Bogeda Peak National Nature Reserve is
located in Fukang City, east of Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. With a
total area of 2,170 square kilometers, Bogeda Peak National Nature Reserve is
comprised of Tianchi Lake natural reserve and Fukang desert ecological center of
China Academy of Sciences. Its targets for protection include endangered
animals, forests, grassland, Tianshan scenic spot and oasis. It is the seventh
one of its kind in China included in the International Man and Biosphere Reserve
Network of UNESCO.
The Reserve lies in the hinterland of Asia.
It is hot at the foot of the peak while it's cold in its middle and high part.
The highest elevation is 5,440 meters and the lowest is 440 meters. The relative
height difference reaches 5,000 meters, and therefore in the range of 80
kilometers from the south to the north there are many types of vegetation such
as alpine glacier zone, grassy marshlands, forests, grasslands, wilderness and
deserts. It is regarded as an ideal place for research on desert ecosystem and
elements changing environment.
The Bogoda Peak Reserve is typical of alpine
ice and snow landscape, in which there is a well-known scenic spot named the
Lake Tianchi. The calabash-shaped lake is 1,910 meters above sea level, covering
a total area of 5 square kilometers. The scenery of Lake Tianchi is beautiful
with the green water in the lake in vivid contrast with ice peaks in the
distance in summer.
There are more than 300 species of wild
medicinal herbs in the Reserve such as Fritillaria thunbergii, Chinese angelica,
Codonopsis pilosula and Saussurea involucrata. The Reserve is also proper
habitats of about a hundred species of rare animals and 8 of them such as brown
bears, snow leopards and snow cocks are under the state protection. The Lake
Tianchi is especially rich in wild animal resources. According to the record,
there are 24 species of animals, 50 species of birds, and 6 species of reptiles,
fish and amphibians respectively. The vertical distribution of animals is
obvious, the high and cold area is featured by snow leopards and griffon
vultures, the forest area is characterized by red deer and lynx, and while in
low area lives badgers and chukars, etc.