Dzungaro-Tien Shan BioProvince

This BioProvince (as defined by Armen Takhtajan) includes the Kirgizian Mountains, the north slopes of the Talassian Altai (Mountains), Transilian (Zailiisky) Altai, Dzungarian Altai, the southern slopes of the Tarbagatai Mountains, and the eastern Tien Shan (Mountains). As far as the geology is concerned the Tien Shan Mountains are mostly composed of crystalline and sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic Era. Dzungaria is a semi-desert basin with thick sequences of Paleozoic-Pleistocene rocks. The area has a cold continental climate. Tien Shan experiences severe winters and high temperature fluctuations on both a daily and a yearly basis, but there is often little cloud cover and the air can be very dry. The flora probably includes over 200 endemic species and several endemic genera including Pastinacopsis, Sclerotiaria and Seselopsis (Apiaceae) but further information is required. A huge basin southwest of the Altai takes up a large part of the BioProvince. This is composed of rock and rubble desert in the north, sandy desert in the centre, and Artemisia-Salsola desert on the eastern plateau, while the southern area is again composed of rock and rubble desert at the foot of the eastern Tien Shan.

The following accounts for this BioProvince have been written or will be written with particular reference to endemic and locally important species. Accounts available are displayed in green or yellow. Those displayed in red are either in the pipeline or awaiting expert contributions.

 

Index
Major Ecosystems
Endemic Vascular Plant Flora
Bryophyte Flora
Fungus Flora
Lichen Flora
Invertebrate Fauna
Amphibian Fauna
Reptile Fauna
Bird Fauna
Mammal Fauna
Conservation Status