SINO-AUSTRALIAN WORKSHOP
The role of small mammals in grassland degradation in China: Defining the problem
by Dr Roger Pech1, Dr Tony Arthur2, Dr Lyn Hinds3 and Professor Shi Dazhao4
Main ecological problems of the sustainable utilization of grasslands in China
by Professor Sun Qizhong, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science
Grasslands cover some 4.0×106 km2 or 40% of land in China. Among these, about 3×106 km2 , covering 75% is in the grazing region, and the left 25% or 1.0×106 km2 is in the farming region..
Presently, the sustainable utilization of Chinese grasslands has been restricted by the land desertification, sharp decrease of grassland acreage, and intensified disaster outbreak, vegetation degradation, loss of biodiversity, serious soil erosion, and etc. Furthermore, there are many technological difficulties in restoring the vegetation for grassland ecosystems, including: lacking high quality forage varieties, some small-scale machines and optimum model for grasslands management. Besides, the system which prevents disasters lacks effective support of technique for resolving the contradictions between the grasslands management and utilization.
