Sikhote-Alin Preserve

a preserve located on the eastern and western slopes of the Sikhote-Alin’ and whose southeastern section faces the coast of the Sea of Japan. Area, 310,112 hectares (1974).

The Sikhote-Alin’ Preserve was established in 1935. Cedar and broad-leaved forests predominate to an elevation of 700 m; higher up, to an elevation of 1,300 m, forests of Erman’s birch and spruce-fir taiga alternate with meadows. Above 1,300 m, to an elevation of 1,500 m, there is a belt of dwarf stone pine, which as the elevation increases changes into stony tundra with lichens, mosses, and northern and alpine plant species.

Animal life in the preserve is represented by several mammals, including the Manchurian red deer, roe deer, goral, wild boar, tiger, lynx, European wildcat, American black bear, Eurasian brown bear, badger, otter, sable, yellow-throated marten, raccoon dog, and Temminck’s mole. Birds in the preserve include the Siberian spruce grouse, hazel hen, mandarin duck, Gould’s merganser, Temminck’s cormorant, resplendent shag, azure-winged magpie, and blue rock thrush. Among the reptiles are the rat snakes (Elaphe schrenki and E. dione) and mamushi. There are numerous insect species.

Fishes that live year-round in the preserve’s rivers are the taimen (Hucho taimen), lenok (Brachymystax lenok), grayling, and freshwater Dolly Varden trout. The rivers are the spawning grounds of the chum salmon, pink salmon, masu salmon, Dolly Varden trout, arctic lamprey, and arctic smelt.