Assessing the impact of grazing management on wind erosion risk in grasslands: A case study on how grazing affects aboveground biomass and soil particle composition in Inner Mongolia

Dong, Lei; Wang, Jian; Li, Jinrong; Wu, Yantao; Zheng, Ying; Zhang, Jinghui; Li, Zhiyong; Yin, Ruiping; Liang, Cunzhu

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02344

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Soil erosion and compaction scores were low under heavy grazing, particularly in the upland zone, which can be explained by low litter and basal cover. In arid and semi-arid regions, heavy grazing and trampling damage often associated with a reduction in basal cover and standing biomass, and an increase in bare soil, thereby exposing the soil to erosion [ 4 , 39 , 40 ] consistent with the observation made in the current study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Grazing intensity effects on rangeland condition and tree diversity in Afar, northeastern Ethiopia

Mathewos,

Sisay,

Berhanu

2023

Heliyon

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Grazing intensity effects on rangeland condition and tree diversity in Afar, northeastern Ethiopia

Mathewos,

Sisay,

Berhanu

2023

Heliyon

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“…In addition, Skidmore (1982) wind tunnel experiments found that particles with a particle diameter of < 0.84 mm were erodible particles [ 52 ]. Zhibao Dong (1998) and Dong Lei (2022) believe that particles with a particle size distribution of 0.075 to 0.4 mm are easily erodible particles [ 53 , 54 ]. In this study, the range of sand particles and above particle sizes includes the range of erodible and easily erodible particles studied above.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of soil quality in Inner Mongolia desert steppe—A case study of Siziwang Banner

Jiang,

Li,

Guo

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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As a natural ecological fragile region, the vast desert steppe in the Inner Mongolia has a developed animal husbandry, and thus posed great impacts on soil quality. In order to accurately evaluate the current situation of soil quality in the desert steppe, it is therefore imperative to adopt a suitable method to effectively assess the soil quality in the region. In this study, the minimum data set (MDS) was established with the help of principal component analysis, Norm value calculation, and correlation analysis, and four indicators, including organic matter, sand grains, soil erosion degree, and pH, were established to evaluate the soil quality of the desert steppe in the Siziwang Banner, a county in the Inner Mongolia. The results from the minimum data set (MDS) method were validated based on the total data set (TDS) method, and the validation indicated that the MDS method can be representative of the soil quality of the study area. The results indicated: 1) the soil quality index (SQI) of 0–30 cm in more than 90% of the study area falls in the range of 0.4 and 0.6 (medium level), while the better level (SQI ≥0.6) only accounted less than 10% of the study area; 2) For the MDS indexes, soil organic matter content at all depths decreased in the southern mountains, central hills, and northern plateau, which is consistent with the changing trends of SQI; 3) The sand grain was the dominant particle in the study region, which was in accordance with the intense wind erosion; 4) The negative correlation was found between the soil pH value and SQI (the high value in pH corresponded to the low value in SQI), which reflected that soil pH has a more stressful effect on the local vegetation. Overall, the MDS indexes in this study can objectively and practically reflect the soil quality in the study area, which can provide a cost effective method for SQI assessment in the desert steppe, which is important for the further grassland ecological construction and grassland management to improve the soil quality in the desert steppes.

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“…So far, there is little evidence for pasture degradation, which is likely due to the combined effect of the non-equilibrium nature of the pastures (von Wehrden et al, 2012) and the high mobility of the nomadic herders (Michler et al, 2022). However, with rising livestock numbers in combination with fodder provision, there is concern over pasture degradation, as high grazing intensity is known to lower plant species diversity, biomass and vegetation cover (Menezes et al, 2020;Munkhzul et al, 2021), alter soil parameters (Abdalla et al, 2018;Zhang et al, 2022), and lead to soil erosion (Dong et al, 2022).…”

Section: Pastoral Livelihoods In the Dzungarian Gobimentioning

confidence: 99%

What will the future bring? – Socio-economic challenges to herder households in the Dzungarian Gobi, Mongolia

Michler,

Kaczensky,

Batsukh

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Nomadic pastoralism is still practiced by around one-third of the Mongolian population. Recent socio-economic constraints have challenged pastoral livelihoods and led to declines in herder household numbers. Meanwhile, livestock numbers have risen countrywide, threatening overall rangeland health and biodiversity conservation. In the Mongolian Gobi, herder families fully depend on livestock production. Little is known about the current and future trends of their livelihoods and its compatibility with protected area goals to reduce livestock numbers. We combined data from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in the Great Gobi B strictly protected area with secondary data on regional and national herder household income and livestock numbers. We determined the importance of social networks, the willingness to continue a herding lifestyle, and the involvement of herders in the protected area management. Our data confirmed that herding is no longer centred around a subsistence lifestyle but rather around cashmere production. Herder families are currently still increasing livestock numbers, which is counter to protected area goals. Costs for education, health care, travelling, and modern communication are high in the economic reality of a market economy and drive the need to increase livestock numbers. Most of the young herder generation are employed urban centres with limited time to support the family herding household. Herders, despite valuing pastures within protected areas, faced challenges due to inadequate communication and conflicting livestock numbers goals. We conclude that herders in the Great Gobi B SPA are reaching livestock numbers which are neither socio-economically nor ecologically sustainable.

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Assessing the impact of grazing management on wind erosion risk in grasslands: A case study on how grazing affects aboveground biomass and soil particle composition in Inner Mongolia

Cited by 10 publications

References 49 publications

Grazing intensity effects on rangeland condition and tree diversity in Afar, northeastern Ethiopia

Grazing intensity effects on rangeland condition and tree diversity in Afar, northeastern Ethiopia

Evaluation of soil quality in Inner Mongolia desert steppe—A case study of Siziwang Banner

What will the future bring? – Socio-economic challenges to herder households in the Dzungarian Gobi, Mongolia

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