DOCSLIB.ORG

From Feast to Famine on the Steppes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
From Feast to Famine on the Steppes From feast to famine on the steppes D AVID P. MALLON The Eurasian steppes, the grasslands extending from with recent fragmentation and population declines Hungary to northern China, are grazed by a suite of endemic (Kholodova et al., ). Two key attributes of the saiga ungulates that include Przewalski’s horse Equus ferus, wild are the horns of the males, which are valued in traditional ass Equus hemionus, goitred gazelle Gazella subgutturosa, Asian medicine, and that females can mate at – months Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa and saiga antelope and commonly bear twins, and thus the species is capable Saiga tatarica. This ecosystem—a biodiversity coldspot of rapid population increases. Tragically, however, exces- (Entwistle, )—has been fragmented and degraded sive hunting reduced herds numbering in the millions to through overgrazing and conversion to agriculture. Much c. , by the early th century. The species received of the literature on this ecosystem is in Russian but valuable legal protection in , however, and benefited from sub- contributions in English were made by two of the greatest sequent protection measures (Dementiev, ; Bannikov, authorities on the ecology of this region. Dementiev () ). The scale of the recovery was spectacular (Linnard, reviewed wildlife conservation in the USSR, and Bannikov ): by saiga numbers had reached , in () underlined the importance of the expanding system Russia and ,, in Kazakhstan, with harvests resum- of zapovedniks (strict nature reserves) in the recovery of spe- ing in and , respectively, on an industrial scale; cies that had been depleted by overhunting, including the west of the Volga ,–, saiga were harvested saiga antelope. per year during –. Quotas were set to avoid over- Both the Mongolian gazelle and saiga antelope have been harvesting of males, and the regulated harvest continued hunted for their meat, hides and the horns of the males, and until . Soon after, however, came the first indications in more recent times they have been exploited for com- that all was not well, with reports from Russia of a popu- mercial harvests. Crawford () advocated the saiga as lation decline and excessive poaching of males (Milner- an ideal species for a sustainable, large-scale harvest. Gulland, ). Although both species are susceptible to mass die-offs The dissolution of the USSR in and the switch from disease and extreme weather, their fortunes have di- from a centralized to a market economy resulted in the verged. The nomadic Mongolian gazelle still dwells in huge withdrawal of subsidies and protected area budgets, the herds on the Daurian steppes of eastern Mongolia and neigh- collapse of nature protection systems, and an economic bouring areas of China and Russia. Although its range is only crisis. International borders opened up, enhancing the op- c. % of its former extent in China as a result of uncontrolled portunities for trading saiga horn. The impact was cata- hunting (Wang et al., ) and has shrunk similarly in strophic: poachers flooded into saiga range to obtain Mongolia, numbers remain high, with estimates of , horns, and large numbers were killed locally for meat. in and . million in (Lhagvasuren & Milner- The largest population fell to %ofits size and Gulland, ). A – survey estimated the population other populations also suffered large reductions to be ,–,, (Olson et al., ), and a herd of (Milner-Gulland et al., ). Evidence from Russia pointed c. , was recorded in (Olson et al., ). to selective harvesting, with a small proportion of adult males Such wide variations in numbers illustrate the logistical and many females without young, bringing the population and methodological issues involved in estimating the popu- close to reproductive collapse (Milner-Gulland et al., ). lation size of ungulates that have extensive ranges and The full scale of the disaster, and the response, was set clumped distributions. These issues are often compounded out by Arylov et al. (). Most populations of saiga by poor study design, inadequate sampling, and failure to were declining, with that in Kazakhstan having fallen to appreciate sources of error and bias or to account for detect- , in .In saiga moved directly from the lowest ability (Singh & Milner-Gulland, ). category of threat on the IUCN Red List to the highest, There are five saiga populations, and the Mongolian Critically Endangered, and a Convention on Migratory subspecies S. tatarica mongolica, which is isolated by the Species Saiga Memorandum of Understanding and action Altai mountains, is genetically distinct, whereas the other plan were developed. Substantial investments were made populations (of S. tatarica tatarica), in Kalmykia, Russia, in anti-poaching, aerial surveys, and protected areas in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are polyphyletic, consistent Kazakhstan, and an emergency decree was passed in Russia, actions supported by national and international NGOs and by CITES. DAVID P. MALLON Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St., Manchester, M1 5GD, UK For the Endangered Mongolian saiga, Young et al. E-mail [email protected] () estimated , and , in and , Oryx, 2016, 50(2), 189–190 © 2016 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S003060531600017X Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.226, on 27 Sep 2021 at 18:55:32, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060531600017X 190 David P. Mallon respectively, although the confidence intervals were wide. Acknowledgements The most recent population estimate is c. , and, al- though the use of different census methods precludes dir- I thank Martin Fisher and E.J. Milner-Gulland for their ect comparisons with previous surveys, the population comments and critiques. may be growing (Milner-Gulland, ). A target of , Mongolian saiga by ,setina conserva- tion planning workshop (WCS, ), could therefore be References attained. As a result of conservation measures S. tatarica tatarica ARYLOV.,Y.,BADMAEV, V., BEKENOV, A., CHIMEG, J., ENTWISTLE, A., stabilized or increased overall (Milner-Gulland, ). The GRACHEV, Y.A. et al. () The saiga antelope–teetering on the brink but still cause for hope. Oryx, , –. largest population, in Betpak-dala, Kazakhstan, grew % – – BANNIKOV,A.G.( ) Wildlife protection in the USSR. Oryx, , annually during , again demonstrating the resili- . ence of the species and the value of an internationally CRAWFORD,M.() Conservation by utilisation. Oryx, , –. supported conservation programme. This news was balanced DEMENTIEV, G.P. () Nature protection in the U.S.S.R. Oryx, , – in part by setbacks in three other populations: poaching and . — – other factors reduced saiga numbers in Russia and caused a ENTWISTLE,A.( ) Eurasia a biodiversity coldspot? Oryx, , . %decreaseinUstiurtduring–, and in May a FISHER,M.() Fall, resurrection and uncertainty: an Arabian tale. disease outbreak killed c. , saiga in the Ural population, a Oryx, , –. % loss. Nevertheless, numbers increased overall and by HOWE, C., OBGENOVA,O.&MILNER-GULLAND, E.J. () spring there were . , saiga in Kazakhstan, plus Evaluating the effectiveness of a public awareness campaign as a a few thousand in Russia. Then, in September ,another conservation intervention: the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica in Kalmykia, Russia. Oryx, , –. mass die-off occurred in Betpak-dala, with at least , KHOLODOVA, M., MILNER-GULLAND, E.J., EASTON, A.J., AMGALAN, ( % of that population) dying in weeks (Milner-Gulland, L., ARYLOV, I.A., BEKENOV,A.etal.() Mitochondrial DNA ). The cause appeared to be Pasteurella interacting with variation and population structure of the Critically Endangered as yet unidentified environmental triggers, similar to the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica. Oryx, , –. die-off in . LHAGVASUREN,B.&MILNER-GULLAND, E.J. () The status and Twice in the last years the saiga antelope has re- management of the Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa population. Oryx, , –. bounded from critically low levels following protection LINNARD,W.() The saiga. Oryx, , –. from overhunting. Only time will tell if it can recover MILNER-GULLAND, E.J. () Sustainable management of the saiga again while coping with the emerging threats of disease antelope. Oryx, , –. and environmental change but there is cause for hope MILNER-GULLAND, E.J. () Saiga antelope suffers three blows. – (Milner-Gulland, ). The other abundant species of Oryx, , . MILNER-GULLAND, E.J. () Catastrophe and hope for the saiga. the steppes, the Mongolian gazelle, is currently categorized Oryx, , –. as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List but faces a series of MILNER-GULLAND, E.J., KHOLODOVA, M.V., BEKENOV, A., potential threats that leave no room for complacency. BUKREEVA, O.M., GRACHEV, I.A., AMGALAN,L.&LUSHCHEKINA, These two species have not undergone the same crisis as A.A. () Dramatic declines in saiga antelope populations. Oryx, – that faced by the Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx, formerly ex- , . OLSON, K.A., FULLER, T.K., SCHALLER, G.B., ODONKHUU,D.& tinct in the wild (Fisher, ). However, the task is not just MURRAY,M.(). Population density of Mongolian gazelles as to prevent their extinction but also to conserve their large estimated by driving long-distance transects. Oryx, , –. herds and nomadic and migratory character, features that OLSON, K.A., MUELLER, T., BOLORTSETSEG, S., LEIMGRUBER,P., cannot be replicated in miniature or preserved in captivity. FAGAN,W.F.&FULLER, T.K. () A mega
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Goitered Gazelle
    1 of 7 Proposal II / 14 PROPOSAL FOR INCLUSION OF SPECIES ON THE APPENDICES OF THE CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS A. PROPOSAL: Inclusion of the Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa to the CMS Convention’s Appendix II B. PROPONENT: Mongolia C. SUPPORTING STATEMENT 1. Taxon 1.1. Classis: Mammalia 1.2. Ordo: Artiodactila 1.3. Familia: Bovidae 1.4. Subfamiliae: Gazellinae 1.5. Genus: Procapra 1.6. Species: Procapra gutturosa Pallas, 1777 1.7. Common names: English: Mongolian or White-tailed gazelle French: German: Mongolei-Gazelle Russian: Dzeren or Zobastaya gazel’ Spanish: Mongolian: Tsagaan dzeer 2. Biological data 2.1. Distribution At the beginning of XX century, Mongolian gazelles were noted around the north-eastern border of Kazakhstan in the Ili Basin and Irtish Valley (Antipin 1941), but they later dissappeared there completely (Afanasiev et al., 1953, cited in Bekenov et al. 2001). Mongolian gazelles were formerly found at three localities in Russian Federation along the border with Mongolia: the Chuya or Chuiiskaya steppes of the Kosh-Agach Region in the Altai; the southern part of Tuva Autonomous Republic south of the Tannu-Ula Range and the northern edge of the Uvs Nuur Basin; and southeast Transbaikalia, on the steppes between the rivers Onon and Arguni, penetrating north to about 500 30’ (Heptner et al. 1961, cited in Zhirnov 2001). They now only occur in very small numbers as sporadic visitors to one of these localities, the steppes of southeastern Transbaicalia (Zhirnov 2001, Lhagvasuren and Milner-Gulland, 1997). Former distribution of Mongolian gazelle in China extended through seven provinces of northern and northeastern China: Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Hobei, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, and Jilin (Jiang and Sung 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Central Eurasian Aridland Mammals Action Plan
    CMS CONVENTION ON Distr. General MIGRATORY UNEP/CMS/ScC17/Doc.13 SPECIES 8 November 2011 Original: English 17 th MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL Bergen, 17-18 November 2011 Agenda Item 17.3.6 CENTRAL EURASIAN ARIDLAND MAMMALS ACTION PLAN (Prepared by the Secretariat) Following COP Recommendation 9.1 the Secretariat has prepared a draft Action Plan to complement the Concerted and Cooperative Action for Central Eurasian Aridland Mammals. The document is a first draft, intended to stimulate discussion and identify further action needed to finalize the document in consultation with the Range States and other stakeholders, and to agree on next steps towards its implementation. Action requested: The 17 th Meeting of the Scientific Council is invited to: a. Take note of the document and provide guidance on its further development and implementation; b. Review and advise in particular on the definition of the geographic scope, including the range states, and the target species (listed in table 1); and c. Provide guidance on the terminology currently used for the Action Plan, agree on a definition of the term aridlands and/or consider using the term drylands instead. Central Eurasian Aridland Mammals Draft Action Plan Produced by the UNEP/CMS Secretariat November 2011 1 Content 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Vision and Main Priority Directions ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Steppe of Mongolia 2 BEST of the WILD: Wildlife Conservation Society and the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia
    BEST OF THE WILD: WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY and the EASTERN STEPPE of MONGOLIA 2 BEST OF THE WILD: WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY and the EASTERN STEPPE of MONGOLIA PHOTO CREDITS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COVER: K. OLSON; INSIDE COVER: WCS; PAGE 2: ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS; PAGE 3: G. SCHALLER; MAP: O. LKHAMJAV & R. ROSE; PAGE 5: A. WINTERS (TOP); K. OLSON (2); PAGE 7: D. TUVSHINJARGAL (TOP), ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS (2); PAGE 9: A. WINTERS; ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS; A. WINTERS; T. MUELLER; PAGE 10: A. WINTERS; PAGE 11: A. FINE (TOP), A. WINTERS (2); PAGE 13: K. OLSON; A. WINTERS. WCS AND THE EASTERN STEPPE OF MONGOLIA With its vast open plains, rolling hills and pristine wetlands, Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe is one of Asia’s last grassland wildernesses. Great migratory herds of Mongolian gazelle roam here with grey wolves, Siberian marmots, eastern moose, red deer, roe deer, corsac foxes, Pallas’ cats, and Daurian hedgehogs, alongside six of the world’s 13 crane species, and nesting popu- lations of golden eagle, steppe eagle, saker falcon, Amur falcon, red-footed falcon, lesser kestrel, and black vulture. Globally important populations of whooper swan and swan goose grace its clear lakes, while six-foot taimen—a trout called “river wolf” by local people—swim its rivers. At 110,425 square miles—more than twice the size of New York State —most of the land on the Eastern Steppe is government-owned pasture used by the 200,000 nomadic Cover: A male gazelle poised herders living in small communities dotted across the landscape.
    [Show full text]
  • Survival Probabilities of Adult Mongolian Gazelles
    The Journal of Wildlife Management; DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.640 Research Article Survival Probabilities of Adult Mongolian Gazelles KIRK A. OLSON,1,2 Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA ELISE A. LARSEN, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA THOMAS MUELLER, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; and Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft fu¨r Naturforschung, and Goethe Universita¨t Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage, 25, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany PETER LEIMGRUBER, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA TODD K. FULLER, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA GEORGE B. SCHALLER,3 Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 S Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA WILLIAM F. FAGAN, Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA ABSTRACT Mongolian gazelles are Central Asia’s most abundant plains ungulate and an iconic symbol of large unfragmented grasslands. Despite a long history of commercial harvesting and subsistence hunting by herding households, adult gazelle demographic data is almost non-existent. We calculated cause-specific mortality rates for 49 adult gazelles collared with a global positioning system. Exponential models provided better fits to survival distributions from collared gazelles than did either Weibull or Gompertz models, and yielded an overall estimated annual mortality risk of 36%. The estimated daily hazard rate from human- caused mortality was 30% greater than the hazard rate due to natural mortality alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Predicting Dynamic Habitats of Mongolian Gazelles Using Satellite-Based Estimates of Vegetation Productivity
    Journal of Applied Blackwell Publishing Ltd Ecology 2007 In search of forage: predicting dynamic habitats of Mongolian gazelles using satellite-based estimates of vegetation productivity THOMAS MUELLER*, KIRK A. OLSON†‡, TODD K. FULLER†, GEORGE B. SCHALLER‡, MARTYN G. MURRAY§ and PETER LEIMGRUBER Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, Conservation & Research Center, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA; *Behaviour, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; †Department of Natural Resources Conservation, 160 Holdsworth Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9285, USA; ‡Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA; §Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK Summary 1. Temporal variability in habitat suitability has important conservation and ecological implications. In grasslands, changes in resource availability can occur at broad spatial scales and enlarge area requirements of ungulate populations, which increases their vulnerability to habitat loss and fragmentation. Understanding and predicting these dynamics, although critical, has received little attention so far. 2. We investigated habitat dynamics for Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa Pallas) in the eastern steppes of Mongolia. We quantified the distribution of gazelles at four different time periods and tracked primary productivity using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from satellite imagery. 3. A second-order logistic model showed that NDVI was an efficient predictor of gazelle presence. We tested the predictive power of the model with independent data from a gazelle telemetry study: 85% of all relocations were found within the predicted area. 4. Gazelles preferred an intermediate range of vegetation productivity, presumably facing quality quantity trade-offs where areas with low NDVI are limited by low inges- tion rates, and areas with high NDVI are limited by the low digestibility of mature forage.
    [Show full text]
  • The Social and Spatial Organisation of the Beira Antelope (): a Relic from the Past? Nina Giotto, Jean-François Gérard
    The social and spatial organisation of the beira antelope (): a relic from the past? Nina Giotto, Jean-François Gérard To cite this version: Nina Giotto, Jean-François Gérard. The social and spatial organisation of the beira antelope (): a relic from the past?. European Journal of Wildlife Research, Springer Verlag, 2009, 56 (4), pp.481-491. 10.1007/s10344-009-0326-8. hal-00535255 HAL Id: hal-00535255 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00535255 Submitted on 11 Nov 2010 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Eur J Wildl Res (2010) 56:481–491 DOI 10.1007/s10344-009-0326-8 ORIGINAL PAPER The social and spatial organisation of the beira antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis): a relic from the past? Nina Giotto & Jean-François Gerard Received: 16 March 2009 /Revised: 1 September 2009 /Accepted: 17 September 2009 /Published online: 29 October 2009 # Springer-Verlag 2009 Abstract We studied the social and spatial organisation of Keywords Dwarf antelope . Group dynamics . Grouping the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis) in arid low mountains in pattern . Phylogeny. Territory the South of the Republic of Djibouti. Beira was found to live in socio-spatial units whose ranges were almost non- overlapping, with a surface area of about 0.7 km2.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial Patterns in Relative Primary Productivity and Gazelle Migration in the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia
    Biological Conservation 102 (2001) 205–212 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Spatial patterns in relative primary productivity and gazelle migration in the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia Peter Leimgruber a,*, William J. McShea a, Christopher J. Brookes b, Lhamsuren Bolor-Erdene b, Chris Wemmer a, Chris Larson a aNational Zoological Park, Conservation and Research Center, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA bEastern Steppes Biodiversity Project, PO Box 350, Choibalsan, Dornod, Mongolia Received 19 May 2000; received in revised form 20 December 2000; accepted 3 January 2001 Abstract The Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) of the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia shows seasonal migrations to traditional winter and calving grounds with diffuse movements during the intervening periods. We used a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from coarse-resolution satellite imagery, to map relative primary productivity of steppes between April 1992 and December 1995. Productivity peaks were variable between years, but winter and calving grounds had highest NDVI scores during periods of use by gazelles. Gazelle movements to these areas track shifts in primary productivity across the steppe. Diffuse move- ments in summer were not matched to peaks in productivity. Productivity ‘hotspots’ utilized by gazelles during critical periods in their life cycle should be first priority for conservation and the impact of livestock grazing on these areas should be evaluated. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Mongolian gazelle; Ungulate migration; Primary productivity; Steppe; NDVI 1. Introduction and a short birthing season, usually sometime between mid-June and mid-July (Lushchekina, 1990, in Lhagva- Zeer, as Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) are suren and Milner-Gulland, 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • The U.K. Hunter Who Has Shot More Wildlife Than the Killer of Cecil the Lion
    CAMPAIGN TO BAN TROPHY HUNTING Special Report The U.K. hunter who has shot more wildlife than the killer of Cecil the Lion SUMMARY The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting is revealing the identity of a British man who has killed wild animals in 5 continents, and is considered to be among the world’s ‘elite’ in the global trophy hunting industry. Malcolm W King has won a staggering 36 top awards with Safari Club International (SCI), and has at least 125 entries in SCI’s Records Book. The combined number of animals required for the awards won by King is 528. Among his awards are prizes for shooting African ‘Big Game’, wild cats, and bears. King has also shot wild sheep, goats, deer and oxen around the world. His exploits have taken him to Asia, Africa and the South Pacific, as well as across Europe. The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting estimates that around 1.7 million animals have been killed by trophy hunters over the past decade, of which over 200,000 were endangered species. Lions are among those species that could be pushed to extinction by trophy hunting. An estimated 10,000 lions have been killed by ‘recreational’ hunters in the last decade. Latest estimates for the African lion population put numbers at around 20,000, with some saying they could be as low as 13,000. Industry groups like Safari Club International promote prizes which actively encourage hunters to kill huge numbers of endangered animals. The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting believes that trophy hunting is an aberration in a civilised society.
    [Show full text]
  • Activity, Movements, and Sociality of Newborn Mongolian Gazelle Calves in the Eastern Steppe
    Acta Theriologica 54 (4): 357–362, 2009. PL ISSN 0001-7051 DOI: 10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.101.2008 Activity, movements, and sociality of newborn Mongolian gazelle calves in the Eastern Steppe Daria ODONKHUU, Kirk A. OLSON, George B. SCHALLER, Joshua R. GINSBERG and Todd K. FULLER* Odonkhuu D., Olson K. A., Schaller G. B., Ginsberg J. R. and Fuller T. K. 2009. Activity, movements, and sociality of newborn Mongolian gazelle calves in the Eastern Steppe. Acta Theriologica 54: 357–362. We hand-captured, fitted with motion-sensitive VHF transmitters, and monitored 19 newborn (1–2 days old) Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa Pallas, 1777 calves in Dornod, Mongolia during the 2000 and 2003 calving seasons to identify changes in activity, movements, and sociality with age. Overall, activity was highly variable throughout the day, regardless of age or year. Calf activity increased, however, from day 2 (age = 2 days; 18% total activity) to day 7 (29%), and 3-fold by day 25 (54%). By days 5–8, calves had moved an average of 6.6 km (range: 2–21 km) from capture sites but were still only seen alone or with their mother. By day 24–26, however, they were located an average of 41 km (range: 24–63 km) away from their capture site, and most (7 of 9) were in aggregations of >1000 animals. Mongolian gazelles do not display behaviour associated with “hiders” after about 2–3 weeks. This reflects the wide-ranging, nomadic existence of the species. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ikh Surguuliin gudamj 1, Building 2,
    [Show full text]
  • National Report of Mongolia (COP7)
    MONGOLIA/MONGOLIE CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS (CMS) MONGOLIA (NATIONAL REPORT) 2000 -2002 1 CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS (CMS) -7th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties - - Bonn, Germany, 14-28 September 2002 - I. GENERAL INFORMATION Name of Party: Mongolia Date of report: September 2002 Covered period: 2000 – 2002 Date of entry: 24 June 1999 Territory: Mongolia Reservations: None Focal point: Mr. Tserendash Damdin Director of Policy Implementation and Coordination Department. Ministry of Nature and Environment of Mongolia Tel: (+976) 1 310749 Fax: (+976) 11 321401 E-mail: [email protected] Scientific council: Dr. Badamjav Lhagvasuren Institute of Biology Mongolian Academy of Sciences Ulaanbaatar 51, Mongolia Tel: (+976) 1 453583 Fax:(+976) 11 321411 E-mail: [email protected] Prepered by: Ts.Damdin. Address: Government Building 3, Baga toiruu-44, Ulaanbaatar 11, Mongolia. 3 II. PRESENT STATEMENT National resources have exploited without any thought to ecological consequences. This has resulted in starvation and poverty. Nations are beginning to realize that the protection of nature and environment is the basis of human well being and that natural resources are not "free". Mongolia has maintained a tradition of preserving its pristine natural environment since ancient times. With majestic mountains and plateaus, forests, vast open steppes, wild deserts with desert with sand dunes and oases, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, islands and dense riparian zones, Mongolia
    [Show full text]
  • Outstanding Male Hunter of the Year Award Criteria & Form
    OUTSTANDING MALE HUNTER OF THE YEAR AWARD APPLICATION CANDIDATE NAME: EMAIL ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: YEAR OF ENTRY: NOMINATED BY: EMAIL ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: The purpose of this award is to recognize the Outstanding Male Hunter of the Year for Houston Safari Club Foundation. ENTRY CRITERIA 1. The applicant must have hunted at least 100 species across 4 continents. 2. Prospective recipients must submit their application by November 1st of the year prior to the Award being given. 3. The applicant must be 21 years of age. 4. The applicant must be a voting, active member of Houston Safari Club Foundation, in good standing. 5. The applicant must be of good character and have a known ethical hunting standard. 6. Applicants will be judged on the following categories: a. Hunting Accomplishments: Number of hunts, quality of species; difficulty of hunts b. Membership/History with Houston Safari Club Foundation: Length of time as member of HSCF; service to HSCF and our programs by attendance at annual convention; monthly meetings, club events. c. Wildlife Conservation/Education and Humanitarian Efforts 7. Please submit your entry by mail or email to: Joe Betar HSCF Executive Director Houston Safari Club Foundation 14811 St. Mary’s Lane Suite 265 Houston, TX 77079 [email protected] Houston Safari Club Foundation 14811 St. Mary's Lane, Suite 265 Houston, TX 77079 I. Please list any accomplishments of merit, special awards and related activities in the field of big game hunting that you have received. Houston Safari Club Foundation 14811 St. Mary's Lane, Suite 265 Houston, TX 77079 II.
    [Show full text]
  • A Literature Review of Mongolian Gazelle (Procapra Gutturosa) Ecology from 1998 to Present
    Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences 2010 Vol. 8(2): 15-24 A Literature Review of Mongolian Gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) Ecology from 1998 to Present Kirk A. Olson1,2 1Department of Natural Resources Conservation, 160 Holdsworth Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9285, USA 2Department of Zoology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 210646, Mongolia, e-mail: kirko@ eco.umass.edu Abstract With respect to Mongolian gazelles a great deal of new knowledge has been gained over the past 10-12 years since the last species reviews were conducted. Advances in molecular techniques have helped to clarify the status of the genus Procapra and the relationship between the three extant species within and have highlighted the high genetic heterozygosity throughout the population. New morphological studies have focused on dimorphism between the sexes and the evolutionary development and role the enlarged larynx seen in males. Mongolian gazelles have long been the subject of intense debate with respect to their role as reservoirs for pathogens such as Foot and Mouth Disease virus, but with long term collection of serum from adults and calves it has been shown that gazelles are passive recipients of a virus harbored and spread by other means. Great strides have been made in the study of Mongolian gazelle forage ecology and their overlap in diet with domestic livestock as well as better understanding the physical adaptations needed for survival in a harsh environment with long periods of low quality forage availability by switching to browsing and grazing strategies. Using satellite tracking and remote sensing technology gazelle movement patterns are much better understood.
    [Show full text]