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Biomes and Regions of Northern Eurasia

The Far East

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Introduction

The region discussed in this chapter encompasses the Pacific rim and islands including the Maritime Province (Primorie) and the Amur basin, Sakhalin, the islands of the Kuril chain, and the Kamchatka peninsula (Figure 18.1).

Fig. 18.1 A sketch map of the Far East

Its environments, resulting from the position of the region between the Pacific Ocean and the Asian continent, differ greatly from those of Siberia in their tectonics, Quaternary history, and the nature of the modern characteristics. The following features distinguish this part of the Russian Far East from other areas:

• 1. Its position in the north-western part of the Pacific which is characterized by high seismic activity and volcanism.
• 2. Monsoon climate.
• 3. Specific coastal meadow-forest landscapes and the particular character of their biota which comprises boreal, temperate, and subtropical species.

This chapter focuses on the Maritime Province, Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Kamchatka. Environments of the Amur region and the Sea of Okhotsk coast (which are included in the Far Eastern region by various regional models) are discussed in in the sections Boreal Forests, Mixed and Deciduous Forests and The Mountains of Southern Siberia, while sections The Arctic Environments and The Mountains of Northern Russia deal with the environments of north-eastern Asia including the Chukchi peninsula.

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