Inner Mongolia Endorheic Basins

621

Author(s)

J. Hales

Countries

China
Mongolia
China
China
China
Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia

Major Habitat Type

Xeric freshwaters and endorheic (closed) basins

Drainages flowing into

Endorheic basins

Description

Boundaries

This ecoregion includes endorheic basins in southern Mongolia and northern China that comprise the Gobi Desert. It is bounded by the Altai Mountains to the west, the Mongolian Plateau to the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Quilian Mountains to the southwest, and the Greater Kinghan Range to the east.

Justification for delineation

Delineations were determined using a bottom-up approach that employed both published and unpublished field data and expert assessment (Abell et al. 2008; Li 1981; Zhang 1995). This ecoregion comprises endorheic basins in Mongolia and China. Species are restricted to single streams or springs. The ecoregion’s delineation is based on the composition of specialized fauna adapted to a desert habitat (M. Kottelat pers. comm. 2006).

References

Abell, Robin,M.L. Thieme,C. Revenga,M. Bryer,M. Kottelat,N. Bogutskaya,B. Coad,N. Mandrak,S.C. Balderas,W. Bussing,M.L.J. Stiassny,P. Skelton,G.R. Allen,P. Unmack,A. Naseka,R. Ng,N. Sindorf,J. Robertson,E. Armijo,J.V. Higgins,T.J. Heibel,E. Wikramanayake, (2008). "Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation" BioScience 58 (5) pp. 403-414.
Li, Sizhong (1981). "Studies on zoogeographical divisions for fresh water fishes of China" Beijing, China: Science Press.
Zhang, J. M. (1995) Fishes of the Heilungjiang Heilungjiang Scientific Press : Harbin