Zapovednik Chernye Zemli, in the Republic of Kalmykia, was founded in 1990. Its area is
121,9 thousand ha.
The Zapovednik is situated on the North-West of the Prikaspiyskaya lowland. In the
relief there are valleys orientated to the South-West, with massifs of small and moderate
sized mounds of sand.
The plant cover is desert sagebrush-cornel steppe of Stipa capillata, Artemisia
pauciflora, Artemisia lerchiana, Artemisia austriaca, Kochia prostrata, and Tanacetum
achilleifolium. For sands at the stage where a significant overgrowing has taken place
Leymus, Alhagi pseudalhagi, Salsola kali, Artemisia marschal-liana, and Artemisia scoparia
are characteristic. Communities of steppe meadows and salt-marshes are met. On islands in
the lake Manych-Gudilo is encountered cornel-grass steppe with Stipa lessingiana. Of rare
plant species Centaurea taliewii, Stipa pulcherrima, Stipa zalesskii, and Tulipa schrenkii
can be met.
Fauna consists of typical desert and semi-desert species. The background species are:
Eremias velox, Eremias arguta, Phrynocehpalus mystaceus, Phrynocehpalus guttatus, sand
boa, glass-snake, Malpolon monphlessianus, and Vipera ursini.
Of mammal species there can be seen saiga antelope, corsac fox, European hare, eared
hedgehog, Citellus pygmaeus, five-toed jerboa, small five-toed jerboa, and hairy-footed
jerboa.
On lake Manych-Gudilo mute swans, gray geese and ducks live. Demoiselle crane and lark
are common. Of rare bird species there are in particular little bustard, great bustard,
European white pelican and Dalmatian pelican. In wetlands Tetrax tetrax, goby,
stickleback, etc. live.
