The dominant vegetation of this ecoregion is sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), often associated with various Agropyron species or fescue grass. At its upper altitudinal limit, the shrub steppe grades into the bordering mountain ecoregions, namely the South Central Rockies forests, the Colorado Rockies forests and the Wasatch and Uinta montane forests. Ecotones between the shrub steppe and mountain forests may occur as high as in some areas. Between mountain ranges, this ecoregion grades into the Northern short grasslands to the east and in a very small portion to the north, the Colorado Plateau shrublands to the south, and the Great Basin shrub steppe in a very small portion in the far west.