West Siberian taiga
| West Siberian taiga | |
|---|---|
Yugansky Nature Reserve, in the south-center of the region | |
Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| 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.
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. The peatlands of Western Siberia are the most extensive in the world, covering an area the size of Texas.