Zapovednik Pasvik, in Pechenegsky District of the Murmansk Region, was established in
1992. Its area is 14.6 thousand ha.
It occupies the right-shore valley and basin of the Ðàz River, along the border with
Norway.
The relief is lowland. The highest elevation is 357 m above the sea level (Kalkunya
mountain). Sand-rock ridges 10-50 in high are widespread, and lakes are numerous.
The plant cover is formed by northern taiga forests on the northern edge of their
distribution range. Pine forests (of Lapland pine — Pinus friesieana) and birch forests
predominate to account for over 55% of the territory. A large proportion of the area (35%)
is occupied by mires, mostly with oligotrophic moors, sphagnum and sedge-sphagnum bogs and
mesotrophic herb-sedge bogs. On the top of the Kalkunya mountains are rocky tundras, which
change into forest-tundra birch elfin woodlands.
There are 20 mammal species, and 130 avian species (including 75 nesting), 2 reptile
species, 2 amphibian species, and 10 fish species. Some species — brown frog, moor frog,
adder, Vespertilio nillsoni, bank vole, moose dwell on the northern edge of their ranges.
The local moose population (150) migrates beyond the state border to concentrate in the
Norwegian National Park Erve-Pasvik.
The density of waterfowl is high. The rare birds to be found on their flyways are the
peregrine falcon, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, Arctic falcon; the osprey nests
occasionally.
The Zapovednik is proposed as an international protected area (together with Norway and
Finland).
