Speaker
Description
Mongolia, like everywhere else in the world, is currently confronted by the effects of global change. These predominately include increasing average winter temperatures, decrease in winter and spring precipitation and a change in land-use due to increased grazing pressure. Little is yet known about the long-term effects of these developments on plant phenology, species composition and plant functional traits of the Mongolian steppe vegetation. Long-term data on these aspects can be obtained from herbarium specimens, which are valuable sources of historical data on plants’ adaptations to changing environmental conditions. Specimens collected in Mongolia have not yet been utilized for this purpose.
To assess possible changes in phenology we are analysing approx. 3.000 herbarium specimens of 16 selected dominant species of Mongolian dry steppes, deposited in herbaria in Mongolia and Germany, as well as digitised specimens available online. In addition, we are using near infrared spectroscopy to determine the contents of carbon, nitrogen and their stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N, which are related to palatability, water-use efficiency and photosynthesis rates. Aside from herbarium specimens phenological data is obtained via a long-term survey in Hustai National Park, which was started in 2003. Additionally, changes in plant composition and functional traits will be assessed by repeating surveys along a precipitation gradient first conducted in 2014/2015.
In better understanding the recent impacts of global change on Mongolian steppe vegetation we hope to get a better understanding of future developments. Those might not only have an impact on biodiversity but also on the traditional Mongolian nomadic lifestyle, as changes in precipitation and temperature might cause changes in growth start and duration, which may impact forage availability and quality for livestock.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
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