Protecting the wild nature and biodiversity of the altai-sayan ecoregion

Abstract

THE ALTAI-SAYAN ECOREGION is one of the 200 priority areas identified by World Wide Fund for Nature for biodiversity conservation. Named after the Altai and Sayan Mountains, this region covers more than 1 million square kilometers of mountains, steppes, and forests in the very center of Eurasia, overlaying the intersection of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China (see map). Altai-Sayan is the birthplace of two of the world’s ten largest rivers—the Ob’ and the Yenisey, with watersheds covering over 5.5 million square kilometers. These rivers are crucial for the quality and health of freshwater ecosystems for an area as large as Europe. Additionally, six freshwater and saline Great Lakes of Mongolia cover 100,000 square kilometers of the ecoregion.