EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Explanation:  We are flying over the southwest corner of Lake Khanka in the Far East Russian province of Primorski Krai.  Below us stretches a mostly deforested landscape of pastures and agriculture ... and this vast riverine corridor of riparian and floodplain woodland along the Melgunovka River, running thick and brown from silt accumulated from recent rains draining distant mountains bordering China.  

You are looking at an excellent example of a riverine woodland park, a zapovednik in Russian.  This portion of the landscape was set aside by the Russian government for its values of providing habitat for wildlife, a greenbelt for people, and a hydrologic conduit for Lake Khanka (which is below us and not visible).  It is one part of a network of river, wetland, and forest parks that dot the edges of Lake Khanka.  

During the migration season, this wetland complex is alive with massive numbers of ducks, geese, and swans.  As a wildlife corridor, this zapovednik provides critical wetland and riparian habitat for many birds including Gray Herons, Northern Lapwings, Whooper Swans, White Wagtails, Marsh Tits, Oriental White Storks, and perhaps the occasional Red-crowned Crane on migration and the resident but rare Reed Parrotbill.