Daurian Steppe - A Global 200 Ecoregion
One of the best, most intact examples of Eurasian steppe and grasslands
Snapshot: Ecoregion 96
Size:
1,096,210 sq. km (423,246 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Geographic Location:
Eastern Asia, in China, Mongolia, and Russia
Conservation Status:
Vulnerable
Did You Know!
White-naped cranes' elaborate coutship dances include circling each other, bobbing heads and bowing are rather strange. They leap and call to one another, and are known to toss sticks or feathers in the air!
About the Area
The Daurian steppe ecoregion is made of these terrestrial ecoregions: Daurian forest steppe; Mongolian-Manchurian grassland.
It is a sea of grass that forms the best and most intact example of an undisturbed steppe ecosystem and is also one of the last areas in the Palearctic that still supports stable herds of larger vertebrates. The region has a distinct flora and fauna, with a number of endemic species.Local Species
A portion of the fauna comprises of the Pallas' cat (Felis manul), Daurian hedgehog (Hemiechinus dauricus), and Mongolian marmot (Marmot sibirica). The ecoregion supports six species of crane - White-naped (G. americana), Common (G. grus), Demoiselle (Anthropoides virgo), Siberian, Manchurian, and Hooded.
It is also home to one of two known nesting sites of the Relict gull (Larus relicta). The groundcover is dominated by feathergrasses such as Splendid (Stipa pulcherrima), Siberian (S. zalesskii), Fluffy (S. pennata), and Dwarf (S. capillata).
Typical trees include the Daurian birch (Betula davurica), Pine (Pinus sylvestris), and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica).
Threats
Overgrazing, agricultural fragmentation, mining, oil exploitation and extraction, and infrastructure development are among the most serious threats in this region. Most of these threats are concentrated along the Trans-Siberian railroad.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
