Nuratau Mountains
Geography and environment
Geology
The range is composed chiefly of sandstone and limestone. It has a flat crest, a steep and rocky northern slope, and a gentle southern slope.
Important Bird Area
The range has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding populations of Egyptian and cinereous vultures, saker falcons, eastern rock nuthatches, white-throated robins, variable wheatears and white-capped buntings.
Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve
The Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve (NKBR) was established "to conserve the globally important biodiversity, landscapes and cultural assets of the Nuratau Mountain Range and the adjacent Kyzylkum Desert". The Reserve is said to be the only place in the world where the endangered Severtsov wild sheep (Ovis ammon severtzovi) still roam in the wild. It has also an endemic collection of unique flora and a diverse spread of nut and fruit trees, including strands of pistachio and rare walnut.
References
- ^ Nuratau in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition 1970-1979.
- ^ Marie-Franc̦oise Brunet, Tom McCann, Edward R. Sobel: Geological Evolution of Central Asian Basins and the Western Tien Shan Range, 2017, p.442.
- ^ "Nuratau Range". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
- ^ Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve Retrieved 15 Oktober 2021.
- ^ Key biodiversity of the Reserve Retrieved 15 Oktober 2021.
- ^ Distribution map of Tulips of the Nuratau Mountains and South-Eastern Kyzylkum Retrieved 15 Oktober 2021.