Dependency between herdsmen’s diversified livelihoods and grassland ecosystem services: Taking the Kalajun World Natural Heritage Site as an example

Herdsmen rely on ecosystem services and have an impact on the ability of these ecosystems to provide services. This research reveals the characteristic rules of the dependency that exists between the livelihoods of herdsmen in pastoral areas and ecosystem services and provides important information that can be used to achieve the coordinated development of both human well-being and ecosystems. The Index System of Farmer Dependence on Ecosystem Services (IDES) exponential model was used to analyze the data from 190 sample herdsmen and delve into the dependencies of four livelihood strategies on ecosystem services, including outward employment, tourism, animal husbandry, and the combined industry of animal husbandry and tourism. Furthermore, using a grey correlation model, we also discuss the impacts of the livelihood capitals of these four kinds strategies on IDES. The results showed that: 1) There was a significant difference among herdsmen in their incomes from ecosystem services. Herdsmen that worked in tourism received the most benefits and received the most from cultural services, with 15 564 CNY on average per household. However, they benefited the least from the modulation sector with an average of 428 CNY per household. 2) The dependencies of different livelihood strategies on ecosystem services differed, here listed in descending order: the combined industry of animal husbandry and tourism, tourism, outward employment, and finally animal husbandry. 3) The correlations between the livelihood capitals of different livelihood strategies and IDES also varied, with the strongest correlation between social capital and IDES, while the correlations between other capitals and IDES were moderate. Based on these findings, it is important to encourage herdsmen to moderately develop by-businesses, and to improve the supply ability of ecosystem services: the participation mechanisms of grassland tourism should be improved to increase the dependence on cultural services. In addition, we should increase the social capitals of herdsmen and strengthen the correlations between livelihoods and ecosystem services. Only in these ways can we achieve the sustainable development of both livelihoods and ecosystem services.