Khangain nuruu NP

Surface area: 897,840 ha
Elevation: 1,750-4,021 m

Protection status: Fully protected by Khangain Nuruu National Park.

Site description: Khangain Nuruu National Park is spectacular landscape that represents biodiversity of Khangai mountain range. There can be found vertical vegetation belts, ranging from mountain steppe to montane forest, taiga and alpine meadow. The dominant forest types are larch, pine and mixed forests. Several rivers, flanked by dense riparian forests, originate from Khangai mountains. The major use of land is livestock grazing. There are many soum centers around the Khangai mountains. The main threats to site are pollution from mining, soil erosion, lumbering, degradation of pastureland. Poaching also puts biodiversity at risk.

Importance for birds: Globally threatened bird species such as Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), Lesser Kestrel (F. naumanni), Pallas’s Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliacal), and Falcated Duck occur at the site. The site also supports bird species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and dessert and boreal forest biome, including Ural Owl (Strix uralensis), Pallas’s Rosefinch (Carpodacus roseus), Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis), Western Capercaillie (Tetraourogallus) and Black-billed Capercaillie (T. parvirostris).

Special flora and fauna: Rare mammals such as Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica), Argali (Ovis ammon), Lynx (Felis lynx), Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Snow Leopard (Uncia uncial), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and Pallas's Cat (Felis manul) are common at the site. Rare plants and insects spcies, included in the Red Data Book of Mongolia, are can be found here.