Top predators are of immeasurable value as they provide both economic and ecosystem services. The health of a top predator often reflects the health of an ecosystem. Studies have shown that landscape characteristics can affect prey availability which then affects both breeding and foraging success of golden eagles (Sulkava et al., 1999, Pedrini and Sergio 2001, Thirgood et al. 2003, Carrascal and Seoane 2009 cited in Schweiger et al. 2014).The environmental effects of climate change, paired with the land cover and land use change (as is the case in Mongolian and Bayan-Ulgii with current rates of desertification along side extraneous road cover), signifies the threat of decreasing range for both predator and prey. Consider range size as a circle. As the circle shrinks, the surface area (the range) of the circle decreases relative to size of the circle’s edge (the range edge). At the same time, fragmentation, or the breaking up of an animal’s habitat into many smaller portions is another problem identified by The Altai Mountains Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (AMBCS). Fragmentation is also caused by human presence and activities like mining. Roads also tend to contribute disturbances that divide habitats, such as noise pollution. Fragmentation further increases the amount of range edge. The creation of more range edge relative to range of Golden Eagles is particularly dangerous as Andreas Schweiger, Hans-Joachim Fünfstück, and Carl Beierkuhnlein (2014) found that, as eagles lived closer to the range edge, they observed a decrease in medium sized-prey species and decreasing breeding success of Golden Eagles. The impacts of climate change, along side land cover and use shifts, causes mismatches between current species of predator and prey (Schweiger et al. 2008). Foxes live in meadows and grasslands, if the land type shifts away from these, then the fox will move to another meadow or grasslands area leaving the eagle with a diminished prey base. 1.4.2 Direct Human Impacts Previous studies of direct impact of humans on the ecology of Golden Eagles are less abundant in this context. In addition, there are often threats that are raised by the changing value of the cultural significance behind Golden Eagle falconry, as traditional falconry has been found to probably have little effect on other raptor populations (Su 1988, Millsap Allen 2006).
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