the hollow, located on the border between mongolia and russia, lies at the intersection of complex ecosystems. its area is . the terrain includes glaciers, taiga, desert, alpine tundra, sub alpine meadows, and a vast mountain taiga areas. there are also forested steppes, treeless steppes, semi-arid deserts, and ever shifting sand dunes. it is a diversified natural habitat, producing an interaction of euro-siberian and central asian-mongolian plant and animal life.