The grassland ecosystem on the global alpine area has been degraded seriously over the past half century. It can be compared to the Dust-Bowlification, that is, the degradation of American grasslands over the last century. This book was compiled by outstanding researchers who have been engaged in field research on the global alpine area for over 20 years, with the aim of describing the degradation and restoration of grassland on the global alpine area. The long-term field studies and personal experience of the authors describe the process of grassland degradation and the difficulties in the restoration efforts.
Grassland degradation and restoration on the global alpine area involves the stripping and regeneration of the grassland’s mattic epipedon. The stripping of the mattic epipedon is a unique phenomenon on the global alpine area, which has left many unanswered questions. Is stripping degradation an inherent, inevitable feature of the alpine grassland ecosystem? Is it an avoidable occurrence? Why is ecological restoration of stripped degraded grassland extremely difficult? Does restoration rely on reconstructing the grassland’s mattic epipedon? Or can it be done in another way? How can sustainable ecological restoration be achieved? Frontline researchers in global alpine area have used observational evidence from field studies to respond to these questions and to present a comprehensive picture of the problems and drivers of grassland degradation. The climate-environment interaction mechanism of grassland degradation is revealed by the holistic approach in this book. Ecological restoration is discussed through social and economic participation, and past and present restoration actions are analyzed from the perspective of traditional culture and ecological ethics. The future sustainable management of grassland under climate change and social and economic development trend is discussed. This book will alert people to the dangers of degradation and to the difficulties encountered in ecological restoration.
1. Grassland Degradation, Restoration, and Sustainable Management of Global Alpine Areas - p. iii 2. Cover - p. iii 3. Title Page - p. iii 4. Copyright - p. iv 5. Table of Contents - p. iv 6. List of Contributors - p. xiii 7. Preface - p. xvii 8. Chapter 1 An overview of grassland resources of alpine areas on the Earth - p. 3 9. Chapter 2 History of alpine grassland studies and management - p. 33 10. Chapter 3 Alpine meadow degradation: status, reasons, and trends - p. 69 11. Chapter 4 Alpine steppe degradation: status, causes, and trends - p. 87 12. Chapter 5 Alpine desert grassland degradation: status, reasons, trends, and restoration - p. 103 13. Chapter 6 Grazing and alpine grassland degradation - p. 125 14. Chapter 7 Climate change and degradation of alpine grasslands - p. 155 15. Chapter 8 Soil changes during grassland degradation - p. 179 16. Chapter 9 Biodiversity and ecological function changes with grassland degradation - p. 199 17. Chapter 10 Restoration of degraded alpine grasslands: problems, techniques, and sustainable approaches - p. 237 18. Chapter 11 Local seed resources and development for grassland restoration engineering - p. 261 19. Chapter 12 Growth-promoting microorganisms for alpine grassland restoration - p. 283 20. Chapter 13 Control of rodents, caterpillars, and toxic plants in alpine grassland - p. 307 21. Chapter 14 Biochar utilization for alpine grassland restoration - p. 325 22. Chapter 15 Water utilization techniques for alpine grassland restoration and management - p. 343 23. Chapter 16 Active restoration of degraded alpine grassland - p. 357 24. Chapter 17 The impact of management and livestock grazing on the grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau - p. 379 25. Chapter 18 Social economy and intuitional development for grassland management - p. 403 26. Chapter 19 Local and traditional knowledge and application in grassland restoration - p. 425 27. Chapter 20 Artificial intelligence and its application in grassland monitoring and restoration - p. 445 28. Chapter 21 Mitigation strategies for climate change to promote restoration of alpine grassland - p. 479 29. Chapter 22 Systematic coupling and modeling in sustainable grassland management - p. 509 30. Chapter 23 Landscape pathways and modeling in sustainable alpine grassland management - p. 539 31. Chapter 24 Ecophilosophy and the ethics of alpine grassland sustainability - p. 557 32. Index - p. 581 33. Index - Continued - p. 599
The grassland ecosystem on the global alpine area has been degraded seriously over the past half century. It can be compared to the Dust-Bowlification, that is, the degradation of American grasslands over the last century. This book was compiled by outstanding researchers who have been engaged in field research on the global alpine area for over 20 years, with the aim of describing the degradation and restoration of grassland on the global alpine area. The long-term field studies and personal experience of the authors describe the process of grassland degradation and the difficulties in the restoration efforts.
Grassland degradation and restoration on the global alpine area involves the stripping and regeneration of the grassland’s mattic epipedon. The stripping of the mattic epipedon is a unique phenomenon on the global alpine area, which has left many unanswered questions. Is stripping degradation an inherent, inevitable feature of the alpine grassland ecosystem? Is it an avoidable occurrence? Why is ecological restoration of stripped degraded grassland extremely difficult? Does restoration rely on reconstructing the grassland’s mattic epipedon? Or can it be done in another way? How can sustainable ecological restoration be achieved? Frontline researchers in global alpine area have used observational evidence from field studies to respond to these questions and to present a comprehensive picture of the problems and drivers of grassland degradation. The climate-environment interaction mechanism of grassland degradation is revealed by the holistic approach in this book. Ecological restoration is discussed through social and economic participation, and past and present restoration actions are analyzed from the perspective of traditional culture and ecological ethics. The future sustainable management of grassland under climate change and social and economic development trend is discussed. This book will alert people to the dangers of degradation and to the difficulties encountered in ecological restoration.
1. Grassland Degradation, Restoration, and Sustainable Management of Global Alpine Areas - p. iii 2. Cover - p. iii 3. Title Page - p. iii 4. Copyright - p. iv 5. Table of Contents - p. iv 6. List of Contributors - p. xiii 7. Preface - p. xvii 8. Chapter 1 An overview of grassland resources of alpine areas on the Earth - p. 3 9. Chapter 2 History of alpine grassland studies and management - p. 33 10. Chapter 3 Alpine meadow degradation: status, reasons, and trends - p. 69 11. Chapter 4 Alpine steppe degradation: status, causes, and trends - p. 87 12. Chapter 5 Alpine desert grassland degradation: status, reasons, trends, and restoration - p. 103 13. Chapter 6 Grazing and alpine grassland degradation - p. 125 14. Chapter 7 Climate change and degradation of alpine grasslands - p. 155 15. Chapter 8 Soil changes during grassland degradation - p. 179 16. Chapter 9 Biodiversity and ecological function changes with grassland degradation - p. 199 17. Chapter 10 Restoration of degraded alpine grasslands: problems, techniques, and sustainable approaches - p. 237 18. Chapter 11 Local seed resources and development for grassland restoration engineering - p. 261 19. Chapter 12 Growth-promoting microorganisms for alpine grassland restoration - p. 283 20. Chapter 13 Control of rodents, caterpillars, and toxic plants in alpine grassland - p. 307 21. Chapter 14 Biochar utilization for alpine grassland restoration - p. 325 22. Chapter 15 Water utilization techniques for alpine grassland restoration and management - p. 343 23. Chapter 16 Active restoration of degraded alpine grassland - p. 357 24. Chapter 17 The impact of management and livestock grazing on the grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau - p. 379 25. Chapter 18 Social economy and intuitional development for grassland management - p. 403 26. Chapter 19 Local and traditional knowledge and application in grassland restoration - p. 425 27. Chapter 20 Artificial intelligence and its application in grassland monitoring and restoration - p. 445 28. Chapter 21 Mitigation strategies for climate change to promote restoration of alpine grassland - p. 479 29. Chapter 22 Systematic coupling and modeling in sustainable grassland management - p. 509 30. Chapter 23 Landscape pathways and modeling in sustainable alpine grassland management - p. 539 31. Chapter 24 Ecophilosophy and the ethics of alpine grassland sustainability - p. 557 32. Index - p. 581 33. Index - Continued - p. 599
