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The dynamic land-cover of the Altai Mountains: Perspectives based on past and current environmental and biodiversity changes

  • Siberian Environmental Change
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Abstract

We present climate-dependent changes in the high-mountain forest ecotone, old-growth forests, alpine phytocenoses, and deglaciated forelands in the Aktru glacial basin (Altai Republic, Russia). A number of independent sources (variations in upper treeline altitude, dendrochronological data, analysis of lacustrine sediments and botanical and geographical studies linked with the dynamics of glacial-dammed lakes in the Chuya and Kurai intermountain depressions) suggest Holocene temperatures reached about 4 °C higher than today. Unlike the European Alps, glaciers in the continental Altai Mountains disappeared before forming again. Also, the upper altitudinal limit of mountain forests during the Holocene was greater than in the European Alps. The high variability of mountain ecosystems in southern Siberia suggests their potential instability in a currently changing climate. However, periglacial successions associated with the strong continental climate and glacier retreat represent an area of increasing biodiversity and plant cover. The historical and current sensitivity of the continental mountains to climate variations which exceeds that of the European Alps requires greater understanding, environmental protection, and increased social responsibility for the consequences of anthropogenic contributions to climate change: the isolated Altai areas contribute little to climate changes, but are greatly affected by them.

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Photo 2 by A. Erofeev; photo 3-6 by I. Volkov

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Photo by I. Volkov

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Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful for the support from the Tomsk State University Competitiveness Improvement Programme. They also would like to thank the INTERACT Aktru Research Station (https://eu-interact.org/field-sites/aktru-research-station/) and the research infrastructure “System of experimental stations located along the latitudinal gradient” for fruitful cooperation (http://ckp-rf.ru/usu/586718/; http://www.secnet.online/megaustanovka-ru.html). Alexander Erofeev especially gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Project no. 8.1.32.2018 of the Tomsk State University Competitive Improvement Programme. Igor Volkov expresses his gratitude to the Russian Science Foundation (Grant № 20-67-46018). Terry Callaghan gratefully acknowledges support from the EU project “INTERACT”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tomsk State Pedagogical University, 60 Kievskaya St., Tomsk, Russian Federation, 634061

    Igor V. Volkov

  2. Tomsk State University, 36 Lenina Pr., Tomsk, Russian Federation, 634050

    Valeriy A. Zemtsov, Alexander A. Erofeev & Andrey S. Babenko

  3. Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography of Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 17 Lavrentieva Ave., Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, 630090

    Anastasia I. Volkova

  4. University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    Terry V. Callaghan

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  1. Igor V. Volkov
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Volkov, I.V., Zemtsov, V.A., Erofeev, A.A. et al. The dynamic land-cover of the Altai Mountains: Perspectives based on past and current environmental and biodiversity changes. Ambio 50, 1991–2008 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01605-y

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