The monitoring network for the measurement of atmospheric and soil climate parameters was created at the southern boundary of the permafrost zone within the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, Russian Federation. Based on the obtained data, the processes of soil freezing and thawing were studied. Negative temperatures in cold soils occurred within 5.5–6 months, whereas the subsoil was in a thawed state most of the year. On the contrary, permafrost-affected soils were thawed for 4.5–5 months, remaining frozen in the subsoil for most of the year. We propose referring to the observed spatial–temporal differences in the temperature dynamics as the “mirror imaging” of the distribution of heat and cold (frost) in the studied soils of the permafrost zone.

On the territory of the Republic of Buryatia due to global climate change, significant transformations of the natural environment have been observed. Statistically significant trends of increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation with identification of wet and dry periods have been established. In the last 20 years due to the abnormally high air temperatures and the increasing aridity of the territory, the frequency and area of fires have increased, the rate of permafrost degradation on the southern boundary of the permafrost zone in the soils of meadow-steppe landscapes has increased twice.

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The chapter presents the results of research in the Republic of Buryatia, where the number and area of fires have increased over the past 20 years due to the rise in temperature and aridity. Most of the fires are registered in the large river valleys where pine forests are formed, which have low soil moisture capacity. Fewer fires occurred on the Eastern Sayans, Khamar-Daban ridges, and the Stanovoye Highlands, where the precipitation maximum falls. A correlation analysis was carried out between meteorological parameters and fires in climate-contrasting forests. The lack of precipitation at the end of the previous summer, combined with the hot and dry spring weather of the current year, have a significant impact on fires in the arid ecosystems of the Transbaikal middle mountains. In the humid coastal climate of the Eastern Baikal region, the high temperature of the air determines the fires, but there is no precipitation.

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