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Herpetological Diversity Of Mongolia And Its Conservation Issues, Khorloo Munkhbayar, M, Munkhbaatar

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

From the viewpoint of evolution, the classes of amphibians and reptiles could be considered as relicts, and because they are poikilothermic animals, it’s very difficult for these species to live under the dry and cold climatic conditions in Mongolia. Even species diversity is poor, Mongolian herpetological composition is unique, highly adopted to the country’s harsh climate and originated a long time ago.

In Mongolia, six species of amphibians belong to four genera, four families and two orders and the recorded 21 species of reptiles belong to 13 genera in six families of two suborders.

Morphology And Variation Of The Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Hemionus), Kati Schöpke, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Renate Schafberg

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

A collection of recent skeletal remains from the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus PALLAS) was prepared and stored in the Museum of Domesticated Animals “JULIUS KÜHN” in Halle, Germany.

The collection is based on carcass remains sampled between 2001 and 2006 under the leadership of Michael Stubbe during joint Mongolian-German Biological Expeditions

Skeletal remains of 43 individual specimens were studied (18 mares, 15 stallions, and 10 juvenile asses). The determination of sex and age was initially based on carcass information from observations made in situ in the field. Subsequently, skull traits, including dentition and development of canine teeth …

Water Use Efficiency Of Main Dominant Species In Steppes And Deserts Of Mongolia, Natalia I. Bobrovskaya, Regina I. Nikulina

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

An assessment of the water expense efficiency for producing phytomass by dominating species in true (dry) and desert steppes as well as in steppe, true and extremely arid deserts in Mongolia is given. It was revealed that both in steppe and desert plant communities their dominants are presented by species of different efficiency of water utilization. It is possible to state that water expense efficiency is only slightly correlated with type of area distribution of species and its zonal optimum as well with the life form. Different Stipa species are most effective in water utilization in all community types. The …

Long-Term Ecology Of Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus H. Hemionus Pallas) In Central Asia, Annegret Stubbe, Michael Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The main population of the nominate form Equus hemionus hemionus Pallas, 1775 occurs in the south-east Gobi desert of Mongolia. From 2003 to 2012 we studied the reproductive ecology and mortality of dschiggetajs or khulans (English also ‘hulan’). During these years, the rate of reproduction was variable, ranging from 6.4% to 23.0% depending on climate, feeding conditions, and fitness of the mares. Our research shows that there appears to be a relationship between minimum temperatures in June (main foaling time) and rate of successful reproduction. The primary cause of decline in the numerical density of the population of E. hemionus …

Uniformity In A Diversity Of Landscapes – Branchiopod Communities In Eastern And Central Mongolia, Ansgar Poloczek, Michael Mühlenberg, Ingo W. Stürmer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

While investigating the branchiopod fauna of Mongolia, the uniformity of these crustacean communities through a multitude of different ecological conditions is conspicuous.

We sampled branchiopods in 24 sites through Central- and East-Mongolia, as living animals as well as cysts in soil samples. These sites represent the main types of Mongolia’s vegetation- and ecological-zones: Taiga forests in the western and eastern edge of the Khentey-Mountain ridge, the central and eastern steppe regions, and the Gobi-desert in the south.

In this large amount of differing ecological conditions with a changing human impact, compared to the width of the covered area, we found …

New Data On The Fish Coregonus Peled (Gmelin, 1788) In Some Water Bodies Of Mongolia, Ayuriin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In connection with the planned establishment of a coregonid fishery and the construction of a specialized hatchery in the area of Western Mongolia a study was undertaken with the aim of studying some parts of the reproductive biology of population of Coregonus peled inhabiting the lake Ulaagchnii Khar (Zavhan aimag). This species was introduced into this Mongolian lake, originally lacking any fish stock, in the period from 1980–1982. 11,230 fish were collected and examined during the periods from 1993–1999 and 2005–2011 and consisted partly of the fish originating from imported and introduced larvae and partly of the individuals belonging about …

Diversity And Distribution Of Mongolian Fish: Recent State, Trends And Studies, Yuri Dgebuadze, Bud Mendsaikhan, Ayurin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The studies in recent years (2000-2011) have allowed to make more precise the list and ranges of Mongolian fish. This is connected with new findings as well as the continuing process of invasion of alien species. Climate change and increase of human impact transformed ranges and local distribution of fish during last 30 years. Bias on ratio of ecological guilds, number of pathological findings are increasing, and declining of local diversity, rate of growth and fecundity of many species of fish are observed. In the course of long-term observation was confirmed periodically drying of waters of the Central Asian Lake …

Bacterial Diversity In Biological Soil Crusts From Extrazonal Mountain Dry Steppes In Northern Mongolia, Anne Kemmling, Birgit Pfeiffer, Rolf Daniel, Michael Hoppert

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs), consisting of prokaryotes, microalgae, lichens, mosses and eventually small vascular plants, cover wide areas in arid and semi-arid environments. In the present study, the microbial diversity of these crusts was explored at extrazonal mountain steppe sites in the western Khentej (Northern Mongolia). At the study site the Siberian taiga borders on the Mongolian-Daurian forest steppe, resulting in a unique intermixture of the dark taiga, the light taiga, and forest steppe (DULAMSUREN 2004). Due to the presence of boreal, temperate and dauric elements the forest steppe is eminently rich in species (MÜHLENBERG et al. 2004).

BSCs in …

An Approach To The Virtual Flora Of Mongolia – From A Data Repository To An Expert System, Http://Greif.Uni-Greifswald.De/Floragreif/, Jörg Hartleib, Martin Schnittler, Sabrina Rilke, Anne Zemmrich, Bernd Bobertz, Ulrike Najmi, Reinhard Zölitz, Susanne Starke

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

FloraGREIF is an internet accessible information system providing taxonomic, phytogeographic and ecological information on Mongolia’s flora in terms of descriptions, high-resolution plant images and an interactive WebGIS application. Organised along an updated checklist of the approx. 3000 Mongolian vascular plants that serves as a taxonomic backbone, information is split into the taxon level, referring to plant species, and the record level, referring to record or a collected plant specimen. At the latter level, images of living plants, scans of herbarium sheets, habitat photos and further notes can be found. Both data levels are linked by the name of the respective …

Indicators Of Pasture Digression In Steppe Ecosystems Of Mongolia, Elena V. Danzhalova, S. N. Bazha, P. D. Gunin, Yu. I. Drobyshev, T. I. Kazantseva, A. V. Prischepa, N. N. Slemnev, E. Ariunbold

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The research shows that widely used key measures of vegetation structure (species diversity, projected cover and above-ground phytomass) are not always suitable as indicators of pasture degradation. Based on an analysis above-ground phytomass composition, new quantitative indices are offered that give a more realistic picture of rangeland condition in Mongolia.

Some Taxonomic Records Of Aquatic Insects In The Eroo River Basin (West Khentii, Northern Mongolia), Purevdorj Surenkhorloo, Ravchig Samiya, Jolanta Slowik, Michael Mühlenberg

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In the Eroo basin of Mongolia, many species of aquatic insects have been recorded including five species of Diptera in the families Psychodidae, Dixidae, and Blephaceridae and 25 species across eight families of stoneflies. One species of Psychodidae, Bazarella baikalensis Wagner is reported for the first time in Mongolia while the other families are discussed and a species list is provided for the country.

First Stable Isotope Analysis Of Asiatic Wild Ass Tail Hair From The Mongolian Gobi, Micha Horacek, Petra Kaczensky, Merina Burnik Sturm

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Stable isotope analysis has become a powerful tool to study feeding ecology, water use or movement pattern in contemporary, historic and ancient species. Certain hair and teeth grow continuously, and when sampled longitudinally can provide temporally explicit information on dietary regime and movement pattern. In an initial trial, we analysed a tail sample of an Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) from the Mongolian Gobi. We found seasonal variations in H, C, and N isotope patterns, likely being the result of temporal variations in available feeds, water supply and possibly physiological status. Thus stable isotope analysis shows promise to …

Structure And Productivity Of Haloxylon Ammodendron Communities In The Mongolian Gobi, Tamara I. Kazantseva, Nikolay N. Slemnev, Pjotr D. Gunin, Sh. Tsooj

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Communities of Haloxylon ammodendron are widespread in the Mongolian Gobi where they play a significant role in biodiversity preservation. They occupy several main types of habitats, showing differences in density, projective cover, and productivity. Haloxylon ammodendron plays a similar, if not even more important role in the arid zone of Mongolia as the principal forest-making trees in the Northern part of the country. The complex set of quantitative parameters of Haloxylon ammodendron stands studied here in respect to temporal dynamics can serve as an indicator of both the vitality of desert ecosystems, and of environmental change.

Erforschung Biologischer Ressourcen Der Mongolei, Band 12 = Exploration Into The Biological Resources Of Mongolia, Volume 12: Front Matter And Table Of Contents, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The title page, front matter, and table of contents for volume 12 of the Erforschung journal (i.e. the Black journal) of the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle Wittenberg, Halle (Saale).

Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Vespertilio Murinus And Eptesicus Gobiensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) In Mongolia And How Many Species Of Coccidia Occur In Bats?, David S. Tinnin, Ethan T. Jensen, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Scott Lyell Gardner

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

An examination of the feces from 28 bats collected in 1999 and from 12 bats collected in 2009, all from Mongolia, revealed the presence of two new species of coccidian parasites of the genus Eimeria. Bats representing two species assigned to different genera were studied including: Vespertillio murinus and Eptesicus gobiensis. Oocysts of Eimeria stubbei n. sp. from V. murinus collected in 1999 are ellipsoid, average length and width of 22.4 x 18.7 μm, with a 1.5 μm thick double layered wall and a single polar granule. Sporocysts of this species are ovoid, 10.0 x 7.2 μm in …

Ectoparasites Of Bats In Mongolia, Part 2 (Ischnopsyllidae, Nycteribiidae, Cimicidae And Acari), Ingo Scheffler, Dietrich Dolch, Jargalsaikhan Ariunbold, Annegret Stubbe, Andreas Abraham, Klaus Thiele

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This study analyses ectoparasites found on Mongolian bats between 2008 and 2011. We examined 12 different bat species, with a total of 23 ectoparasite species present. Apart from reporting distributions, we also discuss specific host-parasite relationships. Owing to recent taxonomic changes splitting the Myotis mystacinus-group into several new taxa, their corresponding ectoparasite fauna could also be addressed in detail. Introducing ectoparasitic insects at length elsewhere (Scheffler et al. 2010), this paper focuses on the analysis of parasitic Acari. Additional findings for Spinturnicidae (wing mites) and Macronyssidae broadened the spectrum of known parasites. Altogether, the knowledge of bat ectoparasites from Mongolia …

Siphonaptera Of Mongolia And Tuva: Results Of The Mongolian- German Biological Expeditions Since 1962 – Years 1999-2003, Daniel Kiefer, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Scott Lyell Gardner, D. Tserenorov, R. Samiya, D. Otgonbaatar, D. Sumiya, Matthias S. Kiefer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This report provides an overview of flea species and the corresponding hosts in Mongolia and Tuva during 1999-2003. The taxonomical development of this vector group of great medical importance covers more than a century of flea research in Mongolia, resulting in the current number of 162 species known from this area.

Kinect And 3d Gis In Archaeology, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Fabio Remondino, Jim Robersson, Jennifer Von Schwerin, Giorgio Agugiaro, Gabrio Girardi

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

This paper explores the potential of using Microsoft's Kinect to create a low-cost and portable system to virtually navigate, through a prototype 3D GIS, the digitally reconstructed ancient Maya city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Copan in Honduras. The 3D GIS, named QueryArch3D, was developed as part of the MayaArch3D project (http://mayaarch3d.unm.edu), which explores the possibilities of integrating databases and 3D digital tools for research and teaching on ancient architectures and landscapes. The developed system, based on the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST), controls in a remote and touchless mode the movements in the 3D environment in …

Constraints On The Structure Of The Border Ranges Fault System, South-Central Alaska From Integrated 3d Inversion Of Gravity/Magnetic Data, Niti Mankhemthong

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

I use updated gravity data, available aeromagnetic data, and other geophysical information as constraints to develop 2D and 3D structural models of density and magnetic susceptibility to better locate and determine the shape of the Border Ranges fault system (BRFS), the Border Range ultramafic and mafic assemblages and other forearc-arc boundary structures in south-central Alaska, that have previously been studied in only limited detail. There are three geophysical research projects that form the chapters of the dissertation. First, I estimated near-surface density variations in the central Kenai Peninsula based on the adaptation of the Nettleton (1939)-Parasnis (1952) method using Tarantola …

New Methods For The Discovery And Characterization Of Lunar Lava Tubes Using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Data, Jonathan Arthur Meyer

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Lava tubes have the potential to serve as a sustainable solution to long-term lunar habitation by providing protection from radiation and micrometeorite bombardment while potentially providing resources in the form of trapped water ice. They also pose compelling science targets in their own right. While the potential benefits of utilizing lunar lava tubes is clear, their discovery is less straightforward. Formation processes for lava tubes do not always result in a surface expression, making their discovery using remotely sensed imagery difficult. Furthermore, there is the potential for lava tubes to be covered by secondary lava flows, impact ejecta, or other …

Geography Newsletter, 2011-2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Geography.

Geography Newsletter

Inside this issue:

-- Student/Community engagement
-- New Internship with Aerial Services
-- Spotlight on Research - Dennis Dahms finds evidence of climate change in Rocky Mountain Sediments
-- 2012 Awards Banquet
-- Scholarships
-- UNI Geography Outstanding Alumnus Award
-- Thomas Fogarty Retires after 23 years of service
-- Dr. Henry Owusu Publishes a new book
-- Student Publications and Presentations

Anarchism, Geography, And Queer Space-Making: Building Bridges Over Chasms We Create, Farhang Rouhani

Geography Articles

This paper examines the complex, creative, and contradictory processes of making queer space through an analysis of the rise and demise of the Richmond Queer Space Project (RQSP), a queer- and anarchist-identified organization in Richmond, Virginia, US. I begin by synthesizing emerging perspectives from anarchism, queer theory, and the conceptualization of queer space in geography. Then, I observe the practices through which RQSP members created a queer space; their location politics in a small-city context; and the contradictory politics of affinity and identity that led to the group’s demise. My goal is to seriously consider the complexities and contradictions of …

Mapping Latin America: A Cartographic Reader, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Oxford Handbook Of Slavery In The Americas, Andrew Sluyter

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Urbanisation On The Native Avifauna Of Perth, Western Australia, Robert A. Davis, Cheryl Gole, J Dale Roberts

Research outputs 2013

Urban development either eliminates, or severely fragments, native vegetation, and therefore alters the distribution and abundance of species that depend on it for habitat. We assessed the impact of urban development on bird communities at 121 sites in and around Perth, Western Australia. Based on data from community surveys, at least 83 % of 65 landbirds were found to be dependent, in some way, on the presence of native vegetation. For three groups of species defined by specific patterns of habitat use (bushland birds), there were sufficient data to show that species occurrences declined as the landscape changed from variegated …

Richard Edes Harrison And The Cartographic Perspective Of Modern Internationalism, Timothy Barney

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Air-age globalism was a discursive phenomenon throughout the development of World War II that accounted for the rapid “shrinking” of the world through air technologies and the internationalization of American interests. Cartography became air-age globalism’s primary popular expression, and journalistic cartographers such as Richard Edes Harrison at Fortune magazine introduced new mapping projections and perspectives in response to these global changes. This essay argues that Harrison’s mapping innovations mediate a geopolitical shift in America toward a modern, image-based internationalism. Through recastings of “vision” and “strategy,” Harrison’s work offers an opportunity to assess the rhetorical tensions between idealism and realism in …

The Geography Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Within Urban Areas Of Asia, Jochen Albrecht, Peter Marcotullio, Andrea Sarzynski, Niels Schulz

Publications and Research

This paper aims to advance two objectives: (1) identify and explore greenhouse gas emissions from urban areas in Asia at the regional level; and (2) explore covariates of urban greenhouse gas emissions. We use the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research estimates for carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride from 14 source activities for the year 2000, which are allocated on a 1/108 global grid. We extract emissions for 3535 urban extents all with populations over 50,000, accounting for approximately 91% of the region’s urban population. We use regression analysis to associate emissions with urban area and growth, …

Review Of Daniel Mockli's "Strategic Trends 2012: Key Developments In Global Affairs, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This review essay describes and analyzes the content of this annual compilation of international affairs essays published by the Zurich-based Center for Strategic Studies.

Grts And Graphs: Monitoring Natural Resources In Urban Landscapes, Todd R. Lookingbill, John Paul Schmit, Shawn L. Carter

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Environmental monitoring programs are an important tool for providing land managers with a scientific basis for management decisions. However, many ecological processes operate on spatial scales that transcend management boundaries (Schonewald-Cox 1988). For example, adjacent lands may influence protected-area resources via edge effects, source-sink dynamics, or invasion processes (Jones et al. 2009). Hydrologic alterations outside management units also may have profound effects on the integrity of resources being managed (Pringle 2000). The impacts of climate change are presenting challenges to resource management at local-to-global scales (Karl et al. 2009). This potential disparity between ecological and political boundaries presents an interesting …

Remote Sensing Of Cloud Properties Using Oxygen A-Band Spectral Measurements, Siwei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Clouds play an important role in the climate system through their radiative effects and their vital link in the hydrological cycle. Detailed knowledge of the three dimensional (3-D) distribution of cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties is crucial to properly characterize radiative forcing by clouds and to quantify the response of the climate. In this study, a multi-layer cloud detection algorithm is developed by utilizing photon path length distributions retrieved from oxygen A-band spectral measurements. Case studies from measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site demonstrate that this photon path length method can detect multi-layer clouds …