Changing patterns of basic household consumption in the Inner Mongolian grasslands: a case study of policy-oriented adoptive changes in the use of grasslands
B. Du A B , L. Zhen A E , R. de Groot B , C. E. Goulden C , X. Long A D , X. Cao A D , R. Wu A D and C. Sun A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Beijing 100101, China.
B Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen 6700 HB, The Netherlands.
C Asia Center, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.
D University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
E Corresponding author. Email: Zhenl@igsnrr.ac.cn
The Rangeland Journal 36(5) 505-517 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ14021
Submitted: 21 February 2014 Accepted: 30 September 2014 Published: 28 October 2014
Abstract
Grassland ecosystems, as the basic natural resources in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, are becoming increasingly sensitive to human intervention, leading to deterioration in fragile ecosystems. The goal of this study was to describe the restoration policy-oriented adoptive changes to basic household consumption patterns of food, fuel, and water, and their spatial distribution by grassland types in the region. Basic household consumption data were collected in the meadow steppe (Hulun Buir), typical steppe (Xilin Gol), and semi-desert steppe (Ordos) ecosystems using structured questionnaires administered to 209 herders and farmers. In 2010, the householders’ intake comprised a low amount of agri-crops, including staple foods, vegetables and fruit with a high amount of meat, which still dominated the patterns of food consumption. However, the number of households preferring this pattern is decreasing and higher amounts of agri-crop and lower amounts of meat consumption pattern is increasing. From 1995 to 2010, fuel consumption patterns changed from being dominated by bio-fuels (dung) to being dominated mainly by electricity and gas. However, bio-fuel remains a major energy source for daily life in the meadow steppe ecosystem. In all three surveyed grassland types, the use of coal, electricity and gas increased from 1995 to 2010. The source of domestic water in all three surveyed areas is from groundwater, with an increasing trend to use tap water from a public supply rather than from privately owned wells.
Additional keywords: consumption patterns, food, fuel, grassland, household, restoration policy, water.
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