Saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica) occasionally winter in northern areas. Turkmenistan is of global importance for migratory waterbirds, and of high importance for breeding waterbirds and raptors. There are certainly more globally threatened plant species in Turkmenistan. Most endemic species and threatened species occur in the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Rosaceae. Parts of the country belong to the Central Asian “Vavilov Centre” of crop species origin.