Drought reduces the effectiveness of ecological projects: Perspectives from the inter-annual variability of vegetation index

Li, Meng; Yu, Huilin; Meng, Baoping; Sun, Yi; Zhang, Jianguo; Zhang, Huifang; Wu, Jian; Yi, Shuai

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108158

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Moreover, the study demonstrated a significantly decreasing trend in livestock numbers after the implementation of grazing exclusion, which is in line with previous results (Chen et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2018). The rate of livestock decline in the eastern region was faster than that in the western region in our study, indicating that the average grazing intensity was higher in the eastern region than in the western region (Li, Yu, et al, 2021). Our results showed that fencing improved ESB, though at the cost of a significant reduction in livestock numbers.…”

Section: Fencing Improved Ecosystem Service Benefit and Reduced Lives...supporting

confidence: 92%

“…The natural grassland area is approximately 4.8 × 10 5 km 2 , accounting for 59.0% of the available natural grassland in Tibet, and is the most important traditional pastoral area in Tibet (Li, 2000). For approximately 10,000 years, herders could have existed here, while human activities were negligible (Chen et al, 2013; Li, Yu, et al, 2021). Livestock increased rapidly in the 1990s (Fan et al, 2015).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking ecosystem service benefit and grazing prohibition intensity can better optimize fence layout in northern Tibet

et al. 2023

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There is an urgent need to link grazing exclusion policy and the resulting benefits for fence layout management. However, policy implementation intensity and benefits are rarely considered together. Here, combining the changes in the rate of the livestock and fenced area, we constructed a grazing prohibition intensity (GPI) index that reflected the intensity of policy implementation. We also quantified ecosystem service benefits (ESBs), including net primary productivity (NPP) and soil conservation by the different models. Then, a new perspective in combination with ESBs and GPI was used to assess whether a fence layout is appropriate using the four–quadrant model and how to optimize a potentially unreasonable fence layout based on seven drivers. We found that the NPP and soil conservation service notably increased by 59% and 87%, respectively, in the total fenced area, after the implementation of the grazing exclusion program. The high values of ESBs and GPI were concentrated in the eastern and central‐eastern regions of the northern Tibet, respectively. Moreover, the potentially unreasonable fence layout accounted for 10% of the total fenced area, and was focused on meadow areas with a high human footprint. The area proportion of reasonable fence layout coupling ESBs and GPI increased by 20% compared with ESBs individually. Finally, an optimal potential unreasonable fence layout might reduce the mismatch between the ESB and GPI by considering countermeasures such as attention to the potential unreasonable fence layout, setting a target for supplying carbon sinks and soil and water conservation quantities and reducing the human footprint. Our study indicates the necessity of linking ESBs and GPI for fence layout management.

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Section: Fencing Improved Ecosystem Service Benefit and Reduced Lives...supporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking ecosystem service benefit and grazing prohibition intensity can better optimize fence layout in northern Tibet

et al. 2023

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“…Northern Tibet is an essential natural pasture in Tibet (Li et al, 2021), and its herbage largely depends on natural grasslands, but overgrazing will lead to degradation of alpine grassland, especially the decline of grassland coverage directly led to the decreasing of water conservation function (Pan et al, 2013; Xu et al, 2013). One important measure of the Project was to decrease livestock grazing in north Tibet and even prohibit grazing in some areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7). Decreasing of the forage-livestock conflict have improved the productivity and coverage of alpine grasslands in northern Tibet (Chen et al, 2014; Cao et al, 2020; Li et al, 2021). The overall degradation trend of alpine grassland has been effectively controlled under the implementation of ecological engineering, thus increased the soil moisture content (Wang et al, 2003) and enhanced the water conservation capacity of alpine grassland ecosystems (Lan et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation of Water Conservation Function and Its Influencing Factors of Alpine Grasslands in Northern Tibet from 2000 to 2020

Song

Huang

et al. 2023

Journal of Resources and Ecology

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With an average elevation of more than 4500 m, northern Tibet, known as the “roof of the world roof”, serves as the main body of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau's ecological security barrier. However, the alpine grassland ecosystem in northern Tibet has suffered considerable alterations as a result of both climate change and overgrazing, and there is a degradation trend in some regions. In 2009, one ecological engineering, the Protection and Construction Project of Ecological Security Barrier in Tibet (hereafter referred to as the “Project”) was implemented to preserve the alpine ecosystem and restore service functions in the plateau. Water conservation is one of the most important service functions in alpine grassland ecosystem in northern Tibet, where is one part of the Asian Water Tower. To clarify the specific ecological benefits of the Project, this paper utilized the InVEST model to evaluate the variation trend of the water conservation function of alpine grasslands in northern Tibet before and after the implementation of the Project from 2000 to 2020, and contribution rate of climate change and the Project was also quantified. Results showed that: (1) Although the water conservation capacity of different grassland types in northern Tibet were varied, their water conservation function all altered dramatically after implementation of the Project. Specifically, the water yield has increased by 10.07%, and the water source supply service has increased by 8.86%. Among these grasslands, the alpine meadow had the highest increasing rate, water conservation capacity increased from –1.84 mm yr–1 to 2.24 mm yr–1 Followed by the alpine desert steppe and the alpine steppe, the rate of water conservation function were decreased significantly due to the Project. (2) Although climate is still the primary factor affecting the water conservation function of alpine grasslands in northern Tibet, the Project has effectively promoted the local water conservation function, with contribution rates of 13.99%, 8.75%, and 3.71% in the alpine meadow, alpine steppe and alpine desert steppe regions respectively.

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“…In addition, anthropogenic factors are also important drivers of vegetation dynamic. In order to improve the environment, the Chinese government has launched a variety of initiatives, including Three-North Shelter Forest Program, Grain to Green Program (GTGP), and Grazing Withdrawal Program (GWP) Li et al, 2021a). The Loess Plateau, one of the world's most eroded regions, is a prioritized pilot region of the ongoing GTGP program and has shifted from a net carbon source to a net carbon sink by converting cultivated land on steep slopes to perennial vegetation (Feng et al, 2013;Gang et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the contributions of climate factors and human activities to variations of net primary productivity in China from 2000 to 2020

Chen

Chen³

et al. 2023

Front. Earth Sci.

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Net primary productivity (NPP) plays a vital role in the globe carbon cycle. Quantitative assessment of the effects of climate changes and human activities on net primary productivity dynamics is vital for understanding the driving mechanisms of vegetation change and sustainable development of ecosystems. This study investigates the contributions of climatic factors and human activities to vegetation productivity changes in China from 2000 to 2020 based on the residual trend analysis (RESTREND) method. The results showed that the annual average net primary productivity in China was 325.11 g C/m2/year from 2000 to 2020 and net primary productivity showed a significantly increasing trend (p<0.05) at a rate of 2.32 g C/m2/year. Net primary productivity increased significantly (p<0.05) across 40.90% of China over the study period, while only 1.79% showed a significantly declining trend (p<0.05). The contributions of climatic factors and human activities to net primary productivity increase were 1.169 g C/m2/year and 1.142 g C/m2/year, respectively. Climate factors contributed positively mainly in Sichuan Basin, the Loess Plateau, the Mongolian Plateau, and Northeast China Plain. Positive contributions of human activities to net primary productivity mainly occurred in the Loess Plateau, Central China, and the Greater Khingan Mountains. The effects of climatic factors and human activities on net primary productivity changes varied among sub-regions. In Tropical Monsoon Climate Region and Subtropical Monsoon Climate Region, human activities had greater impacts on net primary productivity increase than climate factors, while climate factors were the dominant factor for net primary productivity recovery in other sub-regions. In addition, during 2000–2020, net primary productivity was dominated by both climate factors and human activities in 49.84% of China, while areas dominated solely by climate factors and human activities accounted for 13.67% and 10.92%, respectively. Compared to changed land cover types, the total net primary productivity as well as the increase of total net primary productivity in China was mostly contributed by unchanged land cover types, which contributed more than 90%.

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Drought reduces the effectiveness of ecological projects: Perspectives from the inter-annual variability of vegetation index

Cited by 12 publications

References 65 publications

Linking ecosystem service benefit and grazing prohibition intensity can better optimize fence layout in northern Tibet

Linking ecosystem service benefit and grazing prohibition intensity can better optimize fence layout in northern Tibet

Variation of Water Conservation Function and Its Influencing Factors of Alpine Grasslands in Northern Tibet from 2000 to 2020

Quantifying the contributions of climate factors and human activities to variations of net primary productivity in China from 2000 to 2020

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