Grasslands occupy 40% of the world's land surface (excluding Antarctica and Greenland) and support diverse groups, from traditional extensive nomadic to intense livestock-production systems. Population pressures mean that many of these grasslands are in a degraded state, particularly in less-productive areas of developing countries, affecting not only productivity but also vital environmental services such as hydrology, biodiversity, and carbon cycles; livestock condition is often poor and household incomes are at or below poverty levels. The challenge is to optimize management practices that result in "win-win" outcomes for grasslands, the environment, and households. A case study is discussed from northwestern China, where it has been possible to reduce animal numbers considerably by using an energy-balance/market-based approach while improving household incomes, providing conditions within which grassland recovery is possible. This bottom-up approach was supported by informing and working with the six layers of government in China to build appropriate policies. Further policy implications are considered. Additional gains in grassland rehabilitation could be fostered through targeted environmental payment schemes. Other aspects of the livestock production system that can be modified are discussed. This work built a strategy that has implications for many other grassland areas around the world where common problems apply.degradation | herder G rasslands occupy ∼40% of the world's land area, excluding Antarctica and Greenland, supporting the livelihoods of ∼1 billion people (1). Many of these grasslands suffer some degradation as a result of increased pressures from people and livestock populations and the political belief that they were an underused resource. Many grassland areas now produce much of the world's grain crops, but, in less productive parts, an extension of cropping has resulted in considerable degradation, exacerbated by the abandonment of nonviable cropping. New strategies are needed for the sustainability of these vast resources (2). Fortunately, many useful plant species are still present within these ecosystems, which means they could be managed to a healthier state.The Eurasian grasslands, extending from eastern China to Europe, form the largest set of interconnected grassland ecosystems on Earth, containing several thousand plant and other species. China has 400 million ha of grasslands (3), of which 300 million ha are in the north and west, supporting 16 million people directly (4) plus many more indirectly. These are 40% of the poorest people in China earning <$2 per head per day. Rehabilitation of grasslands is critical for poverty alleviation.The grasslands of China have been grazed by wild and then domesticated herbivores for millennia. During much of that time, the density of people and livestock was low, much grazing was in a transhumance system, grasslands had time to recover from grazing, and species adapted. More recently, grasslands were perceived as an underused resource. Today, ...

SUMMARYGrasslands are one of the world's major ecosystems groups and over the last century their use has changed from being volunteer leys, or a resource on non-arable land, to a productive resource equal to any crop and managed as such. Many grasslands are now being acknowledged as having a multifunctional role in producing food and rehabilitating crop lands, in environmental management and cultural heritage. However, grasslands across the globe are under increasing pressure from increasing human populations, reduced areas with increasing livestock numbers, and declining terms of trade for livestock production, and they are managed to varying degrees of effectiveness. The complexity of grassland uses and the many aspects of grassy ecosystems require a framework wherein solutions for better management can be developed. The present paper discusses a generic approach to grassland management to satisfy these multiple objectives. A focus on ecosystem functionality, i.e. on water, nutrient and energy cycling and on the biodiversity required to sustain those functions, provides a means of resolving the dilemmas faced, through the intermediary, management-related, criteria of herbage mass, which also relates directly to animal production. Emphasis is placed on the opportunities to satisfy multiple objectives. A consideration of the basic relationships between stocking rate and animal production shows that the longer-term, economically optimal stocking rate is associated with improved environmental outcomes. There may be environmental objectives that go beyond economically sustainable limits for livestock producers and in those cases direct payments from the government or others will be needed. These are likely to be where degradation is clearly apparent. The achievement of desirable outcomes in grassland management that satisfy multiple objectives will require new areas of research that seek viable solutions for farmers and society.

Summary Cleistogenes is an important perennial grass genus found in the pastoral steppes of eastern Inner Mongolia. Despite its dominance in many grassland types, the value of Cleistogenes as a key genus for sustainable grassland development has only recently been recognized. To understand better how to manage Cleistogenes‐dominant grasslands, an experiment was conducted in China, to characterize the growth patterns of two Cleistogenes species (C. polyphylla and C. squarrosa) in relation to environmental parameters. Sampling exclosures were established on uniform grasslands at Mangha and Liuhe gachas. Over two growing seasons (1999–2000) vegetation cover, green and dry biomass by species, species height and tiller density of Cleistogenes were measured at about monthly intervals starting in mid‐May and ending in mid‐October. Cleistogenes polyphylla at Mangha and C. squarrosa at Liuhe accounted for > 50% of green biomass. Neither species made any significant growth before late June, even though soil moisture was available and a large number of tillers were present that had survived the subzero winter intact. In contrast, other species (Prunus sibirica, Potentilla spp. Aneurolepidium chinense) produced up to 500 kg ha−1 biomass in early spring. A relationship between temperature and green weight (wt) tiller−1 indicated that Cleistogenes required an average air temperature > 20 °C to initiate growth, most probably due to its C4 photosynthetic pathway. In this region, temperatures above 20 °C also coincide with periods of most reliable rainfall, which may explain the success of Cleistogenes in grassland degraded by overgrazing. In contrast, competing C3 species (e.g. Stipa spp. and Aneurolepidium chinense) initiate growth earlier in spring when rainfall is highly variable and when small plants are most exposed to severe grazing pressure by livestock emerging from winter in poor condition. Where Cleistogenes spp. completely dominated the grassland, the length of the growing season was shorter and feed shortages in early spring became more acute than for grasslands dominated by C3 species. Livestock producers can minimize this effect by adopting management tactics such as resting pastures in spring to maintain a balance between C3 and C4 perennial grasses. Further research is needed to establish when grazing and strategic rest have most impact on the stability of Cleistogenes‐dominant grasslands.

Grasslands are the predominant forage source for grazing animals and cover more of the Earth's land than any other major vegetation type. Their values are not always recognised, and conversion to other uses is continuing at a high rate leading to greater environmental and socio‐economic problems. Overgrazing is one of the main drivers of productivity decline of grasslands, reflecting the pressures from excessive human populations and a demand for food. Some 20% of the world's grasslands are in a severely degraded state; others have suffered shifts to less‐desirable species. Biodiversity and greenhouse gas production have also been particular concerns. Estimates of productivity change all show a decline over recent decades, yet animal numbers continue to increase, particularly in the developing world. This paper critically reviews the projected demands for livestock products, driven largely by human population growth; the current health of the world's grasslands and how current livestock systems that depend on land conversion and overexploitation of grassland are inappropriate and need to be improved. Central to this argument is that small holders in the developing world will be responsible for a large amount of the future red meat production, and this can be achieved through more efficient livestock production systems using lower stocking rates. The Australian sheep industry is provided as an example of how livestock production and reduced environmental impacts can be achieved with improved efficiency. Changes will require smallholders to transition to a competitive, market‐oriented livestock industry, which will provide challenges.