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Southern Siberian rainforest


The Southern Siberian rainforest is an area of temperate rainforest in South Central Siberia that occurs primarily along the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges in Khakassia and Tuva as well as a small area in the Chamar-Daban Mountains near Lake Baikal in Buryatia. The forest encompasses a total area of approximately 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi). The larger portion of the forest in the Altai and Sayan Mountains runs across a latitude range that encompasses between 51.5 degrees to 56 degrees north latitude, and a longitude range running between 86 degrees to 95 degrees east longitude. The region overlaps with the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site. Ecological zones range from hemiboreal forest to a forest-steppe ecotone and include a wider variety of plant species than surrounding areas.

The southern Siberian rainforest is primarily located within the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges across a range of elevations. Geographic features that the forest extends onto include high mountains and ridges as well as valleys carved by glaciers and river basins. The forest-steppe ecotone occurs at elevations as low as 250 to 300 metres (820 feet to 985 feet) while the forest-tundra boundary is between 1600 and 1800 metres (5250 feet to 5905 feet). The Katun and Biya Rivers, two tributaries of the Ob River that originate in the Altai Mountains, flow through the region.

Flora in the region represent a combination of species from four biomes: taiga, сool-temperate forests, tundra and steppe and are more diverse than flora of many of the surrounding areas. The trees include a mix of coniferous and broadleaf tree species. These include Scots pine, silver birch, Eurasian aspen, Siberian pine, Siberian fir,Siberian spruce and Siberian linden. The hemiboreal zones are dominated by Scots Pine and silver birch in wet areas. Moss cover is present, but sparse. Dry areas are dominated by either Scots pine or Siberian larch depending on temperature. Siberian larch is typically more prevalent in cooler areas while warmer and drier ares favor Scots pine. Siberian larch also dominates the forest-steppe ecotone. Epiphyte species include multiple genera of lichen. These include nitrophyte genera such as Physcia and Melanelia, acidophytes such as Usnea and Bryoria and other genera including Hypogymnia and Sticta. Understory plants include Eurasian baneberry, European wild ginger, Baikal anemone, golden saxifrage, bittercress and grasses of the genera Carex, Brachypodium and Calamagrostis.


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