Research studies on the productivity of grassland soils in inner Mongolia [Neimenggu], China

Nowadays, desertification is spreading on a global scale, and countermeasures are being urgently sought. The extent of desertification in problem areas varies depending on a combination of natural and artificial conditions. Mongolia is formed from independent Mongolia and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of China. It is situated in a temperate-dry climate zone, and has an ancient tradition of stock farming by reason of an environment conductive to flourishing grasslands. However, under conditions below 400 mm of annual precipitation, many instances have been recorded of grasslands permanently reverting to desert. Since the start of this century, grassland sterilization along the southern border of Inner Mongolia has advanced rapidly owing to the sudden increase in the number of cattle raised to provide for increases in the human population. Furthermore, in Mongolia, the advance in land sterilization combined with the lack of grassland management began to have serious consequences. Diminishing pasture land forced a population migration to the capital while cattle traders continued breeding animals to increase their profits. Soils are the natural foundation of stock farming. Grass growth is almost entirely dependent on soil and supplemental moisture. Therefore, if the horizontal distribution of soil characteristics is understood, and the relation between grass growth potential in a given area and livestock farming production is made clear, countermeasures for the recovery of grassland can then be take. This paper outlines the joint research carried out in Inner Mongolia prior to the publication of the final complete results. An investigation plot in each location was selected to typify local soil characteristics. We are convinced that results contributing to the conservation of grassland as well as to the development of agricultural-stockbreeding products in Mongolia have been achieved as this study has progressed