West Siberian taiga | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | boreal forests/taiga |
Geography | |
Area | 1,670,283 km2 (644,900 sq mi) |
Country | Russia |
Elevation | 100- 300 meters |
Rivers | Ob River |
Climate type | Dfb Humid continental climate, cool summer |
The West Siberian taiga ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0611) covers the West Siberian Plain in Russia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Yenisei River in the east, and roughly from 56° N to 66° N latitude. It is a vast, flat lowland region of boreal forests (taiga), and wetlands (40% of the region is swamps and bogs), covering an area about 1,800 km west–east, by 1,000 km north–south.[1]
Also known as the Siberian Lowlands, the region is a large sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide, both in the forests and boggy peatlands. It is also a source of methane gas.[2] The peatlands of Western Siberia are the most extensive in the world, covering an area the size of Texas.[3]