Analyzing Characteristics of Grassland Gross Ecosystem Product to Inform Decision Making in the Karst Desertification Control

Abstract

Synergistically enhancing and realizing the value of grassland ecosystem services (ES) for economic activity is an important but challenging task for achieving sustainability in the karst desertification control (KDC). However, how to use grassland ES value characteristics in the KDC to make decisions on ES improvement, human well-being enhancement, and sustainable development remains unclear. In this paper, we took the contiguous region of karst desertification in Yunnan-Guangxi-Guizhou, China, a global hotspot, as the study area. Based on the valuation of the gross ecosystem product (GEP) and county economic intensity, we analyzed the structural and spatial characteristics of grassland GEP in the KDC using spatial analysis methods. We found that: (1) the grassland GEP in the KDC is mainly distributed in counties with low economic intensity (86.05% of the total number of counties) and vulnerable to losses caused by the livelihood of farmers; (2) the grassland GEP in the KDC is spatially small and scattered (the geographic concentration lies between 0.015 and 0.237), which makes it difficult to form industrial scale advantages; (3) the public product index (66.22–96.77%) and industry scale concentration (97.87–99.86%) of grassland GEP in the KDC are high, and most of the GEP is difficult to transform on the private market. Based on our findings, we proposed three corresponding recommendations for economic decision-making. The results of this study can provide a reference for economic decision-making regarding the management of grassland ES in karst areas with similar conditions and beyond.

Grassland Ecological Management and Utilization for Sustainability

“…(1) The management and utilization of traditional grasslands [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

“…As for the management of grassland production, Li et al [20] analyzed the structural and spatial characteristics of a grassland gross ecosystem product in karst desertification control. The results of this study can provide a reference for economic decision making regarding the management of grassland ecosystem services in karst areas with similar conditions and beyond.…”

Suitability of agronomic water saving in karst areas and its enlightenment in the karst desertification control

“…Karst desertification is the primary cause of vulnerable ecosystem here. It is an extreme manifestation of land degradation and the result of ecological degradation formed under unique hydrological and geological conditions [ 6 ]. Land surface presents high permeability in the karst area, which determines the poor capacity of water collection by the surface and that water resources are easy to leak into the ground through cracks [ 7 ], forming the distribution characteristics of water resources with poor surface water, and presenting a unique phenomenon of ‘karst drought’.…”