Goulden 9415322 This is a planning grant for Dr. Clyde Goulden to lead a group of scientists to visit a potential research sites in Mongolia and the Buryat Oblast of Russia to develop a long-term ecological study. The preliminary investigation includes the sites of Hovsgol Nuur in Mongolia, a large lake southwest of Lake Baikal, and lakes and rivers in the Oka and Tunka Valleys in Buryat. The purpose of this visit is to collect data on invertebrates (e.g., zooplankton and amphipods) and fishes throughout the Selenga river basin and Hovsgol Nuur to examine the ecological relationship between Hovsgol Nuur and Baikal Lake. The data available from these areas are very limited. This trip can provide important preliminary information for research in this area, which has been accessible for outsiders to only a limited degree since Hovsgol Nuur is situated in a remote part of Mongolia and there is no road to reach the lake, and since only Mongolians and Russians were allowed to enter this area prior to 1990. Dr. Goulden is a distinguished scientist with an excellent record in carrying out difficult field projects. This visit can provide important baseline information for carrying out field research in part of Asia.
