Asian Russia makes up the eastern third of the Russian
Federation and covers over 663 million hectares, more than two-
thirds the size of the US. The Snow Forests of Asian Russia
comprise areas of intact ancient forest ranging from the arctic
zone in northeastern Sakha, to the subtropical region along the
Amur and Ussuri river basins to the south. Forest makes up 45
percent of the territory, and ranges in type from shrublike
tundra forest in the north to rich mixed forests in the south.
These diverse forests provide a home to many species of plants
and animals, including the highly endangered Siberian (or Amur)
tiger, Far Eastern leopard, the Himalayan bear, and the musk
deer. The Amur-Sakhalin region shelters more types of plants and
animals than any other temperate forest in the world, with many
of these species existing nowhere else. Like other forests, the
Snow Forests of Asian Russia are also home to indigenous peoples
including the Nanai of the Khabarovsk region. "Illegal logging
and trade have been iden