Goats, Sheep Turning Mongolian Steppe into Deserts

One of the largest remaining grassland ecosystems in the world- the Mongolian Steppe is slowly being converted to a desert, thanks to millions of sheep and goats grazing in the region, according to a new study.

Mongolia is about twice the size of Texas. Researchers at Oregon State University, who conducted the study, found that nearly 12 percent of the vast grassland has disappeared. Also, about 70 percent has almost degraded. Researchers used satellite-based vegetation monitoring system to assess the health and extent of the grassland.

Mongolia is a harsh place to live; it is extremely hot in summers and bone-chilling cold in winters. The country is home to the last temperate grasslands in the world. Recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society had announced that the increase in number of cashmere goats in the region is threatening the existence of other wildlife in the region.

In the Altai Sayan eco-region alone, goat herd size doubled between 1995 and 2000. Overgrazing puts pressure on natural resources and forces wildlife to abandon native range.

According to the latest study report, breakup of the former Soviet Union forced many people to take up domestic herding.

"This is a pretty serious issue. Regionally, this is a huge area in which the land is being degraded and the food supply for local people is being reduced," said Thomas Hilker, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Forestry. "

"Globally, however, all ecosystems have a distinct function in world climate," he said. "Vegetation cools the landscape and plays an important role for the water and carbon balance, including greenhouse gases," Hilker said in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Global Change Biology.