USING HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT STEPS TOWARDS IMPROVING SOIL AND VEGETATION QUALITY AND FAMILY RESILIENCY IN MONGOLIA by Badamgarav Dovchin A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Land Resources Environmental Sciences MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana May 2014 ©COPYRIGHT by Badamgarav Dovchin 2014 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my greatest appreciation to Clifford Montagne for his priceless advice and technical and emotional support throughout this project. Also I thank my committee members Cathy Zabinski, Tony Hartshorn and Shannon Moreaux for contributing their time, instruction, and thoughts. I am truly thankful to my field assistants Ulziijanlav Lhagwasuren, Sam Atkins and Morgan Squires and technical supporters Rebecca Watters, Susan Tallman, Monica Berchan for their help and patience and whole team of BioRegions International. Most importantly I thank Munkhbat’s family and people of Orhon soum in Bulgan province Mongolia. I am especially thankful to Fulbright Science and Technology Award and MSU for funding this project and BioRegions International (BRI) for providing fieldwork opportunity. Finally, I thank my family and friends for being patient and helpful and all your moral and emotional support throughout the process of making this work happen. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 History...............................................................................................................................1 Tradition and Lifestyle ......................................................................................................3 General Problem Statement ..............................................................................................6 Proposed Hypothesis .........................................................................................................7 Problem Statement for HM ......................................................................................7 HM Hypothesis ........................................................................................................8 Methods for HM ......................................................................................................8 Problem Statement for Stocking Rate Study ...........................................................8 Proposed Hypothesis Stocking Rate Study ..............................................................8 Methods for Stocking Rate Study ............................................................................9 Thesis Structure .......................................................................................................9 2. HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT AND ITS APPLICATION............................................10 Introduction ....................................................................................................................10 Managing the Commons ........................................................................................11 Mongolian Herders’ Opinion on Reasons for Pasture Degradation ......................16 Ways that Mongolians are Mitigating the Land Degradation ................................18 Holistic Management Approach ............................................................................21 Community Description .........................................................................................25 Methods..........................................................................................................................28 Details of HM Application Methods Step .............................................................30 Step 1 ...........................................................................................................30 Step 2 ...........................................................................................................30 Step 3 ...........................................................................................................31 Step 4 ...........................................................................................................32 Step 5 ...........................................................................................................33 Step 6 ...........................................................................................................33 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................33 3. STOCKING RATE EFFECT ON SOIL AND VEGETATION QUALITY ………....37 Introduction ...................................................................................................................37 Variables Contributing to Pasture Degradation in Mongolia ................................37 Management Variables ..........................................................................................40 Our Study Situation and Objective ...............................................................................42 Literature Review..........................................................................................................41 Description of Rangelands and Their Environments ............................................41 Effects of Climate Variables on Range Vegetation of Mongolia .........................41 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS - CONTINUED Slope Effect ............................................................................................................42 Lichens ...................................................................................................................44 Degradation or Desertification ......................................................................................44 The Process and Relationship to Grazing ..............................................................44 Effects of Stocking Rates ..............................................................................................46 Plant Cover.............................................................................................................47 Soil Surface Changes .............................................................................................47 Yellowstone and Other Positive Effects ................................................................50 Allan Savory’s View ..............................................................................................51 Our Study ......................................................................................................................53 Stocking Rate .........................................................................................................53 Observations of Degradation .................................................................................53 Methods.........................................................................................................................54 Site Description ......................................................................................................54 Study Design ..........................................................................................................55 Sampling Methods .................................................................................................57 Steps Taken ..................................................................................................58 Statistical Analyses .......................................................................................................60 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................60 Soil A Horizon Thickness ......................................................................................61 Soil Infiltration Rate ..............................................................................................63 Number of Species .................................................................................................65 Vegetation Biomass ...............................................................................................67 Percent Bare Ground ..............................................................................................69 Overall Result of Analysis Between the Two Pastures .........................................71 4. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….……….………... 72 REFERENCES CITED ......................................................................................................75 APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................82 APPENDIX A: Vegetation ....................................................................................83 APPENDIX B: Soil................................................................................................86 APPENDIX C: Climate Data .................................................................................90 APPENDIX D: Holistic Management ...................................................................93 APPENDIX E: Images of the Pastures ................................................................110 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1. Changes in the family decision-making processes before and after HM application. ..............................................................................................35 3.1. Herders' desired soil and vegetation qualities.. ...............................................56 A.1.