Hustai Nuruu Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2002, in Mongolia. The Hustai Nuruu Biosphere Reserve lies about 100 km south-west of Ulaanbaatar. It comprises mainly steppe ecosystems, with some taiga forests and alpine vegetation. The reserve aims to preserve threatened steppe and forest steppe ecosystems that elsewhere have been degraded by over-exploitation. It is also noted for the successful reintroduction of the endemic Przewalski’s horse (Equus przewalskii). This horse became extinct in the wild in the 1960s and now helps to restore the steppe ecosystem. As a flagship species, it also increases environmental awareness across Mongolia.