Towards Sustainable Use of Rangelands in North-West China

by Victor Squires (Editor), Limin Hua (Editor), Degang Zhang (Editor), Guolin Li (Editor)

Overview

Towards Sustainable Use of Rangelands in China’s North West is based on the program of the International Conference Implementing GEF Objectives in a Systems Framework held in Lanzhou, Gansu, China in October 2008. This collection reviews the extent of resource debasement in China’s pastoral zones and offers solutions for their sustainable use. The five parts deal with ran- lands, and the people who manage them, and assess prospects for implementation of more sustainable rangeland/livesk production systems. Topics include Livesk husbandry development and agro-pastoral integration in Gansu and Xinjiang; Ecological restoration and control of rangeland degradation. Despite widespread degradation, the articles reveal the approaches that are likely to lead to recovery of these rangelands and better livelihoods for the local herders and farmers. Two chapters are devoted to the achievement of global environmental objectives. Carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation in mountaingrasslands are just a few of the covered subjects. This portion of the book pays special attention to the successful results in Gansu and Xinjiang – major regions of China’s pastoral lands. The final division addresses measures to improve the profitability and susta- ability of herding and farming in the pastoral areas of north-west China There are fifteen chapters on subjects that include: Livesk management, Rangeland management interventions, Agro-pastoral integration, Improved animal husbandry practices as a basis for profitability. Land tenure and access, Environmental education, Ecological Restoration and New Management approaches for China’s northwest pastoral areas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789400790421
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	11/05/2014
Edition description:	2010
Pages:	353
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

Rangeland Systems and People Under Pressure.- North-West China’s Rangelands and Peoples: Facts, Figures, Challenges and Responses.- Livesk Husbandry Development and Agro-Pastoral Integration in Gansu and Xinjiang.- Combating Rangeland Degradation.- Exploring the Options in North-West China’s Pastoral Lands.- Ecological Control of Rangeland Degradation: Livesk Management.- Ecological Restoration and Control of Rangeland Degradation: Rangeland Management Interventions.- Achieving the Global Objectives.- Biodiversity of Plants and Animals in Mountain Ecosystems.- Carbon Sequestration and the Implications for Rangeland Management.- Protecting Local Breeds of Livesk in NW China.- Improving the Profitability and Sustainability of Herding and Farming in the Pastoral Areas of North-West China.- Agro-Pastoral Integration in NW China: A New Paradigm?.- Improved Animal Husbandry Practices as a Basis for Profitability.- Herders’ Income and Expenditure: Perceptions and Expectations.- LandTenure: Problems, Prospects and Reform.- The Way Forward.- Environmental Education: A Tool for Changing the Mind-Set.- Redesigning Livesk Systems to Improve Household Income and Reduce Sking Rates in China’s Western Grasslands.- Towards Ecological Restoration and Management in China’s Northwest Pastoral Lands.

Editorial Reviews

Towards Sustainable Use of Rangelands in North-West China to be thoughtful, well structured, informative … and readable. The contributing authors provide an accessible introduction to the challenges facing North-West China's rangelands and document a variety of practical approaches to address these. Recommended for readers with an interest in social and environmental change, mountain ecosystems, and natural resource management.” (Hilary Howes, Asian Highlands Perspectives, Vol. 40, 2016)

“The chapters are clearly presented and the summaries of key points at the beginning of each chapter are very useful. The book also benefits from the contemporary nature of the data set on which it draws; this is especially important in the context of rapid political, economic, and climate change. … In summary, this is a valuable book that will undoubtedly be of interest to scholars of pastoralism and of the region.” (Caroline Upton, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 31 (2), May, 2011)

From the Publisher