Mongolia

• Mongolian LTER Website - Hövsgöl Ecology
• ILTER regional network: East Asia-Pacific

Between 1963 and 2003, northern Mongolia and the Hövsgöl region warmed on average 2°C. The region is underlain by permafrost that has temperatures between -0.5 and -2°C that is now warming resulting in permafrost thaw; the deeper active layers are resulting in major changes in the landscape and causing the drying of soils. Understanding long-term climate change impacts on local ecosystems is essential to minimizing, if not preventing, major negative changes that will be detrimental to economic development and environmental protection of Mongolia. Furthermore, knowledge of the natural ecosystems of Mongolia contributes to the attractiveness of destinations for Ecotourism. For these reasons, the Government of Mongolia approved the establishment of the Mongolian Long Term Ecological Research (MLTER) Network in December 1997.