Biophysical and Agroeconomic Influences on Pasture Quality in Da'erhanmaoming'an Union Banner, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, China

Abstract

Since the economic reforms of the late 1970s, China has implemented a number of initiatives designed to stimulate local economies and protect environmental conditions in its rural western provinces. An area of particular concern is the Inner Mongolian steppes, which lie northwest of Beijing and are both economically depressed and a major source of dust storms. This work combines Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery from 1985 to 2005 with annual and seasonal precipitation data and socioeconomic parameters collected at the township scale to investigate the relationships among husbandry activities, grassland health, as indicated by imagery-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI), and price data for wool and cashmere, the two major products in this area. Da'erhanmaoming'an Union Banner in southwestern Inner Mongolia was used as a study site. As expected for this arid steppe region, the results indicate a strong dependence on seasonal precipitation. The shift from sheep to goat production had a negative impact on grassland quality over time, but positive effects on income. Herd composition and size, along with market prices for wool and cashmere, were also correlated with per capita incomes. These results point toward a need to regulate the number of grazing animals in general, with restrictions on the number of goats being of primary importance.