Mongolian Red List of Reptiles and Amphibians - Web - Zoological ...

INTRODUCTION
Mongolia proudly retains large stretches of pristine wilderness, thanks to its small population
size, limited industrialisation, and traditional culture of sustainable living. As species decline
in other areas of their range, Mongolia serves as a refuge with its untouched habitats and small
population. WWF have formulated a collection of the Earth’s most diverse and representative
habitats, called the Global 200 Ecoregions, and Mongolia is included for its Daurian steppe
and Altai Sayan region (WWF, 2007). These areas are described as undisturbed habitats
that can support large herds and are home to a number of endemic species. However,
overgrazing by increasing numbers of livestock, resource extraction in the form of mining
and oil exploitation, and expanding infrastructure development associated with a shift from
a centrally planned economy to a free market economy, pose a threat to species in many
parts of the country, and co-incides with the decline of numerous species. Fortunately, the
Mongolian cultural and nomadic traditions instill a strong sense of reverence for nature and
sustainable use, and the establishment of the Ministry of Nature and Environment in 1992
has formed the cornerstone of focussed conservation efforts to retain this rich biodiversity
through changing times. The Ministry of Nature and Environment has formed collaborative
projects with international groups such as UNDP-UNEP and the Global Environment Facility,
who are currently running both the Eastern Steppe Biodiversity Project and the Conservation
of the Great Gobi Ecosystem and Its Umbrella Species Project. There are also many nongovernmental
organisations working to conserve Mongolia’s species and habitats, such
as the Snow Leopard Trust, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and WWF. Mongolia is a
signatory member of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Ministry of Nature and
Environment implement requirements through documents such as the Environmental Action
Plan and the Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan (UNDP-UNEP, 2000).
The Mongolian Biodiversity Databank project is part of the conservation of biodiversity in
Mongolia. This project has been producing the regional red list series including Mongolian
Red List of Reptiles and Amphibians, and Summery of Conservation Action Plans for
Mongolian Reptiles and Amphibians.
This Red List contains all known native Mongolian reptiles and amphibians and highlights
their status within Mongolia, accompanied by other information such as their global and
regional distribution, legal status, and dominant threats.
It also provides an excellent fi eld guide of all reptiles and amphibians found in Mongolia.
However, only those species listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered are
considered to be threatened with extinction, and are designated as offi cial Red List species.
Summary conservation action plans were also composed, providing detailed information on
all threatened reptiles and amphibians and actions necessary to ensure their future survival.
These summary conservation action plans are published in a separate document, and electronic
versions will be available through the Zoological Society of London library (http://library.zsl.
org) and www.regionalredlist.com.
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