Title: Testing the ecological site group classification in Mongolian rangelends: case study in forest steppe zone

The rangeland is the core of the natural and economic resources of Mongolia. The number of livestock has increased by 29.4 million head since 1970, resulting in rapid rangeland degradation with negative consequences for the national economy. The aim of the study presented here was to evaluate rangeland Ecological Site group classification within the forest steppe natural region. Soil water is the main limiting factor for the growth of vegetation in the Mongolian rangelands. Our Ecological Site group classification approach was based on soil physical properties, especially clay and rock fragment content as is reflected in the three main groups that are identified: loamy sites, sandy sites and gravelly sites. Soil texture influences how much water is available for the plant, and loamy sites having a greater water holding capacity than sandy and gravelly sites. Rangeland Ecological Site classification is one of the first steps in sustainable land management when it comes to grazing animals.