DUSHANBE, July 14, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan’s national reserve, Tigrovaya Balka (Tiger Gully) has opened its official website – www.tigrovajabalka.tj . 

Established in 1938, the reserve is located in the undercurrent of Vakhsh River between Panj and Kofarnihon rivers at the board of Afghanistan.  Its territory elongated for the 40 kilometers from southwest to northeast.  Its relief has the shape of valley floodplain terrace with falls which contain many cutoff lakes, formed during meandering of Vakhsh River

Climate of the reserve is sharply continental and dry.  During the winter the air masses of temperate latitudes and in summer – tropical are prevalent.  The average annual temperature makes + 14-17degrees, the temperature of coldest month (January) + 2-0 degrees, the hottest (July) + 28-32 degrees.  Duration of the frost-free period is 250-310 days, and with the temperature more than +10° C – 200-250 days.

The following ecosystems are allocated within the territory of the reserve: ecosystem of semi-desert landscape represented within the hilly range of Kashkakum mountain massif; ecosystem of submountain low grassed semisavans and shibliak widespread on Buritau eminence and in Hodja-Kaziyon mountains; ecosystem of tugai complex widespread in the flood-land of rivers prevailing by Populus pruinosa and Elaeagnus angustifolia tugai, which alternated with bushes of giant grasses of reeds (Phragmites communis), Erianthus ravennae, sugar-cane (Saccharum spontaneum) widespread in lowerings; and ecosystem of water reservoirs and wetlands of the reserve widespread along Vakhsh and Panj Rivers