The Khan Khentey Strictly Protected Area

2.2.1 Geographic location, topography and hydrology

The Khan Khentey Strictly Protected Area (KKSPA), situated in the northeast of Mongolia, was founded in 1992 (Fig. 2.3). This huge uninhabited area, stretching from the Russian border to the northeast of Ulaanbaatar, lies between 48°N and 49°N and extends from 107°E to 110°E. It covers 1.2 million ha and is the fourth largest protected area in Mongolia (MYAGMARSUREN 2000). Compared with the protected boreal ecosystems in Europe, it is as large as the complete protected forests of

Fennoscandia (VON VELSEN-ZERWECK 2002). Under the cooperation of the Göttingen University and the Ulaanbaatar University, in 1999 the research station Khonin Nuga was established by the side of the Eröö river in the western buffer zone of the KKSPA (Fig. 2.3).

The KKSPA comprises the rugged Khentey mountains, a northeast-southwest branch of Transbaikal mountain range. The terrain undulates from around 900 m at the river valleys to almost 2800 m at the highest peak (MNE & WWF 1994). As the region where the watersheds of the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean intersect, it plays important hydrological roles. In the western part of the area, the rivers Eröö, Minsh

Fig. 2.3 The location of Khan Khentey Strictly Protected Area and research station Khonin Nuga (after MNE & WWF 1994).

and Tuul originate. These rivers form the headwaters of the Selenge river, which is the major inflow of the Baikal Lake. Thus the KKSPA is interlinked with the largest and oldest freshwater lake on earth (MÜHLENBERG et al. 2001). In the eastern part, the rivers Onon and Cherlen run eastwards through the eastern steppes of Mongolia, then pour into the Amur river, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. Therefore the KKSPA is crucial in nourishing the large area of Mongolia’s eastern steppes with precious water resource (VON VELSEN-ZERWECK 2002).

2.2.2 Climate

Situated more than 1400 km away from the closest ocean, the climate of the Khentey mountains is strongly continental. Under the influence of the Siberian high pressure, the winter is cold, clear and dry with little snowfall. In summer, the warm air from Central Asia meets the cold air of the north, and the precipitation increases. Thus the climate of the KKSPA is characterised by moderate, humid, short summer and cold,

Khan Khentey Strictly Protected Area River

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park National boundary

Buffer zone Aimag boundary

Research station Khonin Nuga

dry, long winter. The mean temperature in July is about 12°C. In January, the mean temperature averages -24°C, but can drop to the extreme of -45°C. The annual precipitation reaches 400-500 mm in the higher zone, which is one of the

precipitation-richest areas in Mongolia. 80% of the precipitation falls in July and August (DÖLLE et al. 2002).

The local climate varies greatly according to elevation and aspect. Temperature drops and precipitation rises with increasing altitude. The northern slopes are the windward side in the region, while the southern slopes expose to the sun. Therefore the northern slopes are cooler and have relatively higher precipitation. These variations shape the characteristic mosaic of vegetation cover (DULAMSUREN 2004).

2.2.3 Vegetation types

The KKSPA defines the southern edge of Siberian taiga and is the transition zone where the vast Siberian taiga meets the broad Central Asian steppe. This region belongs predominantly to the mountain taiga zone, with the mountain forest steppe in the south and the alpine zone at the high peaks (LAVRENKO 1979).

The mountain taiga zone surrounding Khonin Nuga is classified into three groups: the upper mountain level at the elevation 1200-1600 m, the lower mountain level at 900-1300 m and the riparian vegetation at the riverside (DULAMSUREN 2004). The upper mountain level is covered by dark mountain taiga mainly dominated by Siberian pine.

In the lower mountain level, forests cover only the northern slopes, while shrubs or herbs occupy the drier southern slopes. In more shaded and humid stands with fertile soil, the forests of the northern slopes is dark mountain taiga dominated by Siberian spruce Picea obovata and Siberian fir Abies sibirica. The most widespread forest type is, however, light subtaiga, consisting mainly of whitespire birch Betula platyphylla and Siberian larch Larix sibirica. The riparian vegetation appears in diverse forms, including riparian forests, bushes and riverine meadows. The riparian forest is dominated by birch, spruce, Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, laurel poplar Populus laurifolia or willow Salix spp. depending on soil conditions (DÖLLE et al. 2002, DULAMSUREN 2004).

2.2.4 Bird community

In the whole Khentey mountains, 253 bird species have been recorded, among which 180 species breed in the area (BOLD 1984). 185 species of 38 families have been registered around Khonin Nuga, with 137 species as breeding birds (WICHMANN &

POKROVSKAYA 2004). The high number of breeding species is contributed by the high habitat diversity and naturalness (WICHMANN 2001).

The biogeographic component of breeding bird community is primarily Palaearctic (45%). The rests are composed mainly of Holarctic (17%), Central-and-East Asian (14%) and Southeast Asian (14%) species. Main bird species in the open area are Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala, Yellow-breasted Bunting E. aureola, Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus, Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus and Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus. Dominant species in the most prevalent forest type, the birch-larch forest, are Willow Tit Parus montanus, Nuthatch Sitta europaea, Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, P. auroreus, Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni and Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus (WICHMANN 2001).