Detecting and attributing the impact of human activities on grassland aboveground biomass in China's Loess Plateau.

Human activities significantly influence grassland ecosystem functions, particularly plant biomass. However, the direction and magnitude of these effects remain insufficiently explored. Herein, we quantitively assessed both the positive and negative effects of various human activities on grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) in China's Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2022. The results indicated that the magnitudes of positive effects increased by 0.29 g m−2 per year, whereas the negative effects decreased by 0.31 g m−2 per year. Spatially, 32 % of the grasslands experienced significant positive effects, whereas the rest grasslands faced negative effects. Notably, only 20 % of the areas with negative effects showed worsening trends mainly due to ecological restoration, sustainable agriculture, and population migration. Agricultural production activities and population changes emerged as dominant factors, with some activities, like livestock farming, exhibiting dual effects (i.e., positive and negative effects) on AGB. These findings underscore the complexity of human activities in affecting the grassland production function and highlight the necessity for balanced management strategies to sustain grassland productivity and resilience. [Display omitted] • Assessing model for the promotive (positive) and inhibitory (negative) effects of human activities on grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) was developed. • Approximately 68% of grasslands in the Loess Plateau are affected by the negative impacts of human activities. • Since 2007, the intensity of positive effects has, on average, surpassed that of negative effects. • Agricultural production activities and population changes are the two major human factors influencing grassland AGB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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