Tug-Kyzylkum, Turkmenistan Photograph by Olga Pereladova   Asia: Southeastern Kazakhstan Deserts and Xeric Shrublands   34,200 square miles (88,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of West Virginia and Maryland combined Critical/Endangered

· A Forest Quilt
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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A Forest Quilt

Along the rivers of central Asia, you can find a patchwork of habitats sewn together like a quilt of biodiversity. Here, deer and gazelles can be seen bounding from dense stands of trees into bright, grassy clearings and back again to forest.

Special Features

These riparian forests, also known as tugai, are located on the floodplains of Central Asia's largest rivers, including the Syr Darya, Amu Darya, Murghab, Ili, and Naryn. Poplar, willow, and tamarisk are the most common trees. These alternate with wetlands and meadows of tall grasses and shrubs, with some plants reaching 13 feet (4 m) tall. Barberry, briar roses, and honeysuckles are some of the more common—and fragrant—shrubs found in the understory. Some thickets of trees are so completely entwined with lianas that they are impenetrable.

The Caspian tiger once roamed this ecoregion but has been extinct since the 1970s due to hunting and human settlement within its range. It is one of three extinct subspecies of tiger, while only five subspecies remain. All tigers are endangered, with only an estimated 7,700 left on the planet, including those not in the wild. It is likely that more tigers are being kept in captivity than remain in the wild.

Wild Side

Predators within this ecoregion include wolves, jungle cats, striped hyenas, and Asiatic jackals. Other common mammals found here include wild boars, long-eared hedgehogs, red foxes, and weasels. Despite its name, the common otter is one of the more rarely occuring mammals of this ecoregion, as are Indian crested porcupines and Bukhara red deer. Although many majestic and graceful mammals roam these forests, this ecoregion is dominated by creatures much smaller—including reptiles, fish, and insects. Common reptiles include the water snake, oxus (or Central Asian cobra), and diadem snake. The desert monitor (a lizard) lives here too, but it is rarely seen. Great numbers of birds come here from western Asia to spend the winter.

Cause for Concern

Overgrazing, over-harvesting, water pollution, dam construction, and the diversion of water for irrigation are just a few of the problems facing this ecoregion. A current fuel crisis has also led to a massive amount of tree felling, not only in natural forests but even along the streets of some towns. Virtually no virgin forest remains. Social and economic difficulties have led to a sharp decrease in funding for conservation activities. Some nature reserves exist, but not enough to fully protect this ecoregion’s biodiversity.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.