Diagnosis of the desertification dynamics of arid pastures in Mongolia from observation in key areas and MODIS data

Abstract

Changes in the state of Mongolian arid ecosystems revealed in long-term field studies have been analyzed in accordance with the developed concept of island-type desertification. Trends have been revealed in the development of climate aridity, drought frequency, and the anthropogenic load on pastures. Indicators of area moistening, anthropogenic desertification islands, and the overgrazing degree of arid pastures have been developed on the basis of satellite MODIS data. It has been shown that the effects of a sharp reduction in the number of livestock because of natural hazards (dzut, drought) are reliably manifested by a decrease in the surface albedo and an increase in the vegetation index. The dynamics of the islands of anthropogenic desertification has been analyzed. The degree of degradation of dry-steppe, desert-steppe, and desert ecosystems has been estimated snowstorms.