Mongolia, the world’s least densely populated country, harbours vast natural landscapes and pristine mountain ranges. At a mean altitude of 1,500 metres, no part of terrestrial Mongolia is located lower than 518 metres. In northern Mongolia a mixture of different plant communities occur as the steppe transitions over several hundred kilometres into the Siberian taiga. Mongolia’s mountainous profile has a large influence on the richly diverse plant and animal life of this region. The most southern taiga outposts are limited to higher elevations and north facing slopes, whereas lower elevation and southern slopes are covered by steppe vegetation. This diverse landscape however is increasingly in danger due to different kinds of anthropogenic impact.
