Bogeda Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1990, in China. The Bogeda Biosphere Reserve is located in the eastern region of the Tianshan Mountains. Local residents call the area the Sangong River Valley, named after one of the largest rivers in the region, which originates from Bogeda Peak. Five major landscapes are distributed throughout the northern and southern areas of the biosphere reserve: ice–snow belts (5,445–3,100 metres above sea level), alpine and sub-alpine meadow belts (3,100–2,500 metres above sea level), forest belts (2,500–1,600 metres above sea level), steppe belts (1,700–900 metres above sea level) and sand desert dunes (460–3,300 metres above sea level). The topography consists of a middle mountain belt, low mountain erosion hills and alluvial areas. Tianchi Lake is the only natural lake in the region and lies adjacent to the Sangong River.