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Does Livelihood Capital Influence the Livelihood Strategy of Herdsmen? Evidence from Western China

Author

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  • Manyu Wang

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    College of Economics, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 102488, China)

  • Min Li

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Bei Jin

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Lan Yao

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Hao Ji

    (College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China)

Abstract

The deterioration of grassland ecology is threatening the livelihood of herdsmen and increasing their rates of poverty. This study aims to explore the characteristics of herdsmen’s livelihood and the impact of livelihood capital and environmental perception on livelihood strategy selection. Based on 453 herdsmen households in the Province of Gansu and Qinghai, five types of livelihood capital were measured under the sustainable livelihoods framework. The influence of herdsmen’s livelihood capital on their decisions regarding their livelihood strategies was evaluated in multiple logistic functions. Meanwhile, hierarchical regression analysis and grouping regression methods were used to explore the moderating effects of two dimensions of environmental perception: ecological consciousness and sense of responsibility. The following results were obtained: First, all types of livelihood capital have a significant influence on the livelihood diversification of herdsmen; second, the direction and strength of these effects differ among types of livelihood capital. Moreover, environmental perception played a negative moderating role in the relationship between herdsmen’s livelihood capital and livelihood strategies. Therefore, it is expected to introduce policies ensuring the development of herdsmen’s livelihood capital and improve their environmental cognition, which can help realize the coordinated economic and ecological development of grassland.

Suggested Citation

  • Manyu Wang & Min Li & Bei Jin & Lan Yao & Hao Ji, 2021. "Does Livelihood Capital Influence the Livelihood Strategy of Herdsmen? Evidence from Western China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:7:p:763-:d:597558
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    3. Yueyue He & Tanveer Ahmed, 2022. "Farmers’ Livelihood Capital and Its Impact on Sustainable Livelihood Strategies: Evidence from the Poverty-Stricken Areas of Southwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-24, April.
    4. Hejie Wei & Jiaxin Zheng & Dong Xue & Xiaobin Dong & Mengxue Liu & Yali Zhang, 2022. "Identifying the Relationship between Livelihoods and Land Ecosystem Services Using a Coupled Model: A Case Study in the “One River and Two Tributaries” Region of Tibet," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, August.
    5. Kongsen Wu & Dongyan Kong & Xinjun Yang, 2023. "The Impact of Rural Industrial Development on Farmers’ Livelihoods—Taking Fruit-Producing Area as an Example," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Jue Wang & Haiwei Jiang & Yuan He, 2023. "Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Income-Generating Activities in Rubber Monoculture Dominated Region Based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, January.

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