Mongol Daguur Biosphere Reserve is a nature reserve in the Dornod Aimag (Province) in eastern

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

, preserved as an example of one of the largest areas of intact grassland in the world. It covers and was designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

in 2005. Together with Ugtam Nature refuge and

Daursky Nature Reserve The Daurian Nature Reserve (Даурский заповедник ''Daurskiy zapavyednik'') is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) situated in the southern part of the Zabaykalsky Krai in Siberia, Russia, close to the border with Mongol ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

it constitutes a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

named "The Landscapes of Dauria".

History

Mongol Daguur was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2005. A biosphere reserve aims to preserve the environment while allowing local communities to be involved in sustainable development. The core area of a biosphere reserve is strictly protected, the buffer zone is used for research and similar activities, and the transition zone allows the local communities to undertake ecologically sustainable activities.

Description

Mongol Daguur has a total area of and is located between 46°06' to 46°52'N and 116°11' to 118°27'E. Its altitudinal range is between above sea level. It consists of a core area of about surrounded by a buffer zone of and a transition area of . Habitats present include temperate steppe, rocky outcrops, sand dunes and marshes. The reserve is divided into two areas. The larger, northern area lies alongside a protected area in Russia, the

. It lies to the south of

Lake Barun-Torey The Torey Lakes are a pair of soda lakes, Barun-Torey and Zun-Torey, in Russia's Zabaykalsky Krai, on the border with Mongolia (Coordinates 50°04'N, 115°31'E). Geography and hydrography The lakes lie close to one another and are connected by a ...

and consists of grass steppes and some wetlands. The smaller, southern area consists of the Ulz River basin and associated wetlands. This area is home to the rare

white-naped crane The white-naped crane (''Antigone vipio'') is a bird of the crane family. It is a large bird, long, about tall, and weighing about , with pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch. Distribution The white-naped crane br ...

(''Grus vipio'') and other species of crane. The core zone is designated as a Special Protected area and is managed for the conservation of the herds of

Mongolian gazelle The Mongolian gazelle (''Procapra gutturosa''), or dzeren (russian: Дзерэн), is a medium-sized antelope native to the semiarid Central Asian steppes of Mongolia, as well as some parts of Siberia and China. The name ''dzeren'' is Russian mis ...

(''Procapra gutturosa''). The transition areas are used for

sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism is a concept that covers the complete tourism experience, including concern for economic, social and environmental issues as well as attention to improving tourists' experiences and addressing the needs of host communities. Su ...

, and for grazing livestock, the culling of wildlife as necessary, forest maintenance, and the gathering of medicinal plants for household use by the pastoral population of about 11,800 residents.

References

{{reflist Nature reserves in Mongolia