Rock Dam Structures (RDS) are increasingly recognized as effective nature-based solutions for restoring degraded Arid ecosystems. This study presents the first effort to construct and evaluate RDS in the dry steppe, with the objective of assessing their impacts on vegetation composition, cover, and the spatial–temporal dynamics of vegetation productivity. A total of 44 plant species representing 38 genera and 18 families were recorded, with perennial species comprising the dominant life-form (88.6%). The families Poaceae and Rosaceae exhibited the highest species richness, and Artemisia frigida and Leymus chinensis were identified as dominant and co-dominant species across all RDS zones. Species richness was greatest in areas above the RDS, whereas relative species abundance and canopy cover peaked within the RDS. Fractional vegetation cover differed significantly among RDS zones, with a marked increase in vegetation cover observed during the first two years following RDS installation. Additionally, the presence of a newly formed Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica) burrow within the rock structures suggests improved habitat conditions. NDVI analysis revealed strong spatial heterogeneity and pronounced temporal variability in vegetation productivity across the basin, with higher NDVI values associated with favorable climatic conditions. Overall, the findings demonstrate that RDS enhance soil moisture retention by capturing snowmelt and rainfall, promote perennial plant growth, and support biodiversity. These results highlight the potential of RDS as a cost-effective and sustainable restoration strategy for improving ecosystem services, strengthening landscape resilience, and mitigating climate change impacts in dryland ecosystems.
Air pollution in urban areas, especially particulate matter (PM), is harmful to human health. PM pollution is one of the urgent environmental problems in Ulaanbaatar city. Woody plants play an important improving environmental air quality because they filter out potentially high amounts of PM. We investigated the PM accumulation and physiological traits of Pinus sylvestris L. across four contrasting urban sites. The accumulated particulate matter (PM), chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, pH of needles, relative water content (RWC), and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) were compared across four contrasting urban sites. We observed substantial variations in PM and chlorophyll pigment concentrations across the four urban sites. We observed a significant positive correlation between the amount of PM and the chlorophyll pigment concentrations of the needles at all sites, except Beijing. Ascorbic acid (AA) was significantly positively correlated with the amount of PM, but pH was significantly negatively correlated with the amount of PM. The amount of accumulated PM on the needles of P. sylvestris differed significantly at the studied sites. Likewise, the chlorophyll pigment concentrations varied considerably at the studied sites.
In this study, the drought tolerance of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. propagated by seed was evaluated under experimental conditions, using a range of morphological and physiological parameters in responce to 10%, 20%, and 40% concentrations of the artificial drought inducing agent, polyethylene glycol (PEG). The morphological parameters of leaves (leaf length, area and thickness), water regime parameters, such as actual water (AW), absolute water content (AWC), relative water content (RWC), and water deficit (WD), the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, such as maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm), optimal quantum yield (QY), and ratio fluorescence decrease (Rfd) of photosystem II, were determined. The results of the study showed that the leaf length and area in plants treated with 10% PEG increased similarly to the control plants, at 20% PEG; morphological parameters remained relatively normal, but physiological parameters decreased. For example, in plants treated with 20% PEG, QY, and Rfd, the values were 0.68±0.02 and 2.13±0.23, respectively, and although photosynthetic activity decreased, the plants retained their ability to withstand stress, recover, and grow. However, in plants treated with 40% PEG, the morphological and physiological parameters decreased significantly. With the QY being 0.51±0.05 and the Rfd being 1.05±0.24, the function of photosynthetic organs was insufficient, and recovery did not occur. This showed that L. ruthenicum propagated by seed was unable to tolerate drought at 40% PEG concentration.
Habitat use and food habits of Mongolian livestock remain poorly studied, despite their importance for adequate grassland management. We studied the habitat use and food habits of horses, cattle, and sheep/goats at four sites in the forest-steppe zone in northern Mongolia. Dropping densities, as an indicator of habitat use, were higher on more level terrain for horses and cattle, while those of sheep/goats were higher on slopes. Fecal compositions of horses and cattle were dominated by Carex duriuscula, while those on sheep/goats differed among sites, including Stipa krylovii, Leymus chinensis, and Artemisia frigida. Local nomad people explained that horses move widely because they are freely grazed, while cows were grazed during the day but returned to "gers" or yurts (tent houses) twice a day to lactate their calves. Sheep/goats stayed more frequently on slopes partly because they are guided by nomad people in the morning. The nomad people were familiar with the names of grasses, calling “nariin övs” (thin plants) and considering them good forage. They said that grass height had declined over time. Their traditional ecological knowledge generally corresponded well with the results of this study.
The Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) is assessed as globally “Near Threatened” and regionally “Vulnerable” in Mongolia. Previous studies have described the species as occurring in western Mongolia during migration and the breeding season. Research from other countries indicates that the Ferruginous Duck breeds in lakes with dense vegetation. Waterbirds and shorebirds at Chukh Lake have been monitored since 2019, and in 2021 and 2023, the Ferruginous Duck was recorded breeding at this location. These records represent the first documented instances of the species breeding in Mongolia, specifically in the eastern part of the country. Given its regular occurrence in large numbers, it is likely that Ferruginous Ducks are breeding at other lakes with similar environmental conditions to Chukh Lake. Additionally, hybridisation with Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri) has been observed in the area, raising concerns about potential impacts on the conservation of both species. Further biological and ecological research is essential to determine the full extent of the species' breeding range within Mongolia.
Mongolia has one of the largest remaining grasslands in the world where these grasslands are vital for local livelihoods and the wellbeing of several endemic animals. In this study, we examined how climate change and different land uses affected ecosystem services in desert grasslands in Southern Mongolia as perceived by different stakeholder groups. Specifically, we conducted focus group discussions with different stakeholder groups to identify (1) the main provisioning and cultural ecosystem services as perceived by different stakeholders, (2) the impact of climate change and different land uses on these ecosystem services as perceived by the different stakeholder groups. The most important ecosystem service identified by the groups was water. We found that all stakeholders felt strongly that climate change—and to a large extent mining—will have negative impacts on the provisioning and cultural ecosystem services in the area and thereby also on their lives and livelihoods that are directly dependent on the grasslands and the ecosystem services they provide.
The Great Bustard (Otis tarda Linnaeus, 1758) is a globally endangered species listed as “Threatened” in the IUCN assessment. Its eastern sub-species, O. tarda dybowskii Taczanowski, 1874 occurs in Asia. Mongolia, particularly eastern part of the country is an essential place for the breeding population of the Eastern Great Bustard in East Asia. The habitat uses and assessment of the bustard in the eastern Mongolia is conducted to identify the priority breeding distribution areas to plan the further detailed management of the species in the large eastern rangeland. In modeling of the important breeding habitats for the bustard in this region, four models (GLM, GAM, GBM, RF) were used to map the breeding habitats using transmitter data during the breeding period, observation points, and BIOMOD2. Two validation methods, ROC/AUC and TSS, were used to test the optimality of these four models. Among the four selected models, the RF model is considered the best model for the habitat of the bustard population since the values of the RF model were equal to one, while the ROC and TSS values of the GAM, GBM, and GLM models were 0.8–0.88. The parameters such as the angle of view of the slope and the amount of solar radiation did not significantly affect the model results. The average monthly temperature was 15-17°C, and rainfall was 50-70 mm; therefore, there was a high probability of the bustards in rangelands near the rivers, lakes and ponds. In this modelling, 3.27% of the total 286,871.41 km2 areas analysed in the eastern Mongolian region as a suitable habitat for the bustards. The rangeland habitat is used more frequently (99.47%), and other habitats, such as water bodies, trees, and crops, were used less frequently. However, we assume that the bustard population in this region could be under heavy threats from large number of livestock and human disturbance along the river valleys, because overgrazing in the rangelands near the river valleys in Mongolia, and its biodiversity loss has been previously documented.
Mongolia represents the eastern most global distribution range of Asian houbara and the Uvs Lake Basin in western Mongolia supports most northwestern distribution of the species in the country. Standardized Circular Observation (SCO) surveys for three sites around the Uvs Lake were conducted for bustard surveys during the breeding period of the species, between 12-30 May 2024 and four houbara males were observed displaying on two locations in the east of the lake. In the north of the lake, one nesting female houbara was observed during non-SCO surveys while driving on 13 May and the camera trap was installed 3m near the nest from 15 May until 26 May for 11 days brought insights on the challenges faced by nesting houbara female in the region. The camera data reveal important livestock disturbances at the nest causing nest damaged and probably leading to its detection by several predator species (kite, fox, wolf), attracted by the scents left by previous visitors or damaged eggs.
Species composition and abundance of lizards was studied in historical monuments such as the Devanahalli Fort of the Bengaluru North city region, Bengaluru, India. The quadrants laid in the fort were surveyed for the estimation of the population density, abundance, sex ratio, frequency, and distribution of the lizards in the Devanahalli Fort. A total of nine species of lizards were recorded highlighting the significance of historical forts as important urban habitats for reptiles. The reptilian fauna of the historical monuments, such as forts, temples, and archeological sites were found to be more distinct than the rest of the urban landscapes. In addition to this, notes on the morphometric analysis, behavioral patterns, and natural history of recorded lizards were observed. The abundance of lizard populations in the historical fort calls for special concern for care because of their archeological importance and because they will be of use for urban planning and conservation.
The decomposition of plant litter is a fundamental process in the carbon and nutrient cycling of ecosystems and is an important source of organic and inorganic nutrients for plant growth in grassland ecosystems. It is unclear how environmental factors influence the leaf litter decomposition of plants in Mongolian grasslands. A field experiment was carried out in the meadow steppe of Mungunmorit soum, Tuv province, to investigate the effects of environmental factors (light-exposed, shaded) and leaf traits on leaf litter decomposition of twelve species (Artemisia dracunculus, Aster alpinus, Carex duriuscula, Leontopodium ochroleucum, Leymus chinensis, Poa subfastigata, Potentilla acaulis, Potentilla fruticosa, Potentilla tanacetifolia, Scabiosa comosa, Stellera chamaejasme, and Stipa baicalensis) representing different litter qualities over two years of incubation (6, 12, 18, and 24 months). The research indicated that leaf litter decomposition significantly varied between species, experimental treatment, and study period; likewise, all their interactions had significant effects on mass loss (p<0.001). Grass species decomposed relatively slower than shrubs, herbs, and sedges when comparing the decomposition rates of leaf litters among plant functional groups. The rate of leaf litter decomposition was positively correlated with leaf thickness, specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen and carbon content, but negatively correlated with leaf dry matter content. In addition, the season has an important effect on the decomposition of plant leaves, with the decomposition rate being highest between April and October, while the decomposition rate is very low from November to March. Our research findings suggest that both leaf traits and environmental factors interact to regulate leaf litter decomposition in the Mongolian meadow steppe
The number of species in the genus Alchemilla fluctuates greatly, as many agamospermous microspecies have been described based on minor morphological differences. There are eleven species of Alchemilla in the flora of Mongolia, but some of which are not clearly distinct in their morphology and spatial distributions. To assess the genetic relatedness between such closely related species, we analysed the variation among seven species occurring mostly in central Mongolia. We aimed to reveal the systematic affinities of Mongolian species in the molecular phylogeny of this genus. Maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and neighbor joining analyses were performed using nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (trnL-F, matK) genome sequence data. According to the molecular and morphological data, the studied species were grouped together with species of the Lobed-clade. The differences between species that are not clearly distinct in terms of morphology and spatial distribution are largely unsupported by molecular data. The species status of Alchemilla changaica, A. gubanovii, and A. pavlovii should be reconsidered.
During the rutting period, polygynous male Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) form rutting groups (harems), whereas non-breeding animals either remain lonely or within non-rutting groups. In this study, size and composition of the rutting and non-rutting groups of Mongolian gazelles were estimated in an area of 27,000 ha, in December 1998, in Mongolia. Population density of 2255 counted animals varied from 12.4 to 98.7 individuals/km2 in the core zone of the rut and from 0.4 to 13 individuals/km2 at rut periphery (7.6 ± 19.03 individuals/km2 on average). The distance between 58 territorial males was on average 235 m, resulting in 6.3 harem groups per 1 km2. Criteria used for separation the animals to sex- and age-classes are described in detail. Of 208 males of the core zone of the rut, 59 (28%) were loners without harems and 149 (72%) males had harems. Harems included a total of 1844 females older than 1.5 years (8.8 ± 10.4 females per harem). Remaining 186 individuals were in 58 non-harem groups, containing 1.5- and 2.5-year-old males and females and same-year offspring (3.2 ± 2.4 individuals per group).
Little information exists on goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) home range sizes and movement patterns. We employed satellite/global positioning telemetry to study gazelles in southeastern Mongolia. We used 95% continuous time movement model (CTMM), minimum convex polygons (MCPs), and kernel density estimates (KDEs) to estimate home range sizes. We further calculated daily distances moved by year and season. We collared 17 (9♂: 8♀) goitered gazelle, including five gazelles (2♂: 3♀) in Suikhent and 12 animals (7♂: 5♀) in Ikh Nart, and collected sufficient data to conduct home range analyses on 11 gazelles (6♂: 5♀). Seasonal and annual home range sizes varied greatly. Mean annual home range estimates varied depending on method used, from 1,452.24 ± 502.94 SE km2 for CTMMs, 951.90 ± 281.48 SE km2 for MCPs and 531.73 ± 130.14 SE km2 for KDEs. Goitered gazelle moved relatively small mean distances per day, ranging from 0.26 km/d to 3.45 km/d and some days as low as <0.001 km/d or as high as 32.74 km/d. On average, we found home ranges much larger than those reported from other studies, although we also found wide variation among individuals. Movement patterns and home ranges of goitered gazelle require greater study for improved conservation management.
Birds are very specific to their respective habitats and are also the key indicators of the environment being susceptible to any change in the habitat or variation in the environment. Vultures play a key role in the wider landscape as providers of ecosystem services, and constitute the habitat’s optimal natural animal disposal system, processing carcasses even in cities. Among the various species of vulture birds, Gyps indicus (Scopoli 1786), commonly called as Indian vulture or Long-billed vulture, is practically found throughout the country, and also seen in the urban landscapes of the Bengaluru region. Gyps indicus breeds in southeast Pakistan and peninsular India, south of the Gangetic plain, north to Delhi, east through Madhya Pradesh, south to the Nilgiris, and occasionally further south. Alarmingly, their numbers are reducing, the present study is focusing on the monitoring for their conservation, and an attempt has been made to predict how to increase their numbers.
Bats live disproportionally longer compared to other small mammals. This has made them good candidate for research questions related to aging and mechanisms that influence longevity. In this report, we compiled survival data from our own research as well as from published records of bat recaptures in Mongolia. Longevity records revealed that five out of the ten species that have been marked over time show evidence of long-term survival. This included max longevity records for: Myotis petax with an individual surviving for at least 28 years after initial banding. In addition, other records include Myotis davidii (>10 years), and Cnephaeus nilssonii (>7 years). All recapture data were from species roosting in caves and generally found during hibernation. These results contribute to our general understanding of longevity in hibernating bats and the potential importance of individual bats survival to the conservation of bats species in Mongolia.
Impatiens monticola Hook.f. (Balsaminaceae) is reported here as a new record for the state of Assam, India. Flowers were dissected and a detailed description, photographic illustration and line-drawings are provided, along with an account and the revised key of Assamese species of Impatiens. The plant was found growing in the forest floor on the bank of streams in association with Begonia palmata D.Don, Begonia roxburghii A.DC., Molineria capitulata (Lour.) Herb., Angiopteris evecta (G.Forst.) Hoffm. Impatiens monticola is very similar to I. pulchra, but they can be distinguished with some specific characters, which are given in a tabular comparison.
The ecosystem of Ikh Nart Nature Reserve is unique as it is located in the transitional zone of the steppe and desert-steppe ecosystems, which have been often used as pastureland. It was established in 1996 to protect fascinating rocky outcrops and rare argali sheep. The present study was conducted with the objectives of vegetation community structure, species composition, biological spectrum, and indicator species characteristics in the study area. Eighty-seven species of vascular plants are distributed in the study area, which composed six communities: Salix ledebouriana, Prunus pedunculata, Caragana pygmaea, Spiraea hypericifolia, Ulmus pumila, and Atraphaxis frutescens. These communities were different from one another in species richness, diversity, biological spectrum, and indicator species. Hemicryptophytes are dominated in each community, and therophytes are composed 24.14% of the total sampled species, followed by the geophytes (10.34%), chamaephytes (8.05%), and phanerophytes, (6.9%). The degradation indicator species (15 taxa) were dominated and anthropophilic weedy species, such as Saussurea salsa, Eragrostis minor in Salix ledebouriana, and Ulmus pumila communities, were identified.
Body size differences between males and females of the same species are known as sexual size dimorphism (SSD). The male-biased and female-biased SSD have been reported simultaneously across numerous clades of mammals. In this study, we used long term monitoring measurement data of five species rodents to test existence of SSD in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. We collected body measurements of Allactaga sibirica, Dipus sagitta, Meriones meridianus, Meriones ungiculatus, Phodopus roborovskii through years between 2007 and 2022. We found both significant male-biased and female-biased SSD in P.roborovskii (n = 661, t = 5.33; Df = 602.70; P < 0.001), and D.sagitta (n = 243, t = 2.14; Df = 192.9; P < 0.001), respectively. In addition, the little male-biased SSD (also known as non-significant but larger male) was obtained species from genus Meriones in this study. The non-significant SSD of both sexes could be related to other important secondary sexual displays (e.g., olfaction, ornamentation), which play significant role in sexual selection. Based on our findings, we would conclude that smaller species tend to have male-biased SSD (e.g., P. roborovskii; body length=6.20 cm), while larger species mostly have female-biased SSD (e.g., D. sagitta; body length=12.55 cm). However, indeed, we need to examine more species with different body size to make such certain conclusion.
Selaginella sibirica (Milde) Hieron. is newly record for the flora of Mongolia in the Khuvsgul phytogeographical region. Based on the two herbarium specimens and observation from the iNaturalist open source, we extend the range of this species to Mongolia, its previously known range in south of Siberia and Far East of Russia, on the norths of China (Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol), Japan, Korea and North America. Selaginella sibirica can easily be distinguished from the other Mongolian Selaginella species by its leaves linear-lanceolate and monomorphic, ciliolate at the margin and with long white apical seta. We provide morphological description, illustrations, notes on its taxonomy, and a distribution map.
The distribution and diversity of zooplankton in aquatic ecosystems depend mainly on the physicochemical properties of water. A minor change in the physicochemical parameters of aquatic systems influences the primary production and distribution of zooplankton. Two fishery ponds (P-1 and P-2) and an abundant pond (P-3) were considered for this study. Among the physicochemical parameters hardness, alkalinity, salinity, DO, free CO2, and pH have been estimated. It appears that the number of zooplankton was less in P-1 than in P-2, but the richness and evenness were higher in P-1 than in P-2 and P-3. That was probably due to desirable ranges of different physicochemical parameters. The results showed that parameters like pH, DO, free CO2, and hardness are on the same side as the zooplankton in the biplot and alkalinity plays the role of buffer to maintain the pH of the pond water. These physicochemical parameters have a direct role, whereas, salinity and temperature have an inverse role in maintaining the zooplankton population in these three ponds.
