North China's Shanxi province recently issued a circular for strengthening the protection and restoration of grasslands. 

The circular requires technological support and enhanced governance capabilities to improve grassland environments and functionality.

Basic grasslands that maintain national ecological security, protect key ecological function areas, and ensure the healthy development of grassland animal husbandry will be the focus of protection. 

A grassland law enforcement accountability system and joint grassland enforcement mechanism will be established and improved, and a damage compensation system for grasslands will be strictly implemented.

According to the circular, the province will implement major ecological restoration projects such as the protection and restoration of subalpine meadows, the improvement of degraded grasslands, and artificial grass planting.

In severely overgrazed areas, measures such as grazing bans, organic dry land farming, soil loosening and fertilization, and pest control will be adopted to promote the restoration of grassland vegetation.

Shanxi will also accelerate the transformation of traditional grassland animal husbandry methods, optimize resource allocation, and develop a modern grassland industry.

Background information 

Shanxi is a province in North China with a large area of grasslands. According to the census on grassland resources in the 1980s, the province's natural grassland area is 45,520 square kilometers, accounting for 29 percent of the province's total area.

Grasslands in Shanxi are mainly distributed in the marginal areas of the Taihang and Lyuliang mountains and the central basin. There are six major types of grassland in Shanxi, including mountain meadows, mountain shrubs, and mountain grasslands.

Grasses in the province are rich and diverse, and many species have high scientific, academic and economic development value.