Impact of mining related infrastructure development on
khulan movements in the SE Gobi
Petra Kaczensky & Chris Walzer
Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
October 2013
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
2
Content
1. Background .......................................................................................................................................... 4
2. Field activities in August / September 2013 ........................................................................................ 4
2.2. Collar testing and programming ................................................................................................... 4
2.2.1. Activity sensor ....................................................................................................................... 5
2.2.2. Virtual fence .......................................................................................................................... 6
2.2.3. Collar performance tests ....................................................................................................... 7
2.2.4. Summary of programming details ......................................................................................... 9
2.3. Capture ....................................................................................................................................... 10
3. First khulan data (capture end of August 2013 – 23 October 2013) ................................................. 12
3.1. Position statistics .................................................................................................................... 12
3.2. Range use ............................................................................................................................... 14
3.3. Road crossings of collared khulans ........................................................................................ 16
3.4. Observations of uncollared khulans near the OT mine site and the OT and ER road ............ 18
3.5. Summary of first data ............................................................................................................. 22
4. Implications for future work ............................................................................................................. 23
5. Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 26
6. Literature ........................................................................................................................................... 26
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
3
Figures
Fig. 1: Live testing the values for head up head down threshold for a Lotek (left) and a Vectronic
(right) collar. Values were the same for both collars as the two companies use the same
sensors and almost identical software. ........................................................................................ 5
Fig. 2: Original virtual buffer of 10 km around OT, ER and Khanbogd road (black Y‐shaped polygon)
and the final 2 km buffer along OT and ER road (white strip). ..................................................... 6
Fig. 3: Locational accuracy of stationary collars. ..................................................................................... 7
Fig. 4: GPS locations taken by 8 collars in a moving jeep (at 30‐60 km/hour) inside the virtual fence, A)
overview, B) close up. ................................................................................................................... 8
Fig. 5: GPS location interval outside and inside the virtual fence during a test dive with a jeep. .......... 9
Fig. 6: Khulan capture scenes. ............................................................................................................... 10
Fig. 7: The khulan capture team. ........................................................................................................... 11
Fig. 8: Capture locations of the 20 collared khulans. ............................................................................ 12
Fig. 9: Minimum convex polygons (MCPs) of 10 khulan captured in A) Area 1 and B) Area 2 for the
period from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013. ............................................. 15
Fig. 10: Khulan crossings of the OT and ER road from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October
2013. ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Fig. 11: Parallel walking and crossing event at the OT road during the night 22/23 October 2013. .... 17
Fig. 12: Diurnal distribution of khulan crossings from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October
2013. ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Fig. 13: Part of a larger group of ~100 khulan just outside the OT fence on 17 August 2013. ............. 19
Fig. 14: A group of ~20 khulan right next to the OT road and seemingly ignorant of passing truck
traffic. .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Fig. 15: ER road at a stretch where it is associated with a ~1m deep ditch associated with a ~1m high
heap of topsoil on the side distant from the road which seems to act as a barrier for ungulates.
..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Fig. 16: B. Buuveibaatar (WCS) and T. Purevsuren (OT) discussing and measuring road characteristics.
..................................................................................................................................................... 21
Fig. 17: Example of a khulan crossing location along the OT road very close to a livestock crossing site.
..................................................................................................................................................... 21
Fig. 18: Example of a location where khulan came close to the ER road, but did not cross. ................ 21
Fig. 19: Measurements needed to characterise the OT, ER and TT road. ............................................. 24
Tables
Table 1: Khulan captured in August 2013 in the SE Gobi of Mongolia.................................................. 11
Table 2: GPS fix rate by collar and day. ................................................................................................. 13
Table 3: Range sizes and travel distances of khulans from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23
October 2013. ............................................................................................................................. 14
Table 4: Road crossings by 9 khulans from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013. ....... 16
Appendix
Appendix 1: Field itinerary August / September 2013. ......................................................................... 28
Appendix 2: Example of collar programming file. ................................................................................. 29
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
4
1. Background
Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus; khulan in Mongolia) are among the most mobile of terrestrial
mammals, ranging over thousands of square kilometers each year, a behavior that enables them to
follow the unpredictable rainfall that characterizes the Gobi and to escape region‐specific extreme
weather events like summer droughts or “dzud” winters. Recent mining related infrastructure
development, if not carefully managed, could fragment the range of this nomadic species in
Mongolia, a range‐limiting effect that occurred previously, in the 1950s, with the development of the
trans‐Mongolian railroad.
In summer 2013 the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI), University of Veterinary Medicine,
Vienna, Austria received a grant from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to collar and monitor
20 khulan in the south‐eastern part of the Gobi (SE Gobi). The funding is administered through a
cooperative agreement with Sustainability East Asia LLC (SEA) and comes from Oyu Tolgoi (OT), the
largest mine in the region.
The goal of the khulan collaring project is to monitor space use and movement patterns, focusing on
the impact of mining‐related infrastructure and associated habitat fragmentation. The data are
intended to help identify critical khulan habitat as well as optimize the placement and design of
mitigation measures that will help them cross these barriers.
2. Field activities in August / September 2013
2.2. Collar testing and programming
Global positioning system (GPS) collars with two‐way remote communication via the Iridium satellite
phone connection (GPS‐Iridium collars) were purchased from two different companies: Lotek
Wireless Inc., Canada (IridiumTrackM 3D, http://www.lotek.com/iridium‐animal‐collars.htm) and
Vectronic Aerospace, Germany (GPS PLUS‐4 Collars, http://www.vectronic‐
aerospace.com/wildlife.php?p=GPS_Plus_Collar).
The collars were pre‐programmed by the manufacturer to collect 1 GPS location every hour and send
these locations to the researchers via the Iridium satellite system. With this programming the
batteries are expected to last for 2 years. Additional activity data is stored on board of the collars and
can be downloaded once retrieved. A small drop off device (CR2a, Telonics, USA
http://www.telonics.com/products/collarReleases/) was programmed to release all collars on 20
August 2015 – that is 2 years after deployment.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
5
2.2.1. Activity sensor
The activity sensor allows different options of data collection, but should be tested pre‐deployment
ideally on the target species and ideally calibrated via parallel direct observations of the actual
behaviour to facilitate interpretation. However, such an approach was hardly possible with khulan
and we used values previously determined for domestic horses (Schirrmann 2008) and tested these
values with one Lotek and one Vectronic collar on a domestic stallion in Mongolia.
We chose the Mode 5 – Head Angle / Acceleration Threshold: “This mode measures two parameters
and stores them in two channels:
Head Angle / Head up: Provides the ratio of measurements on the X‐axis within one sampling interval in which the head exceeds a user‐defined angle towards the vertical axis. The maximum value is 255, which equals 100% of the interval. The angle of the head towards the vertical axis is measured using gravity. This mode allows conclusions on a certain behavior by measuring the head angle. Comparative preliminary observation is necessary to determine the correct angle in each species and possibly individuals, if necessary, on related domestic species.
Acceleration: Provides the ratio of combined measurements on all three axes within one sampling interval in which the acceleration exceeds a user‐defined threshold (between 0
and 255).” (Lotek Wireless Inc. “Advanced Collar Features Activity Measurement and Activity Modes” information sheet)
The activity data is stored on board of the collar (not transmitted via the Iridium uplink), but can be
downloaded upon collar retrieval. We could confirm the validity of angle threshold with a domestic
stallion for both collars by life reading the values on a laptop connected to the collar on the horse
(Fig. 1). With our programming we should be able to identify periods where khulans have their heads
down, which if it extends over longer time periods suggests grazing and periods of inactivity which
suggests resting.
Fig. 1: Live testing the values for head up head down threshold for a Lotek (left) and a Vectronic (right) collar. Values were the same for both collars as the two companies use the same sensors and almost identical software.
Photos: Ann Edwards & John Payne
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
6
OT mine site
Protected Area
2.2.2. Virtual fence
Both collar manufacturers offer a “Virtual Fence” option. This option allows “to define areas of special interest (e.g. a national park or a settlement) as a Virtual Fence and change the GPS schedule automatically (optional) or receive a message whenever the collar enters or leaves this area (optional for GSM and Iridium collars only” (Vectronic Aerospace 2013). The geometry of a virtual fence can be defined by a maximum of 60 individual points (see Appendix 2 for example programming file). As there is a special interest in understanding the impact of mining‐related infrastructure on khulan movements, we defined a virtual fence around the OT road and the Energy Resources (ER road) coal mining road further west. We programmed the collars to switch from 1 GPS location / hour to 1 GPS location every 15 minutes when inside the fence. This higher resolution should give us a better understanding on how khulan behave once they come in the vicinity of these transportation corridors. However, the higher frequency of GPS locations inside the virtual fence also means a reduction in the overall lifespan of the collars. We initially defined the fence including the entire area between the two roads plus a 10 km buffer to the east and west of the roads and along the OT‐Khanbogd supply road. However, observations of khulan close to the road and in the area between the two roads suggested that this buffer was too large, while low traffic volume on the OT‐Khanbodg road suggested this road likely would not stop khulan movements. We thus re‐programmed the virtual fence to a buffer of 2 km along the OT and ER road (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2: Original virtual buffer of 10 km around OT, ER and Khanbogd road (black Y‐shaped polygon) and the final 2 km buffer along OT and ER road (white strip).
Background image: Google Earth.
As we were somewhat concerned about software problems, including the potential that collars
would get “stuck” on the 1 GPS location per 15 minutes schedule and become unavailable to re‐
programming via the Iridium uplink, we implemented the virtual fence only in 10 of the 20 collars
(Table 1). We subsequently preferably deployed collars with the virtual fence on khulan captured
near the OT mine site given their higher potential to come into contact with these transportation
corridors.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
7
2.2.3. Collar performance tests
We tested 16 stationary collars (12 Vectronic and 4 Lotek) at the OT site (the other 4 Lotek collars
already had a virtual fence programmed and we did not want to “burn” too much battery as the OT
site was located inside the fence resulting in a higher and collars would take 1 GPS fix every 15
minutes). The collars collected 449 locations for the 12 Vectronic and 244 locations for the 4 Lotek
collars. Positioning accuracy was high with a mean difference between consecutive locations of 4.00
to 5.31 meters. The slightly higher value for the Lotek collars was due to one outlier 94 meters away.
A split in the locations to the left and right of an imaginary vertical axis may be the result of the
collars stored in a box and alternatingly tilted 30° to the left and right to allow maximum spacing
between collars (Fig. 3)
Fig. 3: Locational accuracy of stationary collars.
The split in left and right locations may be due to the alternating tilting of the collars in the box.
We also tested 8 moving collars (4 Lotek and 4 Vectronic) which had the virtual fence programmed
and were located in a box in the back of a soft‐top jeep that drove at speeds of 30‐60 km/hour. All 8
collars took GPS locations simultaneously at the expected time intervals (Fig. 4a). When looking
closely, locations of simultaneous fixes were stretched along the line of movement over a distance of
up to 504 m when driving at 60 km/hour (Fig. 4b). Close inspection of GPS fix time revealed slight
differences in the actual GPS fix acquisition (up to 11 seconds), which at a speed of ~60 km/hour
explain the difference of up to 157 m among collars of the same manufacturer, but not the distances
between the collars from different manufactures. This larger, up to 504 m difference, is likely due to
a slight difference in the internal clock of the Lotek versus the Vectronic collars. Thus, fixes taken at
the same time may be spaced up to 500 m along the line of movement in case the khulans are
Graph of UTM_VECTRONIC_only_at_OT
0
NE
AR
_D
IST
38
3634
32
30
28
2624
22
20
1816
14
12
10
86
4
2
0
Graph of UTM_LOTEK_only_at_OT
0
NE
AR
_D
IST
95
9085
8075
7065
6055
5045
4035
3025
2015
105
0
Count: 449 (N=12) Minimum: 0.59 Maximum: 37.23 Mean: 4.00 SD: 3.74
Count: 244 (N=4) Minimum: 0.97 Maximum: 94.09 Mean: 5.31 SD: 7.10
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
8
running at top speed. This will rarely be the case, but the effect needs to be taken into account when
analysing associations between animals with different collars.
Fig. 4: GPS locations taken by 8 collars in a moving jeep (at 30‐60 km/hour) inside the virtual fence, A) overview, B) close up.
GPS locations taken along the OT road
and the road parallel to the power line
GPS locations taken at 10:30:XX along the OT road (seconds are shown as small numbers) Blue: LOTEK Red: Vectronic
A)
B)
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
9
After initial incorrect assignment of the area “inside” and “outside” the fence, with the final
programming all collars correctly switched the GPS schedule when outside (1 location / hour) and
inside (1 location / 15 min) the virtual fence (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5: GPS location interval outside and inside the virtual fence during a test dive with a jeep.
The switch can only happen at scheduled fix events (e.g. although the collars entered the fence around 19:20, the switch was only possible at 20:00 when the collar realized it was inside the fence, thus scheduling the next fix at 20:15).
2.2.4. Summary of programming details
Regular GPS schedule: 1 fix (location) / hour
Iridium mode: Vectronic: 10 fixes per message; Lotek: 12 fixes per Message
VHF schedule: active every day from 08:00 to 20:00 local time; VHF frequencies 151.000 to
151.950 MHz in 50 MHz steps
Activity mode: Mode 5 (Head Angle / Acceleration Threshold) with Activity Interval: 288 s,
Angle Threshold: 137, and Acceleration Threshold: 20 [data stored on board]
Virtual fence programming: 58 posts to define geometry as a 2 km buffer around ER and OT
road; GPS schedule within virtual fence: 1 fix / 15 min [only implemented in 4 Lotek and 6
Vectronic collars]
Mortality alert: after 24 hours of no activity a mortality alert message will be send via e‐mail
and a group of GPS fixes (6‐7) will be taken in very short time period and sent to mark the
location. After the collar goes into mortality mode, the VHF will switch to a faster beep mode
(great then 60 beep per minutes), but the GPS schedule will still be followed. [only
implemented for the 8 Lotek collars]
Temperature logging: 1 measurement (ambient temperature at collar) / hour
Drop‐off time: 20 August 2013
Also see Appendix 1 for the programming sheet of Vectronic collar 13555 as an example.
start 18:00
20:15 20:30‐22:00 at 15min intervals
19:00
20:00
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
10
2.3. Capture
Our capture team consisted of Petra Kaczensky (FIWI), Chris Walzer (FIWI), Gabrielle Stalder (FIWI),
Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar (WCS), Boldbaatar Sukhbaatar (State Central Veterinary Laboratory
(SCVL)), and three drivers; Bagitjan Khumbai, Galbadrakh Davaa, and Bat‐Uul Zoringbaatar (Fig. 7).
Furthermore, John Payne (WCS), who had previously helped with all the collar testing and
programming, joined the capture team from 23‐26 August and Dennis Hosak (OT) on 26 August.
Khulans were immobilized with a CO2 dart gun from a pursuing jeep after a short chase by Chris
Walzer (Walzer 2007, Walzer et al. 2006 & 2007). Once the animals were anaesthesia their vital signs
were closely monitored by Gabrielle Stalder who also took blood gas measurements for subsequent
analysis of physiological parameters during anaesthesia. Petra Kaczensky and Buuveibaatar
Bayarbaatar fitted the collars and took basic body measurements, while Boldbaatar Sukhbaatar
collected blood samples and nasal swabs for a WCS project on wildlife diseases (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6: Khulan capture scenes.
Photos: top left & bottom right: B. Buuveibaatar, top right & bottom left: P. Kaczensky
From 23‐30 August we captured 20 khulans (13 stallions and 7 mares; aged 2‐11 years) in two
different capture locations. Area 1 was located in the vicinity of the Oyu Tolgoi mining site and Area 2
in the vicinity of the Ergeliin Zoo protected area (PA) (Table 1, Fig. 8). The rational behind two
capture sites was to collar animals for which we knew they had already come in contact with the OT
related infrastructure versus a “control group” in an unaffected setting. All khulans appeared to be
healthy and in good condition and no mortalities or injuries occurred.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
11
Fig. 7: The khulan capture team.
Back row left to right: Petra Kaczensky (FIWI), Bat‐Uul Zoringbaatar (driver), Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar (WCS); Front row left to right: Bagitjan Khumbai, Chris Walzer (FIWI), Galbadrakh Davaa, Gabrielle Stalder (FIWI), Boldbaatar Sukhbaatar (SCVL).
Table 1: Khulan captured in August 2013 in the SE Gobi of Mongolia.
VHF Virtual Tooth
frequency fence* age
Area 1 ‐ near Oyu Tolgoi mine
23.08.2013 19:00 34409 151.150 LOTEK yes male 2 107.05373 42.76232
24.08.2013 09:50 13748 151.950 VECTRONIC yes male 3 106.83424 42.95559
24.08.2013 10:30 34408 151.100 LOTEK yes female >6 106.78283 42.93926
24.08.2013 16:00 13746 151.850 VECTRONIC yes male 2 106.87460 42.91884
24.08.2013 16:50 13745 151.800 VECTRONIC yes female 9 106.86977 42.90927
25.08.2013 12:00 34406 151.000 LOTEK yes male 3 106.97776 42.84034
25.08.2013 14:30 13742 151.650 VECTRONIC yes male 3 107.12234 42.80311
25.08.2013 15:40 13549 151.400 VECTRONIC no female 10 107.14362 42.77890
26.08.2013 16:00 34407 151.050 LOTEK yes male 10 106.98048 42.83515
26.08.2013 17:00 34412 151.300 LOTEK no male 9 106.92326 42.85182
Area 2 ‐ near Ergeliin Zoo
28.08.2013 09:25 34413 151.350 LOTEK no male 10 108.68736 43.29558
28.08.2013 15:10 13747 151.900 VECTRONIC no male 7 109.20031 43.27670
28.08.2013 17:20 13555 151.450 VECTRONIC yes female 10 109.22859 43.39125
28.08.2013 18:30 13743 151.700 VECTRONIC yes male 11 109.19852 43.46243
29.08.2013 12:15 13744 151.750 VECTRONIC no female 2 109.18433 43.44719
29.08.2013 13:20 13556 151.500 VECTRONIC no male 13 109.33645 43.41272
29.08.2013 16:55 34410 151.200 LOTEK no male 13 109.21400 43.43226
29.08.2013 17:50 13741 151.600 VECTRONIC no male 10‐11 109.27354 43.45523
30.08.2013 09:10 34411 151.250 LOTEK no female 7 109.17558 43.34399
30.08.2013 10:20 13557 151.550 VECTRONIC no female 4 109.09394 43.29222
*Switches to 1 location / 15min when within 2 km of OT or ER road.
XCO YCODate Time ID Collar Sex
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
12
Fig. 8: Capture locations of the 20 collared khulans.
3. First khulan data (capture end of August 2013 – 23 October 2013)
3.1. Position statistics
Since capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013, we obtained 28,508 GPS locations by all 20
khulans combined. Only on 35 occasions fixes were missed, making for a 99.9% success rate.
Of the ten animals that had the virtual fence option programmed, eight were captured in Area 1. Of
these seven entered the virtual fence, while the eighth animal crossed the OT road too quickly for
being detected within the virtual fence. None of the animal captured in Area 2 came even close to
the virtual fence (Table 2).
Area 2
Area 1
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
13
Date 13549 13555 13556 13557 13741 13742 13743 13744 13745 13746 13747 13748 34406 34407 34408 34409 34410 34411 34412 34413 Total
23.08.13 16 16
24.08.13 7 8 14 13 26 68
25.08.13 8 9 50 31 24 44 35 24 225
26.08.13 24 24 33 24 40 24 17 38 24 7 255
27.08.13 24 24 37 24 24 63 24 41 24 24 309
28.08.13 24 6 24 5 41 24 9 24 29 33 48 24 24 14 329
29.08.13 24 24 10 6 24 24 12 39 24 24 24 24 47 24 24 7 23 24 408
30.08.13 24 24 24 13 24 29 24 24 24 24 24 24 51 24 26 24 24 14 24 24 493
31.08.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 33 24 24 24 24 24 489
01.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 43 24 24 24 24 24 53 24 24 24 24 24 528
02.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 40 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 42 24 24 24 24 24 514
03.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
04.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 35 24 24 24 24 24 491
05.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
06.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
07.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 478
08.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 34 24 24 24 24 24 490
09.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
10.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 479
11.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
12.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
13.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 479
14.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 22 24 24 24 478
15.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 479
16.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 479
17.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
18.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 479
19.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 22 24 24 477
20.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
21.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
22.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
23.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
24.09.13 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 478
25.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
26.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 479
27.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 478
28.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 479
29.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
30.09.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
01.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
02.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
03.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
04.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 23 24 24 478
05.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
06.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
07.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
08.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
09.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
10.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
11.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 479
12.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
13.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
14.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 479
15.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 50 24 24 24 24 24 505
16.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 88 24 23 24 24 24 542
17.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 71 24 24 24 24 24 527
18.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 26 24 24 24 24 24 481
19.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 69 24 24 24 24 24 525
20.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 480
21.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 29 24 24 24 24 24 485
22.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 21 35 24 24 24 24 24 488
23.10.13 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 23 72 24 24 22 24 24 525
24.10.13 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 14 8 8 8 8 8 165
Total 1432 1358 1338 1317 1333 1453 1356 1339 1552 1461 1360 1478 1536 1439 1858 1486 1330 1310 1406 1366 28,508
Missing fixes 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 0 3 7 2 4 3 6 1 0 35
Virt. fence fixes NA 0 NA NA NA 2 0 NA 6 1 NA 1 3 2 18 0 NA NA NA NA 33
Table 2: GPS fix rate by collar and day. Grey=capture and end of period days, Green=inside virtual fence, Yellow=missing fixes
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
14
Collar ID Sex N days
Area
(in km²)
Km
travelled
Average
km/day
N in
PAs
% in
PAs Main range relative to OT
Area 1
34412 male 59 462 951 16 0 0 between OT and ER road
34408 female 61 667 832 14 0 0 between OT and ER road
13748 male 61 2,664 1,318 22 285 19 west of ER/OT road to eastern part of Small Gobi A SPA
13549 female 60 8,473 1,583 26 233 16 east and west of ER/OT road
13745 female 61 9,674 1,191 20 914 59 OT and north to Zagiin us PA
13742 male 60 19,911 1,598 27 128 9 OT and ~300 km east
34407 male 59 22,488 1,512 26 97 7 OT and ~300 km east
34409 male 62 31,589 1,543 25 0 0 OT and ~300 km east
13746 male 61 35,073 1,552 25 0 0 OT and ~300 km east
34406 male 60 39,334 1,545 26 35 2 OT and north to Zagiin us PA and ~300 km east
Area 2
13741 male 56 2,263 1,116 20 0 0 Ergeliin Zoo PA and ~100 km east
13743 male 57 4,405 1,079 19 701 52 Ergeliin Zoo PA and south to Small Gobi B SPA
13744 female 56 4,944 1,223 22 0 0 Ergeliin Zoo PA and ~100 km east
34413 male 57 5,378 1,326 23 947 69 Ergeliin Zoo PA and south to Small Gobi B SPA
13556 male 56 6,212 1,129 20 1 0 Ergeliin Zoo PA and ~100 km east
34410 male 56 7,027 1,289 23 0 0 Ergeliin Zoo PA and ~100 km east
13557 female 55 8,487 1,348 25 12 1 Ergeliin Zoo PA and north to Mandakh
34411 female 55 9,946 1,081 20 69 5 Ergeliin Zoo PA and north‐east to Zuunbayan
13747 male 57 9,958 1,419 25 20 1 Ergeliin Zoo PA and north‐west to Mandakh/Manlai
13555 female 57 17,323 1,310 23 54 4 Ergeliin Zoo PA and north‐east to Zuunbayan
All 83,432 25,945 3,496 12
3.2. Range use
Minimum convex polygon (MCP) sizes of individual khulans ranged from 2,263 to 39,334 km² since
capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013. Two khulans (Id 34412 and 34408) showed a
totally different behaviour from what we have ever seen before (Kaczensky et al. 2006, Kaczensky et
al. 2011), for the time being they seemed to be almost “resident” in the area between the ER and OT
road south of the OT mine site only roaming over 462 km² and 667 km², respectively. The total area
covered by all khulans together was 83,432 km² (Table 3).
Within the 56‐61 monitoring days, individual Khulan travelled 1,079 ‐ 1,598 km, an average of 19 ‐ 27
km/day. The two “resident” khulans travelled 832 km and 951 km, an average of 14 and 16 km/day
(Table 3).
Twelve percent of all locations, 0‐69% for individual khulans, fell inside protected areas (PAs; Table
3).
Table 3: Range sizes and travel distances of khulans from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013.
There was a general trend to move east. Of the ten animals captured in Area 1, 6 moved east joining
up with animals in Area 2, 2 stayed on site (“resident” khulan), 1 moved west, and 1 kept crossing
back and forth (Fig. 9a). The ten animals captured in Area 2 radiated north, north‐west, east, south‐
east, and south of Ergeliin Zoo PA, but none moved west (Fig. 9b).
Animated movements show that khulan meet and sometimes travel together, but do separate again
and join others (see: http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/en/research‐institute‐of‐wildlife‐
ecology/forschung/projects/gobiprojekt/khulan‐movement/khulan‐movement‐maps‐1‐month/). A
behaviour in line with a fission‐fusion social organisation as suggested previously for the species
(Sundaresan et al. 2007, Kaczensky et al. 2008).
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
15
A)
B)
Fig. 9: Minimum convex polygons (MCPs) of 10 khulan captured in A) Area 1 and B) Area 2 for the period from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
16
13549 13742 13745 13746 13748 34406 34407 34409 34412
25.08.2013 1 1 2
26.08.2013 1 1 2
27.08.2013
28.08.2013 1 1
29.08.2013 1 1 2
30.08.2013 1 1 1 3
31.08.2013 1 1
01.09.2013 1 1
08.09.2013 1 1
09.09.2013 1 1
07.10.2013 1 1
08.10.2013 1 1
14.10.2013 1 1
19.10.2013 1 1
22.10.2013 2 2
Total 9 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 20
Khulan IDDate Total
3.3. Road crossings of collared khulans
Between capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013, 9 khulans crossed the OT road a total of
17 times and the ER road 3 times. Six khulans crossed once leaving the area shortly after capture,
one khulan returned once before finally leaving, one returned and has been “resident” between the
two roads, and one crossed 9 times and appears to have a home range on both sides of the roads
(Table 4).
Table 4: Road crossings by 9 khulans from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013.
So far crossings have happened relatively dispersed along a 45 km stretch of the OT road roughly ~20 south of the OT site and ~10 north of the Zagaan Khut coal loading site ( Fig. 10).
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
17
Fig. 10: Khulan crossings of the OT and ER road from capture (23‐30 August 2013) until 23 October 2013.
Animals seemed to quickly approach the road and cross, without much waiting (no cluster of
locations) or walking parallel to the road. However, during the night 22/23 October 2013 the
“resident” khulans 34408 walked 17 km parallel to the OT road without crossing and was
joined for part of the way by khulan 34412. During the same night khulan 13549 crossed
from west to east, very close to the location khulan 34408 had first come close to the road
without crossing (Fig. 11).
Fig. 11: Parallel walking and crossing event at the OT road during the night 22/23 October 2013.
Background image: Google Earth.
Crossing on22.10.2013 21:00‐22:00 Khulan 13549
Green ‐ khulan 34408 Orange ‐ khulan 34412
Crossing on22.10.2013 01:00‐02:00
With one
Fig. 12: D2013.
3.4. Obs
We cond
(WCS), J
August w
khulans
On the t
a
a
a
s
e exception,
Diurnal distr
servations
ducted two s
. Payne (WC
with B. Buuve
and sites wh
rip on 17 Au
a large group
a group of ~
14)
a ditch assoc
1) tracks goi
seemed to w
all crossings
ibution of kh
of uncollare
scouting trips
S), B. Nyamd
eibaatar (WC
here khulan h
gust we obs
p of ~100 kh
20 khulan ve
ciated with a
ng up and do
want to cross
s happened a
hulan crossin
ed khulans
s along the O
dorj (SEA) to
CS) and T. Pu
had come clo
erved:
ulan grazing
ery close to t
a heap of top
own the hea
s but were re
Khula
at night, or i
ngs from cap
near the O
OT and ER ro
get an overa
urevsuren (O
ose, but not
g and resting
the OT road t
psoil that see
ap without cr
epeatedly tu
n and mining
n the mornin
ture (23‐30
OT mine site
oad, one on 1
all impressio
OT) to investi
crossed the
right outsid
that seemed
emed to inhi
rossing, 2) ob
rning back (F
related infras
ng and eveni
August 2013
e and the OT
17 August wi
n of the road
gate crossing
roads.
e the OT min
d totally igno
bit ungulate
bservations o
Fig. 15)
structure, Oct
18
ing (Fig. 12).
3) until 23 Oc
T and ER ro
ith A. Edward
ds and one o
g sites of col
ne site (Fig. 1
orant of traffi
crossings ba
of two gazell
ober 2013
ctober
oad
ds
on 31
llared
13)
ic (Fig.
ased on
les that
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
19
Fig. 13: Part of a larger group of ~100 khulan just outside the OT fence on 17 August 2013.
Photo: P. Kaczensky
Fig. 14: A group of ~20 khulan right next to the OT road and seemingly ignorant of passing truck traffic.
Photo: P. Kaczensky
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
20
Fig. 15: ER road at a stretch where it is associated with a ~1m deep ditch associated with a ~1m high heap of topsoil on the side distant from the road which seems to act as a barrier for ungulates.
Based on tracks on the topsoil heap on a 300m stretch we investigated, gazelles and equids move up the heap, but then turn back (e.g. see tracks of a gazelle along blue dashed line), suggesting that the road may act as a significant barrier in these locations.
Photos: P. Kaczensky
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
21
On the trip on 31 August we:
investigated 9 crossing sites along the OT road and 1 crossing along the ER road that had
occurred until 30 August (Fig. 16, Fig. 17)
we found khulan tracks at the two most recent crossing locations
did not find any obvious barriers along the ER road in places where khulans had come close,
but had failed to cross (Fig. 18)
discussed what road and environmental features need to be assessed in order to allow a
quantitative assessment of crossing versus non‐crossing sites (Fig. 16)
Fig. 16: B. Buuveibaatar (WCS) and T. Purevsuren (OT) discussing and measuring road characteristics.
Photo: P. Kaczensky
Fig. 17: Example of a khulan crossing location along the OT road very close to a livestock crossing site.
Photo: P. Kaczensky
Fig. 18: Example of a location where khulan came close to the ER road, but did not cross.
Potentially they were interested in the riverbed habitat parallel to the road.
Photo: P. Kaczensky
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
22
3.5. Summary of first data
We are just two month into the project and it is way too early to draw any robust conclusions based
on the data we have obtained so far. However, the data already confirms previous findings:
most khulan in the SE Gobi have large ranges
khulan do not move in a coordinated way and individuals meet and separate again
suggesting a fission‐fusion group social organization
khulan in the SE Gobi do not restrict their movements to protected areas, but rather use the
entire landscape
khulan show large individual variation in their movement patterns
the OT mine site and the associated infrastructure are within the distribution range of the
khulan in the SE Gobi
The data also suggests the following new aspects:
main khulan movements in September and October 2013 seemed to be towards the east of
the OT site
khulan cross the OT and ER asphalt road and thus the structures per se do not seem to
constitute an absolute barrier – however, traffic volume was low in August / September
[truck traffic is presently restricted to 36 concentrate trucks in two convoys plus 20‐30
construction and delivery trucks (S. Dorjderem pers. comm., October 2013); however, the
predicted traffic volume on the road upgrade to Gashuun Sukhait road is >1,600 vehicles/day
by 2030 (TBC and FFI 2012, page 47‐48)]
roads in association with ditches and/or heaps op top soil seem to constitute significant
movement barriers for ungulates
khulan crossings were not restricted to a few specific locations – without data on road
characteristics (slope, ditch, proximity to human activity etc.) it is not possible to draw any
conclusions why animals crossed at certain points and not at others; so far the sample size is
small
khulan crossings may be restricted to certain times of the day (namely evening, night and
morning hours) ‐ without date and time specific traffic volume data or information on road
building activity it is difficult to interpret this behaviour
two khulan appeared hesitant to cross the OT road in later October ‐ without date and time
specific traffic volume data or information on road building activity it is difficult to interpret
this behaviour
khulan near the OT mine site seemed to be generally very tolerant towards vehicles,
including trucks along the OT road, suggesting that poaching in the vicinity of the mine is a
minor problem and that khulan respond in a site specific way. This suggests that khulan may
be less skittish to approach even busy roads then previously assumed and consequently
more likely to encounter and accept crossing structures
khulan seemed indifferent of the OT mine site as they were observed grazing and resting just
outside the fence
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
23
4. Implications for future work
WE ARE ONLY 2 MONTH INTO THE PROJECT AND IT IS TOO EARLY TO DRAW ANY FINAL
CONCLUSIONS!
As already stated in the introduction, the data are intended to:
1) help identify critical khulan habitat
It is way too early to say anything about potential key khulan habitats as we will need at least one full
year of data, and ideally at least one more year to see if patterns are repeated.
Any habitat model can only be as good as the habitat parameters available for the analysis.
Although there is a pretty good GIS basis on vegetation (e.g. von Wehrden and Wesche 2008,
Heiner et al. 2013), open source remote sensing products (DEM, NDVI, snow products), there
is still a lack on:
o anthropogenic features (e.g. herder camps, wells, tourist camps, military posts,
roads)
o permanent or seasonal open water sources
o mine sites (including exploration camps) and associated infrastructure (camps,
airstrip, roads, pits)
o upgraded roads and new roads under construction
o bag boundaries
o livestock numbers on the bag level
NOTE: Acquisition of habitat data is not part of the “Khulan collaring & Monitoring” contract by FIWI.
However, without this data only limited analysis are possible!
2) optimize the placement and design of mitigation measures that will help them cross these
barriers
I. We already gained some preliminary insight into khulan crossings of the OT road. However,
interpretation is presently limited as we are missing important “background” data:
To understand potential time constrains in khulan road crossings, traffic volume needs to be
monitored on the OT, ER and TT road in a date and time specific manner. To do so we
suggests to use state‐of‐the‐art traffic surveillance technology (e.g. including e.g. inductive
loops <http://www.schuhco.de/download/c9_m660_e.pdf> and/or laser sensors
<http://www.schuhco.de/download/c12_13_sam_prospekt_e.pdf>
To understand what physical characteristics determine road crossing points, road
characteristics need to be mapped along the entire length of OT, ER and TT road with a
special focus on: bank steepness, ditch dimensions, associated top soil heaps (Fig. 19). In
addition, it will be important to compile GIS data on human infrastructure (e.g. secondary
roads, livestock crossing points, borrow pits, camps).
To fully understand the impact of linear infrastructure, an updated GIS layer of the SE Gobi
with all major roads, but particularly other mining roads is necessary.
NOTE: Actual monitoring of the OT, ER, or TT transport corridor is not part of the “Khulan collaring &
Monitoring” contract by FIWI. However, without this data only limited analysis are possible!
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
24
Fig. 19: Measurements needed to characterise the OT, ER and TT road.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
25
II. There are little experiences what design of over‐ or under passages may or may not be suitable to
mitigate the effect of high volume traffic corridors on khulan and other open plains ungulates in the
Gobi.
OT is committed to: “Construct appropriate and sufficient underpasses (at ecologically suitable
locations such as river beds, approximately every 6 km along the OT‐GS road, as long as practically
possible but minimum 12 m long, at least 4.5 m high along the whole length, with solid sides at least
as high as highest OT vehicles, a natural, non‐waterlogged substrate with no obstacles, affording a
view of the horizon from either side, and with earth berm along edge of road either side of
underpass to funnel wildlife towards underpasses; to be constructed before hand‐over to GoM,
probably in 2013)” (Oyu Tolgoy ESA 2012, TBC and FFI 2012).
To guarantee the most efficient design and placement of “appropriate and sufficient underpasses at
ecologically suitable locations” in light of insufficient data on what is “appropriate and sufficient” or
an “ecological suitable” location for khulan, we suggest the following adaptive approach to be
implemented as soon as possible:
construct two crossing structures, one over‐ and one under passage, along the 45 km stretch
of the OT road where the August‐October 2013 khulan crossings have happened and test their
use by collared khulans
equip crossing structures with video surveillance to document crossings of uncollared khulans,
other wildlife and human / livestock use
consider using temporary guiding fences to help “funnel” khulan to the crossing structures. It is
likely enough to use plastic bands, as ancient desert kites and more recent herding of gazelles
from the near East, suggest that even rather feeble structures may be highly efficient in
guiding ungulates (e.g. Holzer et al. 2010)
test the effect of curfews when collared animals are in the vicinity of the OT mine site as has
been the case in August 2013
[My understanding is that there is presently no truck traffic on the OT road before 9:00am and
after 10:00pm and no truck traffic on Sunday (S. Dorjderem pers. comm., October 2013). If this
is correct, it already provides a test scheme of a potential curfew. If this is not correct it would
be good to implement a traffic free day and traffic free hours.]
NOTE: Design and surveillance of crossing structures, beyond the monitoring on collared khulans, is
not part of the “Khulan collaring & Monitoring” contract by FIWI. However, without these additional
efforts it will be difficult to implement evidence based (Sutherland et al. 2004) mitigation measures.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
26
5. Acknowledgements
Many people provided input and logistical, practical and emotional support for this project. We are
grateful to Ann Edwards (WCS), Kina Murphy (WCS), B. Buuveibaatar (WCS), John Payne (WCS),
Dennis Hosack (OT), G. Stalder (FIWI), K. Bagitjan (driver), D. Galbadrakh (driver), B. Nyamdorj (SEA),
S. Dorjderem (OT), T. Munkhbat (Hustai Nuruu National Park), T. Onon (OT), G. Anudari (OT), T.
Purevsuren (OT), B. Dashnyam (OT), U. Narantsatsral (WCS), S. Enkhtuvshin (WCS), J. Losolmaa
(WCS), Peter Zahler (WCS), B. Sukhbaatar (SCVL), Z. Bat‐Uul (driver), Robert Schulte (Vectronic),
Nicolas Fiola (Vectronic), Jason Chang (Lotek), and others who also helped in one way or another and
whom we may have accidentally forgotten to list.
6. Literature
Heiner, M., Yunden, B., Kiesecker, J., Davaa, G., Ganbaatar,M., Ichinkhorloo, O., von Wehrden, H., Reading, R., Olson, K., Jackson, R., Evans, J., McKenney, B., Oakleaf, J., Sochi, K., Oidov, E. 2013. Identifying Conservation Priorities in the Face of Future Development: Applying Development by Design in the Mongolian Gobi. TNC Report.
Holzer, A., Avner, U., Porat, N. & Horwitz L.K. 2010. Desert kites in the Negev desert and northeast Sinai: Their function, chronology and ecology. Journal of Arid Environments 74: 806–817.
Kaczensky, P., Sheehy, D.P., Johnson, D.E., Walzer, C., Lhkagvasuren, D. & Sheehy, C.M. 2006. Room to roam? The threat to khulan (Wild Ass) from human intrusion. Mongolia Discussion Papers, East Asia and Pacific Environment and Social Development Departure. Washington, D.C., World Bank. <http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/EXTEAPREGTOPENVIRONMENT/0,,contentMDK:21074556~pagePK:34004173~piPK:34003707~theSitePK:502886,00.html>
Kaczensky, P., Ganbaatar, O., von Wehrden, H. & Walzer, C. 2008. Resource selection by sympatric wild equids in the Mongolian Gobi. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:1662‐1769.
Kaczensky, P., Kuehn, R., Lhagvasuren, B., Pietsch, S., Yang, W. & Walzer, C. 2011. Connectivity of the Asiatic wild ass population in the Mongolian Gobi. Biological Conservation, 144:920–929.
Lotek Wireless Inc. 2013. PS4400 / 4500 / 6000 / 7000 / 8000 / IridiumTrack / GlobalstarTrack / Wildcell / MiniTrack. User’s Manual.
Oyu Tolgoy ESIA. 2012. SECTION C: IMPACT ASSESSMENT CHAPTER C6: BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. <http://ot.mn/sites/default/files/documents/ESIA_OT_C6_Biodiversity_EN.pdf>
Schirrmann, B. 2008. Untersuchungen zur Aktivitätsrhythmik und zum Raum‐Zeit‐Verhalten von Heckrindern und Liebenthaler Pferden im NSG „Falkenberger Rieselfelder“ unter besonderer Berücksichtigung telemetrischer Messverfahren (Investigation of activity rhythm and spatial‐temporal behaviour in Heck cattle and Liebenthaler horses in the nature reserve „Falkenberger Rieselfelder“ with special reference to telemetric measurements). Diploma thesis at the Institute of Biology at the Freien Universität Berlin, Germany, 118pp. [in German]
Sundaresan, S.R., Fischhoff, I.R., Dushoff, J. & Rubenstein, D.I. 2007. Network metrics reveal differences in social organization between fission‐fusion species, Grevy's zebra and onagers. ‐ Oecologia 151: 140‐149.
Sutherland, W.J., Pullin, A.S., Dolman, P.M., Knight, T.M., 2004. The need for evidence‐based conservation. TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution 19(6), 305‐308.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
27
TBC and FFI. 2012. Biodiversity Impacts and MitigationActions for the Oyu Tolgoi Project.Unpublished draft report of The Biodiversity Consultancy Ltd and Fauna & Flora International, April2012. < http://ot.mn/sites/default/files/documents/ESIA_BA3_Biodiversity_Impacts_and_Mitigation_Actions_for_the_Oyu_Tolgoi_Project.pdf>
Vectronic Aerospace. 2013. GPS Plus Collar Manager X. User's Manual. Version: 1.2.1.
von Wehrden, H. & Wesche, K. 2007. Mapping khulan habitats – a GIS‐based approach. Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia 10:31‐44
Walzer, C., Kaczensky, P., Ganbaatar, O., Lengger, J., Enkhsaikhan, N. & Lkhagvasuren, D. 2006. Capture and anesthesia of wild Mongolian equids ‐ the Przewalski’s horse (E. ferus przewalskii) and khulan (E. hemionus). ‐ Mongolian Journal of Biological Sciences 4: 19–28.
Walzer, C., Kaczensky, P., Ganbaatar, O., Enkhsaikhan, N. & Lkhagvasuren, D. 2007. Capture and anaesthesia of the Mongolian wild ass (E. hemionus). Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia 10: 69‐76.
Walzer, C. 2007. Non domestic equids. In: G. West, G., Heard, D. & Caulkett, N. (Eds.); Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anaesthesia. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, USA, 523‐531.
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
28
Appendix
Appendix 1: Field itinerary August / September 2013.
Date Task
13.08.2013 Arrival Petra in UB ‐ short coordination meeting
14.08.2013 Mounting drop‐offs on collars at WCS office in UB
15.08.2013 Flight to OT
16.08.2013 Collar programming and testing
17.08.2013 Checking for khulans along OT road & power line
18.08.2013 Checking Khanbodg road and for khulans SW of Mandakh soum
19.08.2013 Collar testing and re‐programming
20.08.2013 Collar testing and re‐programming / Arrival Chris & Gabrielle in UB
21.08.2013 Collar testing and re‐programming / Transfer Chris & Gabrielle to OT
22.08.2013 OT induction cours part I; collar testing
23.08.2013 OT induction cours part II; collaring of Khulan 1 in Area 1
24.08.2013 Collaring of Khulan 2‐5 in Area 1
25.08.2013 Collaring of Khulan 6‐8 in Area 1
26.08.2013 Data evaluation and collar programming, collaring of Khulan 9‐10 near OT
27.08.2013 Transfer to the second capture area near Ergeliin Zoo PA
28.08.2013 Collaring of Khulan 11‐14 in Area 2, car repair
29.08.2013 Collaring of Khulan 15‐18 in Area 2, car repair
30.08.2013 Collaring of Khulan 19‐20 in Area 2, transfer back to OT
31.08.2013 Data evaluation, ground truthing of road crossings
01.09.2013 Data evaluation
02.09.2013 Flight OT to UB and coordination meeting in UB
03.09.2013 Planning & training meeting in UB / Return flight Chris & Gabrielle to Europe
04.09.2013 Planning & training meeting in UB
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
29
Appendix 2: Example of collar programming file.
Production Number: 13555 Production Date: 19.06.2013 Beacon Software Vers.: 3.0 Beacon Update Status: 0 Temperature logging: 1 ‐ ON Activity Mode: Head Angle / Acceleration Threshold Activity Interval: 288 s Angle Threshold: 137 Accel. Threshold: 20 Mortality logging: 0 ‐ OFF M. Period: N/A M. Threshold: N/A M. Radius: N/A M. Schedule: N/A Low Activity: OFF L.A. Period: N/A L.A. Threshold: N/A L.A. Radius: N/A L.A. Schedule: N/A Hibernation is: Disabled Hib. Wakeup Level: N/A Hib. Delay Time: N/A Uplink Frequency: N/A Downlink Frequency: N/A UHF Beacon Frequency: N/A UHF Beacon On Time: N/A UHF Period: N/A Com Enable Time: N/A Com Disable Time: N/A VHF Beacon Frequency: 151.450 MHz VHF Beacon Pattern: Mode 0 (default) [* * * ] Argos Mode: No Argos Argos Channel: N/A ArgosID: N/A Argos Repetition Rate: N/A Argos No of Blocks: N/A Argos Buffer Size: N/A Argos DAC Power: N/A Argos Pre‐Heating: N/A Argos Timer Phi/2: N/A Argos Timer +Phi: N/A Argos Timer ‐Phi: N/A Iridium Mode: 10 ‐ 10 Fixes per Message Iridium IMEI: 300234060156830 Globalstar Attempts: (disabled) Fixes per Message: N/A Transmission Mode: N/A Globalstar ID: N/A GSM Mode: 0 ‐ No External Communication Module Destination Address: N/A GSM PIN Number: N/A SMS Reception Delay: N/A Collar UTC correction: Active Correction term: +08:00
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
30
Ext. Sensors: (not available) Sep. Transm. IDs: N/A Separation Transm.: Disabled Next Comm. Time: (no GSM/Iridium schedule) Pos. Transmission: every fix Message on VF enter: No Message on VF leave: No Retransmit Interval: 0 minutes Camera ID: (not available) Activity Schedule: Disabled Act. Sched. Threshold: Disabled GPS Mode: Solved GPS Tracking Time: Default (+0s, mean deviation < 3m) GPS Schedule is: not locked GPS Schedule: Cyclic Rule Start date 10.07.2013 End date 10.07.2013 Start time 18:00:00 End time 21:00:00 Period 00:05:00 Cyclic Rule Start date 01.01.2000 End date 22.04.2024 Start time 00:00:00 End time 23:59:58 Period 01:00:00 UHF Schedule: N/A VHF Schedule: Beacon Rule Start date 01.01.2000 End date 31.01.2019 Start time 08:00:00 End time 20:00:00 Argos Schedule: N/A Proximity Schedule: N/A GSM/Iridium Schedule: N/A Virtual Fence Collection: Fence "Fence 0" Inside Point "": latitude=43.40769 longitude=105.96470 Post 0 "Post 0": latitude=42.40404 longitude=107.59368 Post 1 "Post 1": latitude=42.59072 longitude=107.57527 Post 2 "Post 2": latitude=42.69852 longitude=107.49519 Post 3 "Post 3": latitude=42.79639 longitude=107.38998 Post 4 "Post 4": latitude=42.88914 longitude=107.18953 Post 5 "Post 5": latitude=42.94515 longitude=107.05231 Post 6 "Post 6": latitude=42.98578 longitude=107.01842 Post 7 "Post 7": latitude=43.02641 longitude=106.95168 Post 8 "Post 8": latitude=43.07223 longitude=106.94213 Post 9 "Post 9": latitude=43.08142 longitude=106.80914 Post 10 "Post 10": latitude=43.02930 longitude=106.80453 Post 11 "Post 11": latitude=43.03404 longitude=106.89700 Post 12 "Post 12": latitude=43.00314 longitude=106.91420 Post 13 "Post 13": latitude=42.96023 longitude=106.98217 Post 14 "Post 14": latitude=42.92150 longitude=107.01476 Post 15 "Post 15": latitude=42.85279 longitude=107.15205
Khulan and mining related infrastructure, October 2013
31
Post 16 "Post 16": latitude=42.82268 longitude=107.24854 Post 17 "Post 17": latitude=42.76580 longitude=107.36530 Post 18 "Post 18": latitude=42.72860 longitude=107.39651 Post 19 "Post 19": latitude=42.67433 longitude=107.45892 Post 20 "Post 20": latitude=42.66972 longitude=107.27547 Post 21 "Post 21": latitude=42.69153 longitude=107.20878 Post 22 "Post 22": latitude=42.80179 longitude=107.03473 Post 23 "Post 23": latitude=42.83369 longitude=107.01140 Post 24 "Post 24": latitude=42.89930 longitude=106.80986 Post 25 "Post 25": latitude=42.98199 longitude=106.71846 Post 26 "Post 26": latitude=43.04054 longitude=106.70149 Post 27 "Post 27": latitude=43.16365 longitude=106.57546 Post 28 "Post 28": latitude=43.18395 longitude=106.48428 Post 29 "Post 29": latitude=43.20876 longitude=106.43840 Post 30 "Post 30": latitude=43.23907 longitude=106.31043 Post 31 "Post 31": latitude=43.26787 longitude=106.27620 Post 32 "Post 32": latitude=43.27990 longitude=106.20047 Post 33 "Post 33": latitude=43.55259 longitude=105.76540 Post 34 "Post 34": latitude=43.65924 longitude=105.63827 Post 35 "Post 35": latitude=43.67908 longitude=105.52509 Post 36 "Post 36": latitude=43.63794 longitude=105.51470 Post 37 "Post 37": latitude=43.61992 longitude=105.62276 Post 38 "Post 38": latitude=43.54714 longitude=105.69531 Post 39 "Post 39": latitude=43.35158 longitude=106.01047 Post 40 "Post 40": latitude=43.24603 longitude=106.17830 Post 41 "Post 41": latitude=43.23937 longitude=106.23936 Post 42 "Post 42": latitude=43.19795 longitude=106.30159 Post 43 "Post 43": latitude=43.18129 longitude=106.39555 Post 44 "Post 44": latitude=43.14573 longitude=106.47322 Post 45 "Post 45": latitude=43.14301 longitude=106.52037 Post 46 "Post 46": latitude=43.10771 longitude=106.57562 Post 47 "Post 47": latitude=43.02799 longitude=106.64893 Post 48 "Post 48": latitude=42.96858 longitude=106.67200 Post 49 "Post 49": latitude=42.86461 longitude=106.76037 Post 50 "Post 50": latitude=42.80284 longitude=106.97953 Post 51 "Post 51": latitude=42.76157 longitude=107.00872 Post 52 "Post 52": latitude=42.66647 longitude=107.15983 Post 53 "Post 53": latitude=42.63404 longitude=107.25612 Post 54 "Post 54": latitude=42.62246 longitude=107.35447 Post 55 "Post 55": latitude=42.63217 longitude=107.45674 Post 56 "Post 56": latitude=42.57198 longitude=107.52253 Post 57 "Post 57": latitude=42.53181 longitude=107.49020 Post 58 "Post 58": latitude=42.41016 longitude=107.51662 Virtual Fence Schedule: Cyclic Rule Start date 01.01.2000 End date 06.08.2040 Start time 00:00:00 End time 23:59:58 Period 00:15:00 Camera Schedule: N/A Activity Schedule: N/A