The Da Hinggan-Dzhagdy Mountains conifer forestsecoregion covers the Greater Khingan Mountains of northern Manchuria, and across the border north into Russia where it follows the mountain ridge for another 500 km to the east. The mountain forests exhibit a floral community called "Daurian flora", a combination of the Siberian taiga to the north and the Manchurian floral types to the south. The eastern slopes are steep and drained by many rivers, the western slopes are gentler, and there are grasslands on some slopes. The ecoregion is in the Palearctic realm, with a Cold semi-arid climate. It covers.
Because of its altitude and distance from the ocean, the ecoregion has a Subarctic climate, dry winter. This climate is characterized by mild summers and cold winters having monthly precipitation less than one-tenth of the wettest summer month. These climate regions tend to be found at higher elevations in the middle of continents, with wide differences between day and night temperatures.
Flora and fauna
Because the ecoregion forms a transition zone between northern and southern flora types, it features examples of both - approximately two-thirds of the 1,200 local species of vascular plants are Siberian, the other third Manchurian, Daurian and Mongolian. This combination of floral communities is sometimes referred to as "Daurian flora". The dominant trees at higher elevations are Dahurian larch, with pine and spruce stands. Typical trees at lower elevation include Mongolian oak, hazel, alder, birch, poplars and elms. The area is one of the few remaining large tracts of forest in China, but was also the scene of the largest forest fire in modern Chinese history.
Protections
The federally protected areas in the region are:
Nora Nature Reserve. An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" located in the northwest section of the ecoregion, north of the Russia-China border. Nora is representative of the northeastern part of the Amur-Zeya lowland plain between the Nora River and the Selemdzha River. The reserve is half forested, and half bogs. .
Zeya Nature Reserve. An IUCN class Ia "strict ecological reserve" located in the north-central section of the ecoregion, in the mountainous headwaters of the Zeya River. The area is heavily forested, mostly with larch and Mongolian oak. .
