G.INFO: State of the Environment - Georgia - Biodiversity

Is located in Abkhazia Autonomous Republic, in Gudauri district.

Established in 1930.

The area is 16 289 ha.

The aim of the reserve is to protect and study the high mountain Kolkhic and sea Forests.

The Reserve includes the basins of Ritsa lake and river Gega left side's forest. The top point is mountain Ajara (2908 m).The most of the slope are steppe (>26 degrees).

The forest occupy 14 922 ha, meadows - 338 ha, water-pools - 170 ha, rooks - 219 ha, roads - 44 ha.

The reserve belongs to humid marine climate region. The average annual temperature is 7.8 degrees (January -1.1, August - 17.8). The mean annual precipitation is 1959 mm.

The main rivers are: Lashipse, Avadkhara and Iupshara. Here must be differed Iupshara (11 km) ravine: it runs from lake Ritsa and hides under the ground on 2 km, after it runs into deep canyon; here is the "Iupsharas Gate" it the one of the sightseeing of the reserve (400 m). Ritsa lake - "The pearl of Abkhazia" is located at 950 m (water mirror area is 1.5 km2, max. Depth 101 m). As Hydrological monument, it is written in Georgian Red Book. The lake Patara Ritsa is located on 1235 m height (depth - 76 m, length 0.5 km, width - 275 m). It is the most transparent lake in Georgia. There is a lot of mineral springs in Avadhara region.There was established Avadhara balneological health resort.

There is 800 species (Caucasian flora 13%) in the reserve. The 26% of the forests are natural forest. The main formations are: silver-fir trees and beech-silver-fir trees (800-1600 m). grows yew-tree, fir-tree, pine-tree, jupiner, aspen, hornbeam, east hornbeam, nut-tree, birch, alder, beech, chestnut, barber, currant, medlar, cherry-laurel, box-tree, ilex, ivy, cornelian-cherry-tree, rhododendron, bilberry, elder, guelder-rose, ect.

In the forest there are: red deer, wild boar, roe deer, chamois, hare ect. There are many birds of prey. In Ritsa lake lives trout.

The Ritsa lake areas are used for Recreation (34 ha) because of that it mustn's be called Reserve (National Park). Unfortunately the reserve has, no protective zone: domestic animals are passing the zone of the reserve coming inside and treat the regime of the territory.