Elm open woodland grassland is the original vegetation and has existed for at least 10 000 years in the Korqin Sandy Lands. It is the climax community in the vegetation succession, being perfectly adapted to the natural conditions of the region, and featuring high biomass productivity, stability and high resilience.
Trees and shrubs in the Elm open woodland show a mainly clustered distribution pattern with varying density and coverage, according to different site conditions and external influences. The vegetation type protects adequately the sandy soils against wind-erosion, improves the microclimate, harbors biodiversity and produces ecological benefits.
The yield of forage grasses from relative undisturbed Elm open woodland is high and stable. The open woodland provides shelter to livestock from extreme heat or cold wind, and is the best rangeland available.
Elm produces a good quality timber and fodder. Shrub species such as Prunus armeniaca and Caragana microphylla associated with elm, have interesting economic potential as cash crop and fodder species respectively. For these reasons, Elm open woodland can produce relatively high economic value, if properly managed and wisely used.
Elm open woodland is the vegetation type with the richest species combinations in the Korqin Sandy Lands, and therefore to be conserved.
The present situation of the Elm open woodland is not promising. Due to negative selection brought about by prolonged overgrazing and over-felling, the development of elm-trees is generally short, with crooked trunks. The population structure is abnormal, with a generalized lack of regeneration, indicating to a degrading population type. Extended over-reclamation has caused the disappearance of large areas, and in consequence desertified land is expanding.
All these negative points are the results of non-management, and can be changed. The strong natural regeneration capability, resilience and adaptability of Elm makes it possible to rehabilitate the damaged open woodland, and to reconstruct the degraded or disappeared open woodland. Proper management is without doubt the best model for the treatment of desertified land in the Korqin Sandy Lands, with the smallest input, the quickest recovery and the greatest benefits in the long run.
Large areas of Elm open woodland in the Korqin Sandy Lands have been destroyed and the remaining Elm open woodland, covering less than 5% of the total area, is seriously damaged by over-use of all types and presents incomplete population structures. Nevertheless, conversion, over-grazing, illegal felling are continuing and the land is being further destroyed. These are the basic causes for the occurrence and expansion of desertified land in the Korqin.
The following suggestions are put forward for discussion to revert this negative situation.
Protection of selected areas of the existing Elm open woodland: fencing-off, no grazing, and no felling.
Implementation in the remainder area of a ban on conversion and felling, application of an appropriate intensity of grazing (to be determined);
Reforestation with high quality plants of selected provenances in areas of severely damaged Elm open woodland, to improve the stand and enhance in future the ecological and economic benefits;
Awareness raising of the importance of the Elm open woodland to combat desertification, both at the political level and among the general public and, most importantly, among the local populations, living in areas where the Elm open woodland is still present.
