Uvs lake Protected Areas

UVS LAKE BASIN STRICTLY PROTECTED AREA The range of ecological zones in the relatively small area of the Uvs Lake Basin is matched by few places in the world. From the perpetual snowfields and permafrost of the Turgen mountains to the desert sands of Altan Els, the Uvs Nuur region encompasses all of the major ecologic zones found in Central Asia. In recognition of its unique assemblage of ecosystems and extreme continental climate, Uvs Lake has been chosen as one of ten study areas for the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme for understanding global change-studying changes in the Earth's atmospheric, biological, geological, and hydrological systems, and human influence on these systems. Lying at the north end of the Depression of the Great Lakes, the protected area consists of four parts, including Uvs Lake and its shoreline, the Turgen Mountain Range, Tsagaan Shuvuut Mountain, and Altan Els or "Golden Sands," an area of sand dunes east of the lake.	Natural zones: desert, desert steppe, steppe, forest steppe, high mountain. Special features: one of ten study areas in the world selected by International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme for global change research. Large saline lake, fringed by high mountain ranges, northernmost extension of the Central Asian desert. Size and location: 771,000 hectares divided into four separate protected areas, including Uvs Lake, Turgen Mountains, the Altan Els "golden sands," and Tsagaan Shuvuut Mountain; Uvs Province. Established: 1994.
By surface area, the saltwater Uvs "Nuur" is Mongolia's largest lake, at 335,000 hectares. Lying in desert and desert steppe at an altitude of 759 meters above sea level, the shallow lake drains a large area but has no outlet. Large marshes fringe the northern parts of the lake, while sand dunes border the eastern shore. Not far away, the Turgen, Tsagaan Shuvuut, and Khan Khokhii ranges rise to 2500-4000 meters. Small glaciers and permanent snow and ice cover parts of the Turgen Mountains, along with tundra, forest and forest steppe. Numerous rivers and streams flow from these ranges into Uvs and other lakes.
These contrasts create spectacular scenery and habitat for a wide array of animals and plants. The region's mammals include wolf, red and corsac fox, snow leopard, lynx, mountain weasel, steppe polecat, Siberian weasel, wild boar, musk deer, elk, roe deer, ibex, argali mountain sheep, Mongolian and black-tailed gazelle. Over 220 species of birds have been recorded in the Uvs Lake area. Numerous rare and endangered species are found here, including the Eurasian spoonbill, black stork, swan goose, bar headed goose, osprey, and white-tailed eagle. Over one hundred pairs of spoonbills nest in the area, along with great white heron, whooper swan, great black-headed gull, whiteheaded gull, and black storks. Like the land, the climate exhibits extreme contrasts. Uvs Lake experiences the coldest, warmest, and driest conditions of any place on the globe at a similar latitude. In winter, when the Central Asiatic anticyclone remains stationary above Uvs Nuur, temperatures of -40ºC are common, and temperatures as low as -58ºC have been recorded. In summer, the basin heats up, reaching temperatures as high as 40ºC.	Asiatic Ibex Capra sibirica Ibex are a species of wild mountain goat that lives in rocky, steep, and generally and areas of Mongolia and Central Asia. Ibex arefound in the Mongolian Altai, Gobi Altai, Khangai, and Khovsgol area mountains. Males grow large, slightly curved horns that can exceed 60 centimeters in length in older animals. Special hooves make them excellent climbers that can ftequent extremely precipitous cliff areas. Ibex have a dark brown coat with a distinctive "beard" and silvery back. They feed on grasses, shrubs, and lichen. Threats include poachingfor horns and trophies and natural predators like wolves and eagles that prey on young ibex.