A natural park is different from a reserve. Difference between a nature reserve and a national park

Many people have heard the phrase “national park,” but not everyone knows what it really is. These objects are of particular interest to travelers, especially for those who prefer natural beauty to man-made ones. In this article we will explain, what is a national park, how it differs from the reserve, and we will list the most worth visiting sites from the world natural heritage.

What is a national park

A national park is a special area of ​​natural landscape that is protected to limit human activity. By the way, this name can be used not only for the territory, but also for the water area - i.e. absolutely any area of ​​the planet where efforts are being made to preserve its natural pristine state.

The main thing a traveler needs to know about national parks is that you can travel through them. In fact, they were created precisely for this purpose, so that modern people could see with their own eyes the endless beauty of untouched nature. Also in national parks it is possible to conduct scientific research and conduct some types of economic activities.

Despite the fact that the concept of a national park is universal, each country may have its own characteristics; accordingly, the rules of conduct in natural sites may be different, and the traveler should carefully study them before the trip.

An attempt was made to give a universal definition of the term what a national park is at the tenth session of the General Assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The common features for such parks were proposed to be:

• pristine nature of the natural system or insignificant human influence on it;
• a sufficiently large area;
• interest in these places from the point of view of science, spirituality or tourism.

In Russia, for example, a clause on the presence of completely untouched areas of nature in a national park is mandatory. Those. if there are none, then the site cannot be considered a national park.

Characteristic features that unite the concept of a national park throughout the world also include:

• Diversity of landscape, flora and fauna. There may also be rare species of plants and animals listed in the Red Book.
• Objective beauty of landscapes;
• The presence of significant cultural and historical events in the area;
• Clearly recognized tourist potential of the place.

Reserve. Definition

A reserve is an area of ​​an ecosystem untouched by humans, access to the territory of which is strictly limited in order to protect the rare species of animals and plants located in it. Thus, the main goal of the reserve is to preserve the natural course of life of all structures that make up the ecosystem.

How does a national park differ from a nature reserve?

The main difference between a national park and a nature reserve is the degree to which human activity is limited. Quite a number of activities are permitted in national parks, from scientific research to organizing hiking trips. It is impossible to enter the reserve without special permission from environmental authorities, and almost all types of human activity are prohibited there. Movement within the territory is strictly limited, and any activities that pose a danger to at least any part of the natural system are suppressed. In this, by the way, reserves differ from nature reserves, in which only certain populations of flora and fauna are “exposed” to protection.

What is the reason for such a strict regime of access to the territory?

With few exceptions, the reserves contain rare and endangered species of plants and animals. The situation is often so serious that only a complete ban on human intervention can save the living population. Tourism in the reserves is practically excluded, but a variety of scientific activities are carried out - monitoring the state of the eco-environment, counting animals, training specialists in environmental protection, etc.

As with national parks, the concept of a nature reserve can vary from country to country. In Russia, nature reserves are strictly protected by federal legislation. Any Russian reserve, the definition of which is quite clearly stated in legislative acts, is a specially protected area.

Many people believe that foreign national and natural parks are analogues of our domestic reserves. In fact, these are different types of protected areas, which differ from each other in the level of protection of ecosystems and the regime of visits. So, we suggest looking at how different types of territories with environmental protection regimes that exist in Russia and other countries differ.

Natural monument

A natural monument is understood as a natural complex that is valuable from any point of view, as well as a separate object of natural or artificial origin. A natural monument can be a lake, a waterfall, a cave, a spring, some unique tree or an entire relict grove, as well as objects of high paleontological value. At the same time, different environmental regimes may operate on the territory of a natural monument - a wildlife sanctuary or a nature reserve, which is less common.

Natural monument Lake Seliger

Reserve

Wildlife sanctuaries are created to protect certain species of animals or plants, or to preserve the entire landscape complex. In these territories, economic activities are permitted that do not harm protected species. Scientific research is conducted here, and people sometimes interfere in the lives of the inhabitants of the reserve, feeding ungulates in winter or regulating the numbers of certain animal species.

National Park

Human economic activity on the territory of the national park is also limited, but allowed. In addition, the territory of the national park is visited by tourists, for whom special routes have been developed and observation platforms are equipped. National parks often combine conservation activities with educational activities.

Natural Park

The environmental regime in natural parks is not as strict as in national parks, and the main purpose of their creation is to organize recreation. Of course, there is also an environmental component, but natural parks are known primarily as popular places for active recreation and are often visited by tourists.

Nature reserve

Nature reserves include areas where any economic activity is completely prohibited. This includes not only hunting or deforestation, but also fishing, picking berries, mushrooms and other wild plants. Only scientific activities are allowed in the reserves and, in rare cases, ecotourism is possible.

Biosphere Reserve

Nature reserves included in the international network of especially valuable natural areas, organized within the framework of the UNESCO program, have biosphere status. Monitoring their condition and scientific activities are carried out within the framework of international programs. At the same time, both a nature reserve and a national park can serve as the basis for organizing a biosphere reserve. In total, there are more than 650 biosphere reserves in the world, and in Russia there are 37 of these protected areas with international status.

What is a reserve? Is it significantly different from a national park? In both cases, these are protected areas created with the aim of preserving areas of nature in an unchanged form and preserving their flora, fauna, geological or other natural features, as well as the gene pool of animal and plant species. Such areas provide a unique opportunity for observation and scientific research of their natural environment and inhabitants. The main difference: in nature reserves, access to outsiders and any human activity other than security and scientific activities is prohibited, while tourism and limited economic activities are allowed in national parks.

Jurisdiction

Nature reserves (reserves) can be designated and supervised by government and research institutions, charitable organizations, and in some cases, private landowners. Depending on their level of protection, nature reserves fall into different categories of the IUCN, that is, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, represented by local legislation. In case of unique global significance, the object falls under the protection of UNESCO. In the Russian Federation, 100 nature reserves and 50 national parks are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology.

History of modern reserves

The world's first modern nature reserve was created in 1821 by naturalist explorer Charles Waterton around his family estate in West Yorkshire. He spent £9,000 (an incredible amount at the time) building a 3-mile, 9-foot-high wall to keep poachers out of his park. Then for the first time the concept was applied: what is a reserve. In this territory, Waterton created favorable conditions mainly for the life and reproduction of wild birds, of which he made scientific observations.

The first state reserve was Drachenfels, established in Germany in 1836, when the Prussian government bought the site to protect it from mining.

Yellowstone in Wyoming, USA is the first largest national park reserve, established on an area of ​​8991 square meters. km in 1872. It was followed by: the Royal National Park near Sydney in Australia (1879) and the Barguzin Nature Reserve of Imperial Russia (1916), first created by the government entirely for the scientific study of nature.

Biosphere reserve

A natural park or reserve can belong to one of three types: biosphere, botanical and mineralogical, or be complex.

There are 669 biosphere reserves created on the planet, of which 564 reserves make up the World Network: a special international project developed and organized under the UNESCO program. Its main task is to preserve a stable ecosystem, plant and animal gene pool of various natural zones of the planet, as well as to comprehensively study the natural environment and biological diversity of these and adjacent territories. Biosphere reserves are created on the basis of existing natural national parks and reserves. 120 countries took part in the program. There are 37 reserves of this kind in Russia.

What is a botanical reserve?

This is an area where it is important to preserve the unique flora: endangered, relict and endemic species listed in the national or international Red Book. For this purpose, the natural landscape and natural conditions for the propagation of these plants are preserved, for example, the Khomutovskaya Steppe Nature Reserve, where 1028 hectares of the steppe zone are preserved in pristine condition.

Mineralogical reserves

These are reserves where the natural state of special natural standards is preserved: valuable from a scientific point of view, geological and mineralogical formations. Such reserves are mainly created in places with karst caves, mineral springs, salt lakes, waterfalls, geyser and volcanic geolandscapes, caves, ore veins with a rich variety of minerals and other interesting geological objects and phenomena. The first specialized object of this kind in the world was Yellowstone, and in Russia - the Ilmensky Nature Reserve (1920) in the Urals.

Complex reserves

The term “museum-reserve” appeared in Soviet Russia; since 1922, it was first applied to the “Pushkin Corner”. And since the 50s, the state form of assigning the status of museum-reserves to some historical and cultural complexes, with their adjacent territories, has been established, which determined their preservation and financing.

Now in Russia there are about a hundred museum-reserves, which can be divided into several types, based on what objects are located on their sites. This can be a combination of objects and territories of historical, architectural, archaeological, artistic, military, and even scientific and technical origin. But what are complex reserves? Each of these museums, in addition to the main profile, combines several purposes: artistic-historical, architectural-historical, historical-archaeological, military-historical and others. Therefore, all museum-reserves can be considered complex.

Natural national parks and reserves are also complex, when a scientifically interesting landscape with geological and mineralogical formations forms a special environment for unique flora and habitats of rare species of animals. And such a combination is not often found on the planet.

There are many nature reserves and national parks in Russia. What are the specific features of the respective territories?

What is a reserve?

Reserve- a natural area, the visit of which by a person without the permission of competent organizations is prohibited due to the need to ensure the protection of environmental objects located in this region. This measure is most often due to the fact that the relevant territory is inhabited by rare species of animals or rare plants grow.

The purpose of establishing a reserve, therefore, is to maintain biological diversity and the natural development of natural complexes, lands, and water bodies. In the territories of the corresponding protected zones, the necessary scientific research, environmental monitoring, environmental assessment, and training of specialists in environmental protection may be allowed.

Nature reserves established in Russia are protected by federal legislation and have the official status of specially protected areas. In accordance with the rules of law regulating the status of nature reserves, land and water resources are assigned to such territories indefinitely.

In order to visit the reserve, in most cases it is necessary to obtain special permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation or directly from the management of the reserve.

The environmental protection zones in question are maintained at the expense of the Russian budget.

What is a national park?

National Park is a territory in which, in order to protect the environment, human activities related to the use of natural objects are prohibited or significantly limited. However, visiting national parks for tourism and walking purposes is generally permitted. Scientific research and training of environmental protection specialists can also be conducted on the territory of national parks.

National parks are generally established to protect sites of environmental, historical and cultural value. These can be unique natural landscapes, climatic zones, areas with the cleanest air and water. But since hunting and fruit collection in national parks are usually prohibited or permitted with restrictions, favorable conditions are also created for the development of plants and animals whose habitat coincides with the territory of the park.

Real estate located on the territory of national parks are assigned to them and acquire the status of resources that are under operational management. As a rule, a protected natural zone is formed around the territory of national parks, and control of visiting the area is established.

National parks of the Russian Federation, like nature reserves, are maintained at the expense of the state budget.

Comparison

The main difference between a reserve and a national park is that human visits to the territory of the first natural zone are generally prohibited or severely limited. If we talk about a national park, visits by tourists and travelers to the corresponding territories, as a rule, are carried out freely. But conducting economic activity within both natural zones under consideration is unacceptable.

Basically, the establishment of a reserve is carried out in order to protect rare species of animals and plants, the habitat of which corresponds to its territory. A national park is usually organized to protect particularly valuable environmental, historical and cultural sites of the state. But on its territory conditions are also created for the favorable development of flora and fauna, since hunting and fruit collection, considered as types of economic activity, are also, as a rule, prohibited or permitted by internal regulations in limited areas of the national park.

Having determined what the difference is between a reserve and a national park, we will reflect the conclusions in the table.

Table

RESERVE

NATIONAL PARK

The protection regime of the national park allows independent visits to the territory for the purpose of recreation and tourism, with a pass and in places equipped for tourism and fishing. However, there are also prohibitions.

In the territories of national parks Any activity that can cause damage to natural complexes and objects of flora and fauna, cultural and historical objects and that contradicts the goals and objectives is prohibited national park, including:

1. Industrial logging;

2. Exploration and development of mineral resources;

3. Hunting;

4. Visit without a pass;

5. Organization of mass sports and entertainment events, organization of tourist camps, lighting fires in unauthorized places;

6. Being on the territory with a dog without a muzzle and a leash;

7. Movement and parking of vehicles not related to the functioning of national parks;

8. Wood rafting along watercourses and reservoirs;

9. Removal of items of historical and cultural value;

10. Construction of facilities not related to the functioning of national parks and ensuring the functioning of settlements located within their boundaries.

Due to the fact that the main task of the reserve is keeping nature in its natural state, the territory is completely withdrawn from economic use. On the territory of the state nature reserve Any activity that contradicts the objectives of the state natural reserve and the regime of special protection of its territory established in the regulations is prohibited about this state nature reserve.

This means that it is prohibited:

1. Visit the territory independently;

2. Be on the territory without a pass;

3. Cut down trees (cut down anything at all);

4. Collect mushrooms, berries, wild plants (nuts, herbs, etc.);

5. Fish;

6. Hunt;

7. Build objects not related to the activities of the reserve.