| Tian Shan foothill arid steppe | |
| Map: | Ecoregion PA0818.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Map Alt: | Ecoregion territory (in purple) |
| Ecozone: | Palearctic |
| Biome: | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Area: | 129000 |
| Countries: | Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China |
| Coordinates: | 43.5°N 79°W |
The Tian Shan foothill arid steppe ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0818) 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.[1] [2]
See main article: Tian Shan. The ecoregion stretches around the lower altitudes of the Tian Shan mountain ridge, running for approximately 1,000 km from western Kyrgyzstan to a small section inside the western reaches of Xinjiang Province in China.[1] The foothills of the northwestern Tian Shan are a series of ridges and lake basins in this region. Elevations for this ecoregion are 150 - 660 meters.
Several different climate classifications are represented in the ecoregion, both semi-arid and humid. The most widespread in the northeast is cold semi-arid (Köppen climate classification (BSk)). This climate is generally characterized as having precipitation greater than a true desert, and also a colder temperature.[3] [4] The western areas of the ecoregion, and the closer areas to the main ridge, are warmer, particularly in the summer, with high temperatures above 32 degrees C in July.[1]
The semi-desert of the lower foothills feature Fescue (Festuca) and feather grass (Stipa), with sagebrush and similar shrubs (genus Artemisia), and salt-tolerant tamarisk (Tamarix).[1] Common mammals include red fox, corsac fox, wolf, steppe cat, weasels, ferrets, and various voles and shrews.[1]