Grassland degradation: ecological aspects for sustainable management
摘要
Grassland globally covers up to 40% of the geographical area, supporting more than 1 billion people and 2 billion livestock. On global accounts, grassland possesses 20–30% global soil organic carbon and belowground biomass of 80–90%, offering various ecological roles and functions. Though 20–50% of the Earth's grasslands of the Earths are degraded depending upon the biophysical attributes of the region. Grassland is a concern, as it provides various ecological services to humankind. Hence, globally, the rapid degeneration of the grassland ecosystem through human-induced altered land-use practices, intervention of natural disasters have put this unique ecosystem under global threat. Therefore, sustainable management of the grassland ecosystem requires innovativeness, new technology design, and above all eco-friendly nature to become compatible with the existing environment. Proper monitoring, evaluation, and assessment are required for effective management of the ecosystem. Technocratic approaches such as artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing, and machine learning could be implemented for proper monitoring and evaluation of the grassland ecosystem. Such processes should be aided with proper planning, policy formulation, and decision-making for effective management of the grassland ecosystem.