A grassland classification system and its application in China

Ren, Jizhou; Zhang, Hu; Jun, Zhao; Zhang, D. G.; Hou, Fujiang; Lin, Huilong; Mu, Xuemei

doi:10.1071/rj08002

Cited by 184 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…China has vast areas of grassland resources, comprising 393 million ha and accounting for 41.7% of the national land area (Ren et al 2008). However, 90% of useable grasslands are degraded because of over-grazing, improper reclamation and adverse effects of droughts exacerbated by climate change (Li 1999;Liu et al 2002;MEP 2006;Li et al 2008;Yang 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herders’ opinions about desirable stocking rates and overstocking in the rangelands of northern China

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Herders' desirable stocking rates and their opinions of overstocking were studied using survey and multiregression methods in the meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe regions of northern China. It was found that individual herders had their own perception of their particular 'desirable stocking rate', which referred to the number of livestock that the herders thought they could keep or maintain on an area of rangeland over a specified period of time. These perceptions were not in line with the 'balancing animals and grass' policy of the Chinese government, and herders used them as a guide to adjust stock-breeding practices. Most herders admitted that they bred more livestock now than 10 years ago, but insisted that there was no overstocking and many even thought that their rangelands could still carry more livestock. They also held the view that they took into account the carrying capacity of rangelands when making decisions about livestock-breeding practices. Individual herders thought that the reasonable stocking rate range should be 0.75-1.50 sheep units ha -1 (meadow steppe), 0.60-1.50 sheep units ha -1 (typical steppe), and 0.50-0.75 sheep units ha -1 (desert steppe), respectively. The herders from the desert steppe regions were most concerned about the overstocking of rangelands, and the concern of herders was in the order desert steppe > typical steppe > meadow steppe. The herders with more formal education and those who worked in a village council and had smaller areas of rangelands, were more concerned about the overstocking of rangelands. It is argued that such herders should be given more access to policy and market information, including extensive grazing and modern stall-feeding technologies, and encouraged to reduce their desirable stocking rates, leading to more sustainable rangeland management in northern China.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herders’ opinions about desirable stocking rates and overstocking in the rangelands of northern China

et al. 2014

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“…It is a process accompanied by the decline of grass quality and primary productivity, the loss of bio-diversity and complexity, and the deterioration of resilience and recovery functions (Yang et al 2007;Jiang et al 2011). The grassland, with an area of 400 million km 2 and covering more than 40 % of China (Ren et al 2008), supports the development of animal husbandry, is one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems in China. Grassland ecosystem can provide significant ecological benefits and economic benefits for humans, including forage, milk, meat, wool and pelts etc.…”

Section: Review Of Land Degradation Assessments In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Economics of Land Degradation in China

Deng¹,

Li²

2015

Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement – A Global Assessment for Sustainable Development

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Land degradation is a complex process that involves both the natural ecosystem and the socioeconomic system, among which climate and land use changes are the two predominant driving factors. We reviewed the status of degradation in grasslands, forests and cultivated lands in China, as well as the major drivers of land degradation in the North China Plain. The previous research shows that an increase in rainfall and temperature would significantly and positively contribute to land improvement. The conversion from cultivated land to grassland and forest land showed positive relationship with land improvement, while conversion to built-up area is associated with land degradation. In addition, human agricultural intensification may help improve the land quality. The overall economic development may exert positive impacts on land quality, while the increased agricultural production may exert negative impacts on land. Infrastructure construction would modify the land surface and further result in land degradation. Finally, our analysis of the costs of actions to address land degradation in China shows that the annual costs of land degradation due to land use and cover change (LUCC) is equal to about 24.5 billion USD. In addition, the cost of grassland degradation, without shifts in LUCC, is estimated to equal about 0.49 billion USD due to losses in livestock productivity resulting from grassland degradation. Moreover, the costs of cropland degradation for three crops: wheat, maize and rice, is estimated to be about 12 billion USD annually. The total cost of land degradation due to LUCC and using land degrading management practices on cropland and grazing land is 2007 US$37 billion or 1 % of China's 2007 GDP. Finally, the analysis shows that the costs of the rehabilitation of the lands degraded due to LUCC are significantly lower than the costs of inaction, with the returns of up to 4.7 times for every yuan invested over a 30-year period. This underscores the need to take action against land degradation. This is particularly important given China's new sustainable development and green economy approach reflected in its five year plan and other environmental policies. Results of this study will inform policy makers on the key areas for addressing land degradation.

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“…How landscapes and communities absorb disturbance and maintain function is an international quest of ecologists (Walker and Salt 2006) and Wang and Ba and others in China are joining the quest. Finally, Ren et al (2008) view their classification system as a tool for predicting shifts in grass species composition as climate changes in China and for thinking about circumstances that cause transitions to other states.…”

Section: Present Two Views On Managing Degradation;mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ren et al (2008) describes a logical system for classifying the grassland and livestock production. This system was developed in China over a 50-year period and was influenced by the classification system for plants and animals (Linnaeus) and for the chemical elements (Mendeleev).…”

Section: Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%