About 20% of the world's forests are located in Siberia, making it the largest forested region on Earth.
Siberia Holds One-Fifth of Earth's Forests
When you think of forests, the Amazon rainforest probably comes to mind. But the world's largest forested region isn't in South America—it's in Siberia, the vast expanse of Russia that stretches from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.
Siberia's forests cover approximately 9 million square kilometers—an area larger than the entire United States. This represents roughly 20% of all the forested land on Earth.
The Taiga: A Sea of Trees
Most of Siberia's forest is taiga, also called boreal forest. It's dominated by coniferous trees like larch, pine, spruce, and fir. The Siberian larch alone accounts for about 40% of all trees in the region.
Unlike tropical rainforests with their dense canopies and incredible biodiversity, the taiga is characterized by:
- Long, brutal winters lasting 6-7 months
- Short growing seasons of just 50-100 days
- Relatively few tree species compared to temperate forests
- Permafrost underlying much of the ground
Earth's Climate Regulator
Siberia's forests act as one of the planet's most important carbon sinks. These trees absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it in their wood and the soil beneath them.
Scientists estimate Siberian forests store around 55 billion tons of carbon—roughly equivalent to 25 years of current global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. This makes the region critical for regulating Earth's climate.
A Forest Under Threat
Climate change is hitting Siberia hard. Temperatures in the region are rising 2-3 times faster than the global average. This has triggered alarming consequences:
- Increased frequency and intensity of wildfires
- Permafrost thaw releasing stored methane
- Pest outbreaks killing millions of trees
- Shifting tree lines as the climate warms
The 2021 fire season burned an estimated 18 million hectares of Siberian forest—an area roughly the size of Syria.
More Than Just Trees
Despite its harsh conditions, Siberia's taiga supports remarkable wildlife. Siberian tigers, brown bears, wolves, lynx, and wolverines roam these forests. It's also home to reindeer herds and the critically endangered Siberian crane.
For indigenous peoples like the Evenki, Yakut, and Nenets, these forests have provided sustenance and cultural identity for thousands of years. Their traditional knowledge of the taiga represents an irreplaceable understanding of one of Earth's most important ecosystems.
The next time someone mentions saving the rainforest, remember that one-fifth of our planet's trees stand in the frozen wilderness of Siberia—a forest so vast it shapes the climate of the entire Northern Hemisphere.
