Semey Ormany

Semey Forest – a state natural forest reserve.

Establishment and purpose

It was established by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan resolution No. 75 dated January 22, 2003 of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Committee for Forestry and Wildlife, through the reorganization of separate state institutions and the merger of the state institutions for the protection of the Begen, Borodulika, Bökebayev, Dolon, Zhanasemei, Zharma, Kanoner, Morozov, Zhanashulbi and Semey forests and wildlife. Its area is 662 167 ha. In 2005, based on the resolution No. 908 of the Urzhar district mayor dated October 27, 1 610 ha of land assigned for permanent forest placement was added; in 2008, according to the conclusion of the Semey city mayor’s commission dated August 14, 1 725 ha of pasture was introduced from the vacant land of Znamenka rural district. By the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan resolution No. 807 dated July 21, 2014, 804.2 ha of the reserve’s total area was allocated for the construction of the Bulaq water treatment plant. The purpose of establishing the reserve is the preservation and restoration of the unique steppe forests of the Irtysh region, which perform important protective functions and have special ecological, scientific, cultural and recreational value.

Geographical location

It is located in the districts of Abai, Ayagöz, Beskaragai, Borodulika, Zharma, Urzhar of Abai region. Geographically, the reserve area lies on the Irtysh plain, at the foothills of the Kokpekty‑Shar low ranges and the Shyngystau mountains.

Flora

Its area is characterized by a unique combination of steppe, forest, desert, shrub, meadow and swamp plant types. In the floodplain forests, the higher‑layer plant flora includes 201 families and 344 species of 61 genera. The core consists of 340 species of closed‑seed plants, including: conifers – 80.59 % (274 species), deciduous conifers – 19.41 % (66 species). The plants are typical of forests. The presence of pine, birch and poplar forests in the steppe belt of the region is of great water‑conservation and aesthetic importance. Forests are widespread on sand and where groundwater is close to the surface. In such areas the usual terrain is an alternation of pine or poplar‑birch forests and sandy steppes. Main forest‑forming species: pine, larch birch and poplar. In the herb layer, grain cereals – feather grass and tufted grass, as well as Marshall grass and steppe grasses dominate. In swampy areas – reeds, cattails, sedges, hygrophytic plants.

Fauna

The fauna of vertebrate animals in the reserve consists of 354 species; among them there are amphibians – 2, fish – 25, reptiles – 4, marsupials – 16, birds – 234, mammals – 83 species.

In the subzone of dry feathered‑shelled steppes where steppe forest grows in the steppe zone, elk, roe deer, wild boar, wolf, fox, marmot, and ground squirrel are widespread. Among birds, skylark, grey shrike, steppe eagle‑owl, steppe buzzard, and waterfowl in reservoirs dominate. In the area of the Jarma branch, argali, ibex, saiga antelope, white‑necked raven, otter, and brown bear are found. Species entered in Kazakhstan’s Red Book: black grouse, ptarmigan, white‑browed nuthatch, lark, saker falcon, red‑browed black‑spotted lark, juniper, argali. Within the reserve there are 25 species of fish belonging to 7 orders. Among them four species entered in Kazakhstan’s Red Book – taimen, lenok, Siberian sturgeon and Baikal omul. In the reserve, of the 12 species of amphibians inhabiting Kazakhstan, four species of the order Caudata (tailless amphibians) are found – green frog and common toads, newt and salamander. Sixteen species of two orders of reptiles are present.