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Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) are listed as threatened in both Mongolia and internationally. Yet, little is known about the biology and ecology of this species. Available data suggests that Argali in Mongolia are declining due to direct... more
Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) are listed as threatened in both Mongolia and internationally. Yet, little is known about the biology and ecology of this species. Available data suggests that Argali in Mongolia are declining due to direct poaching and competition with domestic livestock. We initiated several research projects to better understand and conserve the species. In this report we discuss Argali ecology using radio telemetry. We captured and radio-collared 36 Argali using drive-nets, lamb captures, and darting from 2000–2004. Fifteen collared animals have died: 2 due to capture techniques, 8 from predation, 1 from starvation and exposure, 1 from disease, 1 due to maternal neglect, and 2 of unknown causes. In addition, 1 collar ceased working and 4 others dropped off prematurely. We have collected more than 1,040 locations through mid-May 2004. The majority of the Argali were captured in the northern portion of Ikh Nart. Animals have primarily restricted their movements to that ar...
Conservation of Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) presents a significant challenge to biologists and conservation managers in Mongolia. Argali are endangered and available data suggest that their numbers are declining. However, the mechanisms... more
Conservation of Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) presents a significant challenge to biologists and conservation managers in Mongolia. Argali are endangered and available data suggest that their numbers are declining. However, the mechanisms causing this decline are poorly understood. Recent research suggests that declines in Argali sheep numbers may be due in part to competition with domestic livestock for forage. Following privatization of herd ownership in 1991, livestock numbers increased dramatically across Mongolia. With this increase, many herders expanded grazing onto more marginal rangeland resulting in increased competition with wild ungulates and displacement of Argali from their former population strongholds. Although protected areas encompass a considerable number of these strongholds, livestock grazing is permitted within all protected areas and overgrazing is an increasing concern. In this study, we examined winter pasture conditions and forage use of Argali in the Gobi Gurv...
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Group size is an important variable describing behavioural ecology of animals. A variety of factors such as habitat characteristics, life history, spatio-temporal resource dynamics, population density, predation risk, competition with... more
Group size is an important variable describing behavioural ecology of animals. A variety of factors such as habitat characteristics, life history, spatio-temporal resource dynamics, population density, predation risk, competition with kin, and social learning often determine group size in large mammals. We studied temporal dynamics of group size in Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) in a protected area in Mongolia. We measured monthly and yearly variations in typical group size and used the sexual segregation and aggregation statistic to assess sexual segregation. Ibex formed the largest groups in November and smallest groups in July. However, group sizes did not significantly differ between the sexes. There was marked sexual segregation during the summer months and within all years segregation increased with temperature. We show that grouping behaviour is a complex phenomenon and is probably determined by a combination of factors, such as species’ life history, habitat and environmenta...
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Abstract In normal sexual size dimorphism, males generally possess larger body sizes than females in vertebrates, especially birds, mammals, and some reptiles. However, most birds of prey from the orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes... more
Abstract In normal sexual size dimorphism, males generally possess larger body sizes than females in vertebrates, especially birds, mammals, and some reptiles. However, most birds of prey from the orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes have reversed sexual dimorphism (RSD) in body size (i.e., females larger than males). We investigated the degree of RSD in lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni), a small falcon breeding in Mongolia, which may contribute to a better understanding of body size variation based on gender for other birds of prey that do not have plumage dimorphism. We explored the degree of RSD between male and female lesser kestrels in a semidesert region of Mongolia by capturing and measuring 79 males and 83 females during the breeding seasons of 2007 through 2016. Our 10 years of data showed that females were significantly larger than males in five of nine measurements, with an especially high degree of RSD in body weight and bill measurements. For males, we found significant relationships between body weight and both tail length and wingspan, but no significant relationships for females. Our results support previous hypotheses raised to explain RSD in birds of prey.
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In arid regions of the developing world, pastoralists and livestock commonly inhabit protected areas, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. Conflict is inextricably linked to the ecological processes shaping relationships between... more
In arid regions of the developing world, pastoralists and livestock commonly inhabit protected areas, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. Conflict is inextricably linked to the ecological processes shaping relationships between pastoralists and native herbivores and carnivores. To elucidate relationships underpinning human-wildlife conflict, we synthesized 15 years of ecological and ethnographic data from Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Mongolia's Gobi steppe. The density of argali (Ovis ammon), the world's largest wild sheep, at Ikh Nart was among the highest in Mongolia, yet livestock were >90% of ungulate biomass and dogs >90% of large-carnivore biomass. For argali, pastoral activities decreased food availability, increased mortality from dog predation, and potentially increased disease risk. Isotope analyses indicated that livestock accounted for >50% of the diet of the majority of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and up to 90% of diet in 25% of sampled wolves (n = 8). Li...
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The disruption of animal movements is known to affect wildlife populations, particularly large bodied, free-ranging mammals that require large geographic ranges to survive. Corridors commonly connect fragmented wildlife populations and... more
The disruption of animal movements is known to affect wildlife populations, particularly large bodied, free-ranging mammals that require large geographic ranges to survive. Corridors commonly connect fragmented wildlife populations and their habitats, yet identifying corridors rarely uses data on habitat selection and movements of target species. New technologies and analytical tools make it possible to better integrate landscape patterns with spatial behavioral data. We show how resource selection functions can describe habitat suitability using continuous and multivariate metrics to determine potential wildlife movement corridors. During 2005–2010, we studied movements of argali sheep (Ovis ammon) near the Mongolia-Russia border using radio-telemetry and modeled their spatial distribution in relation to landscape features to create a spatially explicit habitat suitability surface to identify potential transboundary conservation corridors. Argali sheep habitat selection in western ...
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Prairie dog eradication negatively affects dependent wildlife. Assessing the effects of prairie dog activities on reptiles and amphibians may depend upon the efficacy of trapping designs. We compared capture rates of reptiles and... more
Prairie dog eradication negatively affects dependent wildlife. Assessing the effects of prairie dog activities on reptiles and amphibians may depend upon the efficacy of trapping designs. We compared capture rates of reptiles and amphibians on black-tailed prairie dog ...
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ABSTRACT We examined several characteristics of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in Phillips County, Montana, including slope, aspect, soils, land tenure, and distance from roads using a geographic information... more
ABSTRACT We examined several characteristics of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in Phillips County, Montana, including slope, aspect, soils, land tenure, and distance from roads using a geographic information system (GIS). Colonies exhibited significantly smaller slopes, but not significantly different aspects than did randomly located polygons. In addition, colonies were more prevalent than expected on well drained clay-loam and loam soils and on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) laud than on other soil types or on private land. Although prairie dogs commonly use roads for dispersal, distance to nearest road was not related to prairie dog density nor to colony area. These findings could be used to develop a cartographic model of preferred black-tailed prairie dog habitat useful for prairie dog monitoring and management, and for estimating prairie dog expansion potential for possible black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) reintroduction sites.
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ABSTRACT We examined several characteristics of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in Phillips County, Montana, including slope, aspect, soils, land tenure, and distance from roads using a geographic information... more
ABSTRACT We examined several characteristics of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies in Phillips County, Montana, including slope, aspect, soils, land tenure, and distance from roads using a geographic information system (GIS). Colonies exhibited significantly smaller slopes, but not significantly different aspects than did randomly located polygons. In addition, colonies were more prevalent than expected on well drained clay-loam and loam soils and on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) laud than on other soil types or on private land. Although prairie dogs commonly use roads for dispersal, distance to nearest road was not related to prairie dog density nor to colony area. These findings could be used to develop a cartographic model of preferred black-tailed prairie dog habitat useful for prairie dog monitoring and management, and for estimating prairie dog expansion potential for possible black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) reintroduction sites.
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Understanding the factors infl uencing survival of ungulate neonates facilitates successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and adaptive species management. However, kid survival of near threatened... more
Understanding the factors infl uencing survival of ungulate neonates facilitates successful management programs, particularly as they relate to population dynamics and adaptive species management. However, kid survival of near threatened Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) remains poorly understood. During 2005-2013, we captured and collared 21 ibex kids in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in southeastern Mongolia, to monitor their survival and cause-specifi c mortality. We found no diff erences in morphometric measurements between male and female kids, except body mass being males weighing more than females. A total of 11 mortalities were documented and predations by red foxes (n=5, Vulpes vulpes) and grey wolf (n=1, Canis lupus) was the leading cause of the mortalities. Known fate models indicate the monthly survival of kids best explained by body mass and fi rst month of life (April-May + weight). Monthly survival estimates ranged from 0.077 (95% CI = 0.60-0.88) in April-May to 0.97 (95% CI = 0.90-0.99) in June-March, with an annual survival rate of 0.45 (95% CI = 0.24-0.68). We found little support for the hypotheses that body mass or birth date infl uenced survival; however, our small sample size limited the power of the analyses. Overall, our results indicated that predation and other factors led to high kid mortality during the period shortly after birth. Otgonbayar, B. , Buyandelger, S., Amgalanbaatar, S. & Reading, R. P. 2017. Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica) neonatal kid survival and morphometric measurements in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. Mong. J. Biol. Sci., 15(1-2): 23-30.
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Competition often occurs between sympatric species that exploit similar ecological niches. Among canids, competition may be reduced by partitioning resources such as food, time, and habitat, but the mechanisms of coexistence remain poorly... more
Competition often occurs between sympatric species that exploit similar ecological niches. Among canids, competition may be reduced by partitioning resources such as food, time, and habitat, but the mechanisms of coexistence remain poorly understood, particularly among fox species. We described the food habits of two foxes that live sympatrically across northern and central Asia, the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) and red fox (V. vulpes), by analyzing scats collected during a field study in Mongolia. We analyzed 829 corsac and 995 red fox scats collected from April 2005 to August 2007 and tested the extent to which food partitioning occurred. The diets of both species consisted mainly of insects followed by rodents, but also included birds, reptiles, large mammal remains (carrion), plant material (including fruits and seeds), and garbage. Despite high overlap in the proportion of food items consumed, differences existed between species in overall diet with corsacs more frequently consuming beetles, but proportionally fewer crickets and large mammal remains than red foxes. We detected interspecific differences during the pup rearing and dispersal seasons, when prey was abundant, but not during the breeding season, when prey was scarce and diet overlap highest. Each species' diet also differed seasonally and exhibited moderate overall breadth. Corsacs consumed proportionally more beetles and rodents during pup rearing and crickets during dispersal relative to other seasons, whereas red foxes consumed proportionally more crickets during pup rearing and dispersal and more rodents and large mammals during pup rearing and breeding relative to other seasons. Our results suggest that partitioning of food resources during most of the year facilitates coexistence, and that the potential for competition is highest during winter months.
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Red (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac foxes (V. corsac) live sympatrically throughout most of Mongolia, but few details of their home range characteristics exist. We captured and radio-tagged 13 red fox (♂ = 5, ♀ = 8) and 15 corsac foxes (♂ = 8,... more
Red (Vulpes vulpes) and corsac foxes (V. corsac) live sympatrically throughout most of Mongolia, but few details of their home range characteristics exist. We captured and radio-tagged 13 red fox (♂ = 5, ♀ = 8) and 15 corsac foxes (♂ = 8, ♀ = 7) between 2004 and 2008. We tracked their movements to estimate home range sizes and examined the effects of four factors on home range size, including sex, age, season, and year. We determined mean home range size for 12 red and 10 corsac foxes that had suffi cient data using fi xed kernel methods. Mean home range size (90 % kernel) was 15.4 ± 2.2 SE km 2 for red foxes and 4.5 ± 0.8 SE km 2 for corsac foxes. Core areas within home ranges (50 % kernels) averaged 3.59 ± 0.68 km 2 for red foxes and 1.43 ± 0.32 km 2 for corsac foxes. Home ranges varied by sex, age, season, and year for both species and we found signifi cant effects of sex among corsacs, with males occupying larger ranges than females; age among red foxes, with adults occupying larger ranges than yearlings; and year among red fox home ranges. We believe that resource availability probably infl uenced patterns of home range variability along with the signifi cant variables we found. Our results provide among the fi rst quantitative estimates of red and corsac fox home range size in Mongolia and a baseline for developing management and conservation actions.
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Research Interests: Red Fox and Vulpes vulpes
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Research Interests: Health Promotion, Health Behavior, Domestic Violence, Child health, Health inequality, and 22 moreSocial Justice, Child Welfare, Public Health, Social Class, Social Inequality, Humans, Child, Female, Community health nursing, Male, Infant, Data Collection, Newborn Infant, Great Britain, Parents, Health Problems, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Breast feeding, Cross sectional Study, Public Health Medicine, and Child Health Services
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Social Policy, Epidemiology, Poverty, and 31 moreChild health, Statistical Analysis, Nonlinear dynamics, Child Care, Public Health, England, Social Science & Medicine, Humans, Accidents, Multilevel modelling, Female, Male, Population based study, Regression Analysis, Infant, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Newborn Infant, Risk Factor, Maternal Age, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Retrospective Studies, Multilevel Analysis, Young Children, Preschool Children, Risk Factors, Wounds and Injuries, Accident Prevention, Nino, and Information System
... upgrade their performance is necessary. We have chosen to high-light a few of what we consider" best prac-tices," each of which could be improved through evaluation and refinement. Outcome-driven initiatives While the... more
... upgrade their performance is necessary. We have chosen to high-light a few of what we consider" best prac-tices," each of which could be improved through evaluation and refinement. Outcome-driven initiatives While the federal ...
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We conducted ground and aerial surveys of argali in Dundgobi, Dornogobi and Umnugobi of the South Gobi region of Mongolia. Ground surveys were conducted by vehicle and on foot, while aerial surveys were conducted using two Soviet AN-2... more
We conducted ground and aerial surveys of argali in Dundgobi, Dornogobi and Umnugobi of the South Gobi region of Mongolia. Ground surveys were conducted by vehicle and on foot, while aerial surveys were conducted using two Soviet AN-2 aircraft flying 40 km parallel transects. The interactive computer programme Distance was used to estimate population size and density.
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Argali sheep Ovis ammon in Mongolia are highly sought by foreign hunters because of their impressive size and long, spiraling horns. To be sustainable, hunting programs must be well managed and have the support of local communities.... more
Argali sheep Ovis ammon in Mongolia are highly sought by foreign hunters because of their impressive size and long, spiraling horns. To be sustainable, hunting programs must be well managed and have the support of local communities. Argali numbers in Mongolia seems to be declining rapidly due primarily to poaching and competition with domestic livestock, which have increased over the past decade. Laws, regulations, and revenue disbursement associated with argali trophy hunting in Mongolia are described. Argali trophy hunting is lucrative and the number of argali licenses and hunting organizations has been increasing over the past decade. Controversy surrounds the program. This controversy has been manifested in growing local opposition and accusations of corruption by the media. To help address this controversy, we suggest a reform of argali trophy hunting management in Mongolia that will better conserve the argali, as well as enjoy enduring public support. A reformed trophy hunting...
The Pallas’ cat Otocolobus manul is a unique, arid-adapted cat that ranges across the steppes of Central Asia. Known to occur from Tibet in the south to Siberia in the north, the Pallas’ cat inhabits a wide variety of grassland,... more
The Pallas’ cat Otocolobus manul is a unique, arid-adapted cat that ranges across the steppes of Central Asia. Known to occur from Tibet in the south to Siberia in the north, the Pallas’ cat inhabits a wide variety of grassland, semidesert, and desert habitats (Heptner & Naumov 1992). Despite its range, little is known of the ecology or behaviour of the species and few details exist on its population and conservation status. The paucity of information on the species poses considerable challenges to wildlife managers and conservationists in Asia.
We present a checklist of mammal species recorded in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag from August 2004 to August 2007 to add to existing knowledge about mammal distribution in Mongolia. We recorded the presence of mammals through... more
We present a checklist of mammal species recorded in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag from August 2004 to August 2007 to add to existing knowledge about mammal distribution in Mongolia. We recorded the presence of mammals through opportunistic observations and live captures as part of on-going research projects in the reserve. We recorded 33 mammal species representing seven orders, 15 families, and 28 genera. Rodentia (n=14 species) represented the most speciose order and Perissodactyla (n=1 species) the least speciose. Of mammals present, one third are classifi ed as IUCN threatened or near threatened in Mongolia, fi ve are listed in CITES appendices, and six are categorized as rare under the Mongolian Law on Fauna. Ikh Nart reserve harbors a quarter of the native mammal species known to occur in Mongolia, yet its size covers <0.05% of the country’s land area. Given the high diversity, high proportion of declining species, and small land area of the reserve, we suggest ...
Introduction Since 2003 the Denver Zoological Foundation and Mongolian Academy of Sciences have been conducting research into the ecology of Eurasian Black Vultures Aegypius monachus in the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (Ikh Nart) in... more
Introduction Since 2003 the Denver Zoological Foundation and Mongolian Academy of Sciences have been conducting research into the ecology of Eurasian Black Vultures Aegypius monachus in the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (Ikh Nart) in southeastern Mongolia. The Eurasian Black Vulture is Palaearctic in distribution, with a range extending from Spain in the west to southeastern Siberia, Mongolia, and China (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). Throughout much of their distribution these vultures do not appear to migrate (Meyburg & Meyburg 1983, Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). However, using satellite radio-telemetry, Gavashelishvili and McGrady (2006) recorded long range movements of a single bird that fledged in Georgia and then travelled south to Saudia Arabia before travelling north into Russia. Abdusalyamov (1971) noted that at least some birds migrate from the breeding grounds in winter in Tajikistan (and Shibnev (1989) reported vultures appearing during the winter in former Soviet far east....
We studied the nesting ecology and movement patterns of Eurasian black vultures (Aegypius monachus) nesting in and near Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia. From 2003 till 2009, we monitored nesting pairs from incubation to... more
We studied the nesting ecology and movement patterns of Eurasian black vultures (Aegypius monachus) nesting in and near Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia. From 2003 till 2009, we monitored nesting pairs from incubation to fledging and compared nesting success for pairs nesting on rocks and trees. We captured chicks just prior to fledging to apply leg bands and wing tags. We also captured adults in June and attached solar-powered global positioning system (GPS)/satellite telemetry units, leg bands, and wing tags. We collected re-sighting data on marked birds opportunistically and telemetry data on tagged birds. We moni-tored 363 nesting pairs from 2003 to 2009. Most nesting failures occurred during the ~ 55 day incubation period. Overall, 50.9 % of nesting pairs raised a chick to fledgling. Nesting substrate (i.e., rock or tree) did not influence nesting success. Between 2006 and 2009 we received re-ports of sightings for 21 individual birds and on 37 occasions (n = ...
Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females... more
Changes in red fox home range size in relation to environmental and intrinsic factors were studied using radio-telemetry during 2006–2008 in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, southeastern Mongolia. We captured a total of 12 red foxes (8 females and 4 males) and fi tted them with VHF radio-collars. Marked animals were tracked up to fi ve times a week to estimate home ranges. We also trapped small mammal and insects in different biotopes for 3 years to estimate relative abundance of prey. Our results showed that mean individual home range sizes varied widely and differed among years. There was variation in home ranges between adults versus juveniles, but no signifi cant difference was found between males versus females. In addition, mean home range size did not differ seasonally for pooled years. Variation in home ranges was best explained by a model that included covariates of year and age. We suggest that spatiotemporal changes in resource availability across years infl uenced home range dyn...
Critically endangered wild camels (Camelus ferus) survive in just four more or less isolated populations in Mongolia and China (Reading et al. 1999). In 1975, Mongolia established the Great Gobi " A " Strictly Protected Area... more
Critically endangered wild camels (Camelus ferus) survive in just four more or less isolated populations in Mongolia and China (Reading et al. 1999). In 1975, Mongolia established the Great Gobi " A " Strictly Protected Area (GGSPAA) to help conserve the unique Gobi ecosystem and its rare flora and fauna, such as the wild camel (Camelus ferus) and Gobi bear (Ursus arc-tos). Subsequently, China created the Lob Nur Wild Camel Conservation National Natural Reserve in Xinjiang (Uigur Autonomous Region) and the Wild Camel Conservation Natural Reserve in Annanba (Gansu Province). At present, an unknown number of wild camels inhabit these reserve areas. We have also a poor understanding of the factors limiting wild camel populations, primarily due to the difficulty of studying such wide-ranging animals that inhabit such harsh environments. That said, researchers have hypothesized that several factors may negatively influence wild camels, including poor reproduction, global climat...
Data on research participants and populations frequently include race, ethnicity, and gender as categorical variables, with the assumption that these variables exert their effects through innate or genetically determined biologic... more
Data on research participants and populations frequently include race, ethnicity, and gender as categorical variables, with the assumption that these variables exert their effects through innate or genetically determined biologic mechanisms. There is a growing body of research that suggests, however, that these variables have strong social dimensions that influence health. Socioeconomic status, a complicated construct in its own right, interacts with and confounds analyses of race/ethnicity and gender. The Academy recommends that research studies include race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status as explanatory variables only when data relevant to the underlying social mechanisms have been collected and included in the analyses.