The Bering tundra
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
(WWF ID: PA1102) is an ecoregion that covers a portion of northeastern Russia, between the
Kolyma Mountains on the west, and the
Bering Sea coast to the east. The area is an important stopping place for migratory birds. It has an area of .
Location and description
The ecoregion stretches approximately 1,000 km on alignment from southwest-to-northeast, between the
Kolyma Mountains on the west, the
Bering Sea coast to the east, and
Kamchatka
The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and west ...
peninsula to the south.
Climate
The climate of Koryak is ''
Humid continental climate, cool summer'' (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
(Dfc)). This climate is characterised by long cold winters (at least one month averaging below ), and short, cool summers (one to three months greater than , but no month averaging above ).
Mean precipitation is about 358 mm/year. The mean temperature at the center of the ecoregion is in January, and in July.
Flora and fauna
The ecoregion supports flora and fauna typical of forest-tundra. Low-lying areas may feature stunted trees and willow and alder on floodplains. Elsewhere the ground cover is grasses, heaths, and members of the families
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
,
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...
, and
Rosaceae. Mosses and lichens take over at higher elevations. Species diversity is relatively low due to the harsh climate and the isolation of the area since glacial times. Large mammals the include the East Siberian brown bear, the Anadyr fox, and some bighorn sheep in the highlands. Common smaller mammals include the East Siberian ermine and the American mink. Large colonies of migrating birds rest or nest in the area every summer and autumn. Numbers of over 700,000 individuals and 200 species have been recorded in the ecoregion.
Protections
There is at least one significant nationally protected area in this ecoregion, the
Koryak Nature Reserve, on the northeastern region of Kamchatka, stretching from mountains to the coast.
See also
*
List of ecoregions in Russia
References
{{reflist
Ecoregions of Russia
Palearctic ecoregions
Tundra ecoregions