Tortoise Islands (19958)
Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Cherepashy Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 49.0167, Longitude: 83.7667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 350 to 380
Area of KBA (km2): 10.31052
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Three islands in the Bukhtarma reservoir, 4-5 km from the shore. The islands are located approximately 20 km from the town of Samarskoe, opposite the small village of Palatzy. The most southern island is named 'Bezymyanny' ('No-named'), the others are 'Sredny' ('Middle') and 'Cherepashy' ('Tortoise'). The islands are covered with steppe grass vegetation, one of islands has scarce poplar groves along the shore and is rich in herbs. There are stones and small rocks on the highest points of the islands. One of the islands has a strip of 20 m wide sand dunes (up to 6 m high). Between two of the islands, there are sparse reedbeds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: There are breeding colonies of Dalmatian Pelican, Cormorant, Common Tern, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-headed Gull (small groups), Black-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper. Non-bird biodiversity: Passerines typical for low-mountain steppe of Altay, rodents etc.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Unorganized and unregulated recreation of tourists arriving with boats, fishing, illegal hunting.
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 90 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 7 | |
| Shrubland | 2 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 1 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: See land-use.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |