Ecosystem of Tomsk oblast

Various physico-geographical conditions of the Tomsk oblast create rather complex image of its vegetation. Main territory of the oblast is covered by forestlands (85%). Different green cover is clearly seen in the southern part of the oblast where the relief and soil composition are very diverse. While moving from the south to the north this difference is gradually smoothed and vegetation becomes more or less homogeneous.

Soils of 8 main types prevail in the oblast: podzolic, bog pod, forest grey, gley forest grey, chernozem, meadow-chernozem, and flood plain soils.

The degree of bogginess reaches 37%. Special ecological value of bogs consists in the fact that they act as regulators of hydrologic regime of rivers, serving as a huge filter storage that absorbs elements from the atmosphere.

Several mineral water deposits were developed in the oblast.

The territory is partially flat and partially covered by taiga that is why more than half of all animals is connected with forests, one third is inclined to wetlands. Biodiversity is represented by 325 bird species, 60 mammal species, 5 amphibian species and 4 reptile species.

In the rivers and lakes of the oblast live 33 species of fish 15 species have commercial value: White salmon, whitefish, sturgeon, starlet, peled. Annual fish catch amounts to more than 2000 tons. Fish stock of the Tomsk oblast has grown over the last years.

The fauna of the Tomsk oblast is also rich: its territory is a home for 28 species of game animals – elk, deer, roe, brown bear, lynx, glutton, sable, fox, squirrel, wolf and more than 40 specias of birds.

On the whole, the ecological situation in the Tomsk oblast is favorable. Specially protected natural areas make a significant contribution to the conservation and reproduction of flora and fauna. These areas are presented by 16 reserves (1 federal, 15 regional), 144 regional natural monuments, 1 natural recreation territory, and the unique plant collection of the Siberian Botanical Garden, which is the oldest park in the Asian part of Russia.

Material is prepared by OJSC "Tomskgeomonitoring"