Sayan Montane Conifer Forests

The Sayan montane conifer forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0519) covers the mid-elevation levels of the Sayan Mountains, the high mountain range between the taiga of Siberia, Russia to the north, and the steppes of Mongolia to the south. The slopes of the mountains at the mid-altitudes are covered by Temperate coniferous forest. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a cold semi-arid climate. It covers .

Location and description

The ecoregion stretches some 2,500 km from the Kuznetsk Alatau mountains in the west, across the western and eastern Sayan Mountain ranges, to the southeastern shores of Lake Baikal. The ecoregion covers the forested mid-altitudes of the mountains, with a lower bound ranging from 600 to 900 meters about sea level (depending on local conditions), and an upper bound of 1,800 meters. This ecoregion is one of high biodiversity, due to its position on the meeting lines of climate and floral zones, and the many micro-climates created by the mountainous terrain and steep river valleys.

Climate

Because of its altitude and distance from the ocean, the ecoregion has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). This indicates a continental climate characterized by short, cool summers, and very cold, long winters, with wide differences between day and night temperatures. This region is also heavily influenced by the high barometric pressures over Mongolia. The Altai mountains on the west of the ecoregion capture humidity in the winds from the west; precipitation is accordingly higher on the western side of the ecoregion than the drier east.

Flora and fauna

The mid-altitude forest belt can be divided into three sub-zones. The highest is the 'Light Needle-Leaf Sparse Taiga' zone (1,400 meters to 1,800 meters), an open canopy forest of Larix sibirica (Sibirian larch), with notable shrub and grass layers. The 'Dark Needle-Leaf Taiga' zone (900 meters - 1,400 meters) if dominated by Abies sibirica (Siberian fir) and stands of Pinus sibirica (Siberian pine) and Picea obovata (Siberian spruce). The 'dark taiga' zone (600 meters to 900 meters) has the same trees as the middle sub-zone, but more vertically developed shrub and grass layers, and richer soil. Over 800 species of flora are recorded in the ecoregion.

Protections

Officially protected areas in the region include:
* Altai Nature Reserve ("Altaisky"). An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" (a Zapovednik) located in the north and east of Altai Republic. (Area: 8,812 km²).
* Baikal Nature Reserve ("Baikalsky"). An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" (a Zapovednik) located on the southeast shore of Lake Baikal and the neighboring central part of the Khamar-Daban Range, in southern Buryatia. (Area: 1,657 km²).
* Khakassia Nature Reserve ("Khakassky"). An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" (a Zapovednik) covering two large mountain areas (alpine and mountain-steppe), and a cluster of seven steppe sites located within the left bank of the Minusinsk Hollow. (Area: 2,675 km²).
* Kuznetsk Alatau Nature Reserve. An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" (a Zapovednik) located on the Kuznetsk Alatau, a mountain ridge in the Altai-Sayan mountain region in southwestern Siberia, in the watershed of the Tom River

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