The importance of ESD concept for rangeland monitoring program and rangeland management in Mongolia

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1 The importance of ESD concept for rangeland monitoring program and rangeland management in Mongolia Bulgamaa Densambuu, Green Gold, SDC Mongolia

2 State of Mongolian Rangeland Standardized methodology? Reference database

3 Comparative studies & Standardization of existing monitoring methodologies

4 Core indicators of nationally standardized monitoring methodology Line Point Intercept (LPI) Percent foliar cover (by species or life form) Percent basal plant cover (by species or life form) Basic plant species richness at a site Percent ground cover (soil covered by herbaceous litter, woody litter, dung, lichens or soil crusts, rocks > 5-mm diameter) Percent bare soil (exposed, uncovered, mineral soil) Gap Intercept Standing biomass

5 National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM) has 1550 monitoring plots Capacity building on: - Collection of monitoring data - Functioning of national rangeland monitoring database - Interpretation of monitoring data & Reporting

6 National rangeland monitoring data base

7 The 2263 plant species are in database -Latin, mongolian name -Latin, mongolian codes -Functional groups, -Life form, -Age. 7

8 Soil, vegetation and geomorphology information Arranged by: -Aimags -Soums -Baghs -Years 8

9 Photos in data base 9 9

10 Data can be exported to other software and reports converted into Excel 10 10

11 11 Plot information on Google Earth

12 Interpretation of monitoring information is challenging - Are they healthy? - Recoverable? - How?

13 WHY ESD CONCEPT? ESD provides information on what is the reference state under proper management and how it can be degraded and restored. Ecological sites are natural units that differ in climate, soils, landscape position composition and production of vegetation how vegetation degrades and is restored Each ecological site can be occupied by different plant communities, including reference and degraded types

14 Recovery classes is a 5-level classification of recovery potential Recovery classes are based on information and assumptions regarding land potential (the plant communities expected to exist at a site in good condition) and the process of recovery. The classes represent testable hypothesis that can be verified or disproven through management actions followed by monitoring.

15 Class I Class II Class III Class IY Class Y The plant community is at or near reference conditions (viz not degraded), no action required, maintain current management The plant community is altered and may be rapidly recovered (one to several growing seasons) with favorable climatic conditions and/or a change in management (e.g., seasonal deferment, rotation). The plant community is altered and may take several years to over a decade to recover with changed management (seasonal deferment and long-term rest). Alteration represents a significant loss of important ecosystem services, but recovery is possible in time. The plant community is altered due to the loss of key species, invasion of noxious plant species that is unlikely to be recovered for well over decade, if ever, without intensive interventions such as species removal, seeding, or other manipulations. The plant community is altered due to extensive soil loss, accelerated erosion rates, or salinization. Previous ecosystem services have been lost and it is usually impractical to recover them.

16 Grasses (>15%)-Forbs (>10%) Grass-forb reference state LOAMY ESG with STKR rangeland The average annual temperature: -1.2 C Annual precipitation: мм Clay content: <20% I T1 R1 II III IV а STKR (>15%)-AGCR (>5%),-ARFRI- (<1%) в STKR (>10%)-ARFRI (<5%)- CLSQ (1-5%)- AGCR (<1%) б ARFRI(<10%)- CXDU(<10%)- CLSQ (<1%)- STKR(<5%) T2 R2 а CXDU (>10%)- ARFRI(<10%)- COAM(<1%)- STKR (<1%) Carex duriuscula state T3 R3 а ARFRI (<15%)- CXDU(<10%)- COAM(<3%)- ARAD(<5%) б ARFRI (>15%)- ARAD(>10%)- CXDU(<10%)- COAM(>3%) Stipa krylovii state Artemisia state

17 Deep sandy ecological site Bottom of alluvial fan Clay content < 8% No calcic horizon Stipa -Caragana grassland State B. Highly eroded, gulley state State A. Caragana shrubland

18 Mongolian rangeland state dot map for 2012:

19 Rangeland state in 2012 for Uguumur plot, Orgih bagh, Tsagaannuur soum, Selenge aimag

20 Mongolian rangelands state: 1. The more than 90 percent of Mongolian rangelands is altered relative to reference. 2. According to the recovery classes: Less than 5.0 % of Mongolian rangelands is in reference state 57 % is altered but may be rapidly recovered (3 to 5 growing seasons) with favorable climatic conditions and/or a change in management (e.g., seasonal deferment, rotation). 36 % altered and may take several years (5-10 years) to over a decade to recover with changed management 2 % is unlikely to be recovered for well over decade to many decades, if ever, without intensive interventions such as species removal, seeding, or manipulations to recover historical hydrological function.

21 CONCLUSIONS Based on monitoring data using the standardized methodology and the ESD based interpretations we became to able to provide a highly accurate information on Mongolian rangeland state by years. Rangeland recovery class concept is a tool can be used as a roadmap to know where we are today, what is the potential, and what we can do. As for 2012 monitoring data, more than 90 percent of Mongolian rangeland is altered but it can be recovered in several years with a change of management. So, Mongolian rangelands at the cross roads, but good thing is that we have a choice. Rangeland is not just a forage or grazing land for animals, it has a high value of ecosystem service. So our monitoring data base information and products could be the tool brings together other conservation programs and streamlines their activities. As a next step, we are working on piloting the ESD application as a rangeland management tool.

22 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. 22