jump to the content
Advanced search

Steppe and Lakes of North Kazakhstan

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Kazakhstan (Asia and the Pacific)

Date of Submission: 06/02/2002
Criteria: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x)
Category: Natural
Submission prepared by:
Delegation Permanente de la Republique du Kazakhstan aupres de l'UNESCO
Coordinates:
(for full goegraphic information see description)Naurzum State Nature Reserve:N-W 51056’00’’ N, 63057’00’’ EKorgalzhinskiy SNR:50°10 -50°43' N, 68°38' -69°41' ESary-Kopinskiy:N-W 52°26’00’’ N, 64°00’00’’ E
Ref.: 1680

Description

Geographical location:

Three clusters:

1) Naurzum State Nature Reserve – NSNR (Naurzum and Auliekolsk regions of Kostanai Province,) consisting of Naurzum, Tersek and Sipsin, is located within the following geographical co-ordinates.

N-W 51056’00’’ north and 63057’00’’ east

S-W 51029’30’’ north and 630 43’00’’ east

N-E 51044’25’’ north and 64036’35’’ east

S-W 51018’40’’ north and 640 28’30’’ east

Around the reserved territory there is established a 2 km buffer zone with a total area of 1165,5 km2.



2) Korgalzhinskiy State Nature Reserve – KSNR (Korgalzhinsk and Egindikolsk regions of Akmola Province, Nurinsk region of Karaganda Province) is located within the following geographical coordinates:

50°10' - 50°43' north

68°38' - 69°41' east

Around the reserved territory there was established a 2 km buffer zone with a total area of 944,21 km2.



3) Sary-Kopinskiy Wildlife Reserve of nationwide significance (Kostanai Province, Dzhandeldinsk region) is under the supervision and day-to-day management of NSNR:

N-W 52026’00’’ north and 64000’00’’ east

S-W 49058’00’’ north and 63047’30’’ east

N-E 52026’30’’ north and 64028’00’’ east

S-E 50000’00’’ north and 64005’00’’ east



Description:

In global aspect steppe can be considered as an endangered biome of our planet. In Kazakhstan the steppe zone occupies 44% of the republic’s territory. All embracing land-reclamations of 1950s-1960s in Kazakhstan - not in Ukraine or Russia - where natural steppe biomes with an unique flora and fauna. The nominated territory includes valuable parts of natural steppe types, which can be found in Kazakhstan (9 steppe communities represented by a great number of plant associations). The steppe ecosystem serves as habitat of widely spread and rare species of steppe animals, e.g. for instance little bustard (Otis tetrax), sociable plover (Chettusia gregaria), demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo), steppe eagle (Aquila rapax), pale harrier (Circus macrourus) and other animals including rare invertebrate species.

They present the unique natural phenomenon of deep penetration of pine forests to the territories where the semi-desert zone appears. In addition to botanical interest and esthetical significance, they are very important for the conservation of populations of rare predatory birds, among which there is the biggest population of imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) (more than 30 nestling pairs), as well as, the stable populations of saker falcon (Falco cherrug), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and golden eagle (Aquila shrysaetos) found on the territory of the site.

The cluster KSNR of the nominated territory is located within the boundaries of Kazakh Rolling Hills, which is situated in the centre of Eurasia. A geographical position like this determines a large number of unique and incomparable characteristic features of the property, i.e.:

·   presence of lakes with no outflow in a semi-arid area;

·   presence of wetlands located at the cross roads of Central-Asian and Siberian-South-European flyways of migrant birds;

·   development a biome dominated by perennial grasses (combination of steppe, meadow and water communities);

·   high concentration of numerous representatives of particularly rare and endangered species of avifauna.

A considerable part of the nominated territory is covered by a system of fresh and salt water lakes located on the great Turgai flyway of aquatic birds (migration of waterfowls from a vast territory (from Scandinavia to Taimir Peninsula) to the places of wintering and spring migrations to the nesting sites), including such rare and endangered species, as Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus), red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis), lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus). In rainy years, when the lake systems are filled with water, a great number of waterfowl is nesting in this area, including rare species, as Roseate Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Whooper Swan (Cygnus Cygnus), Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), White-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), Black-headed Gull (Larus ichthyaetus), etc..



Within the property there are found the most extensive water areas of steppe zone - Tengiz-Korgalzhinsk Lakes (with a total area of 2600 km2) and Naurzumsko-Sarikopinsk (with a total area of 1222 km2) Lakes. Being at the cross point of Central-Asian and Siberian-South-European flyways of migrant birds the lakes are of wetlands of international significance. In October 1976 Tengiz-Korgalzhinsk Lakes was included into the RAMSAR Convention list of Wetlands with international significance.



Along the above mentioned flyways the sites of the nominated territory are outstanding. Only the food resources of Tengiz Lake are able to supply food to 15-16 million birds. Here one can find the most northern nesting place of the Greater Flamingo in the world. The water birds of the Tengiz-Korgalzhin Lakes numbers 112 species. They sum up to a total of up to 350.000 nesting birds. In the NSNR 110 nesting bird species make up a total of 250.000 birds Naurzum - Sarikopa Lakes.