Socio-economic Causes Of Grassland Degradation. Xinyuan County And Cope With The Grassland Degradation Countermeasures Research

Currently, China's pastoral areas include268pastoral and semi-pastoral counties (banner, city) of13provinces (autonomous region), pastoral areas account for more than40percent of the national land area. Grassland is China's largest terrestrial ecosystems, and the pastoral areas are the birthplace of the major rivers and water conservation districts, so its ecological position is very important for China. In recent decades, under the guidance of the strategic policy of the country's development of western, the economy of the majority of pastoral areas has tremendously developed. However, this kind of development is based on the irrational use of natural grassland resources and the extensive development of the pastoral areas, which is not the sustainable development. The resulting issues which include reduction of natural grassland area, serious desertification of grassland, decreased of grassland productivity and the destruction of grassland ecological balance, that have seriously affected the production and living of the farmers and herdsmen. How to look at the problems in the development process, and how to use practical approaches to solve the emerging challenges in the process of development has become the most essential issue during the sustainable development of China pastoral areas.Compared with the research from view of the natural science, biomedicine, system science, economics and law. This paper attempts to use of the theory of anthropology, economics and ecology, examine the grassland degradation problems from the social and economic views. The writer selected Xinyuan County of Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang Autonomous region as the object of research. Through field investigations and studies of the natural grassland, the writer analyzed the socio-economic reasons of degradation of natural grassland. Then, the writer found that grassland degradation is the result of natural and anthropogenic factors together, but pastoralists overgrazing is the immediate cause of the rapid degradation of the grassland ecosystem in Xinyuan County, meanwhile, single pastoralists'income structure, high cost of living and difficult loan policy and so forth, is the root cause.We need to put forward practical responses according to the reasons before.Full Text summarized as follows:Firstly, explain the background, the significance of the topic and research methods, followed by combing the domestic and international research progress and results of grassland degradation.Secondly, the writer introduces the natural and socio-economic conditions of Xinyuan County, which consists mainly of the following datas:geographical location and topography, climate characteristics, hydrological characteristics, soil and vegetation, the achievements of Xinyuan County economic development, population development and changes in characteristics of the three major industries. Then, the introduction of Xinyuan County of grassland resources and utilization of grassland resources in the status quo. This part of the survey is the basis to carry out the household survey and directly pave the way for grassland degradation of economic and social analysis.Thirdly, on the basis of the household survey, questionnaires, individual farmer interviews and data processing,the writer presents socio-economic causes of grassland degradation of Xinyuan County, which includes pastoralists overgrazing, Single pastoralists income structure, high cost of living and difficult loan policy.Finally, based on the analysis of the socio-economic causes of grassland degradation in Xinyuan County, the writer comes up with effective response to the measures of grassland degradation.