Wildlife of
Nei Mongol Zizhiqu

The biome is meadow steppe and typical steppe in the east/center (Hulunbuir, Xilin Gol), grading to desert-steppe in west and south; it supports pastoral land and many grassland species adapted to cold winters, summer drought.

Widespread across central and eastern Inner Mongolia; roughly ~45-60% of the region depending on how desert-steppe is classified.

Cold desert, semi-desert, and desert-steppe mosaics including Gobi-margin systems (Alxa/Alashan) and the Ordos Plateau; characterized by sparse shrubs, gravel plains, dune fields, and large temperature seasonality.

Concentrated in the west and southwest (Alxa/Alashan) and south (Ordos); roughly ~25-40%.

Temperate forests and forest-steppe, especially on the Greater Khingan (Da Hinggan) range and other higher/moister zones; includes mixed broadleaf-conifer and birch/aspen stands, with forest-steppe ecotones along drier edges.

Primarily northeast and some montane pockets; roughly ~5-15%.

Cold-tolerant larch-dominated forests at higher latitudes/elevations in the Greater Khingan area, transitioning toward taiga-like conditions with long winters and frequent fire influence.

Localized in far northeast and higher parts of the Greater Khingan; small proportion (~1-5%).

High-elevation conditions on the region's mountain ranges (e.g., upper slopes/ridges of Greater Khingan and other uplands) with cold, windy environments and meadow/rocky communities rather than extensive treeline alpine tundra.

Patchy and limited to mountain tops and high ridgelines; <1-2%.

Large lakes and river systems (e.g., Hulun Lake, sections of the Yellow River, Nenjiang/Argun headwaters and tributaries) supporting fish, waterbirds, and riparian corridors across steppe and desert landscapes.

Linear and basin-focused features throughout; small area overall (<2-4%) but high ecological importance.

Steppe and desert-associated wetlands including reedbeds, floodplain marshes, lake-margin swamps, and important stopover/breeding sites for migratory birds (e.g., Wuliangsuhai and lake margins in Hulunbuir).

Scattered, often concentrated around lakes and floodplains; generally <1-3%.

Typical and meadow steppe landscapes (notably Xilin Gol and Hulunbuir), forming the core pastoral ecosystems with strong east-west moisture gradients.

Broad grassland cover including managed grazing lands and native steppe; key to regional carbon storage and erosion control when intact.

Desert-steppe and semi-desert shrub communities (e.g., Artemisia and other drought-tolerant shrubs) common in transitional belts around major deserts.

Gobi-margin gravel deserts and dune fields, especially in Alxa/Alashan and parts of Ordos; supports cold-arid specialists and highly mobile sandy substrates in places.

Larch and pine-dominated forests mainly on the Greater Khingan; often shaped by fire regimes and cold winters.

Birch, aspen, and mixed deciduous patches in forest-steppe and montane zones, especially along moister slopes and ecotones in the northeast.

Open forest and forest-steppe mosaics at the margins of closed forests, forming important transition habitat between steppe and forest.

Greater Khingan and other ranges (including Yinshan influences) creating elevational gradients, cooler microclimates, and localized refugia for forest and meadow species.

High, cool meadow communities on upper slopes/ridges where conditions limit dense tree cover; typically small and patchy.

Major corridors including stretches of the Yellow River and northern river systems; riparian zones are biodiversity hotspots in otherwise dry steppe/desert contexts.

Large lakes such as Hulun Lake and other endorheic basins that drive local wetland productivity and waterbird habitat.

Lake-margin and floodplain wetlands with extensive reeds in places (notably Wuliangsuhai), important for migratory birds and nutrient cycling.

Reedbeds and shallow marshes around lakes and slow-moving waters; seasonality and water diversion strongly influence extent and quality.

Localized peat/peaty wetland patches in cooler, wetter northeastern forested areas (small but ecologically distinct).

Cropland concentrated in more arable eastern and river-adjacent zones; creates fragmentation and pressure on steppe/forest-steppe ecotones.

Urban/industrial nodes (e.g., Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos corridor and eastern cities) with localized habitat loss and pollution pressures, plus urban green spaces of limited ecological value compared to native habitats.