The Astrakhan Region's Nature Management and Environmental Protection Service has announced that cacti have bloomed in the Uroshchishche Kordon Nature Monument in the Kharabalinsky District. The flowering will last for several days.
Opuntia appeared in the region at the beginning of the last century. Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences at the Khosheutovsky опорный пункт РАН conducted experiments on the acclimatization of sand-fixing plants from different regions of the planet that could help in the fight against desertification. The most adaptable to the harsh conditions of the Astrakhan semi-desert was the twisted-needle opuntia native to North America.
"Over time, the cactus became widespread and began to cause serious injuries to livestock, which sometimes led to the death of animals. Local herders began to exterminate the cactus. As a result, by the 90s, the species was on the verge of extinction," the message says.
The Uroshchishche Kordon Nature Monument was created to preserve the plant. Now opuntia can also be found in the Peski Berli заказник. These two zones are subject to a special protection regime, for violation of which administrative responsibility is provided.
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