Pearls of nature

Khoper Reserve

Khoper State Natural Reserve

Khoper Reserve was founded in 1935.

Its territory occupies 16 178 hectares.

It is located in flood-lands of the Khoper river.

Flora

The basic zonal types of vegetative cover of the reserve are deciduous woods: oak woods with a touch of others broadleaf breeds - alder, poplar, elm and pine.

The other type of zonal vegetation is represented by meadows and meadow steppes. The meadows of the reserve are met on the plateau and referred to cereal-grassy meadows with wild strawberry, meadow sweet, fescue. A peculiar type of vegetation is represented by steppe cereals, cornflower, alyssum, feather-grass, blackthorn, cherry.

Fauna

The fauna of the reserve in general corresponds with its location in a forest-steppe zone and prevalence of wood-covered area. Mice preserve high number of population and big variety among mammals, field-voles are especially numerous.

The most typical game animals of the reserve are: elks, wild boars, badgers, martens, hares, squirrels. Foxes, ermines, weasels, roe deer and lynxes are less numerous. Wolves also regularly come to the territory of the reserve. Minks, musk-rats, desmans, beavers and raccoon dogs are met in flood-lands of the Khoper.

About 80% of avifauna of Voronezhskaya Oblast is found in the reserve. The most part of them live in the territory or along the borders of the reserve seasonally or constantly. The fauna of amphibious and reptiles in the reserve is rather poor, and the number of populations of these species of vertebrates is low. Vipers represent the greatest interest among this group.

Address: Varvino Post-Office, Novokhopersky Region, Voronezhskaya Oblast, Russia, 397418.

E-mail: nvpzap@icmail.ru