Ary-Mas, Protected forest in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia.
Ary-Mas is a protected forest in Krasnoyarsk Krai on the southern bank of the Novaya River on the Taymyr Peninsula. The woodland is dominated by a single tree species, the Dahurian larch, which survives and grows in the extreme conditions of the far north.
The forest received official protection status in 1979 when it became part of the Taymyr State Nature Biosphere Reserve. This designation recognized the ecological value of this isolated northern ecosystem for conservation purposes.
The name comes from the Dolgan language and means 'forest islands', reflecting how this woodland stands apart from other forested areas. Today visitors can experience this isolated forest landscape with its distinctive larch groves that contrast sharply with the surrounding tundra.
This location is extremely remote and lies in one of Russia's most isolated regions with very short summer months. Visitors should prepare for extreme cold, prolonged winter darkness, and intense midnight sun in summer, along with challenging travel conditions.
The forest consists of only one tree species, the Dahurian larch, which reaches heights of about 7 meters despite extreme conditions. This botanical rarity makes the site an unusual example of a single-species forest ecosystem in the Arctic.
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