Uvs Nuur Basin
The Uvs Nuur Basin (1,068,853 ha), is the
northernmost of the enclosed basins of Central Asia. It takes its name
from Uvs Nuur Lake, a large, shallow and very saline lake, important for
migrating birds, waterfowl and seabirds. The site is made up of twelve
protected areas representing the major biomes of eastern Eurasia. The
steppe ecosystem supports a rich diversity of birds and the desert is
home to a number of rare gerbil, jerboas and the marbled polecat. The
mountains are an important refuge for the globally endangered snow
leopard, mountain sheep (argali) and the Asiatic ibex.