The ecology of California can be understood by dividing the state into a number of ecoregions, which contain distinct ecological communities of plants and animals in a contiguous region. The ecoregions of California can be grouped into four major groups: desert ecoregions, Mediterranean ecoregions, forested mountains, and coastal forests.
The Helan Shan pika or silver pika is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is endemic to China where it is found in a small region of the Helan Mountains. It is listed as "Endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as of 2016.
The Altai montane forest and forest steppe ecoregion covers patches of the subalpine forest belt on the Altai Mountains, crossing the border region where Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China meet. The region has high biodiversity, as it is located in transition zones between different ecoregions, altitudes, and climate zones. It is in the Palearctic realm, with a Cold semi-arid climate. It covers 35,199,998 km2 (13,590,795 sq mi).
The Selenge–Orkhon forest steppe ecoregion stretches across north central Mongolia, and follows the Selenga River northeast into Russia. The ecoregion is itself at high elevations, but surrounded by higher mountain ranges. As a transition zone between taiga and steppe, it features conifer forests on the north slopes of mountains, and pine/aspen stands on southern slopes. It has an area of 227,660 square kilometres (87,900 sq mi).
The Tian Shan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers the "forest belt" of the Tian Shan mountains - generally the north-facing slopes that get enough moisture, and are warm enough, for trees to grow. This conifer belt is found mostly between 1,500 and 2,700 meters.
The Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows ecoregion covers a 2,000 km long stretch of grasslands of the isolated Tian Shan mountains of Central Asia. It is characterized by high-altitude flat and rolling grasslands.
The Tian Shan foothill arid steppe ecoregion covers the northern and western approaches to the Tian Shan mountains, centered on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. This region receives more moisture from Central Asia, thereby supporting more vegetation and diversity of plant and animal species than the deserts to the south.
The Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe ecoregion covers the high alpine plateau that stretches over 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) across the Tibetan Plateau to Qinghai Lake in China. Because of the high altitude—much it over 5,000 metres (16,000 ft)—the region is a cold, arid desert that is only 20% covered with steppe and meadow vegetation. The area has been relatively free from human development due to the hostile climate and unsuitability for agriculture. The ecosystem is relatively intact, and supports herds of wild antelope, sheep, deer, and gazelles.
The Qin Ling Mountains deciduous forests ecoregion covers the Qin Mountains, which run west-to-east across central China. The mountains effectively divide the biological regions of China into north and south. To the north is the Yellow River basin, a loess-soil region of temperate deciduous forests. To the south is the Yangtze River basic, a subtropical forest region. In between, the Qin Mountains support many rare and endemic species, including the Giant panda and the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey.
The Alashan Plateau semi-desert ecoregion covers the southwestern portion of the Gobi Desert where precipitation in the mountains is sufficient for a short part of the summer to support sparse plant life. The terrain is basin and range, with elevations from 1,000 to 2,500 metres. The region straddles the China–Mongolian border, with the Tibetan Plateau to the south, and the more arid regions of the Gobi to the north and east.
The Yarlung Tsangpo arid steppe ecoregion covers the river valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the southern edge of Tibet. The river runs parallel to the northern borders of Nepal, Bhutan and India, between the Himalayas to the south and the Tibet Plateau to the north. The river valleys are the most populated areas of Tibet, putting pressure on wildlife. The area ranges from cold desert in the west to steppe shrub land in the east; the few trees are in the lowest river valleys to the east.
The Altai steppe and semi-desert ecoregion, as its name indicates, sits in a transition zine between steppe and semi-desert, supporting sparse grass and shrublands. The area is relatively undeveloped, with agriculture mostly represented by grazing livestock. There are a few shallow lakes in depressions used by migratory birds.
The Khangai Mountains alpine meadows ecoregion runs along the central ridge of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia. The slopes to the north are conifer forests, the lowlands to the south are semi-arid steppe. The Khangai are an "island" mountain range surrounded by lower forest steppe and semi-arid regions of central Mongolia. Most of the region is now protected by Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park and Khangai Nuruu National Park.
The Khangai Mountains conifer forests ecoregion covers the northern slopes of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia. The montane taiga supports a populations of elk, deer, wild boar, wolves, and brown bear. The diversity of plants and animals has benefited from the relative isolation and low human population of the area.
Onon-Balj National Park covers two sectors of the Onon River valley as it flows north from Mongolia into Russia. The region is in the transition zone between the Siberian conifer forests of the north and the Daurian steppe and forest steppe of Mongolia. The area is one of relatively high biodiversity, and is also historically and culturally important for its association with Genghis Khan. The park is located in the far northeast of Khentii Province, 280 km northeast of Ulaanbaatar.
The Kopet Dag woodlands and forest steppe ecoregion coincides with the Kopet Dag mountains, straddling the southern border of Turkmenistan and the northeastern border of Iran. The region is one of high biodiversity, as it includes a full range of altitude zones, and variety of habitats included juniper-wooded slopes, montane grasslands, and tugay.
The Kuh Rud and Eastern Iran montane woodlands ecoregion covers hills and mountains in central and eastern Iran. The habitat is wetter and cooler than the surrounding desert of the Iranian Plateau, supporting the vulnerable goitered gazelle and small populations of the cheetah. The ecoregion is under conservation threat from overgrazing and conversion of steep slopes to cultivation.
The Central Persian desert basins ecoregion covers the arid steppe and desert basins of central Iran, stretching into northwestern Afghanistan. The ecoregion extends over the Central Iranian Plateau, which is surrounded by mountain ranges and has no outlets to the sea. Much of the terrain is hot sand-and-gravel desert and large salt flats. The vegetation includes many specialized species of halophytes (salt-tolerant), xerophytes (drought-tolerant), and psammophile (sand-loving) plants.
The Baluchistan xeric woodlands ecoregion covers the middle elevations of a series of mountain ranges of western Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan, reaching 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the Arabian Sea in the south to the Hindu Kush Mountains and the Himalayas in the north. The characteristic vegetation is xeric (dry) woodlands of shrubs and herbaceous cover. The region has rich biodiversity but relatively few endemic species.
