Tien Shan | mountains, Asia | Britannica.com Tien Shan Alternative Titles: Celestial Mountains, Tian Shan, T’ien Shan, Tyan Shan Related Topics Lake Ysyk Tien Shan, Chinese (Pinyin) Tian Shan or (Wade-Giles romanization) T’ien Shan, Russian Tyan Shan, great mountain system of Central Asia . Its name is Chinese for “Celestial Mountains.” Stretching about 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from west-southwest to east-northeast, it mainly straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan and bisects the ancient territory of Turkistan . It is about 300 miles (500 km) wide in places at its eastern and western extremities but narrows to about 220 miles (350 km) in width at the centre. The Tien Shan mountain range and the Takla Makan Desert. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Rocky streambed in the Kyrgyz Ala Range of the Tien Shan, northern Kyrgyzstan.

© David Tomlinson/NHPA The Tien Shan is bounded to the north by the Junggar (Dzungarian) Basin of northwestern China and the southern Kazakhstan plains and to the southeast by the Tarim (Talimu) Basin. To the southwest the Hisor (Gissar) and Alay ranges of Tajikistan extend into part of the Tien Shan, making the Alay, Surkhandarya, and Hisor valleys boundaries of the system, along with the Pamirs to the south. The Tien Shan also includes the Shū-Ile Mountains and the Qarataū Range , which extend far to the northwest into the eastern Kazakhstan lowlands. Within these limits the total area of the Tien Shan is about 386,000 square miles (1,000,000 square km).

The tallest peaks in the Tien Shan are a central cluster of mountains forming a knot, from which ridges extend along the boundaries between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan; these peaks are Victory Peak (Kyrgyz, Jengish Chokusu; Russian, Pik Pobedy), which at 24,406 feet (7,439 metres) is the highest mountain in the range, and Khan Tängiri Peak (Kyrgyz, Kan-Too Chokusu), which reaches 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest point in Kazakhstan. Physical features Physiography The relief is characterized by a combination of mountain ranges and intervening valleys and basins trending generally from east to west. The deepest depression in the eastern Tien Shan is the Turfan (Turpan) Depression , within which is the lowest point in Central Asia—505 feet (154 metres) below sea level. Thus, the differences in elevation in the Tien Shan are extreme, exceeding 4.5 miles (7 km).

The eastern extension of the Turfan Depression is the Hami (Qomul) Basin; both basins are bounded to the north by the Bogda Mountains, with elevations of up to 17,864 feet (5,445 metres), and by the eastern extremity of the Tien Shan, the Karlik Mountains, which reach a maximum elevation of 16,158 feet (4,925 metres). Similar Topics Ural Mountains The ranges are of the alpine type, with steep slopes; glaciers occur along their crests. The basins are bounded to the south by the low-rising Qoltag Mountains . West of the Turfan Depression is one of the greatest mountain knots of the eastern Tien Shan: the Eren Habirga Mountains, which reach elevations of 18,200 feet (5,550 metres). The ridge has considerable glacial development, as well as numerous forms of relief that indicate the area was the site of ancient glaciation. Tien Shan mountain range, photograph taken from the International Space Station.

NASA West of longitude 84° E, the eastern Tien Shan ridges fork, trending to the southwest and northwest, and enclose the vast depression of the Ili (Kazakh, Ile; Chinese, Yili) River valley in Kazakhstan, which gradually widens and loses elevation as it proceeds westward. It is bounded to the north by the Borohoro Mountains, which have glaciers in the eastern part and are characterized by steeply sloping ridges. This range also gradually descends westward, where at an elevation of 6,801 feet (2,073 metres) lies the great undrained Lake Sayram. The Ili depression is bounded to the south by the highest mountains in the central Tien Shan—the Halik Mountains, reaching heights up to 22,346 feet (6,811 metres), and the isolated Ketpen (Ketmen) Range, which rises to an elevation of 11,936 feet (3,474 metres) in the central part of the depression.

Britannica Stories Big Radio Burst from Tiny Galaxy The northern extremity of the part of the Tien Shan in Kazakhstan forms the Zhonggar (Dzungarian) Alataū Range (14,645 feet [4,464 metres]), which is subject to considerable glacial action. To the south the Ile Alataū (Trans-Ili) Range rises abruptly above the Ili depression to a height of 16,315 feet (4,973 metres). The successive transition of climatic zones, determined by elevation, from arid and dry steppe at lower levels to glacial at the summit, is evident on the northern slopes of this range. The Kyrgyz Ala (Qyrghyz) and Talas Alataū ranges, rising above 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) and located farther west, also belong to the outer chain of the northern Tien Shan. There is a great difference in elevation between these outer mountain ridges and the plains at their base. Streams, therefore, usually plunge down the mountain sides through deep gorges and, as they flow out onto the plains, form vast fan-shaped deposits of silt and mud.

On the fertile land formed by this process are located many oases and population centres, including the cities of Almaty in Kazakhstan and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. The Küngöy Ala (Küngey Alataū) and Teskey Ala (Terskey-Alataū) ranges also belong to the northern Tien Shan. The Teskey Ala rises to a height of about 17,300 feet (5,300 metres) and borders the vast Lake Ysyk basin, the centre of which is filled by Lake Ysyk (Ysyk-köl). All About Asia The western portion of the Ak-Say (Toxkan in China) River basin and most of the Naryn River basin are situated within the inner Tien Shan. This region is characterized by the alternation of comparatively short mountain ranges and valleys, both extending east and west.

The predominant elevations of the mountains vary from approximately 10,000 to 15,000 feet (3,000 to 4,600 metres), while the elevations of the depressions that separate them vary from 6,000 to 10,500 feet (1,800 to 3,200 metres). The most important ranges are Borkoldoy, Dzhetym, At-Bashy, and the Kakshaal (Kokshaal-Tau) Range, in which Dankova Peak reaches a height of 19,626 feet (5,982 metres). The elevation of the mountains increases in the Sary-Jaz (Saryzhaz) Mountains in the central Tien Shan, which lies to the east of the Ak-Shyyrak (Akshiyrak) Range. The separate ranges gradually converge, forming the high-elevation mountain knot already mentioned, which includes Khan Tängiri Peak and Victory Peak.

Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest In contrast to most of the Tien Shan ranges, which run approximately east-west, the Fergana Kyrka Mountains , separating the inner region from the western and southern Tien Shan, extends from southeast to northwest. Its maximum elevation is 16,207 feet (4,940 metres). The southwestern slopes display a variety of climatic zones in the course of their gradual descent. The western Tien Shan ranges lie north of the Fergana Valley . Several short but high and steep ranges running southwest-northeast there meet the southern sides of ranges running westward and northwestward. The highest peak is in the Chatkal Mountains (14,773 feet [4,503 metres]), and the predominant elevations vary between 7,500 and 10,500 feet (2,300 and 3,200 metres). The southern Tien Shan ranges (including Turkistan , Zeravshan , and Alay, among others) border the Fergana Valley on the south and extend chiefly east and west.

The maximum elevation is 18,441 feet (5,621 metres), with several peaks above 15,000 feet. To the south the Tien Shan meets the Pamirs . Foothills approach the northern slopes of the ranges, and there are oases on the plains below the mountains. Geology The mountains of the Tien Shan are composed in the main of crystalline and sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic Era (i.e., about 540–250 million years ago). The basins that lie between the mountains are filled with younger sediments that were formed chiefly by the erosive action of the area’s rivers. Granitic rocks outcrop over much of the area in the north and east of the Tien Shan. The northern and eastern portions of the region underwent folding during the mountain-building period that occurred during the early Paleozoic; it has been uplifted dry land since that time, and its original sedimentary cover has been almost completely obliterated by erosion. The southern and western parts of the Tien Shan, however, consist principally of sedimentary metamorphosed (structurally changed by heat and pressure) rock and, to a lesser degree, of intrusive and volcanic rock.

These regions experienced folding during the late Paleozoic. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies A new stage of development began about 25 million years ago and has continued to the present time. It has been characterized by sudden movements of the Earth’s crust. Loose fragments of rock have slid into the valleys and formed accumulations; those in the Fergana Valley are almost 5 miles (8 km) thick. Shallow lakes were formed in many valleys and later evaporated, leaving behind salty deposits. Subsequently, glaciers produced moraines comprising boulder-rich sediments in the mountains, while gravel (water-lain sediment) and loess (wind-deposited sediment) accumulated in the valleys. Zones of faulting occur, usually along the boundaries between the ridges and the valleys. Large-scale horizontal movements have occurred along the great Talas Fergana Fault, which traverses nearly the entire Tien Shan system along the northeastern slopes of the Fergana Kyrka Mountains and its northwestern extension.

The deep faults are associated with catastrophic earthquakes that occurred at Verny (1887), at Kashgar (Kashi; 1902), in the northern Tien Shan chains (1911), and at Chatkal (1946) and Khait (1948). Glaciation The total area of the Tien Shan glaciers is some 3,900 square miles (10,100 square km), of which approximately four-fifths is in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Largest among the several glacial areas are the region around Khan Tängiri and Victory peaks and the Eren Habirg Mountains. There also are many glaciers in the Kakshaal Range, the Ak-Shyyrak Range, the Ile Alataū Range, and the southern Tien Shan. The largest glacier in the Tien Shan is Engil’chek (Inylchek) Glacier, which is approximately 37 miles (60 km) long; it descends from the western slopes of the Khan Tängiri massif and branches into numerous tributaries.

Other large glaciers in this area include North Engil’chek (24 miles [39 km]) and one at Muzat Pass (21 miles [34 km]). The length of the largest Tien Shan glaciers elsewhere is usually between 6 and 12 miles (10 and 19 km); the most usual size is that of the relatively small valley glaciers, from about 1.5 to 3 miles (2.4 to 5 km) long. The glaciers are usually fed by snowfall on the glaciers themselves or by snow avalanches from the surrounding slopes. Glacial action in the Tien Shan apparently is decreasing; most glaciers are either receding or standing still. Since the mid-20th century, however, large glaciers in the inner Tien Shan region have made short-term advances. The glaciers of the Tien Shan feed many large rivers, including the Naryn , Sarydzhaz, Ili, Aksu, and Zeravshan . Drainage Industrial Revolution Human intervention at the lower elevations has severely modified the entire drainage network of the Tien Shan.

Extensive irrigation schemes in the foothill valleys have curtailed the heavy flow to the Aral Sea and the Tarim Basin . The diversion of water for both agricultural and urban use is especially characteristic of the Ili and Kaidu rivers in the eastern Tien Shan. The flow into old watercourses is negligible. Even Lake Ysyk, which is saline, has been lowered by peripheral diversion. Hydroelectric plants have been built in a number of gorges; the Toktogul project on the Naryn River is the largest. In addition, small facilities harness the energy of western rivers such as the Kaxgar (Kashgar), Ak-Say, and Aksu in spate from summer snowmelt. Tian Lake in the Bogda Mountains in the eastern Tien Shan, Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, … K. Scholz/Shostal Associates Climate The position of the Tien Shan in the centre of Eurasia governs its sharply continental climate, characterized by great extremes of temperature in summer and winter. The characteristic aridity of the region is manifest in the surrounding deserts and dry regions. The area absorbs much solar heat, and there are about 2,500 hours of sunshine each year.

The climate becomes progressively cooler and more humid as the elevation of the mountains increases. Permafrost (ground with temperatures continuously below 32 °F [0 °C] for two or more years) is extensive above 9,000 feet (2,750 metres). The prevalent air masses are transported over the Tien Shan by moisture-bearing westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean . Most of the precipitation falls on the windward western and northwestern slopes at elevations between 7,500 and 9,000 feet (2,300 and 2,750 metres); it varies from 28 to 31 inches (710 to 790 mm) at one extreme to 59 to 79 inches (1,500 to 2,000 mm) at the other. To the east and in the interior regions of the Tien Shan, the total precipitation decreases to between 8 and 16 inches (200 and 400 mm), and it amounts to less than 4 inches (100 mm) in places.

Maximum precipitation falls on the southern Tien Shan in March and April, and the summer is dry. In the western and northern Tien Shan, most of the rain falls during the warm period of the year, with a maximum in April or May. Most of the rain in the inner and eastern Tien Shan regions falls during the summer months. Many mountain valleys there are used as winter pastures because of the small amount of snow that falls in wintertime. Temperatures vary in the Tien Shan, mostly depending on elevation. Summer is hot in the foothills: the mean temperature in July may reach 81 °F (27 °C) in the Fergana Valley , 73 °F (23° C) in the Ili valley depression, and up to 93 °F (34 °C) to the east, in the Turfan Depression, where the climate is even more continental. The temperature in July at a height of about 10,500 feet (3,200 metres) in the inner Tien Shan drops to 41 °F (5 °C), and frost is possible throughout the summer.

The mean temperature in January in the Fergana Valley is 25 °F (− 4 °C), in the Ili depression it is 14 °F (− 10 °C), and it drops to − 9 °F (− 23 °C) in the alpine regions of the inner Tien Shan; in places (in particular, the Ak-Say valley) temperatures as low as − 58 °F (− 50 °C) have been recorded. Plant life The characteristics of flora in the Tien Shan are determined largely by the region’s distinct zones of elevation, which provide a diverse distribution of soils and vegetation. In the foothills and plains at the base of the mountains, semidesert and desert areas have usually developed; these zones continue to elevations between about 5,000 and 6,000 feet (1,500 and 1,800 metres) in the eastern section.

In the Tien Shan they are characterized by ephemeral vegetation growths that die out at the beginning of summer; xerophytic (drought-tolerant) grasses, wormwood, and species of the desert shrub genus Ephedra are generally distributed. The most common landscape in the Tien Shan is steppe , which occurs at elevations between about 3,500 and 11,000 feet (1,050 and 3,350 metres). In China and the Central Asian republics measures have been taken to restore vast areas of steppe grassland that have been depleted by overgrazing. The forests of the Tien Shan alternate with steppes and meadows. Forests are found principally on the northern slopes and range between elevations of about 5,000 and 10,000 feet (1,500 and 3,000 metres). On the lower slopes of the outer ranges, the forests are mainly deciduous, consisting of maple and aspen, with extensive admixtures of wild fruit trees (apples and apricots).

Vast areas of the southwestern slopes of the Fergana Kyrka Mountains are occupied by ancient nut-bearing forests. Stands of pistachio, walnut, and juniper are found up to 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) on the shaded slopes of several western and southern Tien Shan ranges. North and east of the Fergana Valley, coniferous forests predominate. At the upper boundary they are often replaced by sparse juniper forests. The marshy forests in the river valley bottoms, in which aspen, birch, poplar, and various brushwoods ordinarily grow, lie far outside the forest zone. Over millennia, cutting for fuel has reduced much of the tree cover in some areas, although the forced relocation of many mountain inhabitants to irrigated valleys beginning in the second half of the 20th century has reversed this pattern. The forest glades and areas adjacent to the upper tree line are usually covered with meadow vegetation. Subalpine meadows of mixed grasses and cereals extend up to almost 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) on the moist northern slopes but on southern slopes are usually replaced by mountain steppes.

There are short-grass alpine meadows up to 11,500 feet (3,500 metres). In the inner and eastern Tien Shan regions, at elevations between 11,200 and 12,000 feet (3,400 and 3,700 metres) and sometimes higher, the level areas and gentle slopes are “cold deserts,” with sparse and short vegetation. Mosses and lichens are found in the areas of the glacial zone that are free of soil cover. Animal life The diversity and range of animals and birds in the Tien Shan increased markedly following the relocation of much of the human population to lower elevations. Species typifying the mountain fauna include wolves, foxes, and ermines. There also are many distinctively Central Asian species, chiefly inhabiting the high mountains; these include snow leopards, mountain goats, Manchurian roe, roe deer, and mountain sheep.

The forest-meadow-steppe zone is inhabited by bears, wild boars, badgers, field voles, members of the jerboa family (nocturnal jumping rodents), and members of the Ochotonidae family (short-eared mammals related to the rabbits). The many birds include the mountain partridge, pigeon, alpine chough, crow, mountain wagtail, redstart, birket (a golden eagle), vulture, Himalayan snow cock, and other species. The lower zones—desert and semiarid regions—are visited by animals from the neighbouring plains, such as antelopes, gazelles, Tolai hares, and gray hamsters. Lizards and snakes are also found. Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows | Ecoregions | WWF x Montane grasslands and shrublands Tian Shan montane steppe and meadows The Tian Shan, or Celestial Mountains, are a large, isolated range surrounded by the desert basins of northern China. Middle elevations catch enough arctic moisture to support a parklike landscape of meadows and spruce forests. Above lie alpine meadows, rocky slopes, and glaciers.

Below, steppes extend outward to the desert floor. Because of their size and variety of habitat types, the Tian Shan are diverse, with more than 2,500 plant species. Although hunting pressure is severe, snow leopards still occur here, as do the ungulate species that comprise their prey base. Scientific Code Description Location and General Description The Tian Shan extend 2,500 km east-to-west across Central Asia. An extensive mountain system that comprises part of the basin and range topography of northwestern China, the mountains were formed by faulting and uplift during the Pliocene, 7 to 2.5 million years ago. Like the Rocky Mountains of North America, the Tian Shan are thought to be one of the greatest examples of intra-continental mountain-building in the world. Ridges average about 4,000 m while the highest summits exceed 7,400 m elevation. To the south, the Tian Shan are separated from the Kunlun Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau by the broad, hyper-arid Tarim Basin and Taklimakan Desert. To the north is the Kazakh Shield and the broad Junggar Basin, another large desert.

Despite their location in a very arid part of Central Asia, the Tian Shan range is high enough to intercept moist arctic air from the northwest, especially during winter. At the higher elevations, annual precipitation of 400 to 800 mm is enough to support subalpine conifer forests in some locations and a variety of steppe and meadow communities, stratified by elevation, over extensive areas throughout the range. At the lower elevations, annual precipitation totals of 100 to 200 mm support steppe grassland vegetation. Heavy snowpack at the high elevations is responsible for numerous oases and rivers in the dry Tarim Basin. These support the Tarim Basin Deciduous Forests ecoregion and, more recently, extensive irrigated agriculture. Despite the orogenic precipitation, the climate of the Tian Shan is strongly continental. Large seasonal variations in temperature occur due to the temperate latitude (41-45oN) and distance from the ocean. High elevation generates a large diurnal variation in temperature.

Vegetation of the Tian Shan was determined during the Tertiary when boreal and arctic species migrated southward during the uplift of the range to mingle with communities of plants on the lower slopes that are more characteristic of the steppes and deserts of Central Asia. Today, vegetation is stratified according to elevation so that several distinct meadow and steppe communities occur along a gradient that ranges from the base of the mountains at about 1,000 m to the edge of snowline at about 3,300 to 4,200 m. Along this gradient, moisture availability is an important variable. At the lower elevations, it determines the magnitude of drought stress. At the higher elevations, it determines, among other things, the presence or absence of a protective snow cover. In general, forest (mainly spruce Picea) is restricted to more mesic sites on north-facing slopes in the subalpine zone (2,000 to 2,600 m), and forest stands are intermixed with broad swaths of sedge-meadow. Elsewhere, meadow steppe is the dominant ground cover with the character of the vegetation determined primarily by elevation and secondarily by precipitation.

A transect shows the following floristic trends. Vegetation at 800 to 1,100 m consists of wormwood Artemesia steppe with grasses and annual species more abundant in the moist western regions than in the drier eastern regions. At 1,100 to 1,500 m on south-facing slopes, desert steppe is replaced by dry, sparse grassland dominated by the grasses Stipa spp. and Festuca spp., with associated shrubs (Artemisia spp.) in the west and Reaumaria songorica and Anabasis brevifolia in the east. This "grassland-steppe" vegetation persists over a broad altitude range to merge with alpine vegetation above 2,700 m. The alpine zone here is dominated by low-growing herbaceous Kobresia spp. sedge in the meadows.

These are very extensive, especially in the eastern part of the Tian Shan and support, beside the sedge Kobresia and Carex, various alpine forbs like Papaver nudicaule, Arenaria formosa, Potentilla nervosa, Aster alpinus, Leontopodium ochroleucum and numerous species of Gentiana, Androsace, Saxifrage, and Ranunculus. Floristically, the high elevations of the Tian Shan seem very similar to the Tibetan Plateau. This stands to reason as both regions have obtained their alpine flora from the Palaearctic in the recent geological past. North-facing slopes are shrubbier at the low elevations (Caragana, Spiraea, Cotoneaster) and give way at about 2,500 m to a parklike forest-meadow mosaic in which the meadows are dominated by the grasses Festuca spp., Poa spp. and Helictotrichon schellianum.

Here, shrub taxa include some of the same genera found at lower elevations, together with higher-elevation taxa like honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), rose (Rosa spp.) and barberry (Berberis spp.), most of which are thorny and respond favorably to high grazing pressure. Forests, described as a distinct ecoregion, the Tian Shan Montane Coniferous Forests, are dominated by the spruce (Picea schrenkiana) that occurs on northern slopes from 2,700 to 3,700 m. Like the Himalaya, alpine elevations support shrubbier vegetation on northern exposures because these hold a protective blanket of winter snow. Another important factor at the highest (sub-nival) elevations is soil stability. Soils made restive by solufluction support a restricted assemblage of plants (Saxifragaceae, Brassicaceae, and Corydalis) that are adapted to sliding on scree while stable sites support slow-growing turf-sedges, rosette plants like Saussurea involucrata, and a number of cushion growth forms.

Biodiversity Features The overall plant species richness of the Tian Shan (about 2,500 species of vascular plants) is very high, relative to the other desert mountain ranges in northwestern China. Of course, part of the reason is due to a species-area effect. The Tian Shan is much larger than the other desert ranges of Central Asia. And due to its height, the range receives more precipitation and has a greater range of climate zones than the other desert ranges. Mammals recorded from the Tian Shan include Asiatic wildcats (Felis sylvestris), argali (Ovis ammon karelini), goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), Asiatic ibex (Capra ibex), snow leopards (Uncia uncia), wolves (Canis lupus) and brown bears (Ursus arctos). Snow leopard populations in this ecoregion are reported to be severely diminished or perhaps extirpated. The Tian Shan is not an endemic bird area, but two species, little bustard (Otis tetrax) and Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata), occur in this ecoregion.

Both of these species are widespread but rare with declining populations. Current Status The Tian Shan lacks adequate nature reserves for its steppe-meadow ecoregion. There are a few protected areas. One is Bayin Buluke (1,000 km2) that protects habitat for waterfowl like swans Cygus spp. at foothill elevations. Another is Tuomu’er Feng (1,000 km2) a high-mountain area with alpine ecosystems, some upper-elevation forests and much rock and ice, including 7,435 m Pobeda Peak. Various other small reserves have been declared, but the protected area remains inadequate for such a large, diverse complex. Types and Severity of Threats Overgrazing at the higher elevations by horses, sheep and goats, and at the lower elevations by cattle have been reported as a conservation problem for this ecoregion. Hunting, for meat, for income, or in response to livestock depredation is also probably responsible for diminished populations of some mammal and bird species. The Tian Shan supports much potential habitat for snow leopards and the ungulates that serve as their prey base.

Today, however, it is uncertain whether any snow leopards remain in this area. Hunting pressure from the Kazakh herdsmen whose livestock graze the high elevation meadows is probably severe. Mining activity occurs on the slopes of the Tian Shan for coal, iron, lead and zinc Justification of Ecoregion Delineation The ecoregion consists of the high altitude areas in the Tian Shan that extend into Central Asia. The ecoregion is predominantly formed by the CVMCC (1979) Vegetation Map of China classes alpine meadow (68a,b) and grasslands (42,48). This is comparable to the Tian Shan biogeographic subunit in the Pamir-Tian Shan Highlands according to Mackinnon et al. (1996). In Central Asia, this ecoregion includes the cryophytic steppes and meadows of the Kashgarian-Tian Shan and North Tian Shan regions according to Pereladova’s (1998) map of Central Asian ecosystems. References Chinese Vegetation Map Compilation Committee. 1979. Vegetation map of China. Map (1:10,000,000).

Science Press, Beijing, China. Grubov, V.I. 1999. Plants of Central Asia, vol. 1 Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield, New Hampshire, USA. (translated from: Rasteniya Central’nov Asii, vol. 1, 1963. Nauka Publishers, Leningrad) Laidler, L and K. Laidler. 1996. China’s threatened wildlife. Blandford, London. MacKinnon, J. 1996. Wild China. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Mackinnon, J., M. Sha, C. Cheung, G. Carey, Z. Xiang, and D. Melville. 1996. A biodiversity review of China. World Wide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong. Pereladova, O., V. Krever and M. Williams. 1997. Biodiversity Conservation in Central Asia. Moscow. Zhao J., editor. Zheng Guangmei, Wang Huadong, Xu Jialin. 1990. The Natural History of China. McGraw Hill Publishing Company, New York.

Prepared by: Chris Carpenter Tian Shan Mountains » Tian Shan TIAN SHAN, THE name that Chinese geographers have given to the “Heavenly Mountains,” can also be spelled T’ien-shan or Tien Shan. The Junggar Mongols who inhabit the area call this mountain range Tengri Uul or Tengri Agula. A frequent component in place names in western CHINA , tengri in Mongol has the same meaning as tian in Chinese: “sky” and “God.” The Tian Shan bisect in its entirety XINJIANG , China’s westernmost province, since the mountains extend from the SILK ROAD oasis of Hami in the east to KAZAKHSTAN and KYRGYZSTAN in the west. The total length of the Tian Shan is about 1,500 mi (2,400 km); two-thirds of the range is within China. The JUNGGAR BASIN and the temperate Gurbantunggut desert lie north of the range, while the TARIM BASIN and the warmer Taklimakan desert lie south of the Tian Shan.

Rising above both deserts , the Tian Shan forms a wet and green insular world covered with spruce forests . Alpine meadows and fertile GRASSLANDS support traditional pastoral nomadism in areas between 5,400 and 7,400 ft (1,800 and 2,800 m). The snow-clad Tian Shan feeds majors rivers that allow intensive agriculture, like the Ili, Aqsu, Tarim, and Konqi rivers. From 1929 to 1930, the Sino-Swedish expedition to the northwestern provinces of China mapped the eastern and northern Tian Shan. Understanding the geological history of this part of Xinjiang was the major objective of the expedition. Soviet earth scientists began surveying the western Tian Shan in the 1930s. They discovered the highest peak (24,406 ft or 7439 m) in 1943, and named it Pik Pobeda (“Victory Peak”). During the 1950s, geographers, hydrologists, glaciologists, and geomorphologists from the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China worked together.

Concerns for seismic activities, deforestation, and water management eventually resulted in the detailed survey of the area. Originally called “Dihua shi” (“the Progressive City”) in Chinese, Urumqi was founded in 1760 by the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912). Beijing wanted to control the only road that connects the Tarim and Junggar basins through the Tian Shan. The walled city was located at 2,760 ft (920 m) on the northern piedmont of the range. In 1884, Urumqi became the capital of Xinjiang (“the New Frontier ”) province, which was renamed the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region in 1956. The city is today a large metropolis as well as an industrial center. Since 1950, continuous immigration from inner China has displaced the Uygur native population. Tian Shan Tourist Information Locals and travelers to connect with About 4280 The Tian Shan, also spelled Tien Shan, is a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia.

The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak, 7,439 metres (24,406 ft).The Chinese name for Tian Shan may be derived from the Xiongnu language name qilian, which was described by Sima Qian in the Records of the Grand Historian as the homeland of the pre-Xiongnu peoples of the region, the Yuezhi, and has been said to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) further east now known by this name.The nearby Tannu-Ola Mountains bear the same name. Geography Tian Shan lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert and directly north of the Tarim Basin in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. In the south it links up with the Pamir Mountains and to north and east it meets the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. It also extends into the Chinese province of Xinjiang and into the northern areas of Pakistan, where it joins the Hindu Kush.

In Western cartography, the eastern end of the Tian Shan is usually understood to be just west of Ürümqi, while the range to the east of that city is known as the Bogda Shan. In Chinese cartography from the Han Dynasty to the present, however, the Tian Shan also includes the Bogda Shan and Barkol ranges.The Tian Shan are a part of the Himalayan orogenic belt, which was formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates in the Cenozoic era. They are one of the longest mountain ranges in Central Asia and stretch some 2,800 kilometres (1,700 mi) eastward from Tashkent in Uzbekistan. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak (пик Победы in Russian or Jengish Chokusu in Kyrgyz) which, at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft), is also the highest point in Kyrgyzstan and is on the border with China.

The Tian Shan's second highest peak, Khan Tengri (Lord of the Spirits), straddles the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border and at 7,010 metres (23,000 ft) is the highest point of Kazakhstan. Mountaineers class these as the two most northerly peaks over 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) in the world. The Torugart Pass, at 3,752 metres (12,310 ft), is located at the border between Kyrgyzstan and China's Xinjiang province. The forested Alatau ranges, which are at a lower altitude in the northern part of the Tian Shan, are inhabited by pastoral tribes that speak Turkic languages.The Tian Shan are separated from the Tibetan Plateau by the Taklimakan Desert and the Tarim Basin to the south.The major rivers rising in the Tian Shan are the Syr Darya, the Ili River and the Tarim River.

The Aksu Canyon is a notable feature in the northwestern Tian Shan.One of the first Europeans to visit and the first to describe the Tian Shan in detail was the Russian explorer Peter Semenov, who did so in the 1850s. Ranges Of The Tian Shan The Tian Shan have a number of named ranges which are often mentioned separately. (all distances are approximate).In China the Tian Shan starts north of Kumul City (Hami) with the U-shaped Barkol Mountains, from about 600 to 400 kilometres (370 to 250 mi) east of Ürümqi. Then the Bogda Shan (god mountains) run from 350 to 40 kilometres (220 to 25 mi) east of Ürümqi. Then there is a low area between Ürümqi and the Turfan Depression. The Borohoro mountains start just south of Ürümqi and run west northwest 450 kilometres (280 mi) separating Dzungaria from the Ili River basin.

Their north end abuts on the 200 kilometres (120 mi) Dzungarian Alatau which run east northeast along Sino-Kazakh border. They start 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Taldykorgan in Kazakhstan and end at the Dzungarian Gate. The Dzungarian Alatau in north, (name?) in middle and Borohoro range in south make a reversed Z or S, the northeast enclosing part of Dzungaria and the southwest enclosing the upper Ili valley.In Kyrgyzstan the main line of the Tian Shan continues as (name?) from the base of the Borohoros west 570 kilometres (350 mi) to the point where China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan meet. Here is the highest part of the range – the Central Tian Shan, with Peak Pobeda and Khan Tengri. West of this, the Tian Shan split into an ‘eye’, with Issyk Kul Lake in its center. The south side of the lake is the Terskey Alatau and the north side the Kyungey Ala-Too (shady and sunny Ala-Too).

North of the Kyungey Ala-Too and parallel to it is the Trans-Ili Alatau in Kazakhstan just south of Almaty. West of the eye, the range continues 400 kilometres (250 mi) as the Kyrgyz Ala-Too, separating Chui Province from Naryn Oblast and then Kazakhstan from the Talas Province. This oblast is the upper valley of the Talas River, the south side of which is the 200 kilometres (120 mi) Talas Ala-Too Range ('Ala-too' is a Kirgiz spelling of Alatau). At the east end of the Talas Alatau the Suusamyr Too range runs southeast enclosing the Suusamyr Valley or plateau.As for the area south of the Fergana Valley there is a 800 kilometres (500 mi) group of mountains that curves west-southwest from south of Issyk Kul Lake separating the Tarim Basin from the Fergana Valley. The Fergana Range runs northeast towards the Talas Ala-Too and separaties the upper Naryn basin from Fergana proper.

The southern side of these mountains merge into the Pamirs in Tajikistan (Alay Mountains and Trans-Alay Range). West of this is the Turkestan Range, which continues almost to Samarkand. Ecology The Tian Shan holds important forests of Schrenk's Spruce (Picea schrenkiana) at altitudes of over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft); the lower slopes have unique natural forests of wild walnuts and apples. Map Tien Shan News | Wiki - UPI.com Tien Shan News TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Central Asia could be facing a major radioactive contamination risk, the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Eurasian Economic Community is warning. Wiki The Tian Shan (Chinese: 天山 ("celestial mountains"); Pinyin: Tiān Shān; Uyghur: تەڭرىتاغ Tengri Tagh), also commonly spelled Tien Shan, is a mountain range located in Central Asia.

The Chinese name for Tian Shan or Tien Shan, may in turn go back to a Xiongnu name, qilian (祁连) reported by the Shiji as the last place where they met and had their baby as in of the Yuezhi, which has been argued to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 km further the east now known by this name. A nearby mountain range, the Tannu-Ola Mountains (Tuvan: Таңды-Уула Tangdy-Uula), also bears a synonymous name ("heaven/celestial mountains" or "god/spirit mountains"). The range lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. In the south it links up with the Pamir Mountains. It also extends into the Chinese province of Xinjiang and into the northern areas of Pakistan, where it joins the Hindu Kush. In Western cartography, the eastern end of the Tian Shan is usually understood to be just west of Ürümqi, while the range to the east of that city is known as the Bogda Shan.

However, in Chinese cartography, from the Han Dynasty to the present, the Tian Shan is also considered to include the Bogda Shan and Barkol ranges. Tian Shan montane conifer forests | Ecoregions | WWF x Temperate Coniferous Forest Tian Shan montane conifer forests The Tian Shan, or Celestial Mountains, is a large, isolated range surrounded by the desert basins of northern China. Middle elevations catch enough arctic moisture to support a park-like landscape of meadows and spruce forests. Above lie alpine meadows, rocky slopes and glaciers. Below, steppes extend outward to the desert floor. Because of size and variety of habitat types, the Tian Shan are diverse, with more than 2,500 plant species. Although hunting pressure is severe, snow leopards still occur here, as do the ungulate species that comprise their prey base. Scientific Code Description Location and General Description The Tian Shan extend 2,500 km east-to-west across Central Asia.

An extensive mountain system that comprises part of the basin-and-range topography of northwestern China, the mountains were formed by faulting and uplift during the Pliocene, 7 to 2.5 million years ago. Like the Rocky Mountains of North America, the Tian Shan are thought to be one of the greatest examples of intracontinental mountain-building in the world. Ridges average about 4,000 m in elevation; the highest summits exceed 7,400 m. To the south, the Tian Shan are separated from the Kunlun Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau by the broad, hyper-arid Tarim Basin and Taklimakan Desert. To the north are the Kazakh Shield and the broad Junggar Basin, another large desert. Despite its location in an arid part of Central Asia, the Tian Shan Range is high enough to intercept moist arctic air from the northwest, especially during winter. At the higher elevations on the northern slopes of the range, annual precipitation (400 to 800 mm) is sufficient to support large patches of subalpine coniferous forest, or smaller patches that comprise a forest-meadow mosaic complex.

The forest zone in the Tian Shan is limited to places of sufficient moisture and warmth. Thermal tree line, where the average temperature during the warmest month equals 10oC, is situated at a maximum of 2,700 m, and elevations below 1,500 m are generally too dry to support coniferous forest. Within this broad elevation belt, forest is generally restricted to north-facing slopes. Sites that fail to meet the criteria for forest cover tend to support steppe or meadow vegetation, the character of which is determined primarily by elevation and secondarily by aspect and precipitation. This formation comprises a separate ecoregion, the Tian Shan Alpine Meadow and Tundra. Coniferous forests in the Tian Shan tend to be quite homogeneous. The system is dominated by the spruce, Picea schrenkiana, a tall tree with a narrow crown that may form single-species stands or may grow up through a layer of broad-leaved deciduous trees. At the lower elevations, spruce associates with aspen (Populus tremula), a pioneer of landslides and other disturbed sites.

At higher elevations, the associated broad-leaved species include mountain ash (Sorbus tianschanica), willow (Salix xerophila), and several birch species including Betula tianschanica, B. verrucosa, and B. microphylla. Landscape vistas reveal a park-like mosaic of cropped meadows, scattered shrublands, rocky outcrops and dense stands of narrowly conical, dark-needled spruce. Meadows serve as pastures in most locations and are dominated by the grasses Festuca spp., Poa spp., and Helictotrichon schellianum. In moist areas within the lower forest belt, a shrub understory grows beneath the forest canopy. Species here include Lonicera spp., Cotoneaster melanocarpa, Euonymus semenovii, Rosa albertii, and R. beggeriana. Some of these species are identical to those that dominate the adjacent shrub or steppe areas. In the upper forest belt, understory shrubs form "spruce thickets." The shrubs found here (Juniperus turkestonica, J.

sibirica, Caragana jubata, Salix spp., Dasiphora fruticosa, and Spiraea tianschanica) include many of the same species that comprise the alpine scrub vegetation at elevations above tree line. Where grazing pressure is high, pastures tend to acquire an increasing density of thorny, unpalatable shrubs like Lonicera spp., Rosa spp., and Berberis spp. Grasses and forbs also occur in the forest understory. Some of the important species include the grasses Brachypodium pinnatum, Calamagrostis spp., Helictotrichon pubescens, Dactylis glomerata, Agropyron tianschanicum,and Poa nemoralis and the forbs Solidago virga-aurea, Mulgedium azureum, Doronicum altaicum, Senecio soongoricus, Crepis sibirica, Aegopodium alpestre, and Cerastium dahuricum.

Like the forests of the Himalaya, the middle-elevation coniferous forests here support diverse and luxuriant carpets of moss (Thuidium spp., Rhytidiadelphus spp., Hypnum spp., and other genera) in shady locations with understory vegetation adapted to low-light conditions (Pyrola spp. and saprophytic orchids like Corallorhiza innata). The larch, Larix sibirica, is found in a few local areas in the extreme eastern part of the Tian Shan. Biodiversity Features The overall plant species richness of the Tian Shan (about 2,500 species of vascular plants) is very high, relative to the other desert mountain ranges in northwestern China. Of course, part of the reason is due to a species-area effect: the Tian Shan is much larger than the other desert ranges in this area. And due to its height, the range receives more precipitation and has a greater range of climate zones than the other desert ranges. Yet the protected area network is very small. Current Status The Tian Shan lacks adequate nature reserves for its coniferous forest vegetation.

Gongliu Yunshan Nature Reserve (312 km2) protects middle-elevation habitats including Picea schrenkiana forests and alpine environments. Several other small reserves are reported, but few details are available. Tuomu’er Feng Nature Reserve (1,000 km2) is a high mountain area with alpine habitat and much rock and ice, including 7,435 m Tuomu’er Peak, the highest in the range. Lower reaches of the reserve also protect some spruce forest habitat. Various other small reserves have been declared, but the protected area remains inadequate for such a large, diverse mountain complex. The Tian Shan includes potential habitat for snow leopards (Uncia uncia) and the ungulates that serve as their prey base. Today, however, it is uncertain whether any snow leopards remain in this area. Types and Severity of Threats Threats include hunting and overgrazing at the higher elevations. Local people sometimes shoot animals to obtain meat and products that they can sell. Predator species like snow leopards are also hunted because they kill livestock.

Justification of Ecoregion Delineation The coniferous forest belt occurs up to around 2,500m and is replaced by dwarf junipers at higher elevations. In China, the boundaries are based on the CVMCC (1979) Vegetation Map of China classes larch (1) and spruce/fir (2a), that fall within Mackinnon’s (1996) Tian Shan biogeographic unit. It is possible that these classes underestimate the original extent of the forests in China. In Central Asia, the ecoregion is drawn according to the coniferous forests and shrubs ecosystem in the Tian Shan region according to Pereladova’s (1998) map of Central Asian ecosystems. According to Knystautas (1987), this area also contains a belt of broadleaf forest at lower elevations. References Chinese Vegetation Map Compilation Committee. 1979. Vegetation map of China. Map (1:10,000,000). Science Press, Beijing, China. Grubov, V.I. 1999. Plants of Central Asia, vol.

1 Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield, New Hampshire, USA. (translated from: Rasteniya Central’nov Asii, vol. 1, 1963. Nauka Publishers, Leningrad) Knystautas, A. 1987. The natural history of the USSR. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Laidler, L. and K. Laidler. 1996. China’s Threatened Wildlife. Blandford, London. MacKinnon, J. 1996. Wild China. The MIT Press, Cambridge MA. Mackinnon, J., M. Sha, C. Cheung, G. Carey, Z. Xiang, and D. Melville. 1996. A biodiversity review of China. World Wide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong. Pereladova, O., V. Krever and M. Williams. 1997. Biodiversity Conservation in Central Asia. Moscow. Zhao, J. editor. Zheng Guangmei, Wang Huadong, Xu Jialin. 1990. The Natural History of China.

McGraw Hill Publishing Company, New York. Prepared by: Chris Carpenter Mountain Ranges of Asia - Landforms of Asia, Lakes, Rivers and Deserts of Asia - Worldatlas.com LANDFORMS (Mountains) Mountain Ranges of Asia - Landforms of Asia, Lakes, Rivers and Deserts of Asia ASIA MOUNTAINS: Several significant mountain ranges stretch across Asia. Here we highlight on the map and describe the major ones, including the Altay, Gahats, Himalayan, Kunlun, Tien Shan, Ural and Zagros Mountains Altay (or Altai) The Altay Mountains are a mountain range in East-Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their sources. Belukha Mountain is the highest peak at 4,506 m, (14,784 ft). Ghats The Western Ghats is a mountain range along the western side of India with an average elevation around 1,200 m, (3,900 ft). The Eastern Ghats is a range of mountains along India's eastern coast.

The highest point is Jindhagada Peak at 1,690 m (5,545 ft). Himalayas The Himalayas, a huge mountain range immediately at the north of the Indian subcontinent, is the world's highest mountain range, and home to the world's highest peaks, including Mount Everest at 8,848 m (29,029 ft), and K2 at 8,611 m (28,251 feet) above sea level. The Himalayan system includes over 100 mountains exceeding 7,200 m (23,600 ft). Kunlun The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending across wester China and the Tibetan Plateau. The highest mountain is the Kunlun Goddess at 7,167 m (23,514 ft). Tien (or Tian) Shan The Tian Shan is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. It's positioned to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert near the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and western China.

The highest peak is Victory Peak at 7,439 m (24,406 ft). Ural The Urals are 1,640 miles (2,640 km) in length and extend from the northern-edge of the Russian Federation down through Kazakhstan. They form a natural border between Asia and Europe Russia. The highest point in this mountain range is Mt. Narodnaya at 1,895 m (6,217 ft). Zagros The Zagros are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq spaning the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ending at the Strait of Hormuz. The highest point is Zard Kuhbakhtiari at 4,548 m, (14,921 ft).

Question: The Tien Shan, or Tian Shan, mountains lie to the north of which?
Answer: Taklimakan Desert