Details are given of a study covering part of south-central Siberia (52-56 degrees N and 89-97 degrees E). Eight different altitudinal-zonal elements (i. e. forest vegetation zones) are defined between steppe (240-260 m altitude) and subalpine tundra/taiga (1600-1800 m altitude). The climatic features, forest types and site classes, diagnostic series of forest types, fire seasons, successional shifts, and target management systems are defined for each of these eight zones. The advantages of the NOAA/AVHRR in creating complex maps for mountain areas are discussed.