Zapovednik Kurilsky, in Sakhalinskaya Region, in the southern part of the Kurilskaya
island arc., was founded in 1994. Its area is 65,4 thousand ha. It consists of three
sites: southern and northern sites situated on the island of Kunashir, and a site
occupying islands of the Malaya Kurilakaya sea ridge, particularly Demina and Oskolki. The
least territories include the islands of Lisyi and Shishki, and also rocks: Peschernaya,
Parus, Svecha, and Kira.
The relief is middle-mountain and of volcanic origin; maximum height is 1822 m above
sea level (the Tyatya volcano on the island of Kunashir). The island has 4 active
volcanoes.
Forest landscapes prevail — on Kunashir more than 70% of the protected area is
occupied by forests. Height belts are well expressed: at the foot of volcanoes
broad-leaved and coniferous broad-leaved forests grow; dark coniferous forests of spruce
and fir are present to the height of 700 m above sea level; further up is the belt of
birch crooked forest; yet higher this becomes thickets of elfin cedar. For the upper part
of the volcano of Tyatya mountain tundra systems are characteristic.
In the plant cover of the Zapovednik representatives of different floras are present:
Japanese-Korean, Manchurian, and Okhotsko-Kamchatkan. Many of them are in the Red Data
Book of Russian Federation: Aralia cordata, Quercus dentata, Juniperus sargentii, Ilex
sugerokii, Japanese yew, etc.
The animal population of the Zapovednik is characterized by a high number of endemic
forms; among bird species these are: Parus varius; among snakes and lizards — Eumeces
latiscutatus, Elaphe climacophora, Elaphe quadrivirgata, Elaphe japonica.
The fauna also includes a great number of endemic insects.
On rocky shores and small islands bird colonies are situated; they are formed of
slaty-backed gull, Lunda cirrhata, rhinoceros auklet, etc.
Some islands belonging to the Zapovednik serve as resting places of sea lions and Phoca
vitulina kurilensis.
The Zapovednik has the nature zakaznik "Malye Kurily" (Federal) under its
jurisdiction; the zakaznik was founded in 1982 with an area of 45,0 thousand ha, including
25,2 ha of sea area. The zakaznik includes islands in the Malaya Kurilskaya ridge –
Zeleny, Yury, Tanfilyeva, Anuchina, and Polonskogo with adjacent rocks, reefs and Russian
territorial waters to one mile wide.
