Rangeland degradation in Mongolia: A review of the evidence

Authors: SUMJIDMAA, SAINAMEKH - University Of Iceland; BARRIO, ISABEL - University Of Iceland; BULGAMAA, DENSAMBUU - Ministry Of Agriculture - Mongolia; Bestelmeyer, Brandon; ASA, ARADÓTTIR - University Of Iceland

Submitted to: Journal of Arid Environments
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/11/2021
Publication Date: 10/20/2021
Citation: Sumjidmaa, S., Barrio, I., Bulgamaa, D., Bestelmeyer, B.T., Asa, A. 2021. Rangeland degradation in Mongolia: A review of the evidence. Journal of Arid Environments. 196. Article 10465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104654.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104654

Interpretive Summary: Rangeland degradation compromises the functioning of extensive natural ecosystems and threatens pastoral livelihoods worldwide. Yet, defining rangeland degradation and its underlying causes remains controversial. In this study we review rangeland studies to identify different approaches used to assess rangeland degradation in Mongolia, where the prevalence of degradation is frequently referenced in media and policy documents. Emerging initiatives for rangeland assessment and monitoring in Mongolia that use long-term data collection following standardized methodologies are needed to design policies for sustainable land use in Mongolia.

Technical Abstract: Rangeland degradation compromises the functioning of extensive natural ecosystems and threatens pastoral livelihoods worldwide. Yet, defining rangeland degradation and its underlying causes remains controversial. In this study we review rangeland studies to identify different approaches used to assess rangeland degradation in Mongolia, where the prevalence of degradation is frequently referenced in media and policy documents. We compiled studies addressing rangeland degradation, with a special emphasis on the grey literature, to assess: 1) how different studies defined and quantified rangeland degradation; 2) whether a theoretical background was explicitly mentioned; 3) which drivers of degradation were identified and whether their effects were quantified; and 4) the distribution of the studies across relevant environmental gradients. We found 114 studies published between 1950 and 2021. Degradation was frequently assessed as a change in vegetation or land cover. Few studies referred to a theoretical framework (27 studies) and even fewer explicitly defined contrasting degradation levels (8). Disparate estimates of rangeland degradation, ranging between 22 and 95% of Mongolia, are likely related to the use of different methods of rangeland assessments. Grazing and climate (precipitation and temperature), alone or in combination, were most frequently mentioned as drivers of degradation but the impact of different drivers differs across ecological zones. The majority of studies were conducted in the steppe, forest steppe and desert steppe zones of central Mongolia, which are the most populated and intensively used. Future studies should consider the differences in ecological potential of each rangeland and quantify the relative importance of different drivers in each ecological zone. Emerging initiatives for rangeland assessment and monitoring in Mongolia that use long-term data collection following standardized methodologies based on robust theoretical frameworks hold promise for the design of policies and strategies for sustainable land use in Mongolia.