A critical review of degradation assumptions applied to Mongolia's Gobi Desert

Abstract

Several assumptions about the levels and causes of rangeland degradation in Mongolia are widely accepted by a range of stakeholders. These assumptions have become important in terms of guiding strategies and policy directions. This paper provides a critical analysis of five widely-held assumptions about rangeland degradation in Mongolia to the more specific case of the rangelands of the Gobi Desert. These assumptions are: (i) there are too many animals; (ii) the relative increase in goat numbers has led to desertification; (iii) rainfall is declining; (iv) there is declining pasture biomass; and (v) Mongolian rangelands are degraded. Biophysical and social data from the Dundgobi and Omnogobi desert steppe areas suggest not all of these assumptions are supported all of the time, and that the processes upon which these assumptions are based are often more complex or dynamic than is commonly recognised. In designing policy and programs, more attention to these dynamics and complexities is needed.

Spatio-temporal patterns of herbage availability and livestock movements: A cross-border analysis in the Chinese-Mongolian Altay

“…This may explain the relatively low herbage allowance and lower nutritive value of herbage compared with Mongolia. Furthermore, it can be assumed that cattle herds staying in the vicinity of villages locally foster rangeland degradation due to high stocking rates on both sides of the border (Lise et al 2006;Addison et al 2012;Bruegger et al 2014).…”

“…Despite marked differences between China and Mongolia, both countries struggle with designing effective rangeland strategies, policies and programmes that allow to sustain rangeland productivity on the basis of fine-tuned pasture management and planning for disaster mitigation (Addison et al 2012;Sasaki et al 2012;Schönbach et al 2012;Kreutzmann 2013a;Wang et al 2013;Hilker et al 2014;Khishigbayar et al 2015).…”

Contraction of the Gobi Desert, 2000–2012

“…Indeed, received wisdom regarding anthropogenic drivers of desertification appears effectively to feedback on itself according to Cao et al [29] who suggest that large-scale afforestation, a primary tool for controlling desertification and soil erosion in China, is actually exacerbating environmental degradation in some areas because it has been undertaken without adequate understanding of local climatic, pedological, hydrological and landscape factors. In a similar vein, Addison et al [30] warn that many policies and programmes designed to address degradation on rangelands in Mongolia's Gobi desert are based on assumptions that are not supported all of the time. Studies of desertification and desert boundaries are undermined by a lack of clarity and definition across the Gobi region, which affects understanding of the impact of climate change, environmental processes and degradation with resultant implications for populations and governance.…”

Rangeland Systems in Developing Nations: Conceptual Advances and Societal Implications

“…Mongolian rangelands today are increasingly at risk from heavy livestock grazing (Liu et al 2013) as well as soil degradation associated with road networks (Keshkamat et al 2013) and pollution of soil and water from the expansion of mining (Thorslund et al 2012). There is debate, however, about the causes of declining range conditions in Mongolia (Addison et al 2012). Livestock pressure may be interacting over space and time with dynamic climate belts to alter vegetation cover, with the mix of drivers likely changing in different ecological zones (Cheng et al 2011;Wang et al 2013;Wesche et al 2010).…”