Yamdrok Lake, Tibet Photograph by Scott Carr   Eastern Asia: Southern China Montane Grasslands and Shrublands   23,000 square miles (59,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of West Virginia Critical/Endangered

· Treeless in Tibet
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Treeless in Tibet

If you were to cross the Tibetan Plateau, you'd find that most of the region is cold, arid, and treeless. You'd find some relief, though, in the Yarlung Tsangpo (Zambo or Zangpo) River valley, where days are warmer and sunnier than in other parts of the plateau. The Yarlung Tsangpo Arid Steppe ecoregion contains the greatest concentration of Tibet's human population. It's also the home of gazelles, pheasants, and other wild creatures.

Special Features

Several different kinds of habitat occur on the Tibetan Plateau--from dense scrubland to meadow to steppe to desert to riparian. And in the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley, the milder climate has made it possible for some conifer-rhododendron forests to thrive. The Yarlung Tsangpo River valley has been a center for Tibetan culture and been farmed and settled for more than 1,000 years.

	The kiang, or Tibetan wild ass, is a charismatic resident of this region. It has a very curious nature and will stand and watch you instead of dashing away, like many wild creatures. You will find the kiang in open terrain, such as plains, basins, broad valleys and hills, especially where grass and sedge are abundant.

Wild Side

Depending on the elevation, you'll find grasses and wildflowers, shrubs, or coniferous trees dominating the vegetation of this ecoregion. Above about 16,500 feet (5,000 m), cushion plants (low, tightly massed plants that form dense, cushiony tufts) dominate the stable slopes. Large wild sheep called argali are thought to inhabit the region, as are blue sheep, Tibetan gazelles, and white-lipped deer. Keep your eye on the undergrowth and you might spy Tibetan eared-pheasants or white eared-pheasants strutting quietly by.

Cause for Concern

Since this area has been settled for so long, barley, buckwheat, and potato crops cover large areas, and domesticated animals graze many of the grassy areas. As a result, this area supports less wildlife than regions that are colder and less populated.

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