Abstract
To mitigate the impacts of grassland degradation on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), in recent decades China has been implementing large-scale conservation programs and has invested about 42 billion CNY (7 billion USD). However, these programs are faced with major challenges involving trade-offs between ecological function, livestock production and income of pastoralists. Scientific assessments, as well as technical and policy issues, have not fully captured the complex ecological, social and economic dynamics of the challenges facing grassland management on the QTP. Pastoral livestock production on the QTP is characterized by imbalance in both quality and quantity between livestock seasonal nutrient requirements and herbage production, which forces pastoralists to keep larger numbers of livestock for longer periods, leading to overgrazing. To solve these problems, an integrated crop-livestock system is promoted to improve the efficiency of livestock production and conserve natural grassland as well for a sustainable system for the QTP.
Highlights
Ecosystems and humans on the alpine region are Received August 15, 2017; accepted December 15, 2017Over the past 50 years, because of the abrupt climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities, more than 50% of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) grasslands have become degraded or desertified[2,3], which will significantly affect the grassland ecosystem productivity and services, and the livestock production, local economics and regional sustainability
The framework we present at the end of this study draws on these elements and highlights characteristics and linkages that can improve the efficiency of livestock production while conserving natural grassland within a sustainable social-ecological system for the QTP
2.1 Imbalance between livestock requirements and herbage production Grassland livestock production on the QTP is characterized by an imbalance in both quality and quantity between livestock seasonal nutrient requirements and herbage production[4]
Summary
Ecosystems and humans on the alpine region are Received August 15, 2017; accepted December 15, 2017. Over the past 50 years, because of the abrupt climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities, more than 50% of the QTP grasslands have become degraded or desertified[2,3], which will significantly affect the grassland ecosystem productivity and services, and the livestock production, local economics and regional sustainability. One of the critical questions of our time is how to develop the ecological-social-economic system to sustain the grassland ecosystem and improve livelihood for pastoralists. We describe the ecological, social, ecoengineering and political features that characterize grassland-pastoralists systems and identify some of the recent changes that are occurring within them.
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