Study On Socioeconomic Driving Forces Of Grassland Degradation In Ganzi Prefecture

Grassland resources were an important material foundation of developing animal husbandry in Ganzi Prefecture, and the character of its quality and quantity determined the socio-economic sustainable development of Ganzi Prefecture. With the growth of economic, grassland degradation was serious, then grasslands' productivity decreased significantly as the consequence of human's unreasonable interference and environmental factors. While the location of grassland was the origin of our country's major rivers, grassland degradation not only affected their own animal husbandry and economic development, and limited improvement of income and living standards of herdsmen, but also endangered the ecological security of the middle and lower reaches. Therefore, how to make rational use of grassland, effectively preventing its degradation and improving utilization efficiency became a focal point of society.On the basis of analysis on the present situation of grassland degradation in Ganzi Prefecture, the text studied the socio-economic factors of grassland degradation from theory and practice, and revealed the deep-seated reasons. On this basis, effective path which prevented grassland degradation was explored, and the paper putted forward policy recommendations. The main conclusions were drawn as follows:(1)Grassland degradation in Ganzi Prefecture was serious, and the grassland area of "three degradation" had reached 6.52 million hm~2, which accounted for 68.87 percent of the total grassland area. Grassland degradation caused vegetation structure changing poor, serious drugs and weeds, serious pest and rat' harm, soil fertility degradation, grassland production capacity declining, the yield reducing, and soil erosion and natural disasters increasing.(2)Grassland degradation was caused by all kinds of natural factors and socio-economic factors, but socio-economic factors were the main reasons for grassland degradation. Grassland degradation was caused by unreasonable use of the grassland, such as overgrazing, over digging, and so on, while inadequate lawn-building investment was leaded by low pastoralist quality, single structure, herdsmen low-income, traditions and customs, and so on, then grassland degradation increased.(3) The results of factor analysis showed that the main socioeconomic driving forces of grassland degradation were livestock quantity, industrial structure, annual net income per capita in pasture, herd workers, implementation of protecting grasslands' policies, livestock slaughter rate and enclosure grassland areas. The impact of the above-mentioned factors were obtained through the gray correlation analysis, order as follow from big to small: livestock quantity, herd workers, implementation of protecting grasslands' policies, industrial structure, livestock slaughter rate, enclosure grassland areas, annual net income per capita in pasture.(4) On this basis, the effective path which prevented grassland degradation was explored by enhancing grassland construction, controlling population, developing education and labor training, strengthening infrastructure construction, developing the secondary and tertiary industries, popularizing science and technology, improving the grassland system, and so on. Policy recommendations were putted forward, such as increasing capital investment in pastoral areas, establishing and improving the grassland eco-compensation mechanism, and using incentive and restraint mechanisms to promote grassland protection and construction in pastoral areas and prevent the grassland resources degradation.