Numbers
| Reg. code | Reg. name | Number of | Mid point | |||
| genera | families | species | Latitude | Longitude | ||
| F10 | Kamchatka | 395 | 99 | 1123 | 56.5 | 159.5 |
Description
This region includes Koraginskiy Island in the north and most of the Kamchatka Peninsula, except for the southern end end of the peninsula (Cape Lopatka). The region includes two major mountain ranges and an interior valley. The larger Sredinniy range runs throughout the length of the peninsula, with highest elevation on Mt. Ichinskaya Sopka (3621 m) and other peaks usually reaching 1800-2500 m. The smaller but more dissected Vostochniy range runs along the eastern coast and has peaks usually reaching 1500-2000 m. The Vostochiniy range has over 40 active volcanoes, including the volcano Kluchevskoy as the highest peak. The relief on the broad western coastal plain (Okhotsk coast) is gentler than on the more rugged southeastern (Pacific) coast, where volcanoes come close to the sea. The two mountain ranges have a dramatic effect on the climate of the interior Kamchatka River valley.
The geographic complexity of the region results in great climatic differences. Eastern Kamchatka has a more maritime climate, with cold winters but with 15% of winter days above 0 C. Western Kamchatka has colder winters. The frost-free period on the southeastern coast is from 4 to 4.4 months, as compared to 3 months on the western coast. The climate of central Kamchatka is contintental, with very cold winters (January mean temperature -22 C) and warm summers, with a mean growing season of 92 days. Annual precipitation differs greatly across the region but generally increases from north to south. Due to the strong Aleutian Low, the southeastern coast receives over 1000 mm of annual precipitation (up to 1500 mm at higher elevations). In the interior valley, annual precipitation does not exceed 800-900 mm and can be as low as 400 mm. Most of the precipitation falls in winter as snow. The southern coast has much more snowfall, ranging from 100 to 300 cm in depth and limiting soil freezing to a depth of less than 10 cm.
Endemic species
Aconitum woroschilovii, Agrostis pauzhetica, Chrysosplenium pacificum, Oxytropis littoralis, Salix erythrocarpa, Taraxacum neokamtschaticum, T. rufum, Thymus novograblenovii
Species list
File L_F10.txt with the native plants of Kamchatka floristic district is for downloading
© Pavel Krestov 2002-2004
© IBSS FEB RAS 2002-2004