The Alashan Plateau semi-desert

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

(WWF ID: PA1302) covers the southwestern portion of the

Gobi Desert The Gobi Desert (, , ; ) is a large, cold desert and grassland region in North China and southern Mongolia. It is the sixth-largest desert in the world. The name of the desert comes from the Mongolian word ''gobi'', used to refer to all of th ...

where precipitation in the mountains is sufficient for a short part of the summer to support sparse plant life. The terrain is basin and range, with elevations from . The region straddles the China–Mongolian border, with the

Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or Qingzang Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central Asia, Central, South Asia, South, and East Asia. Geographically, it is located to the north of H ...

to the south, and the more arid regions of the Gobi to the north and east.

Location and description

The ecoregion encompasses the desert basins and low mountains bordered by the Lop Desert on the west, the Tibetan Plateau and

Qilian Mountains The Qilian Mountains (), together with the Altyn-Tagh sometimes known as the Nan Shan, as it is to the south of the Hexi Corridor, is a northern outlier of the Kunlun Mountains, forming the border between Qinghai and the Gansu provinces of n ...

to the south, the Gobi extension of the

Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The ...

on the north, and the Helan Mountains to the southeast. This part of the Gobi desert is in the rain shadow of the Tibetan Plateau. However, parts of it still receive enough precipitation to support areas of semi-arid desert plant communities.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is a cool arid climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BWk''). This climate is characteristic of arid climates that typically have precipitation far below potential evapotranspiration. Several months average below . Annual precipitation on the Alashan Plateau is under /year.

Flora and fauna

Plant communities of the Alashan Plateau use various strategies to form and survive. While the ecoregion does have areas of sand and bare rock, there are also low-lying areas with plants that are salt-tolerant ( halophytes) and adapted to the low levels of precipitation ( xerophytes). Shrubs such as saxaul ('' Haloxylon ammodendron'') and the semi-perennial '' Reaumuria soongorica'' add stability to the soil and attract associated species. Areas with more moisture support semi-desert communities of wormwoods ('' Artemisia''), bean caper (''

Zygophyllum ''Zygophyllum'' is the type genus of the flowering plant family Zygophyllaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek language, Greek words ζυγόν (''zygon''), meaning "double", and φυλλον (''phyllon''), meaning "leaf". It refer ...

''), and '' Calligonum mongolicum''. Runoff from the Qilian Mountains supports some grasslands, and the

Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...

, which runs along the eastern edge, supports river forests of desert poplar ('' Populus euphratica'') and ''

Tamarix The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Ta ...

'' species. There is one mammal endemic to the Alashan Plateau, Przewalski's gerbil.

Protections

The Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park is in Mongolia's north-central part of the ecoregion.

References

{{Palearctic desert and xeric shrubland ecoregions Ecoregions of China Ecoregions of Mongolia Gobi Desert Deserts and xeric shrublands Palearctic ecoregions

Location and description

Climate

Flora and fauna

Protections

See also

References