Kamchatka Taiga & Grasslands - A Global Ecoregion
One of the Earth's most spectacular and pristine natural areas
Snapshot: Ecoregion 85
Size:
281,000 sq. km (108,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Boreal Forests/Taiga
Russia: easternmost Pacific coast
Conservation Status:
Relatively Stable/Intact
Quiz Time!
Are Kamchatka bears fast runners?
Answer:
Kamchatka brown bears tend to walk at a slow gait, but if the need arises they can bolt across the ground at about 30 miles (48 km) per hour!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Kamchatka-Kurile meadows and sparse forests; Kamchatka-Kurile taiga; Kamchatka Mountain tundra and forest tundra.
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tidal waves continually modify the dynamic landscape, while a mosaic of tundra and taiga habitats support 29 species of rare and endemic plants, as well as many birds and large mammals.Local Species
Widespread are Forests of Erman's birch (Betula ermanii), Japanese stone pine (Pinus pumila), and Dahurian larch (Larix dahurica).
There are also stands of Kamchatka larch (Larix kamtscatica), mixed with Aspen (Populus tremula), and Yeddo spruce (Picea jezoensis). The peninsula is famous for its population of the Kamchatka brown bear (Ursus arctos beringianus) - the largest bear in Eurasia.
Other mammal species include Kamchatka marmot (Marmota kamtschatica), Okhotsk subspecies of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), and Kamchatka subspecies of sable (Martes zebillina). Two of many bird species of interest are Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) and Tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata).
Kamchatka rivers contain prodigious concentrations of Salmon, including Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Chum (O. keta), Pink (O. gorbuscha), Coho (O. kisutch), and Kamchatka (Salmo penshinensis).
Threats
Habitats in this region are relatively intact and ndeveloped due to low human population density. However, big-game hunting and poaching of brown bears threaten one of the world's most intact populations of this species.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
