Nature
The Republic of Komi is a unique land with large areas of untouched woods, swaps, rivers, inhabited by hundreds species of animals and plants (including those with special healing qualities).
The Republic is located in the far northwest of the European part of the Russian Federation in scopes of the Pechora and the Mezen-Vychegodsk lowlands, the Middle and Southern Timan, the west slopes of the Ural mountains (The Northern, Polar Urals).
72.7% of the whole territory of the republic is occupied by woods and shrubs, 9.8% - swaps, 9.5% - tundra (treeless deer pastures), 1.5% - water, 1.1% - agricultural lands and 5.7% of others.
Vegetation of the Komi Republic is notable for its diversity and originality. Its distribution depends on the zonal changes and in the Urals –high-altitude zone. Tundra is located in the far northeast of the Republic, forest-tundra changes from central part to the woods territories in the south. 2% of the republican land belongs to tundra, nearly 8.1% to forest-tundra, 89% to taiga and less then 1% to meadows.
Forest in the region acts as a nature forming factor and gives different types of useful products. Woods near tundra, watersheds, and windbreaks also have a specific biospheric value in the climate regulation. It is not a surprise to meet certain massifs of dark coniferous forests formed several million years ago. They include unique tree stands as well as healing and decorative plants.
Total area of the forest fund numbers 39m ha, among them 28.6m ha is the property of the Federal Agency of forestry. The rest of the territory constitutes the part of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve. Total reserves of timber are about 2.8 bln m³. But its major part can’t be considered as operational due to its location on the protected territories.
3.2m ha are occupied by swaps. Each natural sub-zone is related to a particular kind of swaps. Basic types are hilly, upper, transitional, sphagnous and flood-plain.
In the north Urals 32 800km² are covered with virgin forests of the unique territory of the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve. In 1985 mentioned Reserve was granted a “biospheric” status, 10 years later the UNESCO included the Nature Reserve and the National Park “Yugyd Va” (united under the title “Virgin woods of Komi”) as objects into the list of world cultural and natural heritage. Total area of the Reserve accounts about 3.3m ha, giving a rank of the largest protected territory in Europe. Mountain and flat landscapes, exemplary old untouched woods, diverse flora and fauna of European and Siberia species harmonize with each other perfectly in this place.
The Nature Reserve is well known for few facts: organization of the first in the world elk-farm; rehabilitation of the beaver population, exterminated here in the end of the XIX century; acclimatization of the North American fauna representatives – American mink and muskrat.
Mammals number here approximately 50 species: elk, north deer (wild deer is very rare for meeting due to the hunting extermination in taiga and increase of domestic deer population), bear, wolf, ermine, wild boar, wolverine, badger, sable, marten, weasel, chipmunk, squirrel and coypu.
Avifauna is represented by more than 200 species: capercailzie, black grouse, hazel grouse, peregrine, Eurasian crane, nightingale, swan and duck. Woods are also inhabited with a great amount of owls (eagle-owl, wood owl, great grey owl, short-eared owl). The Red Data Book of the Russian Federation includes white-tailed eagle, osprey and golden eagle which build their eyrie within the Komi territory.
Rivers are relatively shallow and rapid, it conditions a peculiarity of local fish species composition (salmon, grayling, zobel, common rudd, ziege, sander, bullhead, etc). Such species as European perch, northern pike, ide, rutilus prefer quite lowland rivers.
Salmon inhabits sea waters. The Pechora River is the one in Europe where wild population of this fish spawns; it is astonishing due to the fact that this species usually spawns in its birth places. Main places of habitation lay in the headstream of the Pechora, the Unja and mountainous areas of the Ilych. Salmon needs to overcome 2000 km of the river way to get there.
Bioclimatic resources of the Komi Republic allow organizing intensive agriculture, reindeer breeding in the south of the Republic. Economic activity is mostly related o the forestry also due to its reserves amount (2.8mlrd m³).The most serious obstacle for the development is a low ecological capacity of natural complexes, especially in the north. The major part of the Republic plays a role of an ecological reserve maintaining gene pool of tundra and taiga. The Government holds an active state policy aimed at preserving and reproduction of natural potential, especially resources of life-sustenance: land, water, fish, flora, etc.
The Republic of Komi possesses a huge potential for tourism development. Natural complexes of our territory are of interest for recreational use (leisure, healing and tourism).