Railways, Roads and Fences Across Kazakhstan and Mongolia Threaten the Survival of Wide-Ranging Wildlife

Abstract

The temperate grasslands of Central Asia are habitat for a number of wide-ranging and endangered species such as Mongolian gazelle, saiga antelope, black-tailed gazelle and Asiatic wild ass. These species' habitat covers hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of largely ecologically intact grassland. Unless carefully planned and managed, the development of railways, highways and fences will be the catalyst for population decline and loss of important wild natural resources. 1 The temperate grasslands of Kazakhstan and Mongolia are the largest in the world and are critically important to the survival of Mongolian gazelle, Asiatic wild ass and saiga antelope. 2 Kazakhstan and Mongolia are ..