The Twentieth century saw fundamental shifts in northern Eurasian political and land-management paradigms, in Russiaculminating in the political transition of 1991. We used the1972 to 2001 Landsat archive bracketing this transition toobserve change trends in southern central Siberian Russia inprimarily forested study sites. Landsat resolved conifer, mixed,deciduous and young forest; cuts, burns, and insect disturbance;and wetland, agriculture, bare, urban, and water landcovers. Over 70 percent of forest area in the three study siteswas likely disturbed prior to 1974. Conifer forest decreasedover the 1974 to 2001 study period, with the greatest decrease1974 to 1990. Logging activity (primarily in conifers) declinedmore during the 1991 to 2001 post-Soviet period. The area ofYoung forest increased more during the 1974 to 1990 timeperiod. Deciduous forest increased over both time periods.Agriculture declined over both time periods contributing toforest regrowth in this region.
