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Intensive observations, analysis and modeling within the framework of the Rangelands Atmosphere-HydrosphereBiosphere Interaction Study Experiment in Northeastern Asia (RAISE) project, have allowed investigations into the hydrologic cycle in the ecotone of forest-steppe, and its relation to atmosphere and ecosystem in the eastern part of Mongolia. In this region, changes in the climate have been reported and a market oriented economy was introduced recently, but their impact on the natural environment is still not well understood. In this RAISE special issue, the outcome is presented of the studies carried out by six groups within RAISE, namely, (1) Landatmosphere interaction analysis, (2) Ecosystem analysis and modeling, (3) Hydrologic cycle analysis, (4) Climatic modeling, (5) Hydrologic modeling, and (6) Integration. The results are organized in five relevant categories comprising (i) hydrologic cycle including precipitation, groundwater, and surface water, (ii) hydrologic cycle and ecosystem, (iii) surface-atmosphere interaction, (iv) effect of grazing activities on soils, plant ecosystem and surface fluxes, and (iv) future prediction. Comparison with studies on rangelands in other parts of the world, and some future directions of studies still needed in this region are also summarized.

Measurements of water oxygen isotopic composition were conducted in the 2003 growing season for a montane larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) forest in northern Mongolia, a transitional area from the south Siberian taiga to the Asian steppe. Oxygen isotopic composition of foliar water and its daily variability were found to be sensitive to atmospheric evaporative demand. During most of the growing season, water sources used by larch trees were from the upper 30-cm surface layer of the soil when precipitation input was large, and were from the deeper layer when the water supply at the upper soil layer was limited. The Keeling plot method suggested that the forest returned soil water to the atmosphere predominantly by means of canopy transpiration during the peak growth period (in August).

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