Reserves
The flora of Kyrgyzstan includes many different types of medicinal herbs,
such as: ephedra, plantain, milfoil, sage, dog-rose, dushitsa,
wormwort — and many others.
NATIONAL PARKS etc.
To help preserve the priceless, pristine, virgin, natural resources that
it possesses, Kyrgyzstan has a total of 83 specially protected
natural territories, with a total area of 761300 hectares, which
is almost 4% of Kyrgyzstan’s total land area. Perhaps, the most famous
of these specially protected regions is Ala Archa — just outside Bishkek.
NATIONAL PARKS — One of the main tasks of the National Parks is to organize
tourism that is not harmful to the nature.
Ala-Archa - National park, 40 km south of Bishkek, was created
in 1976 by Government decree and occupies about 120,000 hectares. With snow-covered
peaks, steep forested slopes, picturesque water meadows of the fast-flowing,
noisy Ala-Archa river. The National Park extends 15 km along the
canyon with altitudes ranging from 1500m to 2240m.
There are basic shelters scattered throughout the park but the best way to
enjoy the area is to bring your own tent and supplies.
The national park has is rich in flora and fauna - with over 800 species
of plants and about 170 specials of animals. It has Marco Polo sheep, wolves,
bears, lynx, boar, eagles, and snow leopards.
In the park you can find a small Nature museum.
In the park the following are prohibited: fishing; hunting; picking berries,
flowers and medicinal herbs; catching butterflies and other insects and visiting
with dogs.
Parking is only permitted on the specially designated car parks or on the
roadsides. Drivers are asked not to drive over the grass or amongst shrubs
or forested areas. Fires (for Shashlik or barbarques) are permitted only
in specially designated areas. Smokers are asked not to drop cigarette butts
because of the risk of fire. All visitors are asked to help keep the park
clean - and to put their garbage in bags and leave it in a litterbin.
Chong-Kemin — founded in 1997 in the Chong-Kemin river valley
and included almost all the forest farms of the Kemin district.
The park’s main task is to preserve the unique landscapes with their
diversity of fauna and flora.
Natural Parks — formed to preserve the natural
environment of the area whilst making it available for recreational
activities.
Karakol — founded in 1997, with a total area
of 38,256 hectares including 4767 hectares of forests.
Kyrgyz Ata — founded in 1992, with 1,172 hectares
to preserve the local, natural archa forest
Besh Tash — established in 1996 with 32411 hectares
Kara-Shoro — established in 1996 with 8,450
hectares
RESERVES — These regions are completely exempted
from economic activity, including fishing, hunting, picking wild
plants. One of the essential tasks of the reserves is to educate
and enlighten the population about the ecological care within this
territory.
The Issyk-Kul state preserve was founded in
1948 with the aim of preserving the habitat of waterfowl which
winter in the region around lake Issyk-Kul. It has an international
importance, and occupies some 19,000 hectares.
The Naryn state reserve was founded in 1983 and coniferous
forests, alpine meadows, and other ecosystems are protected by
it.
Besh-Aral. The Besh-Aral Zapovednik (Bio-diversity Reserve)
is situated in the Chatkal Valley of the Jalal-Abad Oblast 340 km from
Jalal Abad the oblast centre and 25 km from Kanysh-Kiya the Chatkal Rayon
centre. It represents a mountain region with undisturbed wild landscapes,
turbulent rivers, picturesque alpine meadows and clear mountain air, and
a great diversity of plants and animals.
The Reserve (with a total area of 63200 hectares) was created to
preserve the habitat and to restore the populations of several endangered
species found in the Western Tien Shan. In particular the Menzbir«s marmot
and the Kauffmann and Greig tulips. There is a wide variety of both plants
and animals, due to the different reliefs, remoteness and difficult access.
(Although an ancient link of the Silk Road passed through the Chatkal valley,
access is over either the Kara-Buura pass (3305 m), or the Chapchim pass
(2841 m) by gravel roads that are often impassable during winter and spring.
The reserve occupies the mountain slopes of the western end of Chatkal
valley that includes a number of landscape types — meadow-steppe, alpine-meadow-steppe,
high mountain-steppe, mountain coniferous forest, and mountain deciduous
forest. It is host to three state forests : the Ken-Bulun, Barkyrak and
Arab forests.
Deciduous forests comprise trees such as walnut, apple, pear, almond,
maple, hawthorn and also an undergrowth of shrubs such as honeysuckle,
cotoneaster, Meyer"s currant, laxative buckthorn, spirea and dog rose
to mention only a few. Woodlands of poplar, birch and willow are found
on the floodplain along the river valleys, with an undergrowth of sea buckthorn,
honeysuckle, willow, cotoneaster, dog rose, and the dove-coloured blackberry.
Amongst the herbs growing here are liquorice, yarrow, St. John»s wort, and
many grasses.
The mountain coniferous forests comprise stands of juniper on the
North facing slopes at elevations of 1700 to 3000m with trees between
4 and 7 m. high, and also spruce, with an undergrowth of mainly honeysuckle,
barberry, spirea and dog rose. Meadow-steppe species grow in the open
areas; and shade-loving forest grasses and mosses under the juniper trees.
In the Soviet period the reserve was important for livestock breeding
with large numbers of cattle were summered on the high pastures and for
haymaking. The decline in the number of sheep grazing here since the fall
of the USSR has been instrumental in the restoration of the biodiversity
and the recovery in numbers of Menzbir"s marmot. Agriculture has not recovered
since the demise of the Union — although fruit trees are reported to give
good yields. The major areas of walnut and other fruit trees are in the
western end of the Chatkal Valley, which is accessible only by horseback.
The Sary-Chelek biospherical reserve occupying some 23868
hectares, was founded in 1959 with the purpose of preserving the
forests and mountain landscapes that surround lake Sary-Chelek.
The Karatal-Japaryk reserve was founded in 1995
in the forest regions of the northern hills of the Kargo mountains
. It consists of two small areas — the northern part and the southern
part — and occupies some 72,000 hectares.
