The Khangai Mountains alpine meadow ecoregion runs along the central ridge of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, capping the range's highest elevations between conifer forests to the north and semi-arid steppe to the south. Above the treeline, the habitat is open high-mountain meadow of low shrubs, grasses, sedges, mosses and lichens, with characteristic plants including dwarf birch, shrubby cinquefoil, Cotoneaster uniflora, and Kobresia bog sedges in marshy ground, alongside occasional pine and larch. The climate is harshly continental and cold semi-arid, with average January temperatures below -20 degrees C, summers near 20 degrees C, and annual precipitation over 400 mm. It shelters notable wildlife such as Siberian ibex, Mongolian marmot, snow leopard and Altai snowcock, and most of the region is now protected within Tarvagatai Nuruu and Khangai Nuruu national parks. For gardeners in cold climates, native flowering plants here include Asian globeflowers, garland larkspur and rosebay willowherb.

At a glance

About the montane grasslands & shrublands biome

High-elevation grasslands, meadows, and shrublands above the treeline or in mountain basins, including alpine and páramo systems. Cool temperatures, intense sunlight, and specialized, often endemic flora characterize them.

Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion

Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.

Collections for this ecoregion

Curated multi-plant collections whose members all fit this ecoregion's zone range — no won't-grow members smuggled in. Overall fit class shown per collection is the weakest link across its members.

Related ecoregions