Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve - Kazakhstan

Balsa Kelmes Island was originally 133 km² in area during the 1980s, but as the Aral sea became more and more shallow it steadily grew, until in the 1990s it ceased to be an island. Its highest altitude is some 113 m. It encompasses the Barsa-Kelmes Nature Reserve established in 1939 with the aim of protecting its salt-clay desert vegetation, consisting of black and white saksaul, tamarisk and 264 other typical desert species, as well as the corresponding fauna who inhabit the reserve.

The core zone of the Barsakelmes Biosphere Reserve has been under state protection since 1939, when the Barsakelmes state nature reserve was established within the limits of Barsakelmes island. At that time, the island was situated close to the central part of the Aral Sea and covered an area of 18,000 ha. At the end of the twentieth century, shrinkage of the Aral Sea exposed a large area of marine plain around Barsakelmes that linked the island with the mainland. The dried bottom of the Aral Sea subsequently became an arena for the establishment of flora, fauna and unique ecosystems. It acts as a natural ‘laboratory’ for the observation of natural desert ecosystems in their initial stages under conditions of climate change.

The unique flora of Barsakelmes reflects regional botanical diversity typically found in Turanian deserts. Widely distributed zonal vegetation types include Artemisia terrae-albae, Anabasis salsa and Haloxylon aphyllum.

There are 12 species of reptiles, 178 bird species and 27 mammal species in the area. Among the mammal species, special attention should be paid to herbivore species of rodents and ungulates. Two species of jerboas – Five-toed pygmy jerboa (Cardiocranius paradocus) and dwarf fat-tailed jerboa (Pygeretmus pumilio) – are native inhabitants of the island. The main protected animal species are ungulates such as the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), the onager (Equus hemionus) and the goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa).

The reserve also includes herds of kulan (wild ass), as well as saiga antelope and dzheyran (steppe gazelles). These days, 150 kulan continue to live here and their number increases by 20 to 25 each year. 

The Syrdarya Delta is an official Ramsar Wetland Site and Barsa-kelmes is also an important as a breeding place for migrating birds. 

In total, around 19,000 people live in the transition area of the reserve. Agriculture, fisheries, and crop and livestock production are the main economic activities. In recent years, the local population has seen the growth of shops and services in villages and the organization of bus and cargo transportation.

The reserve includes four nomadic Kazakhs settlements including the Kerderi archeological monuments located on the former Silk Road, which date back to the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. The most renowned of these is the Bekmana mausoleum, which is considered a holy site amongst local pilgrims.

Source:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/kazakhstan/barsakelmes/