IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v7y2018i1p10-d127513.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of Grazing Systems on Plant Communities in Steppe Lands—A Case Study from Mongolia’s Pastoralists and Inner Mongolian Settlement Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Yintai Na

    (Graduate School of Dairy Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan
    Resources and Environment Economy College, Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics, 185, North Two Ring Road, Hohhot 010070, Inner Mongolia, China)

  • Saixiyalt Bao

    (College of Geographical Sciences, Inner Mongolia Normal University, No. 81, Zhao Wuda Road, Hohhot 010022, Inner Mongolia, China)

  • Kanji Hashimoto

    (Graduate School of Dairy Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan)

  • Christopher McCarthy

    (Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan)

  • Buho Hoshino

    (Graduate School of Dairy Sciences, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan)

Abstract

This study examines the effects of different grazing systems in two neighboring regions with similar biotic and abiotic factors, Nalan Soum in Mongolia and Naren Soum in Inner Mongolia, China. We employed the quadrat sampling method and remote sensing to set three perpendicular lines that dissect the boundary between the two countries, and seven lines parallel to the boundary to form a rectangular shape as a means to compare plant community response to different grazing systems under natural conditions. NDVI data is included in discussing the causes of Mongolian grassland degradation. The results of quadrat sampling and NDVI analysis show that rotational grazing has greater values for the quadrat’s average height, total coverage, total individual density, and total aboveground biomass ( p < 0.05), but has lower species richness than continuous grazing ( p > 0.05). The NVDI values of rotational grazing in 1989, 2005, 2011, and 2016 were higher those of continuous grazing, and significant difference was shown in 2011 and 2016; the NDVI value of continuous grazing in 1993 was higher than that of rotational grazing, but did not show a significant difference. This indicates that different grazing approaches affect steppe ecological systems in different ways, despite their similar biotic and abiotic factors, as well as grazing intensity. Nonetheless, we find rotational grazing to be better for ecosystem vitality than continuous grazing, to some degree.

Suggested Citation

  • Yintai Na & Saixiyalt Bao & Kanji Hashimoto & Christopher McCarthy & Buho Hoshino, 2018. "The Effects of Grazing Systems on Plant Communities in Steppe Lands—A Case Study from Mongolia’s Pastoralists and Inner Mongolian Settlement Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:10-:d:127513
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/7/1/10/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/7/1/10/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, MunkhDalai A. & Borjigin, Elles & Zhang, Huiping, 2007. "Mongolian nomadic culture and ecological culture: On the ecological reconstruction in the agro-pastoral mosaic zone in Northern China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 19-26, April.
    2. Yongfei Bai & Xingguo Han & Jianguo Wu & Zuozhong Chen & Linghao Li, 2004. "Ecosystem stability and compensatory effects in the Inner Mongolia grassland," Nature, Nature, vol. 431(7005), pages 181-184, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yintai Na & Jinxia Li & Buho Hoshino & Saixialt Bao & Fuying Qin & Purevtseren Myagmartseren, 2018. "Effects of Different Grazing Systems on Aboveground Biomass and Plant Species Dominance in Typical Chinese and Mongolian Steppes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiumei Wang & Jianjun Dong & Taogetao Baoyin & Yuhai Bao, 2019. "Estimation and Climate Factor Contribution of Aboveground Biomass in Inner Mongolia’s Typical/Desert Steppes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Jiang, Lu & Xue, Bing & Xing, Ran & Chen, Xingpeng & Song, Lan & Wang, Yutao & Coffman, D’Maris & Mi, Zhifu, 2020. "Rural household energy consumption of farmers and herders in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    3. Tesfaye, Gashaw & Wolff, Matthias, 2018. "Modeling trophic interactions and the impact of an introduced exotic carp species in the Rift Valley Lake Koka, Ethiopia," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 378(C), pages 26-36.
    4. Jingyi Dong & Liming Tian & Jiaqi Zhang & Yinghui Liu & Haiyan Li & Qi Dong, 2022. "Grazing Intensity Has More Effect on the Potential Nitrification Activity Than the Potential Denitrification Activity in An Alpine Meadow," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, September.
    5. Xinwen Lin & Angathevar Baskaran & Yajie Zhang, 2023. "Watershed Horizontal Ecological Compensation Policy and Green Ecological City Development: Spatial and Mechanism Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-21, February.
    6. Troy Sternberg, 2014. "Transboundary hazard risk: the Gobi desert paradigm," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 72(2), pages 533-548, June.
    7. Bliss, Sam & Egler, Megan, 2020. "Ecological Economics Beyond Markets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    8. Mouldi Gamoun & Mounir Louhaichi, 2021. "Botanical Composition and Species Diversity of Arid and Desert Rangelands in Tataouine, Tunisia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    9. Yintai Na & Jinxia Li & Buho Hoshino & Saixialt Bao & Fuying Qin & Purevtseren Myagmartseren, 2018. "Effects of Different Grazing Systems on Aboveground Biomass and Plant Species Dominance in Typical Chinese and Mongolian Steppes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Wen Wang & Huamin Liu & Jinghui Zhang & Zhiyong Li & Lixin Wang & Zheng Wang & Yantao Wu & Yang Wang & Cunzhu Liang, 2020. "Effect of Grazing Types on Community-Weighted Mean Functional Traits and Ecosystem Functions on Inner Mongolian Steppe, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-15, September.
    11. Lena Huldén & Ross McKitrick & Larry Huldén, 2014. "Average household size and the eradication of malaria," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 177(3), pages 725-742, June.
    12. Xianwei Liu & Yang Zou & Jianping Wu, 2018. "Factors Influencing Public-Sphere Pro-Environmental Behavior among Mongolian College Students: A Test of Value–Belief–Norm Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    13. Xiangzheng Deng & Chunhong Zhao & Yingzhi Lin & Tao Zhang & Yi Qu & Fan Zhang & Zhan Wang & Feng Wu, 2014. "Downscaling the Impacts of Large-Scale LUCC on Surface Temperature along with IPCC RCPs: A Global Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, April.
    14. Yiming Liu & Sunhee Suk, 2021. "Coupling and Coordinating Relationship between Tourism Economy and Ecological Environment—A Case Study of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Saruul Kang & Wenjing Ma & Frank Yonghong Li & Qing Zhang & Jianming Niu & Yong Ding & Fang Han & Xiaoli Sun, 2015. "Functional Redundancy Instead of Species Redundancy Determines Community Stability in a Typical Steppe of Inner Mongolia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Yang Liu & Qing Zhang & Qingfu Liu & Yongzhi Yan & Wanxin Hei & Deyong Yu & Jianguo Wu, 2020. "Different Household Livelihood Strategies and Influencing Factors in the Inner Mongolian Grassland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, January.
    17. Xiaoyu Niu & Yunfeng Hu & Lin Zhen & Yiming Wang & Huimin Yan, 2022. "Analysis of the Future Evolution of Biocapacity and Landscape Characteristics in the Agro-Pastoral Zone of Northern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-19, December.
    18. Sam Bliss, 2019. "The Case for Studying Non-Market Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-30, June.
    19. Xuefeng Zhang & Jianming Niu & Alexander Buyantuev & Qing Zhang & Jianjun Dong & Sarula Kang & Jing Zhang, 2016. "Understanding Grassland Degradation and Restoration from the Perspective of Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the Xilin River Basin in Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-17, June.
    20. Chai, Jun & Slee, William & Canavari, Maurizio & Chen, Tong & Huliyeti, Hasimu, 2008. "Study on the scope for reconstruction of the grazing livestock sector of Xinjiang based on organic farming methods," DEIAgra Working Papers 36690, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Engineering.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:1:p:10-:d:127513. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.