Ala-Archa River, northern Kyrgyzstan Photograph by Celestial Mountains Tour Company   Palaearctic Temperate Coniferous Forests   10,600 square miles (27,500 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Connecticut Vulnerable

· Between Desert and Sky
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Between Desert and Sky

The Tian Shan, or "Celestial Mountains," is a large, isolated mountain range surrounded by desert basins. Here, dense coniferous forests and open meadows stretch between high peaks and glaciers and low desert basins.

Special Features

More than 2,500 plant species thrive in this diverse region. Because of the elevation, these mountains receive more precipitation and have a greater range of climate zones than other desert regions. The Tian Shan is more than 1,500 miles (2,500 km) long, with ridges reaching about 13,000 feet (4,000 m) high and some peaks over 24,000 feet (7,400 m). The Gongliu Yunshan and Tuomu’er Feng Nature Reserves protect some areas.

	A common bird of prey in this ecoregion is the lammergeier. A wide wingspan, which can measure up to 3 feet (about 1 m), allows these birds to soar on wind currents at altitudes up to 25,500 feet (7,650 m). Lammergeiers typically eat small rodents called pikas, but they sometimes eat bigger prey and can swallow whole bones as big as a lamb's femur.

Wild Side

Forest cover is generally restricted to north-facing slopes in this ecoregion. Where forests don’t grow, steppe or meadow vegetation thrives. At higher elevations spruce dominates, but mountain ash, willow, and several birch species are also prevalent. At lower elevations, spruce and aspen are the dominant tree species. Grasses and forbs also live in the understory of the forest, where carpets of moss thrive in low light conditions. The ecoregion's top predator is the endangered snow leopard. Wild sheep and goats, such as the ibex and Tian Shan argali, are the most common prey for snow leopards in this ecoregion.

Cause for Concern

Overgrazing at the higher elevations threatens this area. Local residents shoot animals for their meat and other parts that they can sell. Snow leopards are killed because they sometimes eat livestock, and it is possible that this rare creature no longer survives in the ecoregion. Conservationists would like to see more of these forests, meadows, and mountains protected in the future.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.