The valleys of two rivers in the Vitebsk region may be granted the status of nature reserves

October 16, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Two new local заказники (nature reserves) will appear in the Vitebsk region in the near future, Zhanna Aleinikova, head of the state control department for the protection and use of lands, forests, fauna and flora, specially protected areas, and waste management of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, told a BELTA correspondent. Based on surveys conducted by scientists of Vitebsk State University named after P. Masherov, it is planned to grant the status of заказники by decision of local executive committees to the territory of part of the floodplain of the Dobrinka River in the Senno district, and to the valley of the Ushacha River in the Ushachi district. The uniqueness of the future заказники lies in the fact that rare and endangered plant species grow there. For example, huge thickets of the protected valuable food and medicinal plant - bear onion, more commonly known as wild garlic, have been discovered in the Ushacha River valley. Here, according to scientists, the largest population of blooming moonwort in the Belarusian Poozerye, listed in the Red Book, has also been identified. In addition, bellflower, clubmoss, and oak burdock, protected species, grow here. Two more species requiring preventive protection have been discovered: hepatica nobilis and smooth pea. The rare species for Poozerye - European spindle tree - grows here in large quantities. The presence of three species of ground beetles listed in the Red Book of Belarus has also been noted: shagreen, reticulate, and shiny. Currently, in the Postavy district, the Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is carrying out the first stage of work on surveying the territory bordering the "Adutiskis" заказник in Lithuania. The work is planned to be completed in 2013. If a decision is made to create a заказник, it could become a transboundary protected natural area. In addition to studying new territories, scientists have surveyed existing specially protected areas in five districts of the region - Verkhnedvinsk, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Senno, and Ushachi. Based on the results of field research, it was proposed to transform and terminate the existence of about a dozen заказники in the Vitebsk, Gorodok, and Senno districts. As Zhanna Aleinikova explained, these territories have not been surveyed for almost 20 years, and natural processes of landscape change, overgrowth, or waterlogging have occurred in the territories, which have affected the natural communities. In 2013, the survey of local заказники will continue. Work will be carried out in the Glubokoye, Dokshitsy, and Lepel districts. Currently, in the Vitebsk region, there is the "Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve" (area in the Vitebsk region is 62,370 hectares), two national parks - "Braslav Lakes" (71,490 hectares) and "Narochansky" (in the Postavy district of the Vitebsk region, area is 1,090 hectares), 22 republican заказники (166,070 hectares), 76 republican monuments (570 hectares), 63 local заказники and 165 local natural monuments. The total area of specially protected territories in the Vitebsk region is 354,460 hectares, which corresponds to 8.8% of the region's area. -0-