Altai alpine meadow and tundra

Altai alpine meadow and tundra
Katun Nature Reserve, in the Altai Republic, Russia
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Realm	Palearctic
Biome	montane grasslands and shrublands
Geography
Area	90,132 km2 (34,800 sq mi)
Countries	Russia Kazakhstan China Mongolia
Coordinates	48°45′N 88°15′E / 48.75°N 88.25°E / 48.75; 88.25

The Altai alpine meadow and tundra ecoregion (WWF ID: PA1001) is a terrestrial ecoregion covering the higher elevation of the Altai Mountains at the center of the "X" formed by the borders separating Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia. The mountain peaks are the farthest north in Central Asia, separating the plains of Siberia to the north from the hot, dry deserts to the south. Altitudes above 2,400 meters display characteristics of tundra, with patches of alpine meadows and some trees immediately below the treeline. The ecoregion is in the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, and the Palearctic realm, with a humid continental climate. It covers an area of 90,132 square kilometres (34,800 sq mi).^[1][2]