The Khangai Mountains conifer forests form a small ecoregion in central Mongolia, occupying a narrow strip on the moister northern slopes and valleys of the Tarvagatai Range within the Khangai Mountains at elevations of roughly 2,000 to 2,600 metres. This thin band of montane taiga is dominated by Siberian larch (Larix sibirica), which serves as the flagship species, while aspen and Siberian elm grow near rivers and grasslands cover the drier south-facing slopes. The climate is cold semi-arid (Koppen BSk), with a very low average annual temperature and limited precipitation. Thanks to its relative isolation and low human population, the forests support healthy populations of large mammals including red deer, Siberian roe deer, wild boar, wolves, brown bears, and the vulnerable Siberian musk deer, with parts of the ecoregion safeguarded by Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park. Gardeners may recognize several ornamental wildflowers native here, such as the martagon lily and Aquilegia sibirica.

At a glance

About the temperate conifer forests biome

Temperate forests dominated by evergreen conifers, from coastal rainforests to montane pine and fir stands. Adapted to cool, moist or seasonally dry climates, they include some of the tallest and longest-lived trees on the planet.

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