Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve (18504)
Mongolia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: 45.7167, Longitude: 108.6333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1200 to 1200
Area of KBA (km2): 665.202
Protected area coverage (%): 99.58
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Ikh Nartiin Chuluu is located 300 km southeast of Ulaanbaatar in Dalanjargalan and Airag soums, Dornogobi aimag. The site is an ‘island’ of rocky terrain and canyons, rising up from the surrounding desert steppe. Willow and elm trees grow among the rocks and ravines. Freshwater springs supply the Ikh Nart valley, where there are many streams and ponds. Khalzan, a historical spar, is located in the northwest of the site. This area is an important winter shelter for local people and their livestock. There are many abandoned mines at the site, which, in the absence of rehabilitation activities, have contributed to soil erosion. Disturbance, poaching and pollution from artisanal mining are the main threats to biodiversity at the site. Livestock and human waste are polluting the freshwater springs, while illegal hunting and domestic dogs are threatening the populations of wild ungulates.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: The site supports one Globally Threatened bird species, Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni (VU), as well as the Near Threatened Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus (NT). The site also supports an assemblage of species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and desert biome. Non-bird biodiversity: Several Globally Threatened mammals occur at the site, including Argali Ovis ammon (NT), Siberian Ibex Capra sibirica, Goitered Gazelle Gazella subgutturosa (VU), Mongolian Gazelle Procapra gutturosa and Asiatic Wild Ass Equus hemionus (EN). In winter, hundreds of Mongolian Gazelle remain in the area.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 50 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 50 |