Aksu-Zhabagly State Reserve

The Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve was organized in 1927. The protected area is located in the mountainous region of Talas Alatau. The area of the territory is almost 75 thousand hectares, including 10377 hectares — forested, 3830 hectares are meadows and 116 hectares — reservoirs.

Several rivers flow through the flat part of the reserve - Aksu, Zhabagly, Irsu, Baldabrek and Bala-Baldabrek. Rivers form canyons, the deepest is 500 m. The height of the terrain is from 1100 to 4100 m above sea level. In addition to rivers, there are 19 glaciers and 8 small lakes on the territory of the Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve.
The soils are characterized by vertical zonation: in the alpine belt (3000— 4000 m above sea level), soils are fragmentary, in the subalpine (2000— 3000 m), dark—colored subalpine soils are common, in the forest meadow (1200-2000 m) — brown, in the foothills (below 1200 m) - gray-brown, gradually turning into typical sierozem soil.

The Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve is located in a mountainous area, so it is characterized by continental climatic conditions. The average annual temperature is about 6.7°C; the average temperature in January is 4.9°C, July is 21.6°C. The frost—free period is about 119 days; snow cover lasts 120-150 days; annual precipitation is 560 mm.

The vegetation cover is represented by 10 types of vegetation. The most common are mountain coniferous forests, vegetation of rocks and scree.
There are more than 23 types of fruit trees in the flora: pear, apple, rovan tree, blackberry, Juneberry, hawthorn, apricot, etc. Ornamental plants also grow in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve: tulips, irises, eremuruses, saffron, watershed, bathing suits, rosehips (10 species), etc.
42 species of mammals have been recorded in the fauna. In the avifauna, after research, 235 species of birds are observed. Reptiles are represented less in the protected area - only 9 species and 2 species of amphibians. The most numerous are: Siberian ibex, argali, roe deer, snow leopard, elk, African wild cat, ermine, fox, badger. Of the birds, partridge, snow cock, gray partridge, wood pigeon, quail, etc. are common.