Khibiny National Park (Russian: Национальный парк «Хибины») protects a mountainous region of taiga and tundra on the Khibiny Mountains and Lovozero Massif of the western Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.[1] The mountains contain commercially important minerals, and the park's borders reflect the need to balance three uses - protection of the unique natural environment, recreation (hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter), and industrial mining. The park was officially created in 2018,[2] and is located in the districts of Kirovsk and Olenegorsk in Murmansk Oblast. [3] [4]

Khibiny National Park
(Russian: Хибины)
Khibiny National Park
Map showing the location of Khibiny National Park
Map showing the location of Khibiny National Park
Location of Park
LocationMurmansk Oblast
Nearest cityKandalaksha
Coordinates67°43′N 33°28′E / 67.717°N 33.467°E / 67.717; 33.467
Area84,804 hectares (209,555 acres; 848 km2; 327 sq mi)
EstablishedDecember 2018 (2018-2/8)
Governing bodyFGBU "Khibiny "

Topography

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Surrounded by low plains, the varied terrain of the mountains supports high biodiversity. The mountain range itself is a circle about 40 km across, with Lake Imandra on the western border, and Lake Umbozero on the eastern. The park has two sections - a west sector and east sector of approximately equal size and central valley corridor that is not in the protected zone.[5] Across Lake Imandra to the west is the Lapland Biosphere Reserve. Elevations in the park range from 130 to 1,196 meters.[3]

Ecoregion and climate

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The park is at the northern edge of the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion, only a few kilometers south of the official transition to the Kola Peninsula tundra ecoregion.[6]

The climate of the ecoregion is Subarctic climate, without dry season (Köppen climate classification Subarctic climate (Dfc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1-3 months above 10 °C (50.0 °F)) and cold, snowy winters (coldest month below −3 °C (26.6 °F)).[7][8]

Kandalaksha, Russia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
0
 
 
16
3
 
 
0.1
 
 
17
5
 
 
0.2
 
 
26
13
 
 
0.6
 
 
36
24
 
 
1.8
 
 
47
35
 
 
2.7
 
 
58
45
 
 
2.9
 
 
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51
 
 
2.4
 
 
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48
 
 
1.9
 
 
50
41
 
 
1.3
 
 
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30
 
 
0.5
 
 
26
16
 
 
0.1
 
 
19
7
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: Weatherspark.com
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
0
 
 
−9
−16
 
 
2.5
 
 
−8
−15
 
 
5.1
 
 
−3
−11
 
 
15
 
 
2
−4
 
 
46
 
 
8
2
 
 
69
 
 
14
7
 
 
74
 
 
18
11
 
 
61
 
 
16
9
 
 
48
 
 
10
5
 
 
33
 
 
3
−1
 
 
13
 
 
−3
−9
 
 
2.5
 
 
−7
−14
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm

Plants and animals

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Ground cover in the park is 62% grassland, 27% forest, 8% bare rock, and the remaining 3% shrub cover or water.[3] Species diversity is high, as there are different altitude zones, different landform types, and mixing of species in the transition zone between Arctic and taiga flora zones.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Khibiny (Republic of Karelia)". World Wildlife Federation (Russia). Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  2. ^ "On the creation of the Khibiny National Park". Russian Federation. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Hibiny National Park". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Khibiny National Park" (in Russian). ecopetersburg. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Khibiny National Park". Nature Russia.
  6. ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  7. ^ Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  8. ^ "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
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