Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
90°E
100°E
110°E
120°E
Russia
Mongolia
0
500
1
,000
km
China
Land use and Land cover
Urban and Built-Up Land
Dryland Cropland and Pasture
Irrigated Cropland and Pasture
Cropland/Grassland Mosaic
Cropland/Woodland Mosaic
Grassland
Shrubland
Mixed Shrubland/Grassland
Savanna
Deciduous Broadleaf Forest
Deciduous Needleleaf Forest
Evergreen Needleleaf Forest
Mixed Forest
Water Bodies
Herbaceous Wetland
Wo o d e d We t l a n d
Barren or Sparsely Vegetated
Wooded Tundra
Mixed Tundra
90°E
100°E
110°E
120°E
Fig. 7.16
Land use and Land cover of Mongolia in 1993
-5 C or even much lower while it is 4 C in the southern part of plain (Vay-
k
e
y,
e
r
2009
). The hottest month is July, the average temperature in the areas of
Altai County, Bat-olzi County, and Batkhorob County reaches 10-15 C. The
temperature in Gobi desert and the eastern plains of Mongolia is more than 20 C
(Humphrey
1978
). And average annual precipitation in Mongolia is 200-300 mm
from 1980 to 2006 (Zhang et al.
2007
; Vay
k
e
y,
e
r
2009
). In recent 20 years, the
global average temperature has risen by 0.74 C, while average temperature of
Mongolia rose from 1.5 to 2.5 C, which is two or three times of the world average
level (Yatagai and Yasunari
1994
). Storm and drought are the two main nature
disasters for the agriculture and animal husbandry production.
The pillar industry in Mongolia's national economy is always stock farming.
Given approximately 30 % of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic,
grassland is quite important in Mongolia. Revealing the effects of grassland
change on climate is of global importance in such a typical region. Its grassland is
mainly divided into Forest Grassland, Typical Grassland, Mountain Grassland,
Desert Grassland, and Desert. Since the 1960s, due to overgrazing, herds imbal-
ance, the excessive use of pastures, and the effects of global warming, the dec-
rement of species in Forest Grassland, Typical Grassland, Mountain Grassland,
Desert Grassland, and Desert are 50, 44.73, 30.3, 23.8, and 26.7 %, respectively.
The forage grass of high quality was gradually recessed or replaced by inferior
plants (bushes, shrubs, etc.) (Barger et al.
2004
). Many species of plants decreased
greatly and forage quality declined year by year. From 1961 to 2006, the rates of
pasture production in Forest Grassland, Typical Grassland, Mountain Grassland,
Desert Grassland, and Desert declined by 40.54, 52.17, 39.28, 33.33, and 39.28 %,
respectively
(Vay
k
e
y,
e
r
2009
).
The
above
studies
have
shown
that
the
