Reserve “Average Pripyat”

Republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat”

Territory name: Reserve “Medium Pripyat”

Coordinates: 52 ° 15 N 27 ° 00 ¢ E

Location Pinsk, Luninets, Stolin districts of Brest region,

                                               Zhitkovichsky district of Gomel region,

Status: Land important for birds (IBA) since 1998 (code BY 017, criteria A1, A4, B1, B3)

Ramsar site since 2001 (criteria 1, 2, 5, 6, 8)

Republican landscape reserve since 1999

Area: 93 062 ha

Description of the territory

          Reserve “Medium Pripyat” is one of the largest specially protected natural areas not only in Belarus, but also in Europe. The total area of ​​the reserve is 93062 hectares, the length of the reserve from west to east is about 120 km, width is from 4 to 22 km.

            The boundaries of the reserve include a section of the Pripyat river floodplain from the mouth of the Yaselda river to the mouth of the Swigi river. The territory of the Medium Pripyat reserve is represented by a large complex of floodplain habitats that have been preserved in a state close to the natural one. The total area of ​​typical floodplain ecosystems of the Polissya type is more than 80 km2.

            The presence of unique biotopes and the peculiarities of the water regime of the Medium Pripyat reserve preserve a number of rare species of flora and fauna on its territory.

          About 35% of the reserve’s territory is occupied by forests, among which floodplain oak and black alder forests with typical flora and fauna are typical for Polesye. Various meadows of the reserve (from heavily swamped to dry) can serve as a benchmark for the Polesia region as a whole. Of exceptional value are the lowland swamps preserved in the floodplain, which are in Europe under threat of complete extinction.

        A characteristic feature of the floodplain. Pripyat are relatively low and extensive spring floods, low summer low flow period, which is almost annually disturbed by floods. The duration of the flood varies from 40 – 45 days to 3.5 – 4 months.

       The Republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” is a standard of heavily marshy river floodplain – an ecosystem virtually extinct in Europe. The largest complex of natural alluvial landscapes is concentrated in this area of ​​the Pripyat floodplain not only in Belarus, but also in Europe as a whole. The Pripyat River is the central waterway of the Polesia Lowland, and the state of the hydrological regime of the entire Polesia region largely depends on the state of the floodplain ecosystem of this river.

        The reserve has an international status of a territory important for birds (IBA) since 1998 (code BY 017, criteria A1, A4, B1, B3) and the Ramsar site since 2001 (criteria 1, 2, 5, 6, 8).

      The habitat that is endangered in Europe, the open lowland sedge bogs, different floodplain meadows, floodplain lakes and old-age systems, old-aged oak and black alder forests, remained in their natural state in the Sredny Pripyat reserve. Many biocenoses characteristic of the Polesia region in the past have now become rare in Polesye due to drainage, and have disappeared in most European countries. There are 190 bird species registered within the reserve, including 63 species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus. Poyma p. Pripyat is of international importance for the protection of 12 species of birds, including the whirling warbler, the great spotted eagle, the corncrake, the great snipe, the goose-starter are endangered by global extinction. More than 1% of the European population of the big bittern, black stork, black tern nests here. The state of the Belarusian populations of 14 species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus is fully determined by the state of the floodplain habitats of Pripyat, located within the reserve. In total, more than 1% of the republican population of 27 species of birds inhabit the reserve. The floodplain is of international importance for a number of wetland bird species during the spring migrations. About 50 thousand geese, about 20 thousand sviyazi individuals migrate, more than 50 – 100 thousand turukhtans migrate through the reserve.

      In the Pripyat, its tributaries and numerous floodplain lakes, there are 50 species of fish, including such protected species as the Dnieper barbel, Podust, and ordinary fish.

     At least 14 species of plants and 3 species of mushrooms listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus grow on the territory of the reserve, among them 3 species have international protection status (Bern Convention): floating walnut, angelicus marsh, stretched lindernia.

    The regime of protection and use of natural resources, operating in the territory of the republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat”, is governed by the Regulations on the reserve, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 1008 of November 22, 2013.

Regulations on the republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat”

1. The Republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” is formed on the territory of the Pinsk, Stolin, Luninets districts of the Brest region and Zhitkovichsky district of the Gomel region in order to preserve the unique floodplain ecosystem of the Pripyat river with complexes of rare and endangered plant and animal species listed in the Red Book of the Republic Belarus.

2. On the territory of the republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” it is prohibited:

carrying out work related to the change of the natural landscape and the existing hydrological regime, except for work related to the reconstruction and operation of existing land reclamation systems and flood protection facilities;

violation of the natural soil cover, with the exception of contours located on agricultural land, as well as cases when it is associated with forestry activities; burning of dry vegetation (burns), fire cleaning of cutting areas;

the discharge of untreated and insufficiently treated wastewater, production and consumption waste into reservoirs and water courses;

clearing of aquatic and coastal vegetation, except for specially designated areas;

the breakdown of tourist camps, making fires, parking cars in places not intended for these purposes; the movement of mechanized transport off-road, except for machines that perform agricultural and forestry work;

clear and gradual cuttings of main use in pine forests, oak forests, ash trees and hornbeams, as well as clear cuttings of main use with a cutting area width of more than 100 meters with a junction area less than 4 years in black alder trees, birch forests and aspen forests;

Construction of buildings and structures, power lines, roads, laying of pipelines and other utilities, cleaning of river beds, the development of common mineral deposits in the reserve for on-farm use are carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic Belarus and the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of the Republic of Belarus.

3. The regime of the republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” is taken into account when developing and adjusting land management schemes in the Pinsk, Stolin, Luninets and Zhitkovichsky districts, projects for organizing and developing the Pinsk, Stolin, Luninets, Zhitkovichi forestries and the experimental forest hunting center “Lyaskovichi” in the National Park “Pripyatsky” as well as urban projects.

4. Declaring a territory as a reserve of republican value does not entail withdrawal of land plots from land users and landowners.

Land users and landowners, on the land plots of which the republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” was established, are obliged to observe the established regime of its protection and use environmentally friendly technologies.

5. The Republican landscape reserve “Middle Pripyat” is under the authority of the Pinsk, Stolin, Luninets and Zhitkovichi district executive committees, which, together with environmental authorities, in the prescribed manner provide protection for this reserve.

6. Persons guilty of violating the regime of the Republican landscape reserve “Medium Pripyat” are responsible in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

7. Damage caused by violation of the reserve’s regime is reimbursed by legal entities and individuals in the amount and manner established by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.