Assessing Changes in Land Cover and Vegetation Productivity for Threatened Forest-Steppe Ecosystems: A Case Study in Arkhangai Province, Mongolia

Mongolia’s forest-steppes are one of the most threatened terrestrial ecosystems, being exposed to multiple stressors, including forest loss, fire, inadequate livestock management, and climate change. This study used satellite remote sensing to assess land cover change and long-term trends in primary productivity and precipitations in the Khoid Mogoin Gol-Teel protected area, Arkhangai province, a region of high conservation relevance rich in forest-steppe ecosystems. To our surprise, forest cover and primary productivity were found to be stable or increasing in our study area. The distribution of water bodies and bare ground were found to be decreasing, while the distribution of croplands and grasslands were found to be increasing. The reported increases in primary productivity were interpreted as a result of increasing precipitation in the region. Our findings are expected to help assist the community-led management in securing economic wellbeing and food security for those depending on forest-steppe habitats. In particular, the reported increase in forest cover indicates that natural regeneration is possible in the area and should therefore be encouraged.