Russian natural phenomenon Great Vasyugan mire

Russian natural phenomenon Great Vasyugan mire. The Great Vasyugan mire has no analogues in the world, it is the object of UNESCO world heritage. Located in Western Siberia, between the rivers Ob and Irtysh, in the Tomsk region, Novosibirsk and Omsk regions. Wetlands area – 53 thousand square kilometers (ie marshes occupy a larger area than Slovakia, Denmark and Switzerland put togerther) and is constantly growing. It is home to many species of animals and birds, including such rare in our time, as reindeer, a golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, osprey, gray shrike, peregrine falcon. There sable and mink, otter and wolverine. And, of course, a huge number of wild cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries.

After all, here, under the water surface, there are huge reserves of peat (about 2% of the world), and peat is a kind of natural filter for the atmosphere of our planet. It connects the free carbon, thus reducing the volume of generating carbon dioxide.
Russian natural phenomenon Great Vasyugan mire 5

Both Russian and the World Heritage Lists do not contain similar objects. Most mineraltrophy swamps boreal landscapes of the northern hemisphere still found in their natural state within the Great Vasyugan mire, are transformed due to human economic activity. Many nominations include peat bogs, but they do not have principal significance in determining outstanding world value of these objects.

Vasyugan Mire appeared nearly 10 thousand years ago and from that time they constantly increase. 75 % of their contemporary area became waterlogged less than 500 years ago. The swamp is the main source of fresh water in the region (water reserves here are equal to 400 km³). Nearly 800 thousand of small lakes are located here. The great number of rivers spring from the swamp.