Large-scale biodiversity research in the southern taiga, northern Mongolia

Bern

2004

S. 93-118

10 Abb., 5 Tab., zahlr. Lit. Ang.

Artikel aus einer ZeitschriftUnselbständiges Werk

200137340

The Khentii Mountains of northern Mongolia, where the Siberian forest belt borders the steppe, represent a unique and greatly untouched ecosystem. Altogether 15.000 qm of primeval forest and grassland are completely protected by law (Mongolian Ministry for Nature and Environment 1996). Timber exploitation and use of non-timber forest products are permitted in a buffer zone around the core area. Field research is being conducted since 1996 on an established field station in the western Khentii. The aim of the research is to understand the structure of the spatiotemporal heterogeneous forest, its dynamics and the impact of utilisation on the ecology and biodiversity of the forest. To deal with the large map scales, the forest was stratified into different types using a range of vegetation attributes. The types were mapped using a 4 qm grid within an area of about 150 qm. In order to describe the structure, sample plots were distributed at random within each of the strata. The natural regeneration was studied separately.