The majestic Sary-Kum and the Caucasus Mountains, "holding the sky", ghost villages and the deepest Sulak canyon, unique waterfalls and beautiful nature - this is all Dagestan, a region whose name is translated as "country of mountains". What is surprising, since the mountains occupy hardly 40% of the entire territory of the republic. The rest of the area is plains.
Dagestan comfortably stretches along the coast of the Caspian Sea. In the south of the country, the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains rise, in the north, the Caspian lowland begins its run. In the center of the republic there is a land of foothills with an abundance of rivers and lakes. Such a diverse landscape, the proximity of the sea and endowed this region with a particularly beautiful nature, diverse flora and fauna.
Flora of Dagestan
Dagestan covers several natural zones at once, located in a natural order from north to south. The northern plains occupy almost 43% of the territory. Mostly semi-desert plants grow here. Further south begins the kingdom of the foothills with its meadows and forests, which is replaced closer to the south by the alpine highlands. And on the very peaks of the mountains, there are also frost-resistant plants characteristic of the tundra zone. Therefore, it is more convenient to present the picture of the flora of Dagestan gradually - moving from north to south, from semi-deserts to alpine meadows.
In total, there are over 4,500 plant species in this region, of which more than 1,000 are endemic.
The plains in Dagestan are expanses of arable land. Almost the entire territory of the region has been plowed up and given over to the needs of Agriculture. Therefore, cultivated plantings prevail here: wheat, rice, barley, melons and watermelons. Pears, cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, several types of nuts grow in the gardens. Vineyards wrap the hillsides in a dense network. The vineyards near Kizlyar and Makhachkala are especially famous. Potatoes, carrots, several types of cabbage are also cultivated here.
In the foothill area begins a strip of meadows and forests. On the slopes of the Andean Range and Salatau, you can find birch forests, thickets of oaks, hornbeams. Beech and hornbeam forests grow from the south. Birch trees appear a little higher in the mountains. And in those areas of forests that were cut down, thickets of aspen, alder, yellow rhododendrons are now being planted. At the foot of the Daradinsky plateau you can see pine forests. A little to the east, closer to Chiragchay, there are magnificent lindens.
The subalpine meadows of Dagestan begin in the mountains, approximately from a height of 1800 m. These are expanses of lush vegetation and high forbs: cuffs, clover, astragalus, pink rhododendrons, blue gentians, blue scabioses - literally carpets line the slopes of the mountains.
Even further south and higher, from a height of 2400 m, the belt of alpine meadows begins. The world of flora is poorer here, and the grasses are no longer so tall. And finally, on the very peaks of the mountains, cold-resistant plants, mosses and lichens predominate.
At present, over 70 nature reserves, sanctuaries and specially protected areas are located on the territory of the republic, the total area of which is over 600 thousand hectares. Every effort is made to preserve the natural areas of the region rich in endemic plants and animals.
Fauna of Dagestan
The fauna of Dagestan is quite diverse, and, like the flora, it is clearly divided into zones. Since the flat territories are inhabited by humans, animals are also found here, mainly domestic: fat herds of rams and sheep roam from place to place all year round, choosing pastures thicker and richer. By the way, in terms of the number of sheep per capita, Dagestan is one of the three most prosperous regions of our country. Cows and bulls, horses, donkeys, goats are bred in Dagestan. Many types of poultry: chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys.
Wild animals have chosen for themselves forests and mountainous areas. It is here that you can meet Dagestan endemics: bearded goats, Caucasian deer, Dagestan turs and Caucasian leopards. Dark brown bears live in forests and foothills.
Caucasian otters live in the river valleys, and giant mole rats are found. And high in the mountains, several individuals of leopards still roam.
The avifauna is richly represented in the republic: eagles, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, kites, griffon vultures, vultures soar above the mountains. Stone partridges, snowcocks, Caucasian black grouse nest on the slopes of the mountains. On the rivers there are waterfowl: woodcocks, gulls, ducks, mallards.
Lizards and snakes are found in forests, foothills and river valleys. Gyurza is considered especially dangerous and poisonous. Trout, sturgeon, and beluga are caught in mountain rivers and on the coast.
If we turn to the numbers, then Dagestan is confidently among the leaders in terms of the number and diversity of animals represented in the region. Of the mammals, biologists counted 89 species here, reptiles - 49 species, and birds - over 300 species. Many local animals are listed in the Red Book: the Radde shrew, small mole, steppe polecats, ermines, Caucasian leopards, chamois and forest cats.
Climate in Dagestan
The climate in Dagestan is usually classified as a temperate continental type. In the mountains it is softer, warmer, summers are hot, and winters are snowy and not as frosty as on the plains. In the north, where the plains dominate, it is much colder in winter (it happens that temperatures drop to -40 ° C) and signs of "continentality" are more felt: large annual temperature fluctuations, little snow and somewhat prolonged winters, hot summer months.
But along the coast of the Caspian Sea, the climate is increasingly reminiscent of the subtropics: wet summers, warm winters and lush springs. Autumn begins in these areas quite late, since the velvet season dominates almost until mid-October.
The book discusses the significance, systematic groups of the animal world of Dagestan, its distribution in individual landscapes, rare species of animals, their diversity.
For students of biological, geographical, environmental specialties of universities and school teachers. May be useful for nature lovers and the general public.
I express my gratitude to the outstanding organizer and leader of the hydropower industry, prominent public and political figure of Dagestan Gamzat Magomedovich Gamzatov for his help in publishing this book.
Preface 1
Significance of Animal Kingdom 1
1.0. Subkingdom Unicellular, or Protozoa 4
2.0. Subkingdom Multicellular (MEtazoa) 7
Insects with incomplete metamorphosis (Heterometabola) 18
Insects with complete metamorphosis (Holometabola) 19
3.0. Fauna of various ecosystems 41
4.0. About the "Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan" 47
Rare and endangered animal species 47
Fauna Reconstruction 48
Literature 49
Ziyaudin Shakhmardanov
Fauna of Dagestan
I dedicate blessed memory my teachers: Professor Sergei Grigoryevich Eltsov (Moscow Veterinary Academy) and USSR State Prize Laureate, Professor Viktor Alekseevich Morozov (Dagestan Research Institute of Agriculture)
Foreword
The proposed book "Animal World of Dagestan" was written taking into account modern data and is intended for students of universities of biological, environmental, geographical specialties, teachers of secondary schools, and the general public.
Knowledge of the animal world of one's region is necessary not only for educational purposes, but also has great practical significance. Animals play important role in providing people with food and medicine, raw materials for industry. Without animals, the normal existence of nature, and hence people, is impossible.
The need for such a publication is dictated by the fact that the only manual for students and biology teachers "Animal World of Dagestan", published by Daguchpedgiz in 1975 (responsible editor Professor Rukhlyadev D.P.) has become a bibliographic rarity. In addition, new data have since been clarified. So, for example, in the named book it is written: "More than 850 species of animals live in the Caspian Sea" (p. 213), while according to modern data their number exceeds 850. There are significant changes in the fauna of birds, fish, mollusks, etc. e. Therefore, we presented data on birds according to the book of Ismailov Sh.I. et al. "Fauna of Dagestan. Birds" (2000), and data on fish - according to the book by Shikhshabekoa M.M. etc. "Ichthyofauna of the river basins of Dagestan and the adjacent part of the Caspian Sea" (2007), etc.
There are some inaccuracies in the taxonomy of individual groups. So, the mysis detachments, cumic ones are assigned to the lower crayfish and together 6 subclasses only two are given.
Nevertheless, we have borrowed many data from this book, taking into account modern materials.
In preparing the book, we considered it necessary to present
fauna of individual ecosystems, the problem of biodiversity conservation, as well as rare and endangered animal species. This is important for the local history work of teachers, as well as for practical workers.
All possible comments on the improvement of the book will be taken into account with gratitude for subsequent editions.
Significance of the Animal Kingdom
Green plants create organic matter. It is consumed by animals that feed on plant foods (butterfly caterpillars, beetles, hares, wild and domestic animals, etc.), which in turn serve as food for carnivorous forms (ground beetles, ants, ladybugs, starlings, owls, foxes, and other predators). A number of animals (dung beetles, dead beetles and skin beetles, hyenas, etc.) eat animal excrement and their corpses. Animals living in the soil (earthworms, centipedes, larvae of many insects, some mites, etc.), as well as microorganisms, convert organic substances into minerals that are used by plants. In addition, moving in the soil, they move the soil, making moves in the soil, improve its water supply and aeration. All this is important in soil formation and contributes to its fertility.
Feeding on plants and each other, animals participate in the biological cycle of substances, as well as in the cycle of substances on the planet. For example, it happens that the extermination of one of the species of animals leads to the fact that other even more "harmful" or less useful animals expand their possessions at its expense, filling the resulting vacuum. A relief example of this is the history of the sable and the column. When we had little sable in Siberia, the column, whose fur is less valuable, went on the offensive:
greatly expanded its range. When the sable was again restored in many areas, the Siberian weasel almost completely disappeared. One species of animal is not able to break down the organic matter of plants to final products. Each species uses only a part of the plants and some of the organic matter contained in them. Plants unsuitable for this species or plant remains that are still rich in energy are used by other animal species. This is how food chains and networks are formed, successively extracting substances and energy from photosynthetic plants. In the process of evolution, animal species have adapted to the most efficient use of a certain set of food objects. Each of the species is adapted to being food for a number of other species. In an ecosystem, animals as a mobile active element largely determine the stability of this system. Being dependent on plants, animals, in turn, determine their life, the structure and composition of the soil, and the appearance of the landscape. The most diverse large group of animals (two-thirds) are insects, which have highest value in eco systems. Without them, flowering plants would disappear (i.e., there would be no pollination). Many birds and fish subsist on insects. Their great role in the formation of soils.
The importance of mollusks is great as a source of food for other animals, as water filtrates that ensure its purification. With the participation of animals is formed chemical composition underground and ground waters.
The destruction of one species can lead to unforeseen consequences. One example of this relationship is the use of hexachlorane in locust control. At the same time, the number of such predatory insects as ladybugs and lacewings has significantly decreased. As a result, the reproduction of scale insects, whiteflies, bedbugs, and mites increased on crops of legumes, fruit and berry and citrus plants. Here the principle of interconnection in living nature is obvious. Another important principle is the principle of balance. Populations of individual species living together constitute a biocenosis. Water quality, air composition, soil fertility, etc. depend on its work. Remarkable property biocenoses, biogeocenoses (ecosystems) - their stability can be violated by the destruction of some forms of life within the ecosystem or, on the contrary, by the introduction of new animal or plant species into already established systems.
The undesirability of the extermination of at least one - the only species, no matter how unnecessary it may seem, is justified by the principle of potential utility. For example, some genetic features can later be used for genetic engineering. Great importance It also has the principle of indispensability, i.e., a complete replacement of natural products with artificial ones is impossible.
The principle of diversity in terms of significance and content is associated with human communication with nature (fishing, hunting, tourism, etc.).
Geological (rock-forming) activity of animals. The soils of the world ocean are formed to a large extent by the accumulation of planktonic and benthic unicellular organisms. After the death of animals, their shells fall to the bottom and form powerful layers of silt. Significant areas (29%) are occupied by calcareous globigerin oozes formed by shells of foraminifera, a genus of globigerina from the Sarcodidae class.
Radiolar oozes formed by ray shells from the Sarcodidae class account for 3.4%. Coral muds formed by the products of coral reef destruction occupy approximately 3% of the bottom surface. Many invertebrates are involved in the formation of marine sediments, especially in the shallow water zone ( annelids, sponges, crustaceans, mollusks, etc.), as well as vertebrates (fish, marine mammals).
4.0. About the "Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan"
The Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan is an official reference book on the state of rare and endangered species of wild fauna and flora.
The book summarizes information about 382 species, subspecies and populations of plants and animals living - growing on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan, the low number of which or the tendency to decrease put them under the threat of extinction.
As rightly noted in the book: “The current environmental situation in the Republic of Dagestan is characterized by a reduction in natural resources, pollution environment, the disappearance of many plant species, entire natural complexes. (p. 38). Each species of plants and animals is unique and is the result of a long evolution. The loss of any of them leads to a violation of the ecological balance, the loss of the possibility of using it in the future. useful properties. Almost every species of plants and animals is of potential value to humans. There are many examples when species that were considered useless or harmful turned out to be indispensable in solving the problem of providing mankind with high quality food products and effective drugs.
Therefore, the protection of rare and endangered species of animals and plants is one of the most important concerns of our time.
All species, subspecies of animals and plants listed in the Red Book should be taken under special protection.
All species of plants and animals in the book are divided into 5 categories of population status and their protection, used by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The list of animals and plants listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Dagestan is given below.
In the world of rare animals of Dagestan. For many people, the animal world is something ordinary and self-evident. Busy with our own problems, we do not think at all about our smaller brothers, about how they live and how we can help them. For example, who among us knows about the rare animals of Dagestan? Probably only a few, and mostly they are biologists who deal with this topic by virtue of their profession. We decided to fix this, and we invite you to the world of rare animals of Dagestan. To begin with, let's get acquainted with mammals that live on the territory of our republic and belong to the group of rare animals included in the Red Book of Dagestan and Russia. There are 24 species in total. In this article, we will get acquainted with several species of rare and endangered animals of Dagestan. The largest group of rare mammals are predators. Caucasian otter
The distribution of the Caucasian otter in Dagestan is confined to the basins of the Terek, Sulak and Samur rivers, as well as to large desalinated lowland water bodies. On land, it can move at a speed of 25 km / h. The otter is a great swimmer and diver. It can swim under water up to 100 m and not come up to the surface for up to 5 minutes. Very mobile. He likes to play and often rides down the hill, sliding down on his belly directly into the water. Otter fur belongs to the most valuable types of furs. The river otter is a typical fish eater, eats up to 1 kg per day, sometimes frogs, mollusks, rodents and birds are found in its diet. She always eats only freshly caught prey. Caucasian forest cat
In Dagestan, the Caucasian Forest Cat is found mainly in the forests of the Foothills, and in general, in the republic, the range covers part of the Terek-Sulak and Primorsky lowlands, the forests of the Foothill and High-mountain Dagestan up to a height of 2500 m. with a reed cat. Settles in holes, hollows. It usually hunts in the evening and morning twilight. The forest cat does not live in families, she likes loneliness. Jungle Cat or House
This cat is not afraid of water and is an excellent swimmer. It can be found along the entire North-Western coast of the Caspian Sea - from the Volga to the eastern Transcaucasus. But the main core of the Russian population of this cat falls on the lowland and foothill Dagestan. Has a very vicious disposition and quite a large physical strength, which allows him to successfully defend himself against large dogs and make large vertical jumps when hunting birds. It is not afraid of a person and often carries game shot by hunters. Anterior Asian leopard or leopard
This is one of the most interesting species on the territory of our republic. The leopard, of course, is very rare, and it is very difficult to see it in nature. In the Red Book, he was assigned the first category - as a subspecies, the number of which has decreased to a critical level, and in the near future its complete disappearance is possible. In Dagestan, the habitat of the Persian leopard is currently known on the Dyultydag mountain range and the Bogossky ridge. The leopard prefers heavily indented, rocky slopes, overgrown with forest, within 1500–2500 m above sea level. The individual habitat area of a male leopard reaches 30–50 thousand ha, while that of a female and young individuals is 15–30 thousand ha. The presence of a leopard in the territory is confirmed by the so-called “scratches”, i.e. marks on the surface of the earth, left by it. It usually hunts in the evening and morning twilight, periodically attacks livestock, but unlike the wolf, it gets 1–2 animals, while wolves can kill up to 30–80 animals in one attack on the herd. The basis of the diet of the leopard in Dagestan is made up of such species as the Dagestan tur, bezoar goat, Caucasian deer, wild boar and roe deer. bezoar goat
The main habitats of the bezoar goat in the republic are located in the upper reaches of two tributaries of the Sulak River - the Andean and Avar Koisu. In summer, males form separate groups and rise to the upper border of the forest belt, while females with kids and one-year-olds stay in the middle, most wooded parts of the mountain slopes. In winter they form mixed groups. Noble deer
