Mountains just north of Khabarovsk, Khabarovskiy Kray, Russia Photograph by Steve Nelson & Zovtaigi   Asia: Southeastern Russia Boreal Forests/Taiga   155,200 square miles (401,900 square kilometers) -- about the size of California Vulnerable

· Fur and Feathers
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Fur and Feathers

This ecoregion is home to many animals adapted to the Far North. Mammals here rely on their thick fur to insulate them during severe winters. Majestic birds soar over taiga forests, some of which are ancient formations that can be traced back to before the last Ice Age.

Special Features

The Okhotsk-Manchurian Taiga is the southernmost taiga forest in Eurasia. The ecoregion occupies southern and central parts of the Russian Far East and includes central and northern parts of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. At lower elevations, light needle-leaf taiga dominates, featuring larch forests. At higher elevations, dark needle-leaf taiga forests can be found, dominated by pine and fir trees. In addition to taiga forests, the ecoregion includes plains to the north and a coastal plain to the east, as well as the Shantarskie Islands.

	Red foxes have the largest range of all wild dogs--stretching from North America and Europe to northern Africa and Asia. They are considered among the most adaptable animals, too, and can live almost anywhere except deserts.

Wild Side

Typical mammal species include several weasel species, brown bears, red foxes, wolves, wolverines, and lynx. Ungulates are common, including sika deer, moose, and wild reindeer (caribou). Common birds include northern goshawks, Ural owls, Oriental cuckoos, and brown creepers. Northern goshawks are particularly magnificent, being the largest members of the genus Accipiter, which means "true hawks."

Cause for Concern

This ecoregion’s taiga landscapes have been relatively untouched by humans. Five national preserves have been established here. However, threats do exist, mainly from forest fires, logging, and mining.

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