Changes in Pastoral Land Use and Their Effects on Rangeland Vegetation Indices

Abstract

The authors studied a summer pasture in the Darhad Valley of northern Mongolia using Global Positioning System (GPS) and remote sensing techniques. Their objectives were to 1) document grazing land use patterns during the collective (pre-1992) and post-collective (1992-present) periods at a local scale using GPS mapping methods, 2) evaluate changes in grazing land use from the collective era to the post-collective period, and 3) assess the effects of land use changes on rangeland vegetation productivity using Landsat satellite images from the two periods. Their results indicate that rangeland productivity has declined in the rural, remote valley of Tsahiryn tal in northern Mongolia. Herders can use seasonal pastures close to urban settlements for shorter periods of time or camp with fewer animals to sustain healthy rangeland productivity. Keywords:Darhad Valley; Global Positioning System (GPS); Landsat satellite images; pastoral land use; rangeland vegetation; remote sensing techniques; Tsahiryn tal