Russian Far East Temperate Forests - A Global Ecoregion

Critical area for the conservation of Amur Tigers and Leopards

About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests; South Sakhalin-Kurile mixed forests.

One of the most distinctive temperate forests in the world, this ecoregion is also one of the best and last examples of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in eastern Asia.

Compared to other temperate ecosystems, the level of endemism in plants and invertebrates in the region is extraordinarily high. These forests form a critical area for the conservation of Amur Tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and Leopards (Panthera pardus).

This ecoregion was a refuge for many species during the last Ice Age because it escaped glaciation and continues to do so today as similar forest communities in China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula have been largely destroyed due to intense human population and activity.

Local Species
Found here are the Manchurian species such as the Amur tiger, Amur leopard, Musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), Manchurian red deer (Cervus elaphus xanthopygos), and the Himalayan bears.

The coexistence of both Brown bears (Ursos arctos) and Asiatic black bears (U. tibethanus) illustrate the overlap of boreal and temperate Asian habitats.

Rare bird species include the Chinese merganser (Mergus squamatus), Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata), Siberian spruce grouse (Falcipennis falcipennis), and the Blakiston's fish owl (Ketupa blakistoni).

Threats
Conversion to agriculture, deforestation, poaching, urban expansion, mining, and pollution pose serious threats to the ecoregion.

Resources
• NationalGeographic.com