Pasture Degradation and the Impact of Grazing in (Tibet) A contribution to sustainable Rangeland Management Katja Koch Department of Geography, Biogeography Working Group, University of Marburg, Germany Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,

Introduction Methods The Chinese Province of Qinghai is one of the stock production in many parts of Tibet over The three pasture types examined in the area largest pastoral regions in with extensive the last decades. Interviews with herders in the of investigation were Achnatherum splendens-, rangeland resources. In most regions livestock study area (Xinghai County, Qinghai Province, Kobresia/Stellera- and Orinus/ Stipa-dominated production is still the most important source of see figure 2) showed that conditions for societies. income for the local population. livestock production have deteriorated together Vegetation transect studies were conducted in Political changes, socio-economic transition with the state of pastures over the last decade twelve fenced pasture patches (four of each and the adjustment of the economy to market (figure 1). society) following the Braun-Blanquet mechanisms caused transformations in live- In the present study the occurrence of pasture approach. degradation was examined on three common The data on the distribution of species under pasture types of the Tibetan Plateau on the different levels of grazing collected in 144 terraces of the . vegetation surveys along transects has been

KYRGYZSTAN Gansu Inner Mo. analyzed with multivariate techniques. The Xinjiang classification was carried out using TWINSPAN CHINA (Two-Way INdicator SPecies ANalysis). For Qinghai Ordination DCA (Detrended Correspondence Analysis) was applied (figure 5). Additionally, dung and soil samples were Xizang Sichuan collected along the transects in order to get information on the distribution of livestock in INDIA BHUTAN the fenced pastures through the frequency of 250 km Yunnan dung pellets and the concentrations of nitrate and phosphate. Figure 1: The comparison between fenced and non-fenced areas Figure 2: The locations of Qinghai Province (China) and the area of shows the intensive utilization of pastures investigation (red square)

2000 Results Distance (m) Total (adapted*) 0 Axis 2 Large Herbivores 100 Sheep Significant population growth and subsequently 250 1500 Goats increasing livestock numbers have had an 500 effect on pasture productivity during the last 50

years (figures 3 and 4). The continual decline Number of Species 1000 of livestock numbers since at least 1995 possibly indicates the limit of carrying capacity Amount of Dung Vegetation Cover Axis 1 500 Livestock numbers in 1000 numbers Livestock on pastures in the study area.

It is still under discussion whether changing Distance levels of temperature and precipitation have an 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 5 0 5 impact on pasture productivity (figure 6). 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 Year The study showed that severe degradation on Figure 3: The development of livestock numbers show a pastures in Xinghai County occurs especially marked increase (Xinghai County, 1949-2001, * weighted on Achnatherum splendens-dominated according to FAO). pastures, were stocking rates were above the Figure 5: The DCA of 4 fenced Orinus/ Stipa- dominated pastures 50000 carrying capacity. As the tussocks of shows gradients mainly with distance from the gate in the number of species, plant cover and dung amount (n=48, Eigenvalue/ Post- Urban Population Achnatherum are less eaten by livestock, Rural Population hoc correlation Axis 1: 0,17/0,58; Axis 2: 0,08/ 0,17) 40000 Herders pasture productivity is much lower than on Total Population patches dominated by Kobresia or Orinus. 800 4,0 Precipitation Temperature 30000 700 3,0 Because of the relative grazing resistance of Trend (Precipitation) Trend (Temperature) Cyperaceae, Kobresia pastures are in a fairly 600 2,0

Number 500 1,0 20000 stable condition. Orinus-dominated grazing 400 0,0 grounds reach their carrying capacity in the 300 -1,0 Precipitation (mm) 10000 investigated areas. 200 -2,0 (°C) Temperature An obvious gradient of decreasing degradation 100 -3,0 0 -4,0

0 with increasing distance from the gate was 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 identified in the more severely degraded Year Year pasture plots (figure 5). Figure 4: The development of the population in the area of Figure 6: The development of the annual average investigation displays a significant increase (1949-1985, temperature and the annual amount of precipitation in 49.900 inhabitants in 2001) Xinghai (1961-2001, China Meteorological Survey)

Population Chinese Pasture Growth Management Policies Conclusions Interviews with herders, vegetation surveys and evaluation of population,

Increasing Increasing Conversion to Non-Adapted Sedentarisation Collectivization livestock and climate data indicate that a complex interaction of factors led to a Livestock Demand for Fuel Agriculture Herd Structure of Nomads Numbers (Wood, Dung) decline in pasture productivity (figure 7). The changing political interventions as well as high stocking rates and climatic changes have had an impact on the condition of pastures today. Shortage of Overgrazing/ Fencing of Pastoral Land Exploitation of Pastures Pastoral Land Reduced herd sizes would probably be the only possibility to initiate rangeland regeneration. As a result, the income of herders might decrease dramatically. Supplementary Sources of Therefore, rangeland improvement is only possible in cooperation with political Income decision makers. Pasture Figure 7: Factors of pasture Degradation degradation in the study area

Literature: Qinghai History Editors Committee (2000): A History of Qinghai County. Xian (in Chinese) Acknowledgements: DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) for financial support of the fieldwork, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (Xining, China), Prof. Dr. Georg Miehe & Dr. Sabine Miehe for cooperation Correspondence: [email protected], Katja Koch, Department of Geography, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35037 Marburg, Germany