Participatory Mapping as an Approach to Identify Grazing Pressure in the Altay Mountains, Mongolia

Brianne Altmann,Eva Schlecht,Greta Jordan

doi:10.3390/su10061960

Abstract

Sustainable rangeland management is crucial for maintaining forage resources in pastoral systems, globally. However, pastoral regions are often remote and therefore data poor when it comes to resource monitoring. We tested participatory mapping as a means to rapidly assess rangeland use to identify areas with high grazing pressure. Participatory geographic information system data and herbaceous biomass production data were collected and georeferenced to establish a grazing pressure index for a summer pasture in the Mongolian Altay; simultaneously, a survey on herder perceptions and their recommended rangeland management measures was conducted. Areas with intense use, such as campsites and small and bovine ruminant grazing areas, corresponded with low biomass production and were found to be unsustainably grazed, likely prone to rangeland degradation. Participatory mapping was well received by herders and proved to be an effective method to appraise their herds’ impact on rangeland resources. The process incited discussion and awareness regarding not only spatial, but also temporal aspects of rangeland management. Participatory mapping is thus a valuable tool that should be incorporated into local management initiatives in order to quickly monitor rangeland use for creating feasible management plans.

Highlights

Mongolia has a long tradition of seminomadic transhumance [1], which has experienced much political, economic, and environmental change in the last century [2]
Due to its multi-faceted influencing factors, the problem of rangeland degradation is pertinently covered in the literature, from a soil and vegetation perspective, but as a challenge to be overcome through suitable herd management practices which are influenced by social dynamics [12] and economic conditions [13]
This study focuses on the latter method because participatory mapping has numerous pragmatic advantages to the other methods, along with its ability to directly link individual herd management practices at the community level

Summary

Introduction

Mongolia has a long tradition of seminomadic transhumance [1], which has experienced much political, economic, and environmental change in the last century [2] These changes have brought about a research focus on the problem of localized heavy grazing, caused by an increase in the number of livestock and a reduction in herder and flock mobility [3,4,5], even though processes of rangeland degradation in Mongolia are dynamic and not uniform [6]. Based on herd management indicators, such as herbage allowance, forage nutrient concentrations, migration distance, and number of pastures visited, Jordan et al [5] determined, through the comparison of Chinese and Mongolian Altay-Dzungarian pastures, that the reduced productivity of Mongolian pastures resulted from high animal stocking rates and prolonged intra-seasonal pasture use.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion