Lake Kirikumäe Landscape Reserve

Lake Kirikumäe Landscape Reserve / Description

Kirikumäe Landscape Reserve is situated on the land that borders between the Vastseliina and Misso parishes. The reserve was established to protect the long-studied Kirikumäe (Church Hill) Lake, the Järvesuu bog and the diverse landscape to the east of Kirikumäe Lake, where small forest lakes are also situated (lakes Kaadsa, Mudajärv, Linnasjärv, Kõrbjärv, Pundsu and Kakõnu). Kirikumäe Lake is surrounded on three sides by the Järvesuu bog with high wooded mineral islands.
The lake and village got their names from the Orthodox Church on the northern shore of the lake during the Livonian War. The lake`s area is 61,4 ha with a maximum depth of 3,5 m and an average depth of 2,8 m. The water of the lake is acidic; there is very little mineral and organic matter.
Of the quite poor flora are water lobelia, which is uncommon to the lake`s mineral soil shore. The zooplankton is quite rich and holds a very rare species Alona rusticia. Scientific value is added to Kirikumäe Lake because of the extensive series of research data that has been collected over the years.