Research Articles

Evaluation of the Effects of Implementing Degraded Grassland Ecosystem Restoration Technology: A Case Study on Technology for Returning Grazing Land to Grassland

Expand
  • 1. College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China;
    2. Applied Economics Research Center, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China

Received date: 2017-04-29

  Revised date: 2017-06-18

  Online published: 2017-07-30

Supported by

National Key Research and Development Program of Chian (2016YFC0503703); West Projects of National Social Science Foundation (15XJY010); Humanities and Social Sciences Research and Planning Fund Projects of Education Ministry in 2013(13YJA630141); General Social Science Fund Project of Shaanxi Province in 2014 (2014P21)

Abstract

Restoring degraded grassland ecosystems is of great significance for the sustainable development of grassland ecological service functions and the sustainable and healthy development of regional economies and societies. Returning grazing land to grassland technology (RGLGT) is an important strategic technology for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems and achieving the sustainable development of the society and economy of pastoral areas in China. Researching the comprehensive evaluation system of the effects of RGLGT has an important significance for evaluating and adjusting national ecological policy. Based on collecting sample surveys from 221 farmers in 16 villages of 4 towns of Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2017, a model for evaluating the effects of implementing RGLGT was developed. The model included the characteristics of the technology, the ecological and social benefits of the technology, and the sustainability and economic benefits of the technology, it was used to complete a comprehensive effects evaluation of implementing RGLGT in Yanchi County that was based on use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results showed that the comprehensive effect of implementing RGLGT is good overall and had a score of 0.5946. In terms of specific effects ranked from high to low, these were the ecological and social benefits of the technology, the economic benefits, the sustainability and the characteristics themselves. The implementation of RGLGT has resulted in good ecological and social benefits and economic benefits, but sustainability and characteristics of the technology are weak.

Cite this article

ZHOU Shengqiang, ZHAO Kai . Evaluation of the Effects of Implementing Degraded Grassland Ecosystem Restoration Technology: A Case Study on Technology for Returning Grazing Land to Grassland[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2017 , 8(4) : 359 -368 . DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2017.04.007

References

[1] An W W, Zhou L H, Chen Y. 2016. Effects of ecological policy on farmer’s income based on the propensity score matching method: a case study of returning grazing land to grassland in Yanchi, Ningxia. Journal of desert research , 36(3): 823-829 (in Chinese).
[2] Andrade B O, Koch C, Boldrini I I, et al . 2015. Grassland degradation and restoration: a conceptual framework of stages and thresholds illustrated by southern Brazilian grasslands. Natureza & Conservação , 13(2): 95-104.
[3] Cai H, Yang X, Xu X. 2015. Human-induced grassland degradation/restoration in the central Tibetan Plateau: The effects of ecological protection and restoration projects. Ecological Engineering , 83(83): 112-119.
[4] Chang H j, Chen X. 2007. Effect of enclosing desertified grassland from grazing in Semi-arid desert steppe. Journal of desert research , 27(2): 206- 209 (in Chinese).
[5] Chen H B, Shao L Q, Zhao M J, et al . 2017. Grassland conservation programs, vegetation rehabilitation and spatial dependency in Inner Mongolia, China. Land Use Policy . 64(3): 429-439.
[6] Chen Y, Zhou L H, Zhang X J, et al . 2013. An eco-economy benefit evaluation of prohibiting grazing policy. Pratacultural Science , 30(2): 291- 297 (in Chinese).
[7] Fan J, Zhong H, Harris W, et al . 2008. Carbon storage in the grasslands of China based on field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass. Climatic Change , 86(3): 375-396.
[8] Li M, Cai J F. 2012. Comprehensive evaluation research om urban innovation environment based on AHP. Science and Technology Management Research , (4): 50-53 (in Chinese).
[9] Li W Q, Hu Z Z, Long R J, et al . 2007. The application effect of the project of restoring grassland from over-grazing in Gansu and the ways for its sustainable development. Pratacultural Science , 24(1): 1-6 (in Chinese).
[10] Li W, Li Y. 2016. Rangeland Degradation Control in China: A Policy Review, The End of Desertification? Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.
[11] Liu G. 2013. Vulnerability assessment of community-based disaster risk in Lanzhou. Journal of Lanzhou University (Social Sciences) , 41(4): 102- 108 (in Chinese).
[12] Liu N, Zhou L H, Chen Y, et al . 2013. Default behaviors of rural households under Chinese returning grazing land to grassland program. Journal of desert research , 33(4): 1217-1224 (in Chinese).
[13] Liu Y. 2009. Benefits evaluation of return pasture to grasslands project in Inner Mongolia and the existed problems. Inner Mongolia Agricultural Science And Technology , (5): 6-7 (in Chinese).
[14] Liu Z H, Wu G L, Yang L P, et al . 2009. Benefit analysis on the returning grazing land to protected grassland in wetland protection area of Maqu in the upper reaches of Yellow River. Grassland and Turf , (3): 69-72 (in Chinese).
[15] Lu H L, Zhou L H, Chen Y, et al . 2015. Sustainability of grazing forbidden policy in Yanchi, Ningxia, China: a perspective of peasant households. Journal of Desert Research , 35(4): 1065-1071 (in Chinese).
[16] Ni J. 2002. Carbon storage in grasslands of China. Journal of Arid Environments , 50(2): 205-218.
[17] Ren Y, Lü Y, Fu B. 2016. Quantifying the impacts of grassland restoration on biodiversity and ecosystem services in China: A meta-analysis. Ecological Engineering , 95(6): 542-550.
[18] Shao H, Sun X, Wang H, et al . 2016. A method to the impact assessment of the returning grazing land to grassland project on regional eco-environmental vulnerability. Environmental Impact Assessment Review , 56(10): 155-167.
[19] Shen H H, Zhu Y k, Zhao X, et al . 2016. Analysis of current grassland resources in China. Chinese Science Bulletin , 61(2): 139-154 (in Chinese).
[20] Tian X Y. 2011.The Influence of policies of returning grazing land to forage land on the nomads' living. Chinese Journal of Grassland , 33(4): 1-4. (in Chinese).
[21] Wade M R, Gurr G M, Wratten S D. 2011. Ecological restoration of farmland: progress and prospects. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences , 363(1492): 831.
[22] Wang Y, Zhang W B, Dou X C. 2014. The response mechanism of village level economy on the policy of grazing grassland fencing in Northwest alpine pastoral: based on the investigation of 12 villages, Sunan county, Gansu province. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment , 28(3): 129-134 (in Chinese).
[23] Wang, Y H, Qiao, Y L. 2011. Problems in implementing retire livestock, restore grassland projects and counter measures. Issues in Agricultural Economy , (2): 99-103 (in Chinese).
[24] Xue R, Zheng S, Bai Y. 2010. Impacts of grazing intensity and management regimes on aboveground primary productivity and compensatory growth of grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia. Biodivers. Sci , 18(3): 300-311.
[25] Zhang H Y, Fan J W, Shao Q Q, et al . 2016. Ecosystem dynamics in the “returning rangeland to grassland” programs, China. Acta prataculturae sinica , 25(4): 1-15 (in Chinese).
[26] Zhang H Y, Fan J W, Shao Q Q. 2015. Land use/land cover change in the grassland restoration program areas in China, 2000-2010. Progress in Geography , 34(7): 840-853 (in Chinese).
[27] Zhang K, Guo N, Wang R Y, et al. 2008. Benefit monitor of retrieving grassland from grazing by remote sensing in natural grassland of Gansu province -Taking the desert grassland of Anxi county as an example. Pratacultural Science , 25(7): 29-35 (in Chinese).
[28] Zhao C H, Cao Z Z, Rong Z J. 2009. Effect of grazing withdrawal project on the economic-social benefits of Alashan Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Acta Agrestia Sinica , 17(1): 17-21 (in Chinese).
[29] Zhao C Z, Jia L H. 2008. The evaluation indexes system of comprehensive effect of the project of returning grazing land to no grazing land and a case study. Chinese Journal of Grassland , 30(4): 83-87+117 (in Chinese).
[30] Zhao C Z, Wang X P, Zhou W, et al . 2011. Income restructuring benefits of fanning and grazing household in the area of returning grazing land to grasslands. Economic Geography , 31(3): 470-475 (in Chinese).
Outlines

/