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An Assessment of Productivity Patterns of Grass-Dominated Rangelands in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Region, Pakistan

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  • Faisal Mueen Qamer

    (State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu 44700, Nepal
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Chen Xi

    (State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Sawaid Abbas

    (Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China)

  • Manchiraju S. R. Murthy

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu 44700, Nepal)

  • Wu Ning

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu 44700, Nepal
    Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Bao Anming

    (State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China)

Abstract

Rangelands in the Hindu Kush Karakoram region provide a resource base for nomadic livestock grazing, which is one of the major traditional livelihood practices in the area. The present study assessed the spatiotemporal patterns and trends of rangelands using satellite remote-sensing time-series data. Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, collected at fortnightly intervals over 12 years (2001–2012), were used as a proxy for the vegetation conditions of the grasslands. The analysis revealed that rangeland productivity increased with increasing elevation up to the sub-alpine zone, which had a higher productivity than the moist temperate zone and humid sub-tropical zone. The high sub-alpine productivity was attributed to seasonal amplitude and the extended length of the growing season in the phenological cycle. In the temporal analysis of productivity, the majority of the area exhibited improvements in vegetation conditions, which were strongest in the humid sub-tropical zones and weakest in the alpine zones. The sub-alpine grasslands were found to be the most productive and heterogeneous habitat; however, the relatively strong negative temporal trend in productivity in this zone indicates ongoing degradation in these rangelands. Thus, special attention is needed for the sustainable management of rangelands in the sub-alpine zones of the Hindu Kush Karakoram region.

Suggested Citation

  • Faisal Mueen Qamer & Chen Xi & Sawaid Abbas & Manchiraju S. R. Murthy & Wu Ning & Bao Anming, 2016. "An Assessment of Productivity Patterns of Grass-Dominated Rangelands in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Region, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:9:p:961-:d:78572
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    1. Omaid Najmuddin & Faisal Mueen Qamer & Habib Gul & Weiqing Zhuang & Fan Zhang, 2021. "Cropland use preferences under land, water and labour constraints— implications for wheat self-sufficiency in the Kabul River basin, Afghanistan," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 955-979, August.

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