Forest Water Research Centre (FRC) Ministry of Nature and the Environment of Mongolia (MNE) MONGOLIA

Transcription

1 Forest Water Research Centre (FRC) Ministry of Nature and the Environment of Mongolia (MNE) GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2010 MONGOLIA Country Progress Report: Recommendation for harmonization and standardization of MAR terms PREPARED: BY CHIMIDNYAM DORJSUREN, responsible consultant for development of recommendations for harmonization/standardization of Monitoring assessment and reporting terms. Ulaanbaatar, 2008

2 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Forest Resources Assessment Program and MAR Terms and s Forests are a major natural resource on the Earth and crucial for the well being of humanity. Forests provide a wide range of economic, social, environmental, and cultural benefits and services to human societies. Precisely, they provide foundations for life on earth through ecological functions, by regulating the climate and water resources and by serving as habitats for plants and animals. Forests also furnish a wide range of essential goods such as wood, food, fodder and medicines, in addition to opportunities for recreation, spiritual renewal and other services. Forest resources and lands should be managed sustainably to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual functions, and the maintenance and enhancement of biological diversity. Sustainably managed forests have multiple environmental and socio-economic functions important at the global, national and local scales, and play a vital part in sustainable development. Reliable and up-to-date information on the state of forest resources - not only on area and area change, but also on such variables as growing stock, wood and non-wood products, carbon, protected areas, use of forests for recreation and other services, biological diversity and forests contribution to national economies - is crucial to support decision-making for policies and programs in forestry and sustainable development at all levels. Today, forests are under pressure from increasing demands for land-based products and services, which frequently leads to the conversion or degradation of forests into unsustainable forms of land use. When forests are lost or severely degraded, their capacity to function as regulators of the environment is also lost, increasing flood and erosion hazards, reducing soil fertility and contributing to the loss of plant and animal life. As a result, the sustainable provision of goods and services from forests is jeopardized. Global forest resources assessments have been carried out by FAO since 1948 that is practically since FAO was created. The Global Forest Resources Assessment relies on information provided by the individual countries. FAO, at the request of the member nations and the world community, regularly monitors the world's forests through the Forest Resources Assessment Program. The Last Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 reviewed the forest situation by the beginning of the new millennium. FRA 2005 have included country-level information based on existing forest inventory data, regional investigations of land-cover change processes and a number of global studies focusing on the interaction between people and forests. The new FRA 2010 was officially launched during a Technical Meeting of the National Correspondents to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA 2010) held in Rome from 3 to 7 March The 1st meeting of the Task Force for the FRA 2010 Remote Sensing Survey was held in Rome from 4 to 5 March To date, 175 countries have responded to FAO s request to officially nominate a national correspondent. In a forest resources assessment, definitions draw boundaries around various sets or subsets of data on the extent, structure or characteristics, stocks, goods, services,

3 management and use of forest resources. Variations in definitions, however minor, increase the likelihood of divergent outcomes. s are, therefore, the corner stone of any information and knowledge system. The definitions draw contextual and conceptual boundaries around various subsets of a data set as well as around the elements of the data set as a whole. The usefulness of a definition in any given context depends on its ability to prevent the rest (subset or elements) from intruding into the boundary. The description of the parameters of these boundaries constitutes the definition. The global forest resource assessment reports have always provided a set of definitions as the basis for their information content. The development of such a set of definitions is necessary for producing compatible information across countries and time and to facilitate harmonization of information with that provided to/by other international agencies and processes. In order to carry out the forest resource assessment in Mongolia, it is necessary to standardize terms and definitions related to forest management, importance of forests, forest resource and other criteria at the international standard. Current international terms and set of definitions used in forest resource assessment, haven been developed in 2000 and in The introduction, adoption and adjustment of these terms and set of definitions are required for forest resource assessment in Mongolia This paper presents progress report of National Consultant as a part of country report of Mongolia for FAO initiated project Strengthening Monitor Assessment and Reporting on Sustainable Forest Management (MAR-SFM) in Mongolia (GCP/INT/988/JPN) 1.2 Purpose of this document The purpose of this document: To review standardization of Mongolian forest terms and definitions. To develop recommendation for harmonization and standardization of MAR terms for Mongolian Forest Resources Assessment THE REVIEW OF STANDARDIZATION OF MONGOLIAN FOREST TERMS AND DEFINITIONS Since 1960, Mongolia has translated and adopted forest terms and definitions used in Russia. In 1984 the Institute of Forest Research and Project Development of Ministry of Forestry and Wood Industry developed the definitions on forestry and forest terms for the first time, which was approved by the desicion No. 382 of the December 30th, 1984 of the State Bureau of the Value and Standard of the Mongolia as Mongolian State Standard No. UST Forest terms and s.

4 This standard consists of four parts, which includes a) basic terms, b) planting material, c) nursery and d) tree planting. This standard contained 79 terms and definitions related to nursery and tree planting operations both in Mongolian and Russian languages. In 1991, this standard was revised and approved as Mongolian State Standard No. UST Forest Terms and s. This standard No. UST consists of 304 forest terms and definitions in Mongolian, Russian and English languages. This standard consists of following seven parts: 1. Silviculture and forest science (98 terms) 2. Seed production (95 terms) 3. Nursery (19 terms) 4. Afforestation and reforestation (9 terms) 5. Planting materials (10 terms) 6. Tree planting (40 terms) 7. Forest management and forest measuration (33 terms) Some definitions in the above mentioned standard are given incorrect, as well as outdated. Therefore, nowadays it is required to revise and update this standard with modern terms such as sustainability, biodiversity, ecosystem health and integrity, GIS and more. Moreover, many English terms are given incorrect. For example (the correct terms are written in the parentheses): 1. Middle age tree (Middle age stand) 2. Felling strip (Stripe clearcutting). 3. Scribing trees (Nurse tree). 3. RECOMMENDATION FOR HARMONIZATION AND STANDARDIZATION OF MAR TERMS FOR MONGOLIAN FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2010 Below are materials used for developing a recommendation on standardization united terms of the assessment and monitoring of the Mongolian forest in Working Paper 83 of the UN Agricultural Organization called as Global Forest Resources Assessment Update Terms and s (Final version). Rome, Country Report 2010/136 (Rome 2008) called as Global Forest Resources Assessment Mongolia Country Report in the

5 Table T1. Extent of Forest and Other wooded land 1.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Forest Other wooded land Other land Other land with tree cover (Subordinated to Other land ) Inland water bodies Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. Land not classified as Forest, spanning more than 0.5 hectares; with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of 5-10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ; or with a combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees above 10 percent. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use. All land that is not classified as Forest or Other wooded land. Land classified as Other land, spanning more than 0.5 hectares with a canopy cover of more than 10 percent of trees able to reach a height of 5 meters at maturity. Inland water bodies generally include major rivers, lakes and water reservoirs. Comments. Mongolian national classification and definitions are as follows: Тайлбар. Монголын ойн фондын талбайг дараахи байдлаар ангилдаг. National class Natural Forest Open Forest Non Forest Area in Forest Land All forest stands with a Relative Stock Density above 0.3 are registered as natural forests. All forest stands with a Relative Stock Density less 0.3 are registered as natural forests. All non-forest area within forest land which does not support Natural forests and Open forests, such as hayfield, pasture land, grassland of mountain, lake, river, marshland, alpine grassland, sand and etc. Non-forest area should be excluded from forest fund area during the forest inventory. In the future, international categories and definitions such as Forest, Other wooded land, Other land and Other land with tree covers should be used in the forest inventory. Results of latest investigation show that relative stock density of 0.3 is equal to a canopy cover of percent.

6 1.2 Classification of forest land in Mongolia Figure 1. Forestland of Mongolia (2002) Total area of Forest land (thousand ha) Forestland Non-forestland Closed forest Open Coniferous and deciduous Saxaul forest Sparse stand Burnt forests Logged area Shrubs Forest glade Table T2. Forest ownership and management rights 2.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Public ownership Private ownership Individuals (sub-category of Private ownership) Private business entities and institutions (sub-category of Private ownership) Forest owned by the State; or administrative units of the public administration; or by institutions or corporations owned by the public administration. Forest owned by individuals, families, communities, private cooperatives, corporations and other business entities, private religious and educational institutions, pension or investment funds, NGOs, nature conservation associations and other private institutions. Forest owned by individuals and families. Forest owned by private corporations, co-operatives, companies and other business entities, as well as private non-profit organizations such as NGOs, nature conservation associations, and private religious and educational institutions, etc.

7 Local communities (sub-category of Private ownership) Indigenous / tribal communities (sub-category of Private ownership) Other types of ownership Forest owned by a group of individuals belonging to the same community residing within or in the vicinity of a forest area. The community members are co-owners that share exclusive rights and duties, and benefits contribute to the community development. Forest owned by communities of indigenous or tribal people. Other kind of ownership arrangements not covered by the categories above. Also includes areas where ownership is unclear or disputed. Categories related to the holder of management rights of public forest resources Public Administration Individuals/households Private institutions Communities Other form of management rights The Public Administration (or institutions or corporations owned by the Public Administration) retains management rights and responsibilities within the limits specified by the legislation. Forest management rights and responsibilities are transferred from the Public Administration to individuals or households through long-term leases or management agreements. Forest management rights and responsibilities are transferred from the Public Administration to corporations, other business entities, private co-operatives, private non-profit institutions and associations, etc., through long-term leases or management agreements. Forest management rights and responsibilities are transferred from the Public Administration to local communities (including indigenous and tribal communities) through long-term leases or management agreements. Forests for which the transfer of management rights does not belong to any of the categories mentioned above. Recommendation. International definitions of forest terms should be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. However, according to the Mongolian Law on Forest, forest resources are the property of the State. Although right of forest management has various versions. Forest area is possessed to administrative units as Capital City, Aimag, Soum, District, as well as economic entities and local communities. Table T3. Forest designation and management 3.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Primary designated function The primary function or management objective assigned to a management unit either by legal prescription, documented decision of the landowner/manager, or evidence provided by documented studies of forest management practices and customary use. Protected areas Areas especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means.

8 Categories of primary designated functions Production Protection of soil and water Conservation of biodiversity Social services Multiple use Other No / unknown Special designation and management categories Area of permanent forest estate (PFE) Forest area within protected areas Forest area under sustainable forest management Forest area with management plan Forest area designated primarily for production of wood, fibre, bio-energy and/or non-wood forest products. Forest area designated primarily for protection of soil and water. Forest area designated primarily for conservation of biological diversity. Includes but is not limited to areas designated for biodiversity conservation within the protected areas. Forest area designated primarily for social services. Forest area designated primarily for more than one purpose and where none of these alone is considered as the predominant designated function. Forest areas designated primarily for a function other than production, protection, conservation, social services or multiple use. No or unknown designation. Forest area that is designated to be retained as forest and may not be converted to other land use. Forest area within formally established protected areas independently of the purpose for which the protected areas were established. To be defined and documented by the country. Forest area that has a long-term (ten years or more) documented management plan, aiming at defined management goals, which is periodically revised. Recommendation. Utilization Zone Forests (according to the terms of the Mongolian Law on Forests) should be included in the category of Forests of Primary Designated function. Special Protected Area Forests, Green Zone Forests, Prohibited Strip Forests and other protected zone forests (according to the terms of the Mongolian Law on Forests) should be classified as Protected Forests. Table T4. Forest characteristics 4.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions* Term / category Naturally regenerated forest Introduced species Characteristics categories Primary forest Other naturally regenerated forest Other naturally regenerated forest of introduced species (sub-category) Planted forest Planted forest of introduced species (sub-category) Forest predominantly composed of trees established through natural regeneration. A species, subspecies or lower taxon, occurring outside its natural range (past or present) and dispersal potential (i.e. outside the range it occupies naturally or could occupy without direct or indirect introduction or care by humans). Naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Naturally regenerated forest where there are clearly visible indications of human activities. Other naturally regenerated forest where the trees are predominantly of introduced species. Forest predominantly composed of trees established through planting and/or deliberate seeding. Planted forest, where the planted/seeded trees are predominantly of introduced species.

9 Special categories Rubber plantations Mangroves Bamboo Forest area with rubber tree plantations. Area of forest and other wooded land with mangrove vegetation. Area of forest and other wooded land with predominant bamboo vegetation. Comments and recommendations. In Mongolia characteristics categories, such as Other naturally regenerated forest of introduced species, Rubber plantations, Mangroves and Bamboo are absent. Thus, in case of Mongolia, following reclassification of characteristics categories is recommended: 1. Primary forest, 2. Naturally regenerated forest and 3. Planted forest. Table T5. Forest establishment and reforestation 5.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Afforestation Reforestation Natural expansion of forest Establishment of forest through planting and/or deliberate seeding on land that, until then, was not classified as forest. Re-establishment of forest through planting and/or deliberate seeding on land classified as forest. Expansion of forests through natural succession on land that, until then, was under another land use (e.g. forest succession on land previously used for agriculture). Comments and recommendations: International classifications and definitions can be directly adopted in the forest resources assessment 2010 in Mongolia. In Mongolia, natural expansion of forest is widely observed near to the forest wall FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Table T6. Growing stock Category Growing stock Growing stock of commercial species Volume over bark of all living trees more than X cm in diameter at breast height (or above buttress if these are higher). Includes the stem from ground level or stump height up to a top diameter of Y cm, and may also include branches to a minimum diameter of W cm. Growing stock (see def. above) of commercial species. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia.

10 Table T7. Biomass stock 7.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions* Category Above-ground biomass Below-ground biomass Dead wood All living biomass above the soil including stem, stump, branches, bark, seeds, and foliage. All biomass of live roots. Fine roots of less than 2mm diameter are excluded because these often cannot be distinguished empirically from soil organic matter or litter. All non-living woody biomass not contained in the litter, either standing, lying on the ground, or in the soil. Dead wood includes wood lying on the surface, dead roots, and stumps larger than or equal to 10 cm in diameter or any other diameter used by the country. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T8. Carbon stock 8.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Carbon in above-ground biomass Carbon in below-ground biomass Carbon in dead wood Carbon in litter Soil carbon Carbon in all living biomass above the soil, including stem, stump, branches, bark, seeds, and foliage. Carbon in all biomass of live roots. Fine roots of less than 2 mm diameter are excluded, because these often cannot be distinguished empirically from soil organic matter or litter. Carbon in all non-living woody biomass not contained in the litter, either standing, lying on the ground, or in the soil. Dead wood includes wood lying on the surface, dead roots, and stumps larger than or equal to 10 cm in diameter or any other diameter used by the country. Carbon in all non-living biomass with a diameter less than the minimum diameter for dead wood (e.g. 10 cm), lying dead in various states of decomposition above the mineral or organic soil. Organic carbon in mineral and organic soils (including peat) to a specified depth chosen by the country and applied consistently through the time series. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T9. Forest fires 9.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Number of fires Area affected by fire Vegetation fire (supplementary term) Average number of vegetation fires per year in the country. Average area affected by vegetation fires per year in the country. Any vegetation fire regardless of ignition source, damage or benefit.

11 Wildfire Planned fire Any unplanned and/or uncontrolled vegetation fire. A vegetation fire regardless of ignition source that burns according to management objectives and requires limited or no suppression action. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T10. Other disturbances affecting forest health and vitality 10.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Disturbance Invasive species Category Disturbance by insects Disturbance by diseases Disturbance by other biotic agents Disturbance caused by abiotic factors Damage caused by any factor (biotic or abiotic) that adversely affects the vigour and productivity of the forest and which is not a direct result of human activities. Species that are non-native to a particular ecosystem and whose introduction and spread cause, or are likely to cause, socio-cultural, economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Disturbance caused by insect pests. Disturbance caused by diseases attributable to pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, phytoplasma or virus. Disturbance caused by biotic agents other than insects or diseases, such as wildlife browsing, grazing, physical damage by animals, etc. Disturbances caused by abiotic factors, such as air pollution, snow, storm, drought, etc. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T11. Wood removals and value of removals 11.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Industrial roundwood removals Woodfuel removals The wood removed (volume of roundwood over bark) for production of goods and services other than energy production (woodfuel). The wood removed for energy production purposes, regardless whether for industrial, commercial or domestic use. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia.

12 Table T12. Non-wood forest products removals and value of removals 12.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Non-wood forest product (NWFP) Value of NWFP removals Goods derived from forests that are tangible and physical objects of biological origin other than wood. For the purpose of this table, value is defined as the market value at the site of collection or forest border. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T13. Employment 13.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Full-time equivalents (FTE) Employment Paid employment Self-employment A measurement equal to one person working full-time during a specified reference period. Includes all persons in paid employment or self-employment. Persons who during a specified reference period performed some work for wage or salary in cash or in kind. Persons who during a specified reference period performed some work for profit or family gain in cash or in kind (e.g. employers, own-account workers, members of producers' cooperatives, contributing family workers). Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T14. Policy and legal framework 14.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Forest policy Forest policy statement National forest programme (nfp) Law (Act or Code) on forest A set of orientations and principles of actions adopted by public authorities in harmony with national socio-economic and environmental policies in a given country to guide future decisions in relation to the management, use and conservation of forest and tree resources for the benefit of society. A document that describes the objectives, priorities and means for implementation of the forest policy. A generic expression that refers to a wide range of approaches towards forest policy formulation, planning and implementation at national and sub-national levels. The national forest programme provides a framework and guidance for country-driven forest sector development with participation of all stakeholders and in consistence with policies of other sectors and international policies. A set of rules enacted by the legislative authority of a country regulating the access, management, conservation and use of forest resources. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia.

13 Table T15. Institutional framework 15.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Minister responsible for forest policy-making Head of Forestry Level of subordination University degree Minister holding the main responsibility for forest issues and the formulation of the forest policy. The Head of Forestry is the Government Officer responsible for implementing the mandate of the public administration related to forests. Number of administrative levels between the Head of Forestry and the Minister. Qualification provided by University after a minimum of 3 years of post secondary education. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T16. Education and research 16.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Term Forest-related education Doctor s degree (PhD) Master s degree (MSc) or equivalent Bachelor s degree (BSc) or equivalent Technician certificate or diploma Publicly funded forest research centers Post-secondary education programme with focus on forests and related subjects. University (or equivalent) education with a total duration of about 8 years. University (or equivalent) education with a total duration of about five years. University (or equivalent) education with a duration of about three years. Qualification issued from a technical education institution consisting of 1 to 3 years post secondary education. Research centers primarily implementing research programmes on forest matters. Funding is mainly public or channelled through public institutions. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. Table T17. Public revenue collection and expenditure 17.1 FRA 2010 Categories and definitions Category Forest revenue Public expenditure Operational expenditure (sub-category to Public expenditure) Transfer payments All government revenue collected from the domestic production and trade of forest products and services. For this purpose, forest products include: roundwood; sawnwood; wood-based panels; pulp and paper; and non-wood forest products. As far as possible, this should include revenue collected by all levels of government (i.e. central, regional/provincial and municipal level), but it should exclude the income of publicly owned business entities. All government expenditure on forest related activities (further defined below). All government expenditure on public institutions solely engaged in the forest sector. Where the forest administration is part of a larger public agency (e.g. department or ministry), this should only include the forest sector component of the agency s total expenditure. As far as possible, this should also include other institutions (e.g. in research, training and marketing) solely engaged in the forest sector, but it should exclude the expenditure of publicly owned business entities. All government expenditure on direct financial incentives paid to non-

14 (sub-category to Public expenditure) Domestic funding External funding government and private-sector institutions, enterprises communities or individuals operating in the forest sector to implement forest related activities. Public expenditure funded from domestic public financial resources, including: retained forest revenue; forest-related funds; and allocations from the national budget (i.e. from non-forest sector public revenue sources). Public expenditure funded from grants and loans from donors, non-governmental organisations, international lending agencies and international organisations, where such funds are channelled through national public institutions. Recommendation. International classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. CONCLUSION 1) It is necessary to systematically revise and renew the standard of the Mongolian forest terms and definitions. These terms and definitions should be defined in Mongolian, Russian and English languages. 2) It is necessary to organize a research team consisting of leading scholars and specialists of research institutions for revising and renewing the standard of forest terms and definitions. 3) Non-forest area should be excluded from forest fund area during the forest inventory. In the future, international categories and definitions such as Forest, Other wooded land, Other land and Other land with tree covers should be used in the forest inventory. 4) Results of latest investigation show that relative stock density of 0.3 is equal to a canopy cover of percent. 5) International classification and definitions of forest terms in Table T2 of FRA 2010 can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia. However, according to the Mongolian Law on Forest, forest resources are the property of the State. Although right of forest management has various versions. Forest area is possessed to administrative units as Capital City, Aimag, Soum, District, as well as economic entities and local communities. 6) In the table 3 of FRA 2010, Utilization Zone Forests (according to the terms of the Mongolian Law on Forests) should be included in the category of Forests of Primary Designated function. Special Protected Area Forests, Green Zone Forests, Prohibited Strip Forests and other protected zone forests (according to the terms of the Mongolian Law on Forests) should be classified as Protected Forests. 7) In the tables T4-T17 of FRA 2010 international classification and definitions of forest terms can be directly adopted in Forest Resources Assessment in Mongolia.

15 Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Forest Water Research Centre (FWRC) Ministry of Nature and the Environment of Mongolia (MNE) MONGOLIA Study work report methodologies and tools for harmonized Monitoring assessment PREPARED: BY JAMSRAN TSOGTBAATAR, responsible consultant for development methodologies and tools for harmonized Monitoring assessment Ulaanbaatar, 2008

16 Strengthening Monitor, Assessment and Reporting on Sustainable Forest Management in Mongolia 1. Criteria and Indicators Sustainable Forest Management in Mongolia Management of forest resources in Mongolia suffers from several weaknesses such as unregulated use, overuse, and inadequate protection. The impacts of human interference have resulted in deforestation and forest degradation. According to a survey of human impact on ecosystem in Mongolia during the last hundred years, it is seen that some 40% of all forests in Mongolia have been impacted at some level The important causes of deforestation and forest degradation are fire, overgrazing, mining activity, improper commercial logging, illegal collection of wood for construction and for use as fuel, hay making in forest steppes, complacency in enforcement of forest rules and regulations, and damage by pests and diseases. Forest fires, by far, have had the most serious impact on the forests of Mongolia. Summarizing the Mongolian situation, collocation of existing objectives, state of relations, measures and proposed efforts has been made for 8 criteria and 51 indicators. The set of National Level Criteria and indicators for sustainable Forest Management of Mongolia has been indicated in below as: Criteria 1. Increase in the Extent of Forest and Tree Cover Criteria 2. Increase in the Extent of Forest and Tree Cover Criterion Criteria 3. Conservation and Maintenance of Soil and water Resources Criteria 4. Maintenance and Enhancement of Ecosystem Function and Vitality Criteria 5. Maintenance and Enhancement of Forest Productivity Criteria 6. Optimization of Forest Resource Utilization Criteria 7. Maintenance and Enhancement of Social, Cultural and Spiritual Benefits Criteria 8. Adequacy of Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework

17 Is Mongolian Forestry sustainable? Mongolian forestry is generally characterized by multiple protection function of forest resources, in which considerations are made in relation to increasing demand of environmental protection. 51 criteria are given which can be used to measure the development of Sustainable Forest Management. It is the entire effect of specific initiatives in relation to all the criteria as a whole, which determines whether the development is sustainable. 2. Evaluation of effectiveness of existing MAR-SFM in Mongolia Is existing MAR-SFM in Mongolia effective? In relation with this question on MAR- SFM system effectiveness the analysis of each indicators of SFM in Mongolia has been conducted and as examples evaluation of the indicators of first 3 criterions are shown in below table. Effectiveness rate Indicators 1 (low) 2 (medium) 3 (high) 4 (very high ) 1.1.Area and type of natural forests 1.2 Forest area under fragile ecosystem 1.3 Area dense and degraded forest 1.4 Forest in non-forest area 1.5 Area rich in NWFP

18 species 1.6 Forest area destroyed by mining 1.7 Community managed forest areas 2.1 Area of protected and fragmented ecosystems 2.2 Number of rare, endangered threatened and endemic species 2.3 Level of richness and diversity 2.4 Canopy cover 2.5 Medicinal and aromatic plants and other NWFPs 2.6 Level of nondestructive harvesting

19 3.1 Soil moisture 3.2 Soil compaction 3.3 Status of erosion 3.4 Run-off 3.5 Soil ph 3.6 Soil organic carbon 3.7 Nutrient status of soil 3.8 Soil flora,fauna and microbes 3.9 Level of waste 3.10 Sediment load 3.11 Areas and watershed forests 3.12 Level of permafrost

20 Effectiveness of other indicators has been conducted and it will be illustrated in final report of the project. 3. Development of national standardized MAR in linkage with international process At the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janerio in 1992, forestry became on of the most central themes. It was emphasized that forests and the development of forests are a matter of international interest and that all countries must take an effort to ensure that all forests are being sustainably managed. The Mongolian Government intends to make a comprehensive statement as to how Mongolia can contribute to implementation of the principles of the Forest Declaration concerning management, conservation and sustainable development of the forests nationally as well as internationally. In order to supervise development and thereby check whether political and administrative measures function as intended, it is necessary to select and monitor a number of measurable and representative indicators related to each criterion. Some criteria are best described by preparing final report. Several factors must be taken into consideration when selecting indicators of SFM: The indicator must be measurable and must be derived from measurable entities The indicator must be clearly relevant to the individual criterion and measure The number of indicators and the frequency of measuring and monitoring must be considered in relation to financial and technical resources Standardized measurement methods must be used when monitoring the indicators, to enable the comparison of measurements from different times The indicators must be simple and easily comprehensible to the monitoring For each criteria of the Sustainable Forest Management in Mongolia, the relevant corresponding parts of the main international agreements concerning forests have

21 been identified. These international agreements related to Sustainable Forest management are: UNCED Forest Declaration Agenda 21, Convention on Biodiversity Conservation Convention on Combating Desertification Convention on Climate Change Others.

22 Forestry Department Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Forest Water Research Centre (FWRC) Ministry of Nature and the Environment of Mongolia (MNE) GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2010 MONGOLIA Report: capabilities of National network for Monitoring assessment and reporting. PREPARED: BY DUGERJAV ENEBISH, to conduct assessment on needs and capabilities of National network for Monitoring assessment and reporting on Monitoring Assessment Reporting on Sustainable forest management. Ulaanbaatar, 2008

23 Executive Summary Mongolian's forest landscapes and its biodiversity are threatened by biotic (insects, illegal logging, poaching) and abiotic factors (fire). If the threats are not contained in the near future, the result will be a significant reduction of the total forest cover. Investments in the forestry sector have the chance to introduce the concept of sustainable forest management but will initially face low return rates. The Mongolian forestry and wood industry sector underwent a collapsed in At present, a mostly informal (and highly illegal) forest and wood economy is operating across all sectors and all stakeholders concerned with forest areas. The existing data gathered over the decades is either incomplete or inconsistent. The institutions responsible for forest management lack either the professional capacity to address modern data-collecting methods or are still in a state of being established. The new Mongolian Forestry Law (2007) indicates significant progress, since an important paradigm shift from state forest management towards private and community-based forest management has been advocated. However, the necessary by-laws are currently in the formulation process. The biographical conditions and natural disturbance regimes in the forests are a challenge for any large scale commercial forest management in Mongolia. Frequent forest fires and insect outbreaks, mostly as secondary agents, cause potentially great losses to future forest managers and Forest Management Plans. A need for a national master plan on land-use and protected area management is absolutely necessary. The current forest inventory provides data at the regional level at a map scale of 1:50,000. This data is suitable for forest reconnaissance surveys at provincial and district level. For the new forest tenure by private entities, communities, and districts, newly adapted forest inventories and planning is needed.

24 Although the technical skills of the Mongolian foresters have improved over the last years, improved training is lacking. The best approach is to find a solution to the problem in the forestry sector is to promote the introduction of an integrated sustainable forest management system that takes into consideration ecological, economic, and social consequences. This is a holistic concept which will need to address the range of problems simultaneously. The key issues are: - An improvement of the regulatory framework in the forestry sector, - Adaptation of forest inventory survey and sampling designs to the information needs and available budgets of the holders of forest tenure, - Adaptation of forest management planning for the size and the objectives of forest management units, - A general improvement of forest inventory technology, - The promotion of natural forest regeneration instead of forest plantation, - Adapted silviculture focusing on thinning operations to increase the resilience of forests stands against frequent fires, - Improved legal compliance monitoring, incl. the definition of legality, - Introduction of ecological monitoring within the framework of a continuous forest inventory system, - Introduction of third-part certification concepts, - Creation of new markets by introducing bio-fuel facilities that will create a demand for thinning material from forests. Modern concepts like biophysical mapping and Decision Support Systems (DSS) are desirable but face the general problem of a low return on investments. Such new methods could be financed by Research and Development projects Ambitious and unrealistic development objectives as well as project designs will complicate the implementation and supervision. Effective stakeholder representation in decision making and in validating results is important to the success of publicprivate partnerships. Institutional capacity analysis should be focused-on and broadened.

25 Chronic problems that persist in the environmental sector over long periods of time should result in analytical work. Current status of Monitoring assessment and Reporting on Sutainable Forest Management in Mongolia First time there was Forestry department in Food and Agricultural Ministry. Foundation of Forestry activities began to taken in Forest of Mongolia. Until 1990 there was established complex of forestry units and organizations in each forest covered provinces of Mongolia Since 1990 Mongolia has moved to market economy therefore forestry sectors destroyed. Legal frame of Government Administration Monitoring System Constitutional Law of Mongolia Decree number 38 of Great Khural dated on 1996 Government Law of Mongolia (1993) Government Monitoring and Inpection law (2003) Law of Administration and Financing of Government Organizations(2003) Government action program Rule of Monitoring and Analyzing of Government organizations Rule of Monitoring and Analysing of Local Government Organizations Monitoring and assessment system was established in government organization. However there is not specific monitoring and assessment system in forestry sector of Mongolia. Monitoring and reporting system was focused on Local government and local Environmental organizations. Still forestry specialists are not enough in local level, therefore forest monitoring system only based on forest inventory survey. NFI frequency is 16 years in Mongolia.

26 Since 1990 Monitoring and Inspection system has established at Ministry of Nature and Environment. Monitoring and Reporting System of Ministry of Nature and Environment Scientific Monitoring Department Natural Disaster Monitoring Department Environmental State Monitoring and Assessment Department Nothing Information Monitoring and Assessment Department of MNE Forestry Sector structure and system was related to Ministry of Nature and Environment in last 12 years Government Implementing Agency of Nature, Forest and Water Resource in Forestry Department of Agency of Nature, Forest and Water Resource in Forest Policy Division of Ministry of Nature and Environment in Government Implementing agency Forest Authority in 2008 Forest and Water Research Center has been working under the management of MNE. The Forest and Water Research Center is professional organization to conduct nationwide forest inventory and create forest resource database using the new advanced technology and science based tools of forest resource maintaining in order to provide government and public organizations with updated forest information on forest state of the country. The main activities of the country focused on: Develop short and long term plan of Sustainable forest management based on forest inventory datas.

27 Conduct forest insect and pest controlling by preventing harmful insect attack in some forest areas. Establish seed orchard using plus mother trees and develop tree breeding technology and using and qualified seed sources. The organization has 4 sections following: 1. Forest inventory section 2. Forest insect and pest controllingp section 3. Tree breeding and nursery section 4. Tree seed laboratory There are Environmental office under the management of Local Government, Whis has been working 10 years. There is only one specialist of forestry in each office of 22 provinces. Fifty percent of them has background of forestry. Their working duties are: 1/ managing forestry activities under the Resoultions adn laws of Forestry. 2/ managing issues of Forestry National Programme, Desertification National Programme, Programme of Protectingn rare plants of Mongolia, Green Wall National Programme 3/ to organize training of sustainable development of local forestry 4/ Forest resourceinformation and reports 5/ Monitoring Forest User group activities, forest utilization status, master plan of forest mangement Local Environmental office prepare forest resource informations and reports. However they don t have enought capacity to prepare forest resource status information and reports The main subject of Sustainable Forest Management is Special Protected Area Departments. About 20 percent of Forest cover is located in Protected areas of Mongolia. Forest policy decision followers are Forest User Groups. Currently Mongolia has 200 Forest User Groups in local level. The most of it s area needs to be protect and rehabilitated. There are about 100 forestry related enterprises with the professional certificates.

28 Current Institutions The institutional framework has been analyzed (Badarch 2008). The major organizations responsible for forest inventory, forest management, forest protection (fire, insects) and monitoring of harvesting operations are the: - Ministry of Nature and Environment (MNE) - State Special Investigation Agency (SSIA) - Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) - National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) - Forest and Water Research Center (FWRC) Until recently, there existed no forest administration at the national, regional or local level. This has been changed in The MNE Order No. 226 has approved the charter, program structure and staffing of the new Mongolian National Forest Agency (NFA). The staff will consist of 25 persons. The agency director reports to the MNE and supervises the National Forestry Program Secretariat, the Forest Expedition and Research Center (FERC; previously Forest and Water Research Center), the Forestry Department at the Provincial Environmental Agency and its Forest Units at the district level. The agency director is responsible for policies and forestry politics. The vice-director supervises three departments: a) forest management, b) afforestation & the green wall program, and c) staff and finance.

29 Improvement of forest area and reforestation Status of the last 5 years /thousands MNT/ Activities Ä í 2008 total From the state budget Reforestations and afforestations From the local budget From the business entities From foreign investment Green belt national program Total Forest restoration activities has following stages - Planned areas should be identified in each province - Announcing a tender to select reforestation work organizations of local level from the Province Environmental Agencies. - To establish contract or letter of agreement and send to Ministry of Nature and Environment - Under the letter of agreement first fund should be granted - Reforestation work achievement monitoring activities should be done by Temporary Reforestation Commission - Monitoring inventory should be done by Ministry of Nature and Environment - After the monitoring of reforestation work final fund will be granted - During the coniferous tree reforestation activity cycle is only one year. Therefore in next years plantation results could not satisfy for forest growth.

30 - In the future Mongolia s reforestation monitoring period must be more than 3 years. Local Environmental agencies has been monitoring the reforestation activities and sending the reports to Ministry of Nature and Environment. Forest protection Forest insect combating activities Activities Ä í 2008 Ä í Forest insect exploration /thous.ha/ Forest insect combating /thous.ha/ -To identify forest insect combating area based on exploration result -To announce a tender of forest insect exploration and combating to select organization and professionals. -To establish a contract or letter of agreement -First fund will be granted under the letter of agreement -Forest insect combating commission should do the monitoring of forest insect combating result -After the insect combat works final fund will be granted from the Ministry of Nature and Environment.