Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicle surveys were conducted in the summer season of 2016 and the winter season of 2017 to investigate the large wild herbivore population, including kiangs, Tibetan gazelles and bharals, in Madoi County; the source region of the Yellow River. The study generated forage grass production data in 30 m spatial resolution in Madoi County in 2016 using a downscaling algorithm; estimated a forage-livestock balance including wild animals and domestic animals; and analyzed the effect of the large wild herbivore population on the balance between forage grass and herbivory in Madoi County. The large wild herbivore population was estimated based on the density of the animals in the survey sample strip and compared and verified with available statistical data and the two survey results from the summer season of 2016 and winter season of 2017. The results showed that: (1) in the winter season of 2017, the populations of kiang, Tibetan gazelle and bharal were 17,100, 16,000 and 9300, respectively, while the populations of domestic yak, Tibetan sheep and horse were 70,800, 102,200 and 1200, respectively. The total population of large wild herbivores and domestic animals was 475,000 (sheep units). The ratio (in sheep units) between large wild herbivores and domestic animals was 1:4.5; (2) When only considering domestic animals, the grazing pressure index was 1.13, indicating slight overloading of the grassland. When considering domestic animals and large wild herbivores (kiang, Tibetan gazelle and bharal), the grazing pressure index was 1.38, suggesting moderate overloading of the grassland; (3) If large wild herbivores are not taken into consideration when the forage-livestock balance is calculated, the grazing pressure will be under-estimated by 22%. Overgrazing is the major cause of grassland degradation in Madoi County. An additional 79,000 tons of hay or a 30% reduction in domestic animals is required to maintain a forage-livestock balance in Madoi County.
Highlights
The source region of the Yellow River is an important river water conservation area and ecological barrier in China
If domestic animals are excluded from core conservation areas and are rather concentrated in ecological conservation and restoration areas or traditional areas, the grazing pressure will continuously increase if the domestic animal population is not reduced
This study estimated the size of a large wild herbivore population within Madoi County from unmannered aerial vehicles (UAV) surveys conducted in the summer and winter seasons of 2016 and 2017, respectively
Summary
The source region of the Yellow River is an important river water conservation area and ecological barrier in China. It is a major area for alpine wildlife protection, as well as a major animal husbandry base in China. The concurrent enhancement of wildlife protection has resulted in the rapid growth of wild herbivore populations, which has heightened the conflict for forage grass between wild herbivores and domestic animals. Several questions remain unanswered regarding large wild herbivores, including their current state of protection; their population size; their distribution; their forage grass requirements; and their specific influence on grassland animal husbandry. The extent of the protection of the wild animals and the effect of the wild animals on the grassland ecosystem and local animal husbandry, remain unclear
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