On October 16, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Two new local significance nature reserves will appear in the Vitebsk region in the near future, Zhanna Aleinikova, Head of the State Control Department for the Protection and Use of Land, Forests, Fauna and Flora, Specially Protected Territories, and Waste Management of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, told a BELTA correspondent.
Based on surveys conducted by scientists of Vitebsk State University named after P. Masherov, the status of nature reserves is planned to be granted by decisions of local executive committees in the Sennensky district to a part of the floodplain of the Dobrinka River, and in the Ushachsky district - to the Ushacha River valley. The uniqueness of the future nature reserves lies in the fact that rare and endangered plant species grow there. For example, in the Ushacha River valley, huge thickets of the protected valuable food and medicinal plant - bear onion, more commonly known as wild garlic, have been discovered. Here, according to scientists, the largest population of Pulsatilla patens, listed in the Red Book, in the Belarusian Poozerye region has also been identified. In addition, here grow Campanula latifolia, Huperzia selago, and Agrimonia eupatoria - protected species. Two more species requiring preventive protection have been discovered: Hepatica nobilis and Lathyrus laevigatus. The rare species for Poozerye - Euonymus europaeus - grows here in large quantities. The presence of three species of ground beetles listed in the Red Book of Belarus has also been noted: Carabus intricatus, Carabus cancellatus, and Carabus splendens.
Currently, in the Postavsky district, the Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is carrying out the first stage of work on surveying the territory bordering the "Adutiškis" nature reserve operating in Lithuania. The work is planned to be completed in 2013. If a decision on the creation of a nature reserve is made, it could become a transboundary protected natural area.
In addition to exploring new territories, scientists conducted a survey of existing specially protected areas in five districts of the region - Verkhnedvinsk, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Sennno, and Ushachi. Based on the results of field research, it was proposed to transform and abolish about a dozen заказники (nature reserves) in the Vitebsk, Gorodok, and Sennno districts. As Zhanna Aleinikova explained, these territories had not been surveyed for almost 20 years, and natural processes of landscape change, overgrowth, or waterlogging had occurred in these areas, affecting the natural communities. In 2013, the survey of local заказники (nature reserves) will continue. The work will be carried out in Glubokoe, Dokshitsy, and Lepel districts.
Currently, the Vitebsk region hosts the "Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve" (area within the Vitebsk region is 62,370 ha), two national parks - "Braslav Lakes" (71,490 ha) and "Narochansky" (in the Postavy district of the Vitebsk region, area is 1,090 ha), 22 republican заказники (nature reserves) (166,070 ha), 76 republican monuments (570 ha), 63 local заказники (nature reserves) and 165 local nature monuments. The total area of specially protected territories in the Vitebsk region is 354,460 ha, which corresponds to 8.8% of the region's area.
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