What we can do

The Gobi desert is definitely one of world's greatest treasures. Each of us, no matter who you are, where you are from, should shoulder the responsibility of preserving it.Tree planting is definitely one thing that we have to do, in order to prevent further desertification. Secondly, we should help to raise awareness of being sustainable. The amount of livestock and food they need should be under control, or within a certain range which will help reducing overgrazing problem. Thirdly, the government should absolutely enforce stronger laws to protect all the endangered species, including animals and plants. What's more, allow more projects like this one, to let more people know about the interesting things in Gobi desert and problems it is facing. More people know, more creative solutions we may have. Lastly, we should always keep in mind that if we don't do anything from now, this place is going to get worse, and we all will eventually be the victims.






By: Nicole

Precious Gobi Desert

The Gobi desert is known as one of the main sources of fossil fuels. In particular, dinosaur fossils. It holds the world's richest and most diverse deposits of dinosaur and early mammal remains from 80 million years ago. According to New York Times, the American-Mongolia team excavated tremendous amount of fossils including dinosaurs, lizards, early mammals, modern birds, etc. The coolest discovery I saw from that article was a nest of dinosaur eggs with a broken one exposing a fossilized curled-up embryo. Gobi is just such a world treasure which has countless stories underneath it.



By:Nicole


Picture credits:
http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/107197.aspx
http://www.omg-facts.com/Science/Paleontologists-found-two-dinosaurs-froz/52613

Resources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/13/science/13gobi.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Plants in Gobi

                         This is called the Wild Onion. It has a distinct onion odor with slender grass-like leaves. It can reach about 2 feet in height when flowers appear in late summer. They are used as food and medicine


Sauxal Tree, the most dominant, resilient, and important plant in the Gobi desert. It grows slowly, depends on underground water sources can grow up to 4 meters in height. Mature sauxal is a natural desert stabilizer which prevents wind erosion as well as the expansion of desert sands. It also provides habitat for animals, food for camels, and fuel for nomads.

Mature saxaul (25 years and over) is a natural desert stabilizer, preventing wind erosion and the expansion of desert sands.

Read more: http://www.gobitravel.com/gobi-animals-and-plants/68-gobi-plants#ixzz2CvgUn3lU

By:Nicole


Resourses:
http://www.gobitravel.com/gobi-animals-and-plants/68-gobi-plants
http://www.mongolia-travel-guide.com/gobi-desert-plants.html

The most dominant and resilient of the Gobi desert plant

Read more: http://www.mongolia-travel-guide.com/gobi-desert-plants.html#ixzz2CveeoDtz

Oasis in Gobi

One Hundre Trees Oasis, is a small oasis on the northern edge of the Gobi desert where Gobi desert begins. This oasis although small, provides food and drinking water to herders and their livestock, as well as to travellers. It also offers relief to those herders who bring their cattle out for grazing.



Ekhiingol is another small and isolated oasis in the southern part of Gobi surrounded by barrent desert. This place are used for agriculture. Tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cucumber, and some fruit can be planted here.


By:Nicole


Picture credits:
http://www.bluepeak.net/mongolia/gobi.html

Resources:
http://pixelsessions.com/oasis.html
http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Asian-Deserts

People in Gobi

Most people in Gobi desert are living with wild. They called nomad their properties are livestock. They usually breeds and horses. These animals are most of their food resources. Nomads live in tent without toilets, electricity and any kind of human technology.

Source:

http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/modern-nomads/

Human activities in Gobi

Jeep Desert Tour

Touring Gobi Desert with Jeep. Travelling around Gobi National park and observe wild life species. Short term travel.

Eagle Hunting Tour

Watching Eagle hunting in Gobi desert. The traditional Mongolian, Kazakh people, trained eagles to hunt. They are living in desert and hunt wild animals with their trained eagles.

Camel Desert Tour

Long term travel about 1 to 2 weeks in Southwestern Gobi with camel riding. The Camel Desert Tour is environmental friendly travel.

Source: 

http://www.mongolianhorsetour.com/tour/south-western-gobi-desert/

http://www.mongolianhorsetour.com/tour/jeep-tour-mongolian-steppe-and-wonders-tour/

http://www.mongolianhorsetour.com/tour/eagle-hunting-festival-tour/

Shrub and Gobi

Whenever we mention desert, we picture it as a non-adaptable place. However, there will always be someone/something find the way to survive.
In the Gobi desert, shrublands are a dominant vegetation type. Unfortunately, when human found the way and started dwelling in Gobi, they brought livestock with them. Overtime, the ascending needs of livestock have "led to a widespread degradation in shrub vegetation." This is not a problem that can be overlooked. The degradation in shrub vegetation can further lead to "substantial alteration of biotic and abiotic conditions in the landscape."




By:Nicole


Sources:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/a084h64h0304g2p5/fulltext.html

Camel Conservation in the Great Gobi A

Dying Camel

Collaring Camel

Camel family in Gobi

Wild camels in Gobi desert are dying out because of climate change. Bactrian Camels are reducing in Gobi A area. Only 350 to 1950 camels are living in danger. They became critically endanger. They well adapted harsh and cold weather desert. However, extreme climate change kill them in these days. Winter in Gobi desert is getting colder. A lot of camels die in winter season. So, Mongolian government planning to collaring  wild camels in Gobi desert. They can observe status and movement of camels to take care camels in winter season.

Source:

http://www.e-mongol.com/mongolia_Zud2010.htm

Gobi Bear Conservation

GOBI
 BEAR 
CONSERVATION
 IN 
MONGOLIA

Now in days, Gobi Bears are critical endanger species. Gobi bears are very unique animal because it's only desert bear in the world. Less than 50 bears are left in Gobi desert. Mongolia government try to conserve Gobi Bears. However, it is very hard to conserve them because the climate of Gobi desert. (Desertification) The climate changing in Gobi desert is too fast. Gobi bears can't adapt this rapid climate changing. Fortunately, government is monitoring every each Gobi bears and put GPS collar on. Government can able to care bears 24/7. 

Source:

Reynolds, Harry and 
Derek 
Craighead, 
Michael
 Proctor
, Amgalan
 Luvsanjamba, 
Mijiddorj
. GOBI 
BEAR 
CONSERVATION 
IN 
MONGOLIA. GOBI
 BEAR
 PROJECT
 TEAM, Ulaanbaatar MONGOLIA. JULY
2010. Print.



Picture credits:
http://beringiasouth.org/mongolian-gobi-bear

Gobi Protected Area

Gobi Protected Area

Gobi Desert Protected Area divides by A and B. About 5.3 million hectares are protected  The Gobi A covers Southern Altai and 4.4 million hectare near Mongolia. Gobi B covers Dzungarian Gobi about 881,000 hectares near China. There are 410 plants, 49 mammals, 15 reptiles, 150 birds are identified and endanger.

Source:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/940/

Animals you have to know

                           

                                                      Bactrian Camel

Bactrian Camel, which can be found in China and Mongolia. Largely because of human impact, only fewer than 1,000 of them are still around (the other 200 million are domestic). Human-related threats to the Bactrian camel are hunting, hybridization, and increase in livestock caused by increasing human population.

                                                              Snow Leopard 

Used to be in great number, but the number has dropped dramatically with the increase in human population in the area - around 1,700 remaining in the wild. Since Snow Leopards are carnivore, along with their ability to attack, they become a great threat to livestock. Therefore, they become the target of the hunters. And of course, they are being hunt for their fur.

Gobi Bear

One of the most seriously endangered species, only 20-30 (perhaps even less) survive. They especially suffer from global warming which takes away their water supply. What's more, there just simply aren't enough food for them. They are the only bears that are adapted to desert climate. But they are being pushed to the edge of extinction.


By:Nicole

Resources:
http://www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/asia/mongolia/gobi-desert,1941,AR.html
http://gobidesert.org/content/animals
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/63682

Picture credits:
http://fohn.net/camel-pictures-facts/bactrian-camels.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uncia_uncia.jpg
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://beringiasouth.org/Websites/beringiasouth/Images/gobibear.jpg&imgrefurl=http://beringiasouth.org/mongolian-gobi-bear&h=162&w=188&sz=8&tbnid=2AFB80XwW_mG-M&tbnh=0&tbnw=0&zoom=1&usg=__EeS8mez5iIgFL3uEO9h_Hj2mK8c=&docid=WdIjuowHTwy4YM&sa=X&ei=wOalUPSnD-GgiQKj9ICQBw&ved=0CKABENUX

Desertification

 
Desertification, is a very serious ecological and enviormental problem the Gobi desert is facing. By definition, desertification is a land degrading process that turns a relatively dry land region into an arid area with water, vegetation, and wildlife loss.The Gobi is now expanding into China's grassland and causing heavy damages to agriculture.

Desertification occurs because of multiple factors. Two major factors are climate change and human activity. Ironically, the changing of climate is partially the product of human activity. Deforestation, overgrazing, and depletion of water resources are some remarkable attributes to desertification. On the other hand, climate change "may exacerbate desertification through alteration of spatial and temporal patterns in temperature, rainfall, solar radiation and winds." As I stated earlier, human activity and climate change are interrelated. If no change is taking place, more inadequate human activity will intensify climate change which will subsequently further exacerbate desertification. 

By: Nicole


Picture credit:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/photos/desertification/photo4.htm

Resources:
http://gobidesert.org/content/facts
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/agm/publications/documents/wmo_cc_desertif_foldout_en.pdf

Water Problem in Gobi desert

According to graph, average annual temperature increased about 2°C and annual average precipitation decreased about 10% in 60 years. The water level of lake in Gobi desert are decreasing. Species are struggling with lack of water. Gobi region has 34.6% water resources in Mongolia. Also, water in Gobi is polluting and reducing from livestock, agriculture and urbanization.









Source: S.CHULUUNKHUYAG. "The Impact of Climate Change and Human Activity on Mongolian Water Resources". Head of the Environmental Engineering Department, Civil Engineeriing and Architecture School, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia President of Ecological Research Center, NGO. President of the Mongolian National Water Assosiation, NGO. 2007.

Climate of Gobi Desert

Gobi Desert

The Gobi has a extreme climate which means very hot in day time and very cold at night. The temperature difference between day and night is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter temperature downs to minus-40 degrees and 122 degrees in the summer. The annual average of precipitation 7.6 inches per year.

The Gobi area is extremely dry. In winter, high winds and low temperatures cause icy sandstorms and snowstorms. Gobi desert is dry desert and harsh. The climate is totally different from Savanna desert in Africa. In summer, areas are very dry with lack of water and hot wind blows in Gobi Area.

Source:
http://gobidesert.org/content/climate

General Information

Unlike Sahara, the Gobi is a cold desert with frequent snowfall and extreme climate - can rise to 142 degree Fahrenheit in the summer and drop to -40 degree Fahrenheit in the winter. It has an ecosystem based on endless bare rock, instead of sand - only 5% is sand dunes.

The Gobi, world's fifth largest desert, is approximately 500,000 square miles wide which spans two countries, covering parts of northern and northwestern China and all the way up into southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and by the North China Plain to the southwest. The size of the desert is still expanding due to desertification.

By:Nicole

Pictures credit:
http://www.einfopedia.com/the-gobi-desert.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gobi_desert_map.png


Resources:
http://gobidesert.org/content/facts
http://www.ehow.com/info_8118723_important-gobi-desert.html
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Asiaweb/factfile/Unique-facts-Asia5.htm