Mongolia's Forests Found to Be Poorly Adapted to Climate Change

Compared to meadows and steppes, the montane forest ecosystems in Northern Mongolia display less self-organisation, making them more susceptible to the impacts of climate change. This is the conclusion of a team of researchers led by Robert Sandlerskiy, Head of the International Laboratory of Landscape Ecology of the HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology. The results of the study have been published in a special issue of Entropy.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 22-27-00781.

Despite covering only about 7% of the country's territory, forests play a crucial role in the life of Mongolia and the transboundary region that includes the Lake Baikal basin. Mongolian forests serve as a buffer against the harsh continental climate, regulate precipitation and river runoff, maintain the carbon balance, and contribute to the preservation of permafrost, which holds substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition to aridification (ie the drying of soils) and the accelerated pace of climate warming in Mongolia (almost twice the global average), forests are experiencing heightened anthropogenic stress due to an increase in animal grazing.

Mongolia's forests, already affected by challenging climatic conditions, are under significant stress. To thrive, the forest must actively generate organic matter, or in other words, biomass, encompassing trees, shrubs, and various other forms of vegetation—and their production relies on efficient use of solar energy.

Robert Sandlerskiy
Head of the study, Head of the International Laboratory of Landscape Ecology, HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology

Using satellite imagery data from 2013 to 2021, a team of Russian and Mongolian scientists analysed the primary factors influencing the utilisation of solar energy by forest communities, with a special focus on the energy expended on the moisture cycle and biological output production. Additionally, several indices characterising self-organisation, and consequently, the potential resilience of vegetation to environmental fluctuations, were also assessed.

The study revealed that forests in Northern Mongolia use solar energy differently compared to meadows or forests in other regions. Thus, Mongolia's larch forests yield less biomass than alpine meadows and cedar forests, particularly during the summer months. This makes them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, so that even minor external influences, such as overgrazing, can precipitate a complete restructuring of the ecosystem.

According to the researcher, Mongolia's forests demonstrate lower levels of self-organisation compared to meadow and steppe ecosystems, thereby constraining the forests’ capacity to adapt to new environmental conditions. At the core of this distinction lie different strategies for using energy: grass ecosystems prioritise boosting biomass production, whereas forests concentrate on sustaining the moisture cycle. The processes that regulate the water balance in forests rely less on intricate self-organisation and are grounded in simpler thermodynamic principles.

Understanding these processes will enable the identification of critical factors influencing Mongolian forests and facilitate the implementation of measures to uphold their health and sustainability. In recent decades, Mongolian scientists have been working to develop programmes aimed at the protection and restoration of forests. The Joint Russia-Mongolia Comprehensive Biological Expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences has made significant contributions over many years to the research and development of measures aimed at preserving the ecosystems of Mongolia and the Baikal region. Field data was collected by an international team of researchers during two field seasons of the expedition in 2021 and 2022.

Collaboration with Mongolian colleagues presents a unique opportunity to explore forests growing in harsh conditions, in difficult-to-access and poorly studied areas. It also gives us hope that our findings will inform future reforestation efforts, which are critically needed by our southern neighbours.

Robert Sandlerskiy
Head of the study, Head of the International Laboratory of Landscape Ecology, HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology

IQ

May 15