State Nature Reserve "Kaluzhskie Zaseki"

The reserve was established in 1992 to protect and study the old-growth broad-leaves forests, which are remaining fragments of the defensive belt of the Moscow state in the 14th-17th centuries against raids of nomads and Crimean Khanate. In Russian, “Zaseki” means narrow strip of forest felled in one direction, which is a difficult barrier. Almost the entire territory of the reserve is covered with forest, a quarter of which is broad-leaved forests with oak, ash, elm, linden and two maple species. Old-growth forests are characterized by a complex layer, age, spatial-mosaic structure and high biodiversity of ground vegetation. These forests grow on phaeozem and luvisol types of soils. The free-ranging population of European bison was reintroduced here in 1996. Half of the reserve is part of the key ornithological territory.