness of natural sites and historical and cultural sites located within their borders;
• Restoration of disturbed historical, cultural and natural objects;
• Creation of optimal conditions for regulated tourism and cultural recreation for citizens;
• Practical use of new scientific methods in the field of nature protection;
• Ecological education.

Reserves and national parks are objects of federal significance financed from funds allocated from the federal budget.

Natural Parks

What is the reserve and national parks is understandable. And how do the so-called natural parks differ from them? The fact is that they are similar in their status and tasks to national ones. The main difference is that they do not have the status of federal significance and are under the jurisdiction of the republic, the province or the region in which they are located. Accordingly, funding is provided from the local budget. For example, in the Urals "Taganay" is a national park, and "Chusovaya River" and "Oleny Ruchi" are already unique nature parks.

National parks of Russia

Currently, there are more than 40 national parks in Russia, each of which has special natural attractions, be it animals, birds, unique plants or historical real estate.

The number of national parks is rightfully owned by the North-West Federal District of Russia, especially in Karelia and the Arkhangelsk Region. There are unique parks here: Vodlozersky, Kenozersky, Kalevala, "Russian Arctic", "Curonian Spit", Valdai and many others.

Reserves and national parks of the world

More than 38 reserves occupy vast, multi-kilometer territories of Russia. These include: Altai, Baikal, Bashkir, Barguzin, Darwin, Zavidovsky, Kandalaksha, Ilmensky, Komsomolsky, Kedrovaya Pad, Kronotsky, Pechoro-Ilych, Sayano-Shushensky, Caucasian and many others.

Among them there are nature reserves and national parks of the tundra: Kandalaksha, Pechoro-Ilych, Taimyr, Great Arctic, Yugyd Va, Lapland, Wrangel Island. Scientists are studying the typical tundra ecological systems, as well as observation of rare birds (polar owl, white partridge, peregrine falcon), a unique population of wild reindeer, Arctic fox and representatives of aquatic fauna (whitefish, salmon, etc.).

In Siberia, the tundra stretches along a narrow coastal strip and reaches a maximum width of 500 km (from the northeast of Russia to the south, to the northern part of Kamchatka). The greater northern part of Sweden is also occupied by the tundra belt of Swedish Lapland. Small areas of the tundra are found in the territories of Finland, Norway, Iceland. Therefore, controlled environmental objects were also created here.

Famous nature reserves and national parks of the world that protect the flora and fauna of tundra ecosystems: Urho-Kekkonen and Lemmenjoki, owned by Finland; "Abisku", referring to Sweden; The Norwegian Hardangervidda.