Khangai Mountains Research Articles

Impacts of late Quaternary environmental change on the long-tailed ground squirrel (Urocitellus undulatus) in Mongolia.

Impacts of Quaternary environmental changes on mammal faunas of central Asia remain poorly understood due to a lack of comprehensive phylogeographic sampling for most species. To help address this knowledge gap, we conducted the most extensive molecular analysis to date of the long-tailed ground squirrel (Urocitellus undulatus Pallas 1778) in Mongolia, a country that comprises the southern core of this species’ range. Drawing on material from recent collaborative field expeditions, we genotyped 128 individuals at two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I; 1 797 bp total). Phylogenetic inference supports the existence of two deeply divergent infraspecific lineages (corresponding to subspecies U. u. undulatus and U. u. eversmanni), a result in agreement with previous molecular investigations but discordant with patterns of range-wide craniometric and external phenotypic variation. In the widespread western eversmanni lineage, we recovered geographically-associated clades from the: (a) Khangai, (b) Mongolian Altai, and (c) Govi Altai mountain ranges. Phylogeographic structure in U. u. eversmanni is consistent with an isolation-by- distance model; however, genetic distances are significantly lower than among subspecies, and intra-clade relationships are largely unresolved. The latter patterns, as well as the relatively higher nucleotide polymorphism of populations from the Great Lakes Depression of northwestern Mongolia, suggest a history of range shifts into these lowland areas in response to Pleistocene glaciation and environmental change, followed by upslope movements and mitochondrial lineage sorting with Holocene aridification. Our study illuminates possible historical mechanisms responsible for U. undulatus genetic structure and contributes to a framework for ongoing exploration of mammalian response to past and present climate change in central Asia.

УУЛЫН ХАЖУУГИЙН ҮЙЛ ЯВЦЫГ ХӨРСӨН ДЭХ МИКРО ЭЛЕМЕНТИЙН ТАРХАЛТААР ТОДОРХОЙЛОХ НЬ

This study shows hill slope process of Mt. Ovoot in the northeast of Khangai Mountain Range, Mongolia. This work is mainly focused on sediment transportation by surface and subsurface flows in Mt. Ovoot based on movement of microelements within soil profiles along the mountain slopes and measurement of particle sizes and shapes of the soils. The main purpose is (1) to determine the chemical and physical properties of soils, and (2) to reveal hill slope process with movements of microelements. Movement of the microelements show intensive slope processes in the Mt. Ovoot. Each surface soil on upper slope contains microelements less than those on lower slope of the mountain, where sediments have been more round and finer. It infers that more soils are eroded and accumulated on upper and lower slopes, respectively, these transport and deposition of the soil particles are caused by the surface and subsurface flows.

Vertical distribution of physical–chemical features of water and bottom sediments in four saline lakes of the Khangai mountain region, Western Mongolia

Characterizing vertical profiles of water columns is important to understanding the biochemical cycles and nutrient dynamics of an aquatic ecosystem. Physical and chemical properties of surface water in Mongolian saline lakes have been studied over the past decade, but chemical composition along a vertical profile of the water column has not been well documented. Four major saline lakes (Lakes Telmen, Oigon, Tsegeen and Khag) in northwestern Mongolia were studied to determine geochemical behavior of microelements and to assess major ionic components and trace elements associated with vertical profile of various water samples and sediments. Water samples were vertically collected from each sampling depth with a vacuum deep-water sampler in July 2013. Physical–chemical parameters, major ionic components and trace elements were analyzed by conventional methods and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Concentrations of microelements and mineralogical composition of sediment samples from near shore were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. This study was apparently the first to characterize chemical composition along vertical profiles of these lakes. Sodium, chloride and sulfate ions were largely conserved in all water samples except Lake Oigon. Depending on salinity type, these lakes were divided into sodium-sulfate lake (Lake Khag) or chloride lakes. Due to geomorphological characteristics, strontium (≤3.18 mg/l) was the only ion in the highest concentration across all depths of water and sediment samples among the lakes. Sediments were comprised mainly of quartz, anorthite, albite and orthoclase. In conclusion, physical and chemical properties in Lake Oigon were highly variable and dissimilar among lakes. Furthermore, we inferred that vertical profiles of water columns were intimately linked to variations in chemical composition of salt lakes in the western Mongolia.

Changes in event number and duration of rain types over Mongolia from 1981 to 2014

In addition to the total amount of precipitation, the number, type and duration of rain events play a critical role in hydrological cycle, land surface processes, vegetation and land cover dynamics in such semi-arid regions as Mongolia where water availability is the main determinant of ecosystem functioning and services. However, only a limited number of studies have so far focused on certain aspects of changes in rain types and durations for Mongolia as a whole, while a relatively large number of studies have examined trends observed in total annual precipitation for the country. In the present study, we evaluated changes in not only the amount, but also in the number and total duration of rain types using the data on start-to-end times of all rain events from 55 meteorological stations scattered throughout Mongolia between 1981 and 2014, a period for which this type of analysis was made possible for the first time. Our study confirms that there has been no significant change in the amount of mean summer precipitation for almost all parts of the country for the last 34 years, with only a few stations showing a significant decreasing trend. In terms of rain types, the number and duration of convective rains have increased, while those of stratiform rain events have decreased over Mongolia, a trend that is more pronounced around Khangai mountain area in central Mongolia and south-eastern desert steppe and eastern steppe, suggesting a possible transition from stratiform rains to convective rains. The findings of this research imply that increasing temperature and altered rain type ratios may affect each other as the decreasing number and duration of stratiform rain events allow for progressively longer sunshine period, possibly feeding back to the increased temperature. The release of this latent heat fuelling the upward movement of moisture and producing the convective rains could be one of the reasons of the significant rise in convective rain frequency for the study period. The observed changes in rain patterns have significant implications in ecosystem functioning and resource management.

Distribution and timing of Holocene and late Pleistocene glacier fluctuations in western Mongolia

Abstract.Despite being a key location for paleoglaciological research in north-central Asia, with the largest number of modern and Pleistocene glaciers, and in the transition zone between the humid Russian Altai and dry Gobi Altai, little is known about the precise extent and timing of Holocene and late Pleistocene glaciations in western Mongolia. Here we present detailed information on the distribution of modern and late Holocene glaciers, and new results addressing the geomorphological differentiation and numerical dating (by optically stimulated luminescence, OSL) of Pleistocene glacial sequences in these areas. For the Mongolian Altai, geochronological results suggest large ice advances correlative to marine isotope stages (MIS) 4 and 2. This is in contrast to results from the Khangai mountains, central Mongolia, showing that significant ice advances additionally occurred during MIS3. During the Pleistocene, glacial equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were ~500 to >1000m lower in the more humid portion of the Russian and western Mongolian Altai, compared to 300-600 m in the drier ranges of the eastern Mongolian Altai. Pleistocene ELAs in the Khangai mountains were depressed by 700-1000 m, suggesting more humid conditions at times of major glaciation than in the eastern Mongolian Altai. This paleo-ELA pattern reveals that the precipitation gradient from the drier to the more humid regions was more pronounced during glacial times than at present.

Hydraulic properties and fine root mass of Larix sibirica along forest edge-interior gradients

At its southernmost distribution limit in Inner Asia, the boreal forest disintegrates into forest fragments on moist sites (e.g. north-facing slopes), which are embedded in grasslands. This landscape mosaic is characterized by a much higher forest edge-to-interior ratio than in closed boreal forests. Earlier work in the forest-steppe ecotone of Mongolia has shown that Larix sibirica trees at forest edges grow faster than in the forest interior, as the more xeric environment at the edge promotes self-thinning and edges are preferentially targeted by selective logging and livestock grazing. Lowered stand density reduces competition for water in these semi-arid forests, where productivity is usually limited by summer drought. We studied how branch and coarse root hydraulic architecture and xylem conductivity, fine root biomass and necromass, and fine root morphology of L. sibirica respond to sites differing in water availability. Studying forest edge-interior gradients in two regions of western Mongolia, we found a significant reduction of branch theoretical (Kp) and empirical conductivity (Ks) in the putatively more drought-affected forest interior in the Mongolian Altai (mean precipitation: 120 mm yr−1), while no branch xylem modification occurred in the moister Khangai Mountains (215 mm yr−1). Kp and Ks were several times larger in roots than in branches, but root hydraulics were not influenced by stand density or mean annual precipitation. Very low fine root biomass: necromass ratios at all sites, and in the forest interior in particular, suggest that L. sibirica seeks to maintain a relatively high root conductivity by producing large conduits, which results in high root mortality due to embolism during drought. Our results suggest that L. sibirica is adapted to the semi-arid climate at its southernmost distribution limit by considerable plasticity of the branch hydraulic system and a small but apparently dynamic fine root system.

Inner workings: Story of an empire encased in tree rings.

Researcher John Quinn Burkhart walks amid ancient trees in the Khangai mountains of Mongolia. Trees live to an incredible age on this dry rock plain, left by an …

Isotopic and chemical studies of hot and cold springs in western part of Khangai Mountain region, Mongolia, for geothermal exploration

Chemical and H- and O-isotope composition for 29 water samples (15 hot springs, 4 cold springs and 10 river waters) in the western part of Khangai Mountain region, Mongolia, were analyzed to examine their chemical characteristics and to estimate the underground temperature for geothermal exploration. The δD and δ18O values for hot water samples in the Khangai Mountain region vary from −87 to −126 ‰ and −12 to −17 ‰, respectively and are in good agreement with those of cold spring and river waters in the regions studied. The hot and cold spring waters in the Zavkhan region and at high altitude have more negative δD and δ18O values than those of other regions. There is no evidence of a δ18O shift. This means that all water samples come from meteoric water with minimal isotope exchange by interaction with surrounding rocks. The hot springs were of Na+-HCO3− and Na+-SO42− types whereas the cold springs and river waters were characterized as a Ca2+-HCO3− type water. The Ca2++Mg2+ concentrations in the cold springs and river waters are greatest in waters with elevated HCO3−. This shows that cold spring and river waters are enriched in Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3− due to dissolution of carbonate rocks such as dolomite commonly observed in the study area. In contrast, the hot springs are enriched in Na+ and K+ and depleted in Ca2+ by ion exchange with underlying clay minerals. The subsurface temperature calculated based on several geothermometer ranges from 75 to 140°C and thus the geothermal fields in the study area are classified as low temperature resources.

Surface exposure dating reveals MIS-3 glacial maximum in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia

This study presents results from geomorphological mapping and cosmogenic radionuclide dating (10Be) of moraine sequences at Otgon Tenger (3905m), the highest peak in the Khangai Mountains (central Mongolia). Our findings indicate that glaciers reached their last maximum extent between 40 and 35ka during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Large ice advances also occurred during MIS-2 (at ~23 and 17–16ka), but these advances did not exceed the limits reached during MIS-3. The results indicate that climatic conditions during MIS-3, characterized by a cool-wet climate with a greater-than-today input from winter precipitation, generated the most favorable setting for glaciation in the study region. Yet, glacial accumulation also responded positively to the far colder and drier conditions of MIS-2, and again during the last glacial–interglacial transition when precipitation levels increased. Viewed in context of other Pleistocene glacial records from High Asia, the pattern of glaciation in central Mongolia shares some features with records from southern Central Asia and NE-Tibet (i.e. ice maxima during interstadial wet phases), while other features of the Mongolian record (i.e. major ice expansion during the MIS-2 insolation minimum) are more in tune with glacier responses known from Siberia and western Central Asia.

Stable Nitrogen Isotopes (<i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N) in Podetias of Lichenized Fungi <i>Cladonia pocillum</i> from Different Altitudes of Habitats

The δ15N values of stable nitrogen isotopes were determined in samples of organic matter (OM) of podetias of lichen Cladonia pocillums (Ach.) Grognot, collected across 10 altitudinal levels within the range of 1550 - 2900 m.a.s.l. of both steppes and highland meadows of the Khangai Mountains (Mongolia). No correlation between the δ15N values of lichen OM and the altitude range was detected at the regional scale. However, there is a positive correlation δ15N values in OM C. pocillums with of the nitrogen content in the podetias.

Early Upper Paleolithic Stone Tool Technologies of Northern Mongolia: The Case of Tolbor-4 and Tolbor-15*

Based on regularly retouched tools recovered from the Early Upper Paleolithic Tolbor-4 and Tolbor-15 sites in the Khangai Mountains of northern Mongolia, we reconstruct the development of cores from large bidirectional forms for the production of elongated blades to flat unidirectional and orthogonal nuclei. Blanks also became progressively smaller, while the toolkit remained virtually unchanged. Two detectable principal technological trends include the growing proportion of tools made on flakes and the decreasing size of tools. Our analysis of lithics from these two Mongolian sites suggests cultural continuity from the initial to the final stage of the Early Upper Paleolithic.

Forest edge-interior differentiation in the epiphytic lichen diversity of the forest steppe in the Khangai Mountains, Mongolia

The effects of traditional land use by mobile livestock keepers on biodiversity in forest steppe ecotones are insufficiently studied. Epiphytes are an important part of forest plant diversity. Here we analyze differences in the diversity and composition of the epiphytic lichen vegetation between the edge and the interior of Siberian larch forests in the Khangai Mountains, western Mongolia, which are highly subdivided into patches. We asked whether the epiphytic lichen vegetation at the forest edge differs significantly from that in the interior, whether the edge is inhabited by more nitrophilous species than the interior and whether the density of nomad camps around the forest affects epiphytic lichen diversity. Cover percentages of epiphytic lichen species were recorded from 20 trees per plot on 6 plots in the interior and 6 plots at the edge of Larix sibirica forests. The position of nomad summer camps was surveyed using Global Positioning System. Data were analyzed with pairwise significance tests, analysis of similarities, nonmetric multidimensional scaling and canonical correspondence analysis. The composition of the epiphytic lichen vegetation clearly differed between the two habitats, with more species being more frequent at the edge than in the interior. However, there was no difference in species richness (α-diversity). The epiphyte vegetation at the edge was more uniform and characterized by lower variation of tree-level α-diversity and lower β-diversity than in the interior. At the edge, only nitrophytic lichens were dominant, whereas in the interior, nitrophytes and acidophytes were among the dominant species. This pattern is probably attributable to the spatial heterogeneity of the intensity of forest grazing and was shown to be influenced by the density of nomad summer camps in the vicinity of the forests. Tree-level α-diversity increased with stem diameter, but high-diameter trees were rare. The results suggest that the present level of forest patchiness and the effect of forest grazing increases the diversity of epiphytic lichens on the landscape level, while logging of high-diameter trees reduces lichen diversity.

Environmental variability in the monsoon–westerlies transition zone during the last 1200 years: lake sediment analyses from central Mongolia and supra–regional synthesis

A high resolution multi–proxy (pollen, grain size, total organic carbon) record from a small mountain lake (Lake Khuisiin; 46.6°N, 101.8°E; 2270 m a.s.l.) in the south–eastern Khangai Mountains of central Mongolia has been used to explore changes in vegetation and climate over the last 1200 years. The pollen data indicates that the vegetation changed from dry steppe dominated by Poaceae and Artemisia (ca AD 760–950), to Larix forest steppe (ca AD 950–1170), Larix–Betula forest steppe (ca AD 1170–1380), meadow dominated by Cyperaceae and Poaceae (ca AD 1380–1830), and Larix–Betula forest steppe (after ∼ AD 1830). The cold-wet period between AD 1380 and 1830 may relate to the Little Ice Age. Environmental changes were generally subtle and climate change seems to have been the major driver of variations in vegetation until at least the early part of the 20th century, suggesting that either the level of human activity was generally low, or the relationship between human activity and vegetation did not alter substantially between AD 760 and 1830. A review of centennial–scale moisture records from China and Mongolia revealed that most areas experienced major changes at ca AD 1500 and AD 1900. However, the moisture availability since AD 1500 varied between sites, with no clear regional pattern or relationship to present–day conditions. Both the reconstructions and the moisture levels simulation on a millennium scale performed in the MPI Earth System Model indicate that the monsoon–westerlies transition area shows a greater climate variability than those areas influenced by the westerlies, or by the summer monsoon only.

Analyzing causes of desertification in Bayankhangai soum, Tuv province, central Mongolia

The aim of this paper was to develop a simple assessment for precisely appraising the status and trends of desertification in Bayankhangai soum. The Bayankhangai soum is in central Mongolia, which is a part of the Hustai National Park, and this soum (administrative subdivision) belongs to the Orhon and Tuul river basins of the Khangai mountain region, encompassing 100,733 ha, and 7170 ha that is specially protected. The current study is more focused on methods for assessing climate change, pastureland change by herders and land degradation assessment. The degradation of pastureland has occurred rapidly as a consequence of herding controls being replaced by open access during the transition from socialism to a market economy. Therefore, range carrying capacity status which includes available herb biomass and predicted livestock consumption. In recent years land degradation, as measured by the decline of soil fertility and desertification as grasslands decrease, has increased with more grassland becoming sandy.

A Multi-Species Etho-Ethnographic Approach to Filmmaking

Through the filming of herders and herd animals within a multi-species hybrid community - essentially two herding encampments in Mongolia - I provide an example of an alternative methodological approach to both ethnographic filmmaking and multi-species research. This paper is a call for scholars engaging in the exciting and emerging area of multi-species ethnography to adopt a multisensory, etho-ethnographic approach to filmmaking in the field with attention to both visual and auditory communication between human and non-human agents.The paper includes links to video segments from footage filmed in the Khangai mountains of Mongolia. Through a description of the stylistic and logistic techniques employed while filming these key video segments, this paper demonstrates an original approach to the study of humans and other animals in the production of video-based, multi-species etho-ethnography, accompanied by a description of how filmmaking can be used in conjunction with participant observation as a means of engaging in this kind of cross-disciplinary research in the field. My approach includes an orientation towards phenomenology and an attention to bodily and sensory ways of being in the world.1The first part of the paper foregrounds how my work resonates within the emerging field of multi-species ethnography and how my filmmaking and research have been influenced by David MacDougall's theoretical and practical approaches to filmmaking, with particular reference to his Doon School Series of films. The second part of the paper provides an explanation of my own filmmaking approach through links to three separate online video segments: 'Saikhanaa and the Calves', 'Lhagva the Herder' and 'Training for Naadam' .2BackgroundWhen starting my anthropologically based PhD research - an investigation into domestication as an ongoing process between herders and herd animals in Mongolia - my initial intention was to use video as a methodological tool during my fieldwork, much as a zoologist uses video: to collect data on social interactions and behaviour with the aim of being as objective as possible. My approach has changed considerably, however, through the influence of David and Judith MacDougall's filmmaking philosophy and practice.In previous field-based ethological research, I had become disillusioned with the disciplinary restrictions on the level of engagement with my research subjects. The aim ofthat research was to investigate how kea [Nestor notabilis), a mountain parrot, learned in social situations and to test their problem-solving capabilities. I was to observe the behaviour of the animal in question but was to avoid direct contact with individuals during field experiments. Over time the population became habituated to my presence and my whistles but there was an expectation not to engage with the kea on a personal level. Contrary to this species-level, or population-scale, approach, kea are particularly curious individuals and would often initiate communication and interaction with me as an individual of their own volition, investigating my shoelaces or flying onto my head and shoulders. Through this ethological fieldwork, I had learnt skills in long-term observation but had not had the opportunity to participate crossspecifically, across species boundaries, as anthropologists do cross-culturally.3The use of a video camera for obtaining ethological data is normally restricted to having the camera fixed on a tripod, while the person running the camera remains silent and as immobile as possible throughout. The camera may even be left in a fixed position with the researcher viewing the footage remotely in order to ensure that the animal is likely to behave as it would 'in the wild' without any human presence. Such circumstances are not entirely realistic, however, as kea, for instance, often engage with humans in their quest for food or are intent on investigating any object that is colourful and new in their immediate environment, such as windscreen wipers, bicycle seats, rubbish bins, a vacant mountain hut or a sleeping person's nose. …

Does the length of station record influence the warming trend that is perceived by mongolian herders near the Khangai Mountains?

Temperatures changes can be difficult to infer from changes in vegetation patterns or other ecological changes, yet warming can be inferred through changes in the habits of people who live in close connection with their natural environment. Herders near the Khangai Mountains of central Mongolia have perceived a warming trend in recent years. Since it is difficult to determine the exact time period over which perceived warming has occurred, we examined the statistical difference in changes based on the length of data and the specific period of record used in the analysis. We used temperature data from five meteorological stations for up to 50 years (1961-2010). We examined varying lengths of record from 15 to 50 years with varying start periods (1961 through 1986), based on the length of record. We found that the most statistically significant changes occurred for the longest time periods and for the annual average minimum temperatures. We also found that one very cold winter, in particular 2009-2010 decreased the warming trend and for shorter periods of record reduced the statistical significance.

The Upper Paleolithic of Mongolia: Recent finds and new perspectives

This article reports on materials excavated and analyzed since 2008 at the multi-component open-air Tolbor-15 Site (Selenge River basin , northern Mongolia). Also discussed are problems of chronology and periodization of the Mongolian Upper Paleolithic based on radiocarbon dating , including new determinations available for the Tolbor-4 and 15 sites, along with associated archaeological materials. The early stage of the Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) in Mongolia persisted for a relatively long period and can be divided into two sub-chrons, the earliest ranging from 40 to 35,000 BP. The later stage of the Mongolian EUP, falling between 33 and 26,000 BP, is represented by assemblages from the Khangai Mountains (e.g., Tolbor-4 and 15, Orkhon-7) and the Gobi Altai district (e.g., Tsagaan Agui Cave, Chikhen Agui Rockshelter, Chikhen-2). The middle Upper Paleolithic in Mongolia has been identified only on the basis of sites in the Orkhon River valley, all of which post-date ca. 25,000 BP. The material culture of this long period is characterized by the complete replacement of blade industries by flake industries, along with the parallel development of the pressure-flaked microblade technique. The later phase of the Mongolian Upper Paleolithic is well-dated down to the end of the Pleistocene . Typical industries include those excavated at Tolbor-15, which are characterized by the predominance of microcores reduced by both pressure and percussion, the appearance of retouched points on flakes, and an increase in the number of microblades as a fraction of overall blade blanks.

CHRONOLOGY AND PERIODIZATION OF UPPER PALEOLITHIC SITES IN MONGOLIA*

Based on archaeological materials recovered from stratified sites in the Khangai Mountains and the Gobi Altai regions and new radiocarbon dates for the Tolbor-4 and 15 localities, a tripartite chronological subdivision of the Mongolian Upper Paleolithic is suggested. The first period is the Early Upper Paleolithic (40–26 ka BP). Sites dating to this period have been discovered both in the Khangai and the Gobi Altai regions. The second period began around 25 ka BP, but its terminal date is unknown. Sites of this period are located in the Orkhon Valley. The third period is co-terminus with the end of the Upper Paleolithic and is represented by Horizons 3 and 4 at the Tolbor-15 locality in the middle Selenge Valley.

Diatoms as indicators of water quality in Western Mongolian lakes: a 54-site calibration set

Mongolia is an arid land with limited freshwater availability. Recent changes in climate as well as changes in livestock management in the post-Soviet era may threaten the quality and availability of these freshwater resources and emphasize the need to characterize current conditions relative to a long-term baseline. Because diatoms are responsive to changes in water chemistry and are commonly preserved in lake sediments, they can be used as indicators of both present and past water quality. To these ends, we have developed a diatom-based calibration set and quantitative inference models for the region. Physical and chemical factors and modern diatom communities were sampled at 54 sites in western Mongolia in the Altai and Khangai mountains and the Valley of the Great Lakes. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that both salinity and total phosphorus accounted for statistically significant fractions of the variation in 151 diatom taxa across the 54 sampled sites. Diatom-based inference models were developed with weighted averaging (WA) techniques and showed strong predictive capabilities and low prediction errors for salinity and total phosphorus. These models are now available to help identify and interpret historical and future disturbances to this sensitive and globally important eco-region.

Summer birds in Arkhangai province, Mongolia, July-August 2002.

A list of breeding birds for Tsetserleg and its surroundings is given for the first time, and additions arenoted for the Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park The presence of Eurasian Griffons andLammergeiers in the Khangai mountains is confirmed, and Black-headed Gulls suspected of breedingnear Tsagaan Nuur, a new locality. An apparent marked increase in breeding/summering numbers ofTufted Duck and Velvet Scoter and a possible range expansion of Daurian Redstarts was noted. Massmortality was observed in House Sparrows from eating moths