Belogorye Nature Reserve
| Belogorye Nature Reserve | |
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Russian: Белогорье заповедник (Also: Belogor'e) |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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Belogorye Zapovednik
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| Location | Belgorod Oblast |
| Nearest city | Belgorod |
| Coordinates | 50°37′12″N 35°58′12″E / 50.62000°N 35.97000°ECoordinates: 50°37′12″N 35°58′12″E / 50.62000°N 35.97000°E |
| Area | 2,131 hectares (5,270 acres) |
| Established | 1935 |
| Governing body | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia) |
| Website | http://www.zapovednik-belogorye.ru/ |
Belogorye Nature Reserve (Russian: Белогорье заповедник) (also Belogor'e) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve), one of the last intact riverine old-growth oak forests (some oaks being over 300 years old), which was once representative of the East European forest-steppe. The reserve is one of the oldest and smallest nature reserves in Russia, first formed in 1924 but reorganized several times since. It is on the southwestern slope of the Central Hills on the western edge of Russia. The reserve is situated in the Belgorodsky District of Belgorod Oblast. The reserve was created in 1935, and covers an area of 2,131 ha (8.23 sq mi).
The Belogorye Reserve is actually a collection of five separate sectors that are 10 to 75 km apart. The western two are in the basin of the Dnieper River, the other two in the basin of the Don River.
The overall clusters is on the southwestern edge of the Central Highlands, about 650 km south of Moscow, with two of the sectors are about 15 km from the border with Ukraine.
The terrain sits on Cretaceous deposits of limestone; the resulting karst topography is one of ravines, hills, and underground caves which appear as "steppe saucers" on the surface. Elevations range between 100 meters to 230 meters above sea level.
Belogorye is located in the East European Forest steppe ecoregion, a transition zone between the broadleaf forests of the north and the grasslands to the south.. This ecoregion is characterized by a mosaic of forests, steppe, and riverine wetlands. The average temperature in January +8.1 C, and in July +19.9 C.
The climate of Belogorye is Humid continental climate, cool summer (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnially and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.
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Wikipedia