title: Strategies to alleviate poverty and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia: intensification vs production efficiency of livestock systems.
abstract: Semi-nomadic pastoralism was replaced by sedentary pastoralism in Inner Mongolia during the 1960's in response to changes in land use policy and increasing human population. Large increases in numbers of livestock and pastoralist households (11- and 9-fold, respectively) during the past 60 yrs have variously degraded the majority of grasslands in Inner Mongolia (78 M ha) and jeopardize the livelihoods of 24 M human inhabitants. A prevailing strategy for alleviating poverty and grassland degradation emphasizes intensification of livestock production systems to maintain both pastoral livelihoods and large livestock numbers. We consider this strategy unsustainable because maximization of livestock revenue incurs high supplemental feed costs, marginalizes net household income, and promotes larger flock sizes to create a positive feedback loop driving grassland degradation. We offer an alternative strategy that increases both livestock production efficiency and net pastoral income by marketing high quality animal products to an increasing affluent Chinese economy while simultaneously reducing livestock impacts on grasslands. We further caution that this strategy be designed and assessed within a social-ecological framework capable of coordinating market expansion for livestock products, sustainable livestock carrying capacities, modified pastoral perceptions of success, and incentives for ecosystem services to interrupt the positive feedback loop that exists between subsistence pastoralism and grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia.
authors: Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors: David D
authors: DD
authors: Briske
authors: Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolian Agricultural University, Hohhot, China. Electronic address: menglizhao@yahoo.com.
authors: Mengli
authors: M
authors: Zhao
authors: Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolian Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.
authors: Guodong
authors: G
authors: Han
authors: Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Inner Mongolian Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.
authors: Changbai
authors: C
authors: Xiu
authors: Charles Sturt University/University of Sydney, Orange, NSW, Australia.
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Kemp
authors: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Willms
authors: USDA-ARS, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
authors: Kris
authors: K
authors: Havstad
authors: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors: Le
authors: L
authors: Kang
authors: Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors: Zhongwu
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: School of Life Sciences and Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Sino-US Center for Conservation, Energy, and Sustainability Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China.
authors: Jianguo
authors: J
authors: Wu
authors: Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
authors: Xingguo
authors: X
authors: Han
authors: Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
authors: Yongfei
authors: Y
authors: Bai
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D065948:Grassland; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Pastoral livelihoods; Pastoralism; Poverty trap; Social-ecological systems; Sustainability