Impact of grassland storage balance management policies on ecological vulnerability: Evidence from ecological vulnerability assessments in the Selinco region of China

The Selinco region is a highland grassland ecosystem with a unique lake system and diverse flora and fauna. However, it is highly vulnerable to degradation due to its high altitude and harsh climate. In recent years, the region has been subjected to increasing external pressures, including climate change, human activities, and natural disasters. Therefore, conducting an ecological vulnerability assessment is essential to ensure the sustainable development of the region. To achieve this, we performed a comprehensive integrated spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) of 12 representative ecological vulnerability indicators to assess the ecosystem of the region. This approach facilitated a comprehensive assessment of the ecological status of the region. Our study indicated that population and livestock density are the most important factors influencing environmental vulnerability. While the region has shown a trend of ecological recovery and stability over the past 20 years, some areas still experience ecological deterioration, emphasizing the importance of increasing efforts for to ecological conservation and restoration. Furthermore, we observed that different ecologically fragile areas have experienced varying degrees of transformation, underscoring the importance of more precise ecological conservation policies. At the county level, Nima and Shuanghu counties require focused attention and remedial measures to address severe ecological degradation, while other counties have demonstrated a trend towards ecological restoration, which could be attributed to the implementation of a balanced grass storage management policy that mitigates the impact of human activities. Therefore, further research is essential to determine the persistence of ecological trends and to identify long-term conservation and sustainable use solutions.