Ecoregion PA505, Da
Hinggan-Dzhagdy Mountains conifer forests, are found in Amur, Heilongjiang,
Inner Mongolia,and Zabaykalsky. A unique flora (Daurian) of larch, oak, hazel,
alder, birch, poplar, and elm is found in this mountain area. The forests were
mostly uncut until the 20th century and constitute the largest
single timber stand in the world. The mountains are the southern limit of
wolverines, lynx, and elk. The Greater
Hinggan Mountains divide the Manchurian plain from the Mongolian plateau. The
area is the site of one of the largest wildfires in recent history, known as
the Black Dragon fire. It took place in 1987. It was started by a temporary
employee operating a brush cutter, which caught fire and spread to grasslands
and nearby woods on May 6, 1987. Other fires started burning about the same
time in Russia and China. The fire eventually burned millions of acres in China
and Russia (Pyne, 1989; Salisbury, 1989).
The Gen River and the
Genhelengshuiyu Nature Reserve (N51˚0’ E122˚0’) is an Important Bird Area
for Baikal teal, redlk-crowned crane, and Siberian crane.
Hanma Nature Reserve,
Inner Mongolia (N51˚35’ E122˚42’), is 107,348 ha on the main ridge of the
Greater Hinggan Mountains. It is an Important Bird Area for scaly-sided
merganser and red-crowned crane.
Huma River Nature
Reserve, Heilongjiang (N52˚21’ E124˚48’ west end) is 60,000 ha and extends along the river from
east of Tahe to the confluence with the Heilongjiang River. It is an Important
Bird Area for swan goose, lesser white-fronted goose, Baer’s pochard, and
scaly-sided merganser.
Huzhong Nature Reserve,
Heilongjiang (N51˚37’ E123˚3’), is a conifer forest of 167,213 ha. It is an
Important Bird Area for swan goose,
lesser white-fronted goose, Baer’s pochard, and scaly-sided merganser.
Mangui, Inner Mongolia (N52˚8’ E122˚12’) is an
Important Bird Area for swan goose, scaly-sided merganser, red-crowned crane,
and Siberian crane
Pyne, Stephen J. 1989. Apocalytic Fire and Other
Exaggerations. BioScience 39:732-733.
Salisbury, Harrison E. 1989. The Great Black Dragon Fire: A Chinese
Inferno. Little, Brown and Company, Boston
