Mongolian Gazelle
Mongolia’s eastern steppes are among the
largest remaining grasslands in the world. There, herds
of Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa) annually
migrate between their calving and wintering grounds.
These herds range in size from 35,000 to 80,000 and
provide a spectacle on par with the hordes of bison
that once roamed North America’s Great Plains.
However, over the past 50 years, Mongolian gazelle numbers
have dropped and their geographic range has shrunk to
one-third of what it was in 1950. Zoo scientists and
their colleagues are using geographic information system
(GIS) technology to map out the most productive feeding
areas along the gazelles’ migratory routes and
are pinpointing the most important areas for habitat
and gazelle conservation in hopes of stemming the gazelle
declines.
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Scientists
cover vast areas of the Mongolian steppe (above
right) to study the Mongolian gazelle (below).
More and more, the steppe is used for cattle
grazing (top left). (Peter Leimgruber / NZP / CRC) |
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ZooGoer 32(2) 2003.
Copyright 2003 Friends of the National Zoo.
All rights reserved.
