[1][2] The region supports both cold alpine steppe and meadows across a broad expanse of the plateau.

Wild deer, antelope, and sheep roam the grasslands, but the habitat is increasingly being used to graze domestic livestock.

[3][4] Because the eastern parts of the ecoregion are somewhat lower in altitude, and the precipitation slightly higher, the plant communities grade from cold alpine steppe in the west to wet meadows in the east.

North-facing slopes, which receive more snow and are more protected from cold winds in winter, support in some places juniper and rhododendron.

These large mammals have been declining in number, and the habitat is under pressure from increased grazing by domestic livestock.