Russian Biodiversity

Although not as rich in numbers of different plant species as the tropical forests, Russian taiga forests are home to upwards of 3000 known vascular plant species. In particular, the Ussuri taiga region containing the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in the Russian Far East has been designated as an IUCN Center for Plant Biodiversity. On Sakhalin Island in the Pacific, the shear number of plant species found in the temperate forests surpasses any other known biodiversity hotspot within the same ecological system. Due to its location, the southern portions of the Russian Far East escaped the massive ice sheets of the last glaciations, providing a refuge for species immigrating from northern territories.


Amur Tiger found in the Russian Far East (P. Schlesinger)
This unique bio-geologic history has created an unusual assemblage of flora and fauna, including Amur Tigers, Amur Leopards, musk deer, and Himalayan bears, with brown bears, reindeer and salmon (World Bank, Russia: Forest Policy During Transition, 1997). In addition, the Kamchatka Peninsula is home to the world’s largest spawning grounds for Pacific Salmon, supported by a dwindling conifer forest. The worlds largest population of brown bears lives along these rivers. Often compared the Yellowstone National Park in the United States, Kamchatka houses a fragile set of ecosystems threatened by resource extraction. Specifically, large-scale mining and gas and oil exploration has increased throughout this entire region over the past 5 years. In addition to mineral and oil reserves, Kamchatka is set directly along the Pacific ring of fire and home to over 300 volcano's of which 29 are known to be active.


Locations of High Biodiversity in Russia

Further west towards the heart of Siberia, Lake Baikal holds 20% of the world's fresh water resources. As the deepest fresh water body on the planet, over 23,000 km3 of water escapes through a single river: the Angara. The flora and fauna of the surrounding ecosystems contrasts starkly with the fact that Lake Baikal is home to more than 1500 species, 80% of which are endemic to that particular environment. The province of Buryatia struggles to protect these natural systems from the on-going construction of oil and gas pipelines heading east and south towards China.


Manchurian Walnut Tree in the Russian Far East (T. Stone )
Moving away from Siberia towards the more densely populated regions of European Russia, the Ural Mountains provide a natural barrier to eastward settlement expansion. Along the northern stretches of this range lies the largest unfragmented old growth forests left in Russia. Designated the Komi Virgin Forests by UNESCO World Heritage Committee, 3.3 million hectares of spruce, pine, larch, and fir forests lies protected from major advancements in extractive logging, gold mining, oil exploration and poaching. These northern taiga and sub-tundra ecosystems cover the largest swath of terrestrial earth, encompassing most of northern Eurasia. Within Komi lives a struggling indigenous population surviving off of some of the largest reindeer herds found on the continent. In addition, mushroom picking and berry gathering supplements the local economy.

Finally, the region west of the Ural Mountains, European Russia, is home to the vast majority of Russians. More developed, and rich in culture, Russia struggles to protect some of the last intact ecosystems scattered throughout this region. This is a very brief overview of the major biological hot-spots scattered throughout this massive country. With such a distinct representation of biological diversity, it is the responsibility of Russia with the international community to maintain these ecosystems as gems of our evolutionary