Kamchatka Mountain tundra and forest tundra


The Kamchatka Mountain tundra and forest tundra ecoregion is an ecoregion that covers the central mountain range of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The region is one of volcanos, caldera, geysers, and mountain tundra. It is in the Palearctic realm and tundra biome. It has an area of.

Location and description

The ecoregion covers the higher elevations of the Sredinny Range - the central mountain ridge of Kamchatka stretching about 700 km from northeast to southwest and the Eastern Range along the southeast coast. The ecoregion is surrounded by the Kamchatka-Kurile meadows and sparse forests ecoregion, which covers the low river valleys and coastal lands.

Climate

The region has a Humid continental climate - cool summer subtype. This climate is characterized by high variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with long, cold winters and short, cool summers with no averaging over. Mean precipitation is about 604 mm/year. The mean temperature at the center of the ecoregion is in January, and in July.

Flora and fauna

The ecoregion is the southernmost large expanse of Arctic tundra floral community in the world. The area is notable for "azonal" floral communities - habitats that form around hot springs, volcanic activity, and mountain lakes. Most floral communities are, however, grouped by altitude zones. Erman's birch forms a zonal vegetation belt at 600–800 m in the mountains; above which are alpine grasses and tundra floral groups.

Protections

There are several significant nationally protected area that reach into this ecoregion, including: