Identification of Herder-Wild Equid Conflicts in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in SW Mongolia

In protected areas of Mongolian overgrazing, competition with wild ungulates and poaching are important management concerns. The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in SW Mongolia is a re-introduction site for the Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), a stronghold of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and remains an important grazing area for seminomadic herders. We show the power of simple inventory and monitoring methods to assess herder-wildlife conflicts, by combining data of: (1) human and livestock demographic data, (2) migration patterns, of semi-nomadic herders, (3) monthly surveys of wild- and domestic ungulates, and (4) observations of re-introduced, free-ranging Przewalski’s horses. A total of 111 semi-nomadic families with 57,657 head of livestock use the park, mainly in winter. Grazing impact of small stock affects 33% of the park area and is virtually absent in the core area. However, due to the unequal distribution of open water, livestock is present at almost all water points. Seasonal wild horse and wild ass distribution seems to be positively linked to water availability and negatively to herder presence. We documented several cases of wild ungulate poaching, but the magnitude of the problem remains unknown. There are still many knowledge gaps and local people need to be more actively involvement in park management. As this is a rather new approach in Mongolia, we suggest park management to move towards adaptive co-management, accompanied by simple, but sound monitoring and evaluation schemes

Identification of Herder-Wild Equid Conflicts in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in SW Mongolia

In protected areas of Mongolian overgrazing, competition with wild ungulates and poaching are important management concerns. The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in SW Mongolia is a re-introduction site for the Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), a stronghold of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and remains an important grazing area for seminomadic herders. We show the power of simple inventory and monitoring methods to assess herder-wildlife conflicts, by combining data of: (1) human and livestock demographic data, (2) migration patterns, of semi-nomadic herders, (3) monthly surveys of wild- and domestic ungulates, and (4) observations of re-introduced, free-ranging Przewalski’s horses. A total of 111 semi-nomadic families with 57,657 head of livestock use the park, mainly in winter. Grazing impact of small stock affects 33% of the park area and is virtually absent in the core area. However, due to the unequal distribution of open water, livestock is present at almost all water points. Seasonal wild horse and wild ass distribution seems to be positively linked to water availability and negatively to herder presence. We documented several cases of wild ungulate poaching, but the magnitude of the problem remains unknown. There are still many knowledge gaps and local people need to be more actively involvement in park management. As this is a rather new approach in Mongolia, we suggest park management to move towards adaptive co-management, accompanied by simple, but sound monitoring and evaluation schemes

On the Move – Do Domestic and Wild Ungulate Species Distributions Overlap in the Mongolian Gobi?

In the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (Great Gobi B), wild and domestic ungulates seasonally share the forage of the semi-desert and desert habitat. Around 130 herder families are grazing their livestock, mainly goats and sheep, in the protected area in winter. Wild ungulates of global significance in Great Gobi B include the reintroduced Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii),which had previously been extinct in the wild. To determine potential habitat overlaps between Przewalski’s horses and livestock, we mapped the movements of 19 livestock herds monitored via GPS collars and ranger observations of Przewalski’s horse herds over a one year period from September 2018 to August 2019. We additionally conducted focus group interviews with nomadic herders about their rangeland management. We found that pasture use in and around the Great Gobi B is still following the nomadic tradition, with herders moving camp locations on average eleven times per year, depending on forage availability. Our results show that the range of Przewalski’s horses and livestock mostly overlap around permanent and ephemeral water points. However, the same resources are used in different seasons. The protected area was recently expanded to twice its size, now also including additional herder households and traditional pastures. For the ongoing discussion about concerning the new zonation of the enlarged protected area it is important to consider both, herder and wildlife movements patterns, to meet the conservation goals of the protected area but also meet the needs of the traditional pastoral herding community

Antioxidative activity of Silibum marianum cultivated in Mongolia

Silibum marianum (Milk thistle) contains high amount of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of  phenolic compounds included in Milk thistle. The  antioxidant properties of the leaves and seeds of milk thistle were examined by determining its ability to scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The results obtained from DPPH assay confirm that Milk thistle extracts have high antioxidative activity.DOI: http://doi.dx.org/10.5564/mjc.v15i0.323 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 15 (41), 2014, p53-5

Residual characteristics of HCHs and DDTs in soil and dust of some parks in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The residual characteristics of HCHs and DDTs in park soils and dusts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia were determined by GC-ECD to evaluate their potential pollution risk. The residual concentrations of total HCHs and DDTs in the park soil samples were ranged in 11.36-53.14 ng·g-1 and 11.96-24.70 ng·g-1 while it was ranged in 32.28-92.68 ng·g-1 and 13.45-24.41 ng·g-1 in the park dust samples, respectively. We have studied the ratio of α-HCH/γ-HCH in order to determine pollution sources which may come from either technical HCHs or lindane. The study revealed that concentration of DDTs in soil has direct correlation on usage rate of the dicofol and technical DDT in the sampling area. The soil pollution assessments based on the single pollution index of HCHs and DDTs indicated that Ulaanbaatar city’s park soil and dust were not polluted with these compounds.The single pollution index of HCHs reached to 1.85 in A park dust samples，indicating the park dust environment was potentially polluted. DOI: http://doi.dx.org/10.5564/mjc.v15i0.315 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 15 (41), 2014, p15-2

Identification of Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) Virus Infection among Doctors and Nurses in Tertiary Hospitals in Mongolia

The studies of M. Colombo (1989) and W. Lange (1992) showed that 30~40% of people became chronic after suffering from hepatitis B virus (HBV) and C virus (HCV) infection, and about 50% of the chronic cases transformed into primary liver cancer. There have been few studies done in Mongolia on hepatitis infection among health professionals, particularly in nurses. In a study done by Chimedsuren (8), the study showed that 19.4% of people with identified surface hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus and 8% of people with the identified nucleotide of RNA for the hepatitis C virus (polymerase chain reaction) had an acute form of hepatitis C. Studies on the hepatitis virus genome damaging effect on liver cells showed that genotype 8 (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, TTV) had the most damaging effect on liver cells (Hahn and Faeka, 2007). Several studies have shown a relationship between hepatitis B virus infection and a lack of compliance regarding safety regulations and rules by medical personnel. Results of a study from the Maternal and Child Health Research Center showed that tests done to detect hepatitis B virus antigen and antibodies to C virus did not reveal anything. Both antigen and antibodies in 69% cases did not show, and separately, B virus and antibodies to hepatitis C virus were identified in 13% and 9%, respectively. Results of the tests taken from health personnel in Shastin Central Hospital showed that in 76% of the cases, the B virus antigen with C virus antibodies was not identified. In 8% of the cases, the B virus antigen was present on its own. The combination of B the virus antigen and C virus antibodies were present in 8% of nurses and doctors, respectively. 82% of the cases had negative results for the detection of a combination of B virus antigen and C virus antibodies taken from health personnel from the State Central Clinical Hospital whereas the B virus antigen and C virus antibodies by themselves were present in 7% and 14% of the cases, respectively. Combined cases of the B virus antigen and C virus antibodies were identified in 4% of the personnel. Results of the tests taken from the health personnel in the Hospital of the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs showed that in 79% of the cases, the B virus antigen with C virus antibodies were not identified. Separately, the B virus and antibodies to hepatitis C virus were identified in 8% and 13% of the cases, respectively

Przewalski’ s Horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii ) Re-intr oduction in the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area: from Species to Ecosystem Conservation

The Przewalski’s horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii Po ljakov , 1881), or “T akhi” in Mongolian, became extinct in the wild by the mid 1960’ s. The last recorded sightings of Przewalski’s horses occurred in the Dzungarian Gobi desert in SW Mo ngolia, today’s Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SP A). A re - introduction program was initiated in 1992 and the fi rs t group of captive-born Przewalski’s horses was airlifted to the SPA. Given the logistical challenges associated with such a venture, the initial project focus has been on transport logistics and the well-being of the re-introduced horses. Tod ay, conservation efforts are spread over the entire protected area. Present day ef forts include other mammals, vegetation and the local people. Due to its important symbolic value in Mongolian culture, the Przewalski’ s horse became an important fl agship species for the protected area’s conservation and management

Maternal socio-demographic and psychological predictors for risk of developmental delays among young children in Mongolia

Abstract Background Factors influencing child development are not well studied in developing settings, and especially in Mongolia. This cohort study examined the relationship between maternal socio-demographic and psychological conditions on risk of young child developmental delay. Methods A total of 150 children aged between 13 ~ 24 months old participated in this study. The participants were randomly selected from a pre-existing cohort of 1297 children who were involved in a study on infant bilirubin nomogram development conducted at a tertiary health facility in Mongolia between 2012 and 2013. Child development was evaluated using the Mongolian Rapid Baby Scale (MORBAS), a validated scale for child development. The potential factors for child developmental delay were assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire comprising of 52 questions. Fisher’s exact test and multivariable logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results Seventeen (11%) out of the 150 children that participated in the study were at risk of developmental delay. There was a negative association between the risk of child developmental delay and higher maternal education (AOR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03–0.66). Increasing maternal age (AOR 1.12, 95%CI: 0.98–1.27), maternal depression symptoms (AOR 4.93, 95%CI: 0.93–26.10), child gender being female (AOR 0.25, 95%CI: 0.06–1.00) and being from single mother household (AOR 0.14, 95%CI: 0.01–1.11) were also predictors for risk of developmental delay – although the association was marginal. Conclusions Our findings suggest that being of underprivileged social status, and poor psychological condition of mothers in Mongolia possibly increases the risk of child developmental delays. Interventions targeting these modifiable predictors are needed to develop prevention strategies for child developmental delay