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A study published by IAMO researchers has investigated the spatial distribution and intensity of pasture use in Kazakhstan. The model provides information on the agricultural potential of Kazakhstan's extensive grasslands. The model can be used to assess conditions in similar rural regions in detail.
IAMO scientists have published a study on the spatial distribution and intensity of grazing in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world with vast grasslands and low human population density. Extensive livestock production is therefore a mainstay of Kazakh agriculture. The huge, partly underutilized areas could also play a crucial role in supplying the world's growing population with animal products.
Despite the large land requirements and the considerable ecological footprint of livestock production, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the size, intensity and spatial distribution of the land used for livestock farming. In the study, the authors therefore developed a novel approach for assessing grazing intensity at high spatial detail. In 2015, an estimated 48% of available grazing area was utilized, but at very low average intensity, indicating a large potential for expansion of livestock production. Nevertheless, there were areas where overgrazing is a present danger. The map of grazing intensity developed by the authors can be used to determine the sustainable limit of Kazakhstan's pastures and associated livestock production potentials. The model can also be adapted for use in other regions where grazing patterns can be defined but current pasture utilization is unknown.
The study has been published by PLOS ONE and can be downloaded under the following link.
PD Dr. Daniel Müller
Tel.: +49 345 2928-328
mueller@iamo.de
Brett Hankerson, Florian Schierhorn, Alexander V. Prishchepov, Changxing Dong, Christina Eisfelder, Daniel Müller (2019): Modeling the spatial distribution of grazing intensity in Kazakhstan. PLOS ONE 14 (1): 1-27.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210051
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0210051
Distribution of grazing intensity in Kazakhstan for the year 2015
Source: Brett R. Hankerson
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars
Zoology / agricultural and forest sciences
transregional, national
Research results, Scientific Publications
English
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