Beautiful national parks. national park

The world's first nature reserve in modern understanding, or national park, was established on March 1, 1872 in the United States. Its creators were driven by purely aesthetic motives: shortly before this, the expedition of naturalist Ferdinand Hayden discovered thousands of amazing geysers, picturesque waterfalls, canyons, lakes and many other beauties and wonders in the Yellowstone River Valley in the wild and deserted part of Wyoming. The photographs of William Jackson attached to Hayden's report and especially the colorful landscapes of Thomas Moran made such an impression on the Congress that he decided to preserve these lands forever in their original form. Why did he establish a new, nowhere and never existed institution - a national park.

It seems incredible that in the era of the undivided domination of the pathos of "conquering the wild" a huge territory was withdrawn from economic circulation only because of its beauty. But at that time no one claimed these lands - there were much more free space in the American West than those who wanted to develop it. On the other hand, the young state, which was not even a century old, was in desperate need of its own sights and monuments - if not historical, then natural. The creation of Yellowstone Park became an important precedent: for the first time, the preservation of undisturbed nature turned out not to be a by-product of achieving other goals (fulfilling religious requirements or saving valuable resources for their subsequent use), but an independent and main goal of the territory conservation.

For some time, Yellowstone Park was the only one of its kind, but already in the 1890s it had counterparts in the United States - the Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. Even earlier, in 1885-1886, the first national parks were created in neighboring Canada. In the same era, similar reserves began to appear in the Asian and African colonies of European states: Gunung Gede Pangrango in Indonesia (1889), the South African national parks Saint Lucia, Umfolozi, Hluhluwe (1897) and Sabie" (1898), now known as the Kruger National Park. And in the first decade of the twentieth century, this form of nature conservation appears in Europe. In 1902, the Dobrach reserve was created in Austria-Hungary, in 1909 - Abisko, Sarek and Garphyuttan in Sweden.

All of these parks (and many others that arose in the 1910s and 1930s) were organized on roughly the same principle as Yellowstone - they included areas with picturesque landscapes and a large number natural attractions. The main task of such parks was to provide citizens with access to these beauties, including in the future. That is, from the very beginning it was assumed that the public would visit the parks on a massive scale, and naturalness and inviolability natural ecosystems were at best one of many qualities that were taken into account. Sometimes they did without them at all. For example, the task of the mentioned Swedish national park "Garphyttan" was to preserve not the natural, but the traditional agricultural landscape. In the modern domestic nomenclature, this corresponds not to a natural, but to a historical and cultural reserve.

In Russia, attempts to preserve undisturbed natural areas began to be undertaken around the same time, but their initiators set themselves somewhat different goals. If in most developed countries hunting turned into a sport of wealthy people by the beginning of the 20th century, in Russia the trapping of fur animals remained a serious branch of the economy, in which many professional hunters were employed. And by the 1900s, even the boundless Siberian taiga was unable to provide a sustainable "harvest". Hunters had previously had to temporarily exclude some areas from fishing, turning them into natural game nurseries. The new situation required a sharp increase in the size of such zones and ensure their protection. Unlike the former small reserves, such territories are now called nature reserves. For their creation and protection, an agreement between the fishermen themselves was no longer enough - the state had to provide the reserve. Work on such projects was carried out on the Angara, in the Sayans, in southern Primorye, but before its collapse, the Russian Empire managed to create only one reserve - Barguzinsky, officially established on January 20, 1917. However, a number of projects prepared at that time were later implemented by the Soviet authorities.

RUSSIA'S SPECIAL PATH

Somewhat earlier, in the early 1890s, the famous Russian soil scientist Vasily Dokuchaev, who watched with horror the disappearance of the last remnants of the European black earth steppes, suggested that a few surviving sections of the untouched steppe be kept as a standard. Of course, for this it was necessary to provide them with complete immunity for all time.

Unfortunately, “eternity” turned out to be too short: not one of the “scientific-reserve sites” created by Dokuchaev himself in the Voronezh, Donetsk and Kherson steppes different reasons did not even live to see the First World War. During the years of the Revolution and the Civil War, the same fate befell the plots created on the model of Dokuchaev on the estate of Countess Panina in the Saratov province and in the famous Askania-Nova, the patrimony of the Faltz-Fein barons, which they turned into a natural park.

However, the real reason for the failure of this project ahead of its time was not the instability of the Russian economic and political situation. Dokuchaev was fatally mistaken in scale: the area of ​​his “steppe standards” was only a few tens of hectares. Today we know that the steppe can sustainably exist only when herds of wild ungulates graze in it, which need hundreds of square kilometers to live.

But even if Dokuchaev knew about it, he still could not change anything: there were no such spaces of the grassy sea in the world, nor its four-legged guardians. The last tour died in 1627. A wild tarpan was last seen by a man in the wild a few years before the laying of the Dokuchaev sites.

Nevertheless, it was precisely Dokuchaev’s ideas of the reserve-standard (in modern terminology, sites environmental monitoring), absolute inviolability and constant scientific work as its main task formed the basis of the ideology of the Soviet nature reserve. This did not contradict the idea of ​​the reserve as a natural nursery for game animals, but there could not be any mass tourism in such conditions - even the employees of the reserve had the right to be on its territory only for a specific purpose and with the knowledge of the leadership. Such an understanding of conservation took root only in the USSR - nowhere else in the world taking natural areas under protection did not imply a complete ban on visiting them.

From a conservation point of view, this is very attractive. Much later, some foreign experts even envied the Soviet reserves, freed from hordes of tourists and having the opportunity to focus solely on the protection and study of flora and fauna. However, in reality, the requirement of "absolute conservation" was, at best, an ideal to which one should strive. On the territory of the reserves, it was inevitable to build housing, outbuildings, laboratories, etc. Their employees planted vegetable gardens at their homes and kept cattle. The Soviet reserves were not completely closed to visitors either. Even a complete stranger who appeared without prior arrangement and not representing any organization, almost never kicked out of the reserve, if he was limited to walks on its territory. And through some reserves even official tourist routes passed, and very popular ones. That is, many reserves played the role of those missing in the country national parks.

Deviations from the ideal of "absolute immunity" were not limited to this. In the USSR, since the 1920s, experiments have been carried out on the acclimatization of various animal species: muskrat, nutria, American mink and others. As a rule, nature reserves served as the basis for this work - it was there that parties of "invaders" were released, the dynamics of their distribution was recorded, and, if possible, they helped him. At the same time, there was a fight against "harmful animals" in the reserves, primarily against wolves. They were not only shot all year round without any restrictions, but also exterminated with the help of traps and poisoned baits - from which not only wolves died. Probably, it was the widespread use of poison in the mid-1950s that was the last straw that completed the extermination of the leopard in the Western Caucasus.

The involvement of nature reserves in the "transformation of nature" was especially intensive in the 1940s - the first half of the 1960s. Herbicides were tested in the reserves, sown cultivated plants, experiments were carried out on crossing wild ungulates with livestock. The apotheosis of this policy was the actual defeat of the system of reserves in 1951, when their number was reduced by more than half, and the total area by more than 11 times.

ROADS CONVERGENCE

Meanwhile, the concept of national parks was developing in the rest of the world. Since the 1920s, they have gradually begun to move from a simple restriction of economic activity to a serious one. scientific work and targeted restoration of rare and endangered species. The pioneer here can be considered the American taxidermist Carl Ekely, who not only achieved in 1925 the creation in the then Belgian Congo Alberta National Park to save the last surviving gorillas, but also made the center of activity of the reserve not tourism, but Scientific research. With the accumulation of experience in the work of parks, scientific and environmental activities played in them more and more. important role. The principles of conservation have also changed: the initiative to protect certain natural areas increasingly came from scientists. And when choosing a site, not picturesqueness, but undisturbedness played an increasingly important role - exactly what the creators of Soviet reserves were guided by.

In the USSR, where the network of nature reserves has gradually healed its wounds since the 1960s, the outlook on conservation has also changed. Since 1971, national parks have been created in the country. Protective and buffer zones appear around the reserves, the regime of which is similar to the regime of a national park. The two concepts of protected areas have evolved towards each other. The reforms of the 1990s spurred the process of transformation of the nature reserves: finding themselves without money and reliable state protection they were forced to look for new sources of funding. Practically in all Russian reserves at this time, visitor reception centers, souvenir shops and other attributes of national parks appear.

Today, in almost all countries, the point of view has been adopted, according to which a modern reserve should at the same time be a standard natural ecosystems, a refuge for endangered species, a site for regular research, a recreational and educational tourism area and an educational center.

RESERVED GLOSSARY

Specially Protected Natural Territories (PAs)- plots of land water surface and the airspace above them, where natural complexes and objects are located that have special environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health significance and are withdrawn by decisions of the authorities state power fully or partially from economic use with the establishment of a special protection regime.

Reserve- according to Russian legislation, this is a category of specially protected natural territories of federal significance, completely and indefinitely withdrawn from economic use for the purpose of conservation and study natural processes and phenomena, rare and unique natural systems, plant and animal species. This area is closed to the public.

Reserve- a type of protected area, in which (unlike nature reserves), with limited use of natural resources, it is not the natural complex as a whole that is protected, but only some of its parts: flora or fauna, certain types animals and plants or historical-memorial or geological objects.

national park— A protected area, including natural complexes and objects that have a special ecological, historical and aesthetic value, and intended for use in environmental, educational, scientific and cultural purposes, as well as for regulated tourism.

There are four types of national parks in Russia:

OPEN TYPE where all or almost all of the area is available to the public;

RESORT TYPE- around climatic or balneological resorts, where public access may be partially restricted;

SEMI-CLOSED TYPE, where visitors are not allowed to most of the territory, and it functions as a reserve;

 
RESERVED NATIONAL PARKS, almost completely closed to tourism and preserved in the interests of science.

RESERVE- a territory in which one species of animals or plants, or a group of species, or the entire natural complex is protected. Thus, this term is largely synonymous with a sanctuary or reserve.

The term "national park" appeared not so long ago. So today they call the territory in which the environment is protected, but at the same time human activity, although permitted, is limited.

Prerequisites for creation

In our country, the nationalization of parks is a relative innovation that was introduced quite recently. AT Soviet period the system of nature protection and reserves was rather narrow, so there were practically no reserves in the western part of the country, and practically no one knew what a national park was. Today, natural parks are dominant, because here nature is not only protected, but also demonstrated to people around. Tourists can visit the national park and see everything clearly. This allows you to enjoy nature, communicate with wild animals, and also financially help save the environment. What is a national park and what is the history of its creation in Russia? These and other questions can be answered in this article.

One of such facilities, which was organized in the United States, became a kind of model for the nationalization of parks. Already the first visitors of this park, it became obvious that such a model is unique, and gives incredible pleasure to a person who contemplates the beauty of the surrounding nature. The idea to preserve nature in this way was made public in 1872, thus the decree on the nationalization of parks was signed.

National park and reserve. What's the Difference?

First of all, the main difference is the fact that almost the entire territory of the national park is open to the human eye. Naturally, the stay of visitors is regulated by rather strict rules. The main function of the national park is to provide all the conditions for familiarization of people and partial communication with wildlife. Here, for this purpose, special sidewalks are being built, campsites are being built, routes are being laid, and even recreation centers are being created. good example creating similar areas for recreation are other national parks in the world. The strategy of their development gives a really noticeable economic effect and allows you to fully pay for the living of animals and provide them with everything they need, while preserving nature. An interesting fact is that such establishments are visited by a huge number of people, as well as tourists who specially come to see some certain types of animals.

The secret of success

What is a national park and why is it so attractive to visitors? It is quite simple to explain this, because it is here that you can observe amazing landscapes of nature. Usually national parks are built on areas with unusually beautiful nature. Such places can be majestic rocks, divinely beautiful waterfalls, picturesque lakes and forests, and thermal springs are no exception. Any tourist can come to the national park and be absolutely sure that they will see incredibly beautiful nature, get acquainted with animals and spend their time with great benefit.

Communication with animals

Another important criterion for visiting national parks is touching communication directly with wildlife, as well as with its prominent representatives. Naturally, hunting for smaller brothers is strictly prohibited in the national park, but there are also places where they allow hunting according to certain regulations (meaning photo hunting). In this case, given the fact of being on the territory of people, animals begin to get used to them and pay their attention to people. For example, a deer can calmly approach a person without being afraid of a photo shoot, and even eat something from their hands. Under these conditions, the administration necessarily warns people not to be too intrusive with animals, to be extremely careful, the animal still poses a potential danger. This rule primarily applies to large individuals (bears, wild boars), bison are no less dangerous. In every national park, you can see a huge number of animals that can amaze a person in just a few days. For this purpose, special routes have been created along which you can observe representatives of the fauna.

Poaching

Despite all of the above about national parks, there are also certain types of problems that need to be addressed. One of them is poaching, which has long been a serious threat to the conservation of wildlife. To fight similar phenomenon special staffs of guards are formed who monitor the territory of the entire reserve. If the shooting of animals has occurred, then certain sanctions are applied to a person, first of all, these are fines that must be paid without fail. Staying on the territory of the park with weapons is already a violation of the rules, and only for this the administration can be held accountable.

Land use issues

Incredibly often, national parks and reserves are faced with such a problem as a certain kind of land claims, for example, in 2009, one of the coastal national parks had to lose almost half of the territory, which significantly affected its further development.

Pernicious consciousness

Such establishments also face other problems. Usually they are based on the consciousness of the people themselves, which does not always accept the very idea that nature needs to be preserved and developed by ecological tourism. Some people have the barbaric notion that forests are meant for felling and harvesting timber, and that the animals that live there are created for shooting and cooking. Such thinking hinders the creation of new parks and the conservation of animal populations. One of the American legendary national parks was no exception, which over the years began to bring huge incomes, animals were preserved and bred, the park was opened in 1870. It is surprising that for the first years and even decades, poachers ruled here, annually killing tens of thousands of defenseless bison and deer. As a result of such barbarism, the government decided to protect the territory and the adoption of certain sanctions against poachers.

The state of national parks in Russia

If we talk about Russia in this situation, then we can draw a rather sad conclusion that now such a situation is at the level, most likely, of the 19th century. A huge number of mistakes are repeated, especially when it comes to poaching. Most local leaders cannot understand the purpose of developing such parks, as well as their economic benefits. As a result, certain rules are not observed, trees are cut down, and poachers constantly enter the territory. But initially the territory has a clear definition. A national park is a place where human activity is severely restricted. So, we can conclude that there are no fundamental differences between the national park and the reserve. What is a national park? This is the place that is available for vacationers, a person can communicate with nature, and also do something useful for her, even financially. Visiting the reserves is strictly limited to some specific excursion programs, so it is not always possible to fully enjoy the beauty.

The definition of a natural national park also carries a noble idea - to preserve the fragile surrounding nature. And it is they that enable a person to take part in this difficult process and feel important for nature, to preserve its small particle.

The idea of ​​creating national parks arose more than 120 years ago in the United States. At the core this term there was a desire to emphasize that this territory belongs to the whole people, the whole nation. The system of national parks in Russia emerged in the 80s. The first national parks were established in 1983. These are Sochi on the Black Sea coast and Losiny Ostrov on the territory of Moscow. At present, there are 35 national parks in Russia with an area of ​​7 million hectares (0.41% of the country's area), located on the territories of 13 republics, 2 territories, 20 regions and 1 autonomous district.

National parks are environmental, environmental education and research institutions, the territories (water areas) of which include natural complexes and objects of special ecological, historical and aesthetic value and intended for use in environmental, educational, scientific, cultural purposes, as well as for recreation and tourism. Them special meaning lies in the fact that, by preserving natural sites as a reserve of national heritage, they serve effective tool environmental education, dissemination environmental knowledge. National parks take on some of the functions that were previously performed by state reserves.

National parks have three interrelated tasks: ecological(protection of natural ecosystems), recreational(providing tourism and recreation for the population) and scientific(development and implementation scientific methods nature conservation and environmental education). The recreational function has acquired particular importance in recent years due to the emergence of such a phenomenon as eco-tourism (2002 was even declared the year of eco-tourism by the UN). Given the increased demand for such eco-services in developed countries and the enormous potential of Russian unique natural areas for their provision, we should expect further involvement, first of all, of national parks in this process.

Earth, water, subsoil, vegetable and animal world located on the territory of the national park, cultural and other real estate objects are provided for the use (possession) of national parks on the rights provided for federal laws. Buildings, structures, historical, cultural and other objects are assigned to national parks and transferred to them on the right operational management. National parks are legal entities financed from the federal budget and other funds not prohibited by law. The combination of environmental and recreational tasks determines the allocation within the territory of the national park of a number of functional zones with a special environmental and legal regime:

A protected zone within which any economic activity and recreational use of the territory is prohibited;

A specially protected zone within which conditions are provided for the conservation of natural complexes and objects and strictly regulated visits are allowed;

Zones of cognitive tourism, designed for environmental education and familiarization with the sights of the park;

Recreational area for relaxation. Provision of regulated tourism and recreation in the territories of national parks is carried out in accordance with approved projects on the basis of licenses;

Zones of protection of historical and cultural objects, providing conditions for the preservation of complexes and objects cultural heritage;

Visitor service area intended for accommodation, lodging, household information services for visitors;

Zone of economic purpose, within which the necessary production and economic work is carried out.

In national parks located in areas inhabited by the indigenous population, it is allowed to allocate zones of traditional nature management. The ratio of the sizes of each functional zone in different national parks varies markedly - the protected zone can make up the largest percentage of the area in national parks: "Prielbrusye" (73%), "Zabaikalsky" (41%), "Sochi" (37.5%), and maybe the smallest - "Meshchersky" (0.1%), "Russian North" (1%), "Lower Kama" (7%), etc.

Any activity that can damage natural complexes and objects of flora and fauna, cultural and historical objects is prohibited on the territories of national parks; contradicts the goals and objectives of the national park, including: exploration and development of minerals; activities entailing disturbance of the soil cover and geological outcrops; activities that entail changes in the hydrological regime; provision of horticultural and summer cottages in the territories of national parks; construction of main roads, pipelines, power lines and other communications, as well as the construction and operation of household and residential facilities not related to the functioning of national parks, etc.

National parks are established by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, adopted on the basis of a proposal from the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the federal executive body in the field of protection environment. The regulation on the national park is approved by the federal executive body in charge of environmental protection. A protected zone with a limited nature management regime is being created around the national park.

The provision of regulated tourism and recreation in the territories of national parks is carried out in accordance with approved projects on the basis of licenses for the implementation of activities but the provision of regulated tourism and recreation provided by the directorates of national parks. The proposed services for the organization of visitor services should not contradict the goals of the national parks and not cause damage to natural complexes and objects of historical and cultural heritage. In the presence of appropriate licenses, land plots, natural objects, buildings and structures can be leased to its owners on the terms determined by the relevant agreements concluded with the directorates of national parks.

Legal status natural parks has similar and distinct features with the position of national parks. Similar are the tasks facing national and natural parks, which are to create conditions for recreation (including mass recreation), the development and implementation of effective methods of nature protection, and the maintenance of ecological balance.

However, in difference from national parks, natural parks:

1. They are environmental recreational institutions, decisions on the formation of which are made by state authorities of the subjects Russian Federation on the proposal of the federal executive authorities in the field of environmental protection. Thus, in the Volgograd region, several laws have been adopted that regulate the creation of natural parks of regional significance: the Eltonsky natural park, the Nizhnekhopersky natural park, the Donskoy natural park, etc.

2. natural parks are administered by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and their activities are financed from the budget of the corresponding constituent entity of the Russian Federation.

3. Unlike national parks, the internal structure of which is clearly enshrined in law, the list functional areas nature parks is not formulated as exhaustive, i.e. decision this issue left to the discretion of the state authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation. At the same time, if several natural parks are created on the territory of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, their internal structure may not coincide.

The real paradises of our planet - national parks, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, protected and protected by man - are an integral part of the wealth of the natural world. Striking with their relief beauty, they have a large range of plants and animals living in their own territory. Huge squares with picturesque landscapes are open to tourists and travelers who wish to leave in their memory positive emotions and impressions from visiting these amazing places. The most beautiful national parks in the world presented later in the article.

1. Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park(Yosemite) is a nature reserve with an area of ​​3081 km², located on the western Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, USA. The wide and abundant composition of natural attractions, as well as a large number of hiking trails and routes, make it the second most visited park in the country.

Mighty granite rocks, vast valleys and meadows are combined with fast rivers and blue lakes. Gorgeous waterfalls, dense groves and forests are an ideal find for lovers of natural beauty. More than 250 species of vertebrates live in the park, the most famous of them are: baribal bear, gray fox, black-tailed deer, red lynx. Among the vegetation, coniferous trees predominate in large numbers: fir, sequoia, various pine families.

Yosemite Park's most intimate and fabulous view attracts tourists on winter days, when frozen rivers and waterfalls, along with snowy mountain ranges and forests, give an unforgettable sense of delight and tranquility.

In the US state of Arizona, this is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Since 1979 it has been a center of beauty, peace and scenic grandeur. The asymmetrical shapes of the exposed ancient rocks of the park are one of clear examples soil erosion. The area of ​​the Grand Canyon is 4927 km².

The nature of the park is quite diverse, it includes forests and stone peaks of cliffs, overgrown with small shrubs. Single leaf pine, Utah juniper, and mountain oak are the dominant trees. Warm sunny places The canyons are home to desert plants such as bananas, yuccas and cacti. Adapted to favorable living conditions, many species of animals have a wide composition characteristic of the area. The most common mammals are black-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, lynxes, coyotes, beavers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and bats.

With its dividing Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is unrivaled for its panoramic views, impressive rock formations, and unique landscapes. Rocks are made up of rocks different ages, perfectly preserved and stand out clearly in the walls of the canyon.

3. Banff Park

The very first and oldest national park in Canada is the reserve banff, having an area of ​​​​6641 km² and founded in 1885 in the province of Alberta.

The park is located on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, which inspire travelers and tourists from all over the world with their mighty snowy peaks. Stone cliffs, clean mountain air, waterfalls, dense coniferous forests with crystal-clear lakes Louise, Pate, Bow and Moraine truly beckon with their beauty and grandeur. In some places there are several hot springs with mineral water, which are used by visitors for preventive and therapeutic procedures.

For wild animals such as bears, wolverines, goats and chipmunks, forest and mountainous areas have become a permanent habitat. The flora is represented mainly by evergreen trees and shrubs.

The city of Banff itself receives a huge number of fans every year. active rest and extreme sports. The Rocky Mountains are literally dotted with trails, slopes and roads for snowboarders, skiers, quads, sleds and snowmobiles.

4. Los Glaciares Park

Beautiful in Argentina Los Glaciares National Park known for its eternal ice blocks and massifs, occupying almost a third of the entire territory. The park has existed since 1937, was founded in the province of Santa Cruz and is located along the border with Chile and the southern part of the mountain range from Argentina.

The picturesque and harsh ice region covers an area of ​​4459 km² with complex relief cliffs up to 3.5 km. The name of the park comes from a huge ice cap, which is represented by 47 glaciers sliding from the Andes mountains to the coast. Atlantic Ocean. Glacial margins usually end in small and large lakes.

The vegetation of Los Glaciares is represented by a variety of herbs, shrubs and trees that have the ability to tolerate quite low temperatures. The largest population among animals is represented by herbivorous species: llama, Andean deer, guanaco, chinchillas. The mountain cougar is considered the main predator here.

Tourists can visit the main sites of the park all year round, such as Mount Fitz Roy, the lakes of Lago Argentino and Viedma, as well as the great Patagonian Ice Sheet.

5. Goreme Park

The top ten most beautiful natural reserves in the world included - a historical and unique place in the Turkish province of Cappadocia, which covers an area of ​​300 km² and is famous for its original landscapes with pointed rock formations resembling stone cones. The Goreme valleys, formed as a result of volcanic eruptions and the influence of natural elements, have amazing and bizarre relief forms. The most famous valleys of Love, Red, Pink and Blue deserve special attention as well as the local shrines of the park. Randomly scattered small rocks and peaks are made of tuff - a material of volcanic rock that can be easily processed.

The collection of churches and monasteries is a Museum under open sky with centuries of history and culture. All religious institutions accessible to visitors and are comfortable havens for all Christians.

For many years, residents of other countries who fled from state oppression built many caves with winding passages in high tuff hills, which later turned into a real city. Small villages and cave structures with their ancient past attract tourists from all over the world.

6. Namib Naukluft Park

Namib Naukluft National Park- the fourth largest nature reserve in the world, located in the heart of African desert Namib. The territory of the park is about 50,000 km², located between the central high plateau and a vast plain.

Landscape design is represented by Naukluft granite rocks with sparse vegetation, gypsum and quartz plains, as well as sand dunes and shallow canyons.

Due to the hot climate and lack of rain, which can last for several decades, the plant world has a small population. However, some endemic species, such as the Welwitschia tree, have adapted well to the dry terrain. Among animals, the most popular are large mammals: elephants, lions, rhinos and ungulates. Reptiles, birds and insects also predominate in large numbers.

The main attractions of the park are: the Sossusvlei clay plateau, the Sesrim Canyon, the Welwitschia Plains and the Dead Valley with the skeletons of dried trees. The desert region of Namib-Naukluft attracts little tourists, as difficult and long routes are combined with lifeless places and adverse conditions.

7. Swiss National Park

To the most beautiful nature reserves applies swiss national park. It was founded on August 1, 1914 in the canton of Grisons, is a protected site with strict rules for visiting tourists. It covers an area of ​​172.4 km², which is located at an altitude of 1400 to 3175 meters above sea level. The only nature reserve in Switzerland and the first park Central Europe located in the foothills of the Alps and the Engadine valley.

Wide alpine meadows, snowy peaks, clear lakes and pine forests lure nature lovers from all over the world with their magnificence. There are 21 hiking trails in the reserve up to about 80 km long each. Tourist routes give the opportunity to see many species of various animals and a rich flora. Among mammals there are brown bears, mountain goats, lynx, martens, marmots. The fauna is represented by deciduous and evergreen forests, wild flowers and herbs, which have favorable conditions for life in the alpine area.

Visiting the park at any time of the year is wonderful in its own way, and walking in the fresh mountain air gives an unforgettable dose of positive for any visitor.

8. Torres del Paine Park

Known for its spectacular landscapes, forests, rocky peaks and a scattering of waterways, the most beautiful Torres del Paine National Park deserves the attention of every traveler who comes to southern Patagonia. Located on the mountain ranges of Torres del Paine and Cuernos del Paine, the park occupies 2420 km² of territory in southern Chile and is a biosphere reserve.

Granite snow-capped cliffs, as part of the sprawling Andes range, are dotted with glaciers, waterfalls, fast-flowing rivers and lakes with iridescent color hues from bright sunlight. The most unique features of the park are the Glacier Gray Glacier, the Horns, the French Valley and the Tower Mountains.

Amazing landscapes with stone deserts, grassy tundras and plains, as well as an extensive composition of flora and fauna, give a combination of perfect beauty and harmony.

Among the wild animals in the reserve, the most common are cougars, skunks, foxes, guanacos and the Chilean deer, which is depicted on the coat of arms of the country. The park is home to many birds, including birds of prey: hawks, condors, owls.

The vegetation here, as an adornment of any area, is represented by numerous mosses, shrubs, evergreen trees and colorful flowers and herbs.

For tourists, excellent conditions have been created for a wonderful pastime in the reserve. Convenient routes and small wooden houses for rest provide comfort and coziness during long trips through the park.

9. Jasper Park

Picturesque jasper national park, founded in 1907, is located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Occupying a total area of ​​more than 10,878 km², the park combines the mountain landscapes of the Main and Front Ranges, as well as the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The main natural resources of the park are snow-capped mountains, river valleys, glaciers, noisy waterfalls, clean lakes and meadows. Glacier and waterfall common name Athabasca together complete a colorful picture among the main attractions of the park.

Favorable climatic conditions in the Jasper Reserve have created a permanent habitat for a large composition of flora and fauna. Extensive forests have varieties of evergreen trees quite common for these places, such as larch, yellow and Weymouth pines, Engelman and Douglas spruce, juniper.

Among animals, grizzly bears, wolves, elks, beavers, wolverines, deer, Canada lynxes have the largest population.

The largest natural site in Canada pleases its visitors with the opportunity to organize different kinds activities - fishing, sports games, extreme sports, hiking and horseback riding, cycling and canoeing, rafting, as well as many other recreational options, depending on the choice of visiting guests.

10. Zhangjiajie Park

Zhangjiajie is one of the most beautiful national parks in China. It is located in the picturesque area of ​​Wulingyuan and is the first national forest reserve in China, founded in 1982. The park has become world famous for its landscapes with lush subtropical forests, clear mountain streams, caves and more than 3,000 quartzite rocks resembling high stone pillars up to 200 m high.

The area of ​​Zhangjiajie is about 479.15 km². Due to the humid climate and vegetation, the quartzite rocks scattered throughout the park are the result of centuries of erosion.

Difficult topography, deep ravines, and heavy rains and dense forests, provided animals and plants with an excellent habitat. The park has 116 species of vertebrates, about 720 species of plants and trees, as well as 30 rare endemic representatives of flora and fauna.

There are more than a hundred large and small karst caves in the mountain ranges. There are convenient walking paths for tourists, as well as a glass bridge on Tianmen Mountain at an altitude of 1430 m. The park has unique natural attractions, such as Tianzi Mountain and Heaven's Gate, Suoxi Valley, Golden Whip Stream and Yellow Dragon Cave.

National parks of the world Prepared by:

Project goal: Learn about the national parks of the world

Project objectives: to collect materials about the national parks of the world, using additional literature and Internet resources; prepare a message and presentation of the project; draw conclusions; Tell your classmates about your results.

Relevance of the project There are many interesting places that attract us with their beauty and uniqueness. Often we do not think about the wealth that nature has given us. We mindlessly destroy Natural resources. Many natural objects are on the verge of extinction. In order to protect such objects, national parks and reserves have been created around the world. I want to talk about some of them in my work.

Work plan: What are the national parks of the world? For what purpose are they created? Famous national parks of the world.

What is a national park? A national park is an area where human activities are restricted for the purpose of protecting the environment. Unlike nature reserves, where human activity is practically prohibited, tourists are allowed into the territory of national parks, economic activities are allowed on a limited scale.

The purpose of the creation of national parks The main purpose of the creation of national parks and reserves is the protection of living organisms, balancing on the verge of extinction.

Serengeti National Park The Serengeti National Park is a famous wildlife sanctuary in the world. The Serengeti is located in East Africa and extends from northern Tanzania to southern Kenya east of Lake Victoria.

The name comes from the Masai word "siringet" meaning "endless plains". The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest and best preserved on Earth. The climate of the Serengeti is usually dry and warm. The main rainy season is from March to May, with light showers from October to November.

The Serengeti National Park is famous for a huge number animals living in this area. According to scientists, about five hundred species of birds and three million large animals live here. The largest population of lions on the planet lives here. The Serengeti is also home to thousands of elephants, gazelles, hyenas, hippos and rhinos.

Marine National Park The Great Barrier Reef Marine National Park, founded in 1979, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest in the world coral reef, stretches along the northeast coast of Australia for 2500 km and covers an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 344,400 square kilometers

Up to 400 species of corals and 500 species of marine plants, about 4 thousand species of mollusks, numerous worms, sponges, crustaceans and starfish are known in the water area of ​​the park.

The fish fauna includes approximately 1500 species. Particularly noteworthy are butterfly fish, parrot fish, giant wrasse, grouper, reef shark, moray eels and others.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is located in the south-west of Belarus, 340 kilometers from Minsk, within the Grodno and Brest regions. The first mention of Pushcha dates back to 983 (Ipatiev Chronicle), and a regime close to the reserve was established here at the beginning of the 15th century. Since 1957, Pushcha has had the status of the State Protected Game Reserve, on the basis of which the National Park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" was founded in 1991. This large forest area is one of the oldest forest reserves in Europe. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a national park.

The National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a large and unique array of ancient forests, which is typical for the Central European plains. Forest covers about 86% of the territory. Pine forests predominate.

On the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are 227 species of birds, 11 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, more than 11 thousand invertebrates, 59 species of mammals and 24 species of fish. In the park you can see bison - their largest population in the world lives here.

Conclusion: As a result of working on the project, I learned about the national parks of the world. I liked this work. I did not talk about all the national parks, but only about some of them. Therefore, I would like to continue working on the study of this topic in the future.