Northeast Siberian taiga
Northeast Siberian taiga | |
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Kolyma River | |
Climate type | Dfd |
The Northeast Siberian taiga
Location and description
The ecoregion covers an area about 1,800 km west–east by 1,000 km north–south. The western border is the Lena River; beyond that is the
The
Climate
The region has an extreme subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfd), with long, extremely cold winters and short warm summers.[8] Regions with a Dfd climate have 1-3 months with temperatures averaging above 10 °C (50 °F) and at least one month with mean temperatures below −38 °C (−36 °F) , this region has some of the coldest winters in the Northern Hemisphere with the lowest temperature recorded being −68 °C (−90 °F).
Verkhoyansk, Sakha Republic, Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Precipitation is relatively low, ranging from 150–200 mm/year in central Yakutia, to 400–500 mm/year in the mountains.
Flora
The dominant trees are
In the lowland floodplains there are steppe floral communities that feature fescue (Festuca), wheatgrass, alpine oatgrass (Helictotrichon), cinquefoils (Potentilla tollii), Orostachys spinosa, Carex pediformis, and others.[7] The ecoregion is one of the floral regions of the Circumboreal Region.
Fauna
Migrant waterfowl are common in the northern areas near the tundra; species include
The Siberian taiga also is home to galliforms, like the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in areas of open tundra. Populations of black-billed capercaillies (Tetrao urogalloides) and hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) tend to inhabit forested habitat.
Common mammals are elk (
Protections
Notable protected areas of the Russian Federation in the West Siberian taiga include:
- Magadan Nature Reserve An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" (a Zapovednik). (Area: 782 km2)
Threats
The region is relatively untouched by human activities; the region is one of the largest virgin forests in the world. There is some mining activity, and logging. As usual with boreal forests, wild fires are a threat in the summer.
Urban areas and settlements
The area is sparsely populated; the only city is Magadan on the Okhotsk Sea, and scattered mining and logging villages.[6][7]
See also
References
- ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "Northeast Siberian taiga". Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ "Northeast Siberian taiga". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Northeast Siberian Taiga". World Ecoregions. GlobalSpecies.org. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ a b c "Northeast Siberian Taiga". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Climate - Northeast Siberian taiga". Global Species - Ecoregions. Global Species. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ "Palearctic Boreal Ecoregions". Global Forest Atlas. Yale school of forestry and environmental studies. Retrieved 10 July 2016.