Rangeland Degradation and Recovery in China's Pastoral Lands

by V. Squires; X. Lu; T. Wang; Q. Lu; Y. Yang

• ISBN13: 9781845934965
• ISBN10: 1845934962
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-06
• Publisher: Cab Intl

Summary

The extreme climate variability that characterizes north Chinas rangelands can cause drought and degradation, resulting in dust storms, floods, animal, losses, financial hardship and a decline in food availability. Faced with the possibility of even greater climate extremes in the future, communities need to learn how to manipulate the biological processes and socio-economic influences operating in these areas. The severe degradation described here represents a failure to plan for climate variation in the management of china's northen rangelands. However, evidence from throughout China's pastrol landscapes has shown that several management options and interventions can stop and even reverse pasture and land degradation. Through a discussion of new approaches and an examination of the successes and failures of past degradation and recovery episodes, this book provides the necessary insights to develop sustainable rangeland management strategies for the future, drawing on regional case studies from China and lessons learned from abroad. It will be an invaluable resourse for researchers and land managers working on prevention and control of land degradation in rangelands, ecosystem restoration and conservation, policy makers and panners aid agencies and NGOs Book jacket.

Author Biography

Dr. Squires has recently been awarded a Science and Technology Cooperation Frienship Award from the Chinese Central Government for his significant contribution to the advancement of China's dryland research and technological development.

Table of Contents

About the Editors	p. vii
Contributors	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
The Context for the Study of Rangeland Degradation and Recovery in China's Pastoral Lands	p. 3
Historical Degradation Episodes in China: Socio-economic Forces and Their Interaction with Rangeland Grazing Systems Since the 1950s	p. 15
Mechanisms Of Rangeland Degradation And Recovery	p. 31
An Analysis of the Effects of Climate Variability in Northern China over the Past Five Decades on People, Livestock and Plants in the Focus Areas	p. 33
Mechanisms of Degradation in Grazed Rangelands	p. 45
The Mechanisms of Soil Erosion Processes by Wind and Water in Chinese Rangelands	p. 61
Processes in Rangeland Degradation, Rehabilitation and Recovery	p. 76
Case Studies Of Deradation And Recovery	p. 89
Case Study 1: Hulunbeier Grassland, Inner Mongolia	p. 91
Case Study 2: Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia	p. 103
Case Study 3: Xilingol Grassland, Inner Mongolia	p. 120
Case Study 4: Ordos Plateau, Inner Mongolia	p. 136
Case Study 5: Hexi Corridor, Gansu	p. 151
Case Study 6: Alashan Plateau, Inner Mongolia	p. 171
Case Study 7: Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Rangelands	p. 184
Case Study 8: Northern Xinjiang	p. 197
The Future - How TO Prevent The Next Major Degradation Episode	p. 217
Land Tenure Arrangements, Property Rights and Institutional Arrangements in the Cycle of Rangeland Degradation and Recovery	p. 219
Monitoring and Evaluation as Tools for Rangeland Management	p. 235
How Can the Next Degradation Episode be Prevented?	p. 247
Index	p. 259
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