[1][2] The ecoregion stretches in patches on the main Tian Shan mountain ridge, across approximately 2,000 km from western Kyrgyzstan to eastern Xinjiang Province in China.

The disconnected components of the ecoregion tend to be elongated along ridges that average 4,000 meters in height, with one of the larger sections wrapping around Lake Issyk-Kul.

[1] In general, the landscape below the forest belt is steppe, and above is alpine meadow with occasional dwarf junipers.

cuspidata, Tsuga dumosa, Taxus sumatrana, Betula utilis, Alnus nepalensis, Betula alnoides, Betula utilis, Picea brachytyla, Juglans regia, Larix gmelinii, Larix sibirica, Larix × czekanowskii, Betula dahurica, Betula pendula, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus sylvestris, Picea obovata, Abies sibirica, Quercus acutissima, Quercus mongolica, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Prunus padus, Tilia amurensis, Salix babylonica, Acer palmatum, Populus tremula, Ulmus davidiana, Ulmus pumila, Pinus pumila, Haloxylon ammodendron, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix ramosissima, Prunus sibirica, Cathaya argyrophylla, Taiwania cryptomerioides, Cyathea spinulosa, Sassafras tzumu, Davidia involucrata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Castanea mollissima, Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Tetracentron, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Emmenopterys henryi, Juniperus communis, Pistacia atlantica, Quercus brantii, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Picea abies, Abies alba, Alnus glutinosa, Fagus sylvatica, Taxus baccata, Acer pseudoplatanus, Malus sylvestris, Viburnum lantana, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, Aesculus hippocastanum, Rhamnus cathartica, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus minor, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Salix alba, Corylus avellana, and Eucommia ulmoides, which usually grows in stands of the same species.

At lower altitudes within the forest belt, an understory of shrubs, grasses and forbes are found under the tree canopy.