The Selenge–Orkhon forest steppe ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0816) stretches across north central Mongolia, and follows the Selenga River northeast into Russia.

[2] The ecoregion spans roughly 1,000 km, from the Khan-Khokhi mountains in the Baruunturuun district of western Mongolia, to Ulan-Ude, the capital city of Buryatia in Russia, just east of Lake Baikal.

This climate is characterized by high variation in temperature, both daily and seasonally; with long, cold winters and short, cool summers with only three months averaging over 10 °C (50 °F).

There is sufficient precipitation (averaging up to 300 mm/year) to support sparse stands of trees, surrounded by steppe vegetation.

[3] Northern slopes of mountains in the ecoregion feature coniferous forests, while the southern slopes typically feature “open steppe” forest stands that are primarily Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and aspen (Populus tremula).