Journal of Ecology and Environment

The Ecological Society of Korea (한국생태학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Local and regional steppe vegetation palatability at grazing hotspot areas in Mongolia

  • Amartuvshin, Narantsetsegiin (Laboratory of Plant Systematic and Phylogeny, Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Mongolian Academy of Sciences) ;
  • Kim, Jaebeom (Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Cho, Nanghyun (Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Seo, Bumsuk (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research/Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU)) ;
  • Kang, Sinkyu (Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University)
  • Received : 2022.01.18
  • Accepted : 2022.03.08
  • Published : 2022.03.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Background: Climate and livestock grazing are key agents in determining current Mongolian steppe vegetation communities. Together with plant coverage or biomass, palatability of steppe community is regarded as a useful indicator of grassland degradation, in particular, at grazing hotspots in arid and semi-arid grasslands. This study analyzed relationships between livestock grazing pressure and steppe vegetation palatability at three summer pastures with different aridity (dry, xeric, and mesic) and livestock numbers (1,100, 1,800, and 4,100 sheep units, respectively). At each site, it was surveyed coverage, biomass, and species composition of different palatability groups (i.e., palatable [P], impalatable [IP], and trampling-tolerant [TT]) along a 1-km transect from grazing hotspots (i.e., well) in every July from 2015 to 2018. Results: In results, total vegetation coverage increased with wetness, 7 times greater at mesic site than dry one in averages (33.1% vs. 4.5%); biomass was 3 times higher (47.1 g m-2 vs. 15.7 g m-2). Though P was the dominant palatability group, the importance of IP in total coverage increased with aridity from mesic (0.6%) to dry (40.2%) sites. Whereas, TT increased with livestock numbers across sites. Locally, IP was observed more frequently near the wells and its spatial range of occurrence becomes farther along the transects with aridity across sites from mesic (< 100 m) to dry (< 700 m from the well). Conclusions: Our results showed that the importance of IP and its spatial distribution are different at both local and regional scales, indicating that the palatability parameters are sensitive to discern balance between selective-grazing demand and climate-driven foraging supply in Mongolian rangelands.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

We sincerely appreciate Chatraa, Jatumbaa, and Gundo, and their families for their kind cooperation in our field activities.

References

  1. Amiri F, Ariapour A, Fadai S. Effects of livestock grazing on vegetation composition and soil moisture properties in grazed and non-grazed range site. J Biol Sci. 2008;8(8):1289-97. https://doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2008.1289.1297.
  2. Andrew MH. Grazing impact in relation to livestock watering points. Trends Ecol Evol. 1988;3(12):336-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-5347(88)90090-0.
  3. Batima P. Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in the livestock sector of Mongolia: a final report submitted to Assessments of Impacts and Adaptations to Climate Change (AIACC), Project No. AS 06. Washington, D.C.: The International START Secretariat; 2006.
  4. Clark Martin S, Cable DR. Managing semidesert grass-shrub ranges: vegetation responses to precipitation, grazing, soil texture and mesquite control. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; 1974.
  5. Dagvadorj D, Natsagdorj L, Dorjpurev J, Namkhainyam B. Mongolia assessment report on climate change 2009. Ulaanbaatar: Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism; 2009.
  6. Damiran D. Palatability of Mongolian rangeland plants. Union: Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center; 2005.
  7. Dietz AJ, Amgalan E, Erdenechuluun T, Hess S. Carrying capacity dynamics, livestock commercialisation and land degradation in Mongolia's free market era. Amsterdam: Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije University; 2005.
  8. Egeru A, Barasa B, Makuma-Massa H, Nampala P. Piosphere syndrome and rangeland degradation in Karamoja Sub-region, Uganda. Resour Environ. 2015;5(3):73-89.
  9. Farmer H. Understanding impacts of water supplementation in a heterogeneous landscape [PhD dissertation]. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand; 2010.
  10. Fernandez-Gimenez M, Allen-Diaz B. Vegetation change along gradients from water sources in three grazed Mongolian ecosystems. Plant Ecol. 2001;157(1):101-18. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014519206041
  11. Fernandez-Gimenez ME, Allen-Diaz B. Testing a non-equilibrium model of rangeland vegetation dynamics in Mongolia. J Appl Ecol. 1999;36(6):871-85. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.1999.00447.x.
  12. Fujita N, Amartuvshin N, Ariunbold E. Vegetation interactions for the better understanding of a Mongolian ecosystem network. In: Yamamura N, Fujita N, Maekawa A, editors. The Mongolian ecosystem network. Tokyo: Springer Japan; 2013. p. 157-84.
  13. Graetz RD, Pech RP, Davis AW. The assessment and monitoring of sparsely vegetated rangelands using calibrated Landsat data. Int J Remote Sens. 1988;9(7):1201-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431168808954929.
  14. Grubov VI. Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia. Plymouth: Science Publishers; 2001.
  15. Hoshino A, Yoshihara Y, Sasaki T, Okayasu T, Jamsran U, Okuro T, et al. Comparison of vegetation changes along grazing gradients with different numbers of livestock. J Arid Environ. 2009;73(6-7):687-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.01.005.
  16. Jamsranjav C, Reid RS, Fernandez-Gimenez ME, Tsevlee A, Yadamsuren B, Heiner M. Applying a dryland degradation framework for rangelands: the case of Mongolia. Ecol Appl. 2018;28(3):622-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1684.
  17. Jeltsch F, Milton S, Richard W, Dean J, Van Rooyen N. Simulated pattern formation around artificial waterholes in the semi-arid Kalahari. J Veg Sci. 1997;8(2):177-88. https://doi.org/10.2307/3237346.
  18. Johnson DA, Sheehy DP, Miller D, Damiran D. Mongolian rangelands in transition. Secheresse. 2006;17(1-2):133-41.
  19. Khishigbayar J, Fernandez-Gimenez ME, Angerer JP, Reid RS, Chantsallkham J, Baasandorj Y, et al. 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. J Arid Environ. 2015;115:100-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.01.007.
  20. Ludwig JA, Coughenour MB, Liedloff AC, Dyer R. Modelling the resilience of Australian savanna systems to grazing impacts. Environ Int. 2001;27(2-3):167-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0160-4120(01)00078-2.
  21. Middleton NJ, Sternberg T. Climate hazards in drylands: a review. Earth Sci Rev. 2013;126:48-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.07.008.
  22. Nangula S, Oba G. Effects of artificial water points on the Oshana ecosystem in Namibia. Environ Conserv. 2004;31(1):47-54. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892904001079.
  23. Narantsetseg A, Kang S, Ko D. Livestock grazing and trampling effects on plant functional composition at three wells in the desert steppe of Mongolia. J Ecol Environ. 2018;42:13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-018-0075-2.
  24. Narantsetseg A, Kang S, Lkhamsuren B, Jang K, Ko DW. Assessment of biotic and abiotic factors controlling herbaceous biodiversity in Mongolian steppes. Ecol Inform. 2015;29:221-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.11.003.
  25. Nash MS, Whitford WG, de Soyza AG, Van Zee JW, Havstad KM. Livestock activity and Chihuahuan desert annual-plant communities: boundary analysis of disturbance gradients. Ecol Appl. 1999;9(3):814-23. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009[0814:LAACDA]2.0.CO;2.
  26. Okayasu T, Toshiya O, Undarmaa J, Takeuchi K. Degraded rangeland dominated by unpalatable forbs exhibits large-scale spatial heterogeneity. Plant Ecol. 2012;213(4):625-35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0027-3.
  27. Reis M, Sen N. The piosphere effects of livestock grazing on rangeland vegetation in Ahir mountain of Kahramanmaras region. J Agric Sci. 2017;23:260-7.
  28. Schmidt M, Kreft H, Thiombiano A, Zizka G. Herbarium collections and field data-based plant diversity maps for Burkina Faso. Divers Distrib. 2005;11(6):509-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1366-9516.2005.00185.x.
  29. Shahriary E, Palmer MW, Tongway DJ, Azarnivand H, Jafari M, Mohseni Saravi M. Plant species composition and soil characteristics around Iranian piospheres. J Arid Environ. 2012;82:106-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.02.004.
  30. Sternberg T. Investigating the presumed causal links between drought and dzud in Mongolia. Nat Hazards. 2018;92:27-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2848-9.
  31. Stohlgren TJ, Owen AJ, Lee M. Monitoring shifts in plant diversity in response to climate change: a method for landscapes. Biodivers Conserv. 2000;9(1):65-86. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008995726486.
  32. Thrash I. Determinants of the extent of indigenous large herbivore impact on herbaceous vegetation at watering points in the north-eastern lowveld, South Africa. J Arid Environ. 2000;44(1):61-72. https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.1999.0452.
  33. Tuna C, Nizam I, Altin M. Impact of watering points on vegetation changes of a semi-arid natural pasture in Tekirdag Province, Turkey. Afr J Agric Res. 2011;6(4):896-900. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR10.894.
  34. Van der Maarel E. Transformation of cover-abundance values in phytosociology and its effects on community similarity. Vegetatio. 1979;39: 97-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052021.
  35. Wu C, Venevsky S, Sitch S, Yang Y, Wang M, Wang L, et al. Present-day and future contribution of climate and fires to vegetation composition in the boreal forest of China. Ecosphere. 2017;8(8):e01917. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1917.
  36. Yoka J, Loumeto J, Djego J, Vouidibio J, Epron D. [Evaluation of herbaceous floristic diversity of Congolese basin savannahs (Republic of Congo)] Afr Sci. 2013;9(2):110-23. French.
  37. Yoshihara Y, Okuro T, Buuveibaatar B, Undarmaa J, Takeuchi K. Complementary effects of disturbance by livestock and marmots on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soil in a Mongolian steppe ecosystem. Agric Ecosyst Environ. 2010;135(1-2):155-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2009.09.009.
  38. Zerbo I, Bernhardt-Romermann M, Ouedraogo O, Hahn K, Thiombiano A. Effects of climate and land use on herbaceous species richness and vegetation composition in West African Savanna ecosystems. J Bot. 2016;2016:9523685. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/9523685.
  39. Zerbo I, Bernhardt-Romermann M, Ouedraogo O, Hahn K, Thiombiano A. Diversity and occurrence of herbaceous communities in West African savannas in relation to climate, land use and habitat. Folia Geobot. 2018;53(1):17-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-017-9303-2.