Khingan Nature Reserve
| Khingan Nature Reserve | |
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Russian: Хинганский заповедник (Also: Khingansky) |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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Khingan Zapovednik, forest sector in winter
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| Location | Amur Oblast |
| Nearest city | Arkhara |
| Coordinates | 49°1′1″N 130°26′49″E / 49.01694°N 130.44694°ECoordinates: 49°1′1″N 130°26′49″E / 49.01694°N 130.44694°E |
| Area | 93,995 hectares (232,270 acres) |
| Established | 1963 |
| Governing body | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia) |
| Website | http://www.khingan.ru/ |
Khingan Nature Reserve (Russian: Хинганский заповедник) (also Khingansky) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve), located in the extreme south-east of the Amur River region of the Russian Far East. The reserve covers two types of habitat: the flat Arkharinskaya lowlands with abundant wetlands, and forested spurs of the Lesser Hinggan mountains. In particular, Khingan Reserve was created to protect steppe and forest-steppe landscapes, and nesting sites of the endangered Red-crowned crane (Ussuri crane) and the vulnerable White-naped crane. The reserve is situated in the Arkharinsky District of Amur Oblast.
The Khingan Nature reserve is divided into two separate sections, one on the Amur-Zeya-Bureya intermountain plains (about 70% of the area), and one in the low rugged hills of the left bank of the Amur River (70% of the area). The lowlands are Quaternary lakes and rivers of alluvial and sedimentary rocks. The mountain section averages 200–400 meters in height, with the highest point (Mount Erakticha) being 504 meters in altitude.
Khingan is located in the 'Amur meadow steppe ecoregion. This is a low-lying fertile floodplain, with patches of deciduous subtaiga forests. Situated in the middle Amur River in the Russian Far East, and northeast China, trees are generally found only in the upland areas, due to the frequent flooding of the plains. Species endemism is low, in part because the area was not glaciated in the latest Ice Age.
The climate of Khingan is Humid Continental Climate (Köppen climate classification (Dwb)). High variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with dry winters and cool summers. January has an average temperature -27 C. July averages +21 C.
The vegetation and animals of the Khingan Reserve is marked by the interpenetration of different floristic groups, with a wide variety of growing conditions and microclimate, in the intersection of plains grassland, wetlands (including sphagnum bogs), and larch and cedar-broad-leaf forest habitats. The plains section of the reserve exhibit Far Eastern forest-steppe type terrain, typically sedge, reed grass, and mixed grass meadows interspersed with islands of birch forest. The mountainous section exhibits Far East broad-leaf forest terrain.
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Wikipedia