Grassland Certification, Grazing Behavior, and Ecological Consequences: Evidence from Pastoral China

This paper investigates the effects of grassland certification reform on grassland quality and livestock output in China. Using remote sensing and household surveyed data, we found that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of our research area decreased by 9.37% after the implementation of the certification reform. Two potential mechanisms can be responsible for the tragic ecological consequences. The initial factor is the intensified grassland fragmentation. Contiguous large-scale grasslands were divided into small-scale fragmented grasslands after the certification reform, resulting in increased grazing intensity. The imperfection of grassland use rights could be the second potential mechanism. Herders have transferred their grazing intensity from their personally owned grazing area to the leased grazing field due to the volatility of grassland tenure and the inadequacy of agreements. Conversely, the aggregate output of villages increased by 15.5%, and the grassland rental markets became more efficient. We contend that property rights reforms have increased the vulnerability of grassland ecology and the livelihoods of herders despite the anticipated enhancement in output resulting from the reforms. These findings suggest that the trade-off between grassland sustainability and livestock productivity capacity led by the grassland property rights reform has impeded the development of more comprehensive strategies to withstand grassland degradation.