natural area set aside for research in the natural sciences, on the southern shore of Lake Baikal (Baikal, Lake), southeastern Russia. The reserve was established in 1969 and has an area of 640 square miles (1,657 square km). It includes part of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. The park's vegetation includes poplar forests in the lowlands; taiga of spruce, fir, and larch on the mountain slopes; and thickets of dwarf Siberian pine and birch in the higher meadows. Among the wildlife are brown bear, wild pig, musk and roe deer, badger, stoat, lynx, wolverine, and birds such as the swan goose, rock ptarmigan, crested honey buzzard, and the great bustard. Scientific research on the ecosystem of southern Lake Baikal and the Khamar-Daban range is carried on in the reserve.