The Tian Shan montane conifer forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0521) covers the "forest belt" of the Tian Shan mountains - generally the north-facing slopes that get enough moisture, and are warm enough, for trees to grow. This conifer belt is found mostly between 1,500 and 2,700 meters.

The ecoregion stretches in patches on the main Tian Shan mountain ridge, across approximately 2,000 km from western Kyrgyzstan to eastern Xinjiang Province in China. The conifer forest belt is found on north-facing slopes, at altitudes from a minimum of 1,500 meters (below which it is too dry to support conifers) to a maximum of 2,700 meters (above which it is too cold). The disconnected components of the ecoregion tend to be elongated along ridges that average 4,000 meters in height, with one of the larger sections wrapping around Lake Issyk-Kul. In general, the landscape below the forest belt is steppe, and above is alpine meadow with occasional dwarf junipers.

The climate of the ecoregion is cold semi-arid (Köppen climate classification (BSk)). This climate is generally characterized as having precipitation greater than a true desert, and also a colder temperature.

The dominant trees in these forests is Asian spruce (Picea schrenkiana) along with Larix griffithii, Pinus roxburghii, Pinus hwangshanensis, Juniperus tibetica, Shorea robusta, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Tsuga dumosa, Taxus sumatrana, Betula utilis, Alnus nepalensis, Betula alnoides, Betula utilis, Picea brachytyla, Juglans regia, Larix gmelinii, Larix sibirica, Larix × czekanowskii, Betula dahurica, Betula pendula, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus sylvestris, Picea obovata, Abies sibirica, Quercus acutissima, Quercus mongolica, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Prunus padus, Tilia amurensis, Salix babylonica, Acer palmatum, Populus tremula, Ulmus davidiana, Ulmus pumila, Pinus pumila, Haloxylon ammodendron, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix ramosissima, Prunus sibirica, Cathaya argyrophylla, Taiwania cryptomerioides, Cyathea spinulosa, Sassafras tzumu, Davidia involucrata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Castanea mollissima, Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Tetracentron, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Emmenopterys henryi, Juniperus communis, Pistacia atlantica, Quercus brantii, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Picea abies, Abies alba, Alnus glutinosa, Fagus sylvatica, Taxus baccata, Acer pseudoplatanus, Malus sylvestris, Viburnum lantana, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, Aesculus hippocastanum, Rhamnus cathartica, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus minor, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Salix alba, Corylus avellana, and Eucommia ulmoides, which usually grows in stands of the same species. Aspen is found mixed with the spruce at lower altitudes. Birch, willow, and mountain ash are found at higher altitudes. At lower altitudes within the forest belt, an understory of shrubs, grasses and forbes are found under the tree canopy.