The Open Conservation Biology Journal

2008, 2 : 9-10
Published online 2008 April 21. DOI: 10.2174/1874839200802010009
Publisher ID: TOCONSBJ-2-9

Migration Bottlenecks, Climate, and the Conservation of Pleistocene Relicts in Central Asia

Joel Berger , Kim Murray Berger , Scott Bergen , Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar , Amanda Fine , Badamjav Lkhagvasuren , Julie K. Young and Peter Zahler
Division of Biological Sciences and WCS - Northern Rockies Field Office, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.

ABSTRACT

Land bridges once assured transcontinental connectivity, but climate-induced habitat loss resulted in the extinction of numerous North American large mammals. Using GPS technology on the formerly widespread but now endangered saiga in Mongolia, we identified a fine-scaled 5-km wide critical corridor, whose protection is critical for maintaining migration and meta-population structure.