Quantitative measurements of the interaction between net primary productivity and livestock production in Qinghai Province based on data fusion technique

The interaction between livestock production and net primary productivity (NPP) in Qinghai Province, China, is estimated using simultaneous equations. The total value of livestock production and NPP positively influence each other, so livestock farming in Qinghai Province is not necessarily injurious to vegetation in this region. There is a weak positive effect on NPP of a county-level region having a nature reserve. There are positive effects of temperature, sunshine hours, relative humidity and rainfall on NPP, and therefore indirectly affect livestock production. Higher grazing density negatively affects NPP, so appropriate grazing density and establishing natural reserves are practical actions to sustain livestock farming.