MONGOLIA: COUNTRY REPORT to the FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE on PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Leipzig,1996)
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MONGOLIA: COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES (Leipzig,1996) Prepared by: Norovyn Altansukh National Plant Genetic resources Research and exstension Programme Ulan Bator, May 1995 MONGOLIA country report 2 Note by FAO This Country Report has been prepared by the national authorities in the context of the preparatory process for the FAO International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, Leipzig, Germany, 17-23 June 1996. The Report is being made available by FAO as requested by the International Technical Conference. However, the report is solely the responsibility of the national authorities. The information in this report has not been verified by FAO, and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policy of FAO. The designations employed and the presentation of the material and maps in this document do not imply the expression of any option whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. MONGOLIA country report 3 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 5 1.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES 6 1.2 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES 6 1.3 HUMAN AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 7 1.4 AGRICULTURE 7 1.5 LIVESTOCK 8 1.6 QUALITY OF LIFE VALUES 9 CHAPTER 2 NATURAL RESOURCES 10 2.1 GENERAL 10 2.2 CLIMATE 10 2.3 SOILS 11 2.4 LAND RESOURCES AND LAND USE 11 2.5 WATER RESOURCES 14 CHAPTER 3 SOCIOPOLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE 16 CHAPTER 4 ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMY 17 4.1 AGRICULTURAL SECTOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY 17 4.1.1 Agricultural Sector and Domestic Economy 17 CHAPTER 5 PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES 22 5.1 FORAGE GRASS 22 5.1.1 The High Mountain Belt 23 5.1.2 The Mountain-Taiga Belt 23 5.1.3 The Mountain Forest-Steppe Belt 24 5.1.4 The Steppe Zone 24 5.1.5 The Desert-Steppe Zone 24 5.1.6 The Desert Zone 25 5.2 FOREST RESOURCES 31 5.2.1 Utilization of Forestry Products 33 5.3 FRUITS AND BERRIES RESOURCES 34 CHAPTER 6 CROP GENETIC RESOURCES 41 6.1 COLLECTION 48 MONGOLIA country report 4 CHAPTER 7 EVALUATION REGENERATION AND UTILISATION 49 CHAPTER 8 PLANT GERMPLASM CONSERVATION 51 8.1 CHARACTERIZATION AND DOCUMENTATION 52 8.2 ORGANIZATION 54 8.2.1 Plant Science and Agricultural research institute of MNA University 55 8.2.2 East Regional institute of MNA University (ERARI) 55 8.2.3 Altain Regional institute of MNA University (ARARI) 55 8.2.4 West Regional research Station of MNA University (WRAR) 56 8.2.5 Research Institute of Animal Husbandry of MNA University (RIAH) 56 8.2.6 Institute of Botany Mongolian Academy of Science 56 8.3 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 56 8.4 FUTURE PERSPECTIVES AND NEEDS 57 ANNEX 1 ENVIRONMENTAL PACKAGE LAWS OF MONGOLIA 59 Acknowledgements 60 MONGOLIA country report 5 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Mongolia is 1,565,000 sq km in area, the 18th largest country in the world. Nearly 90 per cent can be used for agricultural or pastoral pursuits, 9.6 per cent is forest and 0.9 per cent is covered by water. Less than one per cent has no effective use. Climate is the over-riding element of Mongolian agriculture. The period of grazing, the growth and quality of cultivated and natural plans, the timing and methods of performing many animal and crop production tasks depend directly on climatic and weather conditions. Mongolia is suited between latitude 41.33 deg and 52.06 deg North. The average annual temperature fluctuates between -5.3 deg C and +4.0 deg C. In the mountainous northern and north-western parts it is below zero and in the south and south-east it is above zero. The lowest temperature recorded so far is -53 deg C and highest is 41 deg C. Short summers and sharp falls in temperature and frosts during the warm period make agriculture very difficult. Climatic stress, particularly unseasonal frosts, can cause harvest losses of between 10 and 30 per cent of crops. For successful agriculture under conditions of potential climatic stress it is necessary to: · Use short season varieties of grains and vegetables. · Harvest grain and vegetables in the shortest possible time. · This requires considerable mechanization. · Use the best available technology of sowing, growing and harvesting of grain and vegetables. Common Development Needs of country. · Land-locked (no direct access to hardbours or major land transportation centres), · low density of population, · low degree of industrial development and poor infrastructure scarce number of cultivable areas, · economic activity mainly comprising of animal husbandry and basic agricultural activities (nomadic-pastoral form of agriculture), MONGOLIA country report 6 · a climate with extreme temperatures varying per season and per day and night, · rich in mineral resources (but due to poor infrastructure only a small part of the resources has been explored and exploited), · dependent on more economically developed (adjacent) coastal areas and/or centres of industry, · difficulty to attract capital funds for its social and economic development because of one or more of above features, · mostly inhabited by traditional societies based on ecological principles of harmony with nature. 1.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES The northern mountain regions of Hovsgol similar to eastern Siberia, the hangai Hentil and Altai Mountains each having different climatic conditions and creating different zones between. As the weather systems are forced to rise over mountains from east to west the same rainfall level occurs at progressively higher altitudes and the occurrence of Tundra and Taiga alpine zones becomes less. The Altai are relatively drier, the main body of the Steppe and Gobi are considered part of the central Asian Steppe geo-climatic area. There is a large rain shadow geo-climatic area between the Gobi Altai and the Altai Hangai Hovsgol Mountains known as the Valley of Lakes or Great Lake Depression. This area has a high percentage of the country's sand dune systems which have grown at 0.8%. 1.2 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES Mongolia possesses some 10-15 million ha of standing forests almost 50% of which are considered accessible being on grades less than 22%. Harvests are estimated to be less than the sustainable yield of about 9.9 million in 3 per year. Mongolia is rich in mineral resources much of it yet unexploited including one of the largest known phosphate deposits in Asia and significant energy resources of some 20 million tonnes of coal. Mongolia has large relatively undisturbed wild life areas covering a broad range of habitats. Most of the nation's land can be considered to be in a semi-natural state where wild life and domestic livestock have co-existed for millennia. The modern development of roads and firearms may be changing this long term situation MONGOLIA country report 7 of co-existence particularly around the larger urban areas. However Mongolian's have pride in their documented conservation efforts e.g. the Bogd Mountain Reserve which dates back to 1,200 AD. This cultural factor has importance in planning for environmental protection in the future. 1.3 HUMAN AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Mongolia had one of the highest population growth rates in Asia at 2.5% per annum between 1988-1990 and the rate is said to have increased further since. However it has a very low population density and perhaps 60-65% live in urban areas including sum/local town/centres. Consistent with this high growth rate a high percentage of the population is under 25. The recent fall in GDP due to the cessation of CMEA aid has placed great strain on this urban population and many have taken up livestock raising in near urban areas. 1.4 AGRICULTURE Geography influences agriculture both positively and negatively. Positively, the location of Mongolia in the centre and east of the Asian Continent with dry and temperate climatic conditions and co-evolvement with large herbivores favoured the development of steppe grazing lands that are highly productive and resilient to grazing by large herbivores. the presence of north west to south east oriented mountain ranges in the western portion of Mongolia and the arid Gobi in southern Mongolia provides zonal vegetation capable of providing winter, summer and spring-fall transitional pastures for domestic and wild grazing herbivores. However, alignment of topography also funnels Siberian cold fronts to Southern Mongolia and increases the stress on livestock during winter and spring. Total land area of Mongolia is 1,565 million ha of which 1,260 million ha (80%) is capable of agricultural production (primarily extensive livestock production). Arable land occupies 1.35 million ha of total area. Over 57% of total arable land is located in the north-central aimags of Tuv and Selenge and the north eastern aimag of Dornod. The aimags forming the Gobi third of Mongolia have 1% or less arable land. Other aimags have amounts of arable land ranging between 1.1 and 9.5 %. Arable soils are characteristically dark chestnut and chestnut soils and are typical of soils that evolved with grass steppe vegetation. Organic matter content is 3 to 4%, with pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Soils are shallow (average of less than 30 cm) even in the crop producing aimags of Tuv and Selenge aimags where conditions are most suited for MONGOLIA country report 8 intensive agricultural production. In these aimags, only valley bottom land and lower slopes of hills on primarily north aspects are cultivated because of greater soil depth and higher soil moisture retention.