Xiliin Gol discourages grazing to protect pastures

A grassland in Xiliin Gol League, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/IC]

Starting from the beginning of April, Xiliin Gol League in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region began closing 220 million mu (14.67 million hectares) of grassland to protect pasture growth during spring.

According to local authorities, it will take at least one month for the pastures to turn green, and Xilin Gol will provide subsidies to herdsmen who stop grazing and offer support to locals who rear livestock in pens. The pastures designated for closure account for 83 percent of the area’s total pastures.

The closure of the pastures during spring could help alleviate problems such as productivity decline and population degradation, which are caused by early grazing and trampling. The closure is extremely important for the protection of grasslands.

Xilin Gol League first began closing pastures during spring last year.

In 2018, after the implementation of spring grazing closures, the average grass coverage of natural grasslands rose to 28.5 percent, a 0.5 percent increase over the same period in 2017. The average height of the grass rose to 7.6 centimeter (cm), an increase of 0.9 cm over 2017.