Some Taxonomic Records of Aquatic Insects in the Eroo River Basin (West Khentii, Northern Mongolia)

In the Eroo basin of Mongolia, many species of aquatic insects have been recorded including five species of Diptera in the families Psychodidae, Dixidae, and Blephaceridae and 25 species across eight families of stoneflies. One species of Psychodidae, Bazarella baikalensis Wagner is reported for the first time in Mongolia while the other families are discussed and a species list is provided for the country

First Records of the Genus Paraleuctra Hanson (Plecoptera: Leuctridae) and Isoperlaflavescens Zhiltzova et Potikha (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) for the Stonefly Fauna of Mongolia

Two species of stoneflies, Paraleuctrazapekinae Zhiltzova and Lsoperlaflavescens Zhiltzova et Potikha are recorded as new for the fauna of Mongolia as well as the genus Paraleuctra is firstly recorded in Mongolia. Redescriptions of the two species are given

The Feeding Behaviour of Fish from the Upper Lake Baikal Watershed of the Eroo River in Mongolia

The upper Selenge watershed in Mongolia is home to some of the world’s unique fish species. In this study we determined the feeding behaviour of selected fish species collected from the main stream of the Eroo River and two of its upstream tributaries, the Sharlan and Bar Chuluut rivers. Using stable isotope (carbon and nitrogen) measurements combined with qualitative and literature information, we determined that taimen ( Hucho taimen ) and pike ( Esox luceus ) were the top predators in the Eroo River. They received a substantial amount of their energy from other fish species as well as terrestrial derived sources. Percent presence of biota in lenok ( Brachymystax lenok ) stomachs demonstrated they eat zoobenthos, invertebrates, fish, and terrestrial rodents. Siberian dace ( Leuciscus baicalensis) , a small forage fish collected from the Sharlan and Bar Chuluut rivers demonstrate these fish eat periphyton, zoobenthos and terrestrial invertebrates. In the Bar Chuluut tributary, lenok eat a combination of foods including zoobenthos and other fish species, while arctic grayling ( Thymallus arcticus ) fed primarily on zoobenthos. Percent frequency analysis showed the two game fish species collected from the Bar Chuluut tributary fed primarily on zoobenthos (85 % for lenok and 80 % for grayling), with 28 families and 10 orders represented in their stomachs. Interviews with families suggested local people fish for a variety of species and that there has been a decline in the catch of taimen and sturgeon ( Acipenser baeri baicalensis ) over time. Since fishing was poor below highly disturbed areas (e.g. mine sites), local people fished above mine locations or in areas least impacted by these anthropogenic impacts

Passive acoustic telemetry data for Siberian taimen (Hucho taimen Pallas 1773) in the Onon River and Balj tributary (Amur River basin, Mongolia, 2013-2014)

Hucho taimen, the world's largest salmonid, is a potadromous species that is listed as endangered in Mongolia. While mature individuals are known to have extended longitudinal movements of over 90km along main river channels, details of the seasonal movements and residency of individuals within and between tributary habitats have been largely undocumented. Therefore, the current research aimed to detect and quantify the seasonal distances moved by adult taimen (65-96 cm; n=10) within and between the Onon River (Amur River basin) and a major tributary (Balj) over 12 months using passive acoustic telemetry. The time, position, weight and length of the fish is provided here

Identifying Riparian Areas of Free Flowing Rivers for Legal Protection: Model Region Mongolia

Mongolia has globally significant biodiversity and pastoral traditions, and scarce water resources on which wildlife and people depend. Rapid growth of the mining sector is a threat to water resources and specifically river riparian zones. Mongolia has passed progressive laws for water and habitat conservation, including establishment of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and river basin governance organizations, and laws protecting the river riparian zone, but implementation has been hindered by limited technical capacity and data-scarcity, specifically because consistent, accurate maps of the riparian zone did not exist. To address this gap, WWF-Mongolia and partners developed a national delineation of riparian areas based on a spatial model, then validated this with local river basin authorities and provincial governments to designate legal protection zones. As a result, 8.2 million hectares of water protection zones including riparian areas have been legally protected from mining and industrial development in the globally significant landscapes and riverscapes of the Amur, Yenisey, and Ob Rivers headwaters, the Altai Sayan ecoregion, and the Gobi-Steppe ecosystem. These findings demonstrate a pathway for implementing broad-scale, durable legal protection of riverine wetlands through a data-driven, participatory process