A Bacia de Ubs Nuur, que cobre uma área de
mais de um milhão de hectares, é a bacia fechada mais setentrional da Ásia
Central.
Tira o seu nome ao grande lago de Ubs Nuur,
pouco profundo e muito salgado, que desempenha um papel muito importante na vida
das aves migratórias, tanto fluviais e lacustres como marinhas.
O sítio, dividido em doze áreas protegidas,
compreende uma vasta gama de ecossistemas que representam os principais biomas
da Eurásia oriental.
O ecossistema das estepes alberga uma
grande variedade de aves e nas zonas desérticas vivem ratos do deserto
(jerbilos), jerboas e uma espécie rara de doninhas marmóreas. As zonas montanhosas
servem de refúgio ao leopardo das neves, espécie em vias de extinção, bem como
a ovelhas da montanha (argalis) e o ibex asiático.
FR:
Le
Bassin d’Ubs Nuur, qui couvre une surface de plus de un million d’hectares, est
le bassin fermé le plus septentrional d’Asie centrale. Il tire son nom de l’Ubs
Nuur, un grand lac peu profond et très salé, qui joue un rôle important dans la
vie des oiseaux migrateurs, tant aquatiques que marins. Le site, divisé en
douze aires protégées, comprend une vaste gamme d’écosystèmes qui représentent
les principaux biomes de l’Eurasie orientale. L’écosystème steppique
entretient une riche diversité d’oiseaux et le désert un certain nombre de
gerbilles, gerboises et putois marbrés rares. Les montagnes sont d’importants
refuges pour le léopard des neiges (une espèce menacée), l’argali et le
bouquetin d’Asie.
EN:
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.
Outstanding Universal Value
Criterion (ix): The remote and enclosed salt lake system of Uvs Nuur
with its high degree of naturalness is of international scientific importance
due to its large-scale undisturbed climatic, hydrological and ecological
processes and phenomena. Because of the relatively stable past and contemporary
pastoral use of the grasslands and the absence of conversion or major human
impacts over thousands of years, it constitutes a unique field site for a great
variety of subjects, including research into the ongoing development of Uvs
Nuur and other smaller lakes within the basin, and the still intact processes
of long term lake salinisation and eutrophication. In addition to important
past and current research efforts on both sides of the border and in
recognition of its unique geophysical and biological characteristics, the Uvs
Nuur Basin has also been selected as a field site for the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGPB), a global effort to monitor and understand
global change.
Criterion (x): The serial property conserves the most valuable areas
representing the much larger Uvs Nuur Basin, across an enormous range of
ecosystems and habitats, including along a major altitudinal gradient. The
diversity represents the major biomes of Central Asia with a corresponding
floral and faunal diversity. There are important areas of different forest
types and highly specialized vegetation in high altitudes, tundra systems and
dry land ecosystems, including species and communities adapted to saline
conditions. The more than 550 higher plants include relict species and a number
of plants endemic to Mongolia and the Tuva Republic, with five species endemic
to the lake basin. The various ecosystems support a rich faunal diversity, such
as the argali sheep, Siberian ibex, Pallas's cat and the elusive and globally
endangered snow leopard. The numerous rodents are of major ecological
importance and include two vulnerable jerboa species and gerbil. The many
ecological niches are occupied by an impressive density of breeding raptors.
The property is also of major importance for waterfowl, as well as a stepping
stone in the bird migration between Siberia and wintering ranges in China and
South Asia.
UNESCO site:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/769 »
