Vasyugan Swamp
The Vasyugan marshes are one of the largest swampy areas on the entire planet, located in Western Siberia. Their surroundings are the Ob and Irtysh rivers. The area of the marshes is 53 thousand km2, which, for clarity, is more than some of the smallest countries.
The Vasyugan marshes were formed about 10 thousand years ago, and since their appearance, there has been a tendency for this territory to gradually increase. Moreover, 75% of the entire area of the swampy area turned out to be swampy less than 500 liters ago.
Vasyugan marshes solve the problem of fresh water throughout the region. Its territory contains over 800 thousand lakes, as well as a huge number of rivers originate in this area. Among them are rivers such as Ava, Demyanka, Kargat and many others.
No small reserves of peat have been found in the marshes. They are an excellent protection against the greenhouse effect by trapping carbon. The peat deposits that have already been explored form a reservoir of more than 1 billion tons with a maximum depth of 10 meters.
Vasyugan marshes are inhabited by many animals, and among them there are quite rare species. Among the rare representatives of the diverse fauna, reindeer live here, as well as a large number of birds – golden eagle, osprey, shrike and others. Such animals as red squirrels, fast moose, timid partridges, nimble otters, as well as many other well-known animals that are so suitable for this area are also quite common.
As for the flora, not just the rarest plants have been discovered here, but endangered exhibits. Wild plants such as blueberries and cranberries are quite common in this area.
Plants and animals of the modern Vasyugan marshes are somewhat endangered, as the local territory is used for oil and gas production.
Pollution of this area also occurs as a result of the launch of rockets from the Baikonur station, which pose an environmental hazard to the wetlands.
