内蒙古草地质量对牧户生计脆弱性的影响评价

草地是重要的陆地生态系统,也是我国主要的畜牧业资源之一。随着草地退化日益严重,草地生态环境遭到破坏,草地可持续发展受到严重影响,对牧区牧民带来巨大的生计压力。系统分析草地质量对牧户生计的影响,对于制定有效的草地修复政策,增强牧户的草地退化适应能力,减轻牧区贫困人口的生计脆弱性具有重要意义。本文选取内蒙古典型草原区作为研究区,利用2017年和2019年野外采样数据及2021年牧户访谈数据,构建了牧户生计脆弱性评价指标体系,分析了草地质量对牧户生计脆弱性的影响,并探究了影响牧户生计脆弱性的关键因素。结果表明：内蒙古典型草原区纯牧户、牧兼户和非牧户的草场面积、人均收入差异不大,纯牧户、牧兼户的家庭劳动力较丰富,非牧户家庭劳动力较少;纯牧户、非牧户的生计脆弱性较高,牧兼户的生计脆弱性较低;草地质量是纯牧户生计脆弱性的关键影响因素,修复草地生态环境能够降低牧户生计脆弱性;发展以牧业为主的多样化生计、提高牧户家庭的健康水平和信贷资本,均有利于降低牧户生计脆弱性。     

破碎化草场重新整合的路径

正草场承包到户的政策在内蒙古牧区已经执行30余年,与之相应的畜牧业生产方式以及草场资源利用方式的变革,在提高牧户畜牧业生产经济激励的同时,长期来看,也带来草场生态的问题。而草场的生态问题不仅在大的时空尺度上造成负外部性,对牧户畜牧业生产的负面影响也逐渐开始显现。家庭独户经营所带来的草场资源破碎化使用,是造成上述问题的主要原因之一。     

江河源区“黑土滩”型退化草场的形成过程与综合治理

江河源区草场退化严重,超载过牧是主要原因,啮齿动物危害是重要原因,气候变化起了促进作用,“黑土滩”型退化草场的形成演替依照未退化→轻度退化→中度退化→重度退化→极度退化的方向进行。江河源区退化草场的治理应该以减轻放牧压力为出发点,防止退化草地面积的进一步扩大和蔓延。在此基础上,采用封育、除杂和施肥等人工调控策略,对不同程度退化草场采用不同模式进行治理,同时全面贯彻落实“草原法”和“草地有偿承包责任制”措施,以冬春草场为重点,合理利用草场,开展草场建设,增加投入,提高牧民文化素质,加强牧区人才建设,恢复治理“黑土滩”型退化草场,实现江河源区草地畜牧业的可持续发展。     

一个属于牧民自己的合作社

洪格尔嘎查的一个村子位于内蒙古中部一片与外蒙古交界的半荒漠草原上．由于地理位置偏僻,这里受到农耕文化的影响较小。与内蒙古其他草原地区一样,这里在人民公社集体经济解体之后,也开始实行“草畜双承包”政策。牧民们分到了自己的牛羊和草场,盖上了砖瓦房,这一度提高了牧民们的生产积极性。然而．放牧面积小了,草场难以轮流休养生息,出现连年退化;单户牧民不得不以有限的劳动力应对繁重的劳动和自然灾害;而远离市场更使得他们被迫忍受商贩的盘剥;有钱的牧民用围栏保护了自家的草场,而无力设置围栏的牧民只好眼睁睁看着草场任由别人的牲畜践踏啃食。“草畜双承包”二十多年．草原出现了明显的退化．牧民经济也连年萎缩。     

牧民对草地可持续利用的生态认知水平及其影响因素——以黄河源区5个县为例

牧民对草地可持续利用认知水平很大程度上影响了当地土地的利用状况,进而影响牧民保护草地行为的产生。基于黄河源区（玛多、玛沁、班玛、达日、甘德）的入户调查数据,在分析牧民生计方式和草地退化认知特征的基础上,运用Tobit模型探究影响牧民对草地退化生态认知的主要因素。研究结果表明：（1）黄河源区88%的牧民认为近5年草地出现了不同程度的退化,与学术界普遍认同的观点相一致;（2）联户放牧、子女受教育程度、新技术培训、牲畜养殖规模等对牧民关于草地退化的认知有正向引导作用;（3）户年均收入、国家草原奖补对牧民关于草地退化的认知有负向作用。为有效解决黄河源区牧民对草地的严重依赖性和源区内产业结构单一的问题,应（1）加强牧民专业技能培训、提升草原牧民整体文化水平;（2）鼓励中小牧民参与联户经营;（3）优化牧户生计方式,改善生计策略,减小牧民对草地的依赖程度,实现社会-生态系统的可持续发展。     

内蒙古典型草原优化放牧管理模拟研究——以内蒙古太仆寺旗为例

针对太仆寺旗公共草地全年连续放牧的传统放牧方式,通过控制性试验,并结合太仆寺旗多年的草地、家畜、经济和气象等数据,建立中国西部草地生态经济模型,对太仆寺旗典型草原公共放牧系统进行模拟分析。以草原生态恢复和牧民收入增加为目的,对典型草原的最适载畜率、家畜在冬春季节的合理补饲等问题进行探讨,提出了典型草原放牧管理优化模式。研究结果表明,从当年10月到翌年5月份,家畜能量需求与放牧、补饲能量供给严重不平衡,家畜体重下降;随着载畜率的增加,牧民年均净收入先增加后降低,在载畜率为2.275羊单位/hm2时,收入达到最高;太仆寺旗最适载畜率为每公顷1.55-2.275羊单位。降低载畜率、加强补饲、提高草地质量都有利于提高牧民收入。     

北方草原牧户心理载畜率与草畜平衡生态管理途径

探讨牧户心理载畜率与草畜平衡生态管理的途径对于草原有效减畜、遏止草原退化、实现可持续发展具有重要意义。从生态学和社会科学相结合的角度,采用问卷调查、情景实验及综合分析等多种方法,探讨了北方草原牧户心理载畜率的存在、计算和影响因素,以及牧户生产决策行为特征和可能的生态管理途径。研究发现,在草甸草原、典型草原和荒漠草原,牧户行为属"有限理性",是有限理性的"生态经济人",风险规避是其基本特征,牧户生产决策表现出禀赋效应、损失厌恶、框架效应等;牧户草场所属草原类型和牲畜存栏数显著影响牧户对草场超载的认知和判断,在不同草原类型区,户主文化水平、性别、民族和是否嘎查干部等亦显著影响牧户对超载的认知和判断;需采取基于进化博弈的分步式、合作式及示范引导式的适应性减畜的生态管理途径,以实现牧户心理载畜率向生态优化载畜率的转移,实现优化牧户生产方式、减少牲畜数量、治理草原退化、北方牧区生态和牧民经济双赢的目标。     

山地-绿洲“共轭型”生态牧场理念源起、概念框架与发展模式——以祁连山牧区为例

区域协调发展空间布局及耦合效应是国土空间治理现代化、区域生态保护和高质量发展绕不开的重要命题。本研究利用146户牧户访谈和21次管理部门调研资料，结合卫星遥感数据和文献资料，从“三生”(生产、生活、生态)视角爬梳祁连山草地畜牧业、河西走廊饲草种植业、牧户生计路径策略的历史源起和发展历程。在生态系统服务流理论指导下深入刻画了祁连山与河西走廊农牧耦合系统的空间联系，诠释了祁连山-河西走廊“共轭型”生态牧场概念框架与发展模式。研究认为：(1)2011年“草原生态奖补政策”实施以来祁连山地区植被覆盖度增加显著(P<0.05);传统牧业户、生态移民户的生计多样化指数分别是2.22和2.69,生计能力脆弱；外购草料、舍饲养殖、人工种草、异地借牧(秸秆补饲)、流转草原等是牧户落实草畜动态平衡的基础性生计策略，实现了祁连山草地畜牧业由超载过牧到“超载不过牧”的跨越式转型；(2)祁连山山地系统将生态系统服务(淡水资源供给)外溢至河西走廊绿洲系统以支撑饲草种植业发展，河西走廊饲草种植业提供优质饲草“反哺”祁连山草地畜牧业发展，二者构成了山地-绿洲“共轭空间”;借助外界物质能量输入路径的“虚拟草场”模...     

天山北坡家庭牧场复合系统对极端气候的响应过程

在草原牧区,家庭牧场作为取代游牧制度而产生的新生事物,其对极端气候响应过程的研究尚未见报道.以“极端气候敏感性-影响途径-响应方式”为分析框架,基于问卷调查方法,研究了天山北坡山地草原牧民对极端气候的响应过程.结果表明:1)天山北坡1980-2009年冬季雪灾、秋季旱灾风险趋于增大,家庭牧场草料储备不足、畜种结构经济驱动型增加了对极端气候的敏感性;2)旱灾、雪灾是影响家庭牧场的主要极端气候类型,其作用介质为牲畜和草场;3)自适应与外力适应是牧户响应极端气候的2种主要形式,其中购买草料是最主要的响应策略;4)通过Probit模型估计显示,极端气候认知、家庭特征、资产状况与牧户间适应行为选择有显著的关系.研究认为,家庭牧场对极端气候短期响应的反馈过程主要围绕草、畜2因子展开,基于降水波动的周期性,牧户长期响应形成了家庭牧场生产周期.     

管理措施对牧鸡生长性能及草地蝗虫数量的影响

蝗灾作为威胁草地生态系统的主要灾害之一,给草地畜牧业发展带来严重影响,如何经济、有效和安全抑制蝗虫数量显得尤为紧迫。通过野外调查就草地牧鸡放牧强度、补饲量以及放牧方式对牧鸡生长性能和蝗虫发生数量的影响进行探讨。结果发现,高山草地利用牧鸡放牧可有效控制蝗虫发生数量,长期连续牧鸡捕食能有效将蝗虫数量控制在经济阈值之下;不同放牧强度(15只/hm2和13只/hm2)和补饲程序对蝗虫种群数量没有显著差异,但对牧鸡生长性能有明显影响;自由放牧和限时放牧均能控制蝗虫数量,但限时放牧牧鸡日增重和最终活重均高于自由放牧。综合防治蝗虫和养育牧鸡来看,每公顷草场初次放牧15只牧鸡,限时放牧和适当增加补饲量可达到控制蝗虫和获得较高禽肉生产之双赢目的。     

The effect of horse, cattle and sheep grazing on the diversity and abundance of land snails in nutrient-poor calcareous grasslands

Livestock grazing is a common management practise in semi-natural grasslands in Central Europe. Different types of livestock (horses, cattle, sheep) and grazing intensity are known to affect the richness and composition of plant species. However, knowledge of grazing-dependent effects on invertebrates is limited. We examined the influence of horse, cattle and sheep grazing on the richness, abundance and composition of land snail species in 21 calcareous nutrient-poor grassland areas in the northwestern Jura Mountains, Switzerland. Grazing by different livestock species did not affect the species richness, abundance and species composition of land snails. Furthermore, the number of open-land species and the ratio of large- to small-sized snail species or individuals did not differ among the three pasture types. However, independent of livestock species, grazing intensity negatively influenced the snail fauna. Snail species richness, abundance and number of Red list species decreased with increasing grazing intensity. Grazing intensity also affected the occurrence of individual snail species (Truncatellina cylindrica, Cecilioides acicula, Candidula unifasciata and Trichia plebeia). To preserve the snail fauna in nutrient-poor grasslands, pastures can be stocked with horses, cattle or sheep. However, both maximum stocking rate (number of livestock units per hectare) and grazing duration (number of grazing days per year) must be carefully defined for the proper management of the pastures.     

Matching Local Knowledge and Environmental Change with Policy Changes in Rangeland Tenure

Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons has often been cited as the rationale for the privatization of pastures throughout the world, yet rangeland degradation is still widespread. A significant body of ecological research has demonstrated negative impacts from limiting herd movement through fencing. The privatization of pastures has often followed heterogeneous patterns. We use a natural experiment in common grazing areas on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau where land use was privatized beginning in 1999 following different land use division patterns. We measure the relationship between land use privatization paths and grassland quality using satellite data from 1989 to 2011 in five different villages, and compare how well herder environmental perceptions match satellite data. We find that rangeland degradation has significantly increased following privatization of land use, and that grassland in small individually managed fenced plots is deteriorating more significantly than in larger fenced areas with group herding. We further find that herders’ had accurate perceptions of the state of their pastures that closely match remotely sensed data.

     

Effects of Different Grazing Intensities on Grassland Production in China: A Meta-Analysis

Background

Grazing is one of the main grassland disturbances in China, and it is essential to quantitatively evaluate the effects of different grazing intensities on grassland production for grassland carbon budget and sustainable use.

Methods

A meta-analysis was conducted to reveal general response patterns of grassland production to grazing in China. We used weighted log response ratio to assess the effect size, and 95% confidence intervals to give a sense of the precision of the estimate. Grazing effects were estimated as a percentage change relative to control (%).

Results

A total of 48 studies, including 251 data sets, were included in the meta-analysis. Grazing significantly decreased total biomass by 58.34% (95% CI: −72.04%∼−37.94%, CI: Confidence Interval), increased root/shoot ratio by 30.58% and decreased litter by 51.41% (95% CI: −63.31%∼−35.64%). Aboveground biomass and belowground biomass decreased significantly by 42.77% (95% CI: −48.88%∼−35.93%) and 23.13% (95% CI: −39.61%∼−2.17%), respectively. However, biomass responses were dependent on grazing intensity and environmental conditions. Percentage changes in aboveground biomass to grazing showed a quadratic relationship with precipitation in light grazing intensity treatment and a linear relationship in moderate and heavy grazing intensity treatment, but did not change with temperature. Grazing effects on belowground biomass did not change with precipitation or temperature. Compared to the global average value, grazing had greater negative effects on grassland production in China.

Conclusions

Grazing has negative effects on grassland biomass and the grazing effects change with environmental conditions and grazing intensity, therefore flexible rangeland management tactics that suit local circumstances are necessary to take into consideration for balancing the demand of grassland utilization and conservation.     

A plant functional approach to the prediction of changes in Australian rangeland vegetation under grazing and fire

Abstract. Grazing by domestic livestock and changed fire regimes by humans have caused major changes in the productivity and composition of rangelands in Australia and other continents. Of particular concern are the commonly observed loss of perennial forage species and the increasing abundance of woody plants. Grazing and fire‐induced changes are difficult to predict from current process knowledge and are often too costly or time‐consuming to investigate experimentally. We describe the development and use of ARENA, a new simulation model. A plant functional approach is used in which the relative growth rate, competitive ability and life cycle of the plant types are mainly defined by the plant's morphology and allocation pattern, plus its water‐use efficiency and nitrogen concentration. The soil and plant types can be parameterized to a large extent with information from the literature, facilitating application in a broad range of dryland environments. The model has been tested for two soils and pasture communities in the seasonally dry tropics of the Victoria River District, N Australia. Predictions of pasture production and perennial grass fraction under undisturbed conditions agreed with observations in field exclosures. Predictions of maximum tree density also coincided with observations along a rainfall gradient. Simulation experiments were conducted to explore the effect of different stocking levels and fire management regimes on pasture productivity and composition. Responses of pastures on red loam and grey clay soils were generally consistent with regional field experience, but the model did not reproduce the expected changes in the abundance of woody plants.     

Intensity of livestock grazing in relation to habitat use by brown hares (Lepus europaeus)

There is very limited information concerning livestock (sheep and goats) and brown hare Lepus europaeus interaction when both coexist. The effect of the intensity of livestock grazing on seasonal habitat use by hares, in a typical Mediterranean rangeland, was evaluated using the pellet-count method. Lightly grazed pastures were less preferred by hares compared with moderately grazed ones, whereas ungrazed pastures were used less intensively than grazed ones. Because livestock grazing reduces the quantity of standing biomass proportionally to its grazing intensity, forage resource was not the driving force for pasture selection. The increased use of moderately grazed pastures by hares in relation to lightly and ungrazed ones, where vegetation was more abundant, could be attributed to their reduced herbage height and density. This behaviour is probably a tactic that hares follow for predator avoidance, because they are more likely to detect visually approaching predators when feeding in a biotope with a limited herbaceous layer. The conclusion of this research is that livestock and brown hare coexistence may be compatible and beneficial rather than competitive when stocking rates do not exceed grazing capacity, leading to the conclusion that proper livestock grazing and hare population management can be feasible in practice.     

Use of indigenous ecological knowledge of the Maasai pastoralists for assessing rangeland biodiversity in Tanzania

This paper incorporates the indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) of the Maasai pastoralists and ecological methods to assess effects of grazing and cropping on rangeland biodiversity at macro‐ and micro‐landscape scales in northern Tanzania. The joint surveys with pastoralists identified indicator plant species and their associations with micro‐landscapes and livestock grazing suitability (i.e. for cattle and small ruminant grazing), while traditional calf‐pasture reserves (alalili pl. alalilia) were evaluated for preservation of rangeland biodiversity. The macro‐landscapes comprising the cool high plateau (osupuko pl. isipuki) and montane forest highland (endim) were included in the survey. At micro‐landscape scales, the osupuko was classified into uplands (orkung'u), slopes (andamata) and dry valley bottomlands (ayarata). The micro‐landscapes were assessed in terms of herbaceous plant species and woody species richness and risks of soil erosion. Biodiversity varied at both the macro‐ and micro‐landscape scales and in accordance with the land‐use types. Greater plant species diversity and less erosion risks were found in the pastoral landscapes than in the agro‐pastoral landscapes. The calf‐grazing pastures had greater herbaceous species richness than the non‐calf pastures, which in turn had more woody species. The study concludes that the indigenous systems of landscape classification provides a valuable basis for assessing rangeland biodiversity, which ecologists should incorporate into ecological surveys of the rangelands in East Africa in the future.     

Implications of behavioral change for the resilience of pastoral systems—Lessons from an agent-based model

In many dryland regions, traditional pastoral land use strategies are exposed to various drivers such as demographic or socio-economic change. This may lead to an adjustment of livelihood strategies and behavior of pastoral households, involving a change in attitudes toward livestock, pasture condition and social norms. We use an agent-based model to examine long-term social-ecological consequences and implications for system resilience of such behavioral changes (e.g., giving up a social norm). The model captures feedback between pastures, livestock and household livelihood in a common property grazing system. We systematically compare three stylized household behavioral types (traditional, maximizer and satisficer) that differ in their preferences for livestock, their compliance with social norms on pasture resting and how they are influenced by the behavior of others. Simulation results show that the traditional, norm-abiding household type maintains the pasture condition, provided that overall household numbers do not exceed a critical threshold. In contrast, a switch to a maximizer type that ignores norms may lead to long-term pasture degradation and livestock loss, pushing the system to an undesirable state. A change toward a new satisficing household type that constrains its herd size while diversifying its income sources can lead to improved pasture conditions and higher total livestock numbers, even with increased household numbers. We conclude that changes in household behavior have strong implications for long-term social-ecological system dynamics and have to be considered to assess the resilience of pastoral common property systems.     

祁连山牧区妇女社会地位及其对草地政策的认知度

牧区妇女社会地位的高低对草地生态系统健康具有重要的影响。以祁连山区的天祝藏族自治县抓喜秀龙乡为调查研究区域,随机抽取100户藏族牧户为研究对象,采用问卷、座谈和关键人物座谈等形式,对妇女在社会生产中充当的角色、日常生活中承担的家务状况、受教育程度、参与社会活动情况以及对草地政策的认知等方面进行了系统调查和分析。研究结果表明:在农村社会变革中,女性是畜牧业生产的主力军,承担着将近80%的生产管理工作,74.3%的日常家务。其在家庭经济中的决策权和农村社会中的地位也在逐渐提高,在经济方面占36.5%的支配权,拥有14.5%的决策权。但是,妇女的受教育的程度普遍较低,女性的文盲率达14.4%。因此,妇女对草地生产管理技术的接受程度较低,对草原管理方面的政策及相关的法规缺乏认识,这将会对牧区草地畜牧业的可持续发展产生潜在影响。     

Pasture intensification is insufficient to relieve pressure on conservation priority areas in open agricultural markets

Agricultural expansion is a leading driver of biodiversity loss across the world, but little is known on how future land‐use change may encroach on remaining natural vegetation. This uncertainty is, in part, due to unknown levels of future agricultural intensification and international trade. Using an economic land‐use model, we assessed potential future losses of natural vegetation with a focus on how these may threaten biodiversity hotspots and intact forest landscapes. We analysed agricultural expansion under proactive and reactive biodiversity protection scenarios, and for different rates of pasture intensification. We found growing food demand to lead to a significant expansion of cropland at the expense of pastures and natural vegetation. In our reference scenario, global cropland area increased by more than 400 Mha between 2015 and 2050, mostly in Africa and Latin America. Grazing intensification was a main determinant of future land‐use change. In Africa, higher rates of pasture intensification resulted in smaller losses of natural vegetation, and reduced pressure on biodiversity hotspots and intact forest landscapes. Investments into raising pasture productivity in conjunction with proactive land‐use planning appear essential in Africa to reduce further losses of areas with high conservation value. In Latin America, in contrast, higher pasture productivity resulted in increased livestock exports, highlighting that unchecked trade can reduce the land savings of pasture intensification. Reactive protection of sensitive areas significantly reduced the conversion of natural ecosystems in Latin America. We conclude that protection strategies need to adapt to region‐specific trade positions. In regions with a high involvement in international trade, area‐based conservation measures should be preferred over strategies aimed at increasing pasture productivity, which by themselves might not be sufficient to protect biodiversity effectively.     

Effects of Patch-Burn Management on Dickcissel Nest Success in a Tallgrass Prairie

Abstract Grassland birds have declined more than any other North American habitat-associated bird community. Because most species of grassland birds evolved within heterogeneous landscapes created by the interaction of fire and grazing, traditional rangeland management that promotes homogeneity, including annual dormant-season burning combined with early-intensive grazing, might be partly responsible for these declines, especially in some regions of the Great Plains, USA. Recently, an alternative grassland management practice known as patch-burning has been promoted as a means of restoring heterogeneity to grasslands by mimicking the grazing-fire interaction that once occurred on the prairie before European settlement. From 2003 to 2004, we examined effects of patch-burning and traditional management (annual burning followed by early-intensive grazing) on the reproductive success of dickcissels (Spiza americana) in tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma. We monitored 296 dickcissel nests and found that dickcissel nesting phenology differed between traditional and patch-burned pastures. Specifically, dickcissels tended to initiate their nests later in the traditional pasture. Mean number of eggs laid and fledglings produced were similar between the treatments, but nest densities were higher in traditional pastures. Predation was the predominant cause of nest failure and was higher in traditional pastures than in patch-burned pastures. Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism was higher in traditional pastures than in patch-burned pastures. Overall, dickcissel nest success was higher in patch-burned pastures than in traditional pastures. The positive response of dickcissel nest success to patch-burn management provides further evidence that this practice can be a useful tool for grassland bird conservation. By creating a mosaic of different stature vegetation, patch-burn management enhances productivity of grassland bird species by providing a refuge area in the unburned patches that affords dickcissels and other nesting grassland birds some protection from the direct (e.g., trampling) and indirect (e.g., cowbird parasitism and predation) effects of grazing, which are not available under traditional management. Patch-burn management should be encouraged as a conservation strategy for grassland birds throughout the Great Plains.