Ecological and economic effects of intensive rotational grazing in a typical steppe
Aims The management policies of China's rangeland have shifted from grassland fencing and grazing removal towards a more balanced approach between livestock loads and herbage biomass for grazing.This shift has led to a growing emphasis on the theoretical and practical significance of using smart grazing management to promote grassland restoration.Methods In this study,we conducted a two-year experiment involving continuous grazing,traditional rotational grazing,and intensive rotational grazing as treatment groups and no grazing as a control group to estimate the ecological and economic impacts of implementing intensive rotational grazing in a typical steppe of Xilin Gol.Important findings Intensive rotational grazing could restore the biomass of Leymus chinensis and Stipa spp.,and significantly put weight on the adult sheep.Furthermore,the advantage of intensive rotational grazing lies in extending the post-grazing recovery time and curbing selective animal grazing through balanced livestock loads and herbage biomass.Therefore,our preliminary results suggest that employing intensive rotational grazing and following balanced livestock loads and herbage biomass could be a promising approach to achieve a harmonious blend of economic benefits and ecosystem services in rangeland management practices.
rangeland managementrotational grazingbalancing of livestock loads and herbage biomassgrassland restorationtypical steppe
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