– Oyu Tolgoi LLC grows saxaul trees in seed pots and plants them in a natural environment –
The pleasant autumn continues in the South Gobi province. During these days, saxaul trees are being planted for the first time and ground rehabilitation work has started.
In recent years, trees have been planted in urban and rural areas during spring and autumn seasons. However, growing saxaul, a native of the Gobi desert, is a new challenge. Oyu Tolgoi uses water from the underground water aquifer of Gunii Hooloi which is located about 70 km from the mine. Much construction work was undertaken to lay an underground water pipeline from the aquifer area to the mine. As a result, the company has conducted rehabilitation work and planted saxaul trees on an area of six hectares. Growing, planting and caring for the saxaul takes a lot of time and effort. First of all, the seeds of saxaul tree need to be collected and sprouted in a seed pot. The pots with sprouting saxaul must then be placed in an open field so they can adapt to the natural environment. Generally, after two summers and one winter, the saxaul can be taken out of the pot and transplanted into the ground. The height of sprouted saxaul is not very important. If it is thick and has many shrubs and branches, this indicates that the tree can grow.
Planting during autumn is better than planting in spring as the saxaul’s ability to adapt to the local environment and grow is much better. The saxaul seedlings are 30-50 cm high and in November they will be re-watered and molded with the soil through so that they can adapt to the environment and overcome the winter season
B.Altantsetseg, Superintendent of the environmental department of the Oyu Tolgoi LLC said: “We have been seeding saxaul trees since 2011 in our tree nursery. Now, we are using these seedlings for rehabilitation. This autumn, we will plant ten or eleven thousand saxaul seedlings Oyu Tolgoi’s Environmental and Regional development and Social performance departments are organising this rehabilitation work with the participation of local residents and herders.”
Oyu Tolgoi’s tree nursery is in Khanbogd soum, 45 km from the mine. The nursery which was opened in 2011 covers five hectares and includes a 640 square metre greenhouse and external fenced area. Here, local seeds which can grow in the Gobi’s conditions are collected and cleaned and then seeded in the greenhouse before being transferred to the outside field to adapt to the natural environment. The greenhouse has a double layered roof with a polyethylene film covering and 320 metre long fog-irrigation system. Because the greenhouse has its own heating system, it is possible to grow plants from March through until late November.
This is where the saxaul seedlings used for the rehabilitation were grown. Currently 21 people are working in the tree nursery.
Saxaul is an important tree which protects the Gobi’s soil from erosion and degradation, halting sand movement and keeping the balance of the Gobi ecosystem. Therefore, local residents were very active in the rehabilitation work, taking part wholeheartedly. One of these local residents is R.Badamdorj, herder of the “Bayan” bagh of Khanbogd soum who says: “I had never planted trees before but I planted the saxaul with my own hands. I dug holes and planted the saxaul trees. Camels can eat one or two year old saxaul trees. As we have put so much effort into planting these trees, we will protect them and not allow the camels and other animals to enter this area.”
Saxaul is the only plant which can form a forested area in the Gobi desert. Unfortunately today the Gobi forest remains only in the famous song The Gobi of saxaul forest is famous in the whole world. The Gobi residents also used the tree as a fuel and contributed to its disappearance. In some areas, saxaul trees can’t be restored naturally. Therefore, planting and growing saxaul is very important, not only to Oyu Tolgoi, but also for every resident of the Gobi .
The joint efforts of a mining company and of local residents will lead to the creation of a new saxaul forest in the Galba Gobi.
Leave a Reply