Analyzing causes of desertification in Bayankhangai soum, Tuv province, central Mongolia

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to develop a simple assessment for precisely appraising the status and trends of desertification in Bayankhangai soum. The Bayankhangai soum is in central Mongolia, which is a part of the Hustai National Park, and this soum (administrative subdivision) belongs to the Orhon and Tuul river basins of the Khangai mountain region, encompassing 100,733 ha, and 7170 ha that is specially protected. The current study is more focused on methods for assessing climate change, pastureland change by herders and land degradation assessment. The degradation of pastureland has occurred rapidly as a consequence of herding controls being replaced by open access during the transition from socialism to a market economy. Therefore, range carrying capacity status which includes available herb biomass and predicted livestock consumption. In recent years land degradation, as measured by the decline of soil fertility and desertification as grasslands decrease, has increased with more grassland becoming sandy. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.