Maximising ecological value and assessing land suitability for sustainable grassland management in Asia’s largest tropical grassland, Western India

Abstract

Grasslands are crucial ecosystems that provide numerous ecological services and support biodiversity conservation. Grasslands undergo significant threats from both anthropogenic and natural sources, compromising their ability to maintain biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being. However, grasslands are frequently ignored in sustainable development objectives. Adequate knowledge of how grassland degradation affects ecosystem services is essential for sustainable management and grassland ecological restoration. The Kachchh region in western India harbours a unique grassland ecosystem known as the Banni grassland, which once became the finest grassland in Asia. However, undesirable anthropogenic interventions have accelerated its degradation. This research paper aims to assess the suitability of different land areas in Banni for sustainable grassland restoration, considering ecological value as a primary criterion. In the present research, land suitability for grassland management was assessed using a geographical information system (GIS)-based multi criteria evolution (MCE) method with satellite data and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The ground truthing of the soil samples was carried out alongside. Slope, rainfall, infiltration rate, LULC, geomorphology, soil texture, soil organic carbon, water holding capacity, SAR, CEC, pH, EC, and soil nutrients were among the criteria used. The weights for each criterion were calculated using a pairwise comparison matrix, and the scores were allocated to sub criteria based on field work, expert opinions, and a literature review. The proposed method can be very useful for evaluating the state of the land and can help with the best possible planning for grassland development and conservation. Banni grassland has the potential to be developed into a critical zone observatory (CZO) in the future, and the present study, with further inputs, holds promise for furthering the cause of its sustainable management. Overall, this study underscores the importance of assessing land suitability for sustainable grassland management and highlights the potential for maximising the ecological value of grasslands in western India and beyond.