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Daurian Forest Steppe
The Daurian forest steppe ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0804) is a band of grassland, shrub terrain, and mixed forests in northeast Mongolia and the region of Siberia, Russia that follows the course of the Onon River and Ulz River. The region has been described as a “sea of grass that forms the best and most intact example of an undisturbed steppe ecosystem and is also one of the last areas in the Palearctic that still supports stable herds of larger vertebrates” in a semi-mountainous area. The area also has flat wetlands that are important to migratory birds. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a dry-winter subarctic climate ( Köppen ''Dwc'') that borders on a very cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') in its southwestern parts. It covers . Location and description The ecoregion circles around half of the Khentii Mountains, then stretches over 1,000 kilometers east of Ulan Bator into northeasteastern Mongolia through the semi-arid region south and east of Chita, Zab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daursky Nature Reserve
The Daurian Nature Reserve (Даурский заповедник ''Daurskiy zapavyednik'') is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) situated in the southern part of the Zabaykalsky Krai in Siberia, Russia, close to the border with Mongolia. It is part of a World Heritage Site named "The Landscapes of Dauria". The reserve has been established in 1987 to protect the dry steppes and wetlands of South Siberia. It is contiguous with the Dornod Mongol Biosphere Reserve in Mongolia, a area of steppe immediately to the south. The reserve comprises 222,965.00 ha, of which about 173,201.00 ha constitute the buffer zone. The core area is of about 49,764.00 ha and is divided into 9 plots. The buffer zone of the reserve covers the Torey Lakes, two large lakes called Barun-Torey and Zun-Torey. Ecoregion and climate The Daurian Reserve is located in the Daurian forest steppe ecoregion, a band of grassland, shrub terrain, and mixed forests in northeast Mongolia and a portion of Sib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siberian High
The Siberian High (also Siberian Anticyclone; russian: Азиатский антициклон (''Aziatsky antitsiklon'')) is a massive collection of cold dry air that accumulates in the northeastern part of Eurasia from September until April. It is usually centered on Lake Baikal.“The Siberian High and Climate Change over Middle to High-Latitude Asia” It reaches its greatest size and strength in the when the air temperature near the center of the is often lower than . The |
Zapovednik
Zapovednik (russian: заповедник, plural , from the Russian , 'sacred, prohibited from disturbance, committed o protect committed o heritage; ) is an established term on the territory of the former Soviet Union for a protected area which is kept "forever wild". It is the highest degree of environmental protection for the assigned areas, which are strictly protected and access to the public is restricted. Overview The literal English translation of ''zapovednik'' is "nature sanctuary" (like animal sanctuary); however, in practice, zapovedniks sometimes have to do with the protection of things other than nature and can incorporate historical-cultural, historical–archaeological, and other types of cultural or natural heritage. They also function as important sites for historical research and education and so are comparable to the Sites of Special Scientific Interest as found in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. The term ''zapovednik'', which refers to the reserve, staff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zabaykalsky Krai
Zabaykalsky Krai ( rus, Забайкальский край, r=Zabaikal'skii krai, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲskʲɪj kraj, lit. "Transbaikal krai"; bua, Yбэр Байгалай хизаар, Uber Baigalai Xizaar) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that was created on March 1, 2008 as a result of a merger of Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug, after a referendum held on the issue on March 11, 2007. The Krai is now part of the Russian Far East as of November 2018 in accordance with a decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The administrative center of the krai is located in the city of Chita. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 1,107,107. Geography The krai is located within the historical region of Transbaikalia (Dauria) and has extensive international borders with China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang) (998 km) and Mongolia (Dornod Province, Khentii Province and Selenge Province) (868 km); its internal borders are with Irkutsk and Am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alkhanay National Park
Alkhanay National Park (russian: Национальный парк «Алханай») encompasses the area around Mt. Alkhanai, a central focus and sacred mountain to the Buryats people, who today are the largest indigenous group in Siberia. Mt. Alkanai has been adopted as sacred by later Mongols, shamanistic people, and Buddhists. The Dalai Lama has made two unofficial visits to Alkhanay. The area takes its name from an old legend, in which a princess took refuge from her pursuers on the top of the mountain, defiantly shouting as they approached, "kill me!", which translates to "Alkhanai" in the local language. Despite the ancient name, the focus today of Buddhist pilgrims as they ascend the mountain pathway is one of peacefulness and healing. The park seeks to balance support for continued pilgrimage to the rock landforms and mineral springs, with conservation of nature and recreational tourism. Alkhanay NP is located in the Trans-Baikal ( East Siberia) region of Russi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pallas's Cat
The Pallas's cat (''Otocolobus manul'', also known as the manul, is a small wild cat with long and dense light grey fur. Its rounded ears are set low on the sides of the head. Its head-and-body length ranges from with a long bushy tail. It is well camouflaged and adapted to the cold continental climate in its native range, which receives little rainfall and experiences a wide range of temperatures. The Pallas's cat's pupils are rounded, a unique feature among the Felinae. The Pallas's cat was first described in 1776 by Peter Simon Pallas, who observed it in the vicinity of Lake Baikal. In the early 19th century, it was reported to occur in Tibet, and in the Transcaspian Region in the early 20th century. To date, it has been recorded across a large areal extent, albeit in widely spaced sites in the Caucasus, Iranian Plateau, Hindu Kush, parts of the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Altai-Sayan region and South Siberian Mountains. It inhabits rocky montane grasslands and shrublands, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maximowicz's Vole
Maximowicz's vole (''Microtus maximowiczii'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in northeastern China, Mongolia, and eastern Russia. Description Maximowicz's vole is one of the largest voles in the genus '' Microtus''. Adults grow to a head-and-body length of with a tail length of . The fur on the back is dark brownish-black with ochre specks, and the flanks are paler brown, blending gradually into the greyish-white underparts. The upper sides of the hands and feet are whitish-brown. The tail is either uniform dark brown or bicoloured, with the upper side dark brown and the underside white. Its scientific and common names commemorate the prominent Russian botanist Karl Maximovich, who was curator of the herbarium at the Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden at the time the vole was described by Leopold von Schrenck.Reisen und Forsch., in Säugeth. Amurlande St. Petersburg., 1: 140. Distribution and habitat Maximowicz's vole is found in eastern Asia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Harvest Mouse
The harvest mouse (''Micromys minutus'') is a small rodent native to Europe and Asia. It is typically found in fields of cereal crops, such as wheat and oats, in reed beds and in other tall ground vegetation, such as long grass and hedgerows. It has reddish-brown fur with white underparts and a naked, highly prehensile tail, which it uses for climbing. It is the smallest European rodent; an adult may weigh as little as . It eats chiefly seeds and insects, but also nectar and fruit. Breeding nests are spherical constructions carefully woven from grass and attached to stems well above the ground. History The genus ''Micromys'' most likely evolved in Asia and is closely related to the long-tailed climbing mouse (''Vandeleuria'') and the pencil-tailed tree mouse (''Chiropodomys''). ''Micromys'' first emerged in the fossil record in the late Pliocene, with ''Micromys minutus'' being recorded from the Early Pleistocene in Germany. They underwent a reduction in range during glacial peri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesser White-toothed Shrew
The lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and small rodents, though its diet usually varies according to the biotope where it lives. The closely related Asian lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura shantungensis'') was once included in this species, but is now considered to be a separate species. Like the common shrew, a female lesser white-toothed shrew and her young may form a "caravan" when foraging for food or seeking a place of safety; each shrew grips the tail of the shrew in front so that the group stays together. Distribution and habitat The lesser white-toothed shrew occurs widely from France and Spain, in the west, across Europe and Asia to Japan and also in North Africa. It prefers dry ground, including scrub and gardens, and on the Isles of Scilly inhabits also s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mongolian Gazelle
The Mongolian gazelle (''Procapra gutturosa''), or dzeren (russian: Дзерэн), is a medium-sized antelope native to the semiarid Central Asian steppes of Mongolia, as well as some parts of Siberia and China. The name ''dzeren'' is Russian misinterpretation of the Mongolian language name of ''zeer'' ( mn, Зээр) or Buryat zeeren ( Buryat: Зээрэн). Description In the summer, its coat is light brown with pinkish tones, becoming longer and paler during the winter. It also has a distinctive heart-shaped white patch on its rump area, divided by a median line of darker color. The male has lyre-shaped horns which curl backwards from the forehead. It is an extremely fast runner and good swimmer. In the winter, they are mostly diurnal, but in the summer, they are active shortly after sunrise and before sunset. They tend to travel a lot, and migrations takes place in spring and autumn, but the distance and direction vary depending on the weather and food availability. Behav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siberian Larch
''Larix sibirica'', the Siberian larch or Russian larch, is a frost-hardy tree native to western Russia, from close to the Finnish border east to the Yenisei valley in central Siberia, where it hybridises with the Dahurian larch ''L. gmelinii'' of eastern Siberia; the hybrid is known as '' Larix × czekanowskii''. Description It is a medium-size to large deciduous coniferous tree reaching 20–50 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The crown is conic when young, becoming broad with age; the main branches are level to upswept, with the side branches often pendulous. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50 cm long) and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud. It has bimorphic needles, with needles on new growth borne singly and arranged in a spiral around the branch and needles on older wood borne in clusters of 15-40 needles on short spurs. It is most easily distinguished from the clo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scots Pine
''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orange-red bark. Description ''Pinus sylvestris'' is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to in height and in trunk diameter when mature, exceptionally over tall and in trunk diameter on very productive sites. The tallest on record is a tree over 210 years old tree growing in Estonia which stands at . The lifespan is normally 150–300 years, with the oldest recorded specimens in Lapland, Northern Finland over 760 years. The bark is thick, flaky and orange-red when young to scaly and gray-brown in maturity, sometimes retaining the former on the upper portion.Trees for LifeSpecies profile: Scots pine/ref> The habit of the mature tree is distinctive due to its long, bare and straight trunk topped by a rounded or flat-topped mass of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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