New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Regionalisation of suitable herbages for grassland reconstruction in agro-pastoral transition zone of northern China
Shao Xinqing
Wang Kun*
Institute of Grassland Science, Animal and Technology College
China Agricultural University
100087, Beijing
PR China
wangkun@edu.cau.cn
Dong Shi-Kui*
Environmental School
Beijing Normal University
100875, Beijing
PR China
dsk@irs.bnu.edu.cn
Huang Xiao-Xia
Department of Regional and Resource Planning
School of Resource Environment and Earth Science
Yunnan University
650091, Kunming
PR China
Kang Mu-Yi
College of Resources Science
Beijing Normal University
100875, Beijing
PR China
*Author for correspondence.
Abstract To provide a sound basis for selecting
suitable herbages for grassland reconstruction in the farming-pastoral
zone of northern China, the zone was divided into regions using the
lowest annual temperature, water regimes represented by a moisture
index (the ratio between annual rainfall and accumulated temperature
>0°C), soil types, and terrain. Suitable herbages of Gramineae
(G), Leguminosae (L) and other families (O), representing native
species (NS) and non-native cultivars (CR) were recommended for the
zone based on the following four principles: a) matching species with
the site; b) giving precedence to ecological conservation; c) providing
economic benefit to production; and d) taking into account the
integrity of local administrative division. The main findings from this
study were as follows. The farming-pastoral zone was divided into seven
regions: I. Western Songliao Plain and Daxinganling Mountain Region;
II. Upper Liaohe River Sandy Region; III. Mid-Eastern Mongolia Plateau
and Northwestern Heibei Mountain Region; IV. Luliang, Taihang and
Yanshan Mountains Region; V. Ordos Plateau Sandy Region; VI. Northern
Shaanxi to Eastern Ganxu Loess Plateau Region; and VII. Mid Gansu to
Eastern Qinghai Plateau Loess Region. Among the herbages recommended
for selection, Stipa grandis and Leymus chinensis were particularly suggested for controlling wind erosion in Region I; Leymus chinensis and Elymus dahuricus for lessening soil alkalisation in Region II; Stipa glareos, Elymus dahuricus and Agropyron desertorum for retarding land desertification in Region III; Elymus nutans and Bromus inermis for preventing water erosion in Region IV; Agropyron desertorum and Elymus dahuricus for reducing wind erosion and land desertification for Region V; Medicago sativa and Onobrychis viciaefolia for improving soil fertility in Region VI; Medicago varia and Melilotoides rethenica for controlling erosion and improving soil fertility in Region VII.
Keywords herbage regionalisation; ecological division; farming-pastoral zone; grassland reconstruction; northern China
A05003; Received 18 January 2005; accepted 1 November 2005; Online publication date 7 March 2006
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2006, Vol. 49: 73–84
0028–8233/06/4901–0073 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
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