Kamchatka-Kurile meadows and sparse forests

Please note: These biome and ecoregion pages (and associated data) are no longer being updated and may now be out of date. These pages and data exist for historical reference only. For updated bioregion data, please visit One Earth.

  • Scientific Code
    (PA0603)
  • Ecoregion Category
    Palearctic
  • Size
    56,500 square miles
  • Status
    Relatively Stable/Intact
  • Habitats

Description


Location and General Description

Biodiversity Features

Current Status

Types and Severity of Threats

Justification of Ecoregion Delineation
This ecoregion is generally found below 800-1000 meters (Isachenko & Shliapnikov, 1989) in Western Kamchatka, but occurs at lower elevations in the valleys of north and east Kamchatka. Similar flora and fauna profiles are found in the Kurile Islands south to Urup. Mapped ecoregion boundaries correspond to the meadows and sparse forest meadows in the Kurile-Kamchatka vegetation province in Kurnaev’s (1990) forest map of the USSR.

References
Balykin, P. A. 1996. Dynamics and abundance of western Bering Sea walleye pollock. Pages 177-182 in O.A. Mathisen and K. O. Coyle, editors. Ecology of the Bering Sea: a review of Russian literature. Alaska Sea Grant Report No. 96-01. Alaska Sea Grant Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.

Boltnev, A. I. and O. A. Mathisen. 1996. Historical trends in abundance of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Pages 297-306 in O.A. Mathisen and K. O. Coyle, editors. Ecology of the Bering Sea: a review of Russian literature. Alaska Sea Grant Report No. 96-01. Alaska Sea Grant Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.

Bousfield, M.A. and Y.V. Syroechkovskiy. 1985. A review of Soviet research on the Lesser Snow Goose on Wrangel Island, Russian Federation. Wildfowl 36:13-20.

Byrd, G. V. 1978. Red-legged kittiwake colonies in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Condor 80:250.

Cooch, E.; F. Cooke, M. Samuels, and J. Takekawa. 1995. Demography and management of the Wrangel Island-Banks Island metapopulation of Lesser Snow Geese. Investigator: Simon Fraser University. Dept. of Biological Sciences. Northwest Territories Scientific Research License, ref. no. 12 402 580.

Coyle, K. O. and R. T. Cooney. 1988. Estimating carbon flux to pelagic grazers in the ice-edge zone of the eastern Bering Sea. Marine Biology 98: 299-306.

Firsova, L.V., E.M. Mikhtaryants and A.V. Andreev. 1986. Faunistic observations of several birds of the Commander Islands. Pp. 89-96, In, The distribution and biology of birds of the Altai and Far East, I.A. Neufeld, editor. (In Russian).

Flint, V. E., Yu D. Chugunov and V. M. Smirin. 1970. Mammals of the USSR. Mysl, Moscow (In Russian).

Isachenko A. G. and A.A. Shliapnikov 1989 Landschafts, Mysl’, Moscow Russia

Lazarev, G. 2000. Preserving Kamchatka’s forests. Russian Conservation News 23:33-34.

Lobkov and I. A. Neufeldt. 1986. Distribution and biology of the Steller’s sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus). Pages 107-146 in I.A. Neufeldt, editor. The distribution and biology of birds of the Altai and Far East. (In Russian).

Nalivkin, D. V. 1960. The geology of the U.S.S.R. A short outline. Pergamon Press. Oxford, U.K.

National Marine Fisheries Service. 1992. Recovery Plan for the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). Prepared by the Steller sea lion recovery team for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.

Newell, J., V. P. Karakii and A. V. Lebedev. 1999. Prioritetnye territorii pocciiskovo dalnevo vostoka dlya cokhraneniya bioraznoobrasiya. Priority areas of the Russian Far East for the conservation of biodiversity. Friends of the Earth (Japan) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Vladivostok, Russia (In Russian).

Neshatayeva V. Yu. and Fet, G. 1994. Meadow vegetation. Pages 151-166 in Vegetation of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve (Eastern Kamchatka). Eds. Neshatayev et al. St.Peterburg, Proceedings of Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16. (In Russian).

Rahr, G. 1999. Kamchatka at the crossroads. International Journal of Salmon Conservation. 3:2-7.

Savvaitova, K.A, K.V. Kuzishchin and S.V. Maximov. 2000. Kamchatka steelhead: population trends and life history variation. Pages 195-203 in E. Knudsen, editor. Sustainable fisheries management: Pacific salmon. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

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