Lake Kryazh vegetation (Ulyanovsk region): 1. History, scientific and practical importance, protection problems

Lake Kryazh is the most interesting wetland in the Ulyanovsk region considered from a scientific point of view. The lake together with floating bogs and nearby forests is known to be a natural sanctuary of regional significance. Besides, it is included in the list of wetlands of the Russian Federation, which are of international importance, as they meet the following criteria of the Ramsar Convention: 1d - oligotrophic sphagnum bogs southwards their southern borders; 2a - maintenance of rare species of plants and animals; 2b - maintenance of bog species biodiversity in the region. Additional characteristics are the presence of boreal bogs with flora and fauna peculiar to woodland grass. The objective of the paper is to highlight the main stages in Lake Kryazh flora and fauna investigation, to describe the current state of the Kryazh vegetation, to identify the main threats to the ecosystem of the lake and to give some recommendations to improve its conservation. Results. Botanists have been studying Lake Kryazh since 1868. The research was intensified in the second half of the 20th century. The main threats to Lake Kryazh and the surrounding forests are (in the descending order): changes in the hydrological regime as a result of deforestation; unregulated berrying at the floating bogs, gathering of blueberries and mushrooms at the banks of the lake and the resulting pollution of the lake and ecosystem dysfunction; use of the lake and the floating bog as hunting and fishing areas; sphagnum gathering and its use as between-joisting sealant while building wooden houses; cattle grazing near the lake. Conclusion. It is necessary to strengthen the enforcement of existing protection regime and to tighten grip on the use of the floating bog as a berrying ground.