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Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsusta... more Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsustainable use and drought events, but the natural recovery of degraded rangeland and timelines for recovery are less well studied. In this paper, we describe the use of "recovery class" concepts in rangeland classification that are being used to evaluate rangeland condition and management impacts across Mongolia. Recovery classes are analogous to degradation classes already used in Mongolia, but are based on ecological site descriptions (ESDs) and provide information about expected recovery rates based on quantitative measurements. While the degradation levels communicate the severity of plant community departure from reference conditions, the recovery classes communicate the management needs and timelines for recovery. According to the national report of Mongolian rangeland health, as of 2015, 65 percent of Mongolian rangelands was altered to some degree. Plant community composition, however, indicates that in more than half of sampled areas, changes to grazing management could result in recovery, or progress toward recovery, within ten years. Fifteen percent of nationwide rangeland health monitoring plots had evidence of recovery within 2 years between 2014-2016 and shifted to a more desirable state of their respective State and Transition models.
The concept of classifying any area into ecological sites, according to that area’s productivity,... more The concept of classifying any area into ecological sites, according to that area’s productivity, based on varying soil, climatic and hydrological conditions, and its capacity to endure different intensities of use and to recover from degradation, and of using this classification as a basis of rational use of natural resources is more and more recognized internationally. Since 2009, the Green Gold Project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been exploring opportunities to develop the ecological site description (ESD) concept for Mongolian rangelands and use it as an essential tool of rangeland management. Based on soil, vegetation and geomorphological data collected from approximately 500 points representing nationwide environmental zones, we developed the ESD concept for the Mongolian context. According to this concept Mongolian rangelands are divided into some 20 zones, representing distinct ecological potentials. Based on these plot data and state...
Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsusta... more Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsustainable use and drought events, but the natural recovery of degraded rangeland and timelines for recovery are less well studied. In this paper, we describe the use of "recovery class" concepts in rangeland classification that are being used to evaluate rangeland condition and management impacts across Mongolia. Recovery classes are analogous to degradation classes already used in Mongolia, but are based on ecological site descriptions (ESDs) and provide information about expected recovery rates based on quantitative measurements. While the degradation levels communicate the severity of plant community departure from reference conditions, the recovery classes communicate the management needs and timelines for recovery. According to the national report of Mongolian rangeland health, as of 2015, 65 percent of Mongolian rangelands was altered to some degree. Plant community composition, however, indicates that in more than half of sampled areas, changes to grazing management could result in recovery, or progress toward recovery, within ten years. Fifteen percent of nationwide rangeland health monitoring plots had evidence of recovery within 2 years between 2014-2016 and shifted to a more desirable state of their respective State and Transition models.
Mongolian rangelands have degraded considerably within the last twenty years following an increas... more Mongolian rangelands have degraded considerably within the last twenty years following an increase in the number of livestock and changed management. The current land management system has caused decreased herd mobility and overgrazing. This situation calls for new tools for rangeland management based on ecological knowledge, including knowledge on land condition, land potential and the underlying ecosystem functions, or what is collectively referred to as Rangeland Health. Only through such approaches can we expect to achieve sustainable land management. An Ecological Site is a particular area which has its own ecological potential for productivity. A State and Transition Model is a conceptual model describing plant community change pathways under certain sets of disturbances. This approach gives an opportunity to assess land condition and to detect possible changes. Furthermore, an integration of these two enable application of State and Transition Models to help identify states a...
Journal of Arid Environments, 2022
Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsusta... more Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsustainable use and drought events, but the natural recovery of degraded rangeland and timelines for recovery are less well studied. In this paper, we describe the use of "recovery class" concepts in rangeland classification that are being used to evaluate rangeland condition and management impacts across Mongolia. Recovery classes are analogous to degradation classes already used in Mongolia, but are based on ecological site descriptions (ESDs) and provide information about expected recovery rates based on quantitative measurements. While the degradation levels communicate the severity of plant community departure from reference conditions, the recovery classes communicate the management needs and timelines for recovery. According to the national report of Mongolian rangeland health, as of 2015, 65 percent of Mongolian rangelands was altered to some degree. Plant community composition, however, indicates that in more than half of sampled areas, changes to grazing management could result in recovery, or progress toward recovery, within ten years. Fifteen percent of nationwide rangeland health monitoring plots had evidence of recovery within 2 years between 2014-2016 and shifted to a more desirable state of their respective State and Transition models.
The concept of classifying any area into ecological sites, according to that area’s productivity,... more The concept of classifying any area into ecological sites, according to that area’s productivity, based on varying soil, climatic and hydrological conditions, and its capacity to endure different intensities of use and to recover from degradation, and of using this classification as a basis of rational use of natural resources is more and more recognized internationally. Since 2009, the Green Gold Project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been exploring opportunities to develop the ecological site description (ESD) concept for Mongolian rangelands and use it as an essential tool of rangeland management. Based on soil, vegetation and geomorphological data collected from approximately 500 points representing nationwide environmental zones, we developed the ESD concept for the Mongolian context. According to this concept Mongolian rangelands are divided into some 20 zones, representing distinct ecological potentials. Based on these plot data and state...
Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsusta... more Mongolians are aware that rangeland degradation is accelerating due to the combination of unsustainable use and drought events, but the natural recovery of degraded rangeland and timelines for recovery are less well studied. In this paper, we describe the use of "recovery class" concepts in rangeland classification that are being used to evaluate rangeland condition and management impacts across Mongolia. Recovery classes are analogous to degradation classes already used in Mongolia, but are based on ecological site descriptions (ESDs) and provide information about expected recovery rates based on quantitative measurements. While the degradation levels communicate the severity of plant community departure from reference conditions, the recovery classes communicate the management needs and timelines for recovery. According to the national report of Mongolian rangeland health, as of 2015, 65 percent of Mongolian rangelands was altered to some degree. Plant community composition, however, indicates that in more than half of sampled areas, changes to grazing management could result in recovery, or progress toward recovery, within ten years. Fifteen percent of nationwide rangeland health monitoring plots had evidence of recovery within 2 years between 2014-2016 and shifted to a more desirable state of their respective State and Transition models.
Mongolian rangelands have degraded considerably within the last twenty years following an increas... more Mongolian rangelands have degraded considerably within the last twenty years following an increase in the number of livestock and changed management. The current land management system has caused decreased herd mobility and overgrazing. This situation calls for new tools for rangeland management based on ecological knowledge, including knowledge on land condition, land potential and the underlying ecosystem functions, or what is collectively referred to as Rangeland Health. Only through such approaches can we expect to achieve sustainable land management. An Ecological Site is a particular area which has its own ecological potential for productivity. A State and Transition Model is a conceptual model describing plant community change pathways under certain sets of disturbances. This approach gives an opportunity to assess land condition and to detect possible changes. Furthermore, an integration of these two enable application of State and Transition Models to help identify states a...
Journal of Arid Environments, 2022