China's desertification deconstructed: towards a scientists' model based on long‐term perceptions of grassland restoration (1995–2011)
China's desertification deconstructed: towards a scientists' model based on long‐term perceptions of grassland restoration (1995–2011)
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DOI：
10.1111/rec.12555
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发表时间：
2018-04
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Heng Zhao;Ying Zhao;Guiying Gao;P. Ho
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Heng Zhao;Ying Zhao;Guiying Gao;P. Ho
关于中国草原退化和荒漠化的原因存在着相当大的争论。最近的研究声称恢复，重新点燃了讨论。退化的逆转归因于政策，包括禁牧和牧场合同制度。因此，本文认为这些研究忽视了草原退化的复杂性和多层次性，并质疑上述政策是否产生了这种影响。在这种情况下，我们报告了第一次长期调查（1995年和2011年）牧民的看法。本次调查（492份有效问卷）代表了两个生态区域：半干旱荒漠/草原和黄土高原草原。基于这些数据，我们为科学家采用了一个新的分析模型，称为CCC-框架。该模型要求在确定“三C”方面的不确定性时，在提出某些恢复措施时要谨慎：（1）植被状况;（2）退化的因果关系;（3）执行成本。根据这一框架，我们建立了不确定性的条件，据称恢复植被，特别是牧民的感知上升，在不可口的草种。此外，由于大多数研究进行的时间较短，草原恢复与效果之间的因果关系很难确定。最后，迄今为止尚未确定的生态效益是否超过实施成本，这是值得怀疑的，特别是因为调查查明了牧民失去生计而没有其他收入、非法放牧、对法律的理解不足以及获得草原权利的机会有限。
There is considerable debate about the causes of grassland degradation and desertification in China. The discussion is rekindled by recent studies that claim restoration. The reversal in degradation is attributed to policies, which include the grazing ban and the pasture contract system. Contrarily, this article maintains that these studies disregard the complexity and multilayered nature of grassland degradation, and questions whether aforementioned policies have had this effect. In this context, we report on one of the first long‐term surveys (1995 and 2011) of herders' perceptions. The survey (492 valid responses) represents two ecoregions: the semiarid desert/steppe and Loess Plateau pasture. Based on the data, we adopted a renewed analytical model for scientists, termed the CCC‐Framework. The model calls for caution in proposing certain restoration measures when uncertainties are identified around a “triple C”: (1) condition of vegetation; (2) causality of degradation; and (3) costs of implementation. According to this framework, we establish uncertainty about the condition of allegedly restored vegetation, with particular reference to herders' perceived rise in nonpalatable grass species. Moreover, causality between grassland restoration and effect is difficult to ascertain due the short time frame in which most studies have been conducted. Lastly, it is doubtful whether to date undetermined ecological benefits outweigh implementation costs, especially as the survey pinpointed herders' loss of livelihood without alternative income, illegal grazing, low legal understanding, and limited access to grassland rights.