Study On The Reasons Of Grassland Reclamation In Northern China During The Historical Periods

As the largest terrestrial ecosystem in China, the 400 million hectares of natural grassland, was significantly affected by human activities. To reveal the causations of China's grasslands' current situation including environmental problems, and to point out the proper way for grassland utilization and protection, reasons of north China grassland reclamation China during the historical period was studied. This study is also helping in improvement of theoretical framework and history methodology of grassland history. In this study, data from document, interviews and visits were collected and analyzed, and give four main conclusions.The first conclusion is that reclamation of grasslands of northern China in history was divided into three reasons:(1) to provide forage for the war and guard borderland, represented by Han, Yuan, Song, Ming, Qin, and the typical area was Xinjiang; (2) for the population growth of food supply shortage, represented by Han, Sui, Tang, Qing, and the typical area was the Loess Plateau grasslands. (3) to obtain economic benefits, represented by late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and Inner Mongolia and northeast grasslands were influenced deeply.The second one is that reclamation in Xinjiang was to war and played a positive role; reclamation in the Loess Plateau was to grain and aggravated the Deterioration of ecology and environment; reclamation in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia was to Economic interests.The third one is that grassland reclamation caused long-lasting ecological problems, but had some positive effects in certain history period.The last conclusion is that nowadays, the reasons of reclamation of grasslands and the reasons in history are the same. But the situations are more severe. So changing concepts and playing grassland own strengths are the way to ensure food security, economic prosperity, guard border.