The major social and economic transformation that began in the early 1990s have meant major changes and financial hardships for Mongolia's people. In 1992 and 1993, for example, the gross national product declined by 13% each year. These difficulties bring increased pressure on natural resources.

 LAND DEGRADATION, DESERTIFICATION, AND HABITAT LOSS

Desertification, land degradation, and habitat loss caused by cultivation, grazing, and logging are serious threats to herders as well as to biological diversity.

Grasslands

The continued ecological health of Mongolia's grasslands is vital for both livestock and wildlife. Livestock grazing is the primary human use of natural areas in Mongolia. 25 million livestock graze 117 million hectares of pasture, approximately 75% of the nation's territory. Economic hardships resulting from the present socioeconomic transition bring increased pressure on grazing lands. Especially in desert steppe regions where soils are thin, excessive grazing leads to erosion of topsoil, compaction of subsoil, and eventually to the replacement of the most edible plant species by less edible species. According to research estimates, 25% of Mongolia's pastures are threatened by degradation. Due to overgrazing, the diversity of plant species in areas near town centers has fallen by as much as 80%. Maintaining careful herding practices and teaching traditional pasture conservation measures to young people will help to ensure that future generations continue to benefit from Mongolia's semi-nomadic grazing tradition and rich natural heritage.
  

Mongolia's population:
on the rise

Throughout the world, the unprecedented expansion of human population and the large increases in the per-capita consumption of natural resources in the past 60 years have been accompanied by a loss of the Earth's species unprecedented in human history.

At 1.5 people per square kilometer, Mongolia has one of the lowest population densities in the world. Although Mongolia's population of 2.6 million people is small compared to any of its Asian neighbors, the population growth rate of 1.8% per year is one of the highest in east Asia. Urban population growth has been accompanied by a rapid growth in natural resource consumption. Population growth in the countryside means expanded areas inhabited by people and domestic animals.

Ultimately, population will have a large impact on Mongolia's biodiversity and efforts to conserve it.

Forest lands cover 10% of Mongolia's territory, approximately 17 million hectares. Though most forests are in the northern and central Mongolia, the saxaul forests that cover 4.5 million hectares in the south are especially important for maintaining fragile desert steppe and desert soils. Clear-cut logging, where all of the trees in an area are removed, and firewood gathering contribute to erosion and desertification. Forests are important watersheds and prevent erosion.

Water sources

Ground water levels have dropped in recent years in many desert and desert steppe areas due to drought and intensified human activities. As a result, many springs and wells, important sources of water for humans, livestock, and wildlife, have dried up.

Mongolia's natural resource administrators and managers urgently need new equipment, and training to improve biodiversity conservation.
  

Largely due to their value in Asian medicine markets, several of Mongolia's most endangered species are highly sought after by poachers. Species at risk include musk deer, poached for its valuable scent glands, brown bears, killed for their gall bladders, saiga antelope, illegally hunted for the supposed medicinal properties of their horns, argali mountain sheep, poached for their magnificent horns, elk, hunted legally and illegally for their antlers and antler velvet, and snow leopards, killed for their pelts and bones.

NATURAL RESOURCE AND TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT

Careless, unplanned use of natural resources and infrastructure development can harm Mongolia's rare flora and fauna. In volume and variety of mineral resources, Mongolia ranks among the most mineral rich nations in the world. Oil prospects in Dornod and in South Gobi provinces lie in important wildlife areas. Infrastructure development, including new railroads and roads, will occur as Mongolia develops.

If not carefully executed, this resource extraction and infrastructure development can cause water and air pollution, cut off wildlife migration routes, and destroy habitat areas for rare species. Future development must recognize the importance of Mongolia's biodiversity and take all steps necessary to minimize harmful impacts.

INADEQUATE FUNDING FOR NATURE CONSERVATION

Because of the difficulties associated with the economic transition occurring in Mongolia, government agencies have little money for biodiversity conservation and for strengthening environmental protection and management of existing protected areas.

For example, the entire budget for managing Mongolia's Protected Area system in 1995 was 31 million Mongolian tugriks, the equivalent of less than U.S. $70,000.

Wildlife products on sale