Altai-Sayan, Eurasia

Abstract

The high mountains of the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion are centered on the borders of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China, in the heart of Eurasia. One of the challenges of incorporating climate change adaptation into conservation action is that temperature and precipitation forecasts vary somewhat across the Altai-Sayan. Understanding how this will affect ecosystem services and species such as the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) and argali sheep (Ovis ammon), the largest of the native sheep, has led to the recent establishment of enhanced monitoring and global change-research programs. At the same time, establishment of a transboundary Mega Connectivity Conservation Corridor has risen as a priority that will likely help many species in the region during this time of climate change, and work is ongoing to make this transboundary corridor a conservation reality.