Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia

We developed a geo-vegetation zonation in the Khaan Khentii massif, northern Mongolia. Our specific objective was to assess and classify the response of the tree vegetation to environmental factors operating at a coarse climatic level. We sampled forest ecosystem vegetation, climate, physiographic f...

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Main Authors: Antonín Kusbach, Tadeáš Štěrba, Jan Šebesta, Tomáš Mikita, Enkhtuya Bazarradnaa, Sarantuya Dambadarjaa, Martin Smola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Lomonosov Moscow State University 2019-10-01
Series:Geography, Environment, Sustainability
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Online Access:https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/832
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author Antonín Kusbach
Tadeáš Štěrba
Jan Šebesta
Tomáš Mikita
Enkhtuya Bazarradnaa
Sarantuya Dambadarjaa
Martin Smola
author_facet Antonín Kusbach
Tadeáš Štěrba
Jan Šebesta
Tomáš Mikita
Enkhtuya Bazarradnaa
Sarantuya Dambadarjaa
Martin Smola
author_sort Antonín Kusbach
collection DOAJ
description We developed a geo-vegetation zonation in the Khaan Khentii massif, northern Mongolia. Our specific objective was to assess and classify the response of the tree vegetation to environmental factors operating at a coarse climatic level. We sampled forest ecosystem vegetation, climate, physiographic features, and soil properties. Our analysis included clustering, ordination, classification, and ANOVA techniques. Based on the complex data set, we identified three geo-vegetation zones: forest-steppe, montane and dark taiga zone. We characterized them based on the regional environmental factors; (1) climate as indicated by altitude, i.e., precipitation, (2) geomorphology by an index of the vertical distance to channel network and soils by O horizon thickness and soil types. Birch and aspen ecosystems were excluded as discrete zones due to their broad ecological amplitude.The geo-vegetation zonation outlined in this paper is the first attempt at quantifying vegetation along with the environment at a macroclimatic level in Mongolia. This coarsescale zonation provides a framework for building a comprehensive ecological classification, a background for sustainable forest management, which is currently unavailable in Mongolia and many central Asian countries. Additionally, it offers a roadmap for a comprehensive ecosystem survey and may act as an information platform and reference for current environmental issues such as forest degradation across Mongolian landscapes.
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spelling doaj-art-5086b0cea6434b9b9f159332d65f2e332025-08-20T02:17:34ZengLomonosov Moscow State UniversityGeography, Environment, Sustainability2071-93882542-15652019-10-011239811610.24057/2071-9388-2019-31410Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern MongoliaAntonín Kusbach0Tadeáš Štěrba1Jan Šebesta2Tomáš Mikita3Enkhtuya Bazarradnaa4Sarantuya Dambadarjaa5Martin Smola6Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, Brno Forest Management Institute, Brandýs nad LabemForest Management Institute, Brandýs nad LabemDepartment of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, BrnoDepartment of Forest Management and Applied Geoinformatics, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, BrnoSchool of Agroecology and Business, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Darkhan UulSchool of Agroecology and Business, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Darkhan UulDepartment of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, Brno Lesprojekt Východní Čechy Ltd. Company, Hradec KrálovéWe developed a geo-vegetation zonation in the Khaan Khentii massif, northern Mongolia. Our specific objective was to assess and classify the response of the tree vegetation to environmental factors operating at a coarse climatic level. We sampled forest ecosystem vegetation, climate, physiographic features, and soil properties. Our analysis included clustering, ordination, classification, and ANOVA techniques. Based on the complex data set, we identified three geo-vegetation zones: forest-steppe, montane and dark taiga zone. We characterized them based on the regional environmental factors; (1) climate as indicated by altitude, i.e., precipitation, (2) geomorphology by an index of the vertical distance to channel network and soils by O horizon thickness and soil types. Birch and aspen ecosystems were excluded as discrete zones due to their broad ecological amplitude.The geo-vegetation zonation outlined in this paper is the first attempt at quantifying vegetation along with the environment at a macroclimatic level in Mongolia. This coarsescale zonation provides a framework for building a comprehensive ecological classification, a background for sustainable forest management, which is currently unavailable in Mongolia and many central Asian countries. Additionally, it offers a roadmap for a comprehensive ecosystem survey and may act as an information platform and reference for current environmental issues such as forest degradation across Mongolian landscapes.https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/832ecological classificationforest degradationsustainable managementgeovegetation zonezonal concept
spellingShingle Antonín Kusbach
Tadeáš Štěrba
Jan Šebesta
Tomáš Mikita
Enkhtuya Bazarradnaa
Sarantuya Dambadarjaa
Martin Smola
Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
Geography, Environment, Sustainability
ecological classification
forest degradation
sustainable management
geovegetation zone
zonal concept
title Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
title_full Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
title_fullStr Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
title_full_unstemmed Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
title_short Ecological Zonation As A Tool For Restoration Of Degraded Forests In Northern Mongolia
title_sort ecological zonation as a tool for restoration of degraded forests in northern mongolia
topic ecological classification
forest degradation
sustainable management
geovegetation zone
zonal concept
url https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/832
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