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Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands: A Trans-disciplinary Research Conference

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/195524
"Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands: A Trans-disciplinary Research Conference" was held June 9-10, 2015 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Mongolia is a semi-arid and arid country in Asia where the climate has been changing more drastically than many other locations across the globe. The proceedings was divided into five sections: 1) Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2) Climate Change and Hydrology, 3) Institutional Innovations in Mongolian Rangelands, 4) Social and Economic Development in Rural Mongolia, and 5) Methods of Knowledge and Data Integration. The papers presented provided cause for concern regarding observed changes in climate, rangeland conditions and livestock populations, as well as reasons for hope and motivations for action to address the current challenges. It is hoped this conference inspired renewed commitment to support science and science-based policy-making and management to sustain Mongolia's unique natural and cultural heritage as they adapt to a changing planet. These digital collections include the entire conference proceedings in both English and Mongolian, and individual papers given at the conference, also in English and Mongolian.

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Browsing Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands: A Trans-disciplinary Research Conference by Author "Baival, Batkhishig, author"

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    Building resilience of Mongolian rangelands: a trans-disciplinary research conference
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria E., author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Fassnacht, Steven R., author; Wilson, David, author; Ganbold, Chimgee, author; Vanluu, Dugermaa, author; Purevsuren, Munkhzul, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Mongolia is a semi-arid and arid country in Asia where the climate has been changing more drastically than many other locations across the globe. The proceedings of the "Trans-disciplinary Research Conference: Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands" is divided into five sections: 1) Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2) Climate Change and Hydrology, 3) Institutional Innovations in Mongolian Rangelands, 4) Social and Economic Development in Rural Mongolia, and 5) Methods of Knowledge and Data Integration. The papers presented provide cause for concern regarding observed changes in climate, rangeland conditions and livestock populations, as well as reasons for hope and motivations for action to address the current challenges. We hope that this volume and the conference it accompanies, will inspire renewed commitment to support science and science-based policy-making and management to sustain Mongolia's unique natural and cultural heritage as they adapt to a changing planet.
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    Building resilience of Mongolian rangelands: a trans-disciplinary research conference - preface
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria E., author; Fassnacht, Steven R., author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Mongolia is a semi-arid and arid country in Asia where the climate has been changing more drastically than many other locations across the globe. The proceedings of the "Trans-disciplinary Research Conference: Building Resilience of Mongolian Rangelands" is divided into five sections: 1) Rangeland Ecology and Management, 2) Climate Change and Hydrology, 3) Institutional Innovations in Mongolian Rangelands, 4) Social and Economic Development in Rural Mongolia, and 5) Methods of Knowledge and Data Integration. The papers presented provide cause for concern regarding observed changes in climate, rangeland conditions and livestock populations, as well as reasons for hope and motivations for action to address the current challenges. We hope that this volume and the conference it accompanies, will inspire renewed commitment to support science and science-based policy-making and management to sustain Mongolia's unique natural and cultural heritage as they adapt to a changing planet.
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    Contemporary mobility of herders in central Mongolia
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Jargalsaikhan, Azjargal, author; Batjav, Batbuyan, author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Ulambayar, Tungalag, author; Lhagvasuren, Tamir, author; Tsogtbaatar, Solongoo, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Social-ecological changes occurring in recent years have complicated herders' migration patterns, and because of rangeland climate variability, nomadic movement patterns have changed. The aim of this study was to determine how the present movement patterns of herders situated in different steppe regions along the road infrastructure corridor of central Mongolia have been affected by the intensification of community-based natural resource management activities and household livelihood levels, and to identify how herders adapt to those changes in their movement practices. The number and distance of herders' movements increased between 2010 and 2011, depending on regional geographical location and community-based natural resource management activities. In particular, household income and the number of livestock herders owned determined how far they moved. In the period 2010-2011 in central Mongolia there was a trend of movement from the western aimags to the forest steppe and from the desert steppe to the steppe and forest steppe, across administrative borders. Herders have a variety of ways to cope with social-ecological change which demonstrates the basic need for developing location-specific policies when establishing movement regulations and implementing risk reduction measures.
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    Evaluating the impact of climate change based on herders' observations and comparing it with hydro-climatic and remote sensing data
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Jigjsuren, Odgarav, author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Nayanaa, Kherlentuul, author; Jargalsaikhan, Azjargal, author; Dash, Khurelbaatar, author; Badamkhand, Bayarmaa, author; Bud, Amarzaya, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Studying the impact of recent years' climate change on Mongolian rangeland livestock husbandry and on pastoral herders' livelihoods, based on herders' observations and their experience, is an approach that is of considerable interest to many scientists. Our research identifies changes in natural conditions and climate, as well as the changes in rangeland conditions, as observed by herders, and compares them against weather stations' multi-year observations and remote sensing data. Our research region of Khanbogd, Manlai and Bayan-Ovoo soums of Umnugobi aimag has been, in the recent years, experiencing a rapid development of the mining industry and human population growth. According to local herders, current rangeland quality greatly decreased compared to the period before the year 2000, while the area of barren land, sand movement and soil erosion increased. Herders also said that the amount of rainfall diminished and the rainy season's duration shortened, short high intensity rains grew in number, and it became extremely hot in summer. Soum weather station records of air temperature, precipitation and evaporation confirmed herders' observations, and were consistent with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or the results of observations of rangeland vegetation phenology. To develop local adaptive capacity in the face of changing social-ecological systems it is important to use and integrate multiple sources of information that are essential for making policy implementation mechanisms and measures more locally appropriate and relevant.
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    Participatory mapping and herders' local knowledge on Mongolia's landscapes and socio-ecological boundaries
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Allegretti, Arren Mendezona, author; Laituri, Melinda, author; Batjav, Batbuyan, author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Socio-ecological boundaries delineate landscapes containing natural resources that are differentially accessed and managed by stakeholders. These boundaries may be human-demarcated and biophysical serving as tangible and intangible features delineating landscapes. Our purpose is to explore Mongolian herders' perceptions of their pasture and boundaries through participatory mapping processes. Our research questions include: 1) what boundaries are depicted on herders' participatory maps? and 2) how are boundaries discussed through herders' participatory mapping narratives? We conducted participatory mapping and informal interviews (n= 35) with herder groups and district officials in Arkhangai, Tuv, Dornod, and Dornogovi. We qualitatively coded participatory mapping narratives and applied visual grounded theory. Tangible features on participatory maps included economic, hydroclimatic, geomorphological, and ecological boundaries portrayed as springs, landforms, vegetation types, seasonal camps, wells, and roads. Non-physical intangible boundaries such as governance arrangements were evident in participatory mapping narratives and served as human demarcated boundaries for accessing seasonal camps, markets, government assistance, and resources for herder migration. The relationships among herder mobility, governance boundaries, and biophysical pasture boundaries are coupled and dynamic, resulting in multi-dimensional outcomes of herder livelihoods.
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    What explains positive social outcomes of community-based rangeland management in Mongolia?
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Ulambayar, Tungalag, author; Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria, author; Batjav, Batbuyan, author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    Community-based rangeland management (CBRM) has been proposed as a promising option to reduce rural poverty and resource degradation in Mongolia. However, results have been mixed. Studies about the factors influencing CBRM success have been limited. We explored the mechanisms underlying social outcomes of Mongolian CBRM. The study revealed that access to diverse information, leadership, knowledge exchange and rules facilitated the effect of formal organization on pastoralists' traditional and innovative rangeland practices, proactive behavior, and social networking. Importantly, information diversity had a triggering effect on the other three facilitating variables. This chain of four mediators collectively increased the effect of the formal organization on the above social outcomes. We also found that ecological zone had a moderating effect on the relationship between formal organization and members' proactive behavior and social networking.
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    What matters most in institutional design for community-based rangeland management in Mongolia?
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015-06) Ulambayar, Tungalag, author; Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria, author; Batjav, Batbuyan, author; Baival, Batkhishig, author; Nutag Action and Research Institute, publisher
    This study tested the effect of institutional design principles on social outcomes of evolving pastoral institutions in post-socialist Mongolia. Using data from 77 community-based rangeland management (CBRM) groups and 392 member households, we examined the effect of donor facilitation on institutional design. We found that donor facilitation approach significantly influenced group attributes and their external environment, but not institutional arrangements. The study confirmed that small group size, homogeneous interests, and heterogeneity of well-being are important group characteristics that predict higher levels of information diversity, leadership, and income diversity. Institutional arrangements such as the presence of sanctions, group-devised rules, frequent meetings, and recording documents increased cooperation, rules, and information diversity. Similarly, access to training and local government support provided a favorable external environment for increasing social outcomes. Furthermore, group characteristics such as dependence on livestock, homogeneity of interests, and leader legitimacy were critical for increasing social capital, livelihoods, sustainable rangeland practices, and proactive behavior of members. More frequent meetings of leaders were the most influential for these outcomes. Local government support and available donor support were associated with increased trust and norms of reciprocity, sustainable rangeland management practices, proactiveness, and livestock holdings. Lastly, group attributes and external environment influenced social outcomes of pastoral CBRMs in Mongolia more than institutional arrangements.