Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
The Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is a vast high-elevation ecoregion stretching across the Tibetan Plateau of China, reaching east to Qinghai Lake and extending into adjacent parts of India, with land ranging from roughly 3,500 meters to nearly 6,000 meters in elevation. Vegetation is sparse, typically covering only about a fifth of the ground, and is dominated by sedges such as Kobresia and Carex together with purple feathergrass (Stipa purpurea), alongside cushion plants and alpine forbs in more stable, moister soils; there are no trees. The climate is cold and arid, classified as a tundra (Köppen ET) regime with no month averaging above 10 degrees Celsius, and precipitation declining from the northwest toward the southeast. Because the harsh conditions are largely unsuited to agriculture, the ecosystem remains relatively intact and still supports roaming herds of wild ungulates, including the migratory Tibetan antelope, argali, Tibetan wild ass, and the endangered Przewalski's gazelle, along with predators such as the snow leopard and gray wolf. For gardeners, several alpine genera native here, including Saussurea, Leontopodium, and Arenaria, are familiar in cold-hardy rock and cushion-plant horticulture.
RESOLVE 750
Palearctic
243,123 sq mi
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
Landscape type
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
Plant region
Palearctic
Region footprint
243,123 sq mi
Habitat pressure
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
Source & care
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Use this as the broad planting pattern for the region: 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. For garden decisions, pair that context with the plant list below, then narrow by your site's light, water, soil, and mature-size constraints.
Plants that can handle this region
A climate-fit shortlist from Plotwright's catalog. Start with the reliable fits, then use each plant page to check light, water, soil, mature size, and local availability.
Showing 387 of 387 climate-fit plants for this region.
Planting collections
Finished planting recipes where every member can handle this region's climate range. The fit badge uses the collection's most sensitive plant, so a resilient collection is a safer starting point than any single standout.
Starter kits for this region
Generated from catalog plants that already pass this region's climate fit gate, with native matches sorted first when the catalog has enough coverage.
Sunny pollinator border
A sunny, wildlife-forward planting assembled from plants that pass this region fit gate.
Native fit: 0/6
Climate resilient: 6/6
Wildlife links: 23
Host/specialist links: 6
Forage/pollination links: 24
Shelter links: 4
Shade-edge planting
A softer edge kit for woodland margins, porches, and mixed-light garden edges.
Native fit: 0/6
Climate resilient: 6/6
Wildlife links: 23
Host/specialist links: 6
Forage/pollination links: 24
Shelter links: 4
Resilient shrub layer
A woody structure layer led by plants that fit both current and projected regional conditions.
Native fit: 0/6
Climate resilient: 6/6
Wildlife links: 21
Host/specialist links: 7
Forage/pollination links: 21
Shelter links: 4
Similar planting regions
Browse other regions in the same biome. Their plant lists can suggest species and combinations worth comparing.
Where this ecoregion reaches
The countries, US states, and Canadian provinces this ecoregion touches, from a spatial join of its RESOLVE polygon against Natural Earth boundaries.
Countries
Educator packet
Region packet
Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe educator packet
The Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is a vast high-elevation ecoregion stretching across the Tibetan Plateau of China, reaching east to Qinghai Lake and extending into adjacent parts of India, with land ranging from roughly 3,500 meters to nearly 6,000 meters in elevation. Vegetation is sparse, typically covering only about a fifth of the ground, and is dominated by sedges such as Kobresia and Carex together with purple feathergrass (Stipa purpurea), alongside cushion plants and alpine forbs in more stable, moister soils; there are no trees. The climate is cold and arid, classified as a tundra (Köppen ET) regime with no month averaging above 10 degrees Celsius, and precipitation declining from the northwest toward the southeast. Because the harsh conditions are largely unsuited to agriculture, the ecosystem remains relatively intact and still supports roaming herds of wild ungulates, including the migratory Tibetan antelope, argali, Tibetan wild ass, and the endangered Przewalski's gazelle, along with predators such as the snow leopard and gray wolf. For gardeners, several alpine genera native here, including Saussurea, Leontopodium, and Arenaria, are familiar in cold-hardy rock and cushion-plant horticulture.
Realm
Palearctic
Dominant biome
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
Approximate area
243,123 square miles
States / provinces
Not recorded
Climate descriptor
Not recorded
Classroom prompts
- Which climate and biome facts explain why this region supports its characteristic plants?
- How do native-plant and wildlife-support claims differ from a species-presence claim?
- Which source-backed facts would you cite before using this region in a classroom map activity?
Use the Sources & citations section below for page citation styles and region source links.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or regional planting notes that use this Plotwright page. To cite the underlying ecoregion framework or a specific editorial profile, use the source cards below.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe (Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe). Retrieved 2026, October 9, from https://plotwright.com/regions/resolve-750
Sources for this region
This page cites Plotwright first for the compiled view, then lists the upstream framework, climate, and editorial source pages so readers can cite the original material directly.
RESOLVE 2017 Terrestrial Ecoregions (Dinerstein et al.)
Primary ecoregion framework































