20-year vegetation change data in three ecological zones in Mongolia
Date
2020
Authors
Jamiyansharav, Khishigbayar
Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Mongolian rangelands have experienced warming temperatures and increasing livestock densities over the past 20 years. Remote sensing studies report widespread degradation, but there are no long-term field studies of vegetation responses to shifts in climate and stocking densities. In 2013, we resampled plots originally sampled in 1994-1995 in the desert-steppe, steppe and mountain-steppe, and analyzed changes in vegetation in relation to changes in climate, stocking densities and forage use. Summer temperatures significantly increased and stocking densities fluctuated in response to droughts followed by harsh winters. Total herbaceous biomass in 2013 was similar to (desert-steppe and steppe) or greater than (mountain-steppe) in 1995, and total foliar and herbaceous cover were unchanged since 1995 in all zones. In the mountain-steppe, functional type and species cover shifts were consistent with warming temperatures and increasing grazing pressure. All species richness and diversity indicators declined significantly in the mountain-steppe since 1995 as did richness in the steppe. Some Mongolian rangelands may be losing resilience due to interacting climate and grazing pressures, but our data suggest degradation observed at our study sites is reversible. Mountain-steppe systems appear more vulnerable to grazing- and climate-induced vegetation change than steppe and desert-steppe.
Description
This dataset includes Mountain Steppe, Steppe, and Desert-Steppe species cover and biomass data for 1994. 1995 and 2013.
Warner College of Natural Resources
Warner College of Natural Resources
Rights Access
Subject
biomass
Mongolia
rangeland
semi-arid grassland
species cover
climate change
Citation
Associated Publications
Jamiyansharav, K., M. E. Fernandez-Gimenez, J. P. Angerer, B. Yadamsuren, and Z. Dash. 2018. Plant community change in three Mongolian steppe ecosystems 1994–2013: Applications to state-and-transition models. Ecosphere 9(3):e02145. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2145
J. Khishigbayar, María E. Fernandez-Gimenez, Jay P. Angerer, R.S. Reid, J. Chantsallkham, Ya Baasandorj, D. Zumberelmaa. 2015. Mongolian rangelands at a tipping point? Biomass and cover are stable but composition shifts and richness declines after 20 years of grazing and increasing temperatures. Journal of Arid Environments 115:100-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.01.007
J. Khishigbayar, María E. Fernandez-Gimenez, Jay P. Angerer, R.S. Reid, J. Chantsallkham, Ya Baasandorj, D. Zumberelmaa. 2015. Mongolian rangelands at a tipping point? Biomass and cover are stable but composition shifts and richness declines after 20 years of grazing and increasing temperatures. Journal of Arid Environments 115:100-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.01.007