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Adaptive Grazing and Land Use Coupling in Arid Pastoral China: Insights from Sunan County

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  • Bo Lan

    (Center for Studies of Ethnic Minorities in Northwest China, Center for China’s Border Security Studies, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Yue Zhang

    (Gansu Provincial Center for Ethnic and Religious Studies, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Zhaofan Wu

    (School of Chinese National Community, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Haifei Wang

    (Center for Studies of Ethnic Minorities in Northwest China, Center for China’s Border Security Studies, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

Abstract

Driven by climate change and stringent ecological conservation policies, arid and semi-arid pastoral areas face acute grassland degradation and forage–livestock imbalances. In Sunan County (Gansu Province, China), herders have increasingly turned to off-site grazing—leasing crop fields in adjacent oases during autumn and winter—to alleviate local grassland pressure and adapt their livelihoods. However, the interplay between the evolving land use system (L) and this emergent borrowed pasture system (B) remains under-explored. This study introduces a coupled analytical framework linking L and B. We employ multi-temporal remote sensing imagery (2018–2023) and official statistical data to derive land use dynamic degree (LUDD) metrics and 14 indicators for the borrowed pasture system. Through entropy weighting and a coupling coordination degree model (CCDM), we quantify subsystem performance, interaction intensity, and coordination over time. The results show that 2017 was a turning point in grassland–bare land dynamics: grassland trends shifted from positive to negative, whereas bare land trends turned from negative to positive; strong coupling but low early coordination (C > 0.95; D < 0.54) were present due to institutional lags, infrastructural gaps, and rising rental costs; resilient grassroots networks bolstered coordination during COVID-19 (D ≈ 0.78 in 2023); and institutional voids limited scalability, highlighting the need for integrated subsidy, insurance, and management frameworks. In addition, among those interviewed, 75% (15/20) observed significant grassland degradation before adopting off-site grazing, and 40% (8/20) perceived improvements afterward, indicating its potential role in ecological regulation under climate stress. By fusing remote sensing quantification with local stakeholder insights, this study advances social–ecological coupling theory and offers actionable guidance for optimizing cross-regional forage allocation and adaptive governance in arid pastoral zones.

Suggested Citation

  • Bo Lan & Yue Zhang & Zhaofan Wu & Haifei Wang, 2025. "Adaptive Grazing and Land Use Coupling in Arid Pastoral China: Insights from Sunan County," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-28, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1451-:d:1699990
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Min Gao & Zhifeng Shao & Lei Zhang & Zhi Qiao & Yongkui Yang & Lin Zhao, 2025. "Coupling and Coordination Relationship Between Carbon Emissions from Land Use and High-Quality Economic Development in Inner Mongolia, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-26, February.
    2. Li Na & Yangling Zhao & Luo Guo, 2022. "Coupling Coordination Analysis of Ecosystem Services and Urbanization in Inner Mongolia, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Zeng Tang & Shiqi Guan & Menglin Zhao & Lijia Wang & Ying Liu & Yubing Fan, 2022. "Grassland Transfer and Its Income Effect: Evidence from Pastoral Areas of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-20, November.
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