The total area is 97829 hectares.

The head of the Abakan River

The section is situated in Tashtypsky district of the Republic of Khakasia, in the medium-mountain part of the northern macroslope on the Western Sayan Mountains, in the interfluve of the Maly Abakan and Karasuma Rivers. The rivers’ basins separate the Chuk-Chut ridge, which passes through the “Maly Abakan” section and divides it into two equal parts.

Landforms. There can be singled out three main types of relief on this territory: alpine high-mountain, massive high-mountain and medium-mountain erosive ones. The alpine high-mountain relief is sharply partitioned; it spreads out on the ridges, exceeding 2000 m above-sea level. The massive high-mountain relief occupies a considerable part of the “Maly Abakan” section, it spreads at a height of 1600–2000 m. The medium-mountain relief comes up to 1700 m of height.

The hydrographical system is well-developed and represented by numerous streams and small rivers. The greatest river is Maly Abakan River. Kayla, Otkyl, Tartash, Karasuma and Kabansug rivers are the small rivers. All the rivers have the mountain nature – their flow is disturbed and turbulent, they have a plenty of rapids, rifts and riffles. In the high-mountain part the numerous small mountain tarns are situated.

The protected Sayan mountains

Soils. The soil distribution is conformed to the law of altitudinal zonation. The experts single out about 12 types of soils in this territory: from mountain-tundra to mountain chestnut and alluvial ones.

In forests (at a height of 700–1500 m) the mountain forest and mountain sod-podzol soils are widespread, then they are replaced by mountain meadow soils in subalpine meadows. A wide areas of high mountains are occupied with stone and detritus slide-rocks of granites, slates, serpentinite with absent or underdeveloped process of soil formation in them.

Flora and fauna. In this section more than 565 higher vascular plant species are recorded. Among them there are 9 plant species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 23 – in the Red Book of the Republic of Khakasia.

The fauna of mountain taiga territory is multifarious and has mountain nature. The animal world is represented by 11 fish species, 3 reptile species, 3 amphibian species, 139 bird species, 50 mammal species, which are referred to 6 orders, including 2 mammal species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 9 – in the Red Book of the Republic of Khakasia and 3 – in the appendix of the Red Book of the Republic of Khakasia.

Mink

The “Maly Abakan” section structure includes the high-bonitat cedar forests and highlands as places of rare animal species habitation. In addition, the location is remote from the human settlements and difficult to access.

In February 2002, during the recording research at the head of the Kabansug River, for the first time the reindeer was found in this territory. In June 2004, the beaver was found for the first time in this section.

Two mammal species appeared there not too long ago: American mink adapted for leaving there in 1955 and boar, which came there from the Republic of Tuva, settled in the northern macroslope of the Western Sayan in 1970. Except these animal species, there is the information about the founding Asiatic ibex and Siberian argali near the southern borders. The traces of snow leopard can also be found near the southern border of the section.