This document discusses the impacts that roads and railroads can have on migratory Mongolian gazelles. It notes that gazelle annual ranges can be over 35,000 square kilometers, but their migration has been disrupted by increasing infrastructure development. Satellite tracking of gazelles shows changes in their movement patterns due to roads and railroads cutting through their habitat. Over 200 gazelle carcasses were found along a 630 km stretch of railroad in 2005. The document outlines potential impacts such as mortality from collisions and disruption of migration routes. It also presents measures that can help mitigate these impacts, such as wildlife passages over or under infrastructure to allow continued movement.

1. Impacts of roads on wildlife:
Mongolian gazelle
B. Buuveibaatar, wildlife biologist
Wildlife Conservation Society

2. • Largest remaining temperate grassland
• > 9% of this grassland under protection
Single gazelle’s
annual range
35,000 km29,000 km25,000 km2
36,000 km2
Eastern steppe
500,000 km2
Dakota prairie Greater
Yellowstone
Serengeti
Mara

3. Dynamic habitat of Mongolian gazelles
Source: Mueller et al. 2007

4. Change in distribution
of Mongolian gazelle
1930
1965
1995
Source: Reading et al. 1998

5. ARGOS system
Satellite tracking of Mongolian gazelle movement

6. Source: Ito et al. 2013
Movements of satellite collared Mongolia gazelles

7. Movements of satellite collared Mongolia gazelles
Source: Ito et al. 2013

8. In 2005, 241 gazelle carcasses
recorded, along 630 km of the
railroad, estimated to have died
< 12 months (Ito et al. 2008).

9. STATE POLICY ON RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION
(Parliament Resolution No.32, June 24, 2010)
Phase I - 1100 km
Phase II - 900 km
Phase III - 3600 km
Existing railways
New railway project

10. Potential impacts of railroads to migratory ungulates

11. Potential impacts of paved roads to migratory ungulates

12. Measures to mitigate impacts of existing railroads
15 cm
100 cm
35 cm
50 cm
65 cm

13. Measures to Mitigate Impacts

14. Measures to mitigate impacts

15. Ecology transportation study tour

16. Ecology transportation study tour team

17. Post study tour workshop, 7-8 May, 2013
Contact: buuveibaatar@wcs.org
Photo by: Takehiko Y. ITo