Tsentral'nochernozem Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1979, in Russian Federation. This biosphere reserve is located about 550 km south of Moscow, close to the Ukrainian border. Situated in the Pontian Steppe biogeographic region, the area comprises meadow steppes with vast floristic diversity, with up to 80 species per square metre. The Tsentral'nochernozem Biosphere Reserve takes its name from its soil type, the so-called chernozem, which is a black and very fertile soil. Today, pristine steppe ecosystems are rare. All major steppe zones of Europe and America’s prairies have been transformed into agricultural land due to their highly productive soil.