The Southern Siberian rainforest is an area of temperate rainforest in South Central Siberia that occurs primarily along the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges in Khakassia and Tuva as well as a small area in the Khamar-Daban Mountains near Lake Baikal in Buryatia. The forest encompasses a total area of approximately 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi). The larger portion of the forest in the Altai and Sayan Mountains runs across a latitude range that encompasses between 51.5 degrees to 56 degrees north latitude, and a longitude range running between 86 degrees to 95 degrees east longitude. The region overlaps with the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site. Ecological zones range from hemiboreal forest to a forest-steppe ecotone [1] and include a wider variety of plant species than surrounding areas.
The southern Siberian rainforest is primarily located within the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges across a range of elevations. Geographic features that the forest extends onto include high mountains and ridges as well as valleys carved by glaciers [2] and river basins. The forest-steppe ecotone occurs at elevations as low as 250 to 300 metres (820 feet to 985 feet) while the forest-tundra boundary is between 1600 and 1800 metres (5250 feet to 5905 feet). The Katun and Biya Rivers, two tributaries of the Ob River that originate in the Altai Mountains, flow through the region. [3]
Flora in the region represent a combination of species from four biomes: taiga, сool-temperate forests, tundra and steppe and are more diverse than flora of many of the surrounding areas. [4] The trees include a mix of coniferous and broadleaf tree species. These include Scots pine, silver birch, Eurasian aspen, Siberian pine, Siberian fir, [1] Siberian spruce and Siberian linden. [5] [6] The hemiboreal zones are dominated by Scots Pine and silver birch in wet areas. Moss cover is present, but sparse. [5] Dry areas are dominated by either Scots pine or Siberian larch depending on temperature. Siberian larch is typically more prevalent in cooler areas while warmer and drier areas favor Scots pine. [7] Siberian larch also dominates the forest-steppe ecotone. [3] Epiphyte species include multiple genera of lichen. These include nitrophyte genera such as Physcia and Melanelia, acidophytes such as Usnea and Bryoria and other genera including Hypogymnia [8] and Sticta. [1] Understory plants include Eurasian baneberry, European wild ginger, Baikal anemone, golden saxifrage, bittercress and grasses of the genera Carex , Brachypodium [1] and Calamagrostis . [9]
Terrestrial animals in the region include brown bears, [10] European adders, moles of the Talpa genus, red foxes and red deer, [11] gray wolves, lynx, mountain hares, and several species of mustelids including stoats and wolverines. [2] Bird species include hazel grouse, tree pipits, Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers, [11] golden eagles, peregrine falcons, [2] black storks, northern eagle owls, and gyrfalcons. [12] Aquatic species include moor frogs, Siberian taimen, fish of the genus Cottus , [11] Siberian grayling, Asiatic trout and European otters. Insect fauna include the Siberian silk moth, a plant-eating insect species that lives in the region and feeds on tree leaves. [13]
The climate in the Siberian temperate forest is continental and humid along the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges. [14] Winter temperatures can be as low as -19 degrees Celsius (-2 degrees Fahrenheit) and summer temperatures can reach as high as 17 degrees (63 degrees Fahrenheit). [15] The region primarily gets precipitation from Atlantic air masses brought in by westerly winds. The climates are more moderate nearby Teletskoje lake and Baikal. Lake Baikal has the effect of cooling incoming air as it reaches the Khamar-Daban Mountains. [1] The incoming air is forced over the mountains, causing moisture to precipitate out. This causes greater annual precipitation in this area than in the surrounding regions, and can exceed 1500 millimeters annually in some places. [1] [15] In addition, relative humidity can average as high as 75% on an annual basis. [15] The region also loses more water to evapotranspiration than surrounding areas. [16] Current climate change projections predict that local temperatures will increase, causing the forest to expand into nearby alpine tundra areas. [3] Climate change is also expected to result in decreased precipitation in the region. [9]
Conifer trees in the region have been industrially logged, sometimes illegally, [17] for more than a century. Clear cutting was particularly common with Siberian pine, which was seen as particularly valuable. [1] [18] The removal of these trees is a cause of increased soil erosion due to a lack of roots. [19] Fire also is a disturbance that is most common in areas with Scots pine stands and is expected to increase in frequency as temperatures rise due to climate change. [9] Forest regeneration in these areas is hindered by the faster growth and spread of grasses, particularly the genus Calamagrostis. Insect outbreaks are a threat to many of the tree species in the region. One example of this type of disturbance is the Siberian silkmoth, a species of moth that eats the leaves and needles of broadleaf and coniferous trees respectively. Its most recent outbreak was in 2002. [13] Tree mortality from insect outbreaks and fungal infestations further increases the risk of forest fires due to the increase of combustible material from dead trees, including the trunks which can act as ladder fuel. [9]
The Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site includes part of the forest in the Altai Mountains. [20] The Russian government has also set up multiple nature reserves. Three are in the Altai Mountains: the Altaysky and Katunsky Nature Reserves, which are also in the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site, [2] and the Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve, which is also a World Heritage Site. [21] The Kuznetsk Alatau Nature Reserve is located near the Sayan Mountains. The region near Lake Baikal includes the Baikal Nature Reserve. [1]
Barguzinsky Nature Reserve is the oldest of zapovedniks, established in 1916 for the protection of the Barguzin sable. It is located in Buryatia (Russia) on the west slope of the Barguzinsky Range, including the northeast shores of the Lake Baikal and a part of the lake itself. The area of the reserve is 2,482 km2 (958 sq mi), covering several types of boreal ecosystems, from bogs and taiga coniferous forests to subalpine meadows and mountain tundras. The landscape is postglacial, featuring rugged highlands, long river valleys and outwash, alluvial and lacustrine plains.
South Central Siberia is a geographical region north of the point where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia come together.
The wildlife of Russia inhabits terrain that extends across 12 time zones and from the tundra region in the far north to the Caucasus Mountains and prairies in the south, including temperate forests which cover 70% of the country. Russia's forests comprise 22% of the forest in the world as well as 33% of all temperate forest.
The Tunka or Tunkinsky National Park is a national park located in south central Siberia. It covers a mountainous region centered on the Irkut River valley that continues from the rift valley of Lake Baikal southwest to the border of Mongolia. To the north and west of the valley is the eastern edge of the Sayan Mountains. To the east are the lower Khamar-Daban mountains. About 1,183,662 hectares in size, the park occupies the entirety of the Tunkinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia.
Shorsky National Park is a forested, mountainous area in southwestern Siberia, where the West Siberian Plain meets the South Siberian Mountains. It is representative of areas with dark taiga tree cover. With an area of 1,614 square miles (4,180 km2), the park covers over a third of Tashtagolsky District at the southern end of Kemerovo Oblast, about 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the city of Kemerovo. The area is the home of the Shors people, and has historically been associated with mining and logging industries before being established as a protected area in 1989.
Pribaikalsky National Park covers the southwest coast of Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia. The coastal strip includes the lake-facing slopes of the Primorsky Range to the west, as well as offshore islands such as Olkhon Island to the east. It is about 50 km southeast of the city of Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast. The park is managed with three other nature reserves, and is a major component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Lake Baikal". The Angara River, which is the outflow of Lake Baikal west into the Yenisei River basin, runs through the park. The park has very high levels of biodiversity and endemic species.
Shushensky Bor National Park consists of two representative forests in the extreme southwest of Siberia, in the northern foothills of the Western Sayan Mountains. The northern section is forest-steppe in character, while the southern section is mountain conifer forest. The southern section is bordered on two sides by the Yenisei river reservoir behind the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam in Russia. The forest has both high biodiversity value and recreational value for hikers and tourists. It is located in the Shushensky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Azas Nature Reserve is a Russian 'Zapovednik', located in the central part of the Todzha basin of south-central Asia about 500 km west of Lake Baikal. The reserve stretches along the Azas River, and is situated in the Todzhinsky District of Tuva.
Altai Nature Reserve is a Russian zapovednik in the Altai Mountains of south Siberia, Russia. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Golden Mountains of Altai", recognized as an area of high biodiversity and isolation from human intrusion. It is also included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Altai Reserve includes the 30 km (19-mile) east bank of Lake Teletskoye and stretches 230 km into the high mountains to the southeast of the lake. It is situated in Ulagansky District and Turochaksky District in the north and east of the Altai Republic.
Sokhondo Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' in the south of Eastern Siberia, 25 km north of the border with Mongolia. It is the farthest source of the Amur River, and is centered on the Sokhondo Mountain massif, in the highest sector of the Khentei-Chikoy Highlands in the Khentei Range mountain range. The Sokhondo massif has two peaks, and is an ancient volcano. Also within the borders are many lakes of glacial origin. In 1985, Sokhondo was named a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is situated in the Chita district of Chita Oblast.
The Transbaikal conifer forests ecoregion covers a 1,000 km by 1,000 km region of mountainous southern taiga stretching east and south from the shores of Lake Baikal in the Southern Siberia region of Russia, and including part of northern Mongolia. Historically, the area has been called "Dauria", or Transbaikal. It is in the Palearctic realm, and mostly in the boreal forests/taiga biome with a subarctic, humid climate. It covers 200,465 km2 (77,400 sq mi).
Sayano-Shushenski Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' reserve in a remote area of the West Sayan Mountains of south Siberia. It is on the southern bank of the Yenisei River along the Sayano-Shushenskoye reservoir. The reserve thus protects a large section of the wooded, mountainous territory above the reservoir created by the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, the largest power plant in Russia. Both the reserve and the dam were established 1976, and a major purpose of the reserve besides conservation is the study of the ecological effects of a large reservoir on the local ecology. The reserve covers an area of 390,368 ha (1,507.22 sq mi). It is situated in the Shushensky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Khakasski Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' covering two large mountain areas, and a cluster of seven steppe sites located within the left bank of the Minusinsk depression. The reserve is situated in the Tashtypsky District of Khakassia. It was originally created to preserve steppe ecosystems, wetlands and waterfowl nesting sites, and a historical complex of monuments and cemeteries from the 4-11 centuries BC. The reserve is particularly noted for its variety of large lakes on the Yenisei River migration route for birds. The current configuration of protected sectors was established in 1999, and covers a total area of 267,483 ha (1,032.76 sq mi).
Kuznetsk Alatau Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' on the Kuznetsk Alatau, a mountain ridge in the Altai-Sayan mountain region in southwestern Siberia. The Kuznetsk Alatau consists of several ranges of medium height, between which there are river valleys. The reserve is in the watershed of the Tom River and the Chuly River. It is spread over three districts of Kemerovo Oblast: Tisulsky District, Mezhdurechensky District, and Novokuznetsky District. The reserve was established in 1989 and covers an area of 412,900 ha (1,594 sq mi).
Vitim Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' in the mountains 400 km northeast of Lake Baikal in the Irkutsk region of Siberia. It covers the upper reaches of the Vitim River, a left tributary of the Lena River. The reserve protects a wide variety high-altitude, continental climate flora and fauna complexes: larch taiga, cedar thickets, mountain tundra, and sub-alpine meadows of the Delyun-Uran and Kodar Mountains. The reserve is located in the southeast of the Bodaybinsky District of Irkutsk Oblast, 150 km east of the regional city of Bodaybo. It was formally established in 1982, and covers 585,838 ha (2,261.93 sq mi).
Tigirekskiy Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' in the northwest mid-level mountains of the Altai-Sayan region. The reserve was established for the protection and study of the relic pre-glacial dark taiga of the higher elevations, and the mountain-steppe of the river valleys and lower regions. The site features extensive karst landscape and caves. The reserve is situated in the Zmeinogorsky, Tretyakovsky and Krasnoshchyokovsky districts of Altai Krai. It was formally established in 1999, and covers a total area of 40,693 ha (157.12 sq mi).
The West Siberian taiga ecoregion covers the West Siberian Plain in Russia, from the Ural mountains in the west to the Yenisei River in the east, and roughly from 56° N to 66° N latitude. It is a vast, flat lowland region of boreal forests (taiga), and wetlands, covering an area about 1,800 km west–east, by 1,000 km north–south.
The Altai montane forest and forest steppe ecoregion covers patches of the subalpine forest belt on the Altai Mountains, crossing the border region where Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China meet. The region has high biodiversity, as it is located in transition zones between different ecoregions, altitudes, and climate zones. It is in the Palearctic realm, with a Cold semi-arid climate. It covers 35,199,998 km2 (13,590,795 sq mi).
The Sayan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers the mid-elevation levels of the Sayan Mountains, the high mountain range between the taiga of Siberia, Russia to the north, and the steppes of Mongolia to the south. The slopes of the mountains at the mid-altitudes are covered by Temperate coniferous forest. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a cold semi-arid climate. It covers 35,741,835 km2 (13,800,000 sq mi).
Salair National Park is located on the west slope of the Salair Ridge, which separates Altai Krai from Kemerovo Oblast. The low mountains are covered with coniferous forest, while the non-park surroundings to the west are steppe and forest steppe that has mostly been converted to agriculture. Because of its warm, humid summers, scientists have referred to Salair as the "rainforest of Siberia", with resulting high biodiversity and relict plants preserved from the pre-glacial period. The park was officially created in 2020; it is located in the districts of Zarinsk, Togulsky, Yeltsovsky and Soltonsky of Altai Krai.
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