Issue - Livestock Grazing
In recent years the number of animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle kept in Mongolia has increased dramatically, which has caused a number of conservation problems.
The increase in livestock has affected Mongolian biodiversity in a number of ways. The increase in grazing has affected the vegetation structure, with more sensitive, slower growing plants being grazed out of some areas.
The change in vegetation in turn alters the type of insects and invertebrate species in an area: if a species of insect relies on one particular type of plant, it may not be able to adapt to the changes that are occurring.
Other grazers such as deer and antelopes may be out-competed by the livestock, whereas predators may be persecuted if they attempt to prey upon a farmer’s animals.
The increase in livestock animals may also reduce the availability of water, which in an arid environment like the Gobi desert can have serious impacts on the native wild animals in a location.
