Publication Date
1989
Description
Inner Mongolia grassland has a rather simple management and low production. Artificial pasture covers 0.08 % of the total grassland, the output value of animal husbandry is only 24 % of that of agriculture. In 1984, 13.66 kg beef and mutton, 20.8 kg cow and sheep milk, 4.8 kg fine hair were produced for a hundred mu grassland(]). Herbivore value was RMB 82 Yuan. Because of coldness and shortage of forage, during the period of 1952-1985 there was a total livestock loss of 81.000.000 and per sheep lossed weight of 5 kg every winter and spring. In the heavy snowfall of 1977 in Xilingole League, 3.000.000 livestock died, taking 39.4 % of total livestock number. The long term overgrazing in some poor vegetation grassland worsened the contradiction between grass and livestock and led to grassland degeneration. In 1960-1980, the 3.4 hundred million mu desert and the Gobi desert have been increased to 4.5 hundred million mu. In order to solve these problems, measures must be taken to increase the biomass. Forage trees are a prime factor in developing animal husbandry in native grassland. They can provide large amount of branches during snowy winter, the livestock can find survival food there. In the drought years the forage trees can at least maintain the biomass of the former years and feed the livestock. In the heavy snow of 1977, Zhenglan Banner had a survival rate as high as 90 % because of its 15.7 % forest coverage. Meanwhile the neighbouring Abahanar Banner with poor forestry coverage had only a 10 % survival rate. If the whole League have had the favorable condition as that of Zhenglan Banner, there could have been 2.700.000 livestock saved.
Citation
Quan, E Bin, "A Study on the Importance of Forage Trees on the Native Grazing Land" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 22.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session13/22
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
A Study on the Importance of Forage Trees on the Native Grazing Land
Inner Mongolia grassland has a rather simple management and low production. Artificial pasture covers 0.08 % of the total grassland, the output value of animal husbandry is only 24 % of that of agriculture. In 1984, 13.66 kg beef and mutton, 20.8 kg cow and sheep milk, 4.8 kg fine hair were produced for a hundred mu grassland(]). Herbivore value was RMB 82 Yuan. Because of coldness and shortage of forage, during the period of 1952-1985 there was a total livestock loss of 81.000.000 and per sheep lossed weight of 5 kg every winter and spring. In the heavy snowfall of 1977 in Xilingole League, 3.000.000 livestock died, taking 39.4 % of total livestock number. The long term overgrazing in some poor vegetation grassland worsened the contradiction between grass and livestock and led to grassland degeneration. In 1960-1980, the 3.4 hundred million mu desert and the Gobi desert have been increased to 4.5 hundred million mu. In order to solve these problems, measures must be taken to increase the biomass. Forage trees are a prime factor in developing animal husbandry in native grassland. They can provide large amount of branches during snowy winter, the livestock can find survival food there. In the drought years the forage trees can at least maintain the biomass of the former years and feed the livestock. In the heavy snow of 1977, Zhenglan Banner had a survival rate as high as 90 % because of its 15.7 % forest coverage. Meanwhile the neighbouring Abahanar Banner with poor forestry coverage had only a 10 % survival rate. If the whole League have had the favorable condition as that of Zhenglan Banner, there could have been 2.700.000 livestock saved.
