Characteristic plant species include Stipa,  Artemisia, and Festuca species. Native animals include many species of rodents (voles, mice, lemmings) wolves, foxes, polecats, and the critically endangered saiga antelope. Bodies of water in the steppe are important migratory stops for birds. Some of the rare bird species who depend on this ecosystem are the Pallas' fish-eagle and the MacQueen's bustard.

	Kazakhstan's grasslands were largely plowed for agriculture or heavily altered by overgrazing in the 1950's under the Soviets. As in other parts of the world, most of what remains (17%-36%) is mostly on hill slopes or soil that is too sandy or salty for crop production. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, livestock production actually decreased in the Kazakh Steppe, and a 2003 report found that most rangeland was in good and improving condition.
	Uzbekistan is approximately the size of California at 447,000 sq km. Three-quarters is covered by sandy desert, semi-arid grassland, and shrubland. Around 80% of the country is mostly flat while the east becomes mountainous. There are more than five thousand species of vascular plants in Uzbekistan. The desert is divided into three types which vary greatly in amount of salt in the soil: gypsum, sandy, and saline.

	Uzbekistan has severe environmental problems. The Aral Sea, which lies largely in Uzbekistan, is an extreme example of the consequences of environmental mismanagement. It once covered 68,000 sq km and supported a thriving fishing industry. In the 1960's the Soviets diverted the two major rivers feeding the Aral Sea as part of a project to make Uzbekistan a major cotton producer. It is now divided into three small lakes which take up 10% of its original area, and like most water in the area is badly polluted with agricultural chemicals. This has devastated the local economy and made the area's climate drier and more extreme. As the water disappears, it exposes the salty lakebed which is blown into the air, causing massive salt and dust storms. Many tons of salt are carried up to hundreds of miles away every year. In fact, some scientists believe the destruction of the Aral Sea has directly caused a 5% increase in particulate matter in Earth's atmosphere.

	The salty soil, laden with toxic chemicals from agriculture and weapons testing, settles in the surrounding area, increasing salinity and contributing to desertification, as well as causing serious health problems in the local people. Kazakhstan has built dams and attempted to increase water flow to the northern part of the Aral Sea with some success. However, the southern part in poorer Uzbekistan has yet to benefit from these efforts.

Turkmenistan is slightly larger than Uzbekistan at 488,000 sq km.It has a continental climate and is as much as 90% covered by subtropical sandy desert and shrubland, with hot, dry summers and mild dry winters. Most precipitation falls between January and May. Mammals include goitered gazelle, honey badger, and sand cat (Felis marmorata). 