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This is the largest tract of unbroken forest in the world, and one of the best examples of boreal forests in Asia. Siberia has long had the reputation of being an inhospitable place. But from an ecological perspective, the area is bursting with life. This ecoregion is the world's largest remaining wilderness and a place that provides a safe home for many species of plants and animals. Russia's largest populations of brown bears, moose, wolves, caribou, and other mammals inhabit these isolated forests.
The taiga forests of eastern Siberia cover more than a quarter of Russia's territory. Much of the region lies within the watersheds of two enormous river systems--the Yenisey and Lena. The cold temperatures and seasonal droughts favor coniferous forests of Daurian larch, Siberian spruce, firs, and pines. Moose meander within these cold forests, feeding on aquatic plants and tender twigs. Red foxes and sable eat small mammals, while wolverines consume any kind of carrion as well as hunted prey. Wolves roam the forests in packs, and enormous herds of caribou migrate through the region feeding on lichens, horsetails, sedges, and twigs.
Extensive coal mining, logging, and oil and gas development are underway in the southern part of this forested ecoregion. Large areas of forests have been cut down for industrial processes such as metal smelting plants, or degraded by air pollution and fires. The region is also being threatened by plans for several major hydroelectric projects.
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