Data Zone
Country/territory: Kazakhstan
IBA criteria met: A1, A3 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 63,055 hectares (630.55 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2007 | poor | high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2007 baseline)
The site is part of the south-eastern section of the Kokshetau uplands. It is located about 50 km to the east of another, very similar complex of pines - the Aleksevskiye Pine Forests. The largest nearby settlement is Stepnogorsk, situated 15 km to the north. There are also two major villages within the site – Pervomaika and Iskra. Slightly beyond the eastern boundary is the medium-sized settlement of Minskoye. The boundary of the area is the periphery of the dense mature pine groves in the vicinity of Iskra village. Fortunately these stands of tall pine survived the transformation by agro-industrial activity of the surrounding steppe landscapes. There are also a few vestiges of the typical Northern Kazakhstan forest-steppe zone with assemblages of dry meadow motley herbage and Fescue-Feather-Grasses between the stands of coniferous forest and occasional stands of birch and poplar.
Key biodiversity
The site supports the typical pine forest species assemblage. The preliminary survey in 2007 found good numbers of owls and raptors including Otus scops, Asio otus, Bubo bubo, Buteo buteo, Milvus migrans, Accipiter gentilis, Falco subbuteo, Falco columbarius, Falco vespertinus and Falco tinnunculus. Typical birds on the surrounding steppe included Grus virgo, Numenius arquata, Circus pygargus and Circus aeruginosus plus the globally threatened Circus macrourus, Falco cherrug and Aquila heliaca.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Iskrinskie Pine Forests (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/iskrinskie-pine-forests-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.