Khan Khenti Reserve, Mongolia Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Hartmut JUNGIUS   Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Russia, China, and Mongolia Temperate Coniferous Forests   55,000 square miles (142,400 square kilometers) -- about the size of Illinois Vulnerable

· Aspens in the Altai
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Aspens in the Altai

Go to the spot where Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Mongolia meet, and youāll be in the Altai Mountains. Beginning in southern Russia, the Altais extend in a southeast direction, losing altitude and precipitation until they fade out into the Gobi Altai. Considered a major center of diversity for North Asian montane flora, the Altai have 974 plant species and 60 endemics.

Special Features

Forests in the Altai are composed of Siberian fir, pine and larch interspersed with groves of birch and aspen. Spring and summer bring many beautiful flowers including several types of asters, Siberian columbine, hellebore and monkshood. Under the forest canopy, bilberry, cowberry, red currant, oriental spiraea, and bird cherry sweeten the forestās fragrance and provide tasty fruits for foragers. There are at least 26 species of orchid and 35 species of ferns. Lichen and moss diversity is also unusually high.

	Lake Teletskoye is the second deepest freshwater lake in Siberia after Lake Baikal. It is 325 meters deep and contains 39 cubic kilometers of water. It is exceptionally clear with up to 15.5 meters of visibility.

Wild Side

Since winters are severe with lots of snow, the animals here require warm fur coats. The usual Siberian cast of characters is present: brown bear, wolf, fox, elk, sable musk and Sika deer and even reindeer at more northern locations. The Altai is important habitat for the mysterious and extremely endangered snow leopard. Rarely seen, only the snow leopardās large pawprints indicate it has been hunting nearby. The altai snowcock is another rare creature who is very shy and seldom seen by humans.

Cause for Concern

The inaccessibility of the Altai mountains means that much of the forests and rivers in the region have remained pristine. However, some areas suffer from overgrazing and farming activities. Timber cutting in the Lake Teletskoe watershed can sometimes be a problem. Air and ground pollution from the local mining industry and non-ferrous metal works in eastern Kazakhstan is a concern to the integrity of the Altaisky and Katunsky nature reserves as well as surrounding lands.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.