Denezhkin Kamen Preserve

One of the most comprehensive attempts at biodiversity conservation in Russia and the former Soviet Union has been the establishment of an extensive network of protected natural areas. The categories are:

• zapovedniks, or strictly protected scientific nature preserves (IUCN category I, State Nature Reserves or Scientific Preserves),
• national parks (IUCN category II), natural parks (IUCN category V),
• zakazniks (IUCN categories IV, V, natural refuges, wildlife sanctuaries),
• natural monuments (IUCN category III) preserve unique biological objects on a small scale,
• dendrological parks and botanical gardens, salubrious areas.

Among all types of protected areas in Russia, zapovedniks are most successive in protection of biodiversity on ecosystem level. The zapovednik, is a specially protected natural territory that excludes all forms of management, even general visiting), in order to preserve its indigenous complexes in their untouched natural state. At the same time, a zapovednik is an institution designed not just for the conservation of its territory but also for study.
Zapovedniks present a series of unique territories, unparalleled in the world as models for comparison to areas of human disturbance.

Combination of four features of the zapovednik system distinguishes it from most protected natural areas in the world.

1. They present entire ecosystems which function without human interference. The system was based not only on preserving species rarity or habitat uniqueness, but on biogeographical zoning.
2. For decades, long-term research and monitoring has been conducted on preserve territories and accumulated in zapovednik archives. Called the Chronicles of Nature, these archives create a valuable yet underutilized informational resource.
3. All research is centered around natural processes or phenomena.
4. Human activities are restricted in zapovedniks.

Federal Nature Preserve "Denezhkin Kamen" is one of the 101 preserves of the Russian Federal System of Nature Protection Areas.
Zapovednik "Denezhkin Kamen" is located in the Northern Ural geographical region of the Main Ural Mountain Ridge and is situated 40 km to the northwest of the town of Severouralsk, Russia. Its most southern point is located at 60º20” northern latitude, and its most northern point at 60º50” northern latitude. The average longitude is 59º30”.
The frontier position of the “Denezhkin Kamen” zapovednik between Europe and Asia; as well as between northern and middle taiga regions, makes it unique among the Ural Preserves.

The total area of the preserve has varied over time. When it was first created in 1946, zapovednik “Denezhkin Kamen” encompassed an area of 121,800. In 1951, the area of the zapovednik was reduced to 35,349 ha, but was later expanded up to 146,719 ha in 1959. During the 1960’s the government began eliminating zapovedniks and in 1961 zapovednik “Denezhkin Kamen” was liquidated. During this period, the territory was managed by a federal forestry organization that harvested timber (over 1% of the area) and permitted hunting, as well as well as berry and pine-nut harvesting. In 1991, zapovednik “Denezhkin Kamen” was reestablished and currently covers a total area of 80 000 ha.
Geographically, the territory of the zapovednik is located in the North-Ural province of the Ural Mountain region, central zone. Geobotanically, it is located in the Northern Taiga zone. The climate is continental, with long cold winters and short summers of moderate warmth. Stable snow cover is in place for 6-7 months.