Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia

Abstract

We developed a geo-vegetation zonation in the Khaan Khentii massif, northern Mongolia. Our specific objective was to assess and classify the response of the tree vegetation to environmental factors operating at a coarse climatic level. We sampled forest ecosystem vegetation, climate, physiographic features, and soil properties. Our analysis included clustering, ordination, classification, and ANOVA techniques. Based on the complex data set, we identified three geo-vegetation zones: forest-steppe, montane and dark taiga zone. We characterized them based on the regional environmental factors; (1) climate as indicated by altitude, i.e., precipitation, (2) geomorphology by an index of the vertical distance to channel network and soils by O horizon thickness and soil types. Birch and aspen ecosystems were excluded as discrete zones due to their broad ecological amplitude.The geo-vegetation zonation outlined in this paper is the first attempt at quantifying vegetation along with the environment at a macroclimatic level in Mongolia. This coarsescale zonation provides a framework for building a comprehensive ecological classification, a background for sustainable forest management, which is currently unavailable in Mongolia and many central Asian countries. Additionally, it offers a roadmap for a comprehensive ecosystem survey and may act as an information platform and reference for current environmental issues such as forest degradation across Mongolian landscapes.

Basics of Forest Ecology and Management

“…Available vegetation, environmental, and soil data were used to assess the geo-vegetation zones (Figure 36) and identify their environment thresholds (Table 3). Then, it is possible to set up lower-level units and appropriate management for relevant forest sites/stands (Kusbach et al, 2019). This geovegetation zonation is the first attempt at quantifying vegetation along with the environment at a macroclimatic level in Mongolia.…”

“…It offers a roadmap for an ecosystem survey and may act as an information platform and reference for current environmental issues, e.g. forest degradation across Mongolian landscapes (Kusbach et al, 2019).…”

Forest Management Plan in Domogt Sharyn Gol, Mongolia is Elaborated on Ecological and Sustainable Principles

“…A forest development type (FDT) (Mikeska, 2013;Zahradníček et al, 2010) is a forest management differentiation unit based on aggregation of sites with the same or similar potential natural vegetation sensu Tüxen (1956), i.e., with a similar successional trajectory. In the Domogt property, it serves as a framework for assessment of a state of forests via an operational forest inventory (Černý, 2004) and management planning (Kusbach et al, 2019). For FDT structuring on the Domogt property, outputs of the project of the Czech Development Agency No.…”

“…Thus, for one vegetation geo-climatic zone, two digits (odd and even) are reserved. For Domogt, 3 (4)montane zone (Pinus sylvestris light taiga) where a forest area is greater than a steppe area, were chosen (Kusbach et al 2019).…”

“…Forest development type coding (Kusbach et al, 2019). A forest development type was designated by a combination of the first two digits of the 4-digit code within a given vegetation geo-climatic zone ( Fig.…”