Biodiversity of the surroundings of Lake Gek Gel in the Lesser Caucasus of the Azerbaijan Republic. Colored lakes of the world - from Gok-Gel to Tivu-ata-Polo Gok-Gel Azerbaijan
Some geographical names, although of foreign origin, also mean color when translated. For example, Cape Verde in Africa means "Cape Green", the island of Greenland - "Green Country", the Black Forest mountains, from which the Danube River originates, - "Black Forest", the Karatau Mountains in Central Asia - "Black Mountains", Mount Mont Blanc in the Alps - “White Mountain”, the Yellow River in China and Sarysu in Central Asia are “yellow”, and the Song Coy in Vietnam, the Red River and Colorado in the USA are “red” rivers, etc. But there are especially many so-called “colored” lakes on the geographical map. These lakes really have the most diverse, unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black. “Colorful” lakes are scattered all over the globe. Let's name just a few of them and try to explain the reasons for their unusual coloring. In the Carpathian Mountains near the village of Sinyak, not far from the city of Svalyava in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, at an altitude of 700 m above sea level, Lake Sinyak is located. Sulfur compounds dissolved in it give the water an intense blue color. There are especially many such lakes in the Caucasus Mountains. So, not far from Lake Ritsa there is a small blue lake. Another blue lake is located in the Chersky Gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria. It amazes with the bright blue-green color of the water, reminiscent of a solution of copper sulfate. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and a large amount of hydrogen sulfide, which is supplied to the lake by underground springs. The national poet of Azerbaijan Samad Vurgun called the Gek-Gel lake (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge, “the Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but quite deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which are supplied by numerous streams. Lake Pukaki.
This lake can be characterized by its own separate color, calling it laziness-blue, due to the microparticles in the water. It is located on South Island in New Zealand. Pukaki was formed by melting glaciers 16-18 thousand years ago, which still feed it. Therefore, the water temperature in the lake rarely exceeds seven degrees above zero Celsius. The origin of the name of the lake is not known for certain. According to legend, it was discovered by Raikaihaitu and given the name Pukaki, which translated means “Bound Waters.”
Laguna Verde.
Laguna Verde is a salt lake located in the southwestern High Plains of Bolivia in South America. Its name already speaks for itself - translated from Spanish the lake is called the Green Lagoon. This name appeared for a reason, the shade of water is really green. The lagoon is adjacent to the huge Linkancabur volcano, and the beautiful color is caused by the presence of minerals and harmful sediments, including copper, calcium, arsenic and pigs. Despite such an abundance of substances harmful to living organisms, plankton and bacteria survive well in the waters of the alpine lake Laguna Verde.
Bande-Amir.
Bande Amir is a chain of six turquoise lakes located at an altitude of 3000 meters in the Hindu Kush mountains in central Afghanistan. The lakes are separated by rocks made of limestone tuff, which saturates the water with carbon dioxide and gives it a corresponding bright blue color. In 2008, Bande Amir became Afghanistan's first National Park.
Colorado Lagoon.
The Colorado Lagoon is a shallow salt lake in South America with an average depth of only 35 centimeters. The water there is not blue or turquoise. And you can’t call it transparent. Depending on the time of day and temperature, it changes its color from blood red to purple. The lagoon's unusual hue comes from tiny algae that produce carotene to protect against strong ultraviolet radiation. This place is a nesting place for 200 species of birds, as well as the rarest species of flamingos.
Moraine Lake.
Moraine Lake was also formed as a result of melting glaciers. It is located in Banff National Park, Canada. The unusual blue color of the water is caused by special particles contained in the melt water of glaciers. There are many hiking routes and trails around the lake. The only danger may be grizzly bears, which are found here quite often. However, visitors to this scenic spot can also explore the Moraine by boat.
Kelimutu Lakes.
These three lakes are located in a volcano on the island of Flores, which in turn belongs to the Indonesian East Lesser Sunda Islands. The volcano last erupted in 1968, after which it shows no signs of activity. After the eruption, depressions formed in the magma in which water accumulated, forming, in this case, three lakes. Over the years, they have changed color from black to turquoise, red and green. This phenomenon is explained by the presence of dissolved minerals of various types in the water and chemical reactions between them, resulting in the multi-colored Kelimutu.
Lakes of Jiuzhaigou.
The Jiuzhaigou Valley in China is rich in many beautiful colorful lakes. The secret of the “variegated” shades is due to the fact that their water contains a huge amount of calcium carbonate. During the interglacial era with a relatively warm climate, calcium carbonate in the water did not harden, it flowed away with the water and about 12 thousand years ago began to come to life and settle on obstacles. Many years passed, and these amazing clear lakes appeared in Jiuzhaigou. Local residents call them Haiqi, which means “Son of the Sea.”
Plitvice Lakes.
Plitvice Lakes are one of the most famous attractions of the Croatian National Park. The waters of the Korana River, flowing through the limestone, have deposited travertine barriers over thousands of years, forming natural dams that in turn created a ridge of picturesque lakes. There are 16 of them in total and are located near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are known for their unique flowers. Each of the lakes has its own shade of water, depending on the amount of minerals and mineral content in it.
One of the most beautiful lakes in Azerbaijan is Goygol. During the catastrophic earthquake, the epicenter of which was in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, huge debris from Kapaz (a three-hundred-thousand-meter peak fifty kilometers from Ganja) blocked the gorge where the Askhu River flowed. This is how Lake Goygel, a blue lake, was formed.
His birth was subsequently sung by Nizami in his works. He visited Gey-Gel and could not help but be inspired by the poetic beauty of these places. Mountains covered with mighty forests, like palms, engulfed the crystal blue bowl of Gay-gel. If you climb along the picturesque piles of rocks, going around the corner of a blue lake that stretches several kilometers deep, you can get out to a climb with a pure beech forest and thickets of viburnum, euonymus and rose hips.
Goygol (Azerbaijani: Göygöl) - one of the mountain lakes of Transcaucasia - is located at the foot of Mount Kapaz, in the gorge of the Agsu River. The lake was formed as a result of a devastating earthquake that occurred on September 17, 1138, as a result of which the top of Mount Kapaz collapsed into the gorge of the Agsu River. The resulting dam is Lake Goygol.
The lake is located in the Goygol Nature Reserve, created in 1965 with the aim of preserving the integrity of nature and wildlife. Visiting these places is included in numerous tourist routes in the South Caucasus. Goygol and its surroundings are also a recreation area for the residents of Azerbaijan; their air is healing for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract and nervous system.
The fish fauna of Lake Goygol consists only of trout, which feeds mainly on amphipods and dragonfly larvae. The lake's importance is limited to sport fishing.
Goygol resort attracts tourists with excellent climatic conditions - fresh and clean air, crystal, cool water of Lake Goygol, unique healing properties of mountain air and climate..
Goygol Nature Reserve
The Goygol Nature Reserve is located in the southwest of the country. Founded in 1925, area 7.1 thousand hectares. Protects the natural complexes of mountain broad-leaved forests and subalpine meadows on the slopes of the Lesser Caucasus, the unique grove of relict Ellar pine and yew trees, as well as the high-mountain Lake Goygol.
The flora of the Goygol Nature Reserve includes more than 400 plant species. The fauna includes more than 30 species of mammals (bezoar goat, Caucasian tur, Caucasian red deer, roe deer, brown bear, wolf, pine marten, badger, weasel, brown hare, squirrel, dormouse and others), as well as about 50 species birds, among which, in addition to forest birds, there are inhabitants of the alpine and subalpine zones - alpine accentor, mountain bunting, Caspian snowcock, mountain pipit, rock partridge, red-capped finch, mountain redpoll.
The reserve is also home to 8 species of amphibians and reptiles, and in Lake Goygol there is a special subspecies of lake trout - Goygol trout.
These lakes really have the most diverse, unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black.
Lake Blanca, Washington
Tivu Ata Polo
Deep red lake at Sanetsch pass in Switzerland
"Colorful" lakes are scattered throughout the globe.
The national poet of Azerbaijan Samad Vurgun called the Gek-Gel lake (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge, “the Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but quite deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which are supplied by numerous streams.
Gek-Gel.
On the island of Kunashir (Kuril Islands) there is a milky-white lake of intense color. The lake is boiling. It has been established that it is filled with a concentrated solution of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, and hot volcanic gases rise all the time from its bottom, which heat the water to a boil.
White, but not boiling, lakes are known on the Indonesian island of Java and on the Japanese islands.
In the south of European Russia, Western Siberia and Central Asia there are many lakes with purple-red water color. During sunset, they change their color somewhat and seem to resemble bowls filled with molten gold. This type of lake includes, for example, the famous salt lake of the Lower Volga region - Elton (translated from Kazakh Altyn-nur means “golden lake”).
Elton
Near Astrakhan there are “raspberry” lakes. They differ not only in color, but also in their unusual raspberry-like aroma. That is why once upon a time the salt, which was extracted from these lakes in the amount of 100 poods annually, was considered the best and was supplied exclusively to the table of Empress Catherine II. Painted in a pale pink or orange color, which, however, soon disappeared in the sun, it retained a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets. Such properties of the salt of these lakes are explained by the presence of small salt-loving red brine shrimp in their waters. As they die and decompose, they give the salt its unique odors. These crustaceans are a favorite delicacy of flamingos.
Lakes with water from pink to bright red are also known in the sands of the Karakum desert in the Uzboy riverbed, as well as in Western Siberia. The well-known Raspberry Lake is located on the territory of the Kulunda steppe, in the south of Western Siberia. But it’s not just its color that makes it stand out among the thousands of local lakes. The fact is that in the water of this lake... a stone is constantly being born and growing. As it turned out, the water in Raspberry Lake is saturated with magnesium salts, and the underground springs that feed it contain soda. When mixed, these solutions form a mass that immediately turns to stone. The local population widely uses this extraordinary natural “factory of building materials”, but in the conditions of the steppe they are in acute shortage.
In some cases, purple bacteria are the culprits behind the pink color of water in lakes.
There is even a unique two-color lake on the Japanese island of Kyushu. One half of it is colored yellow due to sulfur impurities, and the other is pink, since iron oxides come out at the bottom.
Lakes with red water are also found on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Europe. Lake Colorado (i.e. “Red”) is similar, seemingly thrown to a height (4550 m) in the South American Cordillera (Bolivia).
An interesting “colored” lake is known in Algeria, near the city of Sidi Bel Abbes, among the picturesque Atlas Mountains. The local population, in an arid climate, knows how to appreciate even small sources of water, but the water of this lake, although not salty, is not diverted into irrigation canals, nor is it used for drinking. You will not see a single fisherman on its banks. It turns out that the lake basin is filled not with water, but with real ink. Only two small rivers flow into it. But the waters of one of them are saturated with iron salts, and the other, which flows through the swamp, contains the remains of various vegetation. Mixing, they turn the lake into a large natural inkwell
Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria
But on the island of Flores in Indonesia, on the top of one of the volcanoes, there are not one, but three “colored” lakes, with water of different colors. In one of them the water is bright red, in another it is pale blue, and in the third it is white like milk.
Lakes in the crater of Keli Mutu volcano, Flores island, Indonesia
How can we explain the unusual colors of these lakes? It turns out that the internal forces of the Earth and... chemistry are to blame for this. The lakes were formed in different craters of the volcano, rich in various minerals. Red, as you guessed, contains a lot of iron compounds, and the water here “behaves” calmly. In the blue and white lakes, salts of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids are dissolved in various concentrations. The water here is boiling all the time, and thick steam swirls above it.
Tiwu ata Polo, Flores Island, Indonesia
Dear readers! Our Motherland is gifted with the most beautiful, magnificent natural landscapes, natural resources, unique flora and fauna, there can be no doubt... From time immemorial, our land has been distinguished by its fertility and generosity, and an example of this is the “Pearl of Azerbaijan” - Goygol! And today we will tell you about the Goygol Nature Reserve.
Goygol Nature Reserve is one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. It was created in 1925 to protect the mountain lake Gek-Gel, which is located 30 km from the city near the Adjikend resort.
The formation of the lake was caused by an earthquake in the 12th century.
Today Gek-Gel is the largest lake on the territory of Azerbaijan, the pearl of the country and an extremely attractive tourist point on the map of Ganja and its environs. Until 2007, the reserve was closed to tourists, but after receiving the status of a national park, travelers were able to visit its territory.
History of the creation of the reserve
Goygol State Reserve is the very first in Azerbaijan, it was created in 1925. Then in 1950 it was liquidated and restored again in 1958. After existing for three years, it was liquidated again in 1961 and restored on July 14, 1965. However, during the restoration of the state reserve, factors contradicting the status of the reserve were not eliminated. The operation of sanitary and health institutions, a number of catering facilities, parking lots, etc. was allowed on the reserve territory. In addition, grass was mowed on the territory of the reserve. All these factors had a negative impact on the natural environment of the reserve.
It is worth noting that previously the Goygol National Park consisted of two territories - the main one (the Goygol Nature Reserve itself) and a branch located 80 km away, which was called the Eldar Pine Grove. Now the grove has also received its own status as a separate reserve "Eldar Shamy".
Located in the northeastern part of the Lesser Caucasus Range at an altitude of 1100-3060 meters above sea level, the Goygol Nature Reserve was created in order to protect the typical landscapes of mountain forests and the subalpine zone and ensure the safety of the purity of the waters of Lake Goygol.
The main territory of the reserve has mountainous terrain, most of which is rich in forests. The northeastern slopes of the Murovdag ridge are an alternation of longitudinal ridges and deep river valleys. The dominant peak is Mount Kapaz (3065m). In 1139, a strong earthquake destroyed a significant part of this peak. Stone blocks rushed down and blocked river gorges, including the Agsu River. As a result, many lakes were formed, including Goygol.
Goygol is the largest and most beautiful mountain lake in Azerbaijan. It lies at an altitude of 1556 meters above sea level. The length of the coastline is 6460, and the depth is 93 meters. The water is fresh, clear and appears blue, which is why the lake got its name. In total, there are eight large lakes on the territory of the reserve, among them Maralgel, Zalilgel, Garagel and others. Like Goygol, they are surrounded by mountains, and the landscape of each lake is very diverse and picturesque.
The fauna of the reserve is represented by many species of animals and birds, including red deer, roe deer, badger, East Caucasian tur, brown bear, stone and pine martens, chukar, bearded vulture, black vulture, Caspian snowcock, etc. There are two types of trout in the reservoirs of the reserve: lake and brook. A population of lake trout (Geygol) formed in Lake Goygol and other lakes after their formation in the 12th century. More than 50 species of birds nest in the reserve. Rock partridge and Caspian snowcock, which are listed in the Red Book of the International Council for Nature Conservation, nest in the subalpine and alpine zones.
It seems that nature was favorable to this region, since not only its animal, but also its plant world is full of rare and endemic species. About 20 of them are Caucasian endemics of various ranks. These are Georgian oak, Trautfetter maple, Nizami rosehip, long-nosed wrestler, silky cuff, bloodspotted astragalus, fragrant cloves, Ruprecht geranium, etc. Many of these herbs are medicinal and are widely used not only in folk, but also in traditional medicine.
Sights of the reserve
An attraction of the main mountainous part of the reserve is the hooked pine (also known as Koka, Sosnovsky pine), significant groves of which are concentrated near the lake. Geigel. With increasing height, beech and hornbeam are replaced by oak, then by open forests of eastern oak, warty and Litvinov birches, mountain ash, junipers, rose hips, and honeysuckle. Among other tree species, maple, linden, elm, chestnut, walnut, plane tree are common. Buckthorn, wild cherry, almond, hawthorn, hazel, cherry plum, euonymus, black elderberry, barberry are common in the undergrowth, and among herbaceous plants - fescue, woodruff, fern, undergrowth, clover, nettle, etc.
Above the open forest zone, subalpine and post-forest meadows extend to the very foot of Kapaz.
The fauna is represented by a variety of birds, animals, insects, but their numbers are small. The most common species here are: the common hedgehog, the Caucasian mole, the brown hare, the wood mouse, the fox, the badger, the otter, the pine and stone martens, the bear, the bazoar goat, the lynx, and the roe deer. Of the 39 species of birds, the most interesting are the bearded vulture, vulture, black vulture, snowcock, alpine jackdaw, and chukar. The most notable reptiles are Radde's viper, yellow-bellied viper, copperhead, green lizard and green toad.
How is the unique natural heritage protected?
As it turned out, the creation of a National Park is one of the ways to protect natural heritage from robbery and pogrom by irresponsible private individuals. Unlike a nature reserve, the structure of a national park is such that the territory of the reserve is preserved as the “core”, and the expanded territory becomes publicly accessible to ecotourists. Perhaps in the near future tourist centers will be created there that will not cause a direct negative impact on the ecosystem of the reserve.
This could not be done on the basis of a reserve, and therefore the status of a national park can only help preserve that unique flora and fauna, that landscape that has evolved over tens and hundreds of thousands of years, as well as the unique freshwater lake itself, which gave its name to the entire National Park!
By the way, scientists studying the flora of Goygol were quite surprised - more than 800 species of precious medicinal plants grow on the territory of the former reserve.
For many centuries, Goygol was sung by poets and ashugs of Azerbaijan; hundreds of songs and poems were composed praising Goygol.
Dear readers! Here we come to the end. It should be noted that this year the Goygol State Reserve, by order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, finally received the status of a national park of Azerbaijan. Read our section and know all the heavenly corners of our Motherland!
Pervina Mehdieva
UDC 574.472
E. M. Kurbanov, S. Ch. Mamedova
Baku State University, Baku, Azerbaijan, [email protected]
BIODIVERSITY OF THE LAKE GEK-GEL SURROUNDINGS
IN THE CAUCASUS MINOR OF THE AZERBAIJANREPUBLIC
E. M. Kurbanov, S. C. Mamedova
Baku State University, Baku, Azerbaijan, [email protected]
Gek Gel is the most extensive and beautiful among the lakes on the northern slopes of the Lesser Caucasus, located at an altitude of 1555 m above sea level. In terms of its location, picturesqueness, and water transparency, it is not inferior to the famous mountain lakes of Transcaucasia, famous for their beauty. Lake Gek Gel was formed as a result of tectonic movement, accompanied by a grandiose collapse of Mount Kapaz. The lake is fed by the Agsu Chay River (which in turn is supplied with water from Maral Gel and Gush Gel) and sediment flowing from the slopes of the catchment area. Lake Gek Gel is surrounded by a ring of mountains, which are spurs of the Murovdag ridge and have different heights. The highest of them is Mount Kapaz (3030 m).
In order to protect the beautiful corner of nature formed as a result of the earthquake, the Gek Gel State Nature Reserve was organized in the region in 1926 - the first reserve in Azerbaijan. In 2008, by order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Gek Gel Nature Reserve was assigned the status of a national park in the administrative territories of Gek Gel State Nature Reserve, Gek Gel, Dashkesan and Goranboy districts with an area of 12,755 hectares with the aim of preserving biodiversity, rational use of natural resources, developing ecotourism and large-scale promotion of natural resources. heritage of the republic. The creation of a national park is a way to preserve a unique natural heritage. Thus, Gek Gel National Park will be open for visits, recreation and tourists. Of course, this will be subject to special rules.
According to the floristic zoning of the Caucasus by A. A. Grossheim (1948), the area of Lake Gek Gel is included in the Caucasian province of the mountain forest region of southern Europe and, in particular, in its Somkhet district, which is one of the richest provinces among other floristic provinces of the Caucasus. Of the total number of plant species growing in the Caucasus (about 6000), almost 42% are found within the Caucasus province.
In the vicinity of Lake Gek Gel, a belt distribution of vegetation is expressed, due to changes in climatic and soil factors in the mountain altitudinal gradient.
According to literary information and research, the flora of the National Park contains about 420 species, including about 80 trees and shrubs. The main tree species of the reserve: Georgian oaks ( Quercus iberica Stev.) and eastern ( Q. macranthera F. et M.), oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis Lipsky) and Caucasian hornbeam ( Carpinus caucasica Gross.), they are accompanied by the Caucasian linden ( Tilia caucasica Rupr.), common ash ( Fraxinius excelsior L.), Trautwetter maple ( Acer trautvetteri Medw.), eastern sycamore ( Platanus orientalis L.), Koch pine ( Pinus kochiana Klotzsch ex C. Koch), edible chestnut ( Castanea sativa Mill.), etc.
In the middle mountain zone of 700–800 m, the slopes are occupied by beech forests; on the eastern and western slopes, beech-hornbeam, hornbeam and oak-hornbeam forests are characteristic. On the slopes of southern exposure and along the ridges of the spurs, oak forests are characteristic, which on very steep and rocky slopes are interrupted by xerophilous groups.
Forests in the middle zone, above 800 m, are characterized by the highest productivity and beautiful landscape of the area. The dominant species here are oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis Lipsky) with an admixture of hornbeam ( Carpinus caucasica Gross.).
A big attraction of the middle zone of the region is the Kokha pine growing here ( Pinus kochiana Klotzsch ex C. Koch). This is a light-loving species; it grows here along the northern slope of the Mrovdag ridge (450 hectares). The pine grove on the spurs of the Mrovdag ridge, located to the southeast of the picturesque mountain lake Gek Gel in the band 1600–2200 m above sea level, is the largest tract in Azerbaijan, in the Lesser Caucasus.
The upper edge of the forest is bordered by park oak groves (with eastern oak ( Quercus macranthera F. et M.)), birch forests or subalpine varieties of beech forest, alternating with meadow communities. Even higher in the mountains (from 2000–2300 and above), meadow vegetation acquires landscape significance. The herbaceous cover is high-altitude and is often disturbed by screes and stone fields, devoid of vegetation or covered with broken rock-talus vegetation.
The vegetation of the mountain slopes adjacent to the lake has not only important balneological and decorative significance, but also plays a climate-protective, water- and soil-protective role. In addition, the vegetation of the Gek Gel Lake area is of great scientific interest, value and sanitary and hygienic importance, being one of the areas of the Mrovdag forest.
About 20 species of the Gek flora of the Gel National Park are Caucasian endemics of various ranks. This is Georgian oak ( Quercus iberica Stev.), Trautwetter maple ( Acer trautvetteri Medw.), Nizami rosehip ( Rosa nisami Sosn.), big-nosed wrestler ( Aconitum nasutum Fisch.), clicky cuff ( Alchimilla sericata Rchb.), astragalus bloodspotted ( Astragalus sanguinolentus M. B.), fragrant cloves ( Dianthus fragrans Ad. in Web.), Ruprecht's geranium ( Geranium ruprechtii Woron. et Mohr.), clear-leaved catnips ( Nepeta lamiifolia Willd.) and grandiflora ( N. grandiflora M. B.), Ruprecht's resin ( Silene ruprechtii Schischk.) and pressed ( S. depressa M. B.), brother lily ( Lilium monadelphum M. B.), kupena smooth ( Polygonatum glaberrimum C. Koch. in Lin.), comfrey hard ( Symphytum asperum Lepech.) and Caucasian ( S. caucasicum M. B.), Trautwetter's bells ( Campanula trautvetteri Gross.) and Hohenacker ( C. hohenackeri Fisch. and Mey.), etc.
The fauna of the surrounding area of Lake Gek Gel is rich in species. The lake is home to large numbers of trout ( Salmo fario L.), presented in two forms: lake and stream. A population of lake trout (Geygol) formed in Lake Gek Gel and other lakes in the region after their formation in the 12th century.
In the vicinity of Lake Gek Gel, one of the amphibians found is the common toad ( Bufo bufo L.), tree frog ( Hyla arborea L.) and others, from reptiles - brittle spindle ( Anguis fragilis L.), meadow lizard ( Lacerta praticola Eversm.), grass snake ( Natrix natrix L.) and water ( N. tessellata Laurenti) and others, among birds - blackbird ( Turdus merula L.), black-headed warbler ( Sylvia articapilla L.), siskin ( Spinus spinus L.), mountain bunting ( Emberizia cia L.), wood lark ( Lullula arborea pallida Larudny.), black kite ( Milvus migrans Bodd.,), Caspian snowcock ( Tetraogallus caspicus Gmell.) and others, from mammals - shelf ( Glis glis L.), Transcaucasian squirrel ( Sciurus anomalus Guld.), brown hare ( Lepus europaeus Pallas.), badger ( Meles meles L.), stone marten ( Martes foina Erxleben), weasel ( Mustela nivalis L.), brown bear ( Ursus arctos L.), wolf ( Canis lupus L.), common fox ( Vulpes vulpes L.), forest cat ( Felis silvestris Schreber.), red deer ( Cervus elaphus L.), roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus L.), bezoar goat ( Capra aegagrus Erxleben) and others.
The mammal fauna of the National Park is relatively diverse. In recent years, thanks to a special protection regime, it has been possible to stop the extinction of red deer ( Cervus elaphus L.), the number of which began to decrease in the 90s of the last century as a result of the proximity of the combat area. Deer stay mainly in the middle zone of the forest belt; they can often be observed near the lake. Gek Gel and Maral Gel. Roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus L.) prefers relatively calm terrain, staying near ridges and their spurs, along the edges, in subalpine woodlands with thickets of bushes and ferns. Brown bears living in the National Park ( Ursus arctos L.) belongs to a rare Transcaucasian subspecies and will be included in the second edition of the “Red Book” of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The most characteristic feature of the bears living in the reserve is their extensive migrations, which take place in the autumn, especially in lean years.
From the materials on the study of animal ecology of the National Park, it is clear that the ungulates living in the region do not cause damage to trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, which would inhibit natural regeneration. In the area around Lake Gek Gel, reforestation ensures normal density and condition of plantings. First of all, the tree, shrub and herbaceous vegetation of the region is influenced by ungulates.
The high-altitude lake Gek Gel and its surroundings are, without exaggeration, the most picturesque and beautiful corner of Azerbaijan, which is rightly called the “pearl of the Lesser Caucasus.”
Biodiversity and the role of creatures in ecosystems: Proceedings of the V International Scientific Conference. – Dnipropetrovsk: Lira, 2009. – P. 12-14.