Zapovednik Khankaisky is situated on the south of Primorsky Krai, near the state
border. The Zapovednik was founded in 1990, its area is 38 thousand ha.
It consists of four sites on the Prikhankaiskaya Lowland and one site on the
Prisungachinskaya lowland; part of lake Khanka belongs to the Zapovednik as well. Average
depth of the lake is 4,5 m (maximum depth is 6,5 m); several-year cyclic changes of the
water level in the lake are characteristic, the amplitude of those changes reaching 2 m.
The prevailing landscape is open valleys with grass meadows, bogs, and numerous small
lakes. Bogs occupy the most part of the territory (more than 60%), yet meadows are
relatively well-developed (about 18%) — varying between pure woodreed and other grasses.
Forest plants are fragmentarily present — the only substantial forest site is formed of
Quercus mongolica with elements of other broad-leaved species (lime, Phellodendron, ash,
and elm). The Prikhankaiskaya Lowland is one on the few places where Euryale ferox (in the
Red Data Book of the Russian Federation) is native.
Of 287 bird species in the appendix to the International Convention "For Migratory
and Disappearing Birds and Their Habitat Protection" 225 are met on the
Prikhankaiskaya lowland. On the territory of Russia there is no where else such a
relatively small site where such a number of "Red Data Book species" lived.
Two of these species (intermediate egret and Paradoxornis heudei) nest only here within
the territory of Russia. In lake Khanka Trinix siensis lives, species in the Red Data Book
of the Russian Federation.
Lake Khanka is part of the List of Wetlands of International Significance.
