The Visherskiy reserve

The state reserve was created in 1991. It is situated in the northern-eastern part of the Perm region. Along the southern border a conservation zone runs, the area of which accounts for about 60,000 ha.

The most common feature of the region relief is the fact that it is much higher than the other parts of the Vishersko-Tchusovskoy region of the Ural (the photo - Murovyiniy Kamen).

Mountains with ridges are situated strictly from north to south. There are up to three ridges: western, central and eastern ones.

The most vivid ridges are the western ones where the highest peak of the Perm region Tulimskiy Kamen (1,469 m) is situated (photo). 

From the north-east to the south-west the relief steadily becomes lower. Steep slopes occur near the Vishera River. Usually they are at right angles to the river and look like bare “stones”. The other slopes of the ridges are flat (5 - 18°). At humid zones upland swamps are situated.

The rivers may be classified as mountain ones due to their main features such as rapid current, presence of rifts and rapids, beds covered with big stones. Height amplitude between beds of these river valleys and mountain ranges reaches 800 – 1,000 m (Yastrebov, 1959). Basically the rivers are melt water-fed ones (more than 50% of the water is melt water). The main water-way is the Vishera River that is one of the largest tributaries of the Kama River. More than 50 rivers flow into the Vishera River, the larges ones are Moyva, Lopya, Muravey, Niols.

According to climate classification (Berg, 1948) this area is attributed to cold, sufficiently humid region. Vegetation period is shortened to 150-140 days, frost-free period lasts for 80-30 days but there is a possibility of light morning/night frosts in any summer month. Distinguishing feature of the climate is temperature inversion that occurs due to weakened air change and severe topography. Temperature inversion is connected to mists that are common during cold period that lasts up to 195 days a year (Chicishev, 1966).

This area is attributed to the region of heavy-textured loamy-podzol, sod-podzol and water-logged soils of western foothills and to the Ural mountain region of mountain and forest and of mountain and meadow lithic soils (Korotayev, 1962).
Vegetation of the reserve is different in different altitudinal belts. There are 4 belts at the western macromountainside of the Northern Ural (Gorchakovskiy, 1975; Chikichev, 1966; Ovesnov, 1952).

Mountainandforestbelt. Dark coniferous taiga is represented by spruce abietic and spruce forests of the northern taiga type with developed moss layer and significant presence of ferns. Flat descents are usually covered with spruce forests. On the mountain sides where conditions are better spruce abietic and fir forests grow (photo – Gorelaya bald mountain).
In intermontane lowlands haircap-moss spruce forest and grass-moss spruce swamp-subors grow.
Cedar (Siberian cedar) grows everywhere but is more common at the bottom of slopes with water-logged soil or at rocky tops but only as impurity in timber stand. There are no pure cedar forests.

Beyond 500 - 600 m mountain and forest belt is followed by subalpine (goltsy altitudinal) belt. Forests of this belt are undersized but quite variegated according to timber stand composition and ground cover. To the west from watershed line fir-spruce wood-meadows and fir forests are situated on the topes and cedar forests – on rocky steep slopes.  At Tulimskiy Kamen crooked forest grows at the height up to 800-900 m, predominating wood species is birch. Larch and cedar are scarce, their height attain 10-13 m (Glavatskiy, Lutin, 1966).

Open woodland is characterized by developed grass cover and is often interrupted with meadow clearings.

Orohylile meadows both humid and mesophilic are usually represented by formations of tall grass and miscellaneous herbs. At humid orohylile meadows miscellaneous herbs grow and at mesophilic ones - short grasses and phytocenosis. At the bottom of mountainsides the most valuable, humid orohylile meadows are situated. At the slopes foots and in large rivers valleys tall grass humid meadows with vigorous grass stand are situated. In grass stand Umbelliferae ((Angelica silvestris) wild angelica, garden angelica, Angelica officinalis) predominate, Gramineae (baldingera grass), tall miscellaneous herbs (Geranium sylvaticum, bistort, lady's-mantle) are also common. Meadows of lady's-mantle are widespread and occupy small areas situated along rivulets. Gramineous tall grass meadows are divided into ribbon grass, reedgrass, and foxtail grass ones and others.  

Lime grass meadows with lime grass (Deschampsia caespitosa) predominance are situated in small areas in the very north of the region at Visherskiy Kamen and Lopyinskiy Kamen (Ovesnov, 1952).

Above humid orohylile meadows on the middle and upper parts of slopes natural (mesophilic) meadows, the most widespread in mountains, are situated. They are: tall grass and short grasses ones with Gramineae motley grass composition.
The most widespread among short grass meadows are sweet-scented spicates situated on slopes of 15 ° steepness and rank loamy soils. Grass stand is shorter, thinned with pieces of moss.

Orohylile meadows are represented in the best way in the Oshe-nyer, Sampal- Chahl, Oyka-Chahl mountains, on Lopyinskiy Kamen and on branches of the Ishim Mount. Species composition of orohylile meadows grass stand is lean (Ovesnov, 1952).  
Mountainandtundra (Alpine) belt. Steepslopes of Alpine belt are occupied by rocky mountain tundras. They are particularly common for Ishim Mount. There are no true soils, only in stones cracks there is melkozem in small amounts. Bushes are very rare in the region, among them is hoary alyssum. Grass and suffruticous layer is very weak. In places covered with melkozem one can find singletons of blueberry, crowberry androgynous, Permian anemone and some other species. Rocks are covered with moss and lichen.

On sloping saddle sides and on small terraced spurs of Ishim and Oyka-Chakur Mounts subshrub mossy tundras are situated.

Among mountain tundras cryophile lawns are distinguish due to picturesque flowering plants mat. Gorchakovskiy P.L. points out presence of buttercup lawns at Oyka-Chakur Mount and lady's-mantle ones at Ishim Mount. There such flowering plants as Myosotis Asiatic, snakeweed, snowdon rose, Geranium albiflorous, saxifrage dotted, blooming sally (Epilobium angustifolium), willow herb etc. grow ( Gorchakovskiy, 1975).

In frigid loach desert belt (above 800 - 900 m) tophaceous alluvial deposits and rocky butte are common. Climatic conditions are severe in the region,  cover is meagre and thinned. Rocks are covered only with moss and lichen.  In the bottom crustose lichen can be found followed by foliose and fruticose ones. Moss grows after lichen on fossil thallomes. Species composition of lichen and moss depends significantly on chemical composition of rock on which they grow and on latitudeof the area. In cracks between rocks covered with melkozem some species of fern and club-moss exist. Flowering plants are not numerous.

Fauna of the reserve is multifarious due to representatives of European and Siberian fauna. Elk, bear, sable, marten, two species of mink, squirrel and chipmunk are common here. Even beaver goes up-stream of the Vishera River.

Small mammals are represented by insectivores and rodents. Among the latter red-backed mouse, northern red-backed vole, meadow mouse (field vole and root vole) and gray lemming predominate.

Sallinaceous birds such as hazelhen, capercaillie, rock ptarmigan and white grouse are common.

Amphibians and reptiles are rare, brown frog, common toad and common lizard can be found.

Typical inhabitants of the reserve are  golden plover, common dotterel, Lapland bunting, grosbeak and other birds.

Among terrestrial animals there are a lot of Siberian species such as  northern red-backed vole, even-toothed shrew, bluetail, there are a lot of Siberian species: Clethrionomys rutilus and Clethrionomys rufocanus, large-toothed redback vole, rubythroat, black-throated thrush, yellow-browed warbler, gray-headed chickadee etc.

Golden eagle, fish hawk, loosestrife, white grouse are included on the Red Book of Russia and Ural.

The most typical fish species are grayling and taimen. The latter is also included on the Red Book.

Voronov A.G., Shepel A.I.