CHAPTER ONE:
Overview and Summary
Qinghai’s Grasslands at a Glance
CHAPTER TWO:
Grassland Conservation in
a Global Perspective: Four Key Themes
Introduction
Grasslands
Grasslands of the World
Grasslands of China
Basic grassland biology
Grassland biodiversity
Pastoralism
Pastoralists of the World
Tibetan pastoralism
Pastoral development experience
New approaches in pastoral development
Sustainability
What is development?
What is sustainable development?
UNCED (Rio ’92): Poverty and the environment
Development models and criteria for success
Biodiversity
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is essential for sustainability
Summary
CHAPTER THREE:
The Human Environments of
China: A Diversity of Scales, Frames of Reference, and Study Areas
Introduction
The People’s Republic of China
Physical and human geography
Development and national security
Environmental protection
The Tibetan Plateau
Biogeography of the Tibetan plateau
Tibetan wildlife
Qinghai Province
Physical and human geography
A cultural crossroads
Poverty alleviation and development
The Alpine Grasslands of Qinghai Province
General development plans and priorities
The Household Responsibility System
Restructuring production
The Four-in-one Scheme
Grassland improvement, grassland restoration
Disaster prevention and “pest” control programs
Agricultural production
County and township-level economic diversification
Forming collective economic groups
Provision of community social services
Provision of basic education and adult literacy
Summary
CHAPTER FOUR:
Pastoral Landscapes in the Qinghai Lake Area: Current Developments and Trends
Introduction
Landscape observation and analysis
The emergence of a new mixed landscape
An urgent need for environmental protection
General Description of the Qinghai Lake Area
Physical geography
From tribal history to modern politics
Different values, different visions of the world
Landscape Observation and Analysis
Overland tour of the Qinghai Lake area
Village scenes (Jiayi village)
Grassland development (Gangcha county)
Nature tourism (Bird Island Nature Reserve)
Power, Poverty, Tradition, and Modernization
Still more questions
The modern pastoral landscape in review
The way forward
CHAPTER FIVE:
Introduction
Methods and Results
General methods
Species richness
Species-area curves
Vegetation cover
General Discussion
CHAPTER SIX:
Rangeland Utilization,
Grassland Quality, and Biodiversity in Alpine Grasslands: A Regional Analysis
Introduction
Methods and Results
General methods
Grassland quality
Biodiversity
Rainfall
Population density
Non-local influences
Percent pastoralism
Season of use
Principal components analysis
Multiple regression analysis
General Discussion
Rainfall
Percent pastoralism
Population density
Non-local influences
Season of use
The way forward
CHAPTER SEVEN:
New Wildlife Sightings in
Qinghai Province
Introduction
Wildlife Observations, 1995-1999
Tibetan antelope
Tibetan wild ass
Tibetan gazelle
Tibetan wild yak
Blue sheep
Argali
White-lipped deer
Snow leopard
Tibetan brown bear
Plateau pika
Historic Wildlife Abundances
Main Threats to Qinghai’s Wildlife
Summary
CHAPTER EIGHT:
Introduction
Biodiversity Protection
Biodiversity conservation (and development) in China
Key strategies for successful conservation
Putting (local) people first
Power plays and project planning
Civil Society in China
The emergence of environmental NGOs in China
Special characteristics of the Tibetan Plateau
Suojia and the Upper Yangtze Organization: A Case Study
Where is Suojia?
Who are the stakeholders in Suojia?
What is at stake in Suojia?
What is the timeframe for change in Suojia?
Why is the Upper Yangtze Organization so important?
How will biodiversity be conserved in Suojia?
Summary of Conservation and Development Work in Suojia