Zapovednik Magadansky, in the Olsky and Srednekansky Districts of the Magadan Region,
was established in 1932. Its area is 883,8 thousand ha.
The Zapovednik is located on the shore of Okhotsk Sea. It consists of four sites:
1. Kava-Chelomdzhinsky, between the rivers Kava and Chelomdzha;
2. Olsky, on Koni peninsula;
3. Yamsky, including Yamskiye Islands, shore zone of the Pyangin Peninsula (from the
Yapon Cape to Cherny Cape) and continental site;
4. Seimchansky on the left bank of the Kolyma River, including mountain ranges
(elevations up to 1500 m above the sea level), sites with low hilly topography and lowland
paludal valley along the coast zone.
The vegetation is that north-taiga mountain open woodlands of Dahurian larch and elfin
Siberian pine woodlands; on plain sites are herb-bog and sphagnum moss bog open larch
woodlands. The floodplains of big rivers support poplar-Chosenia and larch forests with a
dense understory of rich species composition. On above-floodplain terraces the larch
forests are sparser and on the slopes they turn into open woodlands with an understory of
the dwarf Siberian pine elfin woodland. In the subgolets zone open woodlands are replaced
by thickets of the dwarf Siberian pine; still higher the mountain tundras-shrub and
lichenare developed. There are sites of alpine glades. On the south-facing slopes of the
Olsky site occur pure Erman's birch woodlands with a shrub understory. Along the wide
valleys of the rivers flowing to the coast are thickets of willow and alder forests, which
are replaced near the sea by herb meadows and mires.
The flora features some species on the northern edge of their distribution range,
relict or rare in the District concerned, including the Siberian spruce, Moneses uniflora,
Clematis fusca.
The fauna is that of Eastern Siberian taiga species. The moose, wild reindeer, brown
bear, sable, otter, blue hare, northern pika are common. The bighorn sheep is rare. The
lynx, wolverine occur; the wood lemming, Amur lemming and black-capped marmot are few in
number. On Yamskye Islands (island Matykil) are sea lion rookeries. Offshore are
aggregations: the bearded seal, ringed seal, ribbon seal.
The following birds are characteristic: nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), Siberian
jay (Perisoreus infaustus), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), rock ptarmigan (Lagopus
mutus), hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia), Siberian capercaillie. Bird colonies are
characteristic as the common and thick-billed guillemot, kittiwake, slaty-backed gull,
fulmar, pelagic cormorant.
The Zapovednik lies on the main migration route of geese, swans and ducks. The birds
nesting in the Zapovednik are: the osprey, white-tailed eagle and Steller's sea eagle,
golden eagle, peregrine falcon, Arctic falcon. Stopping over on the flyway are: the Ross
gull, Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus.
The water bodies are home to over 30 fish species, including Salmonidae: chum,
humpback, Coho, common brook trout, East Siberian char, inconnu, occasionally, king
salmon. Grayling is numerous. There is also Siberian sturgeon.
