Barguzin Nature Reserve
Barguzinsky Nature Reserve () is the oldest of "zapovedniks" (nature reserves). It is located in Buryatia (Russia) on the west slope of the Barguzin Range, including the northeast shores of the Lake Baikal and a part of the lake itself. The name of the preserve (and the range) comes from the Barguzin River. The area of the reserve is . It was created in 1916 to preserve and increase the numbers of Barguzin Sable ("Martes zibellina"). Mountainous and taiga landscapes are also being preserved. The mountain landscape is intersected by glaciers and lakes. Ecoregion and climate. The Barguzin Reserve  is located in the Trans-Baikal conifer forests ecoregion. This ecoregion covers a mountainous region of southern taiga stretching east and south from the shores of Lake Baikal in southern Russia, and reaching in to northern Mongolia. The climate of Barguzin is "Subarctic climate, dry winter" (Köppen climate classification Subartic climate(Dwc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1–3 months above ) and cold winters having monthly precipitation less than one-tenth of the wettest summer month. Flora and fauna. The Barguzin Nature Reserve is inhabited by elks, musk deer (known as "kabarga"), brown bears, Black-capped Marmots, grouse, etc . Omuls, sigs, sturgeons, graylings, taimens (таймень), lenoks (ленок) and other fish spawn in the rivers of the reserve. Taiga of cedar, fir and larch dominate at higher altitudes.