Eastern Asia: Eastern Russia, east of Lake Baikal

This tundra is located along a chain of noncontiguous mountaintops running from western Central Asia to the northeast corner. The east-west orientation of these mountains provides a "trans-Siberian" route for floral dispersion in northern Asia. Most of the soils are subject to permafrost and the flora has adapted to severe winter winds by finding protection under thin snow. Due to the isolation and inaccessibility of these mountains, the tundra habitat remains largely intact. Mammals characteristic to the Trans-Baikal ecoregion include marmots, moose, brown bear and Siberian musk deer. This area is one of only two known nesting sites of the relict gull (located in Lake Barun-Toray) and also home to the hooded crane, white-naped crane and Demoiselle crane in the region’s wetlands. While the ecoregion contains a number of relatively intact ecosystems, the network of protected areas needs to be strengthened.

Description

Location and General Description

Biodiversity Features

Current Status

Types and Severity of Threats

Justification of Ecoregion Delineation
This tundra is comprised of the bare summits, plateau tops and gentle high altitude slopes of the Stanovii, Aldanskii, and Dzhudzhur Ranges. Mapped ecoregion boundaries correspond to montane tundra in Central Siberian, East Siberian and Okhotsk-Manchurian vegetation provinces (Kurnaev 1990).

References
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Gotvanskii, V. I., and S. D. Shlotgauer. 1972. Gornie tundri basseina reki Mai Polovinnoi [Mountain tundra of the Mai Polovinnaja River basin]. Pages. 230-242. Voprosi geografii Dalnego Vostoka. Rastitelnii mir. Khabarovsk.

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Logachev, N. A. 1974. Vvedenie / Nagorye Pribaikalya i Zabaikalya. [Introduction./ Mountains of Pribaikalje and Zabaikalje]. Moskva, "Nauka".

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Voroshilov, V. N. 1966. Flora Sovetskogo Dalnego Vostoka. [Flora of the Soviet Far East]. Moskva, Nauka.

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Zolotarev A.G. Baikalo-Patomskoe nagorje / Nagorja Pribaikalya i Zabaikalya. [Baikalo-Patomskoe Nagorje / Mountains of Pribaikalje and Zabaikalje]. Moskva, "Nauka".

Prepared by: Sergei Ponamarenko
Reviewed by: Zyryanova Olga Alexandrovna