Partizansk Flora and Fauna

Partizansk is situated in the coniferous-deciduous forest zone, which is very diverse, original, and rich in composition. Such a diversity is strongly influenced with a geographical situation of the town in the south of Primorsky Province, its hilly landscape, proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and monsoonal climate.

It is widely known that mixed forests are reacher in flora and fauna than coniferous forests. They can be characterized with combination of deciduous and coniferous forests with abundant undergrowth and lianas. Partizansk forests count 250 tree species, 50 of which are surviving (relic). Forests form on brown stony soils with humus layer from 5 cm (1.9 inches) to 15 cm (6 inches) thick.

The most valuable in economic terms are pine-deciduous forests. Korean pine is the most valuable. Pine nuts are good fodder for nutcrackers, woodpeckers, sables, black and brown bears, wild boars, squirrels, and other animals. Pine reserves are very limited, this is why it is necessary to make efficient use of them. With pines the following plants are related: eleotherococcus, ginseng, диморфант, actinidia, and other.

Besides pine-trees in forests also grow maples, lime-trees, Manchurian nuts, ash-trees. The second tier consists of bird cherries, jasmines, honeysuckles, hazels, bush maples. Deep undergrowth grows since early spring till late fall with stunted bushes and grass periodically changing. Most of the plants belong to the group of eastern Asian species and can also be found in the North-Eastern China (Manchuria), North Korea, and Japan.

Mounting zoning can be seen on the example of the Skalistaya (Rocky) Mountain, which is located 12 km (7.5 miles) away from the former mine #1 to the north-west in the spurs of the Sikhotae-Alin. Its height is 1,226 m (4,021 feet).

At the foot oak-hornbeam forests with many creepers (Amursky grapes, aktinidia colomicta, ломонос прямой, Chinese limonnik, борец Щукина, диоскорея ниппонская, etc) are situated.

From the foot to the height of 400-500 m (1,312-1,640 feet) a pine-deciduous zone with numerous lianas is situated.

In the 500-600 m (1,640-1,968 feet) zone stone placer is located. The flora of this zone includes бадан тихоокеанский, rhododendron, foxberry (Vaccinium vitis idaea), ashberry. On spring coasts thickets of заманиха appear.

The upper zone (below 1,000 m (3,280 feet)) is a dark-coniferous spruce-fir taiga. Микробиота перекрёстно-парная appear (Sikhotae-Alin эндемик), клинтония удская can often be found.

Saddle of the mountain is covered with thickets of sedge grass and микробиоты. (Full list of the Skalistaya (Rocky) Mountain flora can be found in the table below.

Some of the plants in the forests ner Partizansk are ancient. Some of them have been standing here since the beginning of the Quaternary and the Tertiary periods, some of them are even older. Natural reserves of some plant species are significant, but their unwise utilization led to their depletion and sometimes even to disappearance. First of all it is true of decorative and medicinal plants. Meanwhile the relic species are very difficult to grow in artificial condition, in nature they also restore very slowly. This is why it is so important to understand that only full cease of utilization of such plants can protect them from disappearing.

Partizansk fauna is just as reach as its flora. It includes the following mammals: Ussury tigers (which have been being protected as extincting species since 1947), Manchurian deer, Himalayan (black) and brown bears, boars, roe deer, spotted deer. Their fodder is acorns and young sprouts of tree plants. Insectivorous animals include Amursky hedgehogs, tiny бурозубка, Manchurian squirrels. There are also fur-bearing species: Siberian polecats, sables, raccoons, etc.

There are very many insect species. Most of the species types are butterflies, which include хвостоносцы Маака, ксуты, барбарисовые белянки, пёстроокрашенные радужницы Шренка, various пяденицы, листовёртки, etc. They appear in early spring and disappear in late fall. There are many types of bugs. Also, eastern fire-flies should especially be noted. They are the most common in the middle of the summer. Other common types are кобылка древесная and different aphises.

Snakes include бурый щитомордник, tiger grass-snake, Amursky grass-snake. Far-eastern lizards and wood frog are very common. In the upper reaches of mountain springs безлёгочный tritons live. There are dangerous ticks. Many animal species are эндемики and relic.

Birds fauna is very diverse. Especially notable are southern types: blue fly-catchers, широкорот восточный, черноголовая orioles. Gray-haired woodpeckers, blue-gray thrushes, Japanese warblers, большеклювая crows, house sparrows, nuthatches, magpies, waxwings, tomtits (eastern, гаичка, московка) are very common. Some of the birds stay in the town and nearby forests for hibernation.

Town birds have very hard condition for surviving. Of all hatched nestings only 23% of зарянки, 20% of yellow buntings, and only 13% of large tomtits (which are the most propagative) survive until the next reproduction season. While some species (such as doves) find plenty of fodder in the town and are able to use specific foodwastes, for other species fodder is often very scarce (at least periodically). It is especially hard for birds in winter time. Feeding-racks partially compensate the lack of fodder, but there are definitely not enough of them. A reserve for hibernating birds is seeds and fruit of wild plants.

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