The Altai moun­tains in south­ern Siberia form the major moun­tain range in the west­ern Siberia bio­geo­graph­ic region and pro­vide the source of its great­est rivers — the Ob and the Irtysh. Three sep­a­rate areas are inscribed: Altaisky Zapoved­nik and a buffer zone around Lake Telet­skoye, Katun­sky Zapoved­nik and a buffer zone around Mount Belukha and the Ukok Qui­et Zone on the Ukok plateau. The total area cov­ers 1,611,457 ha. The region rep­re­sents the most com­plete sequence of alti­tu­di­nal veg­e­ta­tion zones in cen­tral Siberia, from steppe, for­est-steppe, mixed for­est, sub­alpine veg­e­ta­tion to alpine veg­e­ta­tion. The site is also an impor­tant habi­tat for endan­gered ani­mal species such as the snow leop­ard.