Provallia Steppe Nature Reserve
Provallia Steppe Nature Reserve () is a protected nature reserve of Ukraine that covers two tracts of representative steppe on the eastern Ukrainian border with Russia. As of 2014, the reserve was no longer under the control of the Ukraine government. The reserve is in the administrative district of Sverdlovsk Raion in Luhansk Oblast Topography. The reserve is organized in two separate tracts: The reserve is immediately on the eastern border of Ukraine with Russia. Geologically, it is on the northern edge of the Donetsk folded country, characterized by sandstone, limestone, and sandy shales of the Carboniferous  Period. The terrain is ridge-hollow, with elevations 150-230 meters above sea level. Climate and ecoregion. The climate of the Provallia Steppe reserve is "Humid continental climate, warm summer" (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over , but no month averaging over . The reserve is located in the "Pontic–Caspian steppe" ecoregion, a region that covers an expanse of grasslands stretching from the northern shores of the Black Sea to western Kazakhstan. Flora and fauna. Approximately 88% of the site is grassland (steppe), and  12% is forest (mostly in ravines and along rivers). Public use. As a strict nature reserve, Provallia Steppe's primary purpose is protection of nature and scientific study. There is no public access, and as of 2014 the site was not under government control.