Grazing Livestock Balance on the Eastern Mongolian Plateau
Author Information
Author(s): Li Menghan, Wang Juanle, Li Kai, Liu Yaping, Ochir Altansukh, Davaasuren Davaadorj
Primary Institution: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hypothesis
How can remote sensing and biomass estimation improve the assessment of grazing livestock balance on the Mongolian Plateau?
Conclusion
The study found that the grass-livestock balance on the Mongolian Plateau has significantly deteriorated from 2018 to 2022, with only a few areas maintaining non-overloaded grasslands.
Supporting Evidence
- The grassland classification accuracy on the Mongolian Plateau exceeds 95%.
- Nearly 80% of the grassland productivity is of high quality, reaching up to 250 g/m2.
- The average grassland carrying capacity on the Mongolian Plateau is 1.8 SU/ha.
- Grassland carrying capacity has gradually deteriorated due to grassland fires and increased livestock numbers.
Takeaway
This study looks at how much grass there is for animals to eat on the Mongolian Plateau and finds that too many animals are eating too much grass, which is bad for the land.
Methodology
The study used machine learning methods for land cover classification and above-ground biomass estimation, along with remote sensing data.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on the eastern Mongolian Plateau and may not be generalizable to other regions.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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