| Selenga Highlands | |
| Other Name: | Селенгинское среднегорье |
| Country: | Russia |
| Subdivision1 Type: | Federal subjects |
| Borders On: | Mongolia |
| Highest: | Burgutuy Range HP |
| Elevation M: | 2000 |
| Area Km2: | 60000 |
| Range Coordinates: | 51°N 107°W |
| Parent: | South Siberian System |
| Map: | Russia Buryatia |
| Length Km: | 350 |
| Length Orientation: | NE/SW |
| Width Km: | 140 |
| Width Orientation: | NW/SE |
The Selenga Highlands (Russian: Селенгинское среднегорье) are a mountainous area in Buryatia and the southwestern end of Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia.
The Highlands are named after the Selenga River. Protected areas in the Highlands include the Baikal Nature Reserve and the Altacheysky Reserve.[1]
The Selenga Highlands are located in central and southern Buryatia. They rise in the area of the basin of the Selenga River, including its large tributaries – Dzhida, Temnik River, Chikoy, Khilok and Uda. From the north, the highlands are edged by the valleys of the Khamar-Daban and Ulan-Burgas ranges; in the east they are bound by the watershed of the Uda, Vitim and Shilka, bordering on the Vitim Plateau. In the southeast they adjoin the Khentei-Daur Highlands and to the south lies the Mongolia–Russia border. In the southwest and west, the Highlands are bounded by the northern slopes of the Dzhidinsky Range and the southwestern slopes of the Lesser Khamar-Daban. Lake Gusinoye is located in a basin between two ranges of the highlands.[2]
The Selenga Highlands include low to middle height mountain ranges with elevations ranging from 800m (2,600feet) to 2000m (7,000feet) above sea level, generally oriented in a northeast and ENE direction.
In the Selenga Highlands some areas between ranges are occupied by significant depressions. These include:
The Selenga Highlands include taiga, steppe and forest steppe areas. Soils at heights from 500m (1,600feet) to 700m (2,300feet) are brown, from 700m (2,300feet) to 900m (3,000feet) black, and from 800m (2,600feet) to 1000m (3,000feet) alfisols. Roughly two-thirds of the highlands are covered by mainly coniferous forests, but large areas of birch forests are also found. Of the rare plant species, the Siberian apricot, listed in the Red Book of Buryatia, deserves mention.[4]
The climate of the Highlands area is harshly continental. The average annual temperature is . Annual precipitation in the middle reaches of the Selenga River is between and . Further up the watershed of the river's tributaries it reaches .[5]