Teke Lake (21901)
Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Teke Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.8333, Longitude: 72.9333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 28 to 77
Area of KBA (km2): 703.13535
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA is a closed salt lake at the bottom of a hollow collecting the waters of several intermittent rivulets and one major river, the Taldysai, set amid undulating fields, 2 km to the north-east of Kobensai village (Walikhanovsky district). The water level fluctuates in accordance with periodical cycles of filling, dropping sometimes to a very low point. The maximum depth is 1 m; the growth of vegetation is insignificant. The average altitude of the shoreline is 28 m above sea level. The hollow is surrounded by patches of waterlogged saline land and swampy saltpans. The agricultural edges of the hollow rise to 47-77 m. All around the lake, from 3.5-12 km, there are numerous cultivated fields, predominantly wheat, though some are abandoned. The boundaries of the IBA, covering an area of c. 22 x 35 km, includes the lake proper (c13 x 20 km at times of maximum flooding) and virgin steppe with spare vegetation typical of dry steppe and semi-desert. Along the lines of the rivulets’ beds there are a few small ponds with fresh or brackish water and poor reed growth.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Because of the saltiness of the main waterbody, the site does not support a diverse breeding avifauna, though it does have a small shorebird assemblage. The major value of the site is as an autumn passage location for significant concentrations of Demoiselle Cranes (Grus virgo), with up to 40,000 birds according to the claims of local residents. The most important and traditional area for these cranes are the western banks of the lake.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: There are a number of settlements around the fringes of the site, within a radius of 4-12 km of the lake - Kobensai, Kuzeksai, Underis, Zhumysshy, Zhambyl and Saga. Many of the areas adjacent to the IBA are crop land and, at the foot of the hollow (about 30% of the site), sheep and horse pasture, grazed at moderate intensity. The Lake is leased to the Kyzyltu Hunting Society.
Land use: hunting (50%) | not utilised (20%) | rangeland/pastureland (30%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 | |
| Grassland | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A significant potential threat is disturbance or direct mortality of the cranes by farmers retaliating for the damage inflicted by birds on their winter crops.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Only in the future |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: P. Filonets, T. Omarov, 1974. The Lakes of Northern, Western and Eastern Kazakhstan. – Leningrad: HydroMeteoService Publishing H. (in Russian).