Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 11.9. The hydrographic
scheme of south-eastern Siberia: ' a '
indicates the Yenisei River basin
(sub-basins of (1) the Lower
Tunguska and Podkamennaya
Tunguska rivers, (2) the Angara
River, (3) Lake Baikal and (4) the
Yenisei itself); ' b ' indicates the Lena
River basin; and
1
SEVERO-ENISEYSKIY
Tungu ska
Ang ara
2
'
c
'
the water
KIRENSK
R
U
divides.
S
S
I
A
UST-KUT
BRATSK
KRASNOYARSK
Kazyr
3
4
IRKUTSK
a
b
c
0
100 km
MO
N
G
O
L
I
A
Siberian Platform. A distinguishing feature of the topo-
graphic relief is the monotonous flatness (with altitudes
of 500 to 700 m) with incised valleys. The most severe
incision is at the south-western margin of the plateau: the
Yeniseisky Ridge, while the Pre-Sayan inter-montane
trough lies on the south.
The territory is a typical taiga zone, with subzones of
middle and southern taiga as well as sub-taiga with forest-
steppe islands. The middle taiga occupying the northern
part of the territory, and also the Yeniseisky Ridge, is
dominated by larch: Siberian larch on the west, and Daur-
ian larch on the east. The southern taiga is covered by pine
and pine
larch forests. Further to the south, along the
foothills, a zone of sub-taiga and forest-steppe landscapes
extends like a strip, which is the home of pine and birch
grass forests with inclusions of meadow steppes.
The basins of the upper Yenisei and Lake Baikal com-
prise the mountain formations of the Western and Eastern
Sayan mountains, the Abakansky and the formations of the
Pre-Baikalia and Transbaikalia. In between the mountain
ranges there are depressions, such as Minusinskaya,
Baikalskaya, Tunkinskaya, Barguzinskaya and others.
Most of the formations have a middle-mountain relief
(with altitudes of 800
-
Figure 11.10. Mountain taiga and alpine tundra.
Description of the study area
The study deals with south-eastern Siberia, by which is
meant the territory lying in the middle part of the Asian
mainland ( Figure 11.9 ). Hydrographically it includes basins
of the upper and middle Yenisei and of the upper Lena.
Most of the catchments of the middle Yenisei and of the
upper Lena are part of the Central Siberian Plateau. Tec-
tonically,
2000 m) dominated by mountain
ranges up to 3000 m or more high, with alpine relief. In the
foothill areas, depressions and the lower parts of the slopes,
there is a steppe and forest-steppe belt where grassy
-
its core is represented by the Pre-Cambrian
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