Altaisky Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2009, in Russian Federation. Altaisky Biosphere Reserve is located in the Altai Mountains in south-central Russia. Established as a natural reserve in 1932, it includes mountains, taiga forests and steppes. A characteristic feature of the reserve’s landscapes is the abundance of lakes: 2,560 medium and small lakes, including about 1,200 of glacial origin. Swampy locations are found in intermontane depressions, river valleys and on smoothed slopes.