Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve, Tibet Photograph by Daniel Miller, University of Melbourne   Eastern Asia: Central China Montane Grasslands and Shrublands   243,100 square miles (629,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Texas Relatively Stable/Intact

· High And Dry
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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High And Dry

Extremely cold temperatures and sparse vegetation make the Central Tibetan Plateau Alpine Steppe ecoregion inhospitable to human communities. Not only are there no farmers in this region, but there also aren't any nomadic herders such as those found in other parts of the Tibetan plateau. Instead, this dry alpine region provides lots of undisturbed and safe habitat for great herds of wild Tibetan antelopes (chirus), blue sheep, Tibetan gazelles, and other grazing species, as well as the predators that feed on them.

Special Features

Cold, windy, dry conditions are the norm on these high grasslands. The ecoregion includes the southern part of the Changtang, a large section of western Tibet where gently rolling plains are dotted with scattered lakes. But because the climate is so dry, these lakes have been getting progressively shallower ever since the beginning of the Holocene period about ten thousand years ago! Plant cover in these dry areas consists primarily of purple feathergrass, with some cushion plants and alpine forbs. Conditions are a little wetter in the northeastern end of the ecoregion, where Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor) and its associated wetlands attract large numbers of migratory bird species.

	Chirus have declined from about one million in the early 1900s to about 72,000 today. The main reason for their decline is the popularity of products made from shahtoosh, a very fine cashmere spun from their wool.

Wild Side

You'll find a whole host of animals grazing throughout this ecoregion. In addition to those mentioned above, you can find white-lipped deer, Tibetan wild asses (or kiang), and argalis--the largest and rarest species of wild sheep. Wild yaks were once common in this region but have been hunted to near extinction. In addition, large predators such as lynx, wolves, snow leopards, and brown bears make their home here, feeding not only on the grazing animals but also on smaller prey species such as Tibetan woolly hares, Himalayan marmots, and black-lipped pikas. Bar-headed geese, great cormorants, black-necked cranes, black-headed gulls, and pied avocets are among the bird species that breed at Qinghai Lake.

Cause for Concern

For the most part, this ecoregion is in pristine condition. It also contains one of the largest nature reserves in the world--the Changtang Nature Reserve, which is roughly the size of New Mexico. Hunting is one of the few threats to local species. Chirus, for example, are being hunted at an unsustainable rate for their high quality wool. Argalis may be threatened by hunting and disease, too. Increased nature tourism, especially around Qinghai Lake, also poses a possible threat to nesting birds.

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