A long-term high-resolution dataset of grasslands grazing intensity in China.

Abstract

Grazing is a significant anthropogenic disturbance to grasslands, impacting their function and composition, and affecting carbon budgets and greenhouse gas emissions. However, accurate evaluations of grazing impacts are limited by the absence of long-term high-resolution grazing intensity data (i.e., the number of livestock per unit area). This study utilized census livestock data and a satellite-based vegetation index to develop the first Long-term High-resolution Grazing Intensity (LHGI) dataset of grassland in seven pastoral provinces in western China from 1980 to 2022. The LHGI dataset effectively captured spatial variations in grazing intensity, with validation at 73 sites showing a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.78. The county-level validation showed an averaged R² values of 0.73 ± 0.03 from 1980 to 2022. This dataset serves as a vital resource for estimating grassland carbon cycling and livestock system CH₄ emissions, as well as contributing to grassland management.