Virgin Komi Forests

Virgin Komi Forests

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Ural Mountains, Komi Republic, Russia
Includes	Yugyd Va (Clear Water) National Park Pechoro-Ilychskiy Nature Reserve Yaksha Forest District
Criteria	Natural: (vii), (ix)
Reference	719
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)
Area	2,645,800 ha (10,215 sq mi)
Buffer zone	650,000 ha (2,500 sq mi)
Website	http://www.vfk.komi.com
Coordinates	63°37′33″N 58°57′9″E
Location of Virgin Komi Forests in European Russia Virgin Komi Forests (Europe)

The Virgin Komi Forests (Komi: Комилӧн вӧрзьӧдлытӧм вӧръяс, Russian: Де́вственные леса́ Ко́ми) is a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Northern Ural Mountains of the Komi Republic, Russia. At 32,800 km² it is the largest virgin forest in Europe.

Geography and ecology

The Virgin Komi Forests, part of the Ural Mountains taiga ecoregion, span over 3.28 million hectares, encompassing areas of tundra, alpine tundra, and boreal forest. The region is home to diverse tree species, including Siberian spruce, Siberian fir and Siberian larch, as well as prominent mammals like the reindeer, sable, mink and hare.

The site corresponds to Russia's Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve and Yugyd Va National Park. Its World Heritage Site status was recognised in 1995, making it the first natural World Heritage Site in the country. This recognition brought the site additional funding from abroad and saved it from imminent logging by a French company (HUET Holding). However, conservation threats remain, illegal logging and gold-mining in particular. Deposits of gold in the northern part of the Yugyd-Va National Park were to be mined prior to 1995.

Threats

Despite the area's recognition as a World Heritage site, attempts at extracting gold are being actively lobbied by the Head of the Republic and Komi's Ministry of Nature.

Gallery

• 
  Sosnogorsk, Komi Republic
• 
  Pechora-Ilych Biosphere Reserve

External links

• Virgin Komi Forests (at the UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• UNEP-WCMC World Heritage - Virgin Komi Forests
• Virgin Komi Forests at Natural Heritage Protection Fund