Overgrazing and climate change devastate grasslands in Inner Mongolia.
The study looked at how grazing and climate change affect grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia. Heavy grazing led to serious vegetation degradation, while moderate grazing maintained stability and supported rapid recovery of degraded vegetation. Moderate grazing also resulted in the highest livestock productivity, while heavy grazing caused a rapid decrease in livestock productivity. Climate change can either help or harm vegetation recovery, depending on whether it is warm and humid or warm and dry. Heavy livestock grazing should be stopped to sustain grasslands, and the appropriate stocking rate for sandy grasslands in Inner Mongolia is two to three sheep per hectare.