K.R. Robertson, and J.B. Taft of the Illinois Natural History Survey have joined Kyrgyz scientists to establish the first joint center to study biodiversity in the Central Asia.
Temperate grasslands are the most threatened of the world's ecosystems.
Native grasslands harbor unique plant and animal species, some of which are may be threatened with extinction. These grasslands are the worlds most extensive, but least studied. Scientists in the region currently lack the resources to study them effectively. Until recently, access to this region was restricted to western scientists, due to the highly secret weapons testing facilities and other sensitive places in the area. Kyrgyzstan , has a variety of grasslands along the steep elevational and climactic gradients of the Tien Shan mountain range .