Assessment of grazing livestock balance on the Eastern Mongolian Plateau based on remote sensing monitoring and grassland carrying capacity evaluation

Rational utilization of natural resources is crucial in arid and semi-arid areas due to their vulnerable ecosystems and low resource resilience. Achieving a balance between grassland production and livestock grazing, known as the pasture-livestock balance, is essential for the sustainable development of grassland resources on the Mongolian Plateau (MP). This study focuses on the grassland regions of 8 provinces in eastern Mongolia (MNG) and 7 leagues in Inner Mongolia (IMNG), China, during the period from 2018 to 2022. Machine learning methods were employed for land cover classification and above-ground biomass (AGB) estimation. The grassland carrying capacity was assessed using the grassland carrying capacity index (GCC). The results indicate that: (1) The grassland classification accuracy on the MP exceeds 95%, with grassland area accounting for approximately 47% of the total.(2)The AGB of the grasslands exhibits a clear spatial heterogeneity, increasing from southwest to northeast. Additionally, nearly 80% of the grassland productivity is of high quality, reaching up to 250 g/m².(3) Between 2018 and 2022, the MP exhibited a relatively high grassland carrying capacity, with an average of 1.8 SU/ha. However, the overall grassland carrying condition has gradually deteriorated, primarily due to factors such as grassland fires and an increase in livestock numbers. Based on the varying degrees of grassland degradation, different policy recommendations have been proposed. This study approach, findings and policy suggestions are significant for the development of livestock farming and grassland management on the MP.