Grassland Animal Husbandry Ecological Efficiency in Karst Rocky Desertification Areas: Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Differential Drivers

Abstract

Maintaining and improving the health of grassland ecosystems is the key to promoting the sustainable development of grassland animal husbandry. This study selected three representative karst regions exhibiting varying degrees of rock desertification. EE of grassland animal husbandry in these three areas was calculated using the Super-SBM model. The spatio-temporal variation characteristics were analyzed by kernel density estimation, and the influencing factors were explored by the geographical detector. We found that: (1) The spatial heterogeneity of EE in grassland livestock farming within rock desertification areas is pronounced, diminishing with increasing desertification severity: Areas with potential-light KDC show the highest average efficiency (1.01), while those with medium-severe KDC have the lowest (0.51). (2) Villages with relatively high or high EE are scattered across the three study areas. (3) In areas with potential-light and light-medium KDC, human factors have a clear impact on EE, while in medium-severe KDC affected areas, natural factors play a more significant role. The findings of this study serve as a reference for decision-making regarding the restoration and security of grassland ecosystems in ecologically vulnerable regions worldwide.