TOKYO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A large grassland fire in Mongolia reportedly linked to activities by a Japanese company's subsidiary may have caused extensive ecological damage, with its broader environmental impact requiring comprehensive assessment, an expert said.
The fire broke out on Oct. 8 in the Numrug Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia's eastern province of Dornod. The flames were extinguished on Oct. 16, according to Mongolian media reports. Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI said on Oct. 20 that the fire was linked to activities by its Mongolian subsidiary Mobicom.
The fire may have affected not only grasslands but also riverbanks, wetlands and other ecosystems, said Wang Qinxue, a researcher at Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies who has long studied the region's ecological environment.
A comprehensive assessment is needed to determine whether soil conditions can recover alongside vegetation, whether wildlife can safely survive the winter and whether the fire has caused any transboundary environmental pollution, Wang said.
Preliminary data released by Mongolia's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change showed that the fire had burned about 530,000 hectares of land, including approximately 470,000 hectares within the Numrug Strictly Protected Area, accounting for 79.8 percent of the reserve's total area.
Located in eastern Mongolia near the Chinese border, the reserve features a mix of grasslands, forests, rivers and wetlands. It provides habitats for a variety of wildlife and plays an important role in conserving local biodiversity, Wang said.
Even if vegetation regrows the following year, plant species composition and soil conditions may not recover at the same pace, he said.
Assessing damage to forest ecosystems is particularly complex, requiring an examination of tree survival rates, the availability of seed sources and the growth of new seedlings to determine the extent of damage and the potential for recovery, Wang added.
The fire's potential transboundary ecological effects also warrant further investigation. It remains necessary to determine whether ash and sediment could be carried into rivers and wetlands by surface runoff and whether smoke from the fire had crossed national borders through the atmosphere, Wang said.
Citing research on Mongolia's Dornod Province, Wang said fire occurrence from autumn through the following spring was associated with the number of dust storm days in spring.
Reduced vegetation cover after a fire leaves soil more vulnerable to wind erosion and makes surface materials easier to transport by wind, he said.
Wang called for systematic surveys of the burned areas, categorized by ecosystem type, to scientifically assess the actual damage and determine the scope for ecological recovery. ■
