The policy is to cover more areas which are potentially susceptible to human activities and climate change, which have a key role in maintaining ecosystems of different natural zones, as well as, belts and areas which serve as habitats for rare and endangered species. Desertification is a growing problem in the latter zone due to the use of saxaul trees and overgrazing. Although there is so much grassland here, used for grazing, overgrazing is a problem in some areas. Forests - The natural regeneration of Mongolian forests is slow and the forests are often damaged by fires and insects due to the harsh climate. Trees are used as a source of fuel, whether it is the larch, pine or birch in the north or the saxaul in the Gobi Desert.
Timber is cut in the north of the country for building.
There are now 128 species of plant listed as endangered and threatened in the 1997 Mongolian Red Book. Fauna Anyone traveling in Mongolia may find it difficult to distinguish between wild and domesticated animals as both roam freely on the open steppe, for example, Wild Ass are seen among domesticated horses. Although Mongolia doesn't have the large game such as lion, elephant and rhino that attracts visitors to African parks, it does have many very rare and endangered species such as the snow leopard, Argali and Ibex. Birds - Mongolia has a rich composition of bird species due to the migratory routes from the Pacific and Indian Oceans to the Mediterranean Sea and to the Arctic Ocean and Northern Tundra. A combination of Holarctic, Palearctic and Central Asian species have representatives in the Mongolian bird species assemblage.