Nature reserve. Square: 1657,24 sq.m.

The Baikal State Natural Biosphere Reserve is located on the adjacent lands of three administrative districts of the Republic of Buryatia: Dzhidinsky, Selenginsky and Kabansky. The protected area occupies the central section of the Khamar-Daban mountain range, which stretches in a latitudinal direction along the southern coast of Lake Baikal. The main watershed of the Khamar-Daban ridge conditionally divides the territory of the reserve into two unequal parts: the large northern one, which includes, in addition to the northern macroslope of the ridge, a strip of the Baikal coast, and the smaller southern one. The large, northern part of the reserve’s territory lies within the Kabansky district, and here, in the village of Tankhoi, is the central estate of the reserve.

The northern border of the reserve runs along the coast of Lake Baikal, sometimes retreating, sometimes approaching the lake almost closely, remaining separated from it only by a narrow right of way, on which the Trans-Siberian Railway and the federal highway are located.

In the south, west and east, the boundaries of the protected area run mainly along natural boundaries – the Temnik, Levaya Mishikha, Vydrinaya, and Verkhnyaya Khandagaita rivers. The total area of the protected area is 167,871 hectares, and the length of the borders reaches 200 km. The perimeter of the reserve covers a closed ring of a protective zone. The width of the protective zone ranges from 0.5 to 4 km, its total area is 34,788 hectares. On the territory of the Baikal State Natural Biosphere Reserve and its protective zone, 1169 species of higher vascular plants grow (based on the results of 2022), of which 14 species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2008) and 49 species in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013). There are 30 species of Tertiary relicts, 15 species of endemics, including the endemic of the Khamar-Daban ridge – Swertia baicalensis, a very beautiful plant with dark purple flowers from the Gentian family, found mainly in high-mountain meadows. More than 90 species of trees and trees and shrubs grow here.

Currently, 298 species of mosses are known, including 2 species included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2008) and 9 species in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013).

775 species of lichens have been identified in the reserve, including 12 species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2008), and 36 species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013).

The mushroom flora consists of 425 species. The most numerous group is basidiomycetes – 287 species. 8 species are included in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013) and 1 species (varnished tinder fungus) is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2008).

381 species of vertebrates are found here, including 52 species of mammals, 308 species of birds, 2 species of reptiles, 2 species of amphibians; the ichthyofauna of the reserve is represented by 17 species.

Of all the bird species found on the territory of the Baikal State Natural Biosphere Reserve and its protective zone, 31 bird species are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (List…, 2020), 70 species are in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013).

Among mammals, 1 species is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (List…, 2020 and 5 species in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013). One species of amphibians is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Buryatia (2013). Of the representatives of the ichthyofauna, 2 species are listed in the Red Book of the Republic Buryatia (2013) and the Red Book of the Russian Federation ((List…, 2020) – lenok and taimen.

The fauna of invertebrate animals includes more than 1,700 species, including 27 orders and 182 families. Among them, 1 species (Apollo vulgaris) is in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (List…, 2020).