Social Outcomes of Community‐based Rangeland Management in Mongolian Steppe Ecosystems

Ulambayar, Tungalag; Fernández‐Giménez, María E.; Baival, Batkhishig; Batbuyan, B.

doi:10.1111/conl.12267

Cited by 40 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…Many of these initiatives have received support from overseas development agencies and NGOs. However, the success of these CBRM groups in improving rangeland condition in the Mongolian Gobi is a matter for debate (Addison et al 2013) and their social benefits are by no means clear-cut (Ulambayar et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rangeland management and climate hazards in drylands: dust storms, desertification and the overgrazing debate

Middleton

2016

Nat Hazards

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This paper examines the theory and supporting evidence for links between desertification, drought and dust storms with a particular focus on studies undertaken in and around the Gobi Desert. Overgrazing of rangeland by pastoralists has been the most commonly cited cause of desertification in global drylands for more than 30 years, but the evidence supporting this link is not always convincing. Nonetheless, overgrazing, desertification and dust storms are frequently connected, regardless. Drought is another wellknown and important driver of vegetation cover change. Distinguishing between vegetation cover adversely affected by drought and that reduced by grazing is imperative for policy makers because identifying the incorrect driver of vegetation change risks the development of inappropriate policy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rangeland management and climate hazards in drylands: dust storms, desertification and the overgrazing debate

Middleton

2016

Nat Hazards

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“…As part of a larger study (see Ulambayar et al. , Jamsranjav et al. ), we surveyed households belonging to four to five herder communities within each study soum .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As part of a larger study (see Ulambayar et al 2017, Jamsranjav et al 2018, we surveyed households belonging to four to five herder communities within each study soum. For one household in each group, we also sampled vegetation and soils in the winter pasture area used by this household.…”

Section: Sampling Design Data Collection and Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Ulambayar et al. ). Yet there are several disconnects between formal government monitoring and rangeland monitoring carried out by CBRM initiatives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Community-based rangeland management (CBRM) groups began forming in Mongolia in the late 1990s, in response to declining pasture conditions and rising rural poverty. Members of CBRM groups are more proactive in addressing resource management issues and use more traditional and innovative rangeland management practices, including formal rangeland monitoring, than nonmembers (Baival and Fernandez-Gimenez 2012, Ulambayar et al 2017). Yet there are several disconnects between formal government monitoring and rangeland monitoring carried out by CBRM initiatives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Opportunities to integrate herders’ indicators into formal rangeland monitoring: an example from Mongolia

Jamsranjav

Fernández‐Giménez

Reid

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Despite increasing calls for knowledge integration around the world, traditional knowledge is rarely used in formal, Western‐science‐based monitoring and resource management. To better understand indicators herders use and their relationship to researcher‐measured indicators, we conducted in‐depth field interviews with 26 herders in three ecological zones of Mongolia. We asked each herder to (1) assess the overall condition of three different sites located along a livestock‐use gradient from their winter camp using a numeric scale, (2) describe the indicators they used in their assessment, and (3) explain what caused their pastures to remain healthy or become degraded. At each site, we collected field data on vegetation variables and compared these with herders’ ratings and indicators using linear regression. We used classification and ordination to understand how herders’ assessment scores related to plant community composition, and determine how well multivariate analysis of factors determining plant community composition aligned with herders’ observations of factors causing rangeland change. Across all ecological zones, herders use indicators similar to those used in formal monitoring. Herders’ assessment scores correlated significantly and positively with measured total foliar cover in all three ecological zones, and with additional measured variables in the steppe and desert steppe. Ordination revealed that herder assessment scores were correlated with the primary ordination axis in each zone, and the main factors driving plant community composition in each zone were the same as those identified by herders as the primary causes of rangeland change in that zone. These results show promise for developing integrated indicators and monitoring protocols and highlight the importance of developing a common language of monitoring terminology shared by herders, government monitoring agencies, and researchers. We propose a new model for integrating herder knowledge and participation into formal monitoring in Mongolia, with implications for rangelands and pastoral people globally. We suggest practical ways of involving herders in formal monitoring that have potential broad application for promoting local and indigenous people's participation in implementing international agreements such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, both of which call for involvement of local people and indigenous/traditional knowledges.

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Implementing a resilience‐based management system in Mongolia's rangelands

Dashbal,

Bestelmeyer,

Densambuu

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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A primary challenge in advancing sustainability in rangelands and drylands is the lack of governance systems that are linked to information about highly variable ecosystem conditions. Here, we describe the national‐scale implementation of a resilience‐based management system in the rangelands of Mongolia. The system comprises several interacting elements. Land type‐specific information about rangeland conditions was captured in vegetation state‐and‐transition models (STMs) that allow interpretation of monitoring data and locally tailored restoration recommendations. Rangeland monitoring systems based on standardized protocols were developed and have been adopted by national government agencies, which provide annual, high‐quality data on rangeland conditions on which to base and adjust management decisions. Rangeland use agreements between local governments and herders' collective organizations, called Pasture Users' Groups, define their respective rights and responsibilities and introduce economic and policy incentives for management changes. Pasture Users' Groups also provide a platform for information sharing and collective action. Rangeland condition data and other indicators are linked to the Responsible Nomads product traceability system that provides consumers and industry a means to associate products with sustainable rangeland management practices. The collaboration between national agencies, international donors, scientists, and herders has been essential to initial success, but longer term support and monitoring will be needed to assess whether the adoption of resilience‐based management leads to positive social and ecological outcomes. We draw generalizations and lessons learned from this effort, which can lead to the successful implementation of new management systems across global rangelands.

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Social Outcomes of Community‐based Rangeland Management in Mongolian Steppe Ecosystems

Cited by 40 publications

References 26 publications

Rangeland management and climate hazards in drylands: dust storms, desertification and the overgrazing debate

Rangeland management and climate hazards in drylands: dust storms, desertification and the overgrazing debate

Opportunities to integrate herders’ indicators into formal rangeland monitoring: an example from Mongolia

Implementing a resilience‐based management system in Mongolia's rangelands

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