The ecoregion forms a belt of coniferous forest covering from elevation extending from the Gandaki River in Nepal east through Bhutan and into Arunachal Pradesh. It is part of a transition zone from Indomalayan realm in the south, to the Palearctic realm in the north, and is the last habitat below the treeline of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are lined with belts of habitat from the grassy foothills to the high peaks and are home to a number of birds and animals that migrate seasonally through these zones, including these conifer forests, each of which provides crucial habitat at different times of the year. Furthermore the streams and rivers of the steep mountainsides will flood if not held in place by woodland.