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| Repetek Nature Reserve. It is only one hour
journey (70km) from Turkmenabat to get to the famous Repetek sand-desert
reservation formed in 1912. It is located to the south-west of Turkmenabat.
Repetek Natural Reserve is remarkable for its exhaustive information about the
ancient nature of the Karakum desert and some climatic conditions.
There are
large sand-hills, migrating sands and takyrs attracting attention of scientists
in Repetek. In the wild flora of Repetek such species as saxaul (white &
black), kandym, sand acacia and cherkez dominate. The animal life of Repetek is
also rich and diverse. There are almost 1.5 thousand species of invertebrates-beetles,
butterflies, spiders and other small creatures.
The
Karakum desert may seem lifeless and dismal only to a man who has never
been there. It is felt particularly strongly in Repetek, one of the
most interesting and life-rich areas of the Karakum desert. The
diversity of vegetation and animal life, magnificence of Repetek
landscapes captivates even the experienced traveler. Not surprisingly,
it is here that the first reserve in Turkmenistan was established
almost eight decades ago. In 1979, on UNESCO"s decision, the Repetek
Reserve gained the status of the biosphere preserve and thereby was
included in the list of the internationally recognized models of
natural ecosystems.
The unique nature of this region attracts many
scientists" attention. Such eminent specialists as geneticist Nikolai
Ivanovich Vavilov and founder of the contemporary soil science Vasiliy
Vasilyevich Dokuchaev used to work in the Reserve. A Russian scientist
and fiction writer, Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev, famous for his
novels "The land of Sannikov" and "Plutonia" was here, and dozens of
other outstanding scientists and men of arts stayed in the Reserve.
Early last century, the famous geographer and traveler Pyotr Petrovich
Semenov Tyan-Shanskiy was charmed by these places.
It can"t be
otherwise. Repetek is a place where on the relatively small territory
one can see practically all forms of the Karakum"s sandy landscape
which, by the way, are natural to other big and small deserts of the
world. It turns out that the sandy landscape can be dune-like,
ridge-like and hilly. It is impossible to enumerate all possible
variations. Part of the reserve carrying clear and resembling name
"Repetek Sahara" is particularly striking. Once you are there, you lose
the feeling of reality. It is so eye-catching. Dunes rise around in
quaintly stark waves with their tops crowned by the thinnest yellow
muslin - thousands of grains of sand disturbed by a blow of wind and
stylishly lightened by bright sun rays. One can roam for hours in this
fantastic realm of sand as if painted by an impressionist artist. No
matter how big the dunes are, but this is exactly the way the restless
wind moves them from one place to the other at its whim, sorting out
these sand hills by each grain of sand. So, coming back to this place
later, one may not recognize a seemingly well known landscape.
It
is truly amazing that connoisseurs can find their way out in this vast
desert, not only among moving sands, but in the wide-spread saxaul
forests. The grove "Yaman tokay" located not far from "Sahara" is one
of them. Like in other groves, ordinary trees, large enough and not so
high, with branchy tops grow here. However, under the canopy of these
crowns you will not find a habitual forest shade. Instead of leaves,
saxaul has delicate green twigs. Thanks to them, the tree can easily
stand the heat of summer, which sometimes warms the sandy surface up to
80 degrees Celsius. It is nothing else but a natural stove. It is not
by chance that Repetek is ranked among the hottest parts of the planet
and called a "pole of heat". In the summer, it is a scorching heat
here!
Spring is quite different. It is a time when the desert gets
rid of the winter numbness and takes on the splendid emerald clothing.
It doesn"t look like a desert at this time of the year. It is more like
a blossoming garden. Bright red poppies, yellow flowers of gipecuum are
scattered, as if by one"s generous hand, in great number on the green
carpet of sandy sedge, ilaka, under the canopy of transparent saxaul
forest. Tidy bushes of astragalus seem violet due to the abundance of
flowers emitting unrepeatable fragrance. Delicate rosettes of fresh
ferule, as if created by skilful hands of lace-makers, are all around.
The bushes of kandym, full of yellow flowers that by the summer turn to
the bright fluffy balls, the plant"s fruits, grow here as well. Like
many other desert plants, kandym has no leaves. Instead, it has green
twigs. The local rhubarb is quite a different plant. Its leaves
sometimes grow to big sizes, up to a meter and a half. Another amazing
tree of the desert is sandy silvery acacia, a slender 6-7 m high tree
reminiscent of a weeping willow, but not a green one. It dares to grow
among free-flowing dunes and is not afraid of being buried under the
thickness of sand.
Scientists found out that the Karakum is the
most reproductive desert of our planet. Interestingly, the higher the
temperature is, as high as 50-60 degrees Celsius, the more effective is
the functioning of its ecosystem. The fact that almost four hundred
species of mushrooms, the lower and higher plants, more than half of
the Karakum desert vegetation, grow here attests to the richness of
flora of the Repetek Reserve.
The animal life of Repetek is also
rich and diverse. There are almost 1.5 thousand species of
invertebrates - beetles, butterflies, spiders and other small
creatures. Among them are the ones that became of invaluable use for
science. For instance, one of local darkling beetles was lucky to take
part in ... the space travel. The astronaut beetle stood the test of
flight, provided scientists with valuable information necessary for
assessing the possibilities of long interplanetary expeditions.
Poisonous insects of Repetek deserve special attention. A small and
seemingly ordinary spider, karakurt, with venom 8-10 times stronger
than that of cobra, turns out to be the most dangerous insect as
compared to menacing scorpion, phalanx and tarantula.
Repetek is
home to over 90 per cent of species of birds, reptiles and mammals,
over 250 species of vertebrate animals, inhabiting the Karakum desert.
Among reptiles one can come across a tortoise, a living fortress, a
sandy and big-eared toad agama and a gecko, a fan of night adventures.
There is also an opportunity to get acquainted with a dozen of snake
species, almost half of the number of species inhabiting Turkmenistan.
A pride of the reserve, Central Asian cobra, a beautiful and noble
snake always warning a careless traveler of its presence, is also among
them.
When facing a cobra as well as a phoorsa it is necessary to
be careful and observe the "rules of etiquette", for they are
poisonous. Repetek is also home to such an "imposing" reptile as a grey
giant lizard. By the way, it is the biggest lizard in the country.
Taking into consideration its menacing appearance, it is deservingly
called a "crocodile of the desert".
Over 200 species of birds can
come across in the very heart of the burning Karakum. A surprising fact
is that among them are waterfowl attracted by reservoirs formed in the
sandy quarries in the outskirts of Repetek. Such birds as saxaul jay,
which is ideally adapted to the conditions of dry climate, cannot do
without the desert. However, the birds of prey are rightfully
considered the most imposing and famous birds of Repetek. A golden
eagle, one of the largest eagles in the country, has become the
decoration of the Reserve. A saker falcon and long-legged buzzard also
impress with their menacing appearance. Watching a pigeon-size kestrel,
a small but very deft hunter, is also interesting. A long-eared owl and
a horned owl become the masters of skies at night.
Gnawing animals
as cheek-weeds, gophers, jerboas are the most numerous among the
mammals in Repetek. It is they that leave flowery patterns-rebuses on
the sand restlessly unraveled by environmental specialists.
A
tolai hare, one of the typical inhabitants of the desert, is frequently
come across. There are also predators as a sand cat and a fox - a
character of fairy tales. A rare desert predator, caracal (lynx), lives
in the reserve too. It is an intelligent and reticent animal. To see it
in the desert is a great luck. Gazelles, slender and long legged
antelopes and a real decoration of the fauna of the country, are one
the rarest and beautiful inhabitants of Repetek. In 2001, a special
farm was set up to breed and rear the gazelles in the reserve.
The
Repetek Reserve of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan is
one of the numerous astonishing and wonderful natural corners of the
Karakum, a land of bright sun, "golden" dunes and saxaul forests. This
world-second desert has preserved its exceptional individuality and
originality till nowadays, in many respects due to the centuries-old
ability of the Turkmen people to live in harmony with the nature of the
native land.
Today that traditions are being revived and
environmental scientists are concerned with preserving the virgin
beauty of Repetek, we would like to believe that decades and hundreds
of years later the journey to the fairytale Turkmen desert will still
be a real discovery for everyone.
Viktor OLGIN
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