This ecoregion includes broad valleys and steeply rolling hills with an ecological and physiographic similarity to the Tibetan Plateau. The areas are instead situated at a mean elevation of about 4,200 m, substantially lower (and warmer) than the high basins of northwestern Tibet. Several cold-desert plant associations have been identified for the Pamir region, including low, branching shrubs, cushion plants, dense turf-forming grasses, and Kobresia sedge barrens. Some key species are Rhodiola, Saussurea, Tanacetum, and Saxifraga.