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Geobotanical subdivision of landcover is a baseline for many studies. The High–Low Arctic
boundary is considered to be of fundamental natural importance. The wide application of
different delimitation schemes in various ecological studies and climatic scenarios raises
the following questions: (i) What are the common criteria to define the High and Low
Arctic? (ii) Could human impact significantly change the distribution of the delimitation criteria? (iii) Is the widely accepted temperature criterion still relevant given ongoing climate
change? and (iv) Could we locate the High–Low Arctic boundary by mapping these criteria
derived from modern open remote sensing and climatic data? Researchers rely on common
criteria for geobotanical delimitation of the Arctic. Unified circumpolar criteria are based
on the structure of vegetation cover and climate, while regional specifics are reflected
in the floral composition. However, the published delimitation schemes vary greatly. The
disagreement in the location of geobotanical boundaries across the studies manifests in
poorly comparable results. While maintaining the common principles of geobotanical subdivision, we derived the boundary between the High and Low Arctic using the most up-to-date field data and modern techniques: species distribution modeling, radar, thermal
and optical satellite imagery processing, and climatic data analysis. The position of the
High–Low Arctic boundary in Western Siberia was clarified and mapped. The new boundary is located 50–100 km further north compared to all the previously presented ones.
Long-term anthropogenic press contributes to a change in the vegetation structure but
does not noticeably affect key species ranges. A previously specified climatic criterion for
the High–Low Arctic boundary accepted in scientific literature has not coincided with the
boundary in Western Siberia for over 70 years. The High–Low Arctic boundary is distinctly
reflected in biodiversity distribution. The presented approach is appropriate for accurate
mapping of the High–Low Arctic boundary in the circumpolar extent.