A transitional zone (3,000 – 3,500 m) between forested Himalayan ecoregions and treeless alpine meadows and boulder-strewn screes, from Western Kashmir to eastern Uttarakhand. Conifer forests in the drier west, with blue pine, chilgoza pine, fir, silver fir, and spruce are more diverse and extensive than those in the moister eastern ranges. Seasonal, with about 1,500 mm precipitation, drier in the west with a lower treeline (3,300 m) than in the east (4,000 m). The ecoregion has pure fir forest; mixed oak-fir forest; mixed rhododendron, fir, and birch forest; and mixed coniferous forests with fir, blue pine, and spruce. Cypress and Himalayan cedar or deodar are common above 2,400 m. Himalayan Musk Deer is a flagship species here.