Vulnerability of the Asian Typical Steppe to Grazing and Climate Change

The vulnerability of grassland vegetation in Inner Mongolia to climate change and grazing was examined using an ecosystem model. Grazing is an important form of land use in this region, yet there are uncertainties as to how it will be affected by climate change. A sensitivity analysis was conducted...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Climatic change Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 351 - 368
Main Authors: Christensen, Lindsey, Coughenour, Michael B., Ellis, James E., Chen, Zuo Zhong
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.04.2004
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Carbon dioxide
Climate change
Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change
Earth, ocean, space
Ecosystem models
Ecosystems
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Factorial experiments
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grasses
Grasslands
Grazing
Humidity
Land use
Livestock
Meteorology
National parks
Pasture management
Plant growth
Precipitation
Primary production
Radiation
Sensitivity analysis
Simulation
Steppes
Synecology
Synergistic effect
Systems stability
Temperature
Terrestrial ecosystems
Vegetation
Vegetation effects
Asia
Mongolia
China
Inner Mongolia China
China, People's Rep., Inner Mongolia
Terrestrial environment
Grassland
Sensitivity analysis
Growth rate
Carbon dioxide
Vulnerability
Vegetation dynamics
Grazing
Atmospheric temperature
Steppe
Ecosystem
Greenhouse gas
Environment impact
Global change
Numerical simulation
Atmospheric precipitation
Climate modification
ISSN:0165-0009, 1573-1480
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The vulnerability of grassland vegetation in Inner Mongolia to climate change and grazing was examined using an ecosystem model. Grazing is an important form of land use in this region, yet there are uncertainties as to how it will be affected by climate change. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to study the effects of increased minimum and maximum temperatures, ambient and elevated CO2, increased or decreased precipitation, and grazing on vegetation production. Simulations showed that herbaceous above ground net primary production was most sensitive to changes in precipitation levels. Combinations of increased precipitation, temperature, and CO2 had synergistic effects on herbaceous production, however drastic increases in these climate scenarios left the system vulnerable to shifts from herbaceous to shrub-dominated vegetation when grazed. Reduced precipitation had a negative effect on vegetation growth rates, thus herbaceous growth was not sustainable with moderate grazing. Shifts in temporal biomass patterns due to changed climate have potentially significant implications for grazing management, which will need to be altered under changing climate to maintain system stability. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
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ISSN:0165-0009
1573-1480
DOI:10.1023/B:CLIM.0000018513.60904.fe