Endemic Plants of the Altai Mountain Country

This guide covers the flora of the Altai Mountain range, which lies on the borders of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. It provides a detailed and comprehensive account of the 288 endemic and subendemic plants of this region. Introductory chapters provide general information on the environmental and socio-economic conditions of the region, together with details of the main habitat types, the Altai flora and its features, and the endemic flora. Information is also provided about the main protected areas. The main part of the book is devoted to illustrated profiles of 100 of the endemic plants, with taxonomic accounts (including key features to aid identification, flowering times and differences between similar species), plus details of distribution, habitats, conservation status, threats and cultivation. Summary details are given for the other 188 endemic species.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), under its ‘Living Planet Campaign’, has identified 200 of the Earth’s most biologically outstanding habitats. One of these is the Altai-Sayan Montane Forests Ecoregion, an extraordinary mosaic of coniferous forests, intermontane steppe and alpine meadows. Half the flora of Siberia is to be found here. The team of authors has surveyed over 300 endemic plants, many important for medicine or food, to plug a gap in a poorly-studied region, and as such the work represents a testament to international scientific collaboration. Many species have been photographed for the first time.