Stepnoi Nature Sanctuary eagle ("Aquila heliaca"), demoiselle crane ("Grus virgo"), black-winged pratincole ("Glareola nordmanni"), little bustard ("Tetrax tetrax"), etc Stepnoi Nature Sanctuary Stepnoi State Nature Sanctuary (Russian: государственный природный заказник "Степной") (also Stepnoy Nature Reserve) is a protected area located in Liman district of Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. The sanctuary was declared in 2000 to ensure maintenance of unique natural complex of Stipa steppe providing habitat for saiga antelope ("Saiga tatarica tatarica") and a number of other endangered species of animals and plants. The sanctuary covers an area of 109.4 thousands of hectares. The monitoring program started in 2004 showed that the sanctuary is
Solidago tarda top of the plant. Solidago tarda Solidago tarda, commonly known as Atlantic goldenrod, is a rare North American species of goldenrod in the sunflower family. It is found along the Atlantic coastal plain from New Jersey and Alabama, though nowhere very common. "Solidago tarda" is a perennial herb up to 180 cm (6 feet) tall, with a branching underground caudex or rhizomes. Leaves are elliptic or egg-shaped, up to 35 cm (14 inches) long near the base of the plant, shorter farther up the stem. One plant can produce as many as 50 small yellow flower heads in a narrow,