Integrating land sharing and sparing paradigms in grassland ecology: A perspective on balancing livestock production and biodiversity

Abstract

The increasing global demand for livestock products (meat, milk, and wool) drives overgrazing, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in grasslands worldwide. Balancing production needs with ecological conservation remains a major global challenge. Drawing from the agroecological paradigms of “land sharing” and “land sparing,” we propose “grassland sharing” (dispersed grazing over expanded areas) and “grassland sparing” (concentrated grazing in restricted areas). We conducted a manipulative experiment in the typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, maintaining the same grazing intensity while contrasting spatial configurations. We hypothesize that grassland sharing enhances spatial heterogeneity, thereby promoting biodiversity, ecosystem multifunctionality, and livestock health more effectively than grassland sparing. Preliminary results indicate that grassland sharing increases livestock productivity while maintaining biodiversity, though long-term validation is still needed. This comparative study highlights the transformative potential of spatial optimization in grassland management: sharing regimes may simultaneously sustain pastoral livelihoods and ecological resilience, while sparing risks functional homogenization and reduced livestock productivity. Our findings advance evidence-based strategies to align livestock production with conservation goals, urging policymakers to integrate spatial dimensions into sustainable grassland management.

Keywords

biodiversity / ecosystem function / grassland management / grassland sharing / grassland sparing / livestock health

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2025 The Author(s). Grassland Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Chinese Grassland Society and Lanzhou University.