The most famous tree species of the Altai forests. General characteristics of the Altai forests. Giants and dwarfs
In the Altai mountains, cedar forests occupy vast areas in the black, mid-mountain, or mountain-taiga, subalpine and subalpine belts.
The cedar finds optimal conditions for its growth and development in black forests, although it is often forced out to the worst edaphic conditions, giving way to fir. There is a lot of light in the black belt, undergrowth and grass cover of large grasses and ferns are well developed. Plantations are predominantly two-tiered with a constant participation of fir, birch and aspen. Trees reach enormous sizes, have powerful crowns.
The mountain taiga zone is dominated by fir-cedar, spruce-cedar and cedar forests with dense forest stands, sparse undergrowth and herbage and continuous moss cover. Subalpine cedar forests are characterized by the undivided dominance of Siberian pine, well-developed dense forest stands and a variable grass layer, which is due to the dynamics of the upper forest boundary under the influence of constantly changing climatic conditions and ongoing orogeny processes. Subalpine stone pine forests are found at the contact of the forest with the high mountain tundra and are represented by sparse low-productive plantations.
Mature and overmature plantations occupy more than 37% of the area, maturing - 27%, middle-aged - 28% and young stands - 8%. The average stock per hectare exceeds 220 m 3 , in some areas it reaches 900 m 3 /ha. About 34% of the mountain cedar forests are included in the walnut-producing zone, of which 127 thousand hectares (18%) are part of the Gorno-Altai experimental timber industry enterprise - an integrated economy for the use of the resources of the cedar taiga.
The types of landscapes of the mountainous Altai country are very diverse, anthropogenic impacts of different intensity have left their imprint on them, and therefore the distribution of Siberian pine in individual forest-growing provinces is uneven. In the Southwestern Altai, stone pine forests predominate mainly in the upper part of the dark coniferous forest belt and are represented by subalpine and subalpine forest types. In the mid-mountain belt, cedar forests are much rarer, their areas are insignificant. The main massifs of Siberian stone pine forests of the Northern Altai are located in the area of Lake Teletskoye, where Siberian stone pine participates in the formation of the black, mid-mountain, and subalpine belts. In the southern and eastern parts of the province, stone pine forests are more common in the mid-mountain and subalpine belts.
Stone pine forests of the Central Altai are mainly represented by low-quality plantations of the subalpine belt, and in its southeastern part, at the heights of the upper forest boundary, cedar often forms subalpine forests. Underalpine cedar forests with larch are widespread in the South-East Altai, where they often occupy the slopes of northern exposures at altitudes of 1,600-2,300 m above sea level.
The extraordinary diversity of soil conditions and the exuberant development of multi-species herbaceous vegetation determine the complexity and great typological diversity of mountain forests. Within each climatically homogeneous segment of the forest belt, the presence of many groups of forest types is noted. The structure of subordinate tiers often reveals a greater similarity with edaphic conditions than with a forest stand and altitudinal belt. So, in the low, middle and high mountains, on well-heated gentle slopes, meadow-forest tall grasses develop everywhere. Only in the South-Eastern Altai with its extremely continental climate tall-grass forests recede. Common features in the structure of subordinate layers are observed in green moss and forb plantations.
An interesting description of the types of cedar forests of the Altai Reserve was made by N. S. Lebedinova (1962). The classification is based on the similarity of subordinate vegetation layers and the nature of soil moisture. Forest types are combined into 4 ecological-phytocenotic groups. However, according to T. S. Kuznetsova (1963), A. G. Krylov (1963) and others, the descriptions by N. S. Lebedinova far from exhaust the whole variety of types of cedar forests. A. G. Krylov and S. P. Rechan (1967) divided all Siberian stone pine forests of Altai into 4 classes (black, taiga, subalpine and subalpine), 9 subclasses and 10 groups of forest types. Under the class, the authors understand the totality of groups of forest types that have a similar structure and composition of forest stands, common features of soil formation and reforestation processes. A type class is an association of subclasses of forest types with a common edifier that belong to the same price form.
Low-mountain, black cedar forests are represented by plantations of green moss, broad-herb, fern, large-herb, forb, bergenia and grass-marsh groups of forest types. They are characterized by a high productivity forest stand of I-II quality class, more often two-tiered. The first tier is composed of cedar, often with an admixture of fir, the second - fir with birch and aspen. The undergrowth is dominated by fir. The fir and cedar parts of the forest stand are usually of different ages. In the process of natural development of plantations, the prevalence of fir may periodically occur. After felling or forest fires, black cedar forests are usually replaced by birch or aspen.
Low-mountain broad-grass stone pine forests found on the slopes of eastern and western exposures with thin gravelly brown heavy loamy fresh soils. Two-tier stand, II-III quality class with stocks from 260 to 650 m 3 /ha. The undergrowth is dominated by fir and cedar, up to 1000 ind./ha. The undergrowth is sparse of oak-leaved spirea and bristly currant. The herbage is dense, composed of oxalis and broad herbs, among which forest fescue and Amur omoriza dominate.
Fern cedar forests low-mountain distributed on gentle and steep slopes of shady exposures. The soils are brown, often podzolized, coarse humus. The stands are high-density, II or III class of bonitet with stocks up to 500 m 3 . Undergrowth is sparse with a predominance of fir. In the undergrowth there are spirea, mountain ash, less often viburnum, red elderberry and bristly currant. Despite the thin soils and the large density of forest stands, the grass cover is dense with an abundance of ferns and taiga forbs. Spots of trihedral moss are observed on microelevations and old wells. After felling or fire, fern cedar forests are replaced by stable or long-lived birch forests.
Large-grass low-mountain plantations occupy gentle slopes of all exposures with brown granular well-developed soils. Bunk stands, class I, density 0.7-0.8, stock 310-650 m 3 /ha. Undergrowth is sparse, associated with microelevations and patches of green mosses; only in the vicinity of the settlements in the areas where cattle are grazing, one can observe a significant number of the young generation of cedar and fir. The undergrowth is dense, consists of mountain ash, yellow acacia, spirea, viburnum, bird cherry, Siberian elderberry, wolf's bast and Altai honeysuckle. Herbaceous vegetation is distinguished by a wide variety of species composition and powerful development. The moss cover is weakly expressed.
Drained terraces, steep and moderately steep slopes of light expositions of the black belt often occupy cedar forests of forb group of types. The soils are brown granular or sod-weakly podzolic, fresh loamy. Plantations are two-tier, II-III classes of bonitet with stocks up to 400 m 3 / ha. Renewal is good from fir and cedar, up to 7 thousand pieces/ha. The undergrowth is sparse, represented by spirea, mountain ash, honeysuckle and goat willow. The herbaceous cover is dominated by sedges, reed grasses, iris, stone berries, strawberries, female fern, etc. Mosses are absent. After a fire, recovery takes place through a short-term change of rocks.
Badan cedar forests low-mountain in the black belt they are rare and only in the upper part of the slopes of northern exposures on underdeveloped stony soils. Tree stand III-IV classes of bonitet, with the participation of fir and birch, stocks up to 300 m 3 / ha. Undergrowth is rare, from fir and cedar. The undergrowth with a density of 0.3-0.4 is represented by mountain ash and spirea. In a continuous herbage of bergenia, ferns and taiga forbs. Moss cover is absent.
Low mountain green moss stone pine forests are rare. They occupy shaded terraces with well-developed sod-podzolic soils. The productivity of plantings is determined by the II class of bonitet, the stock at the age of ripeness is up to 400 m 3 /ha. The undergrowth numbers up to 15 thousand specimens/ha, including up to 5 thousand Siberian pine. The undergrowth is sparse, but rich in species composition. The grass cover has two sublayers. Rarely scattered in the upper part: needle shield, horsetail, wrestler, reed grass. The lower one is composed of taiga forbs and shrubs. The moss layer consists of undulating hylocomium with an admixture of Schreber mosses, trihedral, storied, and others. Sphagnum and cuckoo flax are observed in microdepressions.
The bottoms of poorly drained hollows with drained forests, gleyed wet soils are occupied grass-marsh low-mountain cedar forests III-IV classes of bonitet. Plantations are complex, two-tiered with spruce, fir and birch. The undergrowth is sparse, the undergrowth is uneven, of bird cherry and bristly currant. The grass cover of reed grass, meadowsweet and some other hygrophytes is dense. Clearings of grass-marsh cedar forests quickly become waterlogged and can be overgrown with derived birch forests.
In the mid-mountain belt, the cedar often dominates the composition of the forest cover, and the cedar forests are the most common forest formation. Subclasses of fir, spruce, and larch stone pine forests from the class of taiga cedar forests are widely represented here (Krylov and Rechan, 1967).
In the humid regions of the North-Eastern Altai, on mountain taiga acidic humus-hidden podzolic soils, cedar-fir forests are common, sometimes with spruce admixture. Bunk stand, II-V quality class. On shady slopes and watersheds, green moss stone pine forests are most widely represented. Steep eroded slopes are occupied by bergenia forest types, and on the light side, plantings of a forb, sometimes grass-bog group, predominate. On the trails of the slopes of light exposures, there are cedar forests, in contrast to similar types of forests in the black belt, plantings of medium mountains have a slightly lower productivity.
After fires, mid-mountain cedar forests are replaced by pure cedar forests. Pyrogenic forest stands are usually single-tiered, even-aged and high-density. At a ripe age, their reserves reach the maximum values noted for the cedar formation - 900 m 3 / ha.
In the central part of the mid-mountain belt, where the humidity of the climate decreases, cedar-fir forests are replaced by pure cedar forests. Here, the stands are single-tiered, with a productivity of P-V quality classes. Plantations of the green moss group of types, typical for the region, are widespread; they express all the characteristic features of the cedar forests of the belt. In terms of the structure and structure of the subordinate layers, they are identical to similar types of forests in the low-mountain belt and fir-cedar forests in the middle mountains, but they are inferior to them in terms of productivity and the number of species participating in the composition of the undergrowth and herbage. Steep slopes are occupied by bergenia cedar forests. Large-grass plantations are found on gently sloping areas with light, non-podzolized taiga soils. On the slopes of the light exposures, forb and reed forest types are observed.
Mid-mountain reed grass pine forests are formed on the site of reed larch forests during a long fire-free period. Distributed along hollows and upper parts of light slopes on soddy weakly podzolic loamy moist soils of medium thickness. Bunk stand, III-IV quality class. The first tier is dominated by larch (8Lts2K), its fullness is 0.3-0.6. In the second, cedar dominates (7K3Lts - 10K), the fullness is 0.3-0.4. Undergrowth with a predominance of stone pine up to 2 thousand pieces/ha. Undergrowth with a density of 0.4-0.5, mainly from Altai honeysuckle. The grass cover is closed, with the dominance of reed grass. A significant role is played by synusia of taiga grasses and large meadow-taiga grasses. Spots of brilliant hylocomium are marked on the elevations.
On the bottoms of the river valleys of the North-Eastern Altai and the northern slopes in the Central Altai, spruce is often mixed with Siberian pine as a sub-edificator. Mixed cedar forests are predominantly single-tier, II-V classes of bonitet, are represented by green moss and green moss-berry forest types. Less common are bergenia, forb and large-grass plantations. Along the plumes of shady slopes on peaty-podzolic soils of loamy mechanical composition, mid-mountain long moss cedar forests III-IV classes of bonitet. Plantations are two-tiered, with cedar in the first tier and spruce and birch in the second. They are weakly renewed, the number of undergrowth rarely exceeds 3 thousand pieces/ha. The undergrowth is sparse and oppressed, of honeysuckle and mountain ash. The herbage is uneven, composed of Ilyin's sedge, annual club moss, northern linnaea, Langsdorf's reed grass, forest horsetail. The moss cover is dominated by cuckoo flax, triangular mosses, Schreber and sphagnum mosses.
The northern, and sometimes western and eastern slopes of the middle mountains of the Central Altai with mountain taiga soddy-hidden podzolic soils are occupied by middle mountain taiga cedar forests with larch. Plantations are one or two-tiered, with productivity from II to V class of bonitet, mainly green moss, forb and reed groups of forest types. Everywhere there is a tendency to increase the participation of Siberian pine in the composition of plantations due to the displacement of larch. This process is hindered by forest fires, after which the shaded slopes are actively renewed by larch.
Subalpine stone pine forests are characterized by dense forest stands and inconstancy of the ground cover; they are represented by a subclass of subalpine stone pine forests. Plantations are predominantly pure in composition, sometimes with a small admixture of larch, density 0.4-0.8, productivity class IV-Va. Within the boundaries of the Southwestern and Southeastern Altai, spruce is a constant subedificator in cedar forests, and in areas with high humidity, fir, which penetrates into the subalpine zone here and reaches the upper forest boundary. Forest types are combined into large-herb, mixed-herb and green-moss groups.
Large-grass subalpine stone pine forests occupy gentle slopes of light exposures with soddy loamy moist soils. Tree stand IV-V classes of bonitet, density 0.4. The undergrowth is rare, found on microelevations near the trunks of old trees. The undergrowth is insignificant of honeysuckle and mountain ash. Grass is mosaic. Under the crowns of the trees, synusia of the reed grass predominate, and in the gaps - meadow-forest tall grasses. Leuzea safflower-like dominates in the transition zone, which often creates single-species thickets. Mosses cover up to 30% of the soil surface and are represented mainly by Rhytidiadelphus triguetrus. After the fire, they are replaced by large-grass subalpine meadows.
Mixed herb subalpine cedar forests are represented by snakehead-sedge, geranium-sedge and sedge-geranium forest types. Forest stand V-Va of quality classes, in which trees are located in groups of 4-6 specimens. Undergrowth is rare, 0.5-0.7 thousand units/ha. Undergrowth with a density of up to 0.3, from Altai honeysuckle and rare creeping fir bushes. The grass cover is composed of sedge big-tailed, Siberian bluegrass, etc. In the shade of trees, a moss layer develops from shiny hylocomium and trihedral moss. After a fire, mixed herb cedar forests are successfully restored by the main breed.
Green moss subalpine stone pine forests are rare on gentle shady slopes with soddy-weakly podzolic heavy loamy gravelly moist soils. Productivity of plantings of IV-V classes of bonitet. The undergrowth is represented by Siberian stone pine, up to 1000 ind./ha. The undergrowth consists of Altai honeysuckle, mountain ash and bristly currant. The moss cover evenly covers the soil, is composed of trihedral and comb mosses, as well as shiny hylocomium. The herbage is closed up to 0.7, it consists of numerous types of forest forbs.
Subalpine cedar forests found at the contact of the forest with the high mountain tundra, occupying small areas with humus-podzolic thin soils. Plantations of V-Va quality classes, within the South-Eastern Altai with a significant participation of larch. Fullness 0.3-0.6. Restoration is rare. The undergrowth and ground cover are dominated by boreal and tundra synusia. The typological diversity is low, green-moss and long-moss groups of types dominate, bergenia and lichen plantations are fragmentarily observed. In areas with a pronounced continental climate, cedar gives way to larch.
In the subalpine belt of the southeastern Altai, on concave areas and trails of slopes of shady exposures with high humidity of peaty-humus long-term seasonally frozen soils grow stone pine forests aulakomnia subalpine. This group is not found in other belts of Altai. Stand with constant participation of larch, sometimes with an admixture of oppressed spruce, V-Va quality classes. Undergrowth is dominated by cedar, spruce and larch are noted, the total number is up to 10 thousand pieces/ha. In the undergrowth there are alpine spirea, Altai honeysuckle and round-leaved birch. The herbaceous-shrub layer is mosaic of representatives of high-mountain herbs, the moss cover is powerful, spotty of brilliant hylocomium, Schreber moss, etc.
On the whole, in the cedar forests of Altai, the dependence of groups of forest types on climatic and edaphic factors is clearly expressed. Pine forests of the black belt, developing in a mild low-mountain climate with moist brown soils, are distinguished by a well-developed grass cover, which prevents the renewal of Siberian pine and fir, as a result of which the stands usually do not close. In the middle mountains, on the slopes of shady exposures and on terraces in the river valleys, green moss stone pine forests dominate. All forest types of this group are characterized by closed forest stands, reduction of subordinate layers, and podzolic type of soil formation. The southern slopes are occupied by mixed-grass and tall-grass forest types, which, by the structure of the undergrowth and grass cover, resemble similar forest types of the black belt, and by the structure of forest stands and the course of restoration processes, they belong to taiga associations. In the highlands of the subalpine and subalpine belts, most groups of forest types characteristic of taiga conditions are repeated, but their height and density are sharply reduced. Lichen and aulacomnia stone pine forests are specific.
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They are of great economic importance in the region. Due to the significant diversity of geographical and climatic zones of the Altai Territory, completely different types of forests are combined in the region at a small distance from each other: draft taiga, mixed forest and ribbon forests.
General characteristics of the forests of the Altai Territory
According to the Altai Territory Forest Administration, forest ecosystems occupy 28% of the region's area. The total area of forest fund lands is 4429.4 thousand hectares. Forests are located in four climatic zones: steppe, forest-steppe, low-mountain zone of Salair and high-mountain zone of Altai.
The following types of forests are represented in the Altai Territory:
- ribbon forests along the rivers flowing in the steppe zone of the region;
- mixed forest on the right bank of the Ob River;
- low-mountain taiga on the slopes of the Salair Ridge in the northeastern part of the region;
- draft taiga on the spurs of the Altai Mountains in the southeastern part;
- birch groves in the left bank of the Ob and Katun, as well as in the zone of the Biysko-Chumysh Upland;
- artificial protective forest belts and forests in various areas.
Vegetable world
The flora of the forests of the Altai Territory is diverse. Pine dominates in the ribbon forests of the steppe zone. Priobsky forest - mixed with a predominance of pine and birch, with an admixture of aspen, bird cherry and shrubs. Spruce and fir dominate in the Salair taiga. In the high-mountain taiga of the Charyshsky and Soloneshensky regions, there are massifs of cedar and larch. In the pegs of the left bank of the Ob, birch dominates with an admixture of shrubs.
Each type of forest stands has its own type of undergrowth. Tape forests in the south of the region have practically no undergrowth. Priobsky pine forest, on the contrary, has a powerful complex undergrowth, consisting of shrubs, various herbaceous plants, moss, horsetails and ferns.
Animal world
The fauna of the forests of the Altai Territory is also diverse. Ungulates (roe deer, elk, goats), hare, as well as predatory animals that eat them: wolf, fox, badger live everywhere in the forests of the region. There is a brown bear in the taiga. The world of rodents is diverse. From insectivorous animals in the Altai Territory live hedgehog ordinary and mole. A wide variety of birds nest in the forests. Reptiles are represented by the common snake and the common viper. Forest ponds are inhabited by frogs. The common toad lives in damp and shady areas of forests. The world of insects is diverse, among which there are both harmful to the forest and useful.
Mushrooms
Although the mushroom world of the forests of the Altai Territory is poorer than in the European part of Russia and the Urals, both in terms of species diversity and quantity, nevertheless, mushrooms play an important role in the life of the region's forests. Almost ubiquitous podgruzdok white, podgruzdok black, valuy, russula. In birch and mixed forests, common boletus, pink volushka, autumn honey agaric, tinder fungi, and fly agaric grow. In the Ob forest, white mushroom, red boletus, and pine camelina are common. In the taiga grow camelina spruce, butterdish. In poplar forest belts, poplar rowing is common. In the Ob floodplain and on the islands in the channel of the Ob and Biya, the aspen mushroom grows in large quantities.
Ecological role
Altai Krai is a region with an arid climate. Therefore, the forests of the Altai Territory primarily play a protective role. Forest plantations retain snow and rain moisture, reduce wind erosion of the soil. Many species of animals find refuge from the scorching summer heat in the forests. In fact, it is thanks to forests, primarily belt forests, that most of the territory of the Altai Territory is saved from desertification. In the east, the edges in the zone of rough terrain, forests protect the soil from water erosion. The Ob forest plays a very important role in stabilizing the water regime of the Ob and its tributaries. Foothill forests are involved in the formation of a favorable microclimate in these areas.
Economic importance
Most of the forests of the Altai Territory are classified as protective. Nevertheless, timber harvesting is carried out in them, but the clear cutting method is used only in low-value forest areas. In the economy of a number of districts: Soloneshensky, Charyshsky, Soltonsky, Troitsky, Zalesovsky, Talmensky, the forest industry takes a leading place.
Forest protection
Due to the weather and climatic features of the region, the forests of the Altai Territory, in particular, ribbon pine forests, are subject to an increased risk of forest fires. For this reason, a developed network of fire and chemical stations operates in the region (as of 2013 - 159 stations). In especially burning areas of the forest (south-west of the region), measures are regularly taken to create fire breaks, barriers and mineralized strips.
In the depths of the vast continent of Eurasia lies a mountainous country - Altai. The nearest seas-oceans are almost 2.5 thousand km. On the one hand, Altai borders on the West Siberian Plain, the largest in the world, on the other hand, on the mountain belt of Southern Siberia. This mysterious and mysterious land keeps the history of human culture from the Stone Age to the present day. Nicholas Roerich said: "If you want to find the most beautiful place, look for the most ancient." One of such places for him was Altai, where his soul longed until the last days of his life.
Land of contrasts
A variety of relief forms lead to the formation of a number of microclimates on a relatively small area of Altai, which correspond to distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers in other parts of our country. This contributes to the species richness of the animal and plant world.
All natural zones of Central Siberia are represented here: steppes, forest-steppes, mixed forests, subalpine and alpine meadows. The species composition of vegetation includes two-thirds of the total species diversity of Western Siberia, with a considerable percentage of endemic plants found only in the Altai mountains. There are also relic species. There are a lot of medicinal plants (Rhodiola rosea, forgotten kopeechnik, St. John's wort, elecampane, etc.).
As in any mountainous country, the vegetation of the Altai Mountains obeys the law of vertical zonality, although, of course, the boundaries of these zones are not clearly defined, they vary greatly depending on local conditions.
The word "Altai" is most often translated as "Altyn-tau" ("golden mountains"), sometimes as "Ala-tau" ("motley mountains"). Orientalists give another interpretation - "Al-taiga", which means "high rocky mountains".
From steppes to mountain taiga
At an altitude of 800–1500 m, there is a belt of mountain steppes, where there is almost no forest, low grass and separately protruding bushes grow here. The color of the steppe as a whole is dull yellowish-gray, sometimes along the banks of rivers and reservoirs there are spots of vibrant green and light green.
Where the steppes pass into the foothills, a dark green belt of forests (1200–2400 m) appears - the mountain taiga belt. Broad-leaved forests in most areas of the Altai Mountains are poorly represented. The mountain taiga consists of larch, Siberian cedar, pine, spruce and fir. Larch taiga rises up to 2000 m. This forest, light, with delicate greenery, is especially beautiful in spring, when young larch needles are just beginning to bloom. But the higher you climb, the more common here is Siberian cedar, or Siberian cedar pine, which forms the upper border of the forest. Unlike slender larches, cedar pines here are usually clumsy, their trunks can take the most bizarre shapes. A fabulously fantastic view of the forest is given by gloomy firs, hung like garlands with lichens.
In the local arid climate, Altai forests perform primarily a protective fiction - plantations retain snow and rain moisture, reduce wind erosion of the soil.
Giants and dwarfs
The transitional area between the taiga and alpine meadows in Altai is occupied by a rather extensive belt, which can be called mountain tundra. These are thickets of low-growing shrubs - mainly polar birch (locally - "chira", or "dwarf birch"), but also various low-growing willows.
Alpine and subalpine meadows (2500–3000 m) are represented by bright forbs. The grasses here seem like a real jungle - their height reaches 1.5–2 m, and in the middle of summer they are able to hide a rider with a horse. With the ascent to the mountains, the vegetation gradually decreases and passes into alpine short grass.
Very high, in the cracks of the rocks and on the tiny spots of the alpine meadow, comes across a miniature dwarf willow, only a few centimeters high. Far in the mountains, near Belukha (the highest peak in Siberia), you can find edelweiss - flowers of love and fidelity. And on flat, damp places, moss grows amazing in softness, depth and beauty. On the uppermost sections of the slopes, you can admire the paintings created by nature from multi-colored lichens - black, orange, silver-white, yellow and other colors. But it turns out that life goes on and on. In summer, snow on glaciers can acquire a pink tint, as if it is illuminated by the evening setting sun, the reason for this is the microscopic algae covering it.
cedar forests
But still, about half of the territory of Altai is occupied by forests, mostly coniferous, although a significant part of them are forests of cedar pine, they are also called cedar forests. Cedar pines are sacred trees for northern peoples. Beautiful and majestic, they give excellent wood, tasty, healthy and nutritious pine nuts, which other taiga residents feed on besides people: bears, sables, chipmunks, squirrels ...
Forests with a predominance of cedar pine are dark coniferous. On the plains, Siberian cedar pine often grows next to spruce, fir, Scots pine, birch, but pure cedar trees can also be found around many Siberian settlements. The fact is that the peasant settlers quickly appreciated this tree, and therefore they cut down larch, fir and other species around the dwelling, and left the cedar pine. The cedar forests were looked after as if they were their own vegetable garden. In terms of usefulness in the economy, Siberians sometimes equate a hectare of cedar forest to a cow.
Unfortunately, until recently, large-scale industrial logging was carried out in Gorny Altai. Significant damage was caused to the cedar forests. One of the main tasks of ecologists is to revive this wonderful tree species of the Altai taiga.
Flora of Altai (flora)
The flora of the Altai Territory is rich and varied. The vegetation here was influenced by the geological history of the development of the territory, and the climate, and a peculiar relief. Almost all types of vegetation of northern and central Asia, Eastern Kazakhstan, and the European part of Russia are found in Altai.
Forests cover most of the Altai Territory. The only ribbon pine forests in the entire territory of Russia grow here - a unique natural formation, the like of which is not found anywhere else on our planet.
Origin ribbon pine forestshas an interesting history, which is associated with the period when in the south of the West Siberian Lowland there were a largee sea, the flow of water from it passed through deep hollows towards the Aral basin. The flowing water carried sand, and when the climateThus, five ribbons of pine forests were formed, which stretch parallel to each other from the Ob near Barnaul in a southwestern direction towards the Irtysh and the Kulunda lowland.
wove, and the Ob again flowed into the seas of the Arctic Ocean, pines began to grow on the sand-filled hollows of the ancient runoff.The woody flora of the mountainous part of Altai is richer than on the plain. Cedar-fir forests grow here with admixtures of birch and a large number of pines. This is the so-called black taiga, which is not found in other forest regions of the country. In the black taiga, many shrubs grow - raspberries, mountain ash, viburnum, currants, bird cherry.
A very common tree in Altai is larch. Its wood is hard and durable, perfectly retaining its qualities both in the ground and in the water. Larch is the most valuable building material: it is used to build houses that can stand for centuries, make dams, build bridges, piers, use it to make railway sleepers and telegraph poles.
Larch forests are light and clean and resemble natural parks in which each tree grows apart. The shrub undergrowth in deciduous forests is dense, and the surface of the ground in such a forest is covered with a continuous grassy carpet.
Siberian cedar pine, cedar - the famous tree species of the Altai forests. This is a mighty tree with a dark green crown, with long prickly needles. Forms frequent, solid cedar forests on mountain slopes or occurs as an admixture in deciduous and fir forests.
Cedar wood is highly valued - light, durable and beautiful, it is widely used in folk crafts for the manufacture of various products. Furniture, food containers, and a pencil board are made from cedar boards. Pine nuts are very popular, from which a valuable oil is produced, which is used in medicine and in the manufacture of high-precision optical instruments. Cedar resin is a raw material for balm.
In the forests of the Altai Territory, from deciduous species, the most common arebirch, aspen and poplar. In the flat part of Altai, both birch and mixed pegs are found everywhere - small groves of trees of these species with abundant shrubs.There are several dozen species of shrubs in the region, many of which produce edible berries - raspberries, blackberries, currants, honeysuckle, blueberries, lingonberries. The slopes of the mountains are beautiful in early spring, covered with evergreen maral (Siberian rosemary, Daurian rhododendron) blooming bright raspberry-purple color.
Weeds are often found
juniper, cinquefoil, meadowsweet. The region is famous for abundant thickets of useful shrubs - sea buckthorn , which gives berries from which a valuable medicinal product is made - sea buckthorn oil.
On taiga meadows with mountain forbs, bees collect exclusively fragrant honey, the fame of which is known far beyond the borders of our country.
In spring and early summer, the plains and slopes of the Altai mountains are a beautiful carpet of colorful flowers: bright orange lights, dark blue and pink tulips, blue bells, carnations, daisies, white and yellow buttercups.
Of the medicinal plants in the Altai Territory, the most famous are maral and golden root (Rhodiola rosea), bergenia and valerian, dandelion and marin root, spring adonis, licorice, etc. More than ten species of relict plants grow in Altai. Among them are European hoof, bruner, fragrant woodruff, circe.
High on the slopes of the Altai mountains is found edelweiss.
Fauna of Altai (fauna)
The diversity of the animal world of the Altai Territory is due to the presence of steppes, forests and high-altitude belts. Inhabitants of the West Siberian taiga meet here: elk, brown bear, wolverine; representatives of the forests of Western Siberia: musk deer, deer, capercaillie, stone partridge; animals of the Mongolian steppes: jerboa, tarbagan marmot. About 90 species of mammals, more than 250 species of birds live in Altai. Some of them (manul cat, polecat, belladonna crane, etc.) are listed in the Red Book.
A distinctive feature of the animal world of Altai is the formation of endemic species. A typical endemic is the Altai mole, it is widespread and occurs both on the plain and in the mountains.
In the taiga massifs, brown bear and elk are found everywhere. The bear is an omnivorous predator that feeds on mice, birds, fish, berries and mushrooms, during the summer it wanders from forests to subalpine meadows, where it is attracted by an abundance of herbs and plants with delicious healing roots. And by autumn it returns back to the taiga to berries and nuts.
Ungulate animals also make seasonal transitions from one zone to another. Elk, roe deer, deer, musk deer roam from taiga to meadows and back. Marals - deer, whose horns contain the valuable substance pantocrine in the spring, have been bred for many years on deer farms in the mountainous forest regions of the region. All attempts to breed deer in other mountainous regions of Russia have not yet yielded good results.
In the forests of Altai there are lynx, badger, wolverine, ermine, chipmunk, squirrel. The most valuable fur-bearing animal in the taiga is the sable. This small predator has chosen for itself the most deaf windbreak places, arranging nests in the hollows of old trees.
Another valuable fur animal is the fox. Lives in flat areas. Rodents are found everywhere here: hamsters, ground squirrels of various species, marmots, jerboas are found in arid regions of the steppe. Hares - hare and hare - live in the steppe and in the forest regions of the region. You can also meet a wolf there.
Almost all forest-steppe regions, where there are reservoirs, are the habitat of the muskrat. A rodent imported in the twenties from North America, which has commercial value, successfully acclimatized in the Altai lands. And in the upland rivers and reservoirs of Salair there are beavers, the range of which is increasing every year.
The birds most often found in the forest zone of the region are owl, eagle owl, hawk. Commercial species are black grouse, hazel grouse, partridge, capercaillie. Nutcrackers and jays, crossbills, and small songbirds are well adapted to life in the forests.
In the mountains, a large bird of prey, the golden eagle, flies around. Its prey are rodents - mice and ground squirrels, marmots. The white partridge is found everywhere, it lives at altitudes up to three thousand meters.
The steppe zone is a habitat for birds of prey: red-footed falcon, kestrel, buzzard, which prey on small field rodents. And on the lakes and swamps of the Altai plains live snipe, teal, gray cranes, mallard ducks, gray geese, cranes, gulls. During flights, swans and northern geese stop in these places.
The world of reptiles in Altai is small. Its main representatives are a poisonous snake - an ordinary muzzle, a viviparous lizard that is found throughout the Altai Territory. Near reservoirs there is an ordinary snake, in the steppes and forest-steppes there is a steppe and ordinary viper. Of the reptiles, the patterned snake is considered the largest in Altai. Its dimensions are over a meter in length.
The reservoirs of the plains and the mountainous zone of the Altai region are rich in fish. In the foothill rivers there are burbot and taimen, grayling and lenok, chebak, ruff, gudgeon, perch. Sterlet, bream, zander, etc. live in the main river of Altai, the Ob. The lakes of the plains are rich in crucian carp, tench; pike and perch are found in their waters.
The fund of fishery reservoirs of the region includes about 2,000 water bodies with a total area of 112 thousand hectares. Salt lakes, which have an annual limit of 300 tons of Artemia cysts, occupy an area of 99 thousand hectares. Of the 38 species of fish living in the reservoirs of the region, 12 species are used for fishing.
Land bioresourcesThe Altai Territory has such a variety of zonal and, in particular, intrazonal landscapes that this could not but affect the abundance and species diversity of flora and fauna. Each of these landscapes has its own, to some extent, a special world of animals and birds, plants.
Plants
Of the 3000 plant species growing in Western Siberia, in the Altai Territory there are 1954 species of higher vascular plants belonging to 112 families and 617 genera. The region's flora includes 32 relict species. These are Siberian linden, European hoof, fragrant bedstraw, giant fescue, Siberian brunner, floating salvinia, water chestnut and others. 10 species of plants growing in the region are included in the Red Book of Russia: Siberian kandyk, Ludwig's iris, Zalessky's feather grass, downy-leaved feather grass, pinnate feather grass, Altai onion, steppe peony, clobuchkovy nest flower, Altai gymnosperm, Altai stellophopsis. 144 species of plants are included in the Red Book of the region. These species are rare, endemic, reducing their range, as well as relict. The species richness of the flora of the region is due to the variety of natural and climatic conditions.
The vegetation cover on the territory of the region is subject to strong anthropogenic influence, especially within the steppe zone. The largest sections of the steppes have been preserved along the forest belts, along the edges of tape forests and individual pegs, and on saline soils.
A significant proportion (up to 30%) in the flora of the region is a group of weeds found in gardens, fields, orchards, on embankments of roads, along river banks, wastelands, and fallow lands. In recent years, runaway plants of culture have appeared, actively taking root in natural cenoses. So along the banks of rivers and forests, ash-leaved maple and echinocystis lobed are often and abundantly found. The proportion of alien plants is steadily increasing from year to year, and at present their number reaches 70. Among them, plants from Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as from North America, predominate.
The useful flora of Altai is rich, numbering more than 600 species of plants, among which there are medicinal - 380 species, food - 149, melliferous - 166, vitamin-bearing - 33, dyeing - 66, fodder - 330, decorative - 215. Rhodiola can be attributed to especially valuable species. pink, safflower-shaped raponticum, forgotten kopeechnik, evading peony, high elecampane, etc.
According to preliminary estimates, the region is characterized by more than 100 species of lichens, 80 species of bryophytes, and about 50 species of macromycete fungi. Among these objects there are rare ones included in the Red Book of Russia.
Of the almost 2,000 species of vascular plants found in the Altai Territory, 144 species are included in the Red Book.
In early spring, when it is still not so hot, low yellow hornwort, desert beetroot, ranunculus pawpaw, and woodgrass bloom. Occasionally come across dark purple hazel grouse and tuberous valerian. Later, in the middle of summer, feather grass blooms. Long panicles sway under the wind, giving the impression of running waves. Due to the plowing of the steppes, the number of its population has been greatly reduced.
A wide strip of steppe and forest-steppe vegetation in the middle part is torn by several belts of pine forests. These are unique natural formations found nowhere else in the world, confined to the bottoms of ancient troughs of melted glacial waters lined with winnowed sands. Under the pine canopy, a shrub layer is developed, which is especially rich when approaching the Ob valley. Here grow flat-leaved eryngium, common meadowsweet, meadow rank, medicinal sweet clover, common bedstraw, gray-haired speedwell.
In the mountainous part of the region, altitudinal zonation is manifested in the placement of vegetation. The types of this zonality, the degree of its severity and the altitudinal limits reflect, depending on the position, the features of either Western Siberia and Central Asia, or Mongolia and the mountains of Southern Siberia. It is no coincidence that N.K. Roerich called Altai the heart of Asia, the center of the four oceans.
The steppe belt is most developed along the northern and northwestern slopes of Altai, its individual fragments are widely found inside the mountainous country on the flat bottoms of river valleys and intermountain basins. The height of the steppe areas increases towards the southeast of the Altai, where, at heights of more than 2,000 m, peculiar tundra-steppes dominate. There are also steppe areas on the southern, well-heated slopes of the ridges.
On the chernozem, chestnut and chernozem-meadow soils of the belt, a forb-grass grass cover is developed, interspersed with thickets of caragana, meadowsweet, honeysuckle, and wild rose bushes. The higher the steppe areas rise, reflecting the growth of the continentality of the climate, the poorer the vegetation becomes.
Feather grass, wheatgrass, fescue, bluegrass grow here. The external nondescriptness is somewhat diversified by yellow alfalfa, Siberian sainfoin, Siberian adonis, sticky cinquefoil. Among the plants of the stony steppes of the mountain slopes, there are feather grass, astragalus, asters, carnations, and wormwood. For most of the summer, the steppe areas are monotonous, dim. Only in spring, for a short time, the steppe is transformed, decorated with multi-colored grassy dressing.
The more severe the conditions, the more adapted and outwardly rougher and tougher the plants become. Artemisia, fescue and cinquefoil dominate in the Chuya basin. Pebble feather grass, desert rock grass, sedges, and astragalus are common. Plants are undersized, flowers are usually small, many of them have thorns - everything indicates a lack of moisture and a strong influence of cold.
Forests occupy about half of the area of the mountains, being the main type of their vegetation. The nature of forests is not the same and depends on the conditions of moisture and heat supply. Black forests dominate in Salair and near Teletskoye Lake, the northeastern and western outskirts of the mountains are occupied by dark coniferous taiga, and the low mountains of northern Altai are occupied by pine forests. As you move deeper into the mountains, dominance in the forest stands passes to larch.
Inside the mountainous region, the forest belt is often interrupted, steppe areas appear on the southern slopes, and alpine vegetation appears in the upper part. Through the Salair black forests, the mountain taiga merges with the flat West Siberian taiga. The lower boundary of the forest belt in the north is 400-600 m, while the upper one changes quite significantly: in the ridges surrounding Lake Teletskoye - 1800-1900 m, in Central Altai - 2100-2200 m, and in the southeast individual massifs rise up to 2,450 m. They consist mainly of Siberian fir, Siberian cedar, Siberian larch, Scots pine, Siberian spruce.
The most common is larch, adapted to both severe frosts and poor soils. Individual specimens reach a height of 20-30 m, in girth - 2-3 m. The giant larches are especially impressive among the verdant meadows and fields. Park larch forests are good, light, with low shrub undergrowth and rich forbs. Larch is a long-liver and a great lover of light. Its wood is exceptionally strong and difficult to process.
Pine forests are confined to low mountains with its dry valleys and sandy soils. Pine does not rise above 600-700 m.
The adornment of the Altai forests is the cedar - a tree species with many virtues that have long been appreciated by man. Cedar wood with a pleasant pinkish tint has high resonant qualities and is used to make musical instruments. Cedar needles contain essential oils, carotenes, and vitamins. No less valuable are resin, pine nuts, for which the cedar is called the taiga breadfruit tree. Nuts are the food of many birds and animals, and are widely used by humans.
The black taiga is characterized by the predominance of Siberian fir, aspen, bird cherry, mountain ash, viburnum in combination with tall grass. Representatives of relict flora meet here. This is fragrant woodruff with modest white flowers and whorled leaves, European hoof-shaped hoof-shaped dark green leaves, forest chistets with soft hairy leaves and purple flowers, Siberian brunner with large, conspicuous heart-shaped leaves on long petioles and pale blue flowers, similar to forget-me-not. The ground moss cover is poorly developed.
Dark coniferous forests of cedar, Siberian spruce, Siberian fir usually cover the northern slopes of the mountain ranges. Here grow mosses, shrubs, semi-shrubs - honeysuckle, blueberries, lingonberries. Larch forests dominate in Central Altai, where along river valleys and slopes they form park thickets without undergrowth, with a dense grass cover dominated by grasses (reed grass, Siberian bluegrass, cocksfoot, meadow foxtail, etc.). On the northern slopes, where there is more moisture, an undergrowth of Siberian rhododendron, medium meadowsweet, and Altai honeysuckle is developed under larch trees.
Meadows are widespread in the forest belt, confined to fairly moist leveled areas, clearings and burnt areas. Significant areas of alpine meadows in the Central and Western Altai. In subalpine meadows, maral root, various-leaved calendula, white-flowered geranium, and bathing suits are common. Alpine meadows have a low grass cover. Catchment, large-flowered gentian, cobresia Bellardi are common. The combination of simultaneously blooming orange flames, blue watersheds, dark blue gentians and snakeheads gives alpine meadows an extraordinary colorfulness.
The upper altitudinal belt of mountain vegetation is represented by a variety of tundra groups - gravel herbaceous, moss-lichen, stony, shrubs, in which large-leaved birch, alpine bison, John's claitonia, whole-leaved lagotis, and cold gentian are common.
In general, within the region there are about 3 thousand species of higher plants: medicinal, food, fodder, poisonous.
The group of medicinal plants used in the pharmaceutical industry includes about 100 species. However, in folk medicine, this list is much wider. In the steppe zone, Ural licorice, spring adonis, marshmallow, high elecampane, creeping thyme, sandy immortelle, multi-veined volodushka, lanceolate thermopsis, and wormwood are harvested.
Elecampane grows in the forests, swamp belozer, golden volodushka, oregano, peony Maryin root, hellebore Lobel, St. John's wort, medicinal burnet. In the coastal strip of reservoirs, common calamus, wild rosemary, three-leafed watch, yellow egg-pod, real white.
Maral root, Rhodiola rosea, and thick-leaved bergenia are confined to the high-mountain zone.
Many plants can be used as food during summer hikes. Among them are sorrel, young nettle, young leaves of quinoa, dissected cow parsnip, softest honeydew, gout, young (hare cabbage), bracken, dandelion leaves and roots, etc. The most famous among food plants are wild garlic (flask), onion-slizun. Some plants (wild mint, thyme, pepper knot) can be used for seasoning. Cowberry leaves, blackcurrant, oregano, wild strawberries, leaves and inflorescences of meadowsweet, leaves of fireweed (willow-herb) are suitable for making camp tea. Tea made from dried bergenia leaves has long been known in Altai.
Travelers should also be aware of poisonous plants, such as henbane, hellebore, wrestlers, crow's eye. Along the banks of reservoirs, there is a poisonous milestone, an omezhnik, a speckled hemlock, and a marshmallow. Yes, and many medicinal plants used without sufficiently reliable knowledge and recommendations of a doctor can have a negative effect on the body. The first warning when encountering most poisonous plants is the beautiful, often bright color of flowers and fruits.
Botanists have identified more than 100 plant species found only in Altai. These are the so-called endemic species that have arisen here in the process of evolutionary development. The southeast of Altai is especially rich in endemics. The famous botanist P.N. Krylov noted that in the recent past this area served as an arena of glacial processes, which is why the formation of flora continues here today.
In addition to the endemics of the Altai proper, such as Altai bathing suit, Alpine edelweiss, subalpine violet, purple bathing suit, there are endemic species in Altai with a wider, Altai-Sayan area. Together with them, the total number of endemic species, according to A.V. Kuminova, reaches 212.
Intensive use of the vegetation cover leads both to the depletion of the species composition and to a decrease in the population of individual species. Botanists noted 120 species of plants that need protection. In recent years, the thickets of Rhodiola rosea (golden root), safflower-shaped raponticum (maral root), spring starodubka, water chestnut (chilim), and Ural licorice have significantly decreased. Venus slippers, orchis, lyubka, kandyk, tulips, frying (lights, bathing suits), peonies, backache, St. John's wort have become a rarity.
Among the plants included in the Red Book of the USSR, in Altai there are: large-flowered slipper, real and spotted slipper, Altai wolfwort, water chestnut, Altai woodsia, one-leaved guldenshtedtiya, Siberian kandyk, Siberian and tiger iris, feathery feather grass, curly lily, onion Altai, leafless chin, Maryin root peony, steppe peony, chess hazel grouse, etc.
Most of us do not know what these plants look like. Therefore, during the preparation for the trip, it is important to get acquainted with them through reference books and herbariums, to meet with specialists. In Barnaul there is a botanical garden of the Altai University, where many rarities of the plant kingdom of the region are collected. Visit it before leaving. It is advisable to find a place in the backpack for a small book by I.V. Vereshchagina “The Green Miracle of Altai”, published by the Altai Book Publishing House.
And most importantly - do not tear (do not destroy!) The flower, branch, grass you like. It must be remembered: the resources of the plant world are not endless, we are all responsible for leaving for future generations a flowery carpet of Altai grasses, taiga cedar splendor and lush greenery of deciduous forests.
Animals
About 100 species of mammals, more than 320 species of birds, 7 species of reptiles, 6 species of invertebrates and 7 species of amphibians live in the region. 35 species of fish live in the rivers and lakes of the region.
The Red Book includes 134 species of animals in need of protection. Most of the bird species are 82. Approximately half of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia (demon crane, saker falcon, ptarmigan, eagle owl, etc.), 10 species are included in the IUCN Red Book (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). These are extremely rare species, such as, for example, bustard, imperial eagle, peregrine falcon, as well as category zero (probably extinct) little bustard and slender-billed curlew.
In addition to birds nesting in Altai, the Red Data Book of the Altai Territory includes species that appear during spring and autumn migrations (small swan, white-fronted goose), as well as occasional vagrants (curly and pink pelicans, flamingos, black crane, griffon vulture, etc. .).
Chipmunk, flying squirrel, otter, ermine, sable live in the forests. Also here there are moose, musk deer, almost everywhere - brown bears, lynx, wolverine, badger. Marmots, ground squirrels, jerboas live in the steppes, you can meet the steppe polecat, fox, wolf, hare and hare hares live in the Kulunda steppe. The muskrat is found in the Ob reservoirs, and the river beaver lives in almost all upland, lowland rivers.
There are many predators among forest birds, the most aggressive are hawks (goshawk and sparrowhawk), night birds are common - owl and eagle owl. On the shores of the lakes, you can see the demoiselle crane and the common crane. Sandpipers, white wagtails, common terns are numerous along the river banks. The rivers and lakes of the region are rich in fish, they are home to pike, ide, burbot, sterlet, perch, dace, chebak, ruff.
There are 17 species of mammals in the Red Book. These are mainly insectivores and rodents (eared hedgehog, jerboas) and bats (there are 9 species of them, including the pointed-eared bat included in the Red Book of Russia). 2 representatives of the mustelid family entered here - an otter and a bandage (also included in the Red Book of Russia).
The Red Book includes 26 species of insects. These are, among other things, relic butterflies - motley ascalaf, unpaired mother-of-pearl, as well as an endemic of the Western Altai, possibly now extinct, Gebler's ground beetle, etc.
In addition to birds, mammals and insects, the book includes 3 species of reptiles (takyr roundhead, multi-colored lizard, steppe viper), 2 species of amphibians (Siberian salamander, common newt) and 4 species of fish - lenok, apparently disappeared from the rivers of the region, endemic species are Siberian sturgeon, nelma and taimen.
In addition to the main part, the Red Book of the Altai Territory includes 30 species that require special attention. These are, for example, musk deer, gray goose, little gull, quail, carpenter bee and other species.
The objects of hunting are several dozen species of animals, representatives of four orders of birds.
The formation and development of animal resources in the region takes place under conditions of increased anthropogenic influence. A decrease in pasture bioproductivity due to overgrazing, water and wind erosion of soils, and deforestation lead to a change in animal habitats and a decrease in the number of squirrels, marmots, otters, musk deer, Siberian mountain goats, and others. From year to year, the number of waterfowl decreases, with the exception of the gray goose. The number of small mustelids, field and upland game is decreasing due to changes in the feeding and nesting conditions of their existence. Intensive exploitation of the resources of ungulates, and in the first place of the moose, requires a reduction in its prey, increased protection and control over prey, and in some areas a complete ban on hunting.
At present, the original natural landscapes are practically not preserved in the Altai Territory, all of them are affected by economic activity or the transfer of substances by water and air flows. Currently, there are no active reserves or national parks in the region. There are 33 reserves on the territory of the region. Their total area is 773.1 thousand hectares or less than 5% of the region's area, which is significantly lower than the average for Russia and not enough to maintain landscape and ecological balance in the biosphere.
In 1997-1998, the catch was wild boar - 7, bear - 11.
The number in 1998 was: elk - 10930, wild boar - 430, roe deer - 11000, bear - 500.
The number of rare species: snow leopard - 39-49 pieces, manul - 250-350 pieces, gazelles - herds of 4-5 individuals, Altai mountain sheep - 370-470 pieces.
Each of the Altai landscapes is characterized by a certain species composition of animals.
The least rich fauna of the steppe and forest-steppe plain parts of the region. Rodents predominate here: red-backed and red-backed voles, red-cheeked ground squirrel, steppe pika, large jerboa. After the plowing of virgin lands, the field mouse became especially numerous. Of the large mammals, there are a wolf, a fox, a steppe polecat, a hare, a corsac, a badger, sometimes a hare, and an elk can be found in pegs.
Of the birds after plowing virgin lands, the rook, magpie, gray crow, and jackdaw predominate; of the small passerines, the skylark, the yellow wagtail and the black-headed coin are the most numerous. Numerous and diverse sandpipers roam in swamps and along the banks of water bodies, ducks, gray goose and gray heron nest. There are many ducks, coots on the lakes, grebes are common, especially great grebe. Numerous colonies of gulls (silver, gray-gray, lake) are often found there.
The fauna of lowland forests is much richer. They are inhabited by various species of shrews, voles and mice. There are numerous chipmunk and teleut squirrel. Typical forest dwellers are the mole, hedgehog, weasel, ermine, Siberian weasel and badger. Hare and fox are common, wolverine, wolf, lynx and brown bear, beaver, roe deer and elk are less common.
The world of small forest passerine birds is colorful and diverse: tits, warblers, warblers, redstarts, blackbirds, forest pipit, finches - chaffinch, tap dance, brambling, lentil, spruce crossbill, carduelis. Cuckoo, nightjar, woodpeckers are common - black, large and small motley, three-toed, verticek. Of the small predators, the most common falcons are the hobby, the merlin and the red-footed falcon. There are hawks - goshawk and sparrowhawk, black kite, buzzard, horn-legged owl, long-eared owl, less often - eagle owl. In the plain and foothill zones of Altai, the gray crane is not uncommon. Of the reptiles, the ordinary snake, viper, Pallas muzzle, nimble and viviparous lizards are characteristic. There are few amphibians: mainly moor and grass frogs, gray and green toads.
The mountain steppes of Altai are characterized by norniks: red-cheeked and long-tailed ground squirrels, Altai and Mongolian marmots. Of the small rodents, voles are numerous. On stony placers on the outskirts of mountain steppes, Dahurian and Mongolian pikas are common. In addition, jumping jerboa, Djungarian hamster and tolai hare, which does not change color in winter, live in the Chui steppe (there is very little snow on semi-desert landscapes).
The species composition of birds is very small: larks - field and steppe, wheatears - bald and dancer, steppe pipit, hoopoe, steppe harrier, kestrel. However, the fauna of the Chuya steppe is distinguished by much greater diversity and originality: these places are characterized by the ruddy shelduck, Indian mountain goose, herring gull, black-throated diver, black stork, whooper swan, Altai gyrfalcon, griffon vulture, black vulture, bearded vulture. Only here there are bustard, saja, thick-billed plover, remez.
The world of the inhabitants of the mountains is especially diverse. This is facilitated by the diversity of natural conditions in the region. 62 species of mammals, more than 260 species of birds, 11 species of amphibians and reptiles, 20 species of fish live here.
The fauna of mountain forests is made up of almost all species found in lowland forests. These are flying squirrel, chipmunk, sable, bats - mustachioed bat, Siberian tube-billed bat, Ikonnikov's bat, red evening bat and long-eared bat. There are numerous ungulates that feed on trees and shrubs - elk, deer, roe deer, musk deer, and reindeer are much less common.
Of the large predators, the brown bear, lynx, wolverine, otter and badger are common. Small predators from the mustelidae family are common, feeding on mouse-like rodents: weasel, ermine, saltwort, Siberian weasel and American mink. Everywhere there are burrowing insectivores - moles, shrews. The Asian wood mouse is numerous; moist habitats are preferred by water and field voles.
Of the birds, jays, kukshas and nutcrackers are found everywhere in the forests of Altai. In the taiga zone, important commercial species of chickens are also common - capercaillie and hazel grouse. In the foothills, along the edges of the forest, black grouse is common.
Few species of animals are adapted to the harsh conditions of high-altitude open landscapes. This is a Siberian mountain goat, argali (mountain sheep), snow leopard (irbis) - a beautiful and very rare predator. In summer, the Alpine belt is visited by deer, bears, wolverines, there are also ermine, pika, narrow-skulled and high-mountain Siberian voles, foxes, white hare.
Of the birds in the lower part of the alpine belt (shrub tundra), the common partridge, dark-throated thrush, polar bunting, bluethroat are common. Almost at the very snow, the red-backed redstart, the Altai snowcock live.
Pike, ide, burbot, sterlet, perch, dace, Siberian roach, ruff, bream, gudgeon live in the rivers of the plains and foothills. During the spawning period, nelma and sturgeon rise here. In lakes and oxbow lakes in river valleys, carp and tench predominate.
In mountain rivers, the species composition changes dramatically: taimen, lenok, grayling, char, minnow, spike, variegated and Siberian sculpin live here. In the upper reaches of small mountain rivers there are grayling, char and minnow. In Lake Teletskoye, 13 species of fish have been noted, of which two species - Teletskoye whitefish and Pravdina whitefish - live only in this reservoir. In numerous mountain reservoirs in the south of the Altai Territory, the Osman lives mainly.
The species composition of the Altai entomofauna is very diverse. Travelers coming here should remember that some insects (mosquitoes, ticks) pose a real danger, being carriers of infectious diseases. Currently, ten species of ixodid ticks have been identified that can be carriers of pathogens of tick-borne rickettsiosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Therefore, before you go on a trip, you should make the necessary vaccinations.
During the period of the greatest danger of a tick bite (May - early June), elementary precautions must be observed: have appropriate clothing that prevents ticks from penetrating the body, systematically examine yourself and your comrades.
The maximum danger of infection is inherent in the indigenous dark coniferous and deciduous forests of the low mountains of Altai and Salair with their rich herbaceous vegetation.
The development of the region's natural resources is accompanied by a reduction in areas suitable for animal habitation, and, as a result, their numbers are reduced, and the species composition is poorer. On the territory of the region, 6 species of mammals and 34 species of birds listed in the Red Book of the USSR were recorded. These are argali, gazelle, snow leopard, red wolf, dressing, manul; birds - Altai snowcock, black stork, mountain goose, osprey, steppe eagle, demoiselle crane, etc.