Abstract
Several grassland conservation programs aiming to relieve grazing pressure have been implemented in Inner Mongolia since 2000 to reverse grassland degradation and protect local and regional environments. Previous studies on the effects of these programs usually used small-scale data generated from field experiments and household surveys, inhibiting the discovery of large-scale effects due to spatial heterogeneity. For a typical study region in Xilingol League, we used fixed-effects models and a panel dataset at the county level from 1998 to 2013 to examine the effects of two programs, namely, the Beijing–Tianjin Wind/Sand Source Control Program and the Ecological Subsidy and Award System and other drivers on vegetation rehabilitation. The modeling results suggested that the programs had a positive but delayed impact on grassland vegetation rehabilitation. Enrollment in the two programs in a specific year was predicted to increase the vegetation index value by amounts equivalent to 186 mm and 98 mm more annual precipitation after two years, respectively (p < 0.01). Fixed effects (including site factors and land use history) had a greater effect, hence the design and implementation of government conservation policies should be context-based.
Highlights
Degradation of arid grazing lands is commonly described in terms of loss of palatable perennial plants, invasion of undesirable plant species and soil erosion [1]
Following implementation of the BTWSSC program in 2001 and the ESAS program in 2013, the grassland vegetation status showed a general trend of improvement
Spatial analysis of vegetation changes in Xilingol League showed that areas of major vegetation degradation during the study period were concentrated in the pastoral counties, especially in the northern and western part of the League
Summary
Degradation of arid grazing lands is commonly described in terms of loss of palatable perennial plants, invasion of undesirable plant species and soil erosion [1]. The global impact of this degradation is significant, as arid rangelands (including grasslands, savannas, and shrublands) comprise approximately 80% of the world’s rangelands [2] and support approximately half of the world’s livestock [3]. Because grazing shifts most of the primary production from vegetation to livestock, it limits vegetation services and is widely recognized as a primary cause of rangeland degradation [5,6,7]. Since rangeland degradation proceeds in steps, and is increasingly difficult and costly to reverse [8], taking measures promptly is necessary. While there are numerous publications about the fact that recovery of degraded land is impossible or very slow [9,10,11], grazing pressure relief is still the dominant strategy to remedy rangeland degradation worldwide
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