Overgrazing: Is A Solution Available?

Overgrazing Behavior and Rationality: a Dynamic Perspective

Although humans are assumed to be rational beings, there has been little consensus regarding the criteria for distinguishing rational from irrational behaviors. For example, overgrazing that often results in a tragedy of the commons is usually considered irrational. A subsequent question may be why there are always some rational people engaging in irrational overgrazing. Based on rationality th...

Evaluating changes in the plant communities after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain, northeast of Iran

Overgrazing affects plant communities, and is a significant disturbance factor in arid and semi-arid regions. The immediate changes of plant communities after overgrazing in the disturbed arid ecosystems of Iran have been poorly studied. We recorded data from 100 random samples before and after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain located in the northeastern Iran to determine the changes in the pl...

Soil bacterial and fungal diversity differently correlated with soil biochemistry in alpine grassland ecosystems in response to environmental changes

To understand effects of soil microbes on soil biochemistry in alpine grassland ecosystems under environmental changes, we explored relationships between soil microbial diversity and soil total nitrogen, organic carbon, available nitrogen and phosphorus, soil microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities in alpine meadow, alpine steppe and cultivated grassland on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau unde...

Simulating self-organized spatial patterns induced by overgrazing

Grassland desertification by grazing and the resulting micrometeorological changes in Inner Mongolia

Overgrazing is one of the most primary causes of desertification in semi-arid zones of China. From 1992 to 1994 we conducted a grazing experiment in Naiman (lat. 42◦58′N, long. 120◦43′E, 345 m asl), Inner Mongolia, China to elucidate desertification mechanisms. Our experimental field, which was covered with some short grasses, legumes and forbs, included four plots where grazing sheep numbers d...