Research Progress on Grassland Eco-Assets and Eco-Products and Its Implications for the Enhancement of Ecosystem Service Function of Karst Desertification Control

Abstract

Grasslands in karst ecological fragile areas can effectively mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity, maintain human well-being, and play a significant role in improving the health of regional ecosystems and farmers’ livelihoods. Thus, the study of grassland ecological assets and ecological products comprehensively examines their effects on grassland ecosystem services based on the traditional paradigm. This procedure is crucial from a strategic perspective for rebuilding damaged grassland ecosystems in karst regions, strengthening the efficacy of desertification control, and encouraging sustainable economic growth. In this review, 143 pertinent works on grassland ecological assets and ecological products are numerically and qualitatively analyzed. The findings demonstrated the following: (i) After 2012, there was an exponential increase in the number of studies. The most frequently researched topics were ecological assets, functional enhancement, and service management contents, accounting for 82.09% of the total literature; the research regions were primarily distributed in Asia and North America. (ii) The research patterns were slowly diversifying and becoming more interdisciplinary. (iii) There are five key scientific issues to be addressed in the research on grassland ecosystems and we summarize the main developments and landmark achievements. (iv) There is an intrinsic relationship between grassland ecological assets, ecological products, and desertification control, and we propose insights into the enhancement of karst grassland ecosystem service functions based on three perspectives: fragile environment, trade-off synergy, and service management. This study provides valuable insights for the development of regional ecological livestock and the scientific promotion of integrated desertification control.