but t this extraraordinary lande is under teat t from overgrazing, a potential ecological disaster.ur reporter dan hirschfeld travelled to hustai national park, close to the country's capital, to find out what's being done to protect the asian steppes. reporter: the mongolian steppe can seem infinite. the grasslands here offer a perfect habitat for rare plants and animals. the steppe is home to mongolia's wild horses. almost extinct only a few years ago, this is the only place they can be found in the wild. it is also a paradise for deer, along with hundreds of bird and insect species. but these idyllic scenes are deceptive. outside the 2000 hectares of the hustai national park and other protected areas, this is what the mongngolian steppe looks li. dry sand, only sparse vegetation. whatever grass remains is shrunken and dried out. increasingly, the steppe is turning into desert. for years, chimed-ochir bazarsad has been researching this development for the united nations. he has no doubts about the cause. he says there are simply too many sheep and goats eating the grass, exposing