 The Hengduan forests reach elevations higher than and extend to the treeline, beyond which are montane grasslands and shrublands classified as the Southeast Tibet shrub and meadows.The Hengduan conifer forests are separated into two arms by the Shaluli Mountains.Environmental groups have recognized this ecoregion as being threatened by "a growing human population and the resulting demand for non-timber forests and wildlife products for medicinal and other uses".